The Oscillation

Chaos

SME

Copyright © 2023 SME

All rights reserved

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

ISBN-13: 9781234567890
ISBN-10: 1477123456

Cover design by: Art Painter
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018675309
Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Prelude

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty-One

Chapter Forty-Two

About the Author

Special Thanks

Prelude

The Oscillation

Rachel set the last cardboard box on her dorm room bed. Taking a deep breath, she sat down, sullenly looking over at her new roommate’s side of the room. Cloe’s half was bright and colorful, reflecting the bubbly personality she’d experienced from the girl on their phone call.

They’d talked online earlier that week when she’d been searching for spare dorm rooms at the University of Miami. Apparently, Cloe’s previous roommate had dropped out, leaving an opening for her; hopefully, it wasn’t due to Cloe herself. Rachel had primarily done all her classes online at home before this, but things had taken an unfortunate turn.

Taking out her cell phone, she unlocked it, opened her voicemail, and listened to her father’s message in Korean:

“Sung-Hyo, I know this is challenging, and you haven’t lived on your own before, but we both know you and Alexa aren’t going to see eye to eye. This has gone on for over a year—since your brother’s wedding—and the constant fighting has been taxing on everyone, though I know it isn’t all your fault.”

Rachel rolled her eyes. Not ‘all’ my fault…She’s the one that always has to say something; I’m not going to just let it slide. How can Nam stand her?! I get that her dad’s a massive contributor to the company, but she’s totally the opposite of our family!

An agitated growl rumbled in her throat as her father’s message continued.

“Your mother and I couldn’t be prouder of the strides you’ve taken in your martial arts and academic studies.” A short chuckle followed. “Your grandfather loves to hear about your achievements every time we speak. He’s wondering when you’ll stop by again, and…maybe it is time for you to find something more outside of the family.”

Mom’s suggestion, no doubt, Rachel internally sighed. I’m too busy for a social life…First, university credits while in school weren’t enough, and now they want me to socialize!?

“In any case, we love you, and I know you’ll continue growing in Miami. Of course, we’ll want to see you at least a few times a month; it may be a three-hour drive, but a trip your mother will gladly make. We both know she’d squeal at the opportunity to spend time with you in Miami. We’ll talk later.”

Breathing in deeply, she let it out in a large, slow sigh. “Huu-haaa…”

She fell back on the unmade mattress with a grimace; it was far less comfortable than her one at home. Pulling her shoulder-length black hair to the side, she streamed out a groan. It was March 26th—Saturday—and in two days, it would be the start of her junior year of college at 19 years old.

If she pushed a little harder, she’d have her bachelor’s in legal studies by the end of summer, which was what she planned. There were benefits to being on campus, but her issue was the circumstances surrounding it.

Her full lips tightened as Cloe walked through the door, her roommate’s green eyes lighting up as she saw her with all the boxes stacked neatly on the floor.

“Rachel! Oh, wait, should I call you Rachel or, umm—Park Sung-Hyo?” she tentatively asked, butchering her Korean name while reading a small piece of paper that hung on the door.

“Eh, yeah, Rachel is fine. It’s hard for most Americans to pronounce Korean names, so my family has legal Western names, too.”

“Cool! Eh, Rachel’s a pretty name.”

“So’s Cloe,” she returned. “It’s nice to meet you face-to-face.”

Cloe nodded with a beaming smile, her brunette hair bobbing. “Thanks! So, umm, I just popped in to grab my laptop charger. I, uh, got all the way to English 1010 before realizing I forgot it! Stupid, right? Umm, by the way, you’re pretty tall compared to most Asian girls I’ve met—oh, that was so rude of me! I’m so sorry,” she muttered, talking faster than necessary. “I’m just a little nervous when meeting new people.”

Laughing, Rachel shook her head. “It’s fine. There aren’t many 176 cm Asian girls; I’ve heard it most of my life.”

“Uh, hehe, metric…Umm, what’s that in feet?”

“Haha. Right, right—5'9" or so.”

“I see,” Cloe’s eyes shifted to her bedside desk. “Alright, well, I gotta head to class. Mind if we chat later?”

“That’s fine with me.”

“Great!” Grabbing her charger, Cloe stuffed it in her backpack and dashed out into the hallway with a wave, slamming the door behind her. “Later!”

Sighing, Rachel leaned back again, running her hands through her hair. Kind of awkward, but whatever…I guess it’s a good time to finish some schoolwork a few weeks in advance since I have the time.

She glanced at the clock; it was 11 a.m., meaning if she started unpacking now and did her schoolwork, she’d have plenty of time to check out her old trainer’s new gym and get a membership. Now, that was something to be excited about.

Her mind trailed off once more to the cause of her abrupt dislodgement from the home she’d grown up in; it blew her mind why Alexa was so anti-fighting, considering how vocally aggressive she was. Pulling her phone to glare at her lock screen—her high school graduation two years earlier—Rachel centered on her parents’ smiling faces.

Alexa’s a total bum—not driven at all. So, how can they get along with someone so lazy? It doesn’t make sense! Gah, I can’t even call her family; she’s the complete opposite of us. Besides, what does she even do, locked up in Nam’s room all day? Call me a bitch. Sure. I’ll own it. And she’s a lazy ass.

Angrily scratching her left temple, Rachel pushed herself up with a growl, massaged her neck, and got to work unpacking. She didn’t need a lot of clothes, despite her mother often trying to get her to go out shopping every other week. Rachel valued practicality more than most, and after setting up a few household goods and making her bed, she was done.

She wanted to support herself if she was going to be on her own, so she’d applied for a part-time job at a café since the tips there were supposed to be good; that would start late next week. Hopefully, her assertive personality wouldn’t hurt that venture. She could pretend to be nice to idiots…if they kept their hands to themselves.

Yawning while breaking down the cardboard boxes, she put them on top of the others before pulling out her laptop, quickly indulging in a light stretch to get her blood circulating.

Sitting down, she logged into the school network and completed a few of her future assignments. Finishing sooner than anticipated, she looked at the top right corner of her screen before smiling.

4:20…I’ve got a long evening at the gym today!

She donned cream shorts, a black sports bra, and a white tank top before grabbing her gym bag and walking out of her dorm room. Moving down the halls, she met the bright Miami sun outside the building, happy to feel the hot, humid weather mixed with the salty sea breeze of the ocean city. Miami was nice.

The walk through the massive crowds of tourists and locals was therapeutic; the city was host to a plethora of active people—her kind of people—which helped brighten her spirits, and seeing all the toned muscles made her more aware of her own impressive physique.

She’d worked hard to get her solid form, which probably was the cause of Cloe feeling a bit intimidated upon meeting her in person, and she could see Alexa being the same; sure, her brown-haired sister-in-law wasn’t too fat or skinny, but she wasn’t exactly toned, much less muscular.

Arriving at the Muay Thai gym that was her destination, Rachel couldn’t help but smile; Tyreese Cyrus—her former coach from back home who had moved to Miami last year— could be seen inside, making her eager to sign up.

The nearly 2-meter Jamaican man spotted her soon after she arrived at the counter, shouting out in his thick accent. “Aye, weh yuh ah seh, Rachel?! Girl, you lookin’ good before getting all sweaty, eh? Hehe. How much time I gotcha for in da city?”

Toothy grin showing her mood, Rachel jabbed a thumb at his woman preparing a membership card. “Rock! Yo, I’m staying in Miami now, so you’ll see me a few times a week. I think I got a good three hours with you today.”

Tyreese’s dark skin almost shined; he waxed everything, including his head. At nearly 120 kg when she’d known him, with rock-hard muscles, more than one person had made a joke about the link with his nickname.

“Whew, quite da session for meh little duppy conqueror, eh? You done hittin’ dem books and ready for da bag? Den go wrap up and ready to mash dem paws!”

Rachel gave him a smirk as they walked up to each other, clasping hands. “Was hoping for some sparring today!” she pressed, anticipating he might be able to free up the time and trying not to lose face as he applied more pressure, curving their arms the opposite way.

“Ah, feelin’ some blood in your ears, huh? Yeah, we can get down and scrappy! You need to work on that combo, eh? Still not got ’er down?” he laughed, breaking away to fake a few punches as she flexed her numb fingers.

“You know I’ve got it down,” Rachel snickered, giving her former coach a smirk. “Got something new?”

“Okay, okay,” he mused. “I’ll show you the whapper!” he said while doing a quick left fake to right kidney shot. “Give you the ol’ burn, eh? Take you back to some string combos before the teep!”

Rock had trained in Thailand for five years before returning to the States, and she’d been with him since she was thirteen.

Breaking away as he went to help a few of his in-training coaches, she went to the back to wrap her hands and put her stuff in a locker. She did her conditioning and training session with him upon exiting, learning the harsh reality: she was so out of practice since he’d left.

Rachel laughed at her coach’s jabbing comments to break her concentration, bringing back memories; it was fun to see what he’d come up with to make her frustrated while trying to dish it back and stay focused.

“You get pistol-whipped in the mouth every mornin’? Small up yuhself!”

“Oh, I don’t know; sometimes it’s hard to see when I step back,” Rachel chuckled, dodging a few testing jabs. “Do you have a pound of baby oil on your head, ugly ass?”

His chest shook at the return. “Yeah? Haha! Better than the egg yolk you put in your head every mornin’. Eh?”

“Better yet,” Rachel took sharp breaths while ducking under a swing, giving a strike to his side, but she was forced to retreat as he threw a back elbow. “I see they let you out early at the car wash today.”

“You sayin’ I’m washed up, huh?” he hummed, darting forward.

She winced as he followed a right and left fake with a light jab to her face; she managed to catch the shift in his posture just in time, blocking it with the back of her hands as he threw his much greater weight class at her.

“Ya better focus! Any worse, and you’ll be tongue-licking uppercuts, mi girl!”

“At least I didn’t chip my tooth licking a crosswalk button!”

“I did do that!” he mused, allowing her room to try for another offensive.

After training for three hours, she finally hit the showers, breathing heavily with sweat running down her body. She leaned left and right, letting the cool water slide down her smooth skin as her muscles burned; sessions like this were the highlight of her week.

Since eighth grade, she’d been training in Muay Thai, trying to release the stress she felt at home and school—her therapists said it was from her past, but she’d already dealt with that. They said she suppressed her emotions. She had to face them. Well, she had. She was fine.

Her parents were semi-traditional, second-generation Korean immigrants, and she loved them a lot, but many people didn’t understand their culture. Everything was measured, and she loved having challenging expectations to overcome.

It was this that made her so frustrated with her supposed sister-in-law. The woman was a NEET—not in education, employment, or training—and Rachel couldn’t understand how her family accepted that. Her family was successful. Alexa was just a failure.

Rachel’s own mother and father were part of a consensually arranged marriage that had initially came with some troubles, though it had its caring moments, too. She knew they had their fights in private, but they loved each other, and while the business did play a role in their relationship at the start, it had grown beyond that so far as she could see.

Drying off before dressing in the white t-shirt and shorts she’d brought in her bag, Rachel left the gym to move along the busy sidewalk, mind returning to the fight they had.

They’re proud that I work hard, and Nam’s helped expand the business further after marrying Alexa, but how could he marry that stupid snowflake? She has no clue how the world works or how to commit to anything—and how can anyone hate martial arts?! She has to be jealous of me, or…

A low rumble reverberated in her throat just thinking about the obnoxious 21-year-old woman.

She thinks she’s so much better than me because her dad gives her whatever she wants, and she doesn’t have to work for it. Americans…Look at me! I’m amazing because I’m a vegan. Oh, and martial arts are violent; therefore, I must be violent.

That’s right, Rachel; you’re taller than a ‘normal’ Asian, and let’s not forget you’re so odd and too muscular for a woman. Well, sorry, Princess, I didn’t ask to be born taller than you, and it feels good being in shape. Deal!

Fuming, Rachel took a deep breath while stretching out her arms.

Whatever; it’s not like Mom’s super on board with her staying in her room all the time. She usually disappears to take a bath whenever Alexa’s around, so obviously, she doesn’t want to deal with the brat. She’s just a business deal since she likes Nam, and it would benefit the company. That has to be it because Nam can’t possibly like her.

Massaging the back of her neck with both hands, she stopped at a light as it turned green, shifting the bag on her shoulder.

Once I finish school and get a law degree, then what can she say? She’s worthless; all she has is her rich dad while I’ll be working for a big firm.

Rachel jogged to a local diner and ordered her usual go-to meal: spiced salmon and vegetables; the food wasn’t as great as it was in her home city, but food was food. Eating quickly, she left a 20% tip before leaving to grab a superfood smoothie to go. She walked the rest of the way back to her dorm, finding Cloe in bed with her laptop.

“Oh, Rachel. Wait, did you go work out? Do you do that often?” she asked, sitting a little straighter against the wall.

Setting her bag down, Rachel shrugged while doing more stretches, feeling her sports bra tighten against her chest. “I practice Muay Thai in my free time.”

“Really? That’s so awesome!” She set her laptop beside her, scooting to the edge of the bed. “You look fit—like, really fit! I was thinking about doing something like that since I’ve been gaining a little weight recently,” she grumbled, poking at her belly.

Smiling, Rachel pulled out her desk chair to sit; this was a better conversation. “You could just—” she cut off as a scream sounded down the hall.

All of a sudden, an inexplicable reverberation pulsed through her entire body, rebounding within her for several seconds before everything changed.

In a split second, the room had expanded; she could see everything in focus within a 210° angle. The neon glow of lights shining from the window in the corner snatched her focus with Cloe in front of her—everything was visible in crystal clarity.

Her hearing opened like she’d been submerged underwater all her life as something similar to her arms instantaneously appeared atop her head. Millions of sounds and conversations fed through her brain; bizarrely, she somehow knew they were hundreds of meters away, yet it wasn’t overwhelming.

She gave a start, realizing a new, small appendage had formed near her butt. It was like her entire body was fluid, shifting into something else. A new strength that she’d never dreamt of arose within her muscles, exploding into a power that made her feel more alive than she thought possible. Half her weight vanished, leaving her scared she’d float away, and her flexibility seemed to double as she stumbled back; she’d never felt so light.

Cloe’s face turned ashen. “What was that—what’s…happening to you?” she gasped.

Looking down, Rachel’s throat constricted; her hair had changed. “I have…white hair—it’s so long? What—how—what happened to my black hair?”

Her focus shifted from her illuminated locks to her fingers, sliding them down her left arm. “My muscles…Why—they’re gone?!”

Shaking her head, Cloe covered her mouth, pointing at her dresser mirror.

Rachel turned, seeing her reflection before facing it; her lips parted in disbelief.

On closer inspection, her hair was a glowing, alabaster shade, surrounded by a light-pink hue that mixed with the beams of colorful rays shining through the nearby window. Her once shoulder-length, black hair had grown, falling to her butt. It was thick—insanely thick—causing her elastic hair tie to bulge.

Her eyes were no longer brown, and it was hard for her to even conceptualize what she was now staring into. Her enlarged pupils were surrounded by four faint-pink petals, resembling a four-leaf clover; the black of her eye had turned maroon-red and was almost entirely overshadowed by a pink glow in the center. A white, radiant halo surrounded the pupil’s outer ring, separating it from the other sections of her irises in an eclipse.

However, the most pressing change was the two long bunny ears attached to her skull. She pulled back her pink-hued, white hair, searching for her normal ears in vain. Her ears were gone! The only thing that met her fingers was her skin and thick, silky locks, hiding the fact that her human ears were missing.

Swallowing reflexively, she realized she could feel the bunny ears like her own fingers; they twitched, shifting with the same unconscious desire as her arms.

Feeling the slight discomfort at her butt, Rachel turned to see a bulge in her gym shorts. Upon pulling them back, she stared at the puffy white tail. It wasn’t a solid bone by its flexible range of motion; the tail likely had quite a few joints and was sensitive to the touch. Her entirely reshaped skull was evidence enough that something insane had happened to her biology.

“What’s—going on?” she muttered, bunny ears tensing as she heard multiple conversations around them that were more than a little alarming.

“Did you feel that?”

“What was that feeling?”

“I’m on fire!”

“I…have a cat tail?”

“Yo—uh, what happened to my arms? My arms, dude!”

“Dude! You got wings, man?”

“What are you?”

“Do you see that light?”

“The sky…it’s cracked—am I dreaming?”

Rachel flinched as she heard gunshots in the distance. Panic was in people’s voices, escalating around her as people screamed about monsters or yelled for help against aliens invading the planet. More shots followed, though from police or citizens, she couldn’t be sure. Sirens started blaring everywhere as reports flew in.

Rachel ran to the window and looked up into the sky, Cloe hesitating before joining her.

Massive rifts were spread across the atmosphere, with uncountable cracks opening and closing as the heavens rippled, each one a different hue like stained glass. The sky was fracturing and repairing itself hundreds of times in the span of seconds; lights radiated through the fissures, but the strangest detail was how she could see everything at once, with alien worlds shining through the phenomenon.

“I don’t understand,” Cloe whispered, dancing back before looking at her with fright. “You changed, like… You went from normal t-to a bunny, like—like, a dozen times. Now you—wait…it’s not changing anymore, and the lights…Are aliens attacking us—are you an alien?!”

Rachel shook her head. “No! I…I don’t know what’s happening, either. The sky—it’s normal now.”

Only seconds after she saw it, the event passed, leaving the typical atmosphere in its place as the light pollution obscured the heavens, and the reverberations within her ceased.

“The sky… It was breaking—bright colors were coming through the cracks…Totally alien worlds…”

Cloe turned back to her laptop as she heard the screams, sirens, and shouts around her. “Umm—let me see if I can find anyone talking about it. Should we lock the door? Uh,” she gave her a forced smile, “you’re not playing with me, right—this isn’t a joke?”

Rachel gave her an incredulous look, gesturing to the window. “How would I pull something like that off?”

“I-I don’t know,” she whispered, head ducking to her computer to search some sites online. “Here are some live streams…Ugh, they’re inside—they don’t have a clue what’s going on. One second…”

Rachel walked over to watch the screen, still examining herself in the mirror; to describe herself as unique would be an understatement, and even her proportions had changed—in a good way, some would say—but changed nonetheless.

What the hell happened to me…And where did my muscles go?!

Chapter One

Lunar Hare

Feeling oddly relaxed as Cloe searched for answers online, Rachel’s attention was pulled away from her soft grumbles to the mass of voices fighting to be heard throughout the campus; it was as if everyone was in the same room, their words being crammed into her brain.

It was challenging, and there were a few conversations she kept an active tab on, but her primary focus was on her own, now less muscular body. Her entire physiology had transformed in seconds, and that took precedence.

She didn’t feel weaker; in fact, it was the opposite. Testing her strength by lifting her bed, she discovered it was practically weightless.

Flexing her fingers while setting it down, she caught Cloe’s shifting eyes with her wide field of view, everything in her periphery showing in perfect clarity. The brunette was studying to see what she might do, and Rachel didn’t blame her. She had practically turned into a different species.

Honestly, she wasn’t sure if she could trust her own senses; how could she hear conversations over a mile away? Obviously, the answer was her stupidly long ears, which had replaced her human ones. They really were long—nearly 45 cm from the base—and fully prehensile; in addition, she’d completely lost her human ears.

Tilting her head to observe them in Cloe’s mirror, she found it enthralling how the overhead light passed through them, making the inner skin glow orange. Their range of motion was incredible, and they were sensitive to the touch. Her attention was soon pulled to the tufts of fur protecting her ear canal—it was softer than she would have thought.

Examining her changed face, a frown came to her now fuller lips. She traced her higher cheekbones, giving her a more refined and almost haughty impression.

A lot was happening in her eyes, as well; it almost appeared like a double solar eclipse of red moons with pink petals in the shape of a four-leaf clover surrounding them.

It didn’t help that her eyebrows were now white with a subtle pink glow, drawing attention to the celestial phenomena happening inside of her eyes—it was now, by far, her most unique feature, which was saying something.

Another noteworthy identification was the thick, white hair that was long enough to reach past her waist. She’d never worn it this far down her back. Although, it did form perfectly around her figure, somehow not obstructing her wide, entirely in-focus vision.

I’ve turned into a monster girl, she internally groaned as Cloe forced a chuckle.

“You do look…stunning! You even have a glow. Does it feel weird?”

“Very…” Rachel muttered, feeling around her thin stomach; she had muscle, but it was toned, not the bulky, hardened steel it was before. That being said, she knew they could take more abuse now, which was frustrating to admit; she had liked her muscle. “My muscles…”

“Yeah… Heh. On the bright side, you could totally be the glamor girl in any magazine now! Oh, maybe you could get a job as a model! That’d be crazy… News channels are just as stumped as us, though—I’ve been looking—and a ton of people look like they changed, not just you. A bunch of sporting events are being thrown into chaos… You don’t feel ill or anything, right?”

“Just hearing everything around us… I can hear people talking a mile away,” she mumbled, scratching the base of her right ear as it twitched; it felt hot. “I can even tell the exact distance… A lot of people have changed—probably over a hundred.”

“No way!” Cloe straightened, glancing toward the window. “It’s only been a few minutes. Do you think it will happen again? Did everyone turn into animals?”

Rachel shook her head, shifting the back of her shorts to allow her tail some wiggle room from the place it settled while going to the window to stare outside. A few people were gathering around a man who was on fire; he’d settled down and was now laughing as people freaked out.

“People have powers.”

“Is that guy on fire?!” Cloe gasped, tossing her laptop to the side to rush to the window. “Why is he… Is he not on fire—a body suit?”

“No. As I said, people are getting powers… He can burn the lawn, though,” she muttered as he and a few others started to freak out at a growing fire; someone even came with an extinguisher, blowing him out with the grass. “Can you find anything from the news networks?”

“Ugh. Not really… Only a few that were covering big events are talking about it—places where a lot of people were changing,” she said, returning to her laptop after one last look at the embarrassed man who had lost his clothes. “Huh. Well, that’s a view—the power to burn off your clothes, more like. Hehe. Umm. So, you have superhearing?”

“Among other things,” Rachel said, remaining by the window to observe the crowds gathering below, but most of their attention was focused on a girl that had partially turned into a bird, who was understandably freaking out about her lost arms. Rachel was suddenly thankful she’d only lost human ears.

It was surprising how many people were utterly unaware of the celestial phenomenon. Rachel tried to steer away from those watching ‘adult films’ or engaged in other similar extracurricular activities. A few individuals tripping on mushrooms made her ears itch with their slow monologuing.

News about changed people was spreading rapidly due to the insane antics some were getting up to, such as the flame guy, who dubbed himself The Human Light, to cheers from his friends; most believed a flash cosplay convention had stormed the campus.

Several interesting discussions made her left ear twitch. She pulled her head in the direction of the recreational facility, still a little stunned by the buzz of hundreds of voices that occasionally poked her brain.

Rachel ran her fingers down her arm as goosebumps appeared; for some reason, she felt stronger than ever, and she knew she should be freaking out more than she was, yet panicking would get her nowhere. What would provide a direction was listening to several groups that embraced the change as some kind of fiction-made-reality event—people who seemed to be onto something.

“Hmm… Some boys are talking about figuring it out—he turned into a Faekin elf and his friend a Champion fighter.”

Cloe’s head tilted to the side, still scanning news feeds. “Say what?! A boy turned into an elf—is he hot? Wait, uh…you seeing this, or am I tripping?”

Rachel moved to her bedside again as she brandished the screen where what appeared to be a three-meter-tall ogre woman was screaming and crying in the middle of a basketball game. Dozens of other changed people, who took on more animalistic characteristics, were trying to understand what had happened to them.

A shiver ran from her tail to her ears, making Rachel hug herself, trying to shut out most of the voices to close in on the boys who were experimenting with their new ‘powers.’ The shouts and discussion filtered out on desire as she subconsciously fine-tuned her hearing; it was getting easier.

“Ugh…”

Cloe’s eyes widened with concern, watching her fall on her bed and bring her pillow over her head; even with the slight improvement, it was way more stimulation than she’d ever had before. “You okay? you don’t look okay… Should we go to the hospital? Maybe they’ll know what to do—I don’t know.”

Rachel took a deep breath and let it out, shaking her head while tossing her pillow against the wall. “I just…have a small headache—I hear everything within a mile. I’m trying to focus on these boys that discovered something…”

“Okay! Okay! Umm. I’ll be quiet and keep looking online. Take your time! It has to be aliens,” she mumbled, going down a bit of a mumble tangent on the topic.

The brunette pushed herself against the wall, bringing up her laptop like a woman on a mission, determined to discover what was happening. Rachel left her to the research, centering on the two boys; a cat-girl joined the mix—seemingly a gaming friend—they were heading back to her dorm, excited about their sudden change.

“Yo, Zoe, the squad… Whaa—you changed, too? And a loli cat-girl?! Haha!”

“Shut up! I’m not a loli—I just…I shrunk a bit…”

“Nice!” the elf boy cheered, pumping his fist into the air. “I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life, baby. Aye, Adam, I’m a Faekin elf mage, bro—I’mma be pumpin’ out that dps—where’re the monsters?! I’m ready to pop off!”

“Let’s go! What about you, Loli Zoe?”

“You are not calling me that!”

“Aye! Aye! No need to get feisty—ouch! You got claws; watch it!”

“Heh. Yeah, so cut the teasing! Uh… How do you tell—I just got a tail and ears like…five minutes ago—give me a break, guys. Umm, can we hurry? Having my tail tucked down in my shorts is really uncomfortable!”

“We can do that,” Adam muttered. “I gotta get a band-aid and stop this bleeding anyway… Thanks for the cut. Healing, Will?”

“No can do, bud. I don’t even know what spells I got. We need to figure that out next. Oh, Zoe, you just need to ask The System what you are. Asking questions seems to get us some answers—I’m still figuring it out. Uh…you doing good with that belt, Zoe?”

“Bah! It won’t go any tighter—why did the System take off a few years… It’s like I’m in middle school again. Eww… I’d rather not.”

“Aye, it is what it be, girl,” Adam snickered. “I’m just glad you look close enough to what you did before so we could recognize you.”

Will cleared his throat. “So, eh-heh, what do you think, guys? I’m totally hot now, right?”

Rachel could almost picture the sly smirk that creased the cat-girl’s eyes with her playful tone. “It’s, umm, an improvement.”

