"Seriously?" Maxin and Ragil chuckled at the name.
"You looked better as Pax," they said in unison, sharing a mischievous glance.
"I think it's a good name," Alita offered with a friendly smile toward the girl.
"Yeah, whatever, kid," Lukeandria replied in an indifferent tone, though her eyes hinted at discomfort.
"Kid? We're the same age," Alita shot back with a smirk.
"I always thought it was odd how short a soldier you were."
Lukeandria scowled, but before she could reply, her expression hardened.
"Now that you've seen my face… I have no choice but to eliminate you all, to keep my secret hidden."
Her voice was steady, but a flicker of doubt crossed her gaze.
"Sure, sure," Alita replied with a casual wave, brushing off the threat.
Still, Lukeandria studied them seriously—and for a moment, it wasn't clear if she meant it.
Before she could act, Galatea stepped in.
"You'll have to deal with Troba first. She saw your face before any of us."
"You're right," Lukeandria admitted after a brief silence.
She began stripping the armor pieces from the others, leaving only the helmet, which was in Alita's hands. Underneath, she wore a black blouse and tight-fitting pants, clinging to her like a second skin.
"Why are you still hiding?" Alita asked, her tone filled with genuine curiosity as she snatched the last piece of armor from Lukeandria's hands.
Lukeandria paused, as though the words weighed heavier than she'd like to admit.
"I can't be recognized," she finally said, her voice firm but restrained, every word carefully measured.
"I must remain undercover… I can't give you my reasons."
Her gaze drifted briefly, avoiding Alita's eyes—and in that subtle gesture, something else flickered: a flash of vulnerability she quickly tried to mask.
"And why's that? You against the shadows or something?" Alita pressed, tilting her head.
"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. But you won't hear it from me.
Perhaps—if you survive this journey—you'll find out," Lukeandria replied cryptically, her eyes lost in some faraway place.
"How about this?" Alita proposed, extending a hand with a sly smile.
"If we defeat Troba, you tell us your story."
Lukeandria studied her for a moment, weighing the offer. Finally, she nodded.
"Alright. If we defeat Troba, fine.
But you won't tell anyone what I really look like. You'll keep calling me Pax."
"Deal," Alita said, clasping her hand with conviction.
The two of them stood and looked for a way out of the cell.
Galatea pointed at the metallic structure surrounding them.
"This cage works just like the one in the tower," she explained.
Alita nodded and, wasting no time, aimed her ring to unleash a jet of water. It short-circuited the system, and the door slid open with an electric hum.
The five girls stepped out, finally free.
Before they could move forward, one of the walls slid open, revealing a kind of portal. From it emerged a massive creature, puma-sized, blocking their path. Its fur was a deep, mossy green, and its razor-sharp claws gleamed under the dim light. At the tip of its tail, a flickering blue light marked the presence of a deadly laser.
"No way… That witch had to have a Smcat," Lukeandria muttered, pressing a hand to her forehead in frustration.
"A what?" the others asked in unison.
"A Smcat. It's a giant feline with puma traits—ferocious teeth, sharpened claws, and a tail that fires laser beams," she explained quickly as she slipped on her helmet.
"Should've guessed—another of Tejod's pet projects," Alita said, narrowing her eyes warily.
Lukeandria nodded silently, her body coiled and ready to strike. The Smcat stepped forward with a low, growling roar that rumbled in their bones.
"How do we defeat that thing?" Alita asked, staring at the creature with a mix of awe and apprehension.
"For starters, don't let it touch you," Lukeandria warned urgently.
"It's already a deadly feline—and on top of that, it's got a laser tail. So… dodge!"
Without waiting, she kicked Alita sharply to the side just as the Smcat lunged.
"Ouch!" Alita groaned, rubbing her back as she scrambled up.
"A little warning next time?"
"No time," Lukeandria snapped, her tone sharp as a drawn blade.
"She's right. It's time to fight," Galatea added, shifting into a defensive stance, her body taut with readiness.
"Positions!" she commanded, her voice echoing with resolute authority.
Galatea's words sparked the air like a strike of lightning. The others exchanged quick glances and nodded, bracing for the incoming storm.
Galatea and her daughters activated their hardening, cloaking their bodies in a resilient layer that repelled the beast's claws and fangs. But the laser tail was a different matter—each blast hurled them backward, scattering them like rag dolls. They ducked behind nearby rocks, catching their breath.
