Mocha lay where the shattered bubble had finally deposited them, every muscle in her body protesting the violent acceleration she had just endured. For several seconds she simply stared upward into the black sky hanging over the crimson moon, allowing herself the luxury of existing without immediately having to dodge claws, teeth, or blades.
Eventually she let out a slow breath, planted both palms against the scarlet ground, and gradually pushed herself upright. The others followed suit with considerably more groaning than dignity, each of them rubbing bruised shoulders, sore ribs, or aching necks while silently taking inventory of whatever remained functional after having effectively been fired from their own improvised artillery shell. Despite the pain, every one of them instinctively turned back toward the valley they had only just escaped.
Or rather...
Toward where the valley had once existed.
None of them spoke.
The towering crimson ridges that had enclosed the enormous nest of King Taijitus had ceased to exist. In their place stretched an enormous crater littered with mountains of broken stone and pulverized earth, as though some unimaginably large hand had simply crushed the entire landscape flat before scattering the remains across several kilometers.
Thick clouds of crimson dust continued drifting lazily upward from the center of the devastation, partially obscuring the view while fragments of shattered rock continued tumbling down unstable slopes with delayed rumbles echoing through the otherwise silent landscape.
Yet even stranger...
Tiny pixelated fires burned throughout the rubble.
Small emerald-black squares flickered where normal fire should have danced, crackling with distinctly geometric edges that looked as though reality itself had momentarily forgotten how to render proper combustion. They clung stubbornly to fractured boulders, to shattered Grimm remains, and to the pulverized earth itself, each tiny flame reminding the others exactly whose handiwork had transformed an entire valley into a smoking grave.
The Javelin Rune user stared at the destruction for several long moments before finally turning toward Mocha.
"...Was that your doing?"
She glanced innocently in his direction as he pointed toward the crater.
"You know, you probably could've warned us about what you were planning."
Mocha blinked and then she placed one hand proudly against her chest.
"And spoil the surprise?"
She sounded genuinely offended by the suggestion. She tilted her chin upward with unmistakable satisfaction.
"Come on now, I wouldn't be Mocha Fiore if I wasn't a true schemer now, would I?"
The expression she wore afterward somehow managed to combine smugness, childish pride, and complete sincerity all at once. She even turned her nose upward slightly as though expecting applause for successfully reducing an entire geographical landmark into loose gravel.
Silence followed.
Then, the Vacuoan man snorted and even Javelin chuckled. Even the logistics guy couldn't entirely suppress the laugh escaping his lips.
Within seconds all four found themselves laughing despite the situation and the exhaustion weighing upon their bodies—despite the current apocalypse unfolding around them. The absurdity of everything that had happened, from the fortress that had slowly evolved into a bizarre sailing ship to Mocha casually transforming an entire valley into a crater without ever explaining her intentions, finally overwhelmed the tension that had gripped them since awakening upon the crimson moon.
It felt strangely enough, quite normal.
These were awakened after all. To them, fighting against inevitable and dangerous odd such as these were just another Tuesday.
Though... perhaps not on this scale, but the idea still stood.
The laughter eventually faded, replaced once more by practical considerations. The Vacuoan's eyes swept across the surrounding terrain, studying the enormous scar left behind by the explosion.
"In any case, we're out of immediate danger."
He wasn't wrong.
Mocha's mysterious preparations had consisted of her previously creating some special items which she dubbed to Oscar once, as Pixel bombs. Her inventory rune ordinarily couldn't store biological matter and living objects, but Pixelated items created from her Pixel rune was fair game.
She had stocked up on those bombs a long time ago. The benefit of that was that her inventory rune could keep it in a perpetual state of "freshness," without her having to focus her mental energy to keep it "alive," or using her aura to sustain it. Well, besides the passive draw of her Inventory rune, of course.
In any case, the resulting detonation had not merely exterminated the King Taijitu nest but it had also obliterated every Grimm unfortunate enough to occupy the surrounding region. More importantly, the collapse of the valley itself had created an immense field of unstable rubble separating them from the enormous Grimm horde pursuing them earlier. Ordinary ground-based Grimm would need considerable time to navigate around, over, or through the devastation.
