"Mité! I got something!" Anna cried, her eyes alight with delight. Mité, engrossed in his scribing, looked up as Anna stepped into the room. "Oh, what is it, Anna?" he asked, setting down his quill. "The prince will arrive tomorrow!" Anna proclaimed, her voice ringing with excitement. "My other self who works as a maid in the king's palace overheard it." Mité returned to his work, his hand steady. "Oh? I do not expect he'd come back so soon. Then we have to get these documents finished as quickly as possible."
As Mité busied himself with his scribing, Anna approached, her form bending low to get a glimpse of his work. "Is this the information from yestereve?" she asked with a hint of curiosity in her voice. Mité's hand did not pause in its movements, his words flowing across the parchment. "I wanted to send it tomorrow but our client sent his information earlier," he replied. Though Anna was unaware of when the information had arrived, she chose not to ask, not wishing to disturb Mité in his work. "I see," she said, her voice warm. "He is a trustworthy client, isn't he?"
A sharp rap echoed throughout the chamber, interrupting Mité's scribing. "He's here!" Anna exclaimed, her voice filled with glee as she hastened to the door. Mité was momentarily puzzled, unsure of to whom Anna referred. "The other me who was on the Western Road told me before," Anna explained, as she threw open the door. And there, standing alone, was a familiar face. "Sazasaki?" Mité exclaimed, recognizing the old friend he had not seen in many a moon. With a heart full of gladness, he stood and clasped his friend's hand in greeting.
As Anna laid eyes upon the reunion, a smile graced her lips. Yet, in the blink of an eye, that smile vanished, replaced by a visage bathed in crimson. Her form lay sprawled on the ground. The once steady hands of Mité now shook as they tightened around Kisaki's throat, choking the life from her very breath.
Mité beheld a portentous foreboding, and with swift action, he cast Kisaki aside. A mysterious entity struck the massive stone column, causing it to fracture and buckle. The weight of the structure proved too great, and the entire edifice began to crumble. Mighty stones tumbled from the heights, striking the earth and cracking the floor beneath. The dust rose in great clouds, obscuring the view as the roof caved in and allowed the silver light of the moon to spill within.
Mité retreated backward, his hand covered over his nose to protect himself from the ashy maelstrom. Amidst the swirling haze, he beheld a hand plucking up a shimmering blue object that had earlier caused the pillar's destruction. With agility, he dodged a falling boulder, only to find himself assailed from behind by an unknown assailant wielding a shimmering blue blade. The sword arced towards his head, but Mité deftly dodged, his movements hindered by the dust that had begun to settle upon the floor. Alas, his footing slipped and he tumbled to the ground.
The blade that had missed its mark spun about with deadly intent, the wielder gripping it with both hands to plunge into the prone form of Mité. Anticipating the strike, he deftly rolled aside and regained his footing, maintaining a safe distance from his assailant. The attacker was swift and relentless, not giving Mité a moment's respite. Armed only with his wits, Mité could only dodge and evade, the shimmering sword light illuminating their deadly dance even through the murky veil of dust.
As Kisaki struggled for breath, she nimbly dodged the heavy blow of a blunt weapon that descended from above. The impact shattered the floor, revealing it to be the same mysterious object that had earlier brought down the pillar. An unknown assailant, brandishing the radiant blue weapon, pursued her, giving her no quarter. Through the swirling dust and smoke, she could only see the massive, glowing weapon swinging wildly toward her.
As the dust began to clear, Kisaki and Mité successfully evaded the final assault. They stood on the same floor, facing their mysterious attackers. The outlines of their foes slowly materialized from within the dissipating smoke. The one who had wielded the sword was now empty-handed, but the other, a hulking figure with haughty eyes, still gripped the massive blunt bat.
"That weapon," Mité spoke in hushed tones, recognition dawning upon him. With the knowledge he had gleaned from his travels and his studies with Anna, he felt a sense of familiarity with the object. "We shall settle our problems another time," Kisaki declared with a trace of anger still lingering within her. Yet, she also felt a thrill of excitement as she remembered the battles fought alongside Mité.
"Hey there, oddball. You make me feel a little uneasy with your girly looks. But hey, let's just put this on hold for now, alright?" Mité replied, his eyes fixed upon the figure standing before him, his face marred by blue bruises. "This is unacceptable. Who are these foolish individuals, who dare to assault this place with such audacity?" he spoke, his tone brimming with disdain. With their backs turned to each other, Mité and Kisaki stood ready to defend against any further threats.
She was draped in a flowing cloak, obscuring her features, though her form was still youthful. "We are searching for something within these halls. Do either of you know of its ... whereabouts?" Her words trailed off as she sensed the ebbing of Inietta's mana, a feeling that was all too familiar. Rod's lifeless body had already been consigned to the cremation furnace in the morgue, his remains now nothing more than ashes. The letter from Inietta, too, had been reduced to dust, its secrets lost forever.
"Do you know what consequences await you if you attack this place?" Mité warned, his voice as sharp as a blade. Kisaki gazed upon the surroundings, giving Mité a nod. "Mité!" Suddenly, the massive form of Korito, brandishing his massive maul, lunged forward, seeking to strike at the duo from behind. Kisaki and Mité swiftly evaded the blow, leaping nimbly to the side. "I won't stop, Lenz!" bellowed Korito as he spun around to attack once more. He was adorned in a similar cloak, yet the lack of a hood, the unbuttoned robe, and the absent hooks, made him appear as a bizarre figure. The cloak of mystery was not befitting of his eccentricity.
