The explosion of the garden had led to massive damages in the citadel. The east gate of the castle, along with the adjacent walls, had collapsed deeper below the ground. The once wonderfully arranged grounds of the garden had turned into a giant hole that was buried down in rubble. Underneath all that mess, was the third floor of the Waterways.
Near the obliterated way, down a blue bricked stairs, Jaden ended up surviving; along with the strange duo he encountered in the treasure room.
"What happened?" the short girl, Mika, wondered. "Our Haver didn't just blow, it disappeared!"
Sitting on top of avalanched rubble, the brown haired guy sighed exasperatingly. "Ahh, forget it.." he said. "Even if we could fly, that ship's still playing with fire, and I'd rather not get burned."
He then gazed down the Waterways toward the linear path. "We'll go the old-fashioned way.."
Jaden, on the other hand, was looking at Mika.
This little girl just used a Weapon Summoning technique Ovan had taught me, he thought. But, isn't some sort of 'House Inferno Exclusive' ability? It never showed on my UI when I use it. Does that mean I was being lied to, or did I miss something?
"Heeh. I guess there's no other way to it.." Mika took down her pointy wizard hat. And Jaden was capable of making out her features better now.
A short hair little brunette with crimson eyes. She kinda reminds me of Ekram—if she was a feisty hot-tempered magician. Yeah, a classical witch attire such as top-down mid-thigh level dark red blouse, a small black cloak with gold borders, choker, wizard's hat, fingerless gloves, and carries a black staff. Definitely screaming a magic fanatic from a fantasy RPG. But why her ears are tiny and black?
"Not many Red Devils where you come from, theif?" the brown haired guy cut Jaden's train of thoughts.
"Sheesh, he's been giving me the creeps..!" Mika shivered in disgust.
"Oh—uh! Sorry—about that..!" Jaden went back to reality. "And it's—Jaden, not theif!"
"Well, «Red Devils» are an old tribe of magic users who worshiped Ramuh. Their affinity to Mana is quite majestic, so they stay closed off from the rest of the Realm. Encountering one through your travels is thought to be miraculous." the brown haired guy explained. "But Mika here is special in that she deign to partner with a hume.."
"Oh!" Mika cackled. "Like a Space Pirate who chooses to steal through the sewers!"
"Huh—?! Pirate?!" Jaden exclaimed. "You guys are Space Pirates?! So, you've been to other planetoids—?!"
"It's Vincent." the brown haired guy cut him off.
"What?" Jaden tilted his head.
"Yup. This is Vincent Hindergrass, the next big name in space piracy!" Mika announced. "And I'm his stunning partner, Mika, the hottest babe in the Realm of Light! The wildest dream of every hot guy!"
Jaden gawked at the short girl dumbfoundedly. "Uhhh, not sure about the last part, though.." he cracked an awkward laugh.
Mika's self esteem shattered in a whim. Her face made a broken expression. "...Let's kill him, boss.." she muttered.
"Hmm, it might be a good idea.." Vincent smiled viciously. "No one will hear anything after all.."
"You.." Jaden's body tensed as he gritted his teeth.
"—But I won't do that!" Vincent teased him.
"Huh?" Jaden's face twitched for a moment.
"Wh—why not?!" Mika grumbled. "He insulted my goddess-tier beauty... that piece of—"
"Well, I believe the safety of our lives comes first in here. So, listen, Jaden Not Theif," Vincent descended along the stairs, and got closer to Jaden. "If you want to see the light of day, you do exactly as I say."
"Myself, Mika, and you are working together now, understood?" Vincent added, and then walked passed Jaden toward the linear path ahead.
"And where are we going exactly?" Jaden followed along with Mika.
"This Waterways are distributing water throughout the city. If the ones who built it had any sense of architectual logic, there shall be an exit to that Underground portion.." Vincent told him. "We'll descend downward one more level. That I believe, would pretty much prove this theory."
"And then, I'll make sure you lose your head!" Mika spitefully added.
Jaden's options were limited. The only way for him to reunite with his comrades was to follow Vincent lead.
There's no other way to it, he pushed his feet and walked after them.
