"I don't know what gave you that confidence—a special ability? Guess what? You're not the only one with something special," Kai said, tightening his grip on both swords.
"Please, stop them, Mr. Kenshi," Celine pleaded, her voice filled with anxiety as she watched the man and girl.
"Why should he?" Yuna countered from the doorway, her arms crossed. "If she can back up her words, I'll apologize and follow your plan."
"Ariel knows what she's doing. We watch for now," Kenshi replied, though his own gaze was wary.
"Seven seconds?" Kai taunted. "Let's see where that confidence comes from." The final word was still in the air but he was already behind Ariel with both blades slicing downward in a diagonal strike from her right.
'It's over.You have only your mouth to blame.'
Just when victory seemed all but certain, Ariel spoke a single word.
"Submission."
A wave of golden light erupted from Ariel, freezing Kai mid-motion. His muscles locked, his attack halted completely.
'What is this? Why can't I move?'
"Why did he stop?" Yuna asked, her casual tone gone.
Kenshi's eyes widened. 'She said she could only copy skills. Is this also a copied skill, or something she didn't tell us?'
"She used the same skill on the Scarbone earlier," Celine whispered.
Ariel wasn't finished. "Protector." The word was calm, devoid of effort, she didn't even look back at the attacker. Held by Submission and weakened by Protector, Kai was utterly vulnerable. A punching bag.
On turning, she drove her heel into his cheekbone. The impact smashed his face into the cobblestones. His swords clattered away. She slammed her foot into his head, again and again her heel crashed down, the sickening thuds echoing as blood pooled beneath his head.
'I surrender!I give up!' The thought was a scream in his mind, trapped by the skill's effect.
With a final, contemptuous kick, she sent him skidding across the street to collide with the motionless Giga Titan.
Then in one fluid motion, she snatched one of Kai's sword on the ground and dashed towards him.
"Stop her! She'll kill him!" Yuna's voice was sharp with alarm.
Kai managed to push himself up, blood streaming from a deep gash on his head. Any unawakened person would already be dead, but all Awakeners had a very durable body enabling them to endure the most fatal wounds. The golden light had faded, but a deeper paralysis held him—the shock of total defeat.
He stared at the girl who strode towards him with her right foot leaving a bloodied footprint.
"A battle to the death, you say?" Ariel stated as she stood before him, thrusting the blade straight toward his left eye.
Steel rang out as Kenshi intercepted the strike, his katana deflecting hers at the last second. The shock of the impact vibrated up his arm. He had barely made it in time.
'She wasn't bluffing. What kind of child is so calm about killing?' Kai thought, totally rewriting the image of Ariel he had painted in his mind.
"That's enough, Ariel," Kenshi commanded, stepping between them. "We need every fighter we have. Killing him will only benefit the Geminis."
"He set the terms," Ariel stated coolly, opening her hand to let the sword drop. "I was simply following them to their conclusion."
Yuna strode over to where Kai lay, kneeling beside him with a mix of pity and amusement. "Look at you. Getting dismantled by a girl half your size." She leaned closer, her voice dropping. "She's a little monster, isn't she? I honestly thought your number was up." Her green eyes began to glow as she stared at the blood dripping down his head.
"Wounds of yesterday, remain in the past,
Chase away the pain and renew the broken.
Medical Domain:Gaze of green."
Under her gaze, the bleeding gashes sealed and the bruising faded to nothing. Kai shuddered, the ghost of the pain lingering in his nerves. He pushed himself up, movements stiff with shame, and silently retrieved his first sword. The walk to pick up the second felt infinitely long.
"The duel is settled," Ariel announced, her voice cutting through the tense silence. "I'll lead this charge per the rules. If anyone disagrees, state your challenge now." Her stance was defiant, a perfect mask for her precarious reality. With her abilities exhausted and mana pool critical, a single challenge would expose her completely.
'The only way to win would be a preemptive strike before she uses that skill,' Kenshi analyzed. 'But that's a gamble. We still have no idea what other cards she's holding.'
As Celine approached the group, Yuna was the first to speak. "I apologize for judging you wrongly. Consider my doubts retracted. I'll follow your lead so let's get this done."
Kenshi cut in, his tone grudging. "I don't approve of this recklessness. But if you're set on leading the assault, I won't stand in your way. Besides, you've proven yourself to be capable"
Kai walked up to Ariel, his pride visibly swallowed. He offered his hand. "My apology. I underestimated you, and it was a near-fatal mistake. Thank you for your mercy. You have my blade, and I will follow your lead."
Ariel took his hand in a brief, business-like grip. "The time for posturing is over. We need to move now. I'll brief you on the plan as we advance."
Ariel's plan was simple, to save Zane, she needed to lead this charge, and before she could do that, they had to abandon the image of her they'd created in their heads. This way, she could utilize every single person present, to their fullness. She was out of MP and didn't know what to do to recharge yet, so it was only with their help could she stand a chance at saving her brother.
"What about her?" Yuna asked, jerking her head toward Celine. " Not to be rude but we'll be busy. We can't play bodyguard."
Ariel didn't even glance back. "She is not your concern. She won't be a liability."
***
Meanwhile, deep within the school's core, the Whisperkin turned to the rest.
"Zhal'kar VOR, krez'val zhok'thar nul'vok zharnok.
Vel'kar thal-rek ur'thral vok'krûn zhok'thar.
("It appears we'll have guests soon. We should prepare a suitable welcome.")
One of the Geminis snorted in derision.
"Khrath ZOL'thar nek'vhal F-rank zhok'vrek?