“Yo, bro, let’s not catch a case here, askin’ an underage loli that sus question!”

“I’m not underage!”

“Oh, c’mon! Who’s teasing who, now?”

“Heh. You asked for it!” Zoe snickered, likely glaring at Adam. “Wait… I’m a Beastkin domestic cat?! Scuffed! I want a reroll!”

“Hahaha!”

“Get rolled! Maybe you could be puss in boots?”

“Hey, I actually love that movie.”

Rachel stared up at the ceiling, headache subsiding while absently combing through her long white hair, examining the pink hue each strand radiated.

Okay, System… What am I? A Mythickin Lunar Hare.

“Huh.”

Sitting up, she tilted to the side to let her wide field of vision take in the grounds outside; the fire guy had gotten some replacement clothes and was making a spectacle out of showing off his fire tricks. Some were freaking out, and others were embracing it.

“A hare?” she muttered to herself, fingers sliding down her right ear.

“What was that?” Cloe asked, glancing up from her screen.

“Just learning from everyone experimenting around campus,” she replied, shifting to the window to lean against it. “Hmm?!”

“What?! What?!”

Cloe straightened, looking at her to the window, yet Rachel’s focus darted to the dark sky, tinted by light pollution; the sun had fallen below the horizon, and the moon’s rays touched her skin, causing a glow and strength to embrace her.

I’m a lunar hare… I gain power from the moon? Rachel’s gut tightened when her phone vibrated, snapping her mind away from the topic; pulling it out, she swallowed. Mom? What will she and Dad think when they learn I’ve changed into…this? Will they even believe it’s me?

Gesturing to Cloe to quiet down as she peppered her with questions, Rachel held an arm against her stomach to stop the squirms. Full of trepidation, she answered.

“Mom… How are you?” she asked in Korean.

Her mother’s ordinarily soft voice was filled with concern, using Korean. “Sung-Hyo, tell me you’re okay; there’s been some kind of attack at a mental hospital in Miami…”

“She’ll be fine, Chan-hee…”

“I don’t want to hear it, Gwon! We’re leaving for Miami—now! Rachel, are you okay?!” Rachel’s tail and ears bristled as her mother’s heated voice shut her father down; she’d never heard her shout at him like that.

“I’m, umm… I might have…changed a bit…” she trailed off, not knowing exactly how to explain what she was going through, but her mother plowed right through.

“We can talk about it when we’re in Miami—Gwon, we’re leaving!”

“Chan-hee, Nam can produce energy creatures… Shouldn’t we deal with—”

“Nam is safe at home—we both know Miami is going to be overrun by chaos soon, and my little girl is—” The call cut as a sharp vibration ran through her phone.

Thoughts dashed after the call, she lowered her phone to see the emergency message that was sent to it, while the news radio stream Cloe had pulled up paused their questions regarding the changed people with powers.

Presidential Alert

State of Emergency Declared

All States

Stay calm, stay indoors—further instructions will be sent. If in public, proceed to a safe location. Martial law has been instated. The Military, National Guard, Center for Disease Control, FBI, and other agencies are being mobilized. Again, stay calm and proceed to a safe location.

The reporter came back over the air. “An IPAWS message was just sent nationwide; stay indoors, and if you are out, please proceed to a safe location. We expect the police to be overwhelmed with calls, and networks may go down due to traffic. Stay safe; we might be under attack…”

He paused for a moment. “We are getting further information that the President will be making a public statement when more information becomes available; the CDC, US military, National Guard, FBI, and many other agencies are also being mobilized. I repeat, the CDC is being mobilized. Masks, people, and seal the windows and doors—it could be a biological agent released into the atmosphere. We will keep you aware of the situation as it unfolds. Stay indoors, and if you are out, proceed to a safe location.”

Rachel’s face matched her hair after the call with her parents. “The CDC? Is this a terrorist attack… A virus?”

Cloe jumped to her feet, took one look at Rachel with wide eyes, and ran out of the room. “I’m sorry!”

Rachel collapsed against her bed as emergency sirens went off in the distance. She couldn’t blame Cloe’s reaction; a part of her wanted to run, too, but something kept her focused and alert. It had been twenty minutes since the lights cracked the heavens, and already she could hear people panicking; a small group was planning a looting trip, expecting to get away with a lot of goods due to the rising pandemonium.

She listened to the chaos around her unfold, mainly listening to Zoe and her oblivious friends as they remained in their own little world. They didn’t pay the sirens much mind, other than theorizing it could be a monster break; according to them, they needed to learn their skills, so they wouldn’t die.

There were no monsters, though, other than the human kind; she could hear cars crashing, guns firing, people shouting, and explosions, all within a mile of her. Curiously, Rachel’s mind was occupied by thoughts of her mother’s unusual reaction. Was it unusual? Had her mother also gone through a change? Apparently, Nam had, which was interesting.

The signal on her phone went dead shortly after the presidential alert, which could have been from traffic or sabotage; the result was the same: she couldn’t contact her mother. The campus internet was still up, and she knew you could call through WiFi, but not how to do it.

Her gaze wandered to the laptop Cloe left, watching the news play out for a time, processing the noise around her; things were becoming insane rather fast, showing fires in some areas and armed gunmen storming ammunition stores only an hour after the news started to spread.

The military was mobilizing, and first responders were already showing up at the college, setting up a relief shelter and processing area for the CDC; it would still be another hour or more before the proper personnel showed up, so Rachel soaked in all the information, creating a complete picture of what she should do.

Her attention was pulled to a new group of Chinese fiction lovers with answers that had pushed ahead of Zoe’s D&D friends. She sat against the wall, listening in to the hundreds of students searching for the same things, offering her a wealth of data to compile as each person discovered their own personal details.

She listened to the fantasy, anime, and novel enthusiasts as they theorized. They were far too optimistic, considering what was happening beyond the relatively tame environment of the campus. Rachel had already heard some horrors and seen a news report from Cloe’s laptop that showed Washington State being overwhelmed by a mass of zombie-like fiends led by a vampire lord—self-proclaimed. Panic was setting into major cities.

However, some of the fantasy enthusiast predictions were chilling—they predicted this was basically the apocalypse; luckily, the military was acting fast. The police and the National Guard were locking areas down and bringing those changed into protective custody since some crowds were hunting them. Miami State University was one of those safe zones they were setting up.

Chaos was taking to the streets, whether from people’s beliefs they were alien invaders, devils from hell, or that some random country had launched a bioweapon and that the infected needed to be culled for the masses to survive. Murder and anarchy were only escalating, and naturally, certain parties were taking full advantage of the circumstances to enact their will on others.

Rachel didn’t want to believe this could get worse, but there was a tightness in her gut that told her this was only the beginning, and that she had to understand her transformation if she wanted to survive. It was lucky she had her ears because the think-tank of fantasy nerds was uncovering a lot of secrets.

It took two hours of pacing, leaning against the window, and lying on her bed before she’d collected all the basics from the scattered college kids, putting their brains to good use in decrypting the mysteries involving their sudden powers.

Certain things were becoming more apparent as time went on, and details regarding her transformation came in bursts of knowledge. It was similar to how she could move her ears—instinctual—therefore, most would eventually come to the same understanding of their powers as these enthusiasts, it would just take time.

Adam believed they were still in a phase of adaptation, and Rachel had to agree; each person had something somewhat unique to them, yet there were also commonalities that she kept track of by opening up a document on her own laptop and compiling the information. Cloe’s computer continued to play the news in the background.

From those that transformed, she compiled a list of what they told their friends they’d become, and there were categories that stood out to her. In order of the most common to the least: Champion, Beastkin, Faekin, Aberrantkin, and finally, Legendkin and Mythickin.

There was only one Legendkin she’d heard within the campus, and she was the only Mythickin.

Myths and Legends did have a nice ring to it that made Rachel believe it was of a higher tier than the others. There certainly appeared to be something unique about her compared to those who filled in the other categories, and there was only one way to prove it.

She knew, without a doubt, something else was going to come—it was a disturbing pulse that tugged at her chest—and she had to be ready, or she’d die.

Testing something she heard, Rachel crossed her legs on her mattress, closed her eyes, and breathed deeply. Following one of the lessons her grandfather taught her about meditation, she controlled the air that went in and out of her lungs, somehow relaxing despite the tension compressing her from all angles.

I want to disable automatic Feat placement, she repeated, following the advice of Zoe’s group, and information flooded her mind as the world vanished.

Her eyes opened while shut, revealing a void environment with a white, circular platform, where she stood; it was the strangest sensation, and the world outside, with all its noise, disappeared.

“What are my… Huh.”

She didn’t even need to complete the sentence before a simple black-and-white screen popped up, displaying everything she’d heard from the others who had already gone through this process and guided their friends.

It had her name, age, gender, race, height, weight, and just about everything else involving her physical attributes; the information continued to fill out as if actively scanning her, and, out of curiosity, she asked for her measurements—she’d need them if she were going to shop or know what bra size she needed to upgrade to once out of her sports bra.

“Well, that’s not creepy at all,” she whispered as it showed what she desired. Her focus moved to a 3D model of herself that appeared ahead of her, showing a duplicate of what she’d looked like before the change; it was so surreal seeing herself in full 3D. “An increase in butt fat, chest size, and bone structure… Why take away my muscles…”

Her jaw tightened as the answer came—the explanations were settling into the fibers of her bones as she examined the sheet—the transformation reflected the inner desires of the person, for better or for worse. Rachel instantly rejected the thought, even if she knew it was true.

“So, you’re saying I wanted to look slimmer but retain my strength? Bull. I love muscles,” she growled to the aether, walking around the model of her former body with envy; there had to be a mistake. “Is there any way to build up my muscle mass again? Shit. There’s really no way?”

She screamed out a long sigh of frustration, glaring at her toned arms; it was better than nothing, but she’d worked hard to have her previous figure. It took her a bit more time to release the agitation she felt while returning to the holographic status sheet.

It was obvious she was built for speed and high-intensity combat, yet her body wouldn’t last long fighting at that output; in a way, it did reflect her Muay Thai fighting style.

Stats were divided into Primary and Secondary while having a grading system for how effective putting points into them would be:

Force

Power - High

Strength - Below Average

Defense

Toughness - Above Average

Resilience - Below Average

Dexterity

Speed - Extremely High

Agility - Extremely High

Quickness - Extremely High

Energy

Constitution - High

Stamina - Average

Endurance - Below Average

Tenacity

Elemental Resistances - Above Average - (Solar Extremely Low)

Physical Resistances - Above Average

Control Resistances - Average

Penetration - Average

It was a strong start for a close-range combatant, and it would suit her well in competitions—if she were still allowed to compete, that was.

Rachel’s attention went to an armchair that appeared at the thought of sitting, and she rested on the cushioned seat, shifting her attention to the Base Feats that were a core part of her kit, it seemed. The first thing she noticed was the difference between Grades; most were at the first stage, yet two were at the maximum Grade of ten, shown as a numeral X.

Base Feats

[Primal Force X] - S-tier - Mythickin

[Lunar Pride X] - S-tier - Lunar

[Lunar Pool I] - F-tier - Lunar

[Divine Lunar Surge I] - F-tier - Blessed Lunar

[Divine Beast Empowerment I] - F-tier - Blessed Lunar

[Lunar Coat I] - F-tier - Lunar

[Lunar Cap I] - F-tier - Lunar

[Bestial Instincts I] - F-tier - Hare

[Bringer of Misfortune I] - F-tier - Hare

[Primal Force] increased her growth rate, while [Lunar Pride] acted as a moral framework that affected her mannerisms; she understood the advantage of [Primal Force], but [Lunar Pride] was a bit of a conundrum, being at the highest Grade.

She didn’t like the idea of something controlling her, but upon inquiry, it became clear it was designed around her own ideals; what good it provided remained somewhat of a mystery. In a way, if it was negative, it was her working against herself.

Rachel knew she was prideful—she’d walk through fire to prove she wasn’t afraid—and that she’d fight anyone, no matter the odds; that didn’t mean she didn’t stack them in her favor as much as possible. She’d have to see how [Lunar Pride] affected her day-to-day life to grasp its negatives and positives fully.

[Lunar Pool] was self-evident; it stored up the lunar rays she absorbed, but something she hadn’t expected was that it could be evaporated by sunlight.

The Divine Feats were an interesting touch since they involved a mysterious divine benefactor that enhanced them by a minor degree.

[Divine Beast Empowerment] heightened her natural senses to include supernatural phenomena, while [Divine Lunar Surge] gave a base multiplier to her [Power] and [Toughness] Stats by 1.2% for every percent of Lunar Energy in her pool, maximizing at 120%. In addition, while in direct moonlight, she gained 25% to her total Stats; the overpowered part about it was that it was multiplicative, working with other multipliers, such as [Lunar Cap].

[Lunar Cap] provided an extra 10% bonus to all of her Stats when her [Lunar Pool] was full, meaning her build was best suited not to drain it.

[Lunar Coat] dealt with her hair, tail, and ears; despite what she’d thought earlier, her ‘fur’ was practically as strong as steel, as were her three new appendages, yet they were still sensitive to pain—or pleasure.

[Bestial Instincts] was more of an instinctual understanding of her probability of winning a fight by sizing up her opponent, a 6th sense that told her how to approach a scuffle. It also had a rather concerning detail about not feeling remorse for killing another person; in a way, these Feats were a reflection of herself, as she learned from [Lunar Pride], so it was a window into her soul.

On the other hand, [Bringer of Misfortune] had her scoot to the edge of her chair; the base Hare ability gave her a keen understanding of the law of misfortune, and also could passively drain luck from someone within a two-meter radius.

So… I’m a bad hare, hmm? Rachel mused, enjoying what she was seeing. Oh? I can select three more swappable Feats… Nothing that drains my [Lunar Pool] since I need to keep it at 100% for a week to advance its Grade. What’s this… Cerridwen Branch?

Scanning the dozens of Feats that all required the use of her Lunar Energy to sustain, her mind settled on three that didn’t have the seemingly standard Hare or Lunar Branch category. She had no idea who or what Cerridwen was, but it would be something she searched for when this was done.

They were too good to pass up, so she selected two from the odd branch, leaving [Lunar Deadening] for later, which erased the reactionary stimulation to pain in moonlight, leaving only the knowledge, and chose one active Feat from the Lunar Branch:

Equipped Feats: 3/3

[Lunar Burst I] F-tier - Lunar

[Mental Acceleration I] F-tier - Cerridwen

[Strategic Mind I] F-tier - Cerridwen

She needed a way to do a solid, big hit if she needed it, which [Lunar Burst] provided, acting as a charging attack that drew in her Lunar Energy and released it in a lunar-charged, elemental explosion; its current cap was 5% of her [Lunar Pool], and it came with an hour cooldown, which basically meant it could only be used once a fight.

[Mental Acceleration] was the fascinating one, hastening her mind to process information at a rapid pace. She’d need it with how fast she’d discovered she could move—especially when in high-speed combat.

[Strategic Mind] was a no-brainer; it enhanced her mind to retain information and draw connections she might not typically see. The best part was that both of these Cerridwen Feats didn’t require Lunar Energy to activate.

She could only have three Feats equipped, which told Rachel that she may gain more as she leveled, as her current level was one. The System wouldn’t tell her anything about what was to come from the following levels, so her time was best spent on other things.

Desiring to leave the white, void-like space, the world opened up again with her clearing vision, and the hundreds of voices returned. Staring at the clock on Cloe’s computer, Rachel hummed; ten minutes had passed since she’d entered that inner place. If she needed to go there again, she had to be mindful of where she meditated because everything in the outside world had been blotted out.

Rachel rose to her feet, studying the current situation and soaking in the new information; the CDC and National Guard were starting to mobilize on campus, setting up areas to learn more about what had happened to them.

She had to debate whether to join them or not; certainly, some of her fellow students had a point in not trusting the government when it came to this kind of situation. Still, as she listened to those taking charge, she determined they truly wanted to get to the bottom of things, and Rachel did want to meet a unique person like her to understand his own changes to compare to hers.

Listening to what the scientists discovered and being able to ask her own questions seemed to be the right play. Almost four hours after her change, Rachel donned a less stifling sports bra, frowning as her thicker thighs filled in her Muay Thai shorts more than she was used to.

Am I that vain? Mmh. Yeah, I guess I could be… I’d think more toward muscles, though. I mean, how can I fill these out more with fat—I miss my muscles…

Sighing, she scratched the back of her neck and used a hair tie to pull her locks into a high ponytail. What did she need to do? She needed to have answers for her parents when they arrived.

After hearing her mother’s tone, memories of her childhood resurfaced, and she started to realize a few things she’d buried with the calm, community-serving model of a matriarch her mother was; there was a sharper side to her mom that set her tail on-edge, and she didn’t want that aimed at her.

Rachel paused at the door, head lowering a tad while thinking back to her mother’s reaction; it reminded her of the times when she was nine when her mother went into a full breakdown after being in an accident involving a drunk driver that her cousin didn’t survive.

She’d been locked in her room for weeks after the funeral, and with [Strategic Mind] active, Rachel recalled the incident where her mother had snapped at her dad; in fact, there were several instances now connecting that turned everything she thought she knew about her family dynamic on its head.

Pushing down the uncomfortable feelings, she left to position herself in the same lineup as Zoe and her friends; they’d been unwillingly pulled into the CDC’s net as they began ushering those who were changed into areas to be processed for blood work and a full physical to determine if this was a threat to the general public.

Martial law was in order, and the military was cracking down, but it would take some time to fully mobilize and organize. Rachel knew she had to use the time to get what she wanted: answers.

Chapter Two

Meeting A Legend

Walking briskly through the dorm halls, Rachel found nearly every door open with girls chatting with one another. Despite the numbers on campus, only five people within the building, including her, had any sort of abilities.

[Strategic Mind] was working wonders as her ears cast a wide net, gathering keywords that could help her come up with a plan; yet, at the same time, logic told her this wasn’t normal. Surely, she should be freaking out; her entire life had been turned on its head, but instead of going in circles like many others, she was focused, working toward goals.

The amount of information she was able to process after gaining [Mental Acceleration] and [Strategic Mind] was incredible and frightening at the same time. Odd things kept pulling her attention, such as Polly, a woman in her late 20s, who was chatting excitedly with her roommate and a bunch of this floor’s girls while showing off her fox summon.

Rachel now knew most of the names of the people in the dorm, and, more importantly—or alarmingly, depending on how she looked at it—she could differentiate between them by the sound of their voices.

Polly had fun dismissing and resummoning the, as she put it, ‘Spirit Beast’ as he rubbed against the hands of the other girls, cooing over how cute he was. The woman was a Champion who could summon spirits, and the fox she’d bonded with had fire abilities it could call upon by using her mana. They’d entered a world completely unfamiliar to her, but Rachel was learning and adapting.

The change has affected my mental state. Without a doubt, she internally reasoned. I shouldn’t be this introspective or level-headed.

She briskly moved past the door, not wanting to linger and get questioned. One of the women spotted her, though, and something she said made her slow, tail stiffening.

“Hey! Hey! I just saw a bunny-girl in the hallway—uh, she just took off—should we go talk to her?”

“Uh… I don’t know. Polly’s one thing, but do you know who it was?”

“Nu-uh. She was glowing, though, and had white hair… Maybe she was someone on the floor that just really changed.”

“Umm-hmm. If they didn’t stop by to chat…what if she’s Cloe’s new roommate?”

Rachel redoubled her pace, but her locked jaw drew her attention. I’m a hare… Why am I so angry that she thought I was a bunny? It makes no sense, but… I want to correct her.

The answer came instinctively moments later, putting a bitter taste in her mouth; [Lunar Pride] was the cause, and it was affecting her actions.

Fight it! she hissed to herself, smacking her forehead with the palm of her hand and pushing forward.

Refocusing her mind to resist [Lunar Pride], she used [Strategic Mind] to reground herself. All the dots gradually started to link inside her crowded mind; at the end of the day, Rachel didn’t want to be seen as a weak, defenseless bunny.

As she turned the corner to reach the stairway further down the branching hallway, she discovered a pattern in her thought processes: it was her Feats.

[Strategic Mind] and [Mental Acceleration] gave her the means to recall and analyze the information her ears collected. In turn, her senses were enhanced by [Divine Beast Empowerment], while [Lunar Pride] was what gave her the burning drive to push herself and do something. [Bringer of Misfortune] gave her the gut feeling about what she should do next to avoid disaster, rather than throwing her passion into any random project.

It was a complicated machine of interactions that kept her calm, focused, and walking toward a specific goal. The interesting part was that she set that goal, not [Lunar Pride] or even [Bringer of Misfortune]. While the former could negatively affect her, such as with the agitation of being underestimated or called a rabbit, it also ensured she never stayed stagnant, which was critical in this kind of situation.

Everything she heard drew a grim future that she had to prepare for; her parents would be in danger if she did nothing. A whirlwind of events played out in her mind, with hundreds of people investigating this sudden transformation, giving her a plethora of puzzle pieces to fit together into an actionable plan.

Overall, the change to herself was inconsequential compared to the danger circling her, and that understanding kept her on the move. She couldn’t get caught by the National Guard until she managed to meet the only Legendkin in the area; the answer as to why wasn’t clear, but her sense of misfortune told her to trust her gut.

Soon, it would be a battle to maintain order in Miami with competing interests, fears, government, conspiracy theorists, and private militias, among countless other factions, each taking this change a different way; a clash was inevitable. Everything would dissolve into utter chaos, and her parents were headed right for it.

Catching glances and whispers from those who saw her swift exit, Rachel ignored them, pulling out her phone to search the web while she still had access. She looked up several names on the school WiFi since the towers were temporarily shut down due to overuse, growling at how slow it was to pull up the results. Of course, she soon heard from the onsite military that that was an excuse for the real reason: to stop the spread of public panic.

‘Lunar hare’ is too broad of a term to research… Cerridwen is the Celtic goddess of rebirth, transformation, and inspiration. She’s the only one connected to my Feats, which can’t be a coincidence. Why would she bless me, if she’s even real at all? Perhaps these Feats are based around the deity?

Rachel’s ears shifted left with her eyes, staring at a wall on her descent to the first floor, yet, with her new eyes, she could still see the screen and where she walked in complete focus. There were three prison breaks across Miami from the detention center, rehabilitation center, and Florida Department of Corrections. Things were escalating, and the police were overwhelmed in the area due to hostages and those with abilities, especially one with defensive ice powers.

The National Guard was having trouble getting through traffic, with it backed up from over four hours of panic. Luckily, Miami had a wealth of military infrastructure with Army, Navy, and Air Force recruitment centers. In addition, the Homestead Air Reserve Base was being scrambled with all available personnel as orders came from the Pentagon.

It would be a race against time, and many criminals seemed to also grasp what many of the college nerds had; their powers could grow, and it was a sprint to see how much stronger they could get before the government could fully mobilize.

Tactically, this was the prime moment for them to gain experience by killing people while authorities weren’t organized, but murder wasn’t the only means of gaining experience. Thankfully, she had learned there were dozens of methods one could use to develop, be it achieving something great, use of abilities, or meeting specific requirements, meaning she wouldn’t have to become a criminal.

Still, it would become a guerilla war out in the streets that would likely be suppressed within the next few days, but law enforcement didn’t have enough personnel or warning to operate optimally. Many would die, and there was always the possibility that the criminals learned the other methods of gaining EXP.

I can’t be left in the dust… I have to be at the head of the pack if I don’t want to get swept under the tide.

Heart thumping with the news feeding into her ears—hearing the cries, prayers, and collision of vehicles—Rachel reached ground level. The Coast Guard was just now setting up a base of operations at the University of Miami by using the waterways and boats; the campus was huge but had areas where they could create checkpoints and funnel people into the appropriate places, with CDC taking priority in understanding the change.

Rachel quickly scanned the data on Cerridwen’s wiki page, [Mental Acceleration] allowing her to process things at a rapid pace. Oddly enough, there was nothing about the moon. Exiting and searching further, she discovered a site that linked her to the moon, poetry, music, luck, Earth, death, and fertility; furthermore, one source connected her to the underworld and a keeper of the cauldron of knowledge.

Although some people have mentioned gods and goddesses may be involved with this change, and while my Feat has the name of a goddess, that’s far from proof they actually exist. For all I know, this could just be modeled after the deity. And what the hell is an isekai—some kind of anime trope?

“Ugh… Japan,” she grumbled, running her fingers through her hair and pausing at the base of her long ears.

Gods, sure, I have ears and a tail; maybe Cerridwen is real and made me into a hare. Shit, anything seems possible after…this. Yet…no one has mentioned any by name or empowered Feats. And great, now people are praying to something called ‘System-chan,’ like saying the magic word will reveal all the answers…

She slowed, ears tilting and brow furrowing as two boys began praying in a different direction.

Please, ‘isekai’ me instead of putting me in a ‘system apocalypse’ world? Wonderful, it’s a verb. Run me over truck-kun… Let’s go run into traffic… What?! Why would a god answer some weirdo talking about sending trucks to murder them? Cult-think much. Wow. Yeah, let’s stick with listening to the people not wishing for death. I can’t be the only one blessed, right? Why would I be singled out? None of this makes sense…

Rachel rolled her eyes and ignored the not-so-subtle catcalls of a few boys in the lobby, wanting to know if she’d changed like the guy on fire outside.

Have I been like this all my life? she internally mocked, pushing open the doors to enter the night. Oh, absolutely! I’ve had a tail growing out of my ass since I was a kid. And ears? Those only came during puberty. How stupid—

The moonlight touched her again, dashing Rachel’s thoughts and making her fingers reflexively tense; her phone’s frame bent and the screen cracked, going black. The reflection showed her nose twisting with aggravation, lips parting to reveal her glossy human teeth.

Shit… I’m way more powerful than I thought under the moon.

Those who were coming closer to engage her came to a dead halt as she tightened her grip, crushing her phone and compacting it into a mangled mess before tossing it into the nearby garbage can. It was useless anyway and would send a message to not follow her, or maybe it was just her releasing stress because everything was changing so fast.

She picked up her pace, heading for one of the recreational buildings Zoe’s friends had been escorted to on their way to her dorm; unluckily, they’d run into the Coast Guard. It was hard for anyone who didn’t have super-hearing to dodge the patrols as the men and women tried to get everyone to stay indoors to wait for further instruction.

