"I'm telling you the truth… Master," William said as he burst through the large, gold-plated doors. Thorne entered behind him, removing his cape as he strode forward.
"She knows where Haruka is. And she's hiding it," William pressed, standing stiff as Thorne took his seat on the elevated obsidian throne. Crimson walls surrounded the chamber, a massive carpet unfurling beneath.
"I know where they're hid—"
"You know?" Thorne's voice cut sharp, halting William mid-sentence.
William lowered his eyes, shame tinting his voice. "I… suspect."
Thorne leaned back, fingers tapping against the black stone armrest.
"But still!" William pushed, voice rising.
"It's an opportu—"
"William!" Thorne thundered, slamming his fist against the throne's arm. The sound boomed through the chamber, silencing the air.
"What we need," Thorne said coldly, "is to pick ourselves up. We suffered heavy casualties during the Therma assault. I underestimated their strength."
The doors swung open again. Two maids dragged in a sleek black-and-white machine, tubes coiling from its sides.
"Here's your opportunity…" Thorne muttered.
Two more maids approached from behind, carefully stripping the layers from his body. One connected a tube into a dark metallic slot along his abdomen. With a hiss of steam, Thorne groaned in grim relief, his chest rising.
"By now, Therma has likely discovered Haruka's abilities," Thorne said, voice steady again. "They're recollecting. We must do the same."
William bowed deeply before turning heel. As the maids swarmed around Thorne, William left the chamber.
Outside
The dusk sun spread over the yard, where Obsidian guards and mercenaries mingled with prisoners forced into labor. The yard stretched wide, gravel crunching under William's boots as he stepped forward.
A squad of soldiers snapped to attention.
"Load up ammo, food, and a truck. We're scavenging deeper into the city," William ordered. The men jogged off without hesitation.
Behind him, a soft giggle broke through the noise.
"But yeah… I'm doing a lot better now," Evelyne said casually, walking past with an Obsidian mercenary at her side, ignoring William's presence entirely. His expression burned, fuse-like.
"Me and Raito are heading toward the inner city to scavenge," she added, strolling past.
The fuse finally caught flame.
William stormed toward her, grabbing her shoulder. The mercenary stiffened but froze at William's glare.
"Leave," William commanded. The soldier fled.
Evelyne turned back with a scoff. "What do you want?"
"For you to admit you're hiding him," William snapped.
"Hiding who?"
"Haruka. Back at the mansion."
A truck rumbled to a halt nearby, its doors sliding open. Evelyne's voice rose with frustration.
"He's not there!"
"Then where is he?" William shot back. Without waiting, he moved toward the truck.
"Plans have changed," William barked, climbing aboard. "We're heading to Shan's mansion."
The words left him with a cruel chuckle as several goons froze, glancing between them. Evelyne lunged, tackling him just before he could climb in.
William threw her off, slamming her to the ground. Gasps rippled through the yard.
"Not at the mansion, huh?" William sneered before banging on the truck's side. The engine roared, tires grinding gravel as dust clouded the air.
Another vehicle screeched to a halt near Evelyne.
"Eve!" Raito shouted, rushing to her side. He helped her up, Evelyne's breath ragged.
"We have to chase him," she said quickly, steadying herself.
"Who are we chasing?" Raito asked, already sliding into the driver's seat.
"William!" Evelyne spat. "He's going for the mansion. Father sent him to the city." She slumped against the dashboard, fury in her eyes.
"Loyalty, my ass," Raito muttered, slamming the gas. The car shrieked as it tore after William's dust trail.
Back at the mansion.
BANG! BANG!
The oval wooden gates rattled under the pounding. Boots thundered outside, a hundred heavy steps in unison.
BAM! BAM!
The hinges creaked.
Rosemary walked calmly toward the noise. Panic was a myth to her. She placed her hands on the handles just as a hand shot through the crack—William's hand—clamping her throat.
