The layout of the building still under construction that both Alexander and Sandro arrived at after traversing the rooftops was rather intriguing.
There were five buildings in total: one in the center and the remaining four positioned at the cardinal points. The central building was connected to the other four through unfinished walkways.
Both Alexander and Sandro easily leaped over the fencing surrounding the construction site. While it was clear that recent construction had taken place, the area was devoid of ordinary humans.
The two made their way inside the central building. Since the building was still under construction, its interior appeared strange. Multiple staircases on each floor provided easy access to different sections of the structure. Many walls meant to partition areas were still being built. Additionally, there were three sizable square holes on each floor, presumably for elevators. The unfinished interior, combined with the absence of completed outer walls, created many shadowy, unlit areas throughout the building.
Alexander and Sandro had made it halfway up the building when they found what they had been searching for: two vials of antidote held within a glass container resting on a stone pedestal.
Alexander stepped forward, preparing to retrieve the antidotes, but suddenly, Sandro tackled him behind an unfinished wall. Knocked to the ground, Alexander initially assumed this was a betrayal and reached for his blade—only to stop when he realized why Sandro had acted.
Mere moments later, a javelin formed from soul energy flew toward the spot where Alexander had just stood. The projectile struck the corner of the wall they were now hiding behind, completely obliterating the section it hit before disappearing.
With a grin, Sandro got to his feet and offered Alexander a hand. As Alexander accepted and stood, Sandro quipped, "Well, it seems like we're not the only ones who found the antidotes. Want to see if whoever it is is friendly? Oh, who am I kidding—they're probably not..."
Sandro didn't finish his remark, his attention drawn to tendrils made of hair snaking out from a shadowy area, reaching toward the glass box containing the antidotes. Acting quickly, he kicked up a nearby piece of rebar with his foot, grabbed it mid-air, and hurled it like a javelin into the shadows where the tendrils originated. The improvised weapon momentarily halting the movement of the tendrils.
Not for long however as they began reaching for the antidote once more. Seeing the Sandro rushed out from cover while shouting to Alexander, "Cover me!'' With his speed Sandro was able to reach the Antidotes just before the tendrils did. He then performed a sweeping kick in order to knock over the pedestal which the antidote was resting on. This caused the tentacles which attempted to reach out and grasp the case holding the antidotes to just barely miss.
However, the tendril did not remain idle. It shot out, grasping Sandro's leg and hoisting him into the air. Alexander was about to rush in to provide aid when two more javelins, formed from soul energy, came hurtling from above, both aimed directly at him.
Alexander skillfully deflected the first javelin and prepared to handle the second. However, the projectile abruptly curved mid-flight, changing course to target Sandro instead. Though surprised by this maneuver, Alexander quickly adapted. Using his Soul Incantation, he subtly extended the reach of his blade and deflected the redirected projectile with precision.
Meanwhile, Sandro took action against the tendril holding him. He performed an axe kick with his free leg, striking the tendril with enough force to weaken its grip significantly. Using the momentum generated by the kick, he broke free from its grasp, flipping through the air and landing gracefully on his feet.
Without hesitation, Sandro lunged at the container holding the antidotes, grabbed it, and threw it toward Alexander. Alexander dashed forward to catch it, but two more projectiles flew toward him. The first was aimed directly at him, forcing him to pause momentarily to deflect it. Unfortunately, that brief pause was enough for the second projectile to strike the container holding the antidotes.
While the impact didn't destroy the case, it had enough force to send it flying into another building, out of reach for both Alexander and Sandro. On the bright side, the container was now also out of reach of their unseen adversaries.
Alexander's facial expression showed clear irritation as he glanced toward the shadowy areas of the building. He spoke in a challenging tone, "Whoever you are, do you intend to continue on like this?" He then pointed his short sword toward the darkened areas of the room and glanced at Sandro. "Because I believe I can speak for both of us when I say we'd rather fight for the antidotes."
Neither Sandro nor Alexander heard any retreating movements. There was a brief pause before two figures emerged from the shadows and stepped into the lit area of the room.
The two figures appeared to be twins—a young man and woman. The woman stood on the same floor as Sandro and Alexander, while the man was positioned on the floor above them.
Both wore somewhat unusual outfits, with slight variations distinguishing them. The woman was dressed in a bright red robe-like shirt with large, draping sleeves, paired with long black pants that could easily be mistaken for a skirt at a glance. The man, on the other hand, wore a robe-like shirt as well, though his was more form-fitting, with a bright blue coloration. His pants followed the same design as the woman's but were slightly shorter.
While the twins' appearances were relatively similar, their choice of weaponry was not. The woman wielded two curved, single-edged short swords with blades that were narrow at the base but widened further up. Her hair, which appeared to be her Soul Incantation, was incredibly long, divided into multiple tendrils, and seemed to move with a will of its own. The man, meanwhile, wielded a massive war bow nearly as tall as he was. He carried no quiver; the reason soon became evident as soul energy began emanating from the bowstring—his Soul Incantation.
Despite their physical similarities, the twins' expressions were polar opposites. The woman wore a wide smile, her malicious stare fixed on Alexander and Sandro, while the man's face was stoic, his gaze indifferent.
The twins spoke in unison, their voices echoing with chilling synchronicity, "You will come to regret this decision severely!"
And so, the opposing Ascended began their clash for the antidote.
Sword in hand, Alexander dashed toward the woman, with Sandro following closely behind him. Alexander executed an upward slash, which the woman deflected with her blade, causing sparks to fly and the clang of steel to ring out. She countered with a thrust from her other blade, but Alexander sidestepped to avoid it.
Sandro, meanwhile, attempted to leap over the woman to reach her brother. However, his efforts were thwarted each time, as her tendril-like hair, seemingly alive, moved to block his every attempt, either by attempting to ensnare him or blocking off his approach.
Sandro then decided to alter his plan of attack, choosing to work alongside Alexander to defeat the sister. The two began executing a coordinated series of attacks, but their efforts were ultimately unsuccessful. The woman's hair, while not an effective offensive weapon, proved to be an exceptional defensive tool. It blocked Alexander's sword strikes and softened the impact of Sandro's kicks and punches.
That is not to say her defenses were impenetrable. Alexander's deceptive Soul Incantation, combined with Sandro's disruptive one, allowed the two to create numerous openings. Sandro's disruptive field caused the woman to make frequent missteps and often prevented her hair from reacting in time. Additionally, Alexander's subtle extension of his reach caught the woman off guard several times.
The real problem, however, was their inability to properly capitalize on the openings they created. The cause of this was the woman's brother. Each time they attempted to deliver a decisive cut or strike, the brother fired an arrow, forcing them to either deflect or dodge.
Alexander tried using his ability to extend his reach to attack the brother, but it proved ineffective. The brother never stayed in one location long enough, and the sister's ensnaring hair further hindered Alexander's attempts.
Before long, the twins shifted their strategy and went on the attack