Fina was filled with shock and confusion.
No matter how hard she tried, no matter how precisely she swung, some sort of unknown force was preventing her from hitting her enemy.
Just why during that fight did she not even have control over what she did?
"See now.... how do I even explain this? It's kinda hard for me to wrap my head around, but basically... whenever you hit me, your actions become determined. They become set in stone, however those actions are the only thing that becomes set in stone. I can react to them however I want, but you can't change those determined actions. I'm sure you were confused when you started swinging at the air, right?"
Fina nodded vigorously.
"You were attacking me there, but it was in a timeline that had been reset. Because your actions were determined, you weren't allowed to depart from them- but I was allowed to depart from my own undetermined actions. That allowed me to get behind you and watch as you attacked the air."
"I don't quite understand, but I think I somewhat can see..... but, that only poses even more questions. How is it possible for such an ability to exist? Is it some sort of strange magic? I've never heard of anything like that... that seems to go beyond what magic should be able to do...", Fina asked while glaring into the beautiful eyes of Claire.
"Ah... well, I told you, didn't I? I'm the Determined. Have you really never heard of me?"
Fina nodded her head no.
"Hmm.... I suppose that makes this quite difficult. Most people I ask know about me... Well, anyways.... let's just go with that I'm an anomaly! You can't beat me, because hitting me causes everything to reset to a previous state."
"But what about when I hit that ugly arm of yours?", Fina questioned.
Claire felt a vein bursting at her arm being called ugly, but quickly suppressed any anger.
"Ah, well this part of me is a bit different. Do you remember when I told you that you wouldn't be able to hit me anymore?"
"Mhm."
"Well, I set a condition on you. See now, anything that comes into contact with this part of me can have conditions set on it. The condition I set on your weapons was that they would never be able to come into contact with myself."
"Oh....."
Fina nodded, understanding.
"That's.... unbelievable, but I will believe you for now- since it seems I have no choice but to accept my defeat. I apologize for my outburst earlier. It was rude of me to expect you to know everything about me. I am Fina, the leader of the gerbils faction. So? What do you need from me?"
Claire felt the desire to pump a fist in victory, but instead smiled graciously.
"I am trying to unite the people of this city. I wish to gather the three leaders with one another and have them discuss the state of this city. I am trying to learn more and more about this city and it's people, but for now I want you all to agree to a peace treaty which I will oversee."
Fina squinted her eyes at hearing this.
"It's true that you defeated me, but you're asking for the impossible. Do you think that it would be so simple for the three factions of this city to come to terms with one another, even with yourself overseeing things?"
"Well.... I want to help the people of this town, no matter what. There is so much fighting going on right now, and I can't stand to watch! At least if you all can come to a peace with one another, we can move forward-"
"Incomprehensible. Food supplies are running deathly low for the gerbils, and I cannot allow things to remain as they are."
"T-then, if a condition of the treaty is that the ferrets hand over a factory or two-"
"Even more incomprehensible. They would die before agreeing to such a thing. If you do not intend to fight for what you want, then you will not be able to obtain it. Just as you have defeated me here, if you defeat the others you might be able to exert your influence on them, but mere discussion will not allow that to happen. Ah, but some will not be like myself. They might fight you to the death before giving in."
Claire looked down in defeat.
"So that's how it is....."
"The ferrets in particular.... they will never agree to simply hand over factories. The fighting in this city will remain until only one faction remains, and the other two are wiped out. And I have no intention of being wiped out."
'See?? No matter what you do, problems can't be solved just by talking. If that was all it took, don't you think that the talking would have happened already? You need to do something about it. Not just gather people together to have a nice little talk.'
Claire shook her head vigorously, trying to shake Clarice out of her mind.
"Alright. I understand. Perhaps I should go and speak to the ferrets before coming back here."
"You can do that, but I don't think you'll have a very good time. Their boss is.... something else."
"You say that but you never know until you try! Plus I wouldn't say you're too regular yourself!"
"Are you referring to me as the irregular one here?"
Fina seemed to chuckle ever so slightly, causing Claire to pout in annoyance.
"I.... I know I'm weird!! You don't have to be so blunt about it!!"
"I never used the word weird, but it would be an appropriate way to describe you."