It was martial law, which meant lethal force was in effect to keep the peace, and local military officers were swiftly taking command.

Rachel didn’t have time to mess with them playing catch-up, though. She knew too much at this point, and far more concerning struggles were to come from the discussions between the lieutenant currently in charge of setting up the base here at the university and his superiors.

She listened closely to the officers’ conversations and movements, using various angles to evade the troops. Rachel found her way into the recreational building, pretending to follow the orders to go into one of the rooms with those that had physically changed since everything was a mess at that point—Beastkin were mostly in this area, which made it easy.

CDC was trying to isolate those who showed animalistic characteristics, those without, and those who took on more monstrous appearances in order to discover the cause. Blood work was already being done to determine if it was biological, yet it wasn’t looking to be the case.

The military was preparing to hijack most of the infrastructure to link with other research branches across the United States to share their findings, but it would still take a few hours, and there were bound to be kinks to work out.

The government was only in the beginning stages of figuring out how these abilities functioned. It was a bit funny that college kids were ahead of the game, but there was a reason: it did function similarly to fiction, and it was hard for grounded, logical thinkers to forget reality and delve into the impossible.

If Rachel wasn’t experiencing it firsthand and had been able to link together everything these ‘clueless teens’ were piecing together through her combination of Feats, she wouldn’t have believed you could enter a black void to select from a list of abilities through meditation. Now, she didn’t have time to question; she just acted.

Opening the door and letting a woman with the lower half of a snake slither through, hugging herself and looking scared, Rachel put on a confident face while scanning the room. “Is there a Zoe here?”

She knew exactly where the girl was but had to keep up appearances. Her attention shifted to a CDC woman, who tripped on the stairs leading up to them, unaccustomed to the suit she’d been given to prevent contamination; the runners were sent to ask those that change to identify what type of ‘Kin’ they were—basics at this point to Rachel.

Zoe sat awkwardly in the corner, seemingly having social anxiety in front of a lot of unknown, changed people, which made sense since she was linked to a domestic cat, being skittish.

The girl tentatively raised her hand. “U-Umm… My name’s Zoe?”

“If you could come with me. Quickly—we’re on a clock.”

“Oh, yeah! Yeah! I’m coming!”

Zoe stumbled up and jogged over to her, while several women in the gender-separated area asked her questions that she brushed off. “A woman will be in shortly to ask you further questions; we’re still discovering the cause. Please be patient.”

Relieved mumbles passed between a few of the Beastkin that it was nice that someone who had changed was working on it, as well. Thankfully, it wasn’t a false hope since a decent number of scientists seemed to have also been affected by the lights—the current working theory on the cause.

Rachel let Zoe by, and everyone averted their gaze, shivering when she swept the room before closing the door. She hadn’t expected everyone to be so compliant, but when someone came in acting with authority, it was normal for those with weak wills to cave and fall in line. She, however, wasn’t normal.

“Follow me.”

“Okay… Umm. You don’t look like, well, like a normal Beastkin—like everyone else in there,” she tentatively chuckled, probably looking for some way to break the ice. “Do you…know what you are? I’ve discovered a few cool things…”

The woman in the suit rounded the corner and froze upon seeing them. “Who—”

Rachel swiftly cut her off, showing absolute confidence as she took on a busy attitude while name-dropping her superiors; the wide-eyed woman glanced between them at a loss as if being driven over.

“Excellent that you’re here, Lydia. Allison sent you up with the papers?”

“Uh, y-yeah…”

Nodding with a smile, she put a hand on her back and pointed at the door to direct her to get moving. “They’re quieting down, but still looking for answers. Any further news other than the Kin discovery? Heh. I’d like some answers myself, as you can see. You see, Allison sent me ahead to ease their minds, so I don’t know the updated data.”

Zoe quieted down, tail lowering and ears pulling back as the CDC worker tried to mentally catch up with the sudden question.

“Huh? Oh! Umm, n-nothing concrete yet. Sorry. Hehe. Have they, umm, said anything?” she asked, grip tightening around her papers while glancing between them. “Are you going to report something new?”

Rachel forced a smile, ears pulling to the side and distracting the woman. “I don’t know if it will be classified or not; they might not even tell you they sent me… Sorry.”

She swiftly shook her head, backing away with a nervous chuckle. “No, no, I get it! So many crazy—eek!”

Rachel reached out to stabilize her as she almost tripped backward in her suit. “Careful!”

“S-Sorry!” Lydia stammered, face going red with embarrassment.

“No, you’re fine. Haha. I hate getting in those—so stuffy, right?”

“Y-Yeah! Sorry, I don’t want to hold you up! Umm, anything I should know or you can tell me?”

Prompting Zoe to continue down the hall, she spoke hurriedly. “Thanks, Lydia. Uh, there are a few categories we can use to separate them further; I’d focus more on those that are called Aberrantkin since they appear to have more…problematic instincts. Following?”

She nodded emphatically, and Rachel finished it off. “Great! Guards should be sent to that area just in case something happens, and treat them delicately; some are very anxious. Can you pass along the information?”

“Of course! Thanks for your hard work… This is crazy… Your ears?”

Rachel forced a smile while walking backward. “Please, Doctor, we are on a tight clock.”

“R-Right! Haha. Sorry—that’s the bad, curious part of me coming out… Oh?!”

The doctor made a startled noise as Rachel moved her ears in a heart shape and waved her goodbye. “Keep up the good work; behind all those scary scales or fangs are scared girls… Try to be gentle.”

“First, do no harm!” the doctor chimed, returning her wave.

Moving with purpose, she turned away and motioned for a silent Zoe to follow, bringing them to the next floor; yet again, she found herself questioning her bizarre new acting skills. It felt strangely natural to mold into her environment to blend in, and a curious note was that [Lunar Pride] wasn’t triggered in this way.

So many things to test.

Turning the next corner once on the next landing, her posture and pace showed a reason to be there, which had all the patrolling soldiers dismiss them after a nod, and anyone that gave her a second glance, she made short comments to put their guard down; it was simple—too simple.

When did I learn to act like this? Does it come from some instinct Feat? Hmm. These next ones will be hard, though… They’re questioning everyone they pass.

“Hmm… In here.”

Zoe frowned when she abruptly drew her into a bathroom down the hall, holding a finger to her lips to tell her to be quiet; understandably, she became nervous.

“Uh… You aren’t with the CDC…are you?” she asked, ears pulling back and frightened, cat-like eyes darting left and right, wondering if she should run, no doubt. “A kidnapping event—already?”

“No,” Rachel answered truthfully, keeping her volume extremely low, figuring the girl could hear her with her twitching cat ears and showing a humorous smile at her last comment. “I’m not trying to kidnap you; I just need your help. We can’t do anything while stuck inside the CDC. Besides, don’t you want to be a heroine?”

Tail wrapping around her right leg, Zoe backed away a bit. “How do you know who I am… Who are you? Red flags all over the place…”

Giving her a small, reassuring smile, Rachel pointed at her ears, causing the girl to draw her own conclusions.

“Oh. You’ve been listening to everything?” the brown-haired girl hissed, vision moving to the door and realizing they were dodging patrols; Adam had jokingly told her they should escape the Coast Guard before they’d been easily caught in their patrol net. “Is there something bad happening?! Is the CDC corrupt—the villains? We need to save my friends!”

“Shhh,” Rachel whispered, shaking her head at her frantic tone.

Zoe snapped her mouth shut, pulse increasing as her focus shot to the door.

“Right now, we’re where the unknown is living and real… We don’t have time to waste playing on the sidelines,” Rachel said, motioning for the cat-girl to keep close while exiting the bathroom and continuing their path through the halls to the library. “The real threat isn’t our change but the world evolving to it; Miami is going to be a war zone in the coming days.”

Swallowing, Zoe jogged to keep up with Rachel’s brisk walk; she had long legs and was over fifteen centimeters taller than the timid girl. “Why did you choose me—is there something about my powers or something?” she asked with hope.

Rachel suppressed a chuckle, telling her the blunt truth. “You were the easiest to get to who had the fantasy knowledge I needed. I’m sorry, but I can’t say how strong a Beastkin domestic cat is.”

“Aww… It’s okay. Wait, does that mean I’m the first one to figure all this stuff out?”

“In the top ten of useful information,” Rachel said, looking down a branching hallway; her target was at the end of it, but a few more pieces of news made her mouth tighten and slow her pace.

She honed in on a report to the Coast Guard lieutenant in charge of this area as the commander over the whole of Miami city contacted him.

“Lt. Thompson, be aware that we’re receiving reports that alien threats have been identified using crystal gateways; they employ giant domes of light—similar to the pictures you saw that cracked the atmosphere. These forces are hostile and are to be dealt with on sight.”

Thompson swallowed, rubbing the back of his neck while lightly rapping his knuckles against the desk before him. “Commander…what are the possibilities that they’re just changed citizens, sir? CDC is gathering them into areas to be tested. Will they become hostile?”

“As of now, Lieutenant, we’re unsure—details are scarce—but our top priority is safety; lockdown your area with lethal force, if necessary. Also, a potential vampire is coming to your base of operation; keep her under close observation… You know what’s happening in Washington right now.”

“Sir, if she can make ghouls, or whatever they are, like the man in Washington…”

“She’s been compliant, and I have a team investigating the situation involving her; this girl is one of the few Mythickin we’ve been able to identify. I’m just letting you know she’s being secured in your area. She has an entire Green Beret platoon escorting her under Lieutenant Mateo Garcia Herrero; he’s seen action in the Middle East and runs a tight ship.

“Be aware, the Pentagon has just sent word that an Army Colonel will be taking over command of Florida Operations soon, and other military bodies are being pulled into a secure call to coordinate our brigades. He will want a detailed report of your opinion on the vampire, so pay close attention to her every action. Details regarding her…complicated family issues and the scene of the crime are being forwarded via a SWAT team.”

“Understood.” Thompson released a long sigh. “I’ll have an area cleared out for them to house her away from the general public. When can we expect her?”

“In the next hour. Careful, Lieutenant, we’re in uncharted territory, and from the information I’m getting, we aren’t dealing with just one species of aliens from these crystals and domes. We can’t let this get out of hand or let chaos break down social order; show a strong hand, son…

“I know it’s hard. Safety is our priority moving forward, and a SEAL squad is stateside nearby for any special assignments. You and your men aren’t alone. Keep me updated…and may God help us all. Out.”

“I’ll inform the units. Out.”

Rachel drew in her bottom lip, vision flitting to a wall as she scanned for more news regarding this vampire; she’d heard from news reports that Seattle was in the middle of a horrible bloodbath with an escaped Mythickin vampire that was turning hundreds of people into ghouls to spread death, disease, and chaos.

This place is getting more dangerous by the second! Please, Mom, Dad, be safe.

Her fear was soon replaced by [Lunar Pride] as the Feat instead focused on this new threat; still, maybe she could learn something from these other Mythickin—more than the others that had changed, at least.

Great… The only other Mythickin I hear about are mass murderers and criminals. It’d be smart to keep what I am to myself for now. I’ll have to meet this vampire chick to see if she is empowered by any goddess or god.

Lt. Thompson hung up when his superior ended the call; he walked to the window, swapping his walkie-talkie to another channel as he whispered to himself, “Aliens, mutated people, now vampires… We don’t know what’s attacking us, but we are under attack. What a week for this to happen… Shit.”

He cursed when chatter came through his radio. “Sir, we’ve found a small child that…that looks like, a-uh, a water dragon? She’s asking to be taken to water, or she’ll die—she’s struggling to even move and is having a hard time breathing, but she was insistent that she was a, uh, good sea monster.”

“Great… She’s probably another Mythickin; take her to the pool, and keep a team with you—don’t hesitate to put her down if she makes the slightest threatening movement.”

“A dragon, sir… How?”

“Put a damn 50-cal near the pool, an RPG—I don’t care. Just…protect your men, Petty Officer!”

“Yes, sir!”

Rubbing between his eyes, he snarled, “How am I supposed to know who is friendly and enemy when we have so little to go on? Prisoners gaining powers, aliens… Who are aliens, and who are simply people that changed—is there a difference, or were they always among us, waiting for this opportunity to make a move? No. I can’t get paranoid. Follow orders… Just…follow orders.”

“What is it?” Zoe hissed as Rachel drew her down the hall, actually sounding like a cat as her claws lengthened. “A fight?! I’ve never been in a fight—I don’t know how!”

“No… Put those away,” Rachel said, making the girl blush and hide them behind her back.

“It’s…hard when I’m scared. Sorry…”

“It’s fine…” she reassured, holding out her hand to let her hesitantly take it; thankful to have human contact, her claws slowly retracted. “You were right again, Zoe.”

Her heart began to settle as Rachel distracted her frantic mind. “About?

“Your monster gateway theory turned out to be true,” she whispered, working around her jaw while continuing to follow the discussions between military leaders as they coordinated on the radios, giving her information across Florida and the rest of the world. “This isn’t isolated; the entire world was affected… It’s going to be an arms race to see who can maintain order.”

“Okay… I’m getting a little scared,” Zoe whimpered, visibly doing her best not to let her claws out again. “What can we do? If dragons pop out of these gateways, can we even fight them? Probably not—I’m just saying—we’ve only just got our powers.”

Rachel decided not to tell her about the sea dragon in the pool as she continued her rambles.

“Maybe, umm…are you like an S-tier roll, and I got an F-tier one? This sucks! Oh, maybe it will be the weak waves or invasion kind of start! Let’s hope, anyway… Am I talking too much?” she asked, seeing the look on Rachel’s face.

“Heh. A little. Don’t worry, I’ll protect you. Okay?”

Her fingers tightened, and her voice settled. “Thank you… You’re so in control—and I’m a total mess…” She let out a big sigh, visibly  trying to destress. “Heh. I guess I really am a helpless cat, huh?”

Rachel took a deep breath and stopped just outside the door to the library, squeezing Zoe’s hand to get her to look up at her. “It’s okay to panic a little… It’s normal. I’ve been in a lot of Muay Thai competitions, so this isn’t all that frightening to me. Until you feel safe, you can stay with me, okay?”

Shameful tears showed in the girl’s eyes, but she smiled and nodded. “Hehe. You’re more the heroine than me… I know, what if I’m like…your apprentice? Can you teach me to fight—be, heh, like my wise and powerful mentor? I don’t want to feel pathetic,” she whimpered again, trying to restrain her tears and sniffles.

Sucking in air through her teeth, Rachel let it go through her nose in a slow stream. “Hmm. I can’t promise you anything like that, Zoe—I’m a fighter, not an instructor—but I will teach you what I can. Good enough?”

“Good enough. I know I’ve said it a few times, but…thank you. Uh… What’s your name? I can’t believe I haven’t asked.”

“Rachel.”

Reigning her emotions in, Zoe withdrew her hand as a sign of strength and tightened them into fists at her side. “Okay, Rachel-sensei, I’ll listen to everything you say… Eh, too much?”

“Eeh,” Rachel chuckled with a weak shrug. “Whatever helps you.”

“Sweet. Umm. So, what’s in here?”

Rachel gave her a sly smirk. “A Legendkin. Interested?”

The cat-girl’s big eyes opened wider. “Ooh. Very! What do you gotta do to get a fancy title like that?”

“Let’s find out.”

Opening the door and letting Zoe shut it behind them, Rachel took in the room; inside was a man who had escaped notice for being changed since Legendkin didn’t have any striking features—at least, that was Rachel’s initial opinion since no one had bothered him—but one look told Rachel he should have been under severe suspicion.

The muscular, tall—and, might she add, handsome—fire-haired man was sitting at a table, examining a short sword in front of him, illuminated jade-green eyes shifting to her with interest; a spear leaned nearby in the back corner.

“Hello,” Rachel cheerily greeted, holding her hands behind her back while proceeding, casting her gaze so as not to appear like she was judging him head to toe, but she most certainly was with her entire vision in perfect focus. “This is an interesting place to be exploring your new abilities. Oh? Isn’t that something?” she whispered, feeling power unlock within her.

[Level Up - Level 2]

[1 Stat Point Added; 1 Available]

She hadn’t caught his name since he hadn’t given it to anyone in the last few hours, but she had heard him mumbling to himself while writing down various things he’d discovered on a sheet of paper.

Zoe remained behind her, ears lying flat against her head and tail going stiff, making Rachel’s furrowed brow turn to her as the cat-girl mumbled, “He’s…so pretty…”

A sharp hiss came from the man as he covered a beauty mark under his left eye, causing the girl to stumble and blink as if charmed. “Ugh… Hmm? You weren’t affected?” he asked, a confused smile turning to her. “Care to share how you resisted the curse? I’d like a cure.”

“Huh?!” Zoe blinked, face turning beet-red. “I, uh…I don’t know what came over me—it’s just…he was like…a total god! No-ho-ho… I’m so weak!” she cried, covering her eyes and dropping into a crouching position. “Stupid! Stupid! Stop thinking about it!”

I’m resistant to his charm; my [Control Resistances] are only Average, and without any points, but maybe [Lunar Pride] is doing the work?

Rachel moved in front of the crying and embarrassed girl, yet the man kept his hand over the beauty mark, which apparently was his curse. “I can’t say why, myself, but maybe we can figure that out together. Care to chat? I’m intrigued by these ‘Quests’ you’ve been mumbling about.”

His gaze went straight to her slightly forward ears. “Guess those long things aren’t just for show. Two heads are better than one. Umm… You don’t have any foundation or…whatever women have to cover up their face?”

“No, but I’m sure we can find something around here,” Rachel returned. “Want to get rid of that mark under your eye—can you?”

“I don’t know,” he laughed, showing he was more than willing to experiment. “I learned about the power it has over women—which is totally creepy and unwanted when I already have a fiancé… Wow, that just kind of came out,” he said, rubbing his hairless chin and leaning against his chair. “What would she think of me asking a random girl to use her makeup? She’d probably laugh.”

“I’ll do it for her,” Rachel snickered, pulling Zoe up and turning her back to the man. “You okay?”

“Embarrassed for life, but…I guess. Why is he so pretty—seriously?” she hissed so low that only Rachel could hear. “It’s not even fair—he’s like…straight out of a dating sim, I swear.”

The man got up, taking the paper with him as he moved behind a shelf. “I’m game. Uh… I’ll stay out of sight until you have something—ink or gum even; I’m not picky.”

Glancing at the man’s toned back as he hid himself, Rachel hummed, pulling the girl to the librarian’s desk to see if there were any products stored in the drawers that they could use.

“I mean, sure, he’s super hot—the muscles are the real deal; perfect, and not too bulky—ten out of ten, but I’m not going to trip on my face… Mmm. Poor choice of words,” she realized a second too late, even with [Mental Acceleration].

“I’ll never live this down in my own head,” the embarrassed girl sniffled. “No, just…forget about it, which is totally impossible, and why do I want to look again? Curiosity killed the cat, but for real…”

Rachel couldn’t help but feel a bit amused by how animated and awkward Zoe was. “You’ll be okay. No one has to talk about it, and he doesn’t seem like the kind of guy to make fun of you; in fact, he sounds sincere and like he doesn’t want to do that to women, which…is surprising, right?”

“Actually…totally surprising,” Zoe whispered, mind pulled away from the incident. “If Adam had that power, he’d totally gather a harem.”

“Haha. Let’s find something to, heh, seal his curse.”

Zoe’s ears rose again. “Now you’re speaking my language; our first quest, search for makeup!”

“By the way,” he called out to them, “my name’s Anthony. Can I get a name, bunny-girl?”

Jaw tightening and tail stiffening, Rachel eased up and kept a playful note in her voice to throw him off-guard. “Maybe I’ll tell you if you can guess what I am, Anthony; oh, and a hint—I’m not a bunny.”

Zoe giggled at her twitching smile and ears; it was the first time she’d seen her frustrated, which seemed to ease her tension.

“A game? Well, I’m sorry if I offended you! I’m up for a guessing game, though! Way to make this fun, not a bunny.”

The comment made her smirk as she found a container of foundation; he wasn’t without humor, at least.

“Success!’ Zoe cheered. “Quest complete.”

Chapter Three

Looming Threat

Returning to the table with Zoe, Rachel held out a hand to stop the cat-girl from bringing it to him, causing her ears to droop and cheeks to redden; Rachel figured she’d been tempted to sneak another glance at the charming Legendkin.

“We have your temporary cure, but do you have an answer to my game?” she teasingly asked, ears straight and alert in case he tried anything else; she didn’t quite fully trust Anthony yet, despite the sincerity and open attitude she sensed. After all, her own change had given her several advantages in mental processing and on-the-spot strategic play to fool others.

A thoughtful hum rumbled in the man’s chest as he leaned against the side of the bookshelf he hid behind, twirling his sword with casual flicks of his wrist. “It’s fairly obvious if you’re not a bunny. A rabbit?”

He laughed upon catching Rachel’s scowl as he came back out, fingers still covering the beauty mark as his other hand placed the short sword against the nearby wall. “Kidding! Kidding! So, you’re a hare. It makes sense; I was once told hares have larger ears than bunnies, and…you certainly do have large ears. Heh. Not that that’s a bad thing!”

“Something to take note of, though?” Rachel challenged, tossing him the foundation container; Zoe’s wide eyes were totally focused on his face, tail weaving behind her. “What’s your backstory to have become a hero in this ridiculous new fantasy world?”

Anthony caught the item and retreated to a window to use it as a mirror. Rachel reflexively covered Zoe’s gaze, knowing the girl still wasn’t in her right mind.

“Aww… Rachel—ack! Sorry!”

Rachel’s left ear drifted to the left, directing a slight frown at the sheepish cat-girl.

“Ah, the name behind the ears,” he said. “Thanks, cat-girl. So, Rachel, I thought we were doing a show-and-tell game, not an interrogation. I have no clue what’s going on outside, but I’ve heard the campus announcement. Is there really a dude on fire outside?”

She tapped Zoe’s arm and gestured for her to sit next to her across from where the man would likely settle as he turned to give them an unassuming smile. “I wouldn’t say a lot of people have changed…probably less than one-in-one hundred around the campus.”

Anthony pulled out the chair and dropped into it, his sword and spear a fair distance away, likely to appear non-threatening—probably a calculated move. “It’s true, huh; that’s pretty insane, wouldn’t you say? Last I checked, U of M had around 17,000 enrolled students, and I wouldn’t say 170 power-enhanced people is small.”

“You could take that point of view,” she shrugged. “More people from the surrounding area are being escorted here to this building as a base of operations; this happened around the world, so it is a fairly drastic change.”

“I’ll say,” he muttered, taking the piece of paper he’d folded from his pocket to lay it in front of him. Rachel didn’t fall for the bait, keeping her eyes on him, but it most certainly had her attention. “Roughly 1% of the world population…”

Anthony leaned forward, bridging his fingers to rest his chin while centering on her. “You have very unique features, by the way. Have a lot of people become more animalistic?”

“There are a lot from what I’ve seen,” Zoe piped up, not wanting to be a bystander, which completely went against her earlier social anxiety; it must have been a lingering effect of the charm. “I’ve seen bird-girls, snake-girls… Oh, there was this really cute squirrel-girl! Uh… Can we learn more about you, though?”

His friendly gaze shifted to the girl. “I’d love to share some details if we can all share in this discussion. What was your name again?”

“Zoe Fletcher! Eh, heh, just Zoe…”

He nodded, focus returning to Rachel as she silently studied every move he made; Anthony was quite observant, himself, and cautious in his own way. “Why don’t we start this over again? Sorry for the troublesome charm, Zoe.”

“It’s fine! So, what do you want to start with?” the brown-haired girl asked, tail slowing its weave in the chair back opening. “Rachel mentioned quests?”

“We can get to that in a bit,” he passively dismissed. “Let me introduce myself again; I’m Anthony, twenty-three years old, a U of M graduate, obtaining my Masters in biochemistry last semester, and, of course, have a fiancé, as I mentioned—which is why this charm is such a nuisance. Not, heh, that it would be a good thing, regardless.”

“Zoe Fletcher, as I said, and I’m seventeen—eh, well, just turned eighteen, heh, actually—and this is my first semester at U of M. I’m from Montana, but most of my family live in Virginia—heh, kind of a country girl that hates the country—I got made fun of for my accent, so I tried to get rid of it. Oh, umm, I’m not in a relationship—were we supposed to disclose that?” she asked, spilling everything as word vomit. “I’ll just shut up now. I, uh, have social anxiety…” she hissed, head drooping.

Rachel forced a smile. “You’re fine, Zoe. I’m Rachel, nineteen, and enrolled in the law program’s fast track. What changed besides your looks when…The Oscillation occurred?”

“Oscillation?” Anthony questioned, watching her ears tilt left. “Is that what the government is calling it?”

Zoe followed his gaze, trying to catch up. “You’re listening to the government chatter even now? Ugh. You really did get the S-tier roll,” she complained, crossing her arms and shooting a glare between them. “Freaking domestic cat… Total scam.”

“A domestic cat, huh?” Anthony asked, head shifting on his bridged fingers to show Zoe a thoughtful look. “I wouldn’t say that’s a terrible choice. Cats are loved by most people—maybe a bit too much for the online community. Besides, does that mean you have nine lives?”

“I didn’t think about that,” Zoe smiled, her depression melting under the attention. “Nine lives isn’t bad, I guess, and maybe I have good instincts… Oh, and cats get to laze around and… Do I want a master?” she gasped, face turning bright red before burying her face in her arms. “Why can’t I shut my mouth?! Stupid!”

Rachel laughed with Anthony, reaching over to rub her back comfortingly; the girl was really having a hard time. “Why don’t we dispense with the evaluation for Zoe’s sake? You’re a Legendkin, and I’m a Mythickin. You’re the only Legendkin I’ve found around the campus, but I am hearing about more as we speak…not all pleasant. What motivates you, Anthony? Conquest?”

“Wow! You’re the type of girl to take no prisoners, huh?” Anthony smirked, leaning back to show he was totally at ease. “Conquest? Goodness, no! Well, unless you’re talking about the conquest of my fiancé’s heart. In the spirit of full disclosure and trust to make some ground… I’m apparently the Legend of Diarmuid with a Subclass in Spearman.”

