Cliff
Be on guard, Prince…
She clearly knew who we were!
Prince
You don't need to tell me twice…
(She shouldn't have been able to get this close!)
(It was a mistake to deactivate Devil's Trill!)
Who are you?
???
Don't worry about it, I take it you're Prince Spectre, the boy in the raincoat.
And that would make you Cliff, right–
A big explosion goes off, as Cliff brushes himself off with bubbles floating around him
Prince
Woah, that was big!
Do you think that did it?
Cliff
Of course it didn't…
Smoke begins to swirl around the woman
???
Now, now, that's not a very nice way to greet a lady
I thought you'd have better manners than that!
Cliff
I just wanted to see how you'd use your Manifesto to defend against it.
But to be honest, I'm not sure what to make of that.
As the smoke clears, a large black crab that seems like its made up entirely of an inky substance serves as a shield between the woman and Cliff
???
And what would you have done if I didn't have a Manifesto?
Cliff
You knew our names through Numen.
That's proof enough.
???
Wow, an old man bullying a frail little girl.
Devil's Trill smashes a large inky monster that appeared behind Cliff
Prince
Frail, huh?
???
Oops, I was caught.
But you two seem interesting.
I'm curious how you'll handle Cirque Umbra.
I'll be watching you…
Don't disappoint me now…
The woman disappears into the inky darkness, leaving Cliff and Prince alone in the alleyway
Cliff
We need to get moving.
If they knew where to find us, then it's very likely they know where to find Wade and Ford.
We can't leave them alone for too long.
Prince
Right!
But, I have a question
How come you couldn't sense that monster behind you?
Cliff
To be honest, I'm not sure…
I've never had a talent for sensing threats, but it's not like I'm incapable of doing it.
This person's Manifesto certainly seems to be a tricky one if it's able to slip through my defences…
Prince, I know you're eager to fight, but I ask you leave the fighting to me and focus on avoiding threats.
Prince
What?!
How come!
You saw me trying before!
I'm not good at that stuff!
Cliff
No, you were able to sense that Manifesto while I didn't even notice it.
If you're able to improve your abilities, I'm certain you'll be able to rival even your father.
Prince
…ugh, fine…
When you have so much confidence in me, how could I say no?!
Cliff
Good luck, I'll make sure to help defend us…
As he says this, a series of bubbles begin to float around Prince and Cliff
Prince
Woah, what's in all of these bubbles?
Cliff
Nothing, these bubbles are extremely sensitive, so be careful.
In case something manages to slip past your detection, the second one of these bubbles pops, I'll know and we'll be able to avoid the danger or fight back.
Prince
Alright then, I'll do my best!
Prince takes a deep breath in, trying his best to sense his surroundings, when suddenly, a bubble pops
Prince and Cliff turn arums to see a large bull charges towards the two
Devil's Trill grabs a tight hold, wrestling the bull, as a small bubble works its way over towards the bull before exploding
The bull starts to dissolve into a black inky substance like the others
Prince
Damn it!
Another one got past me!
Cliff
Perhaps I got ahead of myself, just keep your Manifesto ready
We'll let my bubbles do the heavy—
Prince
No!
I can do this!
Just give me a minute…
It's like learning how to play a piece of music, it takes time!
I can do it, I know it!
Cliff
Fine, let's get moving though!
Prince and Cliff leave the alley for the street
Meanwhile, Wade, Ford, and George have all stayed put in their alley
Wade
How long do we have to stay here?
After such a clear declaration of war, there's no way more enemies won't come!
Ford
It would be a lot easier if a certain someone started to share information with us!
The two turn to look at George
George
What?
Do you really expect me to sell out my comrades so easily?
Hehe, now that the boss has made a public announcement , it won't be long before someone comes to get me!
??
He's right.
I have a job to do here, so I'd appreciate it if you two would cooperate.
Ford
And who exactly are you?
??
My name is Jean.
I'm here on behalf of Numen to retrieve our comrade.
Wade
I take it one of you freed Brian and David as well?
Jean
I won't say anything on the matter.
I just want to finish my job, I know as much as I need to know and do as much as I need to.
So let me do my job, and I'll leave you alone.
Besides, you all have bigger problems right now.
Wade
And what would that be?
Jean leaps towards Wade, who barely manages to use Anemoi to defend himself, redirecting the punch into the wall, causing the bricks to crack
Jean
Tsk
Wade
(Was that his raw strength?!)
(I never saw his Manifesto emerge, so it must be!)
Ford, take George and run!
Ford
Where?!
We're meant to wait for Prince and the old guy here!
Wade
That was before Numen sent more Manifesto users at us!
This changes things!
They're probably being attacked right now too—
Another punch narrowly passes by Wade's head
Wade
(Ugh, he's putting more force into his punches, given my condition, I'm not sure Anemoi will be able to keep up!)
Ford
Really?!
Before Jean can land another punch on Wade, a large metal shield hits him, causing Jean to stumble backwards
Jean turns towards Ford seeing Kintsugi Soldier holding onto a metal trash can
Wade
Ford!
You should be running!
Ford
Of course I won't!
I'm not going to let you fight this guy alone!
Jean
Your friend is smart.
The two turn towards Jean in fear as he stands back up, his skin seems to have cracks running through it like rocks
Jean
If you struggled against George as a group, then you'll need to work hard if you want to beat me.
Wade
(Is his skin made from stone?!)
Ford
Damn, looks like we got an immuto on our hands…
I've never fought one before, but at least this means he shouldn't be able to hit our Manifestos—
Jean appears next to Ford and Wade almost instantly
Wade
(Huh?! How's he that fast!?)
Jean
Who said I can't?
Jean uppercuts Kintsugi Soldier, catching Ford off guard
Ford
Ugh!
That hurt!
Jean
Of course it did.
You said you've never fought against an immuto, well there's something you should know about us…
Our Manifestos change our bodies, in other words, our manifestos are our bodies
And if you think you can hide behind your Manifestos and just attack me from a distance…
Wade
Anemoi: Zephyr!
Strong winds gather and form into a large bear, however, Jean manages to evade its attacks before sucker punching Wade in the stomach
Wade
(His skin is so strong!)
(It's like a boulder just crashed into me!)
As Jean backs away from Wade, Kintsugi Soldier punches him, however, its knuckles start to bleed
Ford
?!
(Kintsugi Soldier is able to punch through walls and break the road!)
(How is this guy's skin tougher than all of that!?)
Jean
You two seem to be at a loss.
Just hand over George, and our business will be done.
Ford
As if we'd do that!
How're we supposed to accomplish our mission if we can't even beat some grunt sent by a loser with a bag on his face!
The wind picks up, helping Wade back to his feet, as Kintsugi Soldier starts healing him again
Jean
I see.
However, you two are mistaken, it's not some random grunts you and your friends are fighting…
You see, my sister and I are two of the founding members of this group.
Neither of us got where we are by accident or luck…
Jean grabs hold of the metal shield thrown at him earlier, as his skin begins to transform into steel
Jean
We got where we are through our strength and intelligence.
So boys…
Jean's arm turns into a large steel blade
Jean
Playtime's over.