Deep down in the first floor, Eugene, Petra, and Julia followed the now enraged Captain Olin onward. They ended up going upstairs to a higher ground. The calming pure water-stream was now seen from above. Julia traced to where the water flows as she walked. But minutes later, her eyes spotted something else in the water.
"Huh!" she gasped, covering her mouth in dread.
"That's...!" Petra's eyes widened.
"Blood..!" Eugene tensed in place.
"It's Afallan. This is their battle tactic.." Olin clenched his fists.
Olin and the trio continued their way through a linear path walled on both sides. The sound of the water flowing could no longer reach them.
After walking for about thirty minutes. The group stumbled across a wide area. The moment they laid a toe in it, they witnessed a terrifying scenery. The whole blue bricked floor was covered under an uncountable amount of fallen disfigured bodies of soldiers in different armors.
"Oh my God!" Julia jolted out of fear. "No, I can't—I can't take this anymore!"
"Pull it together." Eugene comforted her.
"What are all of this bodies?! Who did this..?" Petra asked with both her legs shaking. "This is a massacre!"
Olin took off checking each of the dead bodies of his comrades for any survivors.
"Huh! No, not here.." he whispered to himself while bouncing from one spot to the next.
"Captain.." Petra got closer to him.
"They all died—my comrades.." he replied with sorrowful eyes. "They were great men, filled with youth and determination.."
"I'm sorry.." Petra lowered her gaze.
"Well, well! If it isn't Olin Eftrrnaven—the mighty hero of the Derannian force!" a voice came from above.
When Olin and the other three turned to glance toward it, they found out the voice was coming from someone standing on the edge of a higher ground above them. That person was a woman wearing a black armor without helmet, had a shaggy straight short black hair with the right bang being white, a pale smirking face, and pair of yellow eyes.
"I thought you were pronounced dead two years ago. How shocking is this?.." said the black armored figure.
"She seems dangerous.." Petra said.
"Her name is Vonda, a special class Imperial general know as Executioners.." Olin clenched his jaw.
"We're actually called 'Judges' now. Stop giving children old information!" Vonda laughed.
"Hey!" Eugene yelled. "You're the one who did this?!"
"All in the day's work, boy." she shot back sarcastically. "Traitors like these deserve only such hospitality."
Hospitality..?, Petra rotated her head toward Olin. They—were prepared for them..
Her eyes then looked back at Vonda, who smirked pridefully wide.
—She's willing to kill us..
Meanwhile, up on the third floor, Jaden and the Space Pirate duo were heading toward the second floor. To get there, they needed to use the stairwell that situated near the heart of the floor. And according to Vincent's deduction, it's at twenty minutes walking distance from them.
Along the way, Jaden tried to use his UI. He tried Scanning both of his troubling partners.
... Please Wait...
Even after I managed to level up, my [Oracle Scanner] Skill is still slow on picking others' stats. But it does it way faster during battles. I really need to make sure what level these two are at, in case we end up crossing swords. One can't be too careful—!
"AHHHH!"
"What's that?!" Mika rose her staff.
When Jaden and Vincent turned, they found a light armored warrior running for his life toward them. Chasing after him was none other than an Imperial soldier with a large spear.
"Hey, PLEASE! HELP—UHG!" the guy cried his last breath once the Imperial spear pierced through his back.
~Flang!
The poor man dropped motionless on the ground. Jaden and the other two froze in place.
"Hey!" the armored soldier called for others to join him. "Looks like there's more right here!"
"Let us finish them quick." said the other three ranks. "Kill those filthy Insurgants!"
~Shinnn!
Jaden summoned his Engineblade, and prepared for battle. Seeing him got tensed, Vincent took out his twin daggers, and Mika held tight on her staff.
"Go, kill them!" the armored enemies charged against the three.
Jaden dashed forward, and locked blades with one soldier. The enemy tried tricking Jaden with a sneak attack, but Jaden dodged in a split second, and finished him off.
"[SHARP NAIL]!"
~STRIKE!
Vincent on the other hand, was exchanging blows with the second soldier. "So, that man tried to flee for his life, and you didn't let him be, huh?" he asked him.
"Lord Gundolf told us to perish all of you, and he'll reward us heftily." replied the soldier.