Of course...
Flying Grimm represented another matter entirely. Sooner or later Nevermores, Lancers, or worse would inevitably discover them again.
The reprieve remained temporary.
They all understood that.
The Vacuoan then stretched slightly and massaged his wrist.
"Well, since we've actually got a few minutes before everything inevitably tries killing us again..."
He looked around the group.
"I just realized something. We never actually introduced ourselves to each other."
His gaze settled upon Mocha.
"Except for you, I suppose. You're Mocha Fiore right?"
"Yep." She nodded.
The Vacuoan man grinned.
"I'm Charr, from Vacuo."
The Javelin user casually rested one of his javelins across his shoulder.
"I'm Psy. Menagerie."
Mocha internally nodded. That confirmed exactly what she'd suspected ever since watching him casually ride a flying javelin through the air.
There had always been something wonderfully unconventional about his fighting style. Most awakened developed techniques emphasizing efficiency or overwhelming power.
Psy instead looked as though he'd decided conventional physics represented little more than friendly suggestions.
Somehow...
That fit the stories she'd heard about Menagerie remarkably well. Finally, everyone's attention shifted toward the fourth member. Logistics guy. The man waved a hand before speaking quietly.
"My name's Picto."
He offered a polite smile.
"Vale."
After a brief pause he clarified further.
"Vale City."
Mocha blinked.
"Really?"
She looked genuinely surprised.
"I've never seen you before."
"You've probably just never noticed me. We have different schedules and... well... we're both in different departments.
His smile grew slightly sheepish.
"Logistics doesn't usually spend much time outside supply facilities. Besides being funneled grimm kills, of course."
Mocha slowly nodded. That actually made perfect sense.
LUCID employed hundreds of awakened throughout Vale alone. Even if they shared headquarters beneath Beacon Academy, individual divisions rarely crossed paths unless circumstances demanded it.
Especially logistics.
Those awakened effectively worked through the night every single day ensuring everyone else remained supplied with imbued equipment.
They were the invisible foundation supporting every operation. Mocha found herself developing newfound respect for the quiet man.
She finally clapped her hands together.
"We should get moving."
Her smile disappeared.
"Who knows when we'll end up in another heap of trouble."
Everyone immediately agreed. Standing still during the apocalypse generally qualified as poor survival strategy.
They had scarcely taken two steps when Mocha's eyes widened.
Something was wrong. She couldn't explain what she'd sensed. Perhaps movement or perhaps it was instinct. Perhaps it was because she had recently always started hanging around Rank 2 awakened that gave her this instinctive sensation.
Or perhaps it was just simple luck.
Regardless...
She screamed.
"Charr! Watch out!"
The warning came exactly in time and pure instinct saved him. Charr twisted violently sideways. The ground directly beneath him suddenly became liquid darkness and a shadow surged upward. A black blade erupted from it like a striking serpent, aimed precisely toward the side of his neck.
Had he remained still, his head would have separated cleanly from his shoulders.
Instead...
The blade missed.
Barely.
Its trajectory shifted only enough to slice through his forearm which he had moved in the way. His right hand separated completely from his wrist.
Blood sprayed.
Charr collapsed onto one knee with a strangled cry, instinctively clutching the ruined limb while pain exploded through his nervous system.
Mocha moved immediately and Pixel condensed around her hand. A crystalline emerald-black sword materialized almost instantly before she lunged directly toward the emerging assassin, thrusting with every ounce of strength she possessed.
However, her blade never reached him for another shadow exploded upwards and a second sword emerged.
Lightning crawled across its length and the masked Sleepless operative from earlier appeared alongside it, electricity roaring around his weapon as he intercepted Mocha's strike.
Electric steel met pixel and the impact exploded outward. His physical strength vastly exceeded hers, possibly due to the influence of his rune.
Mocha felt the collision travel through both arms before the force launched her bodily backward. She spun through open air. Before striking the ground, emerald-black light burst from her back.