“Mythickin Lunar Hare… Unfortunately, I do not hear good things about either of those species, and I’d suggest we keep such information to ourselves for the time being.”

“Enlighten me!” Anthony chimed. “Oh, and we can’t forget our cat-girl.”

“Oh! Uh. I’m a nobody,” she whispered, tail low. “A Beastkin domestic cat. I’m only good for early-game, I guess, since I’m a total fantasy nerd… Reading was all I could do at our ranch since we didn’t have good internet service.”

“C’mon, don’t be too hard on yourself. Also, I didn’t change physically all that much,” he added, turning back to Rachel to refocus the topic.

The several books that lay on the table snatched Rachel’s attention, and she smiled at the title of one small volume. The Pursuit of Diarmuid and Grainne and The Exile of the Son of Uisliu… He’s been reading up on his legend, but what is all the published medical documentation for?

“If you tell me everything you’ve been able to discover, I’ll share what I have since you are a piece of the puzzle I haven’t been able to fully connect yet.”

Anthony slowly nodded, arms crossing across his broad, muscular chest, and Rachel was even more intrigued by his past if he’d maintained that sculptured physique before this change that was recently being termed ‘The Oscillation’ by government officials.

“I see… Between Zoe, as a Beastkin, you, as a Mythickin, and me, a Legendkin, we can further study the powers and how they differ between the various Kin. Well, I’m hitting something of a dead-end in my own research, so you’ve arrived just in time! It sucks that we’re being given a bad name by others, though; I’m sure that won’t come back to bite us in the ass.”

Rachel chuckled as he unfolded his sheet of paper and slid it to her. “I’ll come up with a plan… I just need to get enough information to give us a way forward.”

“I’m game! Friend request sent.”

Zoe’s expression brightened as he spoke her lingo. “Accepted! Welcome to the team, DPS Spearman. Wait, am I supposed to be the thief in the party? I suck at stealing things! I’m so worthless…and Rachel’s another finesse DPS, probably, so…we need a healer, tank, and mage? We are so physically focused,” she groaned to herself, glaring at her claws.

Not having a clue what the girl was on about, Rachel let her ramble while browsing the sobering notes the Legend made. Anthony’s face pacified as he watched her process the very personal information—the medical papers now made sense. A lot about what she was hearing about Legendkin now clicked, painting an even grimmer vision of the future than Rachel had projected.

Red, eclipse-like eyes rising to Anthony, she whispered, “You’re sure all of this is connected; couldn’t you be reading too much into the fairytales? There are healers I’ve heard about—Myths and Legends that could change things.”

Zoe glanced between them before staring at the paper in Rachel’s hand. “Wait. What are we talking about?”

Anthony worked around his jaw, cheerful mask finally falling to show hollow eyes that shifted to the spear by the wall. “I hope you’re right… Amelia was already suffering from a rare type of cancer called chordoma—it’s a malignant bone tumor, and if what I’m reading about the tale of Diarmuid is true… I’m afraid I might have made it even worse…”

Zoe shrank in her seat at the emotion that touched the man’s voice, and he leaned forward to show a melancholy smile while staring at the spear beside the wall.

“I’ve practiced with a spear since I was a boy… My mother hated it, but my uncle was a master; the days I spent watching him were some of the most magical memories I have of how he moved, and I took it as my mission to keep his style alive when he died… I never thought my love for spears would cause this kind of trouble for Amelia. Tell me my assumption is wrong.”

Rachel’s mouth tightened, vision falling to the book beside him, unable to say it while drawing the same connections as he had from everything she was learning about the other Legendkin. The silence stretched for several seconds as she carefully thought about how to phrase her response.

Could becoming a Legendkin really have affected not only him but his loved ones, as well? What does that say about Mythickin and my own change?

Her eyes moved between each progressing arrowed line. Diarmuid was a famous spear hero who protected an ugly hag during a storm, allowing her to use his bed as he guarded her. In the morning, she turned into a beautiful, enchanting fairy who offered him one wish, with Diarmuid asking her to be his wife.

Anthony met Amelia in the alley of the spear school he taught part-time at in Miami after she ran away from home upon learning about her cancer; of course, she didn’t tell him that at the time. He was unable to leave the filthy, malnourished woman to live among the garbage, so he’d invited her inside, getting her clothes, food, and showing her general kindness. He even offered her the back room until she was ready to talk.

He was enchanted by her smile after she cleaned up and shyly exited, accepting his kind offer, but it wouldn’t be for another month before she began to open up, and things budded from there. Rachel had to interpret some of the written information, but he’d laid out a timeline and comparisons.

They had a fight earlier this week about a new treatment, and she told him to leave. Now, filled with guilt, Anthony had seen blood three times throughout the week and thought about his fiancé, sparking dread in the man; Diarmuid had done much the same in his tale after his argument with his wife before discovering that she’d disappeared from their home, so he saw it as a bad omen.

The Legend had broken Amelia’s rule of not talking about her illness, just as Diarmuid had broken his promise to never mention the fairy’s ugliness. Thus, he feared his transformation into a Legendkin had caused her cancer to mutate into something far worse, and the result of the cure Diarmuid obtained was tragic.

“…We’ll need to confirm it to be sure… To open up this Legend’s Quest you have to participate in a few Quests and something else it’s not showing you; I’m guessing it will display it after you meet some requirement, but you fear that if you do nothing, she’ll die anyway? Am I right?” Rachel asked, looking up at his downcast face as Zoe fidgeted in the oppressive atmosphere.

“Basically… Diarmuid’s stories all end in tragedy,” he mumbled with a humorless chuckle. “You think you’re useless, Zoe? What kind of a hero am I if this fairytale is my base? I don’t know what to do—I don’t care much for what’s happening in the world… I just want to be sure I can make Amelia happy and keep her alive. Judging from this,” he grunted, shoving the books off the table to hit the carpet, “there’s not a damn thing I can do to make that happen.”

Rachel slowly nodded, her mind fixating on one of her Feats. [Bringer of Misfortune]… If Anthony’s legend affects those close to him…does mine? If I do have an understanding of the law of misfortune, then I’ll use it to change fate… This will be an excellent test to see how I can use these abilities.

Rising to her feet, she moved to the ground, motioning for them to follow her. “I don’t want to place my bets on speculation. Let’s brush up on each of our skills, and then we can decide what to do next; a lot is developing around us… Where is Amelia hospitalized?”

“HCA Florida Mercy. Why?” Anthony asked, illuminated green eyes radiating strength as they snapped to her. “Are there problems there?”

“No, thankfully,” Rachel said with a reassuring smile. “In fact, it’s being used as a National Guard outpost; it was one of the first areas that was secured.”

“Thank god…” he breathed, rubbing his forehead. “You want to get into our Feats? I haven’t selected any since I wasn’t sure what would happen if I activated them.”

Rachel’s brow furrowed. “How…did you know to turn off the auto select?”

Anthony showed a small smirk. “I’m a chemist. The first thing I did was test out what had happened to me, ask questions, and develop theories.”

“Fair enough,” she chuckled. “A reasonable decision, given your situation.”

Comparing notes, Rachel learned that there were stark differences between Legendkin and Mythickin. Most notably, they had a Feat called [Quest’s Draw X], which transported them to dimensional fields to build them up to fill the shoes of their legend.

Zoe asked if loot was involved, but according to Anthony, nothing indicated there would be upon entering the meditative state to check; it seemed it was solely designed to sharpen their skills and upgrade their weapons. Yet, Rachel theorized he would possibly unlock other items as he leveled that were related to his legend.

Currently, he had two legendary weapons; however, their attributes were sealed, meaning they were without effects until completing two Quests. Anthony’s Stat Sheet had many similarities to hers:

Force

Power - Above Average

Strength - Above Average

Defense

Toughness - Above Average

Resilience - Above Average

Dexterity

Speed - High

Agility - Above Average

Quickness - Above Average

Energy

Constitution - Above Average

Stamina - High

Endurance - High

Tenacity

Elemental Resistances - Above Average

Physical Resistances - Above Average

Control Resistances - Extremely Low

Penetration - High

He was far more well-rounded than Rachel, yet she beat him in [Power], [Speed], [Agility], [Quickness], [Constitution], and most definitely [Control Resistances], which shocked Zoe and her.

“How can a legend have such lousy Control Resistances?” the cat-girl asked, using a paper to write everything down. “Aren’t they supposed to be, like, paragons of willpower?”

Anthony forced a chuckle. “Eh, well…in one of Diarmuid’s tales, a princess gives him a love potion, and, eh…yeah, another tragic story. Umm…you two aren’t going to do anything shady, right?” he slowly asked, vision sliding to the dubious cat-girl.

“Huh?! No! No! I’m a scaredy-cat—for real—I don’t have the brass to pull something crazy like that! Wait…not that I would if I had a potion—I’m just saying!”

“Uh-huh,” Rachel mused, nudging the embarrassed girl’s shoulder.

“No! Seriously! I would never!”

“Haha. Just checking,” Anthony snickered. “You’re too easy, Zoe.”

“Stop bullying me! I’m already a freaking domestic cat; how much further can I fall on this totem pole? Look, my Stats are a joke!”

Force

Power - Below Average

Strength - Below Average

Defense

Toughness - Low

Resilience - Low

Dexterity

Speed - Above Average

Agility - Above Average

Quickness - Above Average

Energy

Constitution - Below Average

Stamina - Average

Endurance - Below Average

Tenacity

Elemental Resistances - Low

Physical Resistances - Low

Control Resistances - Low

Penetration - Above Average

“All I’ve got is a tiny bit of [Speed], and my abilities are so…blah! I even have less than you guys for my base, and not a single one is maxed. Scammed!”

Base Feats

[Claws I] - F-tier - Cat

[Sprint I] - F-tier - Cat

[Bestial Instincts I] - F-tier - Cat

[Bestial Senses I] - F-tier - Cat

[Catlike Nature I] - F-tier - Cat

[Cat Vision I] - F-tier - Cat

[Cute Charm I] - F-tier - Domestic

[Survival of the Meek I] - F-tier - Domestic

“Only by one,” Rachel tried to console, yet it only got worse as the cat-girl gave her a dirty look.

“I can only select one Equipped Feat while you and Anthony get three! Legendkin and Mythickin OP,” she grumbled, staring a hole through the sheet she’d been crafting. “What were yours again, Anthony?”

“Let’s see…to be fair, I only have one maxed Feat; Rachel got the good rolls, huh?”

“For real! She’s turned into a total bunny babe—you know what I mean,” she huffed as Rachel opened her mouth to correct her.

“Eh… Everyone has different tastes,” Rachel tried to redirect, knowing she wasn’t convincing the leery-eyed cat-girl.

Anthony snickered. “Rachel’s right. I’m not much of a bunny-girl fan, myself.”

“Uncultured swine,” Zoe sniffed. “Cat-girls are on another level, but you can’t diss bunny or hare-girls! Right, Rachel?”

Her ears shifted to the right as she heard the soldiers finally arrive at the pool with the dragon child, having to wheel her in a cart due to the kid’s unnatural weight. “Meh. I don’t care what most people think of me.”

Rachel’s furrowed brow shot to Anthony as he snorted. “Bull!”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” the handsome man said with a rather aggravating smirk. “You can’t stand being called a bunny. Heh, you totally care.”

“It’s my Feat’s problem, not mine,” she crisply returned, yet Zoe snickered at the comment, holding up a fist for the man to bump; it did make her tail stiffen a little that the pair were ganging up on her.

“Sure. Anyway, these are my Feats,” he added, scribbling them down for Zoe to examine. “I don’t want to put anything in the equipped slots yet until we get a better understanding of these Quests I have:”

Base Feats

[Quest's Draw X] - S-tier - Legendkin

[Beagalltach (Sealed) I] - S-tier - Diarmuid

[Gáe Buidhe (Sealed) I] - F-tier - Diarmuid

[Love Spot I] - F-tier - Diarmuid

[Polearm and Sword Mastery I] - F-tier - Spearman

[Martial Arts Mastery I] - F-tier - Spearman

[Heroic Endurance I] - F-tier - Diarmuid

[Darkness Vision I] - F-tier - Diarmuid

[Heroes Temperament I] - F-tier - Diarmuid

Rachel got up upon hearing the explanation to each of his Feats; he was a weapons user, but also knew some basic martial arts. “Why don’t we test out this Quest… Hmm?”

“Something wrong?” Anthony asked, moving to take his sword and strap his spear to his back with a leather attachment that appeared out of green light.

“Yes,” she muttered, drawing his and Zoe’s gaze as she listened to the report the Coast Guard gave to his CO; what he told his buddy snapped her attention in his direction.

“Sir, this is Private Conner; I’ve got eyes on an unusual glow inside the university pond. Requesting DV investigate. Over.”

“Petty Officer Thomas, redirect a DV unit to the location with a firing squad; don’t take any chances. Out.”

“Understood, Lieutenant.”

The men listened to commands being given as they moved to get a better view of the illuminated zone. “Don’t…you think it looks like a cone-shaped crystal of some kind, and that blue tint is eerie, eh? It’s huge, too.”

“Let’s wait for confirmation,” his friend muttered. “It could be just the reflection of the moon playing with the water or some kind of effect the university put in place for a ‘wow’ factor.”

“Yeah…”

Tingles cascaded down Rachel’s spine; she wasn’t convinced it was some university light effect. “Zoe, you know those crystal gateways we talked about?”

“Uh-huh?”

“I think one was just discovered in the university pond.”

“Shit. Umm. What should we do?! Is it just a countdown, or are they already here?”

Anthony flipped his sword around, passively listening as she gave them a brief overview of what the military had uncovered.

Rachel shrugged. “No one’s sure because information is still being compiled. We should hurry and test what one of these Quests looks like. The vampire is being brought to this floor, as well…and they’re checking the rooms to make sure they’re clear now. If we can get more levels, we’ll be better prepared for whatever comes out… Heh.”

“What now?” Zoe groaned. “We have a vampire and alien invasion already. What’s worse than that?”

Turning toward the east, Rachel forced a chuckle as the Coast Guard men set up the 50-caliber mounted turret and hoisted the dehydrated child into the pool.

“Eyes sharp, boys!” one grunted while getting her into the water.

The girl’s petite, weak voice was utterly monotone yet held a fervent undercurrent. “I really am a good dragon… I only beat up bad guys. I’ll protect everyone—you’ll see. I’m going to be a superhero, and we can work as a team to save people. I’m an awesome dragon! You’ll see… Yay, I’m not going to die—good work, boys. Easy… There we go, a little more…”

Slipping under the surface, it was the shouts that drew Rachel’s notice as an eruption of water dulled other sounds near the area.

“What the—”

“Aye! Aye!”

“Back up! Back up!”

“Sir?!”

“Fire! Fire!”

Bullets sprayed the water, causing screams and panic to spread through the facility at the loud guns, yet the commander swiftly called the assault off.

“Stop! Hold your fire, dammit! She’s not attacking us… Shit.”

“Not a scratch…”

“S-She’s the size of a tank, sir!”

“Shit! Now that is terrifying—a little girl can turn into that?!”

Despite the panic, the girl only swam in slow circles before settling at the deep end of the pool to likely not further spook the soldiers; although, from her shifts in the water, Rachel wondered if she really was unharmed. If she didn’t know any better, the girl was pouting at the bottom of the pool, licking her wounds.

She kept her word about being a good dragon, though, even after they attacked her. In the way the child talked, Rachel was reminded of Zoe’s bizarre references. She did have an odd mannerism of being monotoned while talking nerd-speak to the soldiers on their path to the facility.

“Erm, also…we have a water dragon Mythickin girl in the pool; I’m not sure exactly what she is yet.”

“Huh? Huh?! You’re only now telling us that?!” Zoe cried. “A freaking water dragon? What if she goes on a rampage when the aliens attack or picks a fight with the vampire?”

A curious smile lifted Rachel’s mouth as she listened to the cat-girl panic, probably thinking about some anime, manga, or movie.

“Why are you smiling?”

“I don’t know,” Rachel laughed, motioning for Anthony to start the Quest. “I just have a feeling that the vampire and dragon-girl aren’t our misfortune.”

Ears twitching and head tilting to the side, Zoe mumbled, “Meaning?”

Anthony held his sword up, showing a golden glow before slipping it through space to create a shimmering, green line that opened into a dark forest—their Quest location. “Meaning they’re not against us via your sense of misfortune, is my guess… This is insane; there really is a whole world that I can go to test my skills. Weird, but cool. We need to prepare for the attack, right?”

Rachel was surprised at how compliant Anthony was; then again, she was providing him answers. It seemed he just had to be sure he wasn’t causing his loved ones harm, and the hospital where his sick fiancé was could possibly be an attack location for the aliens if this crystal was big enough—he had motivation.

“We don’t even know if we can join you yet,” Rachel said, stepping through the slit; her shoes touched the hard earth on the other side. “Heh. That answers that… Let’s go.”

Zoe tentatively followed, whispering, “Please don’t die… No, I’d rather die than lose a leg or arm, so… No! I can be brave… Cats hunt things—even domestic cats—I can do this!”

“Attagirl,” Anthony encouraged, bringing up the tail. “Uh…”

Rachel spun in a slow circle to get a complete understanding of the forest they’d entered, hearing the chirping of birds, growling of beasts, and snarls of small creatures. The slit in space sealed the second Anthony entered.

“Guess we’re stuck here until we complete the Quest, which is…”

Anthony took note of their location while explaining their objective. “I have to slay twenty goblins, minimum… There’s supposed to be some kind of bonus depending on the kills, and a caravan will be somewhere nearby; if we protect it, we might get a reward.”

Zoe puffed out a long stream of air. “Here’s to hoping it’s classical goblins and not how some more recent anime have depicted them… Yikes. Yeah, let’s hope for that. Uh, I’m going to stay close to you, Anthony—and please, for goodness sake, be careful of how you swing your sword in a cave if we find one…”

Rachel had no idea why that particular example came up, but swiftly identified the caravan and goblins. Now they had a decision to make: attack the goblins before they reached the caravan, and possibly not get the reward—the System didn’t give them items, meaning the people might—or walk with the caravan until they were attacked and defend it.

Decisions, decisions, Rachel mused to herself, illuminated red eyes scanning the eerie, night-embraced forest; she felt more like a hunter than a hero, but this was Anthony’s Quest. Maybe we can split up… I’ve never killed anything before, not that I feel particularly against it at the moment, and this is the perfect environment to put these changes to the test.

Licking her lips, Rachel turned to give the cat-girl and redhead a smile. “Let’s split up. You two protect the caravan over…there. I have a few things I need to test.”

Anthony shrugged, moving in the direction she’d pointed. “I suppose I need to put my trust in your ears at some point, and this is a good test. Coming, Zoe?”

“Eh, yeah… Are you sure, Rachel? Goblins can be…nasty in some tales.”

The inviting, ominous hum of various creatures throughout the dark woods called to Rachel’s thumping heart more than she wanted to admit; this was her scene, and she could feel it in her bones. “Hmm-hmm. I’m sure, Zoe.”

“Hehe. You have a…scary look on your face. Maybe I should be more worried about them? Anyways, good luck… Be safe!”

Rachel watched her run after Anthony, waiting not too far away with one hand in his pocket and the other gripping his short sword. She knew he’d been carefully observing every action she made, but Rachel didn’t care right now.

Chapter Four

The Azure Moon

Slowly proceeding into the dark forest, Rachel took in her surroundings, seeing less of what was immediately around her and relying on her large ears to feed her all the unseen activities in the night.

The land they were on was tilted and thick with shrubbery in places. It somewhat rose to what she assumed was the north, leading away from the road to her south. A brook ran along the base of the hill, but it wouldn’t for long, by what she heard.

The English voices in a long caravan on the route surprised her a little; by their struggles, it was at a bit of an upward incline. A few words in a conversation drew her gaze to the group of merchants traveling in the dual moonlit night.

“Wasn’t the blue moon supposed to come out later tonight? I can’t see it yet.”

“Might be hidden behind the clouds… Do you think the Holy Abomination will make an appearance?”

“Haha! Ferrer, you crack me up sometimes. It’s a legend, like the Azure Sea Dragon that destroyed the Golden Isle of Passion. Did your parents tell you about the Wolf in Dunharv?”

“Woah, heh-eh, maybe save it until after we’re out of these cursed woods.”

She soaked in the unusual details, her thoughts a whirlwind. They weren’t on Earth; they had come to an entirely different planet.

Everyone…is speaking English. Seems unlikely, unless Anthony’s Feat translates everything for us. Convenient. Although…that also means it is affecting me without me being able to counter or detect it… It begs the question, what else? Unless this is a simulation of some kind. Also, two moons? How will they interact, or will they if this place isn’t real? Only one way to find out: experience them.

Her lips drew in upon seeing a sheen of white light and maneuvered to peer through the foliage, spotting an alabaster moon. It strengthened her resolve to push through opposition or obstacles, but when she stepped away from the beams, she felt her misgivings regarding her transformation return.

Huh… So, the white moon doesn’t necessarily get rid of my caution or inhibitions… Does it make me braver?

She shook her head; it had to be more intricate than that. Her thoughts drifted back to how stupid it was for her to enter this unknown space so abruptly. At the same time, she countered her own argument with the fact that being too cautious would cripple her progress—[Strategic Mind] interacting with her other Feats was doing a number on her mental state.

In any case, it didn’t matter now since she was here; she might as well test every bizarre aspect of this magical realm Anthony had opened up.

The sounds that permeated the shadows didn’t frighten her—nothing did when under the pale moon—and it wasn’t long until she found a break in the dense canopy overhead to study the heavens. It was partially overcast, and she figured the blue celestial object would likely be a separate body from the white one after a few more comments about it.

Rachel’s thoughts cleared as the pallid lunar beams hit her, refocusing her thoughts on the road, where Anthony and Zoe were headed to, before her dazed mind turned in the opposite direction to track a new duo caught in her sound net.

Now, why would teens be creeping through such a dangerous place while making so much noise? The goblins are far more cunning than I thought, as well.

A tilt lifted the corner of her mouth as she spun in a slow circle, keeping toward the breaks in the tree cover to soak up the power the two-thirds-visible alabaster moon provided her.

The unpredictable shifts that had suddenly taken hold of her life enticed her to dig deeper and explore how far this hole she’d entered went. It was similar to how she felt just before a major Muay Thai competition or when losing herself in a sparring match against Tyreese—it helped that the Jamaican man was a pro, and big enough to let her go all out.

Alexa may have been onto something, Rachel thought to herself while holding her arm behind her back and making her way toward the two teenagers; the pair were creeping through the forest far too noisily and would likely attract unwanted attention, which was ironic, considering their chosen career path she’d overheard from the merchants.

Maybe I am addicted to violence; I do love fighting… Why could I never accept that before? I fought at school… It started after Seo died—that was when Dad and Uncle Jintao started having problems… And Mom… She isolated herself for months, and I started fighting. I guess I wasn’t okay… I’m not okay.

Trying to dismiss the uncomfortable realization, Rachel tried to turn her thoughts back to the monsters around her rather than dissecting herself.

“Gah!”

This intense self-analysis is a double-edged sword! That’s in the past; this is now! What challenge can these goblins give me?

She had a Stat point she could place somewhere, yet Rachel quickly dismissed the idea of using it. She wanted to get a better grasp of her capabilities before pulling the trigger on anything, as Anthony had pointed out. Besides, she wasn’t sure she needed to do it in the first place; after all, at her base strength, she’d already seen the results of this System when crushing her phone with one hand, if with a bit of effort.

The boy and girl’s names were Martin and Verna; their heated argument made Rachel groan, but they were really young. Verna wanted to go deeper to find the goblins, while the boy wanted to return to the wagons since they weren’t supposed to investigate the area without their instructor.

From what Rachel could gather, they were some kind of scouts-in-training, attending a famous school for it. This was their first operation on their own, and the results would significantly affect their position in the academy. Their only objective was to scout the road for traps laid by goblins, not entering the dark forest; they had trouble seeing with minimal light, being ordinary human teens and all.

They’d drawn the notice of a goblin scouting party of six, and the excited grunts and snickers of the creatures spoke volumes as to who would come out on top from this encounter. From what she’d heard from the murmured gossip of the caravan merchants about goblin culture, the kids were about to have their dental work done.

Rachel took her time in following the sounds they made, observing all the unusual animals and insects in the forest; some she recognized, such as owls and rats, yet others were utterly foreign. A four-winged bird that beat its feathers like a dragonfly caught her gaze, but it swiftly hid when spotting her passage through the forest.

Her illuminated red irises swept her surroundings as she continued, their instinct seemingly causing most of the creatures nearby to shy away, and something new made her pause beside a large, fallen tree.

I’m the monster in this forest; I can’t smell anything that makes me think it will be a challenge…

[Divine Beast Empowerment - Advanced to E-tier]

[Bestial Instincts - Advanced to E-tier]

[Bringer of Misfortune - Advanced to E-tier]

Well, well, well…interesting, Rachel mused, returning to her slow hunt while processing all the information around her; she was about to leave the audible range of the road, showing how far the teens had strayed.

That confirmed that ability Tiers increase as we use them, which means passives are incredibly important since they’ll grow quicker than active ones; at least, that is a possibility, yet there could also be multipliers or limiters on growth. I’ll have to compare it to the others when they advance.

She came to a small clearing with a gentle brook, showing a magical sight of shimmering insects that moved between white flowers, causing them to glitter like stars. The alien world had so many things to distract her, yet the frightened chatter of the merchants regarding the goblins occupied most of her mind—it seemed they were a common threat in this area.

Unfortunately for these scout students, shouts from the merchant train indicated that they had failed their mission in spectacular fashion, and would be severely reprimanded when they returned. If they returned. They’d triggered a trap, causing three large trees on pulleys to swing down and crash into their wagons like battering rams.

It caused a few injuries, but that wasn’t the main purpose of the trap. The first wagon had sustained damage to one of its wheels, blocking the others’ path forward. A shrill screech from a bird in a cage—a goblin-planted alert system—gave the goblin hunting party the message that their plot was sprung.

Anthony would make it in time to get acquainted with the group, and he’d drawn Zoe into a run upon hearing the cries. They’d need him since a force of forty was forming a pincer maneuver further up the road, hiding patiently in the brush.