"Is that so..?" Vincent said, and delivered quick slashes with his daggers.
~SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
"UGH!" the soldier stepped back, preparing to run away.
"—Oh, now that, would put you to shame.." Vincent appeared behind him out of nowhere. His hands snapped the soldier's neck in a ghost speed.
~Clack!
~Drop!
"That's how it's done.." Vincent stood. "Mika, how're things?"
Mika was fighting the remaining two ranks. Since the area was not wide and open, she tried close ranged attacks using the bottom tip of her staff.
"Don't even think you can interrupt me!" she warned Vincent, and carried on. She jumped diagonally in the air, and delivered spinning hits on the two enemies.
~Paw! Paw! Paw!
~Drop!
Mika landed on her feet only to hop on one of the soldiers and began punching him continuously. "This is what you deserve for taking that man's life!" she shouted.
~Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack!
"H—hey!" Jaden uttered. "He's all done for. Drop him!"
"Go to hell!" Mika shouted back while she resumed punching the soldier until blood covered her knuckle.
~Grip!
"That's enough." Vincent held her hand. "This won't make things any better.."
"Hell.." she stood away from the dropped down armored guard.
Jaden watched Mika as she was barely cooling down.
Damn! This girl got anger issues.., he sighed.
Vincent gazed at the way ahead of them as a number of the light armored bodies were dropped on the floor. "Hmm.." he knelt down to examine one of them. "Exactly what I thought.."
"What is it?" Mika asked.
"Insergants." he got up. "Most like they thought to take advantage of a lax watch of the castle while the Fete's on—to feed the good Council a length of steel for his supper."
"I see.." Jaden muttered.
"I should think Gundolf's used to such hospitality.." Vincent continued. "Clever. He used himself as the bait to draw them near, and then sent in air bergade.."
"And that would make it—" Mika said.
"A fine, bloody banquet." Vincent finished. "I daresay I soiled my cuffs. If a dungeon is waiting for us at the end of the night, it's best to have a change of wardrobe.."
A dungeon, huh?, Jaden thought, gazing at the path ahead. "—Hope not.."
Meanwhile, on the first floor, Vonda stood with a vicious smile on her face as Olin, Eugene, Petra, and Julia.
"Olin Efternaven," Vonda raised her prickly hands, as though conducting a symphony. "It is time your legend comes to an end.."
The moment she raised her hands, a number of the fallen bodies rose up. Their limbs moved in loose motion.
"Wh—what's happening?!" Eugene stepped back.
"Vonda's Mystic Art, the Puppeteer.." Olin explained. "She uses Mana strings to control anything around her."
"Quit tittering," Vonda swept her hand in a swift. "And DIE!" The animated bodies flung into the air, and dashed against Eugene and the others.
"Incomin'!" Petra dodge-rolled the attack.
The controlled puppets steered toward Eugene and Olin. They attacked with broken spears and swords.
~Clank!
"[Ground Swift]!" his Blue-Rose collided with one of the enemies. But the moment he glanced over into his face, Eugene saw him crying.
"No—I don't want to fight you.." he sobbed.
That's really cruel! Some of them are actually still alive, Eugene gritted his teeth. They're Captain Olin's friends! This woman is making them fight against their will..
He glanced over at Olin as he was merely pushing his stringed comrades without hurting them.
"Captain...." one man breathed out. "..Kill me..Please.."
"That's impossible!.." he shouted back while trying to restrain him.
"UH HA HA HA HA HA!" Vonda laughed hysterically. "Things have started to get dramatic!"
Vonda took a miestro stance. And with her prickly index finger, she directed more bodies of both Imperials and Resistance forces toward Eugene.
"Eh—!" he stood helplessly before the dashing enemies.
"..Rewind.." Julia used her rippelling waves, and pushed back the bodies.
~Vavavavand!
"Majd, are you okay?" she checked on him. "You need healing?"
"No, no need.." he stood, readying his sword.
~Blast!
"We gotta stop those strings!" Petra yelled.
"We need to get the source first!" Olin grabbed one of the bodies, hopped on his shoulder, and leaped from that one to the next.
