The knight nights deployed abruptly, their shadows stretching as they made rough landings in their designated areas. From the skies, Naro scanned the surroundings, his sharp gaze ensuring the cult hadn't arrived yet. Below, the streets of Leipzig were crowded with residents—there was no hysteria, but something strange pulled them into the streets. A subtle undercurrent of unease lingered in the air.
Nora muttered under her breath, her breath visible in the cold air. "What the hell is going on here?"
Her odd attire marked her as an outsider, but she blended well enough with the crowd, slipping through unnoticed. As she passed an alley, a sound cracked against the ground, drawing her attention. Without hesitation, she skated into the alley, the icy grace of her movement betraying her purpose.
A sharp signal flew into the sky, catching Naro's attention. He sucked up the fog surrounding Leipzig, but when he looked down, the city had transformed. The labyrinthine streets were eerily quiet, houses and booths dimly lit as though it were a normal night. It wasn't normal, though. Cloaked figures, masked and silent, infiltrated the streets. The cult had arrived, their tactics eerily similar to what had been used against Leo.
Meanwhile, in real Leipzig, Simon waited for any sign of an attack, but there was nothing. The fog enveloped him like a trap. Then he heard the click of shoes against cobblestones, followed by the subtle hum of a cane. Nix had returned.
"Shit. I forgot about this asshole. With him on my tail, I won't be able to help the others."
The fog thickened around Simon, and from behind, water shot forward, piercing the air like deadly arrows. He dodged, throwing a fireball at Nix. But Nix's hand flicked, and the flames were snuffed out by a shield of water.
"You have no idea how much fun it's gonna be when your little friends find your drowned body," Nix taunted, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Simon glanced around, his options running thin. He considered using his flames to burn off the fog, but the thought of the casualties stopped him cold. No, he couldn't risk it.
"What's wrong?" Nix jeered. "What happened to that cocky attitude? Brat!"
The fog condensed into sharp water bullets, darting at Simon, who responded by kicking a wave of flames at them. The water shifted, swallowing the fire, and the cycle of attack and counterattack continued.
Nix sneered. "At this rate, you'll drown yourself before I can."
Then, with a roar, Nix focused the fog into a single, lethal point and shot it straight at Simon. In response, Simon spun, releasing a fiery battle cry, "Honoo no teiou totsugeki!!!" A massive dragon of flames met the oncoming water, creating a massive smoke cloud that obscured the battlefield.
Simon gritted his teeth, thinking, I may be cocky, but in this environment, I'll surely be killed.
Taking advantage of the chaos, he slipped away, weaving into the maze of streets. Naro and Nora were already trapped, but Simon wasn't alone in the labyrinth—Nix followed.
In the real Leipzig, Ivy had noticed a glint of blue beyond the fog—Simon's flames. Without hesitation, she dashed toward him, but before she could move further, a dagger whizzed past her. Spinning around, she saw Sable.
"The cult's already here?" Ivy growled, eyes narrowing.
Sable, grinning beneath her mask, rushed in with a flying knee. Ivy barely dodged, then retaliated, throwing needles at Sable, who deflected them with expert precision. The two stood in a brief standoff, eyes locked in silent tension.
"Why?" Ivy demanded, fury bubbling beneath her words. "Why are you doing this?"
Sable scoffed, mocking Ivy. "A little twig like you doesn't understand revolution. Why should I waste my time?"
With that, she lunged. The fight exploded into motion, Sable's fists coming in fast and relentless, forcing Ivy on the defensive. Ivy deflected the blows, using all her speed and agility to avoid being overwhelmed. Sable, however, managed to push Ivy back with a powerful kick. Ivy stumbled, playing the part of the defeated, but in a flash, her wires shot out, wrapping around the battlefield, locking them both into a deadly cage.
Ivy wiped blood from the corner of her mouth, her eyes burning with a new intensity. "Tell me, at least—are you the one releasing the new Galco variant? The one targeting knights?"
Sable's expression remained unreadable behind her mask.
"Tell me!" Ivy demanded, her voice filled with raw emotion, the name of Leo slipping from her thoughts. His smile, warm and full of security—she would not let his sacrifice go in vain.
Sable laughed, and without warning, she dashed forward, dodging Ivy's oncoming strike. Ivy, now fully enraged, bounced from wire to wire, building momentum with each leap. "Letting me get the first hit was your mistake!"