There were far more of the creatures in the area than Rachel initially thought as she proceeded into the forest, honing in on their grunts and snarls that marked their communication, which partially seemed to be physical. They mostly kept to four to six-man scouting teams, with the higher-tier warriors likely taking the prime spot in the raiding party.

Hopping over the brook, Rachel gradually increased her pace, keeping to paths that drew her closer to the teens and gave the most moonlight. Her power and speed grew with every point added to her [Lunar Pool]; it was minor but noticeable, and the cloud cover was gradually giving way to a brilliant sky unlike any Rachel had seen due to the light pollution of Earth.

She broke into a sprint upon hitting 80% of her lunar capacity, ears lying flat, and easily finding stable ground due to having all of her peripheral vision in complete focus. The wind whipped her long ponytail behind her, and Rachel couldn’t wait to explore more of this new, powerful figure she’d gained. For some reason, she hardly felt the sting of losing her muscles, barely noticing as a sliver of azure light shone through the clouds.

Heartbeat racing, shirt pressing against her body, and smelling the lingering sweat of the teens in the air, Rachel burst through the underbrush to save them, causing Verna to squeak and stumble back upon seeing her blurred appearance as Rachel moved like a ghost in the dark undergrowth.

A silent goblin nocked an arrow and then loosed the string—time slowed, and she twisted her wrist to snatch it out of the air. Using the momentum to skip in a circle, her leg lashed out upon entering the bush the goblin hid in, and Rachel was shocked to hear a sharp snap as its spine broke.

That easy—I killed it?!

Carried through the thicket, a few scratches marred her skin from the thorns as she recovered, and her tail went stiff as Verna’s cry was cut short. She’d fallen onto a rock, hitting the back of her head.

“Hey! Ack…”

“Wha—Verna?!”

Shit… Not exactly how I saw this going in my head, she internally groaned as two of the goblins snarled and exited their hiding place to approach her, small knives drawn.

The pulse in her ears died a little as the clouds covered part of the moon overhead, and she noticed a slice of a blue moon had been showing.

Buzz-kill… she internally grumbled at the sky.

Around a meter tall and green-skinned, the hairless creatures wore animal pelts, causing Rachel’s eyebrow to lift. Okay, so she was fighting skinny monster shrimps. Still, she didn’t feel an ounce of fear as she stopped to appraise them from a small section of pale moonlight that remained.

“How bad is it, Martin?” Rachel casually asked as the other two long-ranged goblins retreated a bit to prepare to engage her from a distance. “Smart buggers, aren’t they?” she snickered to herself, feeling her appetite grow with the reappearance of the blue light.

Martin couldn’t see her beyond the thicket she’d passed through with the ambushers, but the sound of a friendly voice stilled his rapid pulse. “Who… Umm, she hit her head on a rock—she’s bleeding! How many are there?”

Rachel was impressed he was adapting; he attempted to drag her out of the open and into some tall ferns. “Don’t worry about these guys; you just take care of your friend.”

“Thank you; we owe you!”

An archer’s bald head turned in Martin’s direction, and Rachel snatched the slinger’s stone out of the air before flinging it at its distracted buddy to keep its attention. She missed, and they snickered at her aim, causing a spur to kick into Rachel’s heart and a wicked fire to ignite in her chest as they made faces to intimidate her, or at least that was likely their goal.

Dammit! My strength keeps increasing and decreasing with this bipolar sky, making me misjudge my aim. I’m getting too strong with all this Lunar Energy and the two moons.

A sly twist came to Rachel’s nose as the three knife-wielding creatures didn’t approach, instead opting to form a triangle around her and snarl while slashing the air threateningly; they were scared. Then again, if she focused on them, the archer or slinger might kill her; this likely wasn’t their first human kill.

She caught the black, dead eyes of the goblin a few meters from her, staring into oblivion, yet Rachel didn’t feel anything but chills for the fight to come, remaining in a casual posture.

Rachel passively twirled the arrow around her fingers while continuing to analyze her first encounter with these alien creatures, or was she the alien? The thought made Rachel giggle with the bright, azure moon that suddenly illuminated the area, casting a sapphire hue to the sharp-fanged fiends.

By their paint markings, weapons, tactics, and apparel, goblins in this world had their own culture and intelligence; they truly were a threat in this world, though not to her.

From what she’d heard from the conversations between Martin, Verna, the merchants, and their few guards, goblins were almost always hostile toward humans. The taste of humanity was a delicacy to most monsters; to them, it was practically food custom-sent by the gods to deliver the most divine flavor. Collecting human teeth to wear as jewelry gave goblins status and honor in their colonies.

She wasn’t aware of a lot of fantasy tropes since that hadn’t been her hobby, so she couldn’t be sure if these creatures had any special abilities. It was for that reason she’d recruited Zoe, yet upon entering the azure rays, she didn’t want spoilers.

Another arrow loosed, and Rachel wanted to laugh at the speed—it was like facing the timid kids in dodgeball—she snatched her second weapon, but this one had a noticeable difference.

Poison? she theorized, noticing the dripping green goo on the point. I didn’t even see them coat it. Well done.

“You okay—do you need help?” Martin called back, making two of the goblins turn in fear he’d burst through the undergrowth—a point Rachel took full advantage of.

Tossing the arrows at the one keeping its beady black eyes on her, she dodged another thrown stone, hand snatching the left goblin’s throat like a viper, her other hand deflecting its panicked slash as she’d been taught in self-defense lessons.

“Haha. I think I’m perfectly fine—whoops,” she giggled as she used the gagging creature to shield herself from the next poisoned projectile; its struggles hardly noticeable. “What will you… Oh?”

The remaining knife-wielding scouts moved to rush her as the slinger went for a horn, the archer aiming to attack Martin.

“Way too smart,” Rachel grunted, tightening her grip as the creature’s dirty fingernails clawed at her hand, drawing silvery blood; its eyes bulged, windpipe crushed as she threw it at one of its advancing buddies.

However, instead of engaging them, Rachel dashed for the slinger, hearing them snarl, attempting to warn the goblin fumbling with the item on its belt. It looked up in time to see Rachel’s fist fracture its face, propelling it back two meters to tumble across the dirt and leaves.

The archer tried to stab her with a goo-laced arrow, but she simply grabbed its wrist and flipped it around to bury into its own stomach; its face showed disbelief, and Rachel could smell its fear as it looked into her wide, illuminated eyes.

Rachel swiftly dispatched the last two by snapping their necks, somewhat disappointed by the outcome. Sighing, she studied her handiwork and the damage they’d done to her.

It wasn’t even a fight… It’s boring. I killed them, and I feel bored…annoyed. Maybe there is something about turning into a Mythickin that turns you into a psychopath. If I’m not careful, I might lose myself in this heat…

Releasing another depressed sigh, she slid her fingers over the shallow cuts on her arm; her blood was now white, sticky, and thicker than it should have been, clotting quickly. Contrastingly, her fist was stained red from crushing one of the green creatures’ faces.

She could get wrapped up in fights, but this was a whole different level, and she hadn’t hesitated for a second. Then again, she might have died if she did—one wrong move could have been a dagger in her belly.

Martin stumbled through the brush, squinting in the dark until he saw her, eyes going wide. “Is it… The Jade Hare—you’re real?!”

Her ears drifted to the side as she turned to the awestruck teen; he looked to be around thirteen years old. “Hmm? Explain that to me… Verna is still breathing, at least,” she mumbled, cleaning her fist on one of the goblin pelts before going to check on the girl.

“Umm. Yeah, yeah… I wrapped her head with what gauze we had… But, whoa, the Ranger Guild tells stories about you—the mythical White Jade Hare that shows up and kicks ass!”

“Hehe. Well, isn’t that something?” Rachel brooded, finding the medical care far better than anything she knew she could do; the black-haired girl’s breathing was stabilizing. “She’ll probably have a Grade 2 concussion… Dizziness, memory loss, confusion, ringing in her ears. Heh. She’ll probably be irritable. You’ll want to get her to that healer druid you have in the caravan.”

“Right… Umm. We were sent here to—”

“I know why you were sent here,” Rachel said, knowing she probably was coming off as omniscient and magical with her entrance, not that she was trying to be. “Why don’t you tell me what I want to know while your friend recovers.”

“Mmgm… Martin—where the hell… Did you drug me again?! Who the—”

Rachel lifted an eyebrow at the young man, who swiftly shook his head. “It was a training exercise!”

“Uh-huh,” Rachel hummed, showing the panicking girl an innocent smile as she backed away. “Hello, I’m Rachel, apparently the…”

“White Jade Hare?” she gasped, wincing with a groan while gingerly touching her head. “Ugh… What happened? Did I die?”

Rachel let Martin explain things to her as she went to study the corpses she’d left scattered about. The sapphire gleam in the sky was covered by the dark clouds, and more scouting parties were patrolling now, but their area seemed to be free from inspection.

Taking a deep breath, she took in the rich, earthy smell of the place, experiencing millions of scents she had a troubling time identifying; she was able to cycle through them on a desire, not that it helped her much. All of her senses had been enhanced from [Divine Beast Empowerment]’s advancement.

The rancid mouths and the blood of the goblins creased her nose, but she could filter it out if she wanted. What most pulled on her mind was the ease at which she’d just executed these creatures; she’d never killed anything in her life.

Obviously, I shouldn’t feel bad about murdering these things… They were attempting to kill teens—stupid teens, but teens, nonetheless. Yet, a kill is a kill, so should I be so nonchalant?

Ignoring the quandary and rising from her crouching position, she drew something rather disturbing from the encounter: this world was most likely very real and not just some virtual space to train. The lives, mannerisms, and things talked about between various parties of the caravan and the conversations she’d followed from the two teens were far too complex to be pure fiction.

Once the kids were calmed down, they told her about the stories revolving around the White Jade Hare and her companions that spotted their world’s history; there were hundreds of years of scattered interactions.

Unfortunately, they couldn’t tell her anything about who her companions were since they’d only heard a few things from the drunken stories told by their instructors. One Verna liked was the Battle of the High Keep, where an army of ogres had been dispatched by her group when all looked lost.

After getting a few quick answers that were on Rachel’s mind, she told them to head back to the road to help during the attack and made sure Verna promised not to participate; a quake ran down the girl’s spine at the intense, illuminated stare she gave her.

“I feel fine, though…” she groaned, clearly out to get recognition, which Rachel could respect, and she noticed a strange rhythm spike in her heart.

“Lying isn’t going to help anything,” Rachel said, showing an understanding smile. “You don’t want to become a burden to others…which includes the burden of dealing with your death. I had a teacher, too, and he told me the same thing when I got my first concussion. Maybe learn how to fall next time, or where you’re falling?”

“Yeah…” she mumbled, blushing with embarrassment while rubbing her arm. “Thank you, White Jade Hare. Are you going to handle the goblins?”

“I am! Why don’t you two talk a lot about the world and more about goblins… Ooop, let’s stay awake, Verna—Martin, keep her talking and help her back. If you go…that way, you’ll reach the road and be a bit behind the group, but you won’t meet any goblins.”

The boy nodded, supporting the frustrated girl as he guided her in the direction she’d pointed. “She’s going to be so pissed if she doesn’t remember this tomorrow,” he groaned, yet his face showed he was a man on a mission. “I’ll get her back.”

“Good man,” she chuckled, patting him on the back.

He set off, and Rachel turned her attention back to the goblins; she could hide the corpses but didn’t see the point in it if her intention was going to draw more her way. She could hardly feel the wounds on her arm now.

However, something new quickly snatched Rachel’s attention as she gave herself time to analyze the sounds in the forest: in the far distance, there was an area utterly devoid of noise.

Interesting…

She took one of the tiny goblin daggers to practice throwing it on her path to the edge of apparently nowhere; the trick was passing between moonlight and darkness, which drastically changed her power output.

Thus far, she’d discovered quite a few things that grated against her brain:

Fantasy creatures were real.

She was written into the history books of another world, and it opened up the question of whether these Quests Anthony could access might also take them through time.

Certain emotions she thought she should feel after killing something were nonexistent.

This world naturally had magic in it. All she had to go on were the discussions from the merchants regarding a few members in their party, but their examples and hopes gave Rachel the impression it was less potent than it seemed to be from those affected by The Oscillation.

An Irish moon goddess might not only be real but have some kind of vested interest in her, and she still couldn’t be sure that the deity hadn’t had a hand in causing this sudden change. At the very least, it raised suspicions about her own transformation.

On the other hand, she had many questions still left unanswered:

Would she change further?

Were these Quest Worlds connected to the Crystal Worlds she’d heard about?

How did these Quests operate compared to the Crystals, as well?

How should she react in this situation?

How would these enhancement abilities affect her mental state?

What was the end game?

Rachel snarled, dismissing a lot of the information. All I know is that I need a win condition. For what? I have no clue, but I always have to have a win condition. If the world has turned hostile, I have to act in kind or get trampled, lying face down on the ring…

Her nose creased with the thought of her first competition, where she’d lost in the semi-finals. From that moment on, she’d promised never to let that embarrassment happen again, working hard to make that a reality.

Coming upon a fathomless fog, Rachel glared into the swirling abyss that left no sound. I can’t define myself… I’m fighting, but for what? To survive? No. I don’t only want to survive. I’m doing all of this to have control. Rule one: control the fight, and you can’t lose. I can’t lose control.

Methodical mind back in motion, she took a long stick and tested out the mist before attempting to press against it; the stick could go through, yet her hands met an impassable barrier. When she struck it, all the kinetic energy vanished, not causing a recoil.

A barrier, yet one only I can’t exit? I suppose it is similar to the Crystal gateways that generate a field… Animals can go in and out of it. It’s a competition area. Perhaps it could expand if the quest changes? All I get are questions…

The liquid in Rachel’s mouth thickened upon hearing something sizeable exit a goblin cave, though electricity ran through her body as the azure moon broke free from the clouds. Body raring to go, her ears swiftly turned, listening intently to the guttural sounds the large creature made. Goblins cowered at the orders that came from the bigger entity.

A challenge? Well, if that’s the case, I should level up a little and finally put some points into my Feats and Stats.

Dismissing everything else with the rekindled fire in her chest, she realized she’d lost interest in the goblins due to how easy the fight had been; however, this wasn’t a goblin, or at least wasn’t like the ones she’d slaughtered.

Licking her lips, Rachel broke into a light jog, passing through the forest at twice her previous top speed as she moved to strategically take out the other scouts in the area.

“I’m going insane,” she laughed, throwing her dagger at the ambushed goblins, who were screaming in panic; it struck one’s shoulder, making it twist backward. “I don’t think I care anymore… I want to experiment with these new powers. Can you even understand me?” she asked, scooping one goblin up and abducting it, hiding behind a tree—not that she needed to.

She hummed, easily snapping its wrists, making them useless as it tried to struggle to break her grip around its throat. “I don’t think you do… I guess that makes this easier!”

The horn sounded behind her, and she could smell the fear in the crippled goblin’s sweat when a sinister smile twisted her mouth, showing the appetite for conflict that she’d been attempting to suppress with logic.

“Bring all of your friends. I’ve got this…strange buzz in my ears. Is it your wheezing?” Her fingers twitched as she moved into the moonlight, crushing the tiny fiend’s throat. “Damn… You’re all so fragile,” Rachel complained, tossing the body to the side as it suffocated; she felt too powerful.

Her bright, four-leaf-clover-like irises shifted to the small pack of fodder that had come to offer her their life; she felt high on something.

I’m in control, she told herself, effortlessly predicting and dodging the arrows or stones the organizing goblins threw at her. I need to understand these abilities, and the best way is to exercise them.

Finding a thick branch on the ground, Rachel used it to break the bones of the little monsters. She allowed them to form their strategies to better grasp their ingenuity out of pure interest before crushing them; something Tyreese drilled into her was to observe her opponents carefully to see if there was anything she could learn or adapt into her technique.

Sliding between the sapphire moonlight and darkness, she let the fire grow within her. All the inhibitions Rachel experienced were evaporated under the blue celestial object that beat back the veil of clouds to fill her with strength.

[Level Up - Level 3]

[1 Stat Point Added; 2 Available]

[1 Feat Extension Added; 1 Available]

Rachel’s grin briefly gleamed as bright as the white moon above her.

Chapter Five

I Might Be A Monster, But I’m Still Me

Mind in a strange familiar haze between clarity and mania, Rachel smiled at the cool air that tickled the hair on the back of her neck as the sapphire and alabaster moons broke through the canopy, bathing her in contradictory energy.

Time stretched and flashed by in the blink of an eye between each action as she moved from group to group of goblin scouts; her cold pursuit through the ominous forest was liberating as the bright azure rays embraced her.

Whistling as she stalked the crying and whimpering goblins through the night, loving every agonizing, panicked twitch that came from their muscles, Rachel reveled in the hunt, losing track of time.

Yet, it wasn’t as if she couldn’t remember what she did or the goal pumping through her veins in her methodical approach. She made sure to let these creatures know she wasn’t in their forest; they were in hers, and a few had to be left alive to spread the story.

Rachel slipped through the night like a ghost, swift movements leaving a gust that whipped up leaves as she moved to less dense areas to soak in the celestial bodies’ light that cast a cold tint across the scenery.

It was as if the forest itself held its breath as she continued to explore her new abilities under the watchful gaze of the two moons. She felt oddly jovial under the lunar rays while observing the unusual creatures dash for their holes or brush to hide as her whistle silenced the woods.

A slight smirk lifted the corner of Rachel’s lips as her chest shook with silent laughter; she had been leaving a trail of bodies for the goblin leader to find, welcoming him to follow the carnage to meet her and set the tone.

Two goblins scurried across the ground—the last of their troupe of five that she’d easily outpaced in a wide circle, waiting behind a tree to set the mood; if she was a myth in this world, she had to start it right.

Drawing in air, she let the same foreboding whistle penetrate the still night while pausing a few seconds. Each pant and droplet of sweat that hit the ground quickened her blood, ready to ambush them as the goblins tripped and fell on their faces.

This was so much fun, but it wasn’t necessarily the fear she smelled from the creatures that made her heart thump—on the contrary, the hunt itself would be tedious—no, it was the challenges she placed on herself and the stage she was setting with their boss that drew her anticipation. It was the rare instance when she saw a goblin hear the whistle that foretold their deaths but chose to face her regardless instead of running.

Stepping out from behind the tree, she saw the creatures’ lives flash before their eyes as they viewed her illuminated figure and glowing red eyes.

Ceasing the sound, she tossed the horn one of the goblins had fumbled and dropped in their previous encounter, making them flinch as it hit the ground; one had almost lost their trousers in the whirlwind that was her assault. “Go ahead, blow it.”

It swallowed, tentatively reaching down and releasing the call, making Rachel smile. “Perfect. Now…who is going to run first—you?”

Rachel caught the neck of its friend when it dashed to the left. It wasn’t even hard, gripping the tiny, wriggling thing and lifting it off of its feet to dangle in the air; it wasn’t as if their path was random, either.

She threw it at a leafy area that didn’t reverberate in the same way as its surroundings with their footsteps; the goblin screamed as it fell through the pitfall trap, landing on spikes below.

“You tried. You’re all so…weak when alone or when you can’t lay an ambush. I guess there is a reason people in this world do find it troubling to deal with your kind, though,” she mused, letting the goblin stumble to the foggy zone that would lead back to the direction this tribe had migrated from, according to the information she’d gathered.

“I really hope your boss won’t disappoint me,” she sighed, walking to the pitfall trap to stare down at the evidence of previous use.

The goblin was still alive, gagging and rasping for help, no doubt, as it processed its death, holding onto the sharpened stick that had penetrated its gut. It seemed things died a lot slower from some wounds than some movies portrayed.

Her focus turned to the south, letting the chilling vibes of the sheens of light cast from the dual celestial objects soak through her skin, noticing a pale blue-and-white glow emanating around her; she felt invincible, which, oddly enough, wasn’t exactly a good feeling.

He’s still not upset or in a rush… Rachel hummed to herself, following the path of the goblin champion as he moved between the areas of brutalized goblins, observing her work. Maybe I need to change my tactics… Shit.

Rachel’s mouth drew in upon hearing Anthony enter her ears’ range again; it appeared he’d handled his side of things while she tried to make this conflict with the goblin boss more appetizing, yet a sudden idea made her smile, and she instantly accelerated into a sprint. Surely, if something would get this bigger goblin motivated, it would be invading his home.

Slowing near the cave entrance, Rachel held her hands behind her back and started her whistle, daring any of the goblins nearby to challenge her; word had gotten back to the lair regarding the slaughter, which was why the boss was on the move.

Her call was met with goblins ducking behind trees and running into the tunnels to warn the others that the hare had made it home. She passed through the outer perimeter, walking past the petrified goblins that had seen her crush their friends, their blood still wet on her fists, cheeks, and front.

She bypassed all the traps, sharp eyes and ears tracking every twitch in the area; her whistle came to a stop when an arrow was shot at the back of her head from an archer in a tree. It whizzed past her neck as she tilted it to the side, half turning to stare up at the petrified creature that had thought itself wholly hidden.

“Most of you are already that terrified of me, hmm?” she softly asked, standing just outside the abyss that led to deep tunnels underneath the earth.

Anthony was cautiously making his way to the area, and Rachel could understand why now that she could hear everything within the caverns below. There were hostages; worse, they were children. Yet, for some reason, she wasn’t thrilled to go rescue them; the hero could do that.

“Boring. If all of you attacked, maybe I’d be forced to get serious, but I suppose most goblins are cowards.”

Sighing, she found no enjoyment from the throng as they all inched around her to run into the tunnel. Eight goblins from the scouts she’d encountered managed to make it back to spread the news, yet not one had the brass to engage her again.

Her ears shot straight up as a shrill, much louder horn sounded a hundred meters north. It was a hidden cave entrance that appeared to be their emergency exit; they were letting all of the other goblins in the area know the home base was under attack, or maybe not, considering the goblins around the forest changed course, running uphill.

Are they retreating? Goblins really are no fun… she internally grumbled, putting her hands on her hips and turning in a slow circle to face the cave again.

Her ears drifted forward, listening intently to the chatter of snarls, whimpers, and cries that echoed through the tunnels.

I guess Anthony has another quest to rescue the kids… Why did they keep them alive? she coldly thought, studying the goblin’s decorations with a hint popping into her mind.

Human clothing, human skulls, elven-like strung together ears, and bony fingers piled up in purposeful piles outside like some art statement drew Rachel a vivid picture of how these creatures lived. Children were likely a delicacy—even among humanoid meats—considering the twelve unique, muffled whimpers she heard deep inside, waiting to be savored.

Her eyes rose to the clearing heavens, bright with celestial wonder; she didn’t want to leave the sapphire moon—if she did, Rachel instinctively knew she’d start questioning her actions again, and there was a time for that, but that wasn’t now.

“When did I get such a twisted soul?” she whispered to herself, chin still lifted to the sky as her eyes shifted to the left, acknowledging Anthony when he saw her through the trees; it wasn’t hard, considering her glow. I have a lot to unpack when this is over.

Anthony’s spear rested against his shoulder, bright-green irises scanning the still woods for danger or traps, which he had so far skillfully dodged, proceeding with care, unlike her.

“Took care of the goblin ambush?”

“Uh, yeah, it wasn’t a huge deal,” he muttered, sweeping her appearance with tight lips. “Huh. Well, you look like you’ve had quite the night; I’m…guessing that isn’t actually your blood, right?”

Showing a charming smile, she held up her wrists, showing light cuts that had already congealed. “Funny story; my blood has turned white! And I’m guessing you’re here for a new quest to rescue the children?”

Anthony forced a laugh, focus drifting between the grizzly aesthetic of the goblin den and the arrow sticking into the ground near her. “Probably triggered by you… I think it’s safe to assume you’ve got everything mapped out with those big ears. So…figure things out?”

“Not entirely, answering both questions,” she shrugged, finding her arm behind her back as he approached, keeping a distance so she didn’t have to look up at him. “The cave messes with my ears a bit, but it isn’t a big deal.”

“Uh-huh.” He studied her for a few seconds, and Rachel stared back, wondering what thoughts were going through his head; she was covered in goblin guts, after all. A shower would definitely be needed on their return. “You have this, eh…glint in your eyes that, heh, makes me a little nervous. I guess Mythickin are pretty beastly in the end, no matter what they look like, huh?”

“Hmm-hmm.” She pointed at the blue sphere overhead. “It’s the moon; it appears that different colors or the ones of other worlds have various effects on me—well, that’s my current theory anyway. Oh, heh, I’m still me,” she reassured, showing a toothy grin at his strained chuckle.

“You could say…I’m more me than I am otherwise—unfiltered is a good word… I’m still figuring it out, though. In any case, you’ll want to reach the kids before they get the idea of using them as shields; I’ve…kind of given them the idea that I’m not that kind of hero.”

“You don’t say,” he mumbled, eyeing her gore-stained front and arms. “I look forward to the story about your night when this is done. Any reason you’re staying out here…other than moon-bathing?”

“I have a challenger coming that has been keeping me waiting for too long,” she sighed, gesturing with her thumb behind her. “I suppose it’s my fault for trying to get him riled up; he does seem motivated to come back after that last horn, though.”

“Cool. Cool.” Anthony eased around her, keeping his guard up, which Rachel found cute. Although, she certainly was someone to keep your guard up around.

If only there were two of me, Rachel internally lamented, knowing she’d find a good fight in herself. Her focus returned to Anthony as he paused just outside the rather large cavern entrance.

“Oh, by the way, Zoe wanted me to let you know that she thinks we all share EXP, and it works from a distance—at least, however far away you were at the time.”

“Mmh. So, leveled up as well. Good to know. Heh. Remember—”

“Watch my sword on the walls,” Anthony finished with a laugh, switching to his short sword. “Zoe watches some…weird shit.”

“I bet she does,” Rachel mused, having heard part of the story behind that comment on their travel to the caravan. “There are some warriors inside and plenty of places to lay ambushes, so…be careful.”

“Always! I hope I don’t come out to hare stew, as well.”

Rachel gave him a light glare. “Have a little faith in me.”

“Right! Right! Haha. I guess I should wish the other dude luck with how you look right now. You…good to help me with the kids when I get them out?”

“I’m not a complete monster,” Rachel huffed. “I just…like a good fight.”