"What—?!" Vonda exclaimed while witnessing Olin bouncing on top of the floating bodies to get to her.
"HAAAAAA!" he jumped up high, and charged his fist, preparing for a thrust. "LION BLAST!"
A glowing yellow lion-head-shaped blast dashed down toward Vonda.
~FLAAAM!
"Heh.." she smirked.
~BLOW!
Olin's blast blew against something before reaching Vonda. And the following second, a bird-like monster closed his claws on Olin back, and threw him on the ground level Vonda was standing on.
"GUHHAAA!" Olin hit the ground, and couldn't get up anymore.
"CAPTAIN!" Petra yelled.
"Heh. Not too shabby for a filthy Derannian." Vonda said. "Time to get rid of the remenants."
More pupetes rose up. And this time, they rose their hands simultaneously. A fireball was being forged above their heads.
"What the fu—?!" Petra dropped her jaw.
"She can control other people' Mana?!" Eugene was in a shock.
"Burn these pests!" Vonda lowered her hands. And the fireball got shot all at once.
It felt to them like a rain was about to pour on them from hell. But Julia squeezed between Petra and Eugene, and pushed her palm toward the fire.
"..Reflecta.." she uttered as a transparent purple panel shielded the three.
~Flink! Flink! Flink!
The fireballs got all absorbed into the shield Julia had materialized.
"Yeah!" Petra smiled.
"That's our Safi!" Eugene cheered.
"Wait for it!" Julia replied. And the shield began spitting out purple fireballs toward Vonda.
"You've gotten nerve, eh!" she swang her arm, and more fireballs fired out.
~BANG! BANG! BANG!
Midway between the two sides, fireballs collided and blew into nothing. At the first, the line between the two forces stayed in the middle. But few minutes later, it began shifting toward Julia.
"Ugh.." Julia knelt on one knee.
"Safi!" Eugene tried supporting her. "Hold it a little longer.."
Vonda sent down even more fireball-power down at them.
~BANG! Bang! Bang! Bang!
"I...can't.." Julia dropped her hands, and the shield disappeared.
~BLOW!
Up on the third floor, Jaden and the Pirates reached a wide area that had water flowing at foot level.
"Uh..?" Jaden looked down. "Water..!"
"That means, we're on the right track." Vincent said.
"The deeper we get, the more water we'll see." Mika added.
~CLANK!
~SLASH!
"Huh!" Jaden heard a sound of crossing swords nearby.
When he looked around him, his eyes spotted Imperial soldiers on a higher grounds. They were all fighting against one person. A young woman, with sandy blonde hair cropped above her shoulders, and a tall slender built. She was stepping back while fending the enemies attack until her foot reached the edge of the platform.
"WHO WOULD BE NEXT!" she yelled.
"Close your ranks!" the guards pushed against her. "Bring her in!"
"Looks like they've gotten someone to keep their company.." Vincent motioned toward the girl in the pinch.
"Let's move while they're occupied." Mika whispered. And the three tried passing them without making a breathing sound.
That girl seems like one of those 'Insergants', Jaden thought as stole a glance at the battle right above his head. Those Imperials got her outnumbered. It'll be a matter of time before they finish her off. Hey, wait a sec! Why do I even care?! I'm being Majd! But again, if I save her right now, she would owe me, right? Plus, I'd get her to accompany me. It wouldn't be easy for Vincent and Mika to snatch the Key from me like that.
"..In that case.." he mumbled to himself, and dashed to save her.
"He—hey!" Mika exclaimed.
"Annnd, there he goes.." Vincent said.
Jaden stopped down below the cliff. "Jump down!" he yelled for the troubled girl. "HURRY!"
The sandy haired girl glanced down at Jaden.
One soldier took the chance, and swang his heavy spear at her, but the girl leaped off at the right second.
~BAM!
She jumped down toward Jaden, and the latter opened his arms, and caught her successfully. Her delicate body smushed against his.
"Oh.." she looked at the hemochromatic boy in the eye. "You saved me.."
"No problem." he smiled back at her.
"SHE'S NOT ALONE!" the soldiers troop descended down along the platform, and charged against Jaden and the girl. "GET THEM!"