Lenz stood silently, observing Korito as he manifested a bluish liquid, molding it into a massive two-bladed sword. The burly boy wielded the weapon with grace, twirling it with effortless skill. Mité attempted to hurl debris at Korito but to no avail. The sword sliced through it as if it were but air. "As I had learned long ago, their weapons are made of mana - lighter than a feather and as sharp as steel," Mité muttered in frustration. Kisaki and Mité were forced to split, dodging in separate directions as Korito refocused his attack on Mité alone.
Lenz sprinted towards Kisaki, his palms releasing a mist of mana that coalesced into two gleaming blue knives. With nimble precision, Lenz threw one of the knives toward Kisaki, who was poised to take a step. Kisaki, anticipating the strike, nimbly dodged by bowing. However, the speed of his evasion almost caused him to lose his footing.
Kisaki gazed intently at the knife embedded in the wall, reaching out to retrieve it. In that instant, his eyes flicked about, searching for Lenz. But the elusive figure was nowhere to be seen. Sensing danger, Kisaki quickly retreated. However, Lenz managed to graze Kisaki's right shoulder with a swift strike. The attacks came in a relentless barrage, forcing Kisaki to keep his distance and defend himself while simultaneously rummaging through his pockets. He had brought some provisions with him, but they had been taken away when he was captured. Hence, he found nothing in his pockets.
Ceasing his retreat, Kisaki charged forward, his weapon raised in the attack. The two clashed in a ferocious exchange of blows, their weapons locked in a deadly embrace. Overwhelmed by the closeness of the battle, Kisaki attempted to reach out and engage Lenz in conversation. "What is your purpose? Can we have a good talk?" Kisaki implored, his voice ringing with sincerity. However, Lenz was not inclined to listen, her intent focused solely on extracting information through force.
Witnessing Kisaki grasp a knife, Mité unsheathed a sturdy iron bar from within the ruins of a shattered pillar. The clash of weapons echoed through the air as Mité and Korito engaged in battle. Mité's nimble footwork and fleetness of motion proved to be a formidable advantage, yet he was outmatched in the art of weaponry and the sheer strength of his swings. Despite its imposing appearance, Korito's weapon proved to be surprisingly lightweight, allowing him to wield it with ease. Kisaki glimpsed a visage within the shrouded folds of Lenz's cloak. From what he could discern, she appeared to be a young woman with short, midnight blue tresses. Despite his reservations, Kisaki set his mind to action.
"Lenz! Tell me and explain what your purpose is here!" Kisaki commanded, his voice ringing with authority. Lenz answered coolly, "We came to look for someone named Rod. But I don't feel his presence. However, I do feel a presence remains of another person named Inietta in this place. I want to forcefully inquire about her from you—" Suddenly, Lenz's speech faltered, her lips frozen in mid-sentence. She raised her gaze, scanning her surroundings in confusion. "Wait ... why did I say that?" she muttered softly, bewildered.
When Lenz was caught off guard, Kisaki retreated several paces to establish a safer distance. "I don't know who they are! Rod and Inietta? Never heard of them! I just got here a little while ago, okay? I came to see Mité for something important. Can't we just sit down and have a calm conversation?" Kisaki implored, trying once more to reason with Lenz. Lenz gazed upon Korito and Mité, who were still locked in combat, as she considered Kisaki's words.
Korito unleashed a devastating blow, shattering the stone floor and sending shards of rock flying in every direction. But Mité was always nimble, slipping and sliding away from Korito's relentless strikes. For a moment, it seemed as though Korito had the upper hand, as he studied Mité's movements and plotted his next attack. Steeling himself, Korito brought his blade down with all his might. Yet, Mité was prepared. Mité was well aware that he could not withstand the full force of Korito's attack. He clutched the iron bar tightly, spanning it between his open palms as if wielding a mighty staff. The power of Korito's strike wouldn't have sent the bar tumbling to the ground. With impeccable timing and a precise angle, he deftly redirected Korito's blow, sending it crashing into the floor and causing it to shatter and crumble. The ground shook as the weapon made an impact, laying waste to all that lay in its path.
"Trust me, he's the guy you need to talk to," Kisaki spoke with conviction. She turned her gaze upon Lenz, who stood silent and watchful. "I'm just an outsider here, not affiliated with the city's unit. Neither of us is big on fighting, we prefer to steer clear of unnecessary altercations." Lenz observed Mité, who seemed incapable of launching any offensive strikes, relying only on his nimble footwork to dodge and deflect Korito's blows. This further solidified her belief that they posed no threat.
Despite her reservations, Lenz's mind was consumed with a nagging thought. Kisaki possessed a power that forced Lenz to answer any question truthfully, even if she spoke unconsciously or without intention. After a moment of contemplation, Lenz readied herself for battle once more. "You have the power to control others, don't you?" Lenz declared, her voice ringing with conviction. The knife in Lenz's grip shimmered and vanished, dissolving into a shower of glowing particles. Kisaki's blade met a similar fate, as its form disintegrated into a cloud of glittering light. The particles floated towards Lenz, gathering and coalescing into a magnificent sword, its hilt resting comfortably in Lenz's grasp. With the newly formed weapon in hand, Lenz raised the long sword towards Kisaki, its gleaming blade pointing the way toward a decisive confrontation.