Mana returned with Kotori, the flame spirit saw everyone, minus Tohka. She didn't question her whereabouts just yet, but once she was inside. Mana helped her to a seat, Shido walked over to where Kotori was sitting at, Reine followed soon after as she looked at her for a brief moment.
"Her power is low Shin." Reine spoke as she looked towards Shido. "I don't think we need to tell you what needs to be done."
Shido looked at Kotori, seeing her covered in grime and blood. "Right...just, just give me a minute."
Kotori glanced at Shido as she took a deep breath, before exhaling. Her crimson red eyes glanced towards Marigold, who was rummaging through one more box of canned food. She watched as she grabbed a can, bringing it over to her.
"Here auntie." Marigold spoke, handing her a can of sliced carrots. "You're going to need this."
Kotori was going to argue and tell her not to call her that, but a small smile played at her lips as she took the can. "I saw your mommy." She pulled back on the can's lid with the pull tab. Her eyes looking down at the sliced carrots.
Marigold's eyes widened with joy, she wasn't really told that by Nia, for obvious reasons. However, hearing Kotori say it. Gave Marigold a warm feeling. "You say mama? Is she....is she doing okay?"
Silence filled the air for a brief moment as Kotori looked for a fork or something else helpful to get the carrots out. "She is now..."
Marigold's smile faltered into a frown. "What do you mean?"
Kotori set the can down on the floor, leaning over a little bit. "Scarlet, she was....dealing with her own inner demon."
"She changed didn't she? Transformed?" Miku asked with a raised eyebrow. The pop idol glancing towards Kotori from where she was at.
"This wasn't a familiar face though....it was more...." Kotori paused as she closed her eyes. "More primal....more darker."
"So, more Grimm like....different from what we've seen before?" Shido asked crossing his arms. "That's troublesome..."
Kotori opened her eyes as she looked at Marigold. "But your mommy is back to her normal self again. She's gone after Queen, her goal still hasn't changed."
Marigold had a small wry smile on her face. Noticing this, Kotori placed a hand on her shoulder. "She'll come, but right now we have to focus on survival and saving Kurumi."
Marigold nodded. "Yeah....we have to save mama."
Hero cleared his throat, the ginger feline pounced and jumped onto a box nearby. "I am glad that the master is doing well, minus that small hiccup. But, let us not forget. These are dangerous times right now. Yes she may have told me to come here to help out, but Salem's forces are getting stronger by the second."
"He's right." Natsumi had spoken up, as she returned to her childlike form. "The Grimm are growing in numbers, and there's still no sign of Tohka anywhere."
"We can only pray and hope that she either comes into contact with Scarlet wherever Queen is leading her to next. Or, hope that Tohka is somewhere out there." Shido spoke.
~~~
The obsidian walls of Salem's castle groaned, a deep, sepulchral sound that seemed to emanate from the very soul of the stone. A cold, chilling air, heavy with the scent of ozone and decay, snaked through the corridors. In a desolate cell, Kurumi Tokisaki, the Spirit known as Nightmare, drew a ragged breath. The metal cuffs that had bound her lay discarded on the frigid floor, a testament to the silent efficiency of her other self.
Her clone, a perfect replica born from shadow, had freed her from the shackles. Nightmare was breathing deeply, taking in greedy gulps of air to chase away the lingering weakness. She slowly got to her feet, her heterochromatic eyes—one crimson, one a golden clock face—locking onto her duplicate.
"Try to find the others." Kurumi's voice was a strained whisper, yet it held its characteristic edge of command. "Tell them I'm going to escape and get to them."
The clone nodded once, a gesture devoid of emotion, and melted back into the inky blackness of the cell's corners, leaving no trace of her existence. Kurumi glanced around, a curse forming under her breath. The tattered remnants of her Astral Dress were all she had. There was no time to search for more suitable attire; speed was her only ally. She needed to get out, but caution warred with urgency. Salem's Seer Grimm, her ever-watchful eyes, could be anywhere. Kurumi marshalled what little energy she had, feeling the familiar, comforting pull of the shadows. As long as nothing went amiss, she could move unseen.
But Salem was not one for oversights.
Kurumi reached for the heavy iron handle of the cell door. The cold metal bit into her skin, sending an involuntary shiver through her. Every sense was screaming, honed to a razor's edge by years of conflict. She stood there for a heart-stopping moment, her gut twisting into a knot of premonition. Something was wrong. Opening this door felt like stepping on a landmine. Still, she was trapped. Hesitation was a luxury she couldn't afford. Taking a slow, steadying breath, her hand tightened, and she pulled the door open.
Suddenly, the castle erupted in a cacophony of blaring alarms. It wasn't the soft click of a tripwire on her door; this was a fortress-wide alert, a raw, piercing shriek that vibrated through the floor. It wasn't for her. It was for something else. A distraction? A sign? Kurumi didn't question it. Seizing the opportunity, she slid the door wide open and dashed out, a fleeting shadow against the dimly lit stone. Her mind raced, a single question echoing the alarm's cry: who or what had just saved her?