"Grr!! Everyone in this town keeps on saying whatever they want! I'll show you!! I may be weird, but that can be a good thing!!"
Claire stomped away, however as she was doing so, a man rushed past her and shouted something to Fina.
"Boss! The leader of the rats faction arrived here just a moment ago. He says that he needs to discuss something important!"
"The boss of the rats? Interesting. Let him come. This hasn't happened before. Is this your doing, Determined?"
"U-um.... maybe? I'm not actually sure...."
'Eh? Did that old man actually decide to come to terms and try to negotiate? He put on a lot of talk but I guess he wanted things to end peacefully as well!'
Just as Claire thought this, Sir Ramrod walked forward with the two mafia members at his sides. He approached Fina, who was standing in the junkyard.
"Don't you have a better place to be receiving guests? I made my way here to have a discussion, not to stand in this garbage dump. Can't we go inside?"
"Acceptable request. Men, prepare a table.", Fina ordered.
'Ehhhhh.... I had to fight her but Ramrod gets the easy treatment? It's hard not having a name I guess...', Claire thought.
And with that, Claire found herself sitting at a round table on the upper floor with Sir Ramrod and Fina- two leaders of dying factions here in the ratmen city.
Sir Ramrod placed his cane down and used a handkerchief to wipe his monocle, fixing it before speaking.
"I'll get right down to business. Our faction is on the verge of elimination, and your faction is as well. With only one factory left each, we're down to our last straws. If these factories are taken from us, it's over for our entire people. Even now, I'm sure that you know well how much of a struggle it is to try and feed your people with only one factory."
"What you say is true, however how does that relate to why you're here?"
The man stroked his mustache before speaking.
"I propose an alliance against the ferrets, and a cease fire among each other. If we can focus our efforts-"
"W-wait a minute! I'm all for you two forming an alliance with one another, but is it really impossible to try and have a dialogue with the ferrets?", Claire shouted.
The two looked towards one another and then to Claire.
"Absolutely not.", the two responded in sync.
"B-but...."
Claire was unsure where to take things.
Should she just accept it?
No!
There was no way she could just sit back and let this happen.
"Then, what if I speak to the ferrets on my own? Will you at least allow me to do that? I will come back and inform you of how things went within the next couple days."
The two looked at one another.
"You won't get anywhere with that, but do what you want.", Ramrod stated with an irritated look.
"We won't cease the fighting if we are attacked. I'm sure you understand that much.", Fina added.
Claire nodded.
"I understand. If you are attacked first, then I can't stop you from defending yourselves. But all I ask if that you don't go on the offensive until I at least speak with-"
At this moment, two men burst in the door.
One was a ratman- one of the subordinates of Ramrod, and another was a gerbil man, one of the subordinates of Fina.
"B-boss!! It's terrible!! Look at this!!"
"Boss!! You have to read this!!"
Both of the men seemed to have a message in each of their hands, and they brought them over to their respective bosses.
"What is it!? Can't you see that I'm in an important meeting!?", Ramrod reprimanded before fixing his monocle and grabbing the message.
"Let me see.", Fina stated as she carefully took the message with her mechanical arm.
As the two read their respective messages, their eyes went wide with rage.
"What."
"I-impossible...."
The two people's faces twisted with a furious anger, and Claire looked back and forth with confusion.
"W-what's going on?", she asked.
Ramrod smashed his fist on the table and began ripping up the piece of paper.
"Why that little..."
Fina got up loudly and stormed out of the room.
"How dare they....."
"W-what's going on!?!?! Somebody tell me!!", Claire shouted as the two seemed to be overcome by rage.
"They've taken Lisa."
"They've taken Gina."
The two looked to one another with a nod, and then looked back to Claire.
"We're going to destroy the ferrets."
----
"Hey, you wanna try and grab a snack-"
"Absolutely not. You're really irresponsible, aren't you? Every time you take a small snack from the factory, you mess up the numbers and the rations for our people. Don't you have any shame!?"
"It's just a little snack..."
"And for every little snack you take there's a young child who doesn't get to eat their dinner."
Lisa reprimanded Mori as the two solemnly headed back through the town from the factory.
"You're right. Sorry. I won't take any more.", he said with his head hung low.