"To bring it down, we need to sever its tail—then finish it off," Lukeandria said, eyeing the Smcat with measured focus.
"But it's fast. Slippery. This won't be easy."
"Not bad. Sounds like a plan," Galatea replied, rising again with renewed resolve, her eyes glittering.
"One problem," Alita said, folding her arms in frustration.
"We don't have weapons."
"Tell that to your fearless leader and her daughters charging in without a word," Lukeandria shot back, gesturing irritably toward Galatea. Her tone was barbed, but the flicker in her eyes betrayed something else—concern masked as sarcasm.
Without hesitation, Galatea and her daughters charged at the Smcat. The creature responded with brutal ferocity, dodging their strikes or parrying them with inhuman agility. Each time they tried to close in, the laser from its tail sent them hurtling backward—battered, but far from beaten.
"Damn it, a beast like this won't stop me," Galatea muttered, wiping the sweat from her brow as she rose again. Fueled by fresh resolve, she lunged once more, but the Smcat moved with blinding speed, slipping past every blow.
"It's too fast," she gasped, frustrated. Her daughters joined the fray, but even together they couldn't land a hit. Again, the laser-tail struck, slamming them into the wall.
"Got any bright ideas, genius girl?" Lukeandria called out to Alita, her tone a cocktail of sarcasm and reluctant hope.
"Well… maybe," Alita replied, watching as the others fought on without giving in.
"But it'd be a lot easier if we had weapons."
"Weapons? I've got this shield. Think that'll help?" Lukeandria asked, casting a skeptical glance.
"Could work," Alita said, inspecting it quickly.
"Throw it to Galatea. She'll know what to do."
Lukeandria nodded and hurled the shield toward Galatea, who caught it mid-combat with a confused look. Alita gestured wildly from a distance, trying to silently communicate her plan.
"Hope she gets it," she muttered, crossing her fingers.
Galatea exchanged a few quick words with her daughters, who nodded with fierce determination. The three advanced, flanking the Smcat with calculated precision.
As her daughters distracted the beast with synchronized strikes, Galatea seized her moment. With a mighty leap, she raised the shield over her head and spun midair, driving it straight into the Smcat's tail.
The creature roared in pain and thrashed wildly, but Galatea held firm, channeling all her strength into the shield, pinning the tail to the ground.
"Now, girls!" she shouted.
Maxin and Ragil rushed in, grabbing the Smcat's forelegs with all their might. Despite its attempts to bite, the girls' hardened bodies absorbed every blow.
"What do we do now, Alita?" the three shouted together, desperate for direction.
"I don't know!" Alita admitted, her face etched with uncertainty.
Before she could think further, Lukeandria stepped forward with surprising speed. From one of her bracers, she drew a gleaming dagger—and with deadly precision, hurled it into the creature's forehead. The Smcat dropped instantly, motionless.
"We did it!" Maxin and Ragil cheered, high-fiving in celebration.
"Well, well… so you were holding out on us," Alita said with an ironic grin, eyeing Lukeandria.
"Only for special occasions… and special enemies," Lukeandria replied with a shrug, though a spark of satisfaction danced in her gaze.
"Now that we've taken care of that thing, it's time to deal with that badger," Galatea said, rising and handing back the shield with a grateful nod.
"Before you go after her, you should know this—she won't go down easy," Lukeandria warned, her tone somber.
"She caught me off guard. Knocked me out before I could even react."
"Same thing happened to us," the others agreed, exchanging uneasy glances.
"But… did you notice anything about her? Something that could help us?" the girls asked, leaning in toward Lukeandria with curiosity.
"Well, yeah," Lukeandria admitted after a brief pause.
"That badger's more cunning—and more magical—than we gave her credit for."
She went on to explain how Troba operated, and why she drained energy from men.
"Ah! So that's what it was," the sisters murmured, nodding slowly as the pieces came together.
"A curse… I see," Galatea reflected, bringing a hand to her chin in thought.
"And I know where Paltio and your friends are," Lukeandria added, turning to Alita.
"If we can get them on our side, we might actually stand a chance."
"Really?" Alita's voice lit up with barely contained excitement.
"What are you thinking?" she asked, eyes locked on Lukeandria, eager.
"You're not the only one with plans, Alita," Lukeandria replied with a sly half-smile.
"I already know how we can beat Troba.
But first—we have to make her reveal her true form."