Jaden readied his Engineblade, "Come at me.." he said.
The Imperial soldiers circled the entire area. Forcing both Vincent and Mika into the battle, as well. "SURRENDER, NOW!"
"Our ranks grow by the hour.." Mika rolled her eyes, and dashed forward.
"And our troubles with them.." added Vincent while attacking a couple of enemies.
~Slash!
~Clank! Slash!
The four fought the Imperial troops, and ended up emerging victorious. All of the armored guards were knocked out on the shallow stream.
"And that'll be that.." Vincent put his twin daggers back.
"Uh.." Jaden turned to address the new girl. "You' okay?"
"I am fine.." she averted his gaze. "Thank you.."
The girl wasn't wearing any armor similar to the ones Jaden had seen before. Her attire comprised of a white and gold cropped shirt over a leather waist swath and a black miniskirt secured by a thick light-blue belt. She wore metal thigh-high leg-guards and a pair of metal shoes with darker brown stockings.
Jaden walked up to her. "Uhh, I'm Jaden." he said. "And this is Vincent—Hey!"
Jaden stopped Vincent as he wanted to walk away, but switched his attention back to her. "What's your name?"
The sandy cropped haired lady hesitated before speaking, "Feona.."
"Feona, huh?" Jaden smiled. "Nice to meet ya!"
Feona, then glanced over her shoulders, as if searching for something. "There were others with me!"
"I'm sorry.." Mika replied.
"No..." Feona murmured.
~Glow!
"Huh!" Jaden noticed his pocket illuminating.
Where's this glow comin' from?, Jaden questioned. It can't be the Key, can it?! But, why now?!
Jaden got out the Golden Key as it glowed inside his pocket. Vincent turned to see the Key up close.
"Now, isn't that impressive.." he said.
"Don't get any ideas. I said it's mine!" Jaden pulled the Key away.
"I'm afraid the jury is out on that one." Vincent glared at him.
This guy ain't gonna hold back, Jaden thought. This calm assured demeanor implies that he got me in his clutches. Feona being around is my only way outta this.
The key had returned dim, and Feona eyes went wide.
"Wait—where did you get that?" she asked Jaden.
"F—found it in the treasure room.." he hesitated.
"You mean, you stole it..?" Feona raised her brow.
"Yeah.." Jaden scratched his head in embarrassment.
—Good job Madz!, he told himself. You're butchering this..
"Have you finished?" Mika grumbled. "When the guards don't report in, they'll look out for us."
"If they aren't already.." Vincent added.
Bingo!, Jaden thought. That's my chance!
"You should come with us!" Jaden told Feona. "Better than being by yourself."
Feona sized Jaden from head to toe for few seconds. "Very well.." she said in snopy tone while walking passed him.
"Uhh—" Jaden was confused. "What's that mean..?"
Vincent sighed, "You have a lot to learn before we even get started on your theivery.."
As Feona embarked forward, Vincent, Mika, and Jaden followed. It felt to them that this newcomer wasn't going to listen to any of them if she didn't want to.
"The situation requires me to accept any help I find." Feona clarified as they walked. "Though it be from theives.."
"Ironic much.." Jaden whispered to Vincent.
Feona continued. "I shall accompany you until I find my companions; no longer.."
"We'll stick to our affairs, and you to yours." Mika replied.
"Very good.." she remarked.
"I doubt we'd find you wanting in valor." Vincent said. "Being an upstanding member of the Insergants."
Feona glanced back at him with a sharp cold look. "Resistance." she corrected him, as the four walked along a linear blue bricked narrow path.
~Sroch!
~Chiki! ~Chiki!
Meanwhile on the first floor, Vonda's last assault had broken through Safi's defences. The entire ground that the three were standing on went on fire. The flames' altitude was very high that it touched the edge of the higher ground in front of Vonda.
"UH-HA HA HA HA HA HA!" Vonda laughed out loud. "Pathetic. All that big talk, and once the dancing begin—they can keep up with the music. A fitting end for filthy Derannians.."
Right after she said that, Vonda's eyes glimpsed a spark. She squinted to trace it, but soon saw it clearly. It was a growing twirling ice bridge escaping through the fire, and curving its way forward from the sides.