“Good to hear, and some advice from the cat-girl: there may be hobgoblins here, or far stronger versions of goblins, which, I think you confirmed,” he chimed, showing her a thumbs up and flashing his teeth before heading into the depths to complete his hidden mission.

Hobgoblins? Well, we have a name.

Working out her arms and cracking her neck, Rachel checked the security of her ponytail and running shoes as her large opponent showed up; her footwear wasn’t designed for the beating she’d given them since they were a street running pair, but they should hold up.

Anticipation drew her focus to the brute of a goblin that stood even taller than Anthony, boasting muscles that made Rachel envious and curse her own misfortune; first appearances were looking up, and that wasn’t the only thing that drew her hungry gaze.

Well-polished, light armor covered part of the red-skinned goblin’s leathery hide, and a topknot held his chocolate-colored hair in place. He wielded a broad sword that shimmered in the sapphire moonlight, and a pair of studded topaz earrings adorned his pointed ears.

His large, down-turned nose crinkled as he scowled at her, pointing a finger, his gravelly tone holding a grounded accent. “You… You are no human—beast woman. You fight for their precious gold.”

“Is that what I do?” Rachel hummed, flexing her fingers. She kept her focus, aware that magic existed in this world, and she wasn’t so unversed in fiction to not conclude he could be using an enchanted weapon or items.

“I’ve never fought against someone that used a sword before… Well, I guess you could argue that your henchmen use swords,” she mumbled, watching the hobgoblin take a stance that showed he was no amateur.

This…might be harder than I initially thought. This is what I want!

Bouncing up and down on her toes, Rachel shook herself out, thinking that her Muay Thai was an excellent start, but maybe she should invest in weapon training at some point. Having more options was never a bad thing, but she would need someone to teach her some basics—it just so happened she’d met a pretty red-haired man who could offer some help in that area.

“My future is a total mess!” she laughed, wondering if she may have been too prideful not to have put anything in her Stats or gained new Feat additions, but maybe she could put them in without entering the meditative state; she’d learn soon enough.

Time slowed as her Feats activated, and she shot forward, paying close attention to every twitch the warrior made, yet alarms flooded her muscles as a light-yellow glow encompassed the goblin, driving the creature forward much faster than she’d anticipated and causing after-image outlines that confused her.

Damn. He is using enchantments or some kind of ability!

Pivoting to the left to buy herself time, Rachel timed it as best she could, palms clamping down on the sword to try and bring it to a stop. Instead, her ears were carried forward in a sudden turn around that widened her eyes, seeing the grin on the goblin’s face as her feet left the soil—she was too light, no matter her strength.

Her abs tightened, pushing back against the sword so it wouldn’t reach her belly as he brought her into a full circle—her destination, a tree—he was trying to cut her clean in two.

She only let her left eye close, trying to keep the air trapped in her lungs while continuing to keep the sword away from her vulnerable gut; they came to a standstill.

The hobgoblin’s grip eased lower to apply more leverage as he held her against the tree and tried to cut through. Unfortunately, he rivaled her power—of which she had more than [Strength]. She couldn’t outlast him; this would be a battle to end quickly.

Rachel forced out a laugh, nose twisting and arms beginning to shake from the effort. He really was strong, and her feet weren’t much help pressed against the trunk to keep her stable, but she did have another option since her [Lunar Pool] was capped.

Trying to find wiggle room, she whipped her ponytail around, managing to cause the thick bundle to slide between her struggling arms as the blade’s edge came closer and closer to her belly. She swapped grips from the sword to her illuminated, silver locks, relying on [Lunar Coat] to save her. The locks caught the edge, acting as a shield; at least her absurdly long and thick hair was somewhat helpful.

Elbow swapping to her abs to apply leverage, she found purchase to kick the goblin’s chest, forcing him to stumble back from her pinned position and allowing her to slide down the bark to the damp soil.

Her sports bra made a few ripping sounds, and she felt some rough cuts with the accompanying splinters, but she quickly found her balance and drew distance from the sneering creature; upon feeling a light sting from her left side, Rachel forced a grin, using the tree as a temporary barrier.

From her wide field of view, she saw he’d managed to cut a small lock out of her hair and make a shallow wound against her side, with thick, white blood oozing out of her wound. The combination of his speed enhancement and magical weapon posed a real risk—at least, it seemed like a magical weapon due to the damage it had done to her hair. That said, these risky fights were always the most fun.

“Wooh… Close one,” she laughed, making sure to keep herself in view of the two lunar spheres while wishing to place points into her [Quickness] and [Power], yet nothing happened; it looked like it could only be done in the meditative state. “Damn…where did you get those magical items?” she asked, brandishing her resilient, glowing ponytail.

“You are tougher than most beast people I slay,” he huffed, advancing on her again. “You no last long against Mish’nig.”

“Is that your sword’s name, or yours? Let’s just say that’s your name,” she hummed, swallowing and calming her thumping heart. It had been ballsy to try and fight someone using a sword with her fists, but a grin brightened Rachel’s face upon recalling Zoe’s words. “Why don’t we change locations?”

Tactical retreat is not running away! Rachel shouted to herself as she turned and dashed for the cave entrance, far outstripping the snarling hobgoblin who probably thought she was trying to escape, and, given her superior speed, she certainly could have, but that wasn’t her goal.

The foul stench of the goblin cave hit her like a wall as she ran, holding her side; the sticky sensation of her blood made her grimace. She couldn’t feel the pain right now, likely due to the adrenaline, or whatever equivalent her new body used, pumping through her veins, and though the cut was shallow, she’d never had the like in her life.

“You coward bunny woman! You no hide in Mish’nig’s cave!” he roared, making Rachel’s gut twist at the thought that she was actually running away.

“Idiot!” she screamed back, turning as they came to a far more narrow cavern to face the monster, wearing a smile. “Didn’t I say I wanted a change of scenery? Listen to people when they talk,” she chuckled, holding up her illuminated hair and seeing a nearby dead goblin, slain by Anthony.

“You only make it easier for Mish’nig,” the hobgoblin grunted, entering the tighter space and holding his sword in front of him to skewer her, but Rachel didn’t flinch, holding her ponytail up as her defense.

All of her Stats might have taken a hit from being out of sight from the two celestial objects, but her full [Lunar Pool] also gave her a base multiplier to her Stats due to [Divine Lunar Surge], which was gaining Tier EXP by the second as she kept the energy in her reservoir.

“You know, I was told using a sword in cramped places isn’t a good idea—well, jabbing works with it, I guess,” she chuckled, muscles snapping into action as he thrust forward; she parried at the last second, [Mental Acceleration] giving her the breathing room to act. “Haha!”

He grunted as she pushed up, keeping the blade away from her while barreling into him, taking them both into a more open area. Managing to get on top of him, she used her grappling experience to wrestle the sword out of his hands and throw it away.

Rachel winced as he grabbed her hair, but she managed to slip it out of his gloved fingers, slick with mud—at least, she hoped it was mud from the cave floor; it probably wasn’t, though. Finding a hold with leverage, a pop made her grin as she dislocated his shoulder, yet something heavy struck her in the face, snapping her head back.

Seeing stars, she stumbled away, trying to gain distance and blinking; ridding herself of a few coughs, her focus cleared to find the hobgoblin stumbling to his own feet, casting his eyes around for his weapon, but it was nowhere to be seen, and Rachel didn’t even know where it had landed during the scuffle.

She sniffed, reaching up to wipe away some blood leaking out of her nose; there was a dull pressure against the area she knew well from taking a blow to the face, but she smiled as the creature straightened with a low growl.

“Bunny woman fights better than Mish’nig thought, for so skinny and small.”

“Heh. Well, it would be really embarrassing if I were a bunny woman,” she shot back as the fiend forced his shoulder back into place. “Ooh! Impressive. Impressive. We going to keep this up, or are you going to run away like a coward? Can you even fight without your fancy magical sword, or are all those muscles just for show?”

The hobgoblin’s nose twisted with a sneer. “Hehe. Mish’nig take back label as a coward. You wish for a brawl? Mish’nig show you the strength of a hobgoblin!”

Working around her neck and preparing for the slug-fest, Rachel took several sharp breaths, flooding her system with oxygen. He was in her ring now, and she could draw him back outside for a quick victory, but that also gave him the wiggle room to find his sword. No, she had to keep his focus on her.

Her eyes narrowed, chin tucked in, and hands up to defend as the large, over two-meter-tall goblin rushed her, heavy blows seeking to make contact with her face; this wasn’t her first time dealing with someone much larger trying to use their strength and size against her.

Just moving back could cause her to trip, and it wasn’t the optimal way to handle the overconfident opponent, so she only backed up two steps at an angle. Giving her some breathing room and expecting the three-punch combo, she used her smaller and more nimble frame to deflect the first and second blow, timed the third, and jumped in from the side to slide forward and push under his guard: her knuckles came up, striking right under his chin.

Head snapping back, he stumbled, flailing to knock her away, but she easily evaded the swing, gritting her teeth as she struck where his kidney should have been for her fist to meet steel.

“Tch!”

Knuckles stinging, she refused to back away while having the advantage, flipping around back to grab him by the waist, throwing him into an improvised suplex—not her area of expertise, but it worked in her position; he grunted as he struck the stone, rolling to the side and shaking his head to recover as Rachel did the same.

Puffing out a long stream of air, having hissed out and sucked in air with each action to keep oxygen pumping to her brain, Rachel forced a laugh, shaking out her throbbing fist. “That armor is pretty tough stuff…scared to fight without it against a beast woman?”

“Ugh… You crafty animal,” he snarled, rubbing his chin and giving her some space. “Mish’nig no fall for your tricks. Humph. You stronger than you look.”

“Is that the second time you’ve said that?” Rachel mocked. “Third time’s the charm?”

He didn’t respond, edging closer, and Rachel stepped forward to meet his cautious approach this time; he swung in a wide sweep, making her laugh inside while easily ducking to land a throat shot, preparing for a combo, yet a flash of yellow made her curse—it was a feint.

She tried to twist around the feint, but with his speed enhanced by the enchanted earrings, Rachel knew she wouldn’t make it in time; a heavyweight pounded against her side, forcing the air from her lungs. She guarded her face, yet the strike that followed sent her arms into her face, throwing her back.

Doing her best to recover, Rachel’s back struck the wall, and she dove to the left as the hobgoblin charged her, crashing against the stone. Coughing and trying to get air back into her lungs, she fought past the pain, sweeping out the creature’s legs on his next advance and mounting him.

Vision tightening, she pounded his face as he tried to guard, but she wouldn’t let up; she saw another blow coming but ate it to deliver an elbow from her mounted position, splitting the goblin’s nose and sending blood into his eyes, blinding him.

“Aragh!”

“Hah-hah!”

Rachel delivered a clean strike to the temple, causing the creature’s eyes to roll back, and she coughed, shifting to slide off of him; he’d managed to get a few solid hits to her side, and her face was a little numb, but she’d won—no, she hadn’t won yet.

Forcing herself up with a groan, she looked up to see Anthony standing at a distance with a dozen wide-eyed children, all dressed in rags that were probably taken from the goblins.

Rachel caught the dagger he tossed to her, seeing the smirk on his face. “How…long have you been there?”

“Long enough,” he chuckled. “Didn’t think you wanted me to get involved, but…you guys were kind of blocking the way out; I told the kids the bunny lady didn’t like help.”

“She’s not a bunny, though,” one of the eight-year-olds whispered, pointing at her ears. “Bunnies don’t have big ears like that! It’s not nice to call a beast woman the wrong name.”

“Yeah,” another boy mumbled, glaring at the hobgoblin. “Hare warriors are really sensitive about being called bunnies.”

Rachel pointed at the kids before driving the knife into the unconscious hobgoblin’s throat and leaving it to bleed out. “See?! Even kids can understand I’m not a bunny! The education system here is…ugh-ack, heh, top-notch.”

Her nose twisted as another spur of pain came to her side, and Anthony moved closer to help her up; she wanted to resist, but then she felt his muscles… Why, why had she lost her muscle!? At least she could enjoy it from others.

“You okay? Scratch that—you’re bleeding all over the place, and I think we should grab some ice when we get back.”

“I told you…I bleed white, not—”

“And you’re bleeding white,” Anthony interjected.

Rachel set her ground as he tried to pull them out of the cave. “Wait! Find the sword—and, umm…his earrings.”

“Unbelievable,” Anthony jokingly sighed, helping her to a wall before moving to the corpse of the hobgoblin. “You’re fashion shopping right now? By the way, kids in this world are freaking tough,” he mumbled, gesturing at the determined children, holding daggers, clubs, or rocks as they searched around for the sword Rachel wanted to be found.

“Seems that way… I hurt…everywhere,” she groaned, realizing it was more about her overexerted muscles than her wounds.

“Dude was tough? And…did you kill all these goblins with your bare hands?” He gave a forced chuckle upon seeing some of the damage she’d done to them. “Intense. I only dealt with a few weird blue ones that shot ice at me.”

“Aww. That sounds a bit fun. I didn’t have any blue ones. As for this guy, he probably could have killed me if he was smarter. It was kill or be killed; they were kidnapping kids to eat, too,” Rachel muttered, rubbing her split knuckle. “Honestly, Zoe’s the MVP; that sword comment gave me the idea to lead him here.”

Scanning the bodies, Rachel’s mouth drew in; Anthony seemed to be less freaked out about the sight, but the domestic cat might get a tad scared at her brutality. “We…probably shouldn’t tell her about all the gore, though.”

Anthony raised an eyebrow while appraising her handiwork. “Yeah, you might need to see a therapist.” He gave a dry laugh. “I’m sure she’ll squeal when she hears how much help her advice was to you.”

“Found it!” a small girl called, redirecting the topic as she grunted and reached into a crack to extract the sword.

Rachel smirked and flexed her tingling fingers. “Excellent.”

Forcing herself up, she collected the earrings from the dead hobgoblin; an acceptable prize for her victory.

I guess I should thank [Bringer of Misfortune] because that is BS.

Rachel eventually allowed Anthony to carry her back to the carts as she began to lag behind; she hadn’t realized how tired she could get after such a short but intense fight, and it showed she really had overestimated herself. The moonlight helped to ease some of the throbbings, but it wasn’t a total cure.

Zoe and Anthony fussed over her wounds; Rachel didn’t see the big deal, though, since they’d mostly stopped leaking out all over the place, and the druid offered some relief, mending her more serious ones. Word had spread about her via the two in-training scouts, and, to all of their shock, a hooded man revealed himself to be the prince of a kingdom to the south.

The reward for rescuing the children came in the way of a sealed letter that would allow them an audience with the king of the nation—a chain quest, as Zoe put it—and the merchants gave Anthony a keg of beer, but the true prize was what happened when they said their goodbyes.

[Level Up - Level 4]

[1 Stat Point Added; 3 Available]

[1 Feat Extension Available]

[Lunar Pool - Advanced to E-tier]

[Mental Acceleration - Advanced to E-tier]

[Strategic Mind - Advanced to E-tier]

[Lunar Cap - Advanced to E-tier]

[Divine Lunar Surge - Advanced to E-tier]

[Divine Beast Empowerment - Advanced to D-tier]

[Bestial Instincts - Advanced to D-tier]

[Bringer of Misfortune - Advanced to D-tier]

Practically all of her Feats had gained a tier, and she’d leveled again; the same was true with Anthony and Zoe, showing Quests were a very optimal way to gain EXP.

On their way off of the road, following Anthony to the exit location, Rachel hummed, looking up at the bright moons overhead; tonight certainly had been eventful, and she’d learned a lot about her transformation.

“So, Zoe, you were saying we all get experience as a group?”

“Mhm!” the cat-girl chimed, jumping forward with a gleam in her slitted eyes. “It’s actually amazing—like, for real! Insanely OP! You have an EXP multiplier, Anthony has the training zone, and I have, heh, well, the power of pop culture! Or, eh, well, more isekai and fantasy culture. We’re totally an awesome team!”

“Hehe. Right.” Rachel plucked at her sports bra as they left, glad the druid managed to get the splinters out of her back. “How’s it look?”

“Uhh…not great,” the girl hissed, eyeing the big barrel Anthony carried. “So, I’ve never had alcohol… I’m, heh, underage—but…we aren’t exactly on Earth or the US, so…”

“No can do, cat-girl,” Anthony said, shooting her a sad smile. “Maybe another time, but we need to go; the penalty for not exiting after the quest is done—like, soon—is not fun.”

“Oh?” Zoe asked, eyes going big. “What is it?”

“Eh…I’ll let your imagination go wild.”

“Aww! Don’t do that to me!” she groaned. “Ugh. Whatever…”

Anthony’s gaze shifted to the bundled sword in Rachel’s hands, along with the silk bag carrying the earrings inside, which the merchants gave her. “You plan to use them?”

Rachel shrugged, catching Zoe’s curious eyes. “I’ve learned the importance of weapons, and adding more skills to my resume isn’t a bad thing.”

“Mmh. I don’t know if swords are your…style,” he muttered, probably thinking back to how she’d brutalized the goblins. “I’d think more of a, heh, hammer.”

“A big one!” Zoe cut in. “Yeah, that would be perfect for you; it’s like…required for, eh, long-eared protagonists in stories!”

Rachel’s chest shook with laughter at the save. “That would be pretty cool… I’m just too light, though; I’d be thrown around everywhere.”

“Oh…I didn’t think about that,” the cat mumbled, ears falling flat. “B-But fantasy weapons can make up for that, right?”

“Maybe. Let me know if you find one. Anyway, it just seemed like a waste to leave them.”

“True… Uh, so my advice totally saved you, Rachel?” she asked, face practically glowing as she turned to her. “C’mon! I want more details about the hobgoblin fight! Oh, and we should do more Quests—this was amazing for levels. I’m pretty sure we’re getting close to level 5!”

“How can you tell?” Anthony asked, letting out a short grunt while putting down the barrel to slash the air with his weapon to open up a portal back to Earth.

“Just a hunch; I was doing some research in that mind space—ah! Rachel…”

The girl’s tail went stiff as she exited the portal first, and Rachel followed, dropping the bundled sword on the ground to hold up her hands; Anthony did the same once through, causing the beer in the barrel to slosh.

“What’s—huh—woah! We come in peace!” he laughed.

“Nice and easy, fellas,” one said, holding a radio to his mouth. “This is Alpha Team; we have unexpected guests from a portal in the library. Requesting back-up and orders. Over.”

Over a dozen tough military men surrounded the library—Green Berets—aiming very large guns at them and wearing deadly scowls. If that wasn’t enough, sitting at the table they’d left was a black-haired girl, wearing a steel muzzle and staring at them with bright red eyes—they’d found themselves right inside the vampire holding area.

Thanks, [Bringer of Misfortune], Rachel internally cursed.

Chapter Six

The Scarlet Hand

The room was still as Rachel readjusted to the host of noises assaulting her brain again, keeping her hands raised with Zoe and Anthony; she knew they had to comply, given the orders and stress these men were already under while guarding the vampire girl.

Anthony appeared to know it was best to let the lieutenant communicate with the OIC of the area, which hadn’t changed since they’d entered the rift. One interesting note Rachel latched onto was the time dilation; they’d only been gone half the time they’d spent in the other world.

Lt. Thompson responded. “Repeat that. Over.”

Mateo complied, nudging his gun to the ground. “We have what appears to be a bunny and cat-girl with an armed man wielding a spear and sword; they came from a rip in space, landing right in the middle of the library. Orders? Over.”

“Dammit… Get their story and report back. Out.”

Rachel’s eyes were centered on Lieutenant Mateo Herrero, slowly doing as she’d seen in movies and getting on her knees, hands behind her head while lowering her belly to the ground; however, from her wide field of vision, she got a better grasp of the situation they’d stumbled in on.

Soldiers in the hallway were getting filled in on the report, and she heard thirty-two men—Green Beret Special Forces—covering the halls and interior of the library; ten more were covering their vehicles outside, receiving updates from the second lieutenant to their left. Everyone was on high alert, and a lump dropped down Rachel’s throat, figuring not one had their safety on.

The vampire was in a straight jacket, yet silky pajama shorts showed under the thick binding, and her lifeless eyes said she was done with everything. She didn’t even seem to care at all that they’d popped out of a portal as if she’d seen it dozens of times.

“W-We’re not bad guys!” Zoe whimpered, ears pulled back as she followed Rachel’s example. “Please don’t kill us!”

“Shh. Let them ask the questions,” Rachel replied calmly, the unfiltered spur the azure moon gave her now significantly diminished while not under its rays. Still, she apparently retained the ability to draw upon the attribute from its presence in her [Lunar Pool], making her realize she could store specific Lunar Energy. “Is it alright if I hold her hand?”

A small smile lifted the man’s mouth, but not one soldier let their guard drop in the slightest. “Slowly… We can—Scarlet, what are you doing?” he sighed as the vampire slid off her chair and fell onto her face.

“Mmmgh…” she dully grunted, flipping to her back and blowing her messy black bangs out of the way to stare up at the ceiling. “Can this nightmare end already?”

“Uh, is she okay?” Zoe whispered, shaking fingers closing around Rachel’s as she shifted her head to look at the vampire before her rising tail slammed to the ground, remaining still. “Sorry, I’ll be quiet!”

One of the soldiers went to the girl to talk to her, trying to get her to sit back up as she groaned. Rachel was surprised; this was not the interaction she thought she’d find when hearing about the girl who slaughtered over three dozen people, or how she’d be treated. Of course, she’d missed the SWAT report with the full details of the incident.

“Ugh. Let’s just start from the top; introduce yourselves, and try to help us make sense of things… And, heh, go ahead and ramble if you want. Whatever comes to mind, little lady.”

“Uh…uh…”

Knowing the man wanted the panicking one to talk to reveal and give them many pieces of information to piece together, Rachel squeezed her hand, telling her it was okay. She kept her gaze diverted from the soldiers when realizing the complex mess that was her irises set them on edge, contenting herself to evaluate what had changed in their absence.

Anthony gave her a weak smile, hands palm down on the ground beside his barrel, which a soldier came closer to inspect in case it was an explosive before pulling it away for further examination.

Zoe talked about her entire life, rambling on about how she came to be here, the Quest, their actions there, and that they’d discovered the System. Rachel applied a tiny twitch of pressure to let her know that she shouldn’t reveal too much about that detail—it would be their leverage—luckily, the girl caught on, steering around the topic. She was thankful Zoe hadn’t disclosed Anthony was a Legendkin and she a Mythickin, as well.

Scarlet eventually returned to her seat to drape herself across the table, passively staring at her; her irises were ruby red and without pupils, causing Rachel to wonder if the vampire girl could see everything in focus like her.

At last, Mateo had them take the seats his men pulled out and placed in the open, making them easy targets. Rachel knew she couldn’t outrun bullets—at least not yet—so they needed to see they were compliant.

“Okay,” Mateo muttered, gun lowering as he sat across from them to try and connect, no doubt; his men didn’t drop their muzzles, though. “Let me get this straight… Anthony here can make portals to different worlds to…fight monsters?”

“Uh-huh! I know it sounds crazy, heh, but I’m a cat-girl—not that I always was,” she swiftly corrected. “Eh, I’m a normal freshman college student… I only just turned eighteen—am I still underage?! Can you hold me like this—I’m so scared… I’m sorry!”

“Hey. It’s okay. It’s okay,” the lieutenant calmly said, making a gesture with his hand before running his fingers through his hair. “What do you have to say… Rachel, was it? Do we have records for her at this school, Cameron?”

Their technology man seemed to be inside the school network because he pushed his lips together and shook his head, but Rachel jumped on the topic now that things were moving toward her in the spotlight.

“That’s my American name; try my Korean name, Park Sung-Hyo.”

“You speak Korean?” Roy, one of the men keeping them at gunpoint, asked, swapping to the language.

“I’m a third-generation American,” she explained in the same tongue, showing a forced smile. “My grandfather immigrated to the US when my dad was six. He owns a fairly successful tax agency with roughly eighty employees.”

The man whistled, translating to his CIO. “She’s fluent, I’ll give her that; heh, better than me.”

“Makes sense if she grew up speaking the language around the home,” Mateo muttered, hard brown eyes moving to Anthony. “And you’re the portal opener, huh? What’s your story?”

Rachel’s ears tilted a little to the side, interested in the topic, as well. All of their items and weapons had been confiscated and were being examined off to the side.

Anthony sighed, keeping his posture lax. “I’m a dual citizen—UK and US—my family was wealthy on my mother’s side, so I grew up attending boarding schools. It also gave me the luxury of pursuing what hobbies I wanted, and…eh-heh, as you might guess, I took up weapons and martial arts…primarily the spear,” he said, nudging his head to the side, where the item lay.

“I’m a graduate of U of M—Masters in biochemistry—and recently came into ownership of a small weapons training center after the previous owner returned to China. Anything you want to know specifically? I can tell you the estate my family owns if that will help narrow things down, but all our assets are in the UK.”

Rachel was a little surprised, considering he didn’t have a British accent; at least, she couldn’t detect a hint of one, yet she also couldn’t hear him lying.

“Interesting group you have, Zoe,” the military man said, focus returning to her.

The cat instantly shook her head. “No, no, no! Rachel’s more the leader! I, uh, I’m just kind of tagging along.”

“Oh… And why’s that?”

Rachel cleared her throat, ears twitching as she heard one of the volunteer scientists split away from a group, flipping through some documents; she was climbing the stairs and showing him an order to take a sample of the vampire’s blood.

“I have learned a lot by listening to everything, Lieutenant, and I believe the military and the commander of this area would love to hear what I have to say—I understand he is busy,” she noted at his tightening eyes, pointing at her ears. “I know about the Crystals and the danger that is in the pond; I can assure you that he will want to hear what I have learned.”

Mateo breathed in deeply, letting it go in a slow stream as he glanced toward his other men. “Huu-haaa. What a mess; this world has gone insane.” He got a few chuckles from his men before rising to his feet and stretching out his back. “Obviously, you’re after something. First, tell me what you want.”

Smart, Rachel thought, mind still puzzling together all the details flooding the air space. It wouldn’t be long until the scientist got to them, escorted by one of the soldiers. He thinks I won’t give him everything, but it will give him a direction to poke further.