Miles away, at the castle's grand entrance, the answer raged. The air crackled with a storm of purple energy. Tohka, a whirlwind of righteous fury, wielded her broadsword, Sandalphon, with devastating force. Each swing of the massive blade sent arcs of violet light carving through swarms of Grimm. Beowolves lunged, only to be bisected in sprays of black ichor. A hulking Goliath charged, its tusks aimed to impale, but Tohka met it head-on, Sandalphon cleaving its armoured skull in two.
"Is that all you have?!" Tohka roared, her voice a challenge to the unending tide.
Beside her, floating serenely amidst the chaos, was Mukuro. Her Angel, Michael, manifested as a celestial key. With a flick of her wrist, she pointed it at a pack of Creeps scrambling up the walls. The lock of causality turned. The creatures froze mid-climb, their forms locked in stasis before shattering into black dust. Her power was not one of brute force, but of absolute control, a perfect counterpoint to Tohka's overwhelming offense. They were the source of the alarm, a deliberate, thunderous assault designed to draw every eye.
"They are numerous, Tohka." Mukuro stated, her voice a calm monotone that belied the ferocity of the battle. "We must keep Salem's attention focused here."
Tohka grunted in agreement, parrying the claws of an Ursa and blasting it back with a wave of energy. "Just hold on, Kurumi. We're coming for you."
~~~
Back with Shido and the others, Kurumi's clone appeared from the shadows, taking a small curtsy bow, she spoke. "My other self wanted me to come tell you all, she will be escaping Salem's castle, and she will be meeting up with you all."
Marigold who had been searching through another box for can goods, heard what the clone said. She turned her gaze to her and had a small smile on her face. "Mama is going to be here?"
"We can't afford to jinx it." Origami spoke in a low tone, her gaze cold and hard. "We know how Salem works, I don't think she would let Kurumi escape that easily."
"Then, why can't she just use the shadows like she normally would to travel?" Miku asked with a small head tilt.
Nia cleared her throat a little as she was going to speak, but Kotori spoke up instead. "It's a possibility that she is in the same boat as me, low on energy and can't focus properly on recovery."
"You're probably right...if we only knew where Tohka was." Shido spoke crossing his arms. "She would be great help..."
Nia cleared her throat once more. "Let's not forget, that Mukuro's whereabouts are also unknown."
Kotori raised an eyebrow. "She isn't in space anymore? That's odd."
Marigold shakes her head. "No, Granny Muku isn't in space anymore, after you and Ms. Nia were swallowed up by the tears in space and time. Granny Muku came down from space to lend us a hand."
"And that's when I showed up." Hero spoke as the ginger feline stretched out before jumping off a box. "Scarlet sent me here to help, you all know that. And I will help you out, but we're sitting ducks right now."
Yuzuru glanced over to the monitors for a moment before she took a few hours to think. She then spoke up. "Objective, come up with a strategy plan. Clear a pathway to where we can have a better meeting ground, while holding off what Grimm comes our way. Confront the threat, we will do what we can to clear a path."
Shido nods lightly. Reine glanced over to him before she spoke. "Then we have a plan, but we need to figure out where our new HQ will be. The Fraxinus isn't going to do us any good." She crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "A Nevermore took out its engines, the ship crashed into the ocean. And I am uncertain if anyone survived."
Kotori bit her lower lip, she balled both of her fists. "Then we have to search for any survivors, what about Ai, Mai and Mii? Are they still around?"
"We're not sure." Kaguya spoke up, her eyes glancing over to Kotori. "Some of the underground shelters that are used for when a Spacial Quake happens, are either full of survivors making bunkers out of them. Or Grimm, who managed to dig their way under ground."
"Okay then, here's what we'll do." Shido spoke, his voice full of determination. Walking over to the map Kaguya and Yuzuru were once standing at. Shido pointed his finger at the location of the school. "We know the school has a underground shelter, do we know if there's anyone there or Grimm?"
"Negative, during the time Salem had showed up. No one was within the premises or within the school." Yuzuru answered in her robotic like tone. "However, the school is in ruins, as of where Mana had found Kotori. It is possible that the area is unsafe, wearing a mask to get into the underground shelter of the school is prioritized and is necessary."
"Then that's where we will go." Shido spoke. "Everyone knows where the school is located."
"I will see if the hatch is accessible." Reine spoke. "Regarding supplies, if it is accessible."
Natsumi nodded lightly. "Leave that to me."
Origami spoke up as well, but she was still in her AST gear. "If you can find the AST base, there might be at least some MRE's."
Natsumi nods again as she understood the complication behind what Origami was suggesting, they had been living off canned food for a while now. "I get what you're saying, alright. I'll see what I can find."