"—Impossible!" she jolted.
"Glacier Carpet!" on top the icy bridge, Eugene braced himself while trying to maintain course.
Behind the light-brown haired boy were Petra and Julia. Eugene's Art had obviously saved them at the right moment. And now, it's making its way toward Vonda.
"Embeciles..!" Vonda spat angrily.
She then moved her fingers to pull her Mana Strings. At that moment, around twenty seven fallen bodies flew to chase the trio down.
"They're coming!" Eugene panicked.
"I got 'em!" Petra materialized Knives of Light , and started hitting them.
The distant bodies took the opportunity, and began casting fire balls from afar.
~Bang! Blaw! Blaw!
~BLOCK!
Julia casted her Reflecta Shield that immediately countered with mirror fireballs of its own.
Petra forged multiple knives floating around her before ordering them to dash out. "Burn, you shitty Imperial husks!" she shouted.
A little more.., Eugene sustained his Glacier Carpet as it grew like a worm until it reached the ground Vonda was on.
"Dieee!" Vonda sent more bodies to crash on them.
Eugene prepared to leap, "NOW!"
Both Safi and Noor jumped off the icy platform. Eugene waited until before the impact, and then jumped high. "Generate Arial Element • Foot • Adhere!"
~Flow!
~KLAAASSS!
Julia rolled down on the higher ground, and Petra used her Knife to hang on the wall. But Eugene charged straight toward Vonda as he fell from above.
The boy rotated his body, and dashed in high speed, "—You won't get away!"
"Heh..!" Vonda pulled one string, and all of the sudden, Olin float between Eugene and Vonda.
"Eh!" Eugene tried putting away his weapon as he crashed onto Olin.
~BAM!
~Drop!
Eugene fell down, "...Ughh.."
"Eugene!" Julia yelled.
"Uh ha ha ha!" Vonda pulled Olin up, and forced him to grab Eugene by the hair. "Oh, you thought you could attack me—just like that, huh?!"
Petra dropped herself down, and dashed to save Eugene, "Let him GO!"
"What?" Vonda stretched her hand, and various bodies ambushed Petra. "I can't hear pesky Derannians.."
"Shit..!" Petra exchanged blows with the enemies.
"Ughh.." Eugene forced his eyes open while being hung by Captain Olin. He immediately noticed that he was conscious. "Ca—ptain.."
"..Kill me..fast!" Olin managed to utter.
"Oh, don't get so chummy, you little puppet!" Vonda made her prickly hand to a fist.
As a result, Olin let go of Eugene. And on the following second, he delivered a series of punches onto his stomach.
~Paw! Paw! Paw! Paw! Paw! Paw! Paw! Paw! Paw! Paw!
~PAW ~TOSS!
"Guhhaa!" the beaten down Eugene got thrown aside.
"Uhhh—Nooooo!" Olin cried.
"Oh, don't just stand there, my dearly new puppet." Vonda laughed. "Time to strike down the next target!"
Vonda motioned with her hand, and Olin's body flew toward Julia. "No! You can't!" Olin plead, but his body moved regardless.
"Captain Olin—I don't want to hurt you!" she stepped back.
"I cannot fight it! You must kill me this instant!" he marched toward her.
Julia was in a dilemma. If she couldn't hurt him, how would she defend herself. The ginger haired girl went out of options.
The strings controling Olin grabbed Julia's arm with one hand and her other arm with his other hand. Despite her groan, Olin pulled both arms as though tearing her in two.
"Ahh—ahhhhhh!" Julia cried.
"UH—HA HA HA HA!" Vonda laughed. "Your voice is music to my ears! You know, I was told to bring at least one of you alive, but I can't help it!"
"Ahhhhh!" Julia continued being pulled.
"No...Safi.." Eugene managed to barely raise his hand above the ground.
I can't.., he thought. I can't save her. If Mado was here, he could've thought of a way. But I just can't. I'm not good enough. And because of me, Safi will..
"Kill me...please.." Olin's body shivered while stretching the ginger haired girl sideways.
"That's enough, dearly puppet.." Vonda opened her palm. "Finish her off.."