“Protection for Zoe, Anthony, and I, for one, and possibly more; it depends on Lt. Thompson’s response.”

Mateo chewed on her response for a few seconds before shaking his head. “You’re going to have to give me more than that.”

Closing her eyes, Rachel breathed out a steady stream of air to calm her anxiety; somber eyes opening, she drew his attention to the bored vampire. “I understand…there is a stigma toward Mythickin right now… Tell Lt. Thompson that he has three inside his jurisdiction: Scarlet the Vampire, Selvaria the Sea Dragon, and me…the Lunar Hare.”

“Wrong!” Everyone’s focus snapped to the raven-haired girl as she rested her head against her arms, showing pointed, elf-like ears and pointed fangs. “I’m not a vampire… I’m a vespertine reaper.”

Anthony held up a hand. “Cool. I’m a Legendkin, which is why Rachel sought me out to see what I’m about… What? We’re all confessing here,” he laughed as she gave him a dull look. “I can take the heat, too. Oh, and she’s just a Beastkin domestic cat,” he said, jabbing a thumb at Zoe. “No threat.”

“Thanks for the depression,” Zoe grumbled, lowering her head, ears, and tail; Scarlet chuckled at her melancholy groan.

“I’d much rather be a Beastkin domestic cat… Wait! What are you—Mrs. Peck?”

Scarlet’s wide eyes shot to the door as it opened, revealing the volunteer scientist with glasses who came bustling through with a guard, carrying a tablet and wearing a smile. Curiously, the first thing out of her mouth was a lie, drawing Rachel’s mouth in; what was going on?

“Woah?! Scarlet? I didn’t know you were the…” She froze, blue eyes drifting from the stunned girl—somehow even paler than usual—to Anthony, Zoe, and settling on Rachel. “You’re not supposed to be here—why are you here!? You need to leave!”

Utterly taken by surprise and feeling whiplash from her lying tone to anger, Rachel’s ears went straight up; this woman had given her no reason to follow her until now. “Excuse me? Uh…who are—”

“Leave now!” she snarled, nose flaring and causing the soldiers to straighten at her sudden outburst. “Remove her from the campus! Lt. Herrero, she will ruin everything—she is a Mythickin!”

Mind accelerating at the rapidly evolving situation, Rachel had no idea how she should respond; she’d never met this woman in her life, and no matter how she spun it, her brain drew a complete blank. However, a weight pressing against her chest told Rachel this person was dangerous.

“How do you know she’s a Mythickin?” Anthony cautiously asked.

Zoe shrank in her chair. “Yeah, that’s weird… Do you know her, Scarlet?”

The soldier held her back, and Mateo silently observed; a few of his men were now on alert from her sporadic ravings in case they needed to force her out.

“She isn’t supposed to be here!” Mrs. Peck shouted, throwing a finger in her direction and making Rachel recoil a little as things escalated. “Scarlet, kill her! Kill her now before she ruins everything!”

Mateo held up his hands. “Okay, Vincent, get her out of here and figure out what the hell is going on…”

“No! No, there’s no time!” the woman cried, trying to fight the muscular soldier’s guiding arms without much success. “Lt. Herrero, you don’t understand—she’s the Bringer of Misfortune! She will destroy everything!”

“Uh-huh,” Anthony muttered, likely recalling the Feats Rachel had shared. “You don’t know her, right, Rachel?”

“No… Scarlet?”

The fanged girl dropped back into her seat, mouth open and fangs showing from the gaps in the muzzle as the woman was hauled out, practically screaming. “She…was my science teacher… This is the weirdest nightmare! Please…please, just let me wake up,” she cried, burying her head in her arms. “I want to wake up!”

“What was your take on that, Rachel?” Mateo asked, now standing and staring at the door. “She knew you were a Mythickin.”

Gears turning again, Rachel crossed her legs and folded her arms, gaze lowering to the floor as she thought aloud to kill two birds with one stone. “It doesn’t make sense unless she has powerful sensory abilities like me. She could have listened in on the conversations I’ve had with Zoe and Anthony; the problem is…”

“She didn’t know you were here,” Anthony finished, making Zoe’s mouth slacken in realization. “Yet, at the same time, she appeared to know about your transformation before even meeting you. Future sight? She said you weren’t supposed to be here.”

Zoe swiftly nodded. “Yeah, yeah! Future sight is a really good guess—like, clairvoyance, or something. But wait, she also didn’t know Scarlet was the vampire—eh, vespertine reaper.”

Rachel shook her head, tone brooding. “It was a lie; I heard it in the way her heart fluttered. She definitely knew Scarlet had changed.”

They could still hear her yells continuing down the hall, drawing a lot of attention before settling down when Mateo radioed his man who was forcing her out.

“Vincent, take her to a room and keep her on watch; I have questions for her.”

Expecting the task to be done, considering he had his hands full, he centered on their discussion again.

“What are you saying?” Scarlet asked her, suddenly invested in the conversation as each of the Green Berets’ attention was pulled to whoever spoke. “Are you saying s-she’s also a part of the Scarlet Hand? No, that’s, heh, that’s impossible… She was my teacher last year!”

Rachel’s ears tilted forward, a smile lifting her lips as the girl gave her a lead. “The Scarlet Hand? You have my attention, and Vincent is taking her down the hall to an empty classroom, Mateo,” she commented.

He nodded, now taking up a position against the wall. “The Scarlet Hand is a cult that Scarlet’s parents operated, so far—”

“It’s not true!” Scarlet hissed, blood suddenly flying out of her body to hover around her.

“Scarlet!” Mateo warned, the men’s rifles swapping to the girl, eyes wide and breathing heavily. “Stand down!”

“It’s not! It’s… It can’t be real! I didn’t kill him! Why is this happening to me?” she suddenly whimpered, crimson tears falling from her eyes to land on her straight jacket before sinking back into her skin.

Tail stiffening with the sudden threat she felt from the black-haired girl, Rachel’s gut tightened as she got up; instinctively, she knew this girl could cut her to ribbons if she wanted. If things went on like this, she could have a full psychotic break, which could make Miami turn out like Seattle.

Instead of retreating with everyone else, Rachel slowly walked closer, holding out her hands to show she wasn’t a threat; she knew it wasn’t possible to be a threat to this vespertine reaper.

“Scarlet… I know this all feels like a nightmare, and I wish it was, too. Hehe. I lost all my muscle, and I know that can’t compare to whatever you must be feeling… I think I can help you, though.”

“How?” Scarlet cried, a bloody pool cycling to form a cocoon around the panicking girl. Rachel had seen people have panic attacks before or even during fights, and the first thing you had to do was get them to focus on something that could bring them out of the loop they were stuck in. “This can’t be real!”

“Sir?” Cameron muttered, waiting for the order to fire.

Mateo snorted. “You saw her take a shotgun to the back, Cameron; I don’t think anything less than a focused charge is going to blow through that blood field she can make.”

“Yeah…”

“Help me understand,” Rachel pressed, keeping Scarlet’s attention. “Talk to me—tell me about what happened.”

“My parents, t-they weren’t, heh, cult leaders. That’s, eh-heh—that’s insane! No, my dad’s just a-a… He does stocks and investments. It’s a hobby—”

“Slow down,” Rachel whispered. “What hobby?”

“D&D! Ugh. Ah-hah. Yeah,” the vampiric girl gulped, feverish eyes darting to the floor. “I hated it. They’d have their f-friends over—roleplaying stuff… D&D isn’t demonic or evil… They were just…just weird,” she choked. “But they never h-hurt anyone! V-Veronica’s not dead—my mom couldn’t kill her… It wasn’t a cult!”

Legs quivering, Scarlet fell to her knees, ripping the sleeves of the straight jacket reflexively as she reached up to wipe at her blood-stained cheeks and rip off her muzzle. “I didn’t kill my dad! I didn’t! Why is this happening to me? It’s Scarlet’s fault—it’s not me! It’s not me…”

“Scarlet’s fault?” Zoe mumbled, clearly thinking she had some kind of mental issue or dissociative disorder.

Rachel wasn’t sure if she had that impression, but she also needed to be cautious. There was something impossible about the girl, dissociative or not; she had to calm her down if she was going to get answers. Moving slowly until she was close enough to kneel down beside her, Rachel carefully pulled the weeping girl in.

“It’s okay… Everything’s going to be okay.” The blood closed around her, sealing them in a dome and blotting out all noise from the outside world. “It’s okay… Do you want me to call you Scarlet?”

“It’s… It’s not fair! Why am I possessed by—mmgm!” She dug her fingernails into her head, alarming Rachel for a second, but they instantly healed. “What is she? Why did my parents pray to—summon this…this evil thing?! It wasn’t them… It’s not me—it couldn’t be me… Why…”

Letting her release the scars on her heart, Rachel drew her in. She could sense her death from every angle, making her body want to move, but she fought past the instinct; quick action equaled death.

After a few slow, tense minutes—each making Rachel more nervous about the others’ responses—Scarlet sniffed back her tears, and the blood she’d wept returned to her body, leaving only the crimson shell enclosing them.

Pulling away a little, Scarlet looked at her, face not puffy in the least, yet her eyes glistened a bright blue; her red irises were gone. “D-Did I hurt you… I don’t want to…”

“No. You didn’t,” she soothed, giving her an encouraging smile. “Just take a few more minutes to breathe. Do you need anything—anything at all?”

“Uh, no… I-I don’t think so,” she stammered and released a sigh, her quakes gradually easing. “I-I don’t know what I want! It’s hard—I c-can’t…”

“It’s okay,” Rachel repeated, gently shaking her back. “Take your time. Your name is Scarlet?”

“Mhm… I-I could have killed you.”

“Can you count with me,” Rachel asked. “Maybe it will help—one…”

Her brow furrowed, a tad confused, but she followed her instructions.

“One… I don’t know anything…”

“Two…”

“Two…”

“Good,” Rachel smiled. “Three…”

As Scarlet sifted through a few numbers, she gradually regained her composure, her breathing becoming more steady. However, despite her efforts, she couldn’t stave off a few tears of blood that trickled down. “I just want to die…but this blood—this blood won’t let me. What am I supposed to do?”

Rachel swallowed the lump in her throat and let her thumping heart settle. Taking her hands, she forced a smile. “You don’t have to know what to do. If you want, you can just tag along with me until you figure it out. What do you say? Did Mrs. Peck make me sound scary or what?”

Scarlet frowned, looking at their held hands. “I don’t want to think about anything…”

“Okay. We can wait here as long as you want. I’m Rachel, by the way; I like to fight in Muay Thai competitions, exercise, and well, school work isn’t my favorite,” she chuckled, “but I want—eh…”

“What?” the girl asked, glancing up in a panic as if thinking the blood was going to spike her. “D-Did I do something?”

“No, no,” Rachel laughed. “No, umm… I just realized… I don’t know if I want to be a lawyer anymore.”

“Heh-hehehe. You’re thinking about school and a job when there’s a blood field around us? You’re crazy!”

“Haha. I’m kind of learning that recently,” Rachel mused, shooting a sheepish grin to the side. “Umm. Did you know about the Crystal monsters that are probably going to be coming?”

Scarlet shook her head, seemingly unwilling or unable to drop the rippling liquid that encompassed them; Rachel instinctively felt she’d need to have access to both moons again to even try to get out, which defeated the point when she was encased in this blood shell; it certainly was a weakness she had to address.

“Is there going to be a wave of monsters that come out of gateways…like some anime? It’s what I was thinking when you were talking about the other world.”

“Ah! An anime nerd like Zoe, huh?” Rachel gave the girl a snickering look that made Scarlet’s cheeks darken.

“I mean, some anime can be really wholesome. You…don’t like it?”

“Meh. I’m a sports head,” Rachel returned, pulling away a bit to enter a more casual atmosphere that would bring the vampiric girl into a more familiar setting instead of this nightmare she thought she was trapped in. “Are there sports anime?”

“A ton!” Scarlet said, puffing out a long breath that was chilly instead of hot. “Umm. Thank you for helping me calm down; it’s just…I really was hoping this was all just a nightmare… It isn’t, is it?” she whispered, hands knotting in her lap.

Rachel shifted to cross her legs and shook her head. “Not that I can tell. I don’t know what the government or military intends to do with us…but I’m going to shoot for the most freedom possible. Do you have anywhere to go?”

She shook her head again, trying to fight back tears again. “I didn’t think the Scarlet Hand was a real cult… Why did she freak out when she saw you; she called you the Bringer of Misfortune?”

“Uh, yeah, I do have a Feat called [Bringer of Misfortune],” she admitted, rubbing the back of her neck, feeling like she had to be honest with this girl. “No one should have known about that, though. It’s really suspicious.”

“Not really,” Scarlet mumbled, shoulders drawing in. “I think…I think my mom and dad caused all of this to happen. I think I was the trigger for everyone to change.”

Rachel forcefully kept her ears bowed, which was hard when they wanted to go straight up. “Scarlet, I won’t make you talk about what you don’t want to… Do you just want to follow along?”

“You aren’t scared of me…or mad at me? What if I really did cause this huge change… What if I broke the world?”

A giggle shook Rachel’s chest as she felt a pull within her chest; it was the same draw she’d had when guided to the goblin cave and Anthony, which all turned out well in the end.

“Why are you laughing? I’m serious! I could be the devil incarnate—I have…something inside me—something that tells me t-to…”

Rachel put a finger over her lips. “Shhh. You don’t have to tell me anything yet. I’ve been following my instincts lately—well, so long as they make sense to me—and do you know what my instincts are telling me?”

“What?”

She flashed her teeth to show the girl a smile that she probably hadn’t seen for what, to her, must have been ages. “I should not trust the Scarlet Hand—or that Mrs. Peck woman—and…I can trust this girl; I trust you are not a demon, Scarlet. I want to help you.”

They locked eyes for a moment before sniffles came on, crimson falling from the girl’s eyes again; scooting forward, Rachel pulled her in, dissecting her actions while allowing Scarlet to release her anguish.

I’m not supposed to be here… In other words, I’m not supposed to meet this girl. Misfortune follows me, hmm? Alexa was certainly my misfortune, but now that I’m looking back… I was kind of a bitch, stuck in my own little world, and I’m definitely more violent than I thought. Damn you, [Strategic Mind].

So far, we have this blessing I’m being granted by a Celtic goddess, a cult that knows about me, and a girl I’m not supposed to meet or befriend. Where will all these strings take me? My only issue is… Am I sincere? I don’t know, and that is important.

It was ironic that Scarlet’s emotions were so hot when her skin was like that of a corpse; it didn’t take too long this time for her to pull away.

“Sorry. I’m sorry…”

“Hehe. Stop saying sorry all the time,” Rachel whispered, thinking back to Zoe and how she always apologized; Rachel had rarely ever apologized throughout her life because she was never sorry for what people perceived as being bad. “I have one thing I want to run by you, though.”

“Okay?” Scarlet straightened, blinking and setting her face; she noticed the girl was trying to hide her fangs whenever she talked by mumbling. “What’s up? You want something from me?”

“Hehe. Wouldn’t that be a stellar way to get to know each other?” Rachel mused. “Hey, let’s be friends; okay, do my bidding!”

“Haha. I didn’t mean it like that,” Scarlet chuckled. “I just kind of expect people to use me… It’s what Scarlet is whispering to me—I shouldn’t listen… Oh! Umm, the devil-goddess-thingy, umm…umm, yeah, it’s also named Scarlet… My parents named me after it,” she choked, rubbing her arm and glaring at the carpet they sat on; it truly felt like they were the only ones in the world.

“Sure, go parents,” Rachel huffed, making the girl smile; Rachel didn’t want to focus on that part, even if Scarlet kept returning to it, which would bring her back into the depression loop. “To be honest… I don’t know if I’m being genuine or not with you.”

Scarlet’s eyebrows drew together. “What do you mean? Uh…you do have a very, eh…how do I say this, heh…cold feel.”

“Go on?” Rachel prompted, glad to be on another topic. “You can sense emotion?”

“Yeah…it’s more like a smell—but not really—it’s complicated,” she sighed. “I don’t think you’re not not being genuine… Does that make sense? I think that’s how you say it?”

“Hmm… I know you have a lot of power,” Rachel frankly stated. “I can tell just by looking at you that you’d kill me without breaking a sweat.”

“And…that doesn’t scare you?” Scarlet tentatively asked, creased eyes drifting to the blood field around them. “It scares me…but you’re weirdly excited.”

“Hehe. Yeah. I kind of am, I guess,” Rachel chimed, glad Scarlet could understand that. “You’re giving me answers and…I kind of want to use you as a test marker to gauge my progress. I want to get stronger.”

“Okay… I don’t know how I should respond to that,” Scarlet mumbled, “but sure. I’ll just…follow along because I don’t know what else to do, and you’re the only one not scared of me.”

“Perfect! So, think you can pull this blood back inside of you? Is your butt sore? I think mine is, but…really, it’s my whole body after fighting a hobgoblin to the death.”

“A what?! You seriously did fight a hobgoblin? How big was it?” Scarlet asked, suddenly acting like a normal girl. “I thought hobgoblins were small, eh… Were there…female goblins or only male?”

“Hahaha! You watched the same crazy anime as Zoe, didn’t you?!”

“What? It’s just…it’s so morbid that it’s interesting, like…I just kept watching,” Scarlet grumbled, playing with her ripped sleeves. “Dang it… I was trying to not look threatening; do you think they’ll try to shoot me? I don’t want to hurt them; they’re really nice guys.”

Rachel reached out to pluck at the torn straight jacket. “Eh, sorry to burst your bubble, but seeing a girl with a muzzle and straight jacket—in sleeping shorts and bare feet—is way more frightening than a girl with pointed ears in normal clothes. It’s like you walked out of a horror movie.”

“Eh-heh…true,” Scarlet groaned. “Let’s see if I can make this go back in…”

Her mouth drew in, giving Rachel a chance to really study her appearance as she worked on withdrawing the dangerous, illuminated ruby pool surrounding them. It looked like she wore permanent black lipstick and fingernail polish. If that wasn’t enough, the girl’s shiny, raven hair fell to her lower back, her bangs hiding her forehead and forming in a way to half-cover her pointed ears.

The blood drew into her skin, seemingly entering without issue. As they stood, Rachel concluded she was roughly half a head smaller than she was—at least, before The Oscillation; including her ears, Rachel towered over the vespertine reaper.

Mateo hissed out a sigh of relief with several others as Scarlet nervously held her arm, unable to look any of them in the eye. “Are you doing better?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m sorry for scaring everyone; Rachel helped me calm down… Umm, Rachel?”

Rachel’s head followed her ears, fingers tightening into a fist. “Mateo, I can’t hear Vincent or that Mrs. Peck woman…anywhere!”

The soldier flipped channels after processing her statement, with everyone’s attention now on the Green Beret officer. “Vincent, respond!”

He waited—nothing, but Rachel heard it.

“Vincent!”

Rachel’s hair weaved at her back with her head motion, unnerving the soldiers. “His radio…it’s in the room.”

The implication sent shivers down their spines, and Mateo cursed.

“Let’s move—they’re coming with us,” Mateo ordered, pointing at Rachel and Anthony while speaking to his apprehensive men through the device. “Oliver, any activity down the next hallway?”

“None, Lieutenant; should I check the room Vincent went into with the woman?”

“Go! Roll call.”

The members of the team sounded off, checking in as Oliver jogged to the room; when he opened the door, the man froze, whispering, “The hell? Shit! Vincent’s dead! You’re going to want to see this, Lieutenant… Damn insanity.”

Rachel caught Scarlet’s eyes flash red again, bright blue sinking into a ruby abyss before the girl slowed to a stop; everyone else increased their pace.

“Why…”

“Scarlet?”

“Mrs. Peck… Why?”

Knowing she needed reinforcement, Rachel reached out and took her hand, squeezing it to pull her back; the girl’s eyes returned to their blue hue as more tears fell down her cheeks, but she didn’t refuse her guiding hand. Scarlet didn’t enter the room, remaining against the wall outside, seemingly having already seen the horror inside.

The whiteboard was covered in alien scribbles, occult-like symbols, and, in the center of it all, the woman’s bloody palm imprint, perfectly plastered with a vertical eye running down its center.

There was only one phrase repeated in the gore that Mateo spoke aloud, turning his enraged, questioning gaze to her: “Rachel is an Infelicity… Rachel must die… What is that about?”

“I don’t know,” she truthfully whispered, moving inside to examine the bodies Oliver was inspecting; the man was by his murdered comrade, grim expression rising to his buddies that entered the room, noses twitching with anger.

“She slit Vincent’s throat with her glasses—damn… The frames feel like they’re steel, and it’s sharpened on the upper half like a knife… She must have done it while he was looking away because there’s no struggle; she did it to herself after…all of this. What kind of crazy person does this with glasses before doing it to themselves—the hell is going on, Lieutenant?”

“I don’t know… Shit! The whole world’s gone insane.”

“Hell, I think a lot of this is Vincent’s blood, but…the handprint is definitely hers. The thing is…”

He lifted the dead woman’s soaked sleeve to show her palm; it was cut down the center, and there wasn’t a way for her to make the imprint so detailed or the symbol within it. Rachel felt something unnerving and supernatural in the shimmering, illuminated eye—the mark of the Scarlet Hand.

Well…that isn’t ominous, she thought, glaring at the woman’s—apparently, some high school teacher Scarlet knew for years—rambles, written in the blood of a trained military man she’d murdered. She did all of this in under ten minutes. What is this cult?

To make matters worse, the soldiers watching the Crystal just radioed Lt. Thompson; it had changed its glow—soon, they’d be trapped inside an impassable dome—and he spoke over the intercom, signaling an evacuation with what time they had left. It wouldn’t be enough, though; from new military reports coming in, they only had a minute’s warning.

Chapter Seven

Crystal Attack

Rachel motioned to Mateo, gaining everyone’s attention after the evacuation order was swiftly changed. Additional information soon reached Lt. Thompson from the new Florida OIC; escape was not an option. They were now telling people to barricade the facility and stay in rooms as the Coast Guard set up defensive zones.

“Lt. Herrero, I can help you identify where the threats will come from, but I need to upgrade my Stats; we don’t have time to explain.”

“Do what you need to—everything goes through me, though.”

Rachel nodded as the man’s focus shot to her ears, still coming to terms with the murder of someone he probably knew very well on his team; it wasn’t as if he had much choice in the situation since they needed all the intel they could get.

“Anthony, Zoe…”

The Legend was already taking a sitting position. “Say no more. Uh, can one of your guys get my spear or sword? I’d rather have something to defend myself if we’re going to be under attack.”

Zoe’s ears pulled back; she was already kneeling and taking a few deep breaths to enter the mind-space where they could upgrade their Feats. “I don’t know what help I’ll be, but I’ll try.”

Scarlet still kept her back to the wall, refusing to look or come inside. “What’s going on?”

“I’m sorry, Scarlet, I’ll explain later,” Rachel responded, sitting in one of the pulled-out chairs and closing her eyes to enter the meditative state.

“Okay…”

Mateo ordered his men to set a perimeter inside the building, working with the Coast Guard; weapons and supplies checks were being issued through coms to identify what options the Green Beret Special Forces platoon had. Just as she went under, she heard those by their armored vehicles list Javelin missiles in their arsenal if they needed to hit anything big.

Entering the white space, Rachel swiftly got to work opening her status screen. Naturally, the first thing she did was throw points into her Stats—she was on a clock—[Power], [Speed], and [Quickness] each got a point.

However, something new popped up that snagged her eye: she’d apparently gained something called a Feat Extension that would expand upon one of her current Feats, yet of the three options, only one could be selected.

[Mental Acceleration I: Rapid Mode - Allows the user to enter an advanced mode for two seconds; 5-minute cooldown.]

[Lunar Pool I: Overload - Allows [Lunar Pool] to go 5% beyond its cap.]

[Strategic Mind I: Split Focus - Allows the user to split their attention to multitask better.]

Rachel wanted to curse; all of them were great, and it wasn’t certain the same options would be available later. The decision could be critical in the long run, especially if it opened up further branches.

Rapid Mode sounded amazing—it could undoubtedly be clutch in a fight—but its cooldown meant it would likely only be used once. Plus, if the Rapid Mode was an advanced form of the Feat itself, it would become less valuable as she increased the base—unless it grew with it, yet that wasn’t for sure; she struck that option for now. Split Focus and Overload were very tempting.

Split Focus would give her the ability to keep track of more conversations, which meant more secrets, building off of [Strategic Mind] itself to provide her with a wealth of information; although, there was a potential bottleneck that she had to consider—could she process it?

Sure, [Mental Acceleration] was giving her the edge right now, but that didn’t mean it would hold up if she doubled her workload.

Overload’s use was multiplicative, though; it allowed her to use [Lunar Burst] without losing [Lunar Cap] while also adding to [Divine Lunar Surge]. It was viable far into the future, as well, and possibly would provide cushion for other Feats she might obtain involving her Lunar Energy. From where she stood, it was the best option.

Glancing down her Feat advancements, she figured most of them had received minor improvements from the increased tiers, but [Divine Lunar Surge] snagged her attention; the 1.2% multiplier had increased to 1.22%, which was passive overall. Overload was the right choice.

Exiting the meditative state, she saw Anthony and Zoe still sitting cross-legged as the soldiers gave them looks. Her guess was that [Mental Acceleration] also applied to her meditative state, which gave her the edge here and may be critical in the future. Scarlet remained outside, not wanting to come in to see her old teacher or the cultist symbols.

“Finished?” Mateo asked, still getting reports from his men. “It was quicker than I expected with how you phrased it. We’re trapped in a cracked dome of light from what I’m hearing—whatever that means.”

“I didn’t have to think too hard on my decisions,” she replied, catching the clock as she took in more sound and flexed her fingers; her strength had increased dramatically with just a single point, which showed how effective the higher grade Stats were. “I was gone for two minutes?”

Not happy with how time stretched from inside the space, Rachel got to her feet and scanned for any irregularities; it was exactly like the mist of the world Anthony took them to, utterly silent at the barrier. The cars, screams, and loud noises that had traveled much further than speaking volume were simply…gone.

Cameron—their tech guy—sighed and shook his head, working on a laptop. “It’s no good, Lieutenant. We’re running on a generator and only a local network—no outside help—I expect it won’t last long either since the gas line seems to have been cut off, as well. The generator might have a diesel or bi-fuel option; I’m not sure.”