Thal-nek ur'thral vok'krûn zharnok zhok'thar—vel'kar thal-rek krez'val zharnok nul'vok!
Nal'uth vok'thar zhor'vok zhok'thar Xhal'ren vok'krûn."
("Just how long do you plan on wasting our time, you F-Ranked filth. We could've ended things much sooner, but you just had to drag out the entire process. I fail to see why they put you in charge.") Two others moved to flank it, their agreement silent but clear.
"Nel'vok zhok'thar krez'val zharnok—thal-rek ur'thral vok'krûn zhok'vrek."
("You can stay and entertain these pests.") it continued, turning towards the Whisperkin. "Thal-nek zharnok ur'thral Xhal'ren vok'krûn zhok'thar zhok'vhal kin'rek.
Vel'kar thal-rek krez'val zharnok—vok'vhal zhok'thar nul'vok zharnok."
("We'll proceed with the main objective and awaken the rest of our kin. This operation has been delayed long enough.")
A second Gemini, slender and sharp, added, "Vel'kar thal-rek krez'val zhok'thar zharnok—vok'krûn Ýowel zharnok.
Nal'uth zhok'vhal vok'thar—zhok'thar zharnok nul'vok."
("The sooner we cleanse this place, the sooner we return to the Tower. Your methods are inefficient.")
"Nel'vok zhok'thar vok'krûn."
("Do what you will.")," the third Gemini to join them said. "Vhaz'ar nal'uth zhok'thar:
Xhal'ren zhok'vhal vok'krûn zharnok Mākñor zhok'thar—
thal-rek zhok'vrek zharnok nul'vok zhok'thar noil zhok'vhal ku-kun."
("But know this: when I report your actions to the Leaders, the only cleansing will be your execution.")
Without another word, the three rogue Geminis shot through a shattered skylight, disappearing into the gloom and leaving the Whisperkin with a mere trio of followers.
The Whisperkin watched the rebels depart. It then turned its faceless head, a slow, deliberate pivot toward the three remaining Geminis.
"Zhok'vhal krez'val nul'vok zharnok."
("Such an impatient bunch.") it hissed, the sound like dry leaves skittering on stone. "Thal-rek zhok'thar vok'krûn zharnok.
Nel'vok nhok'vhal... vok'thar ãnk zhok'thar—
vok'kor zharn nul'vok zhok'vrek."
("The door remains open. If any of you share their... ambitions, now is the time to follow.")
The middle Gemini let out a low, guttural sound of disdain. "Anî-k zhok'vhal vok'thar—zhok'krûn zharnok.
Thal-rek krez'val zhok'thar nul'vok zharnok.
Nel'uth zok'rek zhok'krûn miśh zharok mok'mhal."
("Ambition or whatever, let's just get this over with. I'll go prepare for the misfits heading our way.") It didn't wait for a reply, simply launching itself through the gaping hole in the wall and into the corrupted halls of the school. The other two followed without a word, their loyalty—or perhaps their simple, brutal pragmatism—silently confirmed.
Alone for a moment, the Whisperkin stood in the silent chamber.
A few moments after the three Geminis rebelled, the sky outside tore open.
Not in one place, but everywhere. Portals, vast and violent, scarred the heavens in a simultaneous, global eruption. This was the final wave, a crushing, decisive onslaught meant to break humanity's back. And at the head of these invading legions, a new terror emerged: three Elites, their auras of pure malevolence darkening the skies above three separate, major zones in America.
The Primordials—humanity's only hope of standing against such power—were all concentrated at Ravenloch. As the world began to scream, the question hung in the poisoned air, unanswered and terrifying: Who was left to stop them?
***
Elsewhere
Zane's legs finally gave out, not from exhaustion, but from the horror that unfolded before him. He stumbled to a halt.
The street was a charnel house. A businessman in a torn suit was crushed beneath a sedan, one leg severed and lying a few feet away. A few yards off, a woman lay staring at the bloody sky, her eyes wide and unseeing, deep claw marks raking from her abdomen to her throat. A firefighter who had tried to save her was sprawled beside her, his helmet cracked open.
His gaze fell upon a small form near the shattered window of a convenience store. A child, slammed against the wall with such force that the position seemed almost peaceful, head bowed as if in prayer.
There were more. So many more. Some were torn apart, limbs scattered like grisly confetti. Others looked whole, as if they had simply lain down to sleep in the middle of the street, the life simply extinguished from them.
This was not a battle. It was a massacre.
A ragged, wet cough shattered the silence.
Zane turned. A few yards away, an old man was propped against a shattered storefront, his body impaled by three jagged metal rods. Blood frothed on his lips with each pained exhalation. "My... granddaughter..." he gasped, a trembling hand pointing feebly down a side alley. "She's... still..."
Zane didn't hesitate. He strode over and drove his heel into the man's temple with a sickening crunch. The body convulsed once, then fell still.
"Arriving just in time for the encore, I see."
Zane turned slowly to face the newcomer. A man in a long black coat stood at the edge of the carnage, a rosary hanging from his neck. Two stark white lines ran down the sides of his coat to his trousers. Valmer took in the scene, his eyes hardening as they moved from the murdered old man to Zane's impassive face.
'It seems I was late.'
Valmer felt no energetic pull from Zane. He wasn't an Awakener. So why kill a defenceless person? The question was irrelevant now. The act itself demanded a response.
"Isaiah 45:23," Valmer intoned, his voice resonating with power. "All knees shall bow before the Most High God."