Olin's body tensed to do one last pull, but—
~FLAHHH!
In a split second, a vibrating dark shadow resembling Julia's figure, emerged abruptly out of her. It grabbed on both Olin's wrists, and shook him in the speed of sound.
"SHAAAA!" purple flames rose up through his arms, and traveled all over his body.
~SHLERL!
The purple flames converged into two, and traversed through the Mana Strings until they wobbled Vonda.
~SHOCK!
"Ugh!" her hands got struck in flames. "My strings!"
The demonic shadow got sucked back into Julia's body.
"My body.." Olin regained control over his body.
"Captain Olin." Julia managed to stand up.
The Captain pointed toward a rusty yellow cart, "That's a lift that will take you up.."
"But, sir—!" Julia tried saying, but he charged against Vonda.
"Oh, how DARE YOU!" Vonda dragged the bodies who circled around Petra to fend against the raging Captain.
"Oh..!" Petra was finally free, and rushed toward her allies.
"HAAAAA!" Olin used his Lion Blast, and blew the bodies away.
~BLOW!
"Die, Derannian!" Vonda animated even more bodies toward Olin.
This is getting insane!, Petra said. We gotta get outta here.
She reached to pick Eugene from the floor. "Come on. Get up.." she held him up.
"Where we're—going..?" the boy managed to ask.
"The elevator, come on!" Julia motioned to them.
"But—we can't!" Eugene removed Petra's hands away from him. "Captain Olin..can't take them all alone—"
~Paw!
Petra punched Eugene hard enough to send him flying into the yellow rusty elevator.
"Ugh..!"
Julia and Petra followed inside, and Petra glared at Julia. "Pull the goddamn switch!" she shouted.
Julia complied in spite of the attitude, and an iron-wired gate emerged from above, closing the lift. The beaten down Eugene, pulled himself up. His fingers grabbed onto the metal-wired door as he watched Captain Olin struggle against the onslaught of hundred animated bodies while the elevator ascended.
"Captain.." he murmured.
"He saved us.." Julia sighed.
The rusty elevator slid upward until it fled the first floor. The trio on board could no longer see or hear whatever might have been happening down below. Although the two girls were relieved that they made it out alive, Eugene kept smacking the metallic floor in anger. "Captain Olin's in trouble! We have to go back and save him!" his voice cracked.
~Screech!
The yellow lift slowed down with the sound of friction from different metallic parts. It was eventually still when it arrived at a new wide area.
"We're...safe.." Julia panted down on her knees.
The moment the metallic wired gate opened up. Petra barely dragged Eugene out of the kart.
"Ugh.." Eugene got up; trying desperately to get back into the elevator.
~Grab!
"No, not happening!" Petra pulled the boy by the collar, and dragged him away.
"Let go of me! Captain Olin—!" Eugene struggled to keep moving.
"I don't care!" Petra blocked the way.
"BUT I DO!" he tried pushing her aside. "There's no way I would leave someone behind!"
"That uncle just gave you a chance to survive! Why can't you get it?" she pushed him back.
"Stop acting like Mado!" Eugene said. "I have to save Captain Olin, even if it puts my life—!"
~PUNCH!
Julia witnessed Petra knocking Eugene down the blue-brick floor with a punch.
"Hey!" she hesitated.
"..How dare you?.." Petra said with a quiet unsettling voice.
As he touched his still throbbing cheek, Eugene gazed up at Petra. "You have no idea..I LOST MY BEST FRIEND BECAUSE I STOOD STILL!"
"WHAT ABOUT MADO?! AIN'T HE YOUR FRIEND?! Do you know how much does this shitty life of yours means to him?!" she snapped. "That moron can't be helped. He keeps on accepting trash people like you!"
"Why? Do have to lash out?" Julia told her. "Isn't this the time when we stick together and do our best to save Mado?"
Petra breathed deeply, and then exhaled slowly.
"Dunno if it's pure humility, or just shit taste in people. Madz is a great person—way beyond you two.." Petra continued. "And still, he chose you two as friends. He keeps on presenting you to other people like you guys are too glam and awesome, asks about you whenever he can't find you, and cared about you as if you people were BFFs! The fucking guy put his life on the line for all of us! But you two.."