Pixel wings unfolded and one powerful flap stabilized her instantly.
Without even landing she accelerated forward again, determined to reengage before the lightning swordsman could exploit the opening.
Elsewhere...
Psy had already encountered another enemy. The ground itself rippled beside him as yet another Sleepless operative emerged from flowing shadow.
Unlike the lightning user, this man possessed no weapon.
Instead...
An enormous translucent tiger enveloped his body. The ethereal beast overlaid his form like a guardian spirit, extending spectral claws several feet beyond his actual arms.
Each swipe carried enough reach to force Psy continuously backward despite his remarkable agility. Metal clashed against glowing claws and sparks erupted.
Psy immediately adapted and a javelin condensed beneath his feet. He stepped onto it effortlessly and the weapon shot skyward.
Using it once again as an airborne surfboard, he soared upward before launching a barrage of giant spears downward toward the spirit-clad opponent.
The Sleepless operative calmly changed and the tiger dissolved. In its place, the spectral runic energy became enormous spectral turtle.
A massive shell wrapped itself around his body moments before the oversized javelins struck.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
The impacts echoed across the battlefield but despite the strength of the attack, none penetrated. The shell held.
Meanwhile, several meters away, Picto reacted with practiced efficiency rather than panic than one might denote a relative non combatant.
Blue light blossomed and a spherical shield enclosed both himself and Charr before any further attacks could reach them.
Without hesitation Picto grabbed the severed wrist lying nearby and pressed it carefully against the bloody stump. Green runic energy immediately flooded outward.
Heal.
Flesh reconnected and bone regrew. Tendons knitted themselves together and before Charr's astonished eyes...
His hand regenerated. He flexed newly restored fingers experimentally while still grimacing from lingering phantom pain.
"...Thanks."
He looked toward Picto.
"You've actually got both Shield and Heal?"
Picto nodded modestly.
"...Yeah."
He smiled awkwardly.
"I'm... pretty much full logistics. I can keep people alive but...my combat skills aren't really there."
He glanced toward the fighting beyond the barrier and his expression became serious.
"...Can I trust you to handle this?"
Charr stood and his newly healed hand clenched into a fist.
"...Consider it done."
Outside the protective sphere, the remaining shadow refused to retreat. Instead it skimmed rapidly across the ground, attempting to slip around the shield's edge before striking again from another angle.
Charr didn't wait. Mechanism surged and metal-like runic energy erupted across his arm. Mechanical plates assembled themselves over his restored hand before rapidly reshaping into an enormous cannon.
Energy condensed within the barrel and he fired. A concentrated beam of runic force tore across the battlefield.
The shadow reacted instantly, its owner dissolved completely into darkness before the blast arrived, avoiding destruction by disappearing beneath the ground itself.
The beam carved a glowing trench through crimson stone.
Then...
The shadow reappeared and the final Sleepless operative rose smoothly from his own darkness, Grimm mask still concealing every feature of his face.
He looked almost amused.
"You people, did a pretty good job running. But it's too bad that your luck ends here."
The darkness beneath him rippled and hands emerged.
Dozens of them.
Entire arms composed of black liquid crawled outward across the ground with horrifying speed, fingers clawing desperately toward both Charr and Picto.
Charr simply snorted.
"...Just because you managed to sneak attack me, doesn't mean..."
Mechanism expanded further and additional cannons unfolded across both shoulders, his forearms, and even behind his back.
Targeting systems locked simultaneously and energy flooded every barrel. His grin widened.
"...that you can beat me in a frontal fight, idiot."
The battlefield erupted into light as multiple beams fired simultaneously. The crawling shadow hands disintegrated one after another beneath the relentless barrage, evaporating before reaching either awakened.
The shadow user frowned behind his mask.
Then...
He abandoned defense entirely. His body collapsed into darkness once more and the living shadow streaked across the battlefield at astonishing speed before exploding upward directly before Charr and Picto.
A gigantic clawed arm, seemingly formed entirely from condensed darkness, materialized above them before crashing downward in a devastating swipe aimed to tear through both awakened in a single overwhelming blow.