Sable's movements faltered slightly, small cuts appearing on her body as Ivy's fury intensified. Ivy launched needles from all directions. Sable parried most, but Ivy lunged forward with a speed that outstripped even Sin's fastest strikes. Sable's eyes widened in surprise, but she couldn't react fast enough as Ivy descended, her cloak opening to reveal explosive charges.
Sable's arms crossed in a defensive move, but Ivy's speed overwhelmed her. Ivy slipped past, forcing Sable's arms open and triggering the explosion. The blast tore through the air, disintegrating Sable's form in a blinding flash.
When the smoke cleared, Sable's skeleton fell to ash, and Ivy stood alone in the cage, exhausted but victorious. She recalled her wires, and a new cloak formed, the shadows mending her torn one.
Before she could move away, clapping echoed through the air. From above, Sable stood, unscathed, a smug smile hidden beneath her mask.
"You've got my attention now," Sable said, stopping her clapping. "Let me show you, true speed."
In the blink of an eye, Sable disappeared, her presence flickering all around Ivy. She was everywhere, attacking from all directions. Ivy parried and dodged, but the relentless onslaught wore her down. Each strike seemed to drain more of her strength, punches landing with precision on her vital points.
Ivy coughed, spitting blood, but she forced herself to hold it back. Her hand rose to her mouth, but before she could recover, Sable closed the distance with a brutal punch to her stomach. Ivy was thrown down the street like an avalanche, but she clung to the ground, pain searing through her body.
She struggled to her feet as Sable approached. With a flash, Sable was upon her again, and the fight resumed—a brutal clash that quickly turned in Sable's favor. Ivy's movements slowed under the weight of Sable's speed.
Sable smirked as she sent Ivy crashing into an alley, the entrance to the labyrinth. As Ivy was thrown into the maze, Sable paused, hearing the telltale sound of boots clicking in the distance.
"Looks like your reinforcements are coming," Sable sneered.
Naro, high in the air, held the fog at bay. His immense lung capacity allowed him to carry it as long as he needed. His gaze swept over the labyrinth, and when it landed on Ivy, beaten and surrounded by masked cultists, a storm of fury ignited inside him.
With a furious roar, Naro expelled bullets of fog that pierced through the cultists, dropping them to the ground around Ivy. He landed smoothly beside her, lifting her gently into his arms, his movements swift and purposeful. He passed by Nora, who was still battling waves of cultists, and with a single chop of the air, Naro cleared a path.
"It seems like their numbers are dwindling. Their leader should show themselves soon," he muttered under his breath, his mind racing with thoughts of escape. "We can't let this drag out."
As he flew toward safety, Ivy stirred in his arms, her eyes fluttering open for a moment.
"N– Naro… What happened…" she murmured before slipping into unconsciousness.
His heart clenched. For a split second, his calm demeanor faltered. His anger, previously simmering, now boiled over. His green eyes glowed with fury.
"No ordinary troop did this to her. It had to be the blonde woman," he thought, the rage rising within him like a tidal wave.
His voice was low, venomous. "I'll rip her to fucking shreds."
The rage, subtle and simmering, betrayed something deeper—a protective instinct that ran far beyond mere duty.
In real Leipzig, down south, Sin and Nina patrolled opposite corners, alone with their thoughts. Their paths crossed often enough, but tonight was different—tonight, thoughts of each other lingered more heavily than usual.
Nina perched on top of a roof, allowing herself a moment of respite. The quiet of the city, the distant echo of footsteps below, and the fog rolling in only seemed to emphasize the restlessness brewing inside her. She leaned back, eyes tracing the horizon, yet all she could see was Sin.
He was so angry, she thought, he definitely saw me looking at Alejandro. Her breath caught as a flicker of memory flashed: Sin's face, hard and unreadable, his jaw clenched in a way she'd seen too many times before. Her mind briefly drifted to Alejandro—his easy confidence, his words laced with charm—but she quickly brushed him aside.
I've known Sin since he was just a kid... This shouldn't be hard. I've known him longer than anyone, and he's always been the one. Why does this feel so complicated?
She let the wind rush through her hair, closing her eyes. The unease settled, but there was a lingering thought she couldn't shake. I've been through too much with Sin to let someone like Alejandro mess with my head.