"Ah quit feeling bad about it. That isn't like you, ya know."
"Haha.... you're right. It's just...."
Mori looked up and ahead.
They could hear the sounds of fighting in the distance.
"Maybe I haven't been taking things seriously enough..."
Lisa looked Mori in the eyes, surprised at his conviction.
He was typically the type of guy who would brush something into the corner and put on a big smile, but right now, he seemed different.
"Hey, Lisa. Do you think that things will always be like this? Or maybe they'll get even worse, and the fighting will make it to our homes?"
"Don't say stuff like that!! You really aren't acting like yourself today. Is it because of C?"
Mori seemed to be thinking awful hard.
"Maybe.... I just.... when she came, she said that she would fix everything.... but it's not so easy. I don't know who she was or what she wanted, but at the end of the day, I think grandfather might have been right. She's nothing more than a dreamer who doesn't know how to get things done. She'll probably end up sticking her head where it doesn't belong and get killed."
On hearing this, Lisa was slightly shocked.
"You.... why would you say something like that?"
Lisa had a scared look in her face as she looked at Mori.
"It's true, isn't it? I.... I want her to figure things out as well, but she had no plan! She was rushing in without even knowing what she was doing! At the end of the day..... things might not get any better. We have to keep living, you know? Just as grandfather said, we can't put our hopes in some outsider who comes in and thinks they know everything."
Lisa nodded quietly.
"I know that. I know it.... but...."
Mori put his hand on her head, rubbing her ears.
"But you want to hope?"
Lisa nodded.
"Don't worry. I want to put my trust in her as well. So let's hope that she does something great for this city.", Mori said with a toothy smile.
The fighting in the distance seemed to quiet down.
"Ah, it seems like it's over. We should be hurrying out of here as well before anything happens."
Lisa agreed and the two started to run through the alleyways, however when they turned a corner....
"Oof!"
Mori bumped into a ferret who was puffing on a cigar.
He wore some nice work clothes with white gloves, a fedora, and an overcoat, and was clearly a member of the mafia. As Mori bumped into him, the man, who was taking a puff, dropped his cigar and began coughing at being hit in the back.
"Cough cough!! Ugh.... oi, watch it!!"
The man turned around to notice Mori and Lisa, and a pitying expression came across his face.
"Ah.... now you've let us see you.... if I didn't run into you two, then I wouldn't have had any problems, but if my boss finds out that I let that one go then my head might roll.", the man said with a thick New York accent.
He smashed the cigar with his foot, putting it out.
Mori, who had bumped into the man, had fallen backwards and Lisa was behind him attempting to help him up. However, on looking up, Mori and Lisa saw something strange.
There were six ferrets- all dressed in similar outfits, and in the center of them was a woman.
She was a gerbil with light grey fur and a beautiful face, wearing regular work clothes.
The area around her eyes was reddened as if she had been crying recently, but right now she had a scared look on her face and was looking right at Mori.
"F-ferrets!? Damn! They're all the way here!?", Mori said as he jumped up and readied a fighting stance.
The man with the New York accent seemed to sigh as he walked towards Mori.
"Listen up, kid. I've been ordered by my boss to capture every last woman in this city we find with a beautiful face. So I'mma give you two choices, just like I did before for the guy with this one over 'ere. Either you high tail it outta 'ere, or things are gonna get rough real quick. I know you don't got a chance trying to play hero in a six on one, and I don't really wanna have to take you out if I don't hafta."
Mori was overwhelmed with what he heard, but immediately got up and grabbed Lisa's hand.
"We have to get out of here."
He ran, and he ran fast. The two barreled down the alleyway in the opposite direction from the group.
"Are we not going to help that woman there!?", Lisa asked desperately, looking back with guilt.
"We can't do that.... there were six of them.... it's all we can do to just save ourselves...", Mori stated while choking back his emotions.
'Shit.... I can't believe it.... they're being so bold, and just coming right into our territory like this.... where are our men!? Were they all taken out!?'
Mori ran with Lisa by his side, but there was a loud bang sound heard from behind him.
'W-what's this? I feel like my side just got pierced by something....'
Mori fell to the ground, and Lisa watched in horror as he fell.