The gates burst wide as Obsidian soldiers marched in behind him. William strode forward, dragging Rosemary by the neck like a ragdoll.
"Where is he?" William barked.
Rosemary didn't flinch, didn't fight. Her silence was an answer in itself.
"Fine." William hurled her against the corridor wall. "Burn the place."
"Wait!" Rosemary finally croaked. "They're at the Chemical Plant!"
William's eyes narrowed. "Where's Shan?"
She stayed silent.
"Search it!" William barked. The soldiers scattered into the mansion like ants.
"She's right," came a voice behind him. "He's not here."
Shan.
William spun and tackled him through the court, slamming him into the stonework. Dust rained down.
William snapped into an orthodox stance, fists raised, white gloves flecked with blood. Shan rose slowly, brushing off rubble, hands loose and calm.
"Eda," Shan said without taking his eyes off William, "tell Rosemary not a single soldier touches this place. Even if it means killing them. Go."
William smirked. "Thought you didn't kill Obsidian."
"Thought you still took orders from Thorne," Shan shot back.
That broke William's patience.
He lunged—a jab snapping at Shan's face. Shan leaned back, the fist grazing air. William spun into a high roundhouse—Shan's counter snapped in first, a sharp kick burying into William's gut and knocking the wind from him.
William staggered, clutching his stomach, then roared forward again.
What followed was chaos in motion—William's fists a blur, Shan's palms flowing like water, redirecting, catching, parrying. William's knee rocketed up; Shan hooked it midair and swept his base. William stumbled but rolled with it, answering with a brutal side kick that hurled Shan against the wall.
Shan hissed, blood on his lip.
They collided again—fists, knees, open palms clashing in a storm until William cracked Shan's chin with an uppercut, then hammered him with a vicious combination that sent Shan sprawling back into the courtyard.
William straightened his suit, smoothed back his hair. "Where is he?"
"They're right here," Raito's voice cut in.
Across the court stood Raito and Evelyne. Side by side.
William sneered. "You two."
"You got lucky back home," Raito said, tightening his fists. "This time I'm not holding back."
"Three against one," Shan said, forcing himself up. "Let's even the field."
William licked blood from his lip. "Come at me."
The courtyard exploded into violence. Evelyne dove with a flying kick—William slipped past it, seizing Raito and slamming him into stone. Evelyne hooked his arm, nearly locking an armbar before William simply stood up with her dangling from him, then smashed her down like a ragdoll.
But the trio adapted. Shan flowed in with backhand strikes, Evelyne with snapping bicycle kicks, Raito with brutal grappling throws—German suplex, German suplex, German suplex—crashing William into the ground again and again.
The Obsidian enforcer staggered, dazed, bloodied—but not beaten.
Then he smirked.
William's roundhouse spun wide—deliberate bait. Shan slid low for the leg, Evelyne flanked, Raito charged.
And William turned the trap inside out. He vaulted, legs snapping like whips—one crushing Shan beneath him, another side kick launching Raito across the courtyard, the other slamming Evelyne into the wall.
Shan struggled under the pressure of William's boot.
"You should've picked a side." CRACK! A stomp to the head. Shan fell still.
William stormed off, mounting the truck. Tires screamed, smoke rising as he tore away.
"Damn it!" Raito staggered up, rushing to Shan's body.
Evelyne pulled him. "Forget him! If William gets back to Obsidian, we're finished!"
"What about Shan?!"
"Rosemary and Eda will handle him—MOVE!" Evelyne dragged him, the two diving into their car, engines roaring in pursuit.
Moments later, Rosemary and Eda emerged, lifting Shan's limp body. Mika and Leo came, rifles in hand, eyes wide at the wreckage.
"What the hell happened?" Mika cried, kneeling by Shan.
Leo's jaw clenched as he scanned the fractured walls and shattered gate. "Obsidian. Again." He exhaled sharply. "It's almost time."
His eyes fixed on the broken gates, splinters scattered like bones.
"It's about to begin."