Meanwhile, Sin wrestled with his own emotions.
What was I thinking? He shook his head in frustration as his feet moved with purpose, but his mind kept pulling him back to Nina. He'd seen her with Alejandro—seen the way she looked at him, the light in her eyes. He couldn't help the jealousy that twisted inside him.
Of course, she only sees me as a friend, Sin convinced himself. That's all I am to her. Just another ally.
But the gnawing doubt wouldn't let him go. Why did she look at him like that? Sin clenched his fist around the hilt of his dagger. How could that guy come in for two seconds and steal her attention?
The thoughts were endless, running in circles. His instincts told him to focus, to ignore the distraction. Reinforcements my ass... He muttered. I bet that guy is just fooling around on the rooftops.
His dagger spun with precision, a familiar ritual to ground himself. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, his thoughts kept returning to her—Nina, his oldest companion, the one who knew him better than anyone. Why is this so hard?
Back in the northside of the town, Sable's voice broke through the tension.
Her words lingered like a taunt as she clashed with Alejandro. The sound of gunshots filled the air, each bullet fired with precision, each one narrowly missing its mark. Alejandro's smirk didn't waver, but the challenge was clear.
"Nice trick," Alejandro quipped, his guns flashing in the moonlight, the shadows of his bullets dancing around Sable. But Sable's speed was unmatched. She flickered in and out of existence, always staying one step ahead.
But as the battle dragged on, Nina's mind shifted. The sounds of fighting up north became undeniable.
Nina: "Seems like the cult's plans are unfolding. Nothing's happening down here..." She frowned, shaking her head. "I can't waste time on this. The others need me."
As if summoned by her thoughts, she saw Sin standing alone in the street, a figure carved from stone. His fingers were spinning a dagger with practiced ease. His gaze met hers without a word.
Nina couldn't look him in the eye. Why is this so hard? She thought, her chest tightening. But her resolve hardened. There was no time for feelings now.
Nina: "I heard shots. Something's happening up North. The cult is making their move, and we're the ones who need to stop it."
Without waiting for a response, Nina bolted, the urgency in her steps unmistakable. Sin's voice trailed after her.
Sin: "Wait—"
But she was already gone, her scythe summoning itself to her hand as she pushed through the crowd of mindless residents. The moment she reached the next street, the battle began to unfold in front of her.
Sin didn't waste a second. He knew where she was headed, and he wouldn't let her go alone. His feet moved before his brain could fully catch up.
As he caught up to Nina, he found her in the alley, the weight of their unspoken words heavy between them.
Nina: "We need to move, now." She avoided his gaze, her voice urgent but tight, as if there were more she wanted to say, but couldn't.
Sin: "Move where?"
His voice was steady, yet there was an undercurrent in it—a shift, something that had always been there between them, buried under years of friendship, shared experiences, and unspoken feelings. His hand brushed against hers as he closed the gap between them.
For a moment, Nina froze. She couldn't look at him. Her heart was racing in her chest, but she kept her focus on the mission, keeping her distance both physically and emotionally.
Nina: "The others were pulled into a trap. They're already there. We have to catch up."
Sin: "Shit." His expression darkened. "How do we get there?"
Nina pointed toward the alley, her voice sharp.
Nina: "This way. We don't have much time."
They ran, their footsteps echoing off the walls of the darkened street. But as they approached the labyrinth, a man with a cane stepped forward, blocking their path.
Nix: "You two look like you can lead me to the blue-haired rodent."
He scanned Sin's face, sizing him up. Sin didn't flinch. His gaze was hard, unreadable. A lifetime of conflict and unspoken truths lay behind that stare.
"No way you're a kid."
Before either of them could react, Nix fired. The water shot through the air with deadly precision, aimed straight at Sin.
Sin barely had time to react, his dagger raised in defense. The shot tore through it, the pressure breaking through his guard and sinking into his shoulder.
Nina: "No!" Her voice broke, but there was no time to hesitate. A bullet of water grazed her face, but she remained focused.
Nina: "The stakes just had to get fockin' higher!"
With a snarl, she gripped her scythe tighter, her fingers curling around the familiar handle as she prepared to strike. But the tension between them—unspoken, raw, and impossible to ignore—lingered, a shadow over the battle that was about to unfold.