"M-Mori!!!"
She bent over to see that blood was gushing from his side, and was filled with fear as she looked back down the alleyway.
The man was holding a unique tool and smoke was rising from it.
"Ahh..... it looks like I had to test out this weapon after all. Well, I can at least say it was a success, but...."
The man walked over to Lisa while blowing the smoke from the weapon he held.
"What do you say, girl? If you come with us peacefully, we can patch that kid up real quick here and now and send 'im on his way. He won't die if ya choose quick."
Lisa looked up at the man, who placed the gun back in his coat pocket.
Tears came to her eyes and her hands shook as she looked down at the wounds of Mori.
He seemed to be struggling to breathe, trying desperately to say something, but couldn't.
Blood dripped from his back, forming a puddle underneath him.
"A-alright.... please treat his wounds!! I'll go with you!!"
The man took another cigar, lighting it and taking a puff before waving, ordering the other ferrets to move out.
One was carrying a briefcase and opened it to reveal a load of medical supplies. He took a pair of tweezers and scissors, and after cutting away the clothing from the spot of the wound, extracted the bullet from the side of Mori, who had gone unconscious at this point.
The ferret man used disinfectant on the wound before bandaging it up, and they left Mori lying on the side of the road.
"That kid won't die. Now come with us, or the next wound won't be a nonfatal one."
Lisa nodded, and got in line with the other woman, and they were led off by the six ferrets.
"I didn't want to have to use this thing today. They're scary things. You can take a life without even touching the person. But I can't disobey the orders of the boss. She's a real scary woman, you know. If she doesn't get what she wants, it'll be trouble for all of us. I pity you two.", the man said with a sigh as he took another puff of his cigar.
----
"EH!?! You're telling me that two people have been kidnapped!?!", Claire shouted. "And are being held hostage by the ferrets!?!?"
Ramrod and Fina who were both controlled by their rage, were ready to run out themselves.
"Sir.... I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but Mori was found wounded in the middle of the street.... and a number of our men were also killed in another fight just before we found him. It's becoming very chaotic in the streets."
Ramrod threw his cane to the ground in rage.
"Shit!! Those damn ferrets!!! Is Mori alright!?"
"His wounds were treated when we found him, but he was unconscious and hasn't waken since...."
Ramrod calmed down slightly, but was still furious.
"We'll make them pay for this."
"Sister.... my sister....."
Fina's eyes had become lifeless.
"Objective gained. Locate sister. Eliminate threats."
"W-wait I said!! If you said that they are being held as hostages, shouldn't you try and meet up with the person who is going to return them to you!?"
Ramrod, who was filled with anger, forced himself to sit down.
"Mmm..... you're right.", he said while holding in a number of choice words. "For once, you're right, angel. The first priority right now is getting Lisa back safely."
Fina too sat down, with no hint of emotion.
"Understood. Sister's safety is first priority. Elimination of those who threatened her safety comes afterwards."
Claire was unsure how to feel about this situation, but she made a decision in her heart.
'I.... I can't believe it.... Lisa.... and the sister of this girl here.... they've been kidnapped and held hostage....'
'Did you think stuff like this wasn't happening all over this city? Maybe you need to be thrown into reality a bit. What are you gonna do now? Tell them to suck it up and forget their grudges? Tell them to negotiate peacefully? Ha! I say you let them do what they want. Heck, if you want, you should even team up with them and take out those enemies.'
'I..... I don't know.....'
Claire was legitimately unsure about what to do, but she knew one thing for sure.
"Either way.... we need to go where the trade off will happen. I..... I will work as a bodyguard of sorts in case you are attacked, so please don't worry too much about security."
Ramrod shouted out to his subordinates, beckoning them.
"Gather a few of my top men as well, immediately."
He turned to Claire with a serious face.
"We can't put our full trust in you, angel. However.... thank you for offering your protection."
Claire felt a slight bit of cooperative spirit in this old man, for the first time.
"You're welcome."
"Protection is unnecessary for myself. I have one goal only. To retrieve sister unharmed.", Fina stated.
"Then, we should head out. Where is the meetup supposed to take place?", Claire asked.
Ramrod looked at the letter once more, before facing Claire.
"The old arena."