"Petra.." Eugene's eyes widened once he saw her brought out a Light Knife, and pointed it at him.
"You people—never cared about him. You don't deserve him.." Petra said.
"That's enough, Noor.." Julia uttered. "Please.."
"Shut up!" Petra replied. "You people make me sick.."
Those words had converted all the anger within Eugene into shame.
Mado and Noor, he thought. People like them don't see the world for how ugly it is. They both are just confident because they're capable. Their lives are easy, and everything is granted. They will never know how stare down at the spotlight from the shadows..
"If anything happens to his precious friends, I wouldn't handle facing him again. So, till we find Madz, keep yourself alive, got it?"
Eugene glanced over at Julia who stood to his left, all tensed and annoyed. The moment their eyes met, Eugene sensed it right away. It was as though Safi had just given him the answer.
——Oh, yeah. She's just like me, a pretender..
"..We're not really friends, you know.." he whispered while gazing at the blue floor.
At that moment, on top of the high ceiling above, something strange was coming at them.
"Huh..!" Petra's face lost all color once she looked up.
"Watch out!" Eugene leaped and saved her.
~Splat!
"What the..?!" Julia took few steps back.
The creature that ambushed them was a green slimy slug; roughly 20 feet above their heads. It got a large open eye-balls that expanded on its front, and pair of eyeballs lifted by two green slimy sticks. It sat right before the trio as it jiggled left and right like jelly.
"A Lander..!" Eugene exclaimed.
"This ain't the best time at all." Petra readied her Knives of Light. "We got no choice but to take it down!"
Eugene and Julia nodded, and prepared for battle despite exhaustion.
"FWLLAAAGH!" the green gewish monster slurpped out whip-like projections at the three.
~Whip!
~Splatter!
"Ugh!" Eugene tried parrying, but the jelly nature of these structures repaired itself in seconds, and repeated the attack.
"BURN TO ASHES!" Petra blasted the monster from the side. But it regained composer and countered immediately.
~WHIP!
~SMASH!
Petra barely negated the assault as her Knives began to fade in and out.
I'm out of ammo, she glanced at her hands.
The slimy Lander swang his whip at them, but Julia managed to cast her shield just in time.
~Block!
"It's strong.." her entire body shook from the impact.
"I can't use Sacred Arts.." Eugene stretched his hand in thin air.
~WHIP! BREAK!
"Ahh!" Julia's barrier shattered with the monster's blow that threw her down to the ground.
"Safi!" Eugene tried supporting her. "Hang in there!"
When Petra reached the two, the green slimy Lander was already towering on them.
"Shit.." she cracked a desperate laugh. "This could be it.."
"Huh.." Eugene's eyes widened in dread.
No way, he thought. I can't die like this! Not before I see her again. If only—if only I could use Sacred Arts..
As the Lander whipped his final blow, the three desperately closed their eyes, trying to deny that any of this was real. But at that moment, Eugene, Julia, and Petra felt a slight breeze coming their way, or rather turbouling around them. Next, the wind around started blowing drastically harder. When Eugene opened his eyes again, he saw the monster was being pulled into the tornado that forged around them.
"This is..!" Petra muttered.
"Sacred Art!" Eugene stood in confusion, looking all around him. It clearly wasn't his doing. And he was the only person capable of using Sacred Arts in the vacenity.
The harsh wind finally carried the green slimy Lander, and twisted it all around in a flashing speed before it slapped it on a faraway blue brick-wall.
~SPLAT!
Julia rose up gradually as she saw the green monster turned to small neon clusters and subsequently disappeared. "Is it over..?" she muttered. "But how..?!"
"HEY, YOU GUYS!" a familiar voice echoed from afar.
When Eugene turned toward it, he saw on the distant wall, a multitude of large pores. There were countless of these rectangular shaped paths. But in one of them, near the edge, Eugene and the two girls spotted him. There were four people in total. But among them, it was that familiar face they longed to see again
"Huh!" Petra and Julia smiled in relief.
Eugene's face went bright the moment he made sure he wasn't imagining things. "Mado..!"