Elaina followed closely behind Grimm.
She peered around curiously, twirling slightly with her arms behind her back.
Her nose flared.
A strange scent filled the air.
Elaina's footsteps halted.
Her attention turned to the sounds of whispering.
A man entered a building in the distance.
She was drawn to it.
Elaina walked over.
She climbed the rubble and crawled into the entrance she had seen the man enter.
Her strings spread.
Emitting a pink glow.
Elaina put her hand close to her mouth.
"Hello?"
Her voice echoed.
Pebbles fell, bringing dust with them.
No answer.
She continued deeper.
A glimmer shone from the ground in front of her.
She removed the dust and grabbed the metal object.
The pink glow revealed its shape..
The air was cold.
Elaina gasped softly.
"...No."
A broken scythe.
...
Grimm's face tightened.
His gaze fixed before him.
A man stood, draped in a black suit.
The wind shifted his golden sashes.
"Where's Elaina?"
The man raised his arms.
His wrists were crossed, his hands slightly extended in front of him.
"The girl?" He continued, "She's... elsewhere."
The man's veins emitted a magenta glow.
Incense burners manifested from the man's hands.
Grimm smiled.
"So... That's your answer."
His hand twitched.
His veins surged with an orange glow.
"Before we start," Grimm's fingers opened, "which number are you?"
The man's eyebrows twitched.
A faint magenta smoke rose from his burners.
"Watchman Ⅴ."
He extended his arms towards Grimm.
"Mirage."
Nuclei formed in the center of Grimm's palms.
Strands attached.
He threw his hands forward, breaking the strands.
The nuclei split and shot toward Mirage.
Explosions erupted around Mirage.
He took cover, maneuvering around the rubble.
Grimm's nose flared.
What's that smell?
Sweet... but wrong.
Grimm continued his assault.
Mirage stepped out from cover.
A nucleus split and struck him.
He pumped his fist, grinning.
The dust settled.
Mirage was gone.
Grimm looked around.
Mirage's incense burners swayed.
A new smell entered Grimm's nostrils.
He scattered nuclei around him.
The explosions sounded muffled.
Rubble shook silently.
Grimm's eyes narrowed.
The smell.
He continued forming his nuclei.
Raising his arm.
It moved a second later.
He curled his fingers.
Without him feeling it.
That's new.
His legs folded.
Grimm fell to his knees.
The nuclei faded from his hands.
Mirage appeared before him.
Slowly approaching.
Confident.
Grimm's arms dropped.
He tried to move.
Nothing responded.
Mirage smirked.
"Your nuclei are gone."
He stood before him.
One burner dissipated.
Mirage reached for his waist.
Unholstered his gun.
Grimm grinned.
"...Gone?"
His shoulders twitched.
Nuclei formed from them.
Mirage's eyes widened.
Grimm's head tilted towards Mirage.
"Yeah Right."
The nuclei split.
Orange light engulfed them.
The dust swirled around them.
Rubble shook.
Mirage stood, half of what he was.
His body hit the ground.
Blood pooled around him.
Grimm laughed.
"That was too close."
Burns formed on his shoulders.
His ear was missing a chunk.
Blood ran down his face.
Feeling slowly returned to Grimm.
A street sign creaked.
Sound had returned to him.
He rose to his feet and walked over to Mirage's body.
Standing over him.
The wind blew pebbles into him.
Grimm raised his arm, pumping his fist in the air.
"One down."
...
Elaina stared at the scythe.
A sad expression formed.
She placed the blade in her pouch.
Heading toward the exit.
Her strings vibrated.
Her stride stopped.
Something felt off.
The air grew heavy.
She looked—
The air shattered around her.