Mateo swapped a radio to the Coast Guard channel to listen to what they were doing as Rachel went to the hallway, noticing the far dimmer lighting, even if it didn’t bother her supernatural eyes.

“You doing okay?” she asked the raven-haired girl, spotting many of the Green Berets lining the hallway, one bringing Anthony’s weapons. “So, some big light shot into the sky and created a huge dome that looks similar to The Oscillation.”

“The Oscillation?” Scarlet asked, holding her arm and looking up at the sky. “Is that what they’re calling it?”

“Mhm. Primarily because of how people are telling the military how it made them feel.”

“Hmm.” The girl’s pupilless red eyes had returned, wandering between various areas as if she were looking beyond the walls. “I’m not really doing okay. I’m questioning my entire life…my parents. I don’t know. Do you hear the monsters?” she redirected.

Some of the soldiers listened in, waiting for further orders while everyone tried to figure out what was happening; Rachel shook her head, large ears tilting left and right as she looked for anything out of the ordinary.

“There’s a lot of panicking people but nothing—wait…” Sitting straighter, her gaze darted down the corridor as she heard a Coast Guard soldier opening dorm rooms at the edge of the dome, looking for people to escort to the main facility.

“Anyone in here?” He paused, finding something he wasn’t expecting. “The hell? A…frog person—is that a Crystal? Hey, we’re, umm—put down the weap—”

His words died in his throat, and Rachel’s tail stiffened as a dull thump came from the location, followed by whistling wind; voices came from further down the hall as soldiers responded to his shouts, yet by the time Rachel spun away from Scarlet to inform Mateo, every Coast Guard man in the dorm hallway ceased making noise.

“It’s in the dorms to our northeast. I think all the Coast Guard on the 3rd floor are dead—it killed them in seconds. The first soldier described it as a frog person, and for it to drop its weapon. Right now, I only hear…wind?”

Mateo swiftly relayed the information through the radio, repeating what Rachel had told him. The Coast Guard buzzed with activity, rushing to the location and lookouts, keeping an eye out for the description.

“No,” she further clarified, closing her eyes to focus on the location. “It’s the sound of sand hitting paper, I think? He also said there was a Crystal inside the dorm room. We need someone to check it out.”

Her mind was distracted by screams to her left, making her mouth tighten. “Another one of the creatures is to the west—in a suburb that was pulled into the dome with the university—they’re slaughtering people faster than I can follow them!”

Rachel’s frustration continued to mount as she scanned for the same strange noise that reminded her of the windy beach, and, to her alarm, she discovered more—worse, one was already in their building—it was practically a horror movie.

“The ventilation shafts—I don’t know how,” Rachel hissed, eyes opening to see Scarlet already scanning the building. “They can…become sand, maybe? It just sounds like sand in the wind; that’s all I can describe it as.”

Anthony rose to his feet, and Zoe followed soon after, looking frightened and trying to catch up as the Legend listened. “Wait, what’s going on, Rachel?”

“It’s coming out…two hallways to our right!”

Mateo shifted his strapped weapon as he walked past her into the corridor, motioning for everyone to follow and speaking through his radio. “Hostiles in the recreational building and another to the west residential area. Expect heavy casualties—they appear to be using ventilation shafts, and, reportedly, can transform into sand. Alpha and Beta Squad en route to engage in the recreational building. Standby.”

Rachel felt a spur to get there first—if she let them go, there would be a tragedy, and [Bringer of Misfortune] said this creature was not to be underestimated.

Taking three steps, she shot through the doorway, pain flooding her overworked muscles, yet Rachel pushed past it, shocked at her sudden increase in her speed. The combination of having her [Lunar Pool] full with the increased Stats drove her to the same levels as she’d been under the double moons.

The soldiers shouted in surprise as she jumped over them, forcing the pain down like she did in many of her workout sessions. Her braided hair weaved behind her as she made it to the hallway; the world moved slightly slower than she recalled, given her increased Feat tiers.

“Rachel!”

“Clear!” one of the men yelled upon passing the junction.

Her focus was already on a mass of sand that burst out of the vents, swirling around to reveal a toad-type alien with brownish-brick skin and dull yellow spots. It stood, extending to over two meters tall, looking down at her with narrowed eyes.

Rachel instinctively tilted right, a dull weight compressing her heart as a shimmering blue needle skated past her enhanced vision. The toad had reacted instantly—she hadn’t even seen the creature throw it; without a doubt, this was a creature to be feared, and it looked like it was relying on its own strength, unlike the hobgoblin. A pop of air sounded shortly after; it was somehow utilizing the sand to pressurize the needles woven into its vest to create projectiles.

It was clothed in leather-like garments that left its spots open, with wrists enclosed in metal bracelets that had strange designs etched into them, and several wooden spikes latched to its top. More ominously, two illuminated blue metal knives were held in its hands.

Instinctively, even with her enhanced Stats and Feats, she knew that if she fought it in the same way as her previous challenge, she would die.

Discarding all thought, eyes open and focused, she tried to map the trajectory of the following projectiles from the shifts in its body. Light on her feet, she danced around two more needles before the toad adjusted to her movements; the third carved a tiny hole through the flesh of her left arm.

It’s actually faster than me; there’s no way I can survive like this!

Jaw locked, she dove past the junction to barrel into a door, breaking through; the recoil made her wince as she tumbled into some chairs, sending them crashing around her and displacing the long desk.

Coughing as she recovered, Rachel looked up to see the toad already in the doorway; it had used the walls as jump pads. Somehow, the cobalt needles had returned to its vest, and it brandished its wicked, illuminated blue blades.

I’m dead…

Darkness came between them, a crimson wave exiting to meet the creature; Rachel didn’t blink as Scarlet appeared out of the haze, yet the toad’s tongue shot out in an instant, latching onto the ceiling and carrying the creature away from the jagged blood spears that sought to impale it.

They entered a high-speed dance, Scarlet clearly not knowing where the toad was or what was happening as the panicking girl ducked down beside her; her blood writhed around them, defending and attacking the nimble alien.

“Ack—are you stupid?!” Scarlet choked, trying unsuccessfully to see the blurred toad’s ping-ponging assault as a whirlwind of blood, sand, and needles; the alien’s practically telekinetic daggers danced around them, looking for an opening. “Why did you run ahead of—you’re bleeding?! No, no, no!”

By the time the soldier came to the doorway, she had heard the rush of sand as the alien retreated, entering the ventilation shaft again; Rachel was finding it hard to focus.

“W-Where is it?”

Rachel forced herself to breathe, mind a bit hazy as she coughed again; her body wasn’t doing well after pushing it to the limit while already strained. “It—ack, it went into the vents again… You can’t handle it—it’s way too fast… Scarlet?”

She lifted her arm, where a thin sliver of illuminated white blood was being pulled out to gather in front of the raven-haired girl.

“I’m not trying to! It just…does it,” she snarled. “It’s one reason why I didn’t want to go into that room—why did you attack it?! It almost killed you!”

Rachel chuckled, shifting to her side as a sudden wave of white noise came and went. “Because…I felt like if I stayed back, most of these guys would be dead right now. Its needles almost penetrated your blood, and it could dodge those dozens of attacks you made against it.”

“It’s not me,” Scarlet vehemently protested, showing a haughty side and glare that Rachel hadn’t yet seen in the girl. “The blood does its own thing,” she growled, gesturing at it as the pool collected inside her body again before Scarlet swatted the collecting white liquid away to splatter across the ground. “It just saw a threat and attacked—eh?!”

Reaching forward, she pulled Scarlet into a hug to calm her down before her deadly blood went out of control again. “Hehe. Thanks for coming to my rescue, Scarlet. Mateo,” she shouted, hearing the men closing in, “it went to another room three doors down the hall… I think Scarlet wounded it—I’m having weird gaps in my hearing.”

“I hurt it?” Scarlet mumbled, following her gaze to a small line of yellowish, sticky goo beside them. “Woah… Is that—he got so close to us past my blood?”

Groaning as she lifted herself up, Rachel saw the thin blood tether snap, and her wound started to congeal. Anthony was the first one to react to her next location, racing to confront the creature as soldiers ran behind him to intercept, despite Rachel’s warning that they’d die, and Zoe came into the doorway.

“Rachel?! W-What was that? It just—it like—it was all woosh! How are you alive?!”

“Hehe. Lucky, I guess,” she muttered with an innocent smile as she leaned against the desk, ears tilting to listen to Anthony’s confrontation, but the toad retreated into the vents instead of fighting as he threw open the door. “I think there are only five of them, but if they’re as skilled and fast as that last one…we’re in real trouble.”

Mateo returned, receiving reports as his second lieutenant kept the Coast Guard updated on their progress. “Alright, Rachel, you’re the only one that’s seen these things up close; give us something.”

Scarlet stood up and crossed her arms. “She’s hurt! She needs a bandage or something.”

“I’m fine—eh, Scarlet…what are you doing now?”

The girl’s red eyes widened as she moved closer, and Rachel noticed her vampiric eyes actually did have pupils; they were just deep maroon, almost blending in as she stared at her arm in horror. “There’s poison! It’s in your blood!”

“What? My head feels a little foggy, but…” Rachel rubbed her wounded arm with a slight frown; the needle had passed clean through her arm, missing the bone due to her precise movements. “You can see it, right? Can you extract it?”

It made sense since she was a vampire, or had vampire characteristics.

Scarlet’s left fang poked out as she pressed it against her black bottom lip. “I-I don’t know… Maybe, but I’d have to bite you!”

“Okay,” Rachel instantly complied, holding up her arm. “Being bitten or losing an arm? Hehe. I’ll take the bite. It won’t hurt you?”

“I wish it would… Eh…are you sure?”

Zoe groaned. “You don’t have time! This isn’t a movie—she’s poisoned!”

“I…mmgm.” Scarlet hesitantly took her arm, looked at her one more time, and then bent down and sank her fangs into her flesh.

“Does it hurt?” the cat-girl asked as Mateo kept a close eye on the exchange.

“Haha. Not as much as pulling a muscle, getting a sword slash to the side, or, I don’t know, having someone chop my arm off. What about you, Scarlet—doing good? Scarlet?”

“Oh, no,” Zoe cried, ears pulling back. “I think she’s gone full vamp!”

The vespertine reaper’s red eyes illuminated, and she bit down harder, making Rachel’s mouth tighten; just when Rachel started to worry, her irises mixed a milky white, and after a second, she blinked, pulling away and swallowing.

“Uh…”

“Woah!” Zoe darted forward to support her as she stumbled and almost fell backward. “Did the poison get you?”

Rachel accepted a medical kit from Mateo, waiting for further information on where the creature went; Anthony was returning. “Is it because I’m a Mythickin? Your eyes mixed with white…probably having to do with the Lunar Energy I absorbed…but there was no azure color. Was it my blood?”

Scarlet shook her head, normal, bright-blue eyes returning. “My mind…blanked; I just wanted to keep drinking—I’m sorry…” she whimpered, shoulders drooping and bloody tears sliding down her cheeks.

“I-I felt a strange thing…like when I changed—all of a sudden, I saw this red-haired goddess. She had elf ears and these scary, fiery eyes—there was this red moon behind her, and the way she looked at me told me to, eh…told me to back off? I think she saved you. I’m sorry…”

“No! Hehe. Scarlet, you’re fine,” Rachel said, not letting her back away since it would only further alienate the girl when she needed comfort. “You did get rid of the poison?”

She slowly nodded, and Anthony appeared in the doorway.

“Poison, huh? You never catch a break, do you, Rachel? Eh…what’s going on with her?”

Rachel sighed. “Mythickin troubles. Scarlet did great—most of us would probably be dead without her. Thank you, Scarlet,” she made a point of saying. “We can worry about everything else later, and…it’s not like we had a knight in shining armor to help us,” she dully responded, shooting a look at Anthony.

“Can’t be talking about me since I don’t have armor, but I guess that’s the point,” he laughed. “Plus, you can’t expect me to keep up with your speed, girl, c’mon! Be a little reasonable.”

Mateo drew their attention back to the matter at hand. “Rachel—the frog?”

“More of a toad,” she responded, letting one of the soldiers patch up her arm as Scarlet glared at the floor nearby, trapped inside her own self-doubt. “It uses five needles and can somehow retrieve them while firing them remotely; it uses daggers, as well, which can be thrown and recalled. It’s faster than me, meaning you’re going to want to use wide-ranged attacks…maybe a flamethrower due to it changing into sand.”

“Dammit!” he snarled. “Why does it have to be so complicated? You didn’t notice any gaps or weaknesses?”

“Afraid not,” she replied. “For the wound it got, I’m surprised it’s being this cautious; it’s trying to remain away from people while—wait?! I… What? I think it cut off its own arm?” she said in shock, head shifting to stare at the first level. She heard it rip a piece of a curtain to wrap into a tourniquet; the severed limb dropped to the ground with a dull thud.

Scarlet’s eyes turned red again, and she followed the direction Rachel was facing. “It did… Why is a red stem coming out of its arm—huh?! Since when could my blood do that?” she asked as Rachel heard the toad become sand and escape to the next room.

“What?” Zoe asked, practically holding her breath. “You have blood flower powers?”

Scarlet shook her head, hugging herself. “A rose… It’s growing out of its arm. I think I infected it with something… Do I have seeds inside me—what am I?!”

Rachel reached over to take her hand and snap her out of the loop she was spiraling into as the toad broke the window in the next room, releasing a loud croaking noise.

“Scarlet! Scarlet! It’s okay… I’ll help you understand your powers after this is done. The toad sees you as a threat now and has called the others. They’re going to come for you.”

“That’s…a good thing. I can’t die, so…so…I should set an ambush!” she said, taking in a deep, shuddering breath. “Right? I’m immune to, like…everything, so… yeah! I can do good. I can stop these monsters.”

Rachel nodded, trying to direct her in a more positive route. “You don’t have to be alone, though; we’re against really powerful, heh, toad people, so…let’s bring them to the pool.”

“The pool?” Anthony and Mateo asked in unison, but Zoe caught onto her plan.

“The sea dragon Mythickin! Yeah! We lure them into a place where all the S-tier changed people are. Scarlet’s our SS-tier. I love it!”

Scarlet blinked. “I’m the double-S—I feel like I’m totally F-tier?”

“Are you kidding me?” the cat-girl scoffed. “Look at you—maybe more like triple-S-tier—every heroine in stories usually has some kind of dark power they have to keep in check! Don’t bash the power; you have super blood that auto-protects you! Talk about jealous!”

Her response got a chuckle from Scarlet as the domestic cat continued her pep talk. It had gone beyond the point that Rachel understood when it hit anime and manga, so she got up to talk to Mateo.

“What did you think when it attacked me?”

Mateo and Anthony closed in tighter as some of his men reported that the monsters were converging onto their facility.

The officer grunted, working around his jaw. “It was fast. We couldn’t even respond in the time it went from the hallway to the classroom, and if one of my guys weren’t wearing body armor, he’d be dead; he got hit in the heart, and the plate looks like it was almost pierced.”

“I didn’t even notice he attacked you,” Rachel muttered, rubbing the back of her neck. “It’s way stronger than the hobgoblin I fought, and the fact it also uses poison is an issue; one nick, and we’re done without Scarlet.”

A low rumble sounded in Anthony’s throat. “Is it really a good idea to consolidate all of us in one place for them to attack? Do we know if they have explosives or even gas?”

Rachel shook her head. “It’s our only option; there’s no way any of us survive out in the open if they’re faster than me, and I’m already pushing my body more than I should,” she admitted, rubbing her sore thighs.

It would probably be a good idea to add points to her [Toughness] Stat since her Feats thought it was important enough to include with [Power]; it made sense due to recoil.

“Fair enough,” Mateo growled. “If they’re after Scarlet, then it means we can choose the battlefield, but what makes you think this sea dragon will help you?”

Rachel flashed her teeth. “Because she’s a ‘good sea dragon’ and wants to be seen as a heroine. What better way than to stop the bad guy?”

Mateo and Anthony gave her a look that said they weren’t following.

“In any case, it is an open area that we can exploit, and it has a lot of ventilation places they can use, but with my hearing,” she added, pointing to her twitching ears, “we’ll know exactly where they’ll attack.”

“Giving them a false sense of security,” Mateo nodded as he released a long exhale. “Alright, I believe they have a good number of men guarding the area anyway with equipment. It will do.”

Making the snap decision, and probably more inclined to this strategy due to Scarlet’s insane powers, Mateo called it in. Heading to the pool, Rachel kept an eye on the vespertine reaper as she talked with Zoe, seemingly finding some common nerdy ground.

Her mind spun with the possibilities, and a single name came to the surface as she tracked the toad’s movements through the vents; the alien was keeping at a distance, somehow knowing where they were. The four others were getting close to infiltrating the buildings, creeping like wind through the night.

Cerridwen… The goddess that is probably granting me my Divine Feats; she snapped Scarlet back to her senses after tasting my blood. There’s probably more to it that Scarlet will tell me later, but all of this can’t be a coincidence.

The Scarlet Hand woman said I wasn’t supposed to be here, and I’d ruin everything; were these toads supposed to massacre everyone and make Scarlet turn into a blood fiend or mentally crack under pressure?

She pressed a hand against her chest as they entered the large swimming area. Rachel’s eyes widened as she saw the massive Mythickin in the pool, swimming in a lazy circle near the deep end. The men watching her hadn’t exaggerated—she was practically the size of a large tank. The soldiers had already told the girl that they’d be setting up an ambush in the area as they made their way to the facility, and she looked excited.

The girl was nearly as long as the Class 2 boat her dad owned, weaving back and forth through the water like a snake, and Rachel caught a glimpse of sleek but powerful webbed hands and feet on her body.

Her medium-length neck weaved with her tail, showing a vertical fin that looked sharp enough to cleave through stone, and her large, aquamarine eyes shone with a glowing inner delight. The sea dragon’s monstrous, sapphire fangs opened to reveal her slick, black tongue, releasing a low rumble that traveled through the water and concrete to Rachel’s legs—possibly identifying movement through the reverberation like toothed whales.

Rachel’s head rose to the ceiling as the sand whipped into a frenzy in the vents. “It’s coming from the ceiling,” she yelled, accepting a shield one of the soldiers had brought from SWAT’s equipment; they weren’t sure it would defend against the needles, but it was better than nothing.

Guns rose, yet just as the toad materialized out of the haze that left the shaft, Rachel heard a shift in the water current, and she darted back as a wave the size of her waist jumped over the side of the pool; the giant sea dragon shot straight into the air, doing what seemed to be a barani—a front flip with a 180-degree twist—and the one-armed toad dispersed into dust to escape.

The dragon’s dark, azurite plates, ruby spikes, and glowing horn glistened in the light as the world slowed in Rachel’s mind—Rachel had not expected this reaction from the little girl—and the girl’s tail twisted with her momentum, flat end beating the dust cloud and forcing the alien out of its incorporeal form to be batted against the wall.

Zoe and Scarlet cried out in unison with a few of the soldiers as the wave threw them back, soaking them. The vespertine reaper sat on a blood disk that had scooped her up to keep her hovering above the mess.

“You okay?” she asked. “I think…the toad is dead—definitely dead—watch out for rain.”

“What the—d-did that just happen?” Zoe asked, coughing and sputtering as a second crash from the giant monster falling back into the pool sent more waves and water to soak them. “Ack—I swallowed some water—stop!”

Rachel forced a laugh upon catching sight of the toad—yellow blood stained the wall from the force of impact—it was most certainly dead. Her gaze was on the little girl as she pulled herself out of the water, or, at least, she had been a little girl when she’d heard her last.

The sea dragon took on a naked, more feminine form after her transformation, scales receding to show skin while still keeping a sort of skin-tight black-plated bra and shorts. Her alabaster skin was smooth and glistening from the liquid falling off her as she casually left the water, and somehow, her soaked skin and hair seemed to absorb the moisture, leaving the woman wholly dry.

She was a little taller than Scarlet, which wasn’t saying much, and the sea dragon’s proportions had increased dramatically from the tiny frame Rachel had heard described by the men to their superior as she showed off an alluring figure.

The most shocking part of the whole event to Rachel was the thumps that reverberated through the concrete and made her ears twitch; the woman may not have looked it, but she retained all the weight of her more monstrous form.

“Hello,” she greeted, wearing a gentle smile and speaking in a monotone voice that lacked the cute emotion she displayed. “I’m Selvaria, the invincible Mythickin Leviathan. That was a bad guy, right? I hope it was a bad guy because if not, heh, this will be so awkward.”

Chapter Eight

The Reaper’s Gift

Rachel smoothly jumped over the wave Selvaria created, using the wall to delay enough to flip back to the floor; Anthony helped keep Zoe stable as many of the soldiers braced however they could. Scarlet remained on her blood disk, hovering slightly above them while appraising the leviathan Mythickin.

[Level Up - Level 5]

[1 Stat Point Added; 1 Available]

[1 Stat Modifier Added; 1 Available]

[1 Refinement Point Added; 1 Available]

[1 Branch Feat Added; 1 Available]

Everyone cursed while trying to recover as best they could as the turbulent—now decently drained—pool sloshed around, occasionally spilling over the edges again; Selvaria’s acrobatics had surprised them all, but it was impressive to Rachel that the woman could propel herself so quickly.

The sea dragon managed her completely-dry, black and turquoise-highlighted hair while glancing between them. “So…there are more toad people, right; they are the bad guys? Oh, I leveled, too. Level 3, baby. I skipped a whole level; that guy must have been strong.”

“They are,” Rachel said, confirming both of her statements and pulling the woman’s smile; however, her head shifted to the left as she heard the aliens slow their pace. “Let’s recover for a bit… The others know their friend is dead; they’re probably going to take a more cautious approach—shit.”

Zoe clasped onto Anthony’s wrist as he tried to pull away after supporting the girl, big eyes looking up at him—the legend’s makeup had come off. “What was your girlfriend’s name again?”

Rachel moved to pull the enthralled cat-girl off of Anthony as she tried to flirt, the man snarling at how annoying the cursed beauty mark was.

Selvaria and Scarlet watched the exchange in bewilderment—the leviathan apparently unaffected by the mark—as Anthony went to the Green Berets to get anything they might have to cover the mark below his eyes, which came in the form of smeared black face paint. On the plus side, the military stuff was water and insect-proof.

Now that they had a moment to rest, Rachel chuckled while drawing Zoe back, protesting that she was charmed. “Right, right, you just want to help him out of his shirt so he doesn’t get sick,” she snickered.

“Totally! No, you don’t get it—we don’t know how stuff affects Legendkin, and don’t tell me you don’t want to see him shirtless—I know you do!”

Rachel felt embarrassed for the magically-influenced girl, knowing she’d likely drop dead in the pool once she got her wits about her, and, sure enough, the moment the charm dissipated, the cat-girl was crying into her chest.

“I didn’t say that—it’s not my fault! No-ho-ho… I just want to die in a hole!”

“There, there…we all understand,” Rachel soothed, knowing it must have been challenging to not be in control of your thoughts or emotions; it indeed was a devilish curse upon women, and luckily on a man that would happily remove it if he could. “You’re fine.”

The soldiers swiftly branched out to cover every opening, including vents and pipes, as Mateo came over to get updates from her while she comforted the teenage girl.

“What are they doing?”

Rachel’s ears tilted to the left, eyes narrowing while Zoe collected herself and pulled away. “They are meeting on the third floor…near the library. Why?”

Mateo glanced at one of his men nearby, who was relaying critical information they talked about through the radio; it was a little tricky considering the echo in the ample space.

“They could be regrouping and studying the areas their comrade fought to better gauge what kind of threat we are. Their position also indicates they can track where their other members have been.”

“They certainly could be,” Rachel whispered, still listening to their movements, yet not one of them made a sound other than walking. “I think they can communicate in another way since they aren’t making any noises.”

Oliver—the Special Forces man who had gone to check Vincent’s condition—hovered nearby, nodding and offering his own thoughts. “I’ve heard of animals that could communicate through smell or odor; toads also secrete toxins through their skins… Learned it on a late-night channel,” he added at some of their looks.

“Keep reporting their movements,” Mateo ordered her before moving to further set up defensive positions and areas to protect themselves against the aliens’ weapons; it showed Rachel the officer was becoming more comfortable relying on her, which was her hope, considering her civilian status.

The various military squads, from the Green Berets to the Coast Guard, were organized in a way so their backs could be covered; with how fast and unusual the aliens’ attack patterns were, they had to cover all angles.

Rachel complied, but there wasn’t much she could report as the toads hovered between the hallway she’d faced the alien in and the classroom where it had fought Scarlet’s blood; she had to curb her internal displeasure at being so helpless.

Selvaria walked forward to talk to Scarlet and Zoe, getting further acquainted with them and asking them surprisingly odd questions, given their situation, such as if the vespertine reaper liked to cosplay; some of the men chuckled at the topic, reasoning it was a way for the leviathan to break the ice, which could certainly be the case.

Rachel’s mind was a buzz of speculations and realizations that came with her level, which Anthony seemed to have noticed since he was already entering the meditative state; it was a luxury she couldn’t perform due to being the only one who could keep the aliens under surveillance.

Mateo is right…they’re gathering information on how their teammate died rather than rushing right at us like mindless animals. I can practically see them examining the damage done to the walls by the needles and seeing the blood of their friend.

One turned to sand, following the same path as the first alien they’d met to the first floor, where it stopped to examine the severed arm, while the others surprisingly walked further down the hall to the classroom where the dead cult woman still lay.

She could hear the Coast Guard soldiers wanting to storm the area in force to finish the task quickly, but the issue was the toads were too mobile to engage in close proximity without preparation. Instead, they had to wait for them to attack—unfortunately, a new piece of information changed the name of the game.

Ears and head darting to the left, she heard another rustle of sand from the dorm room she’d heard them appear from earlier; another had appeared.

“Mateo!” His hard eyes snapped to her with everyone else present besides Anthony. “Another one came from the dorm I told you about; the Crystal the soldier mentioned may only allow a certain number of them through, or there may be some kind of restriction—at least, I hope there is. We need to destroy them.”

The Lieutenant relayed the information, and, luckily, through the military radios and people finding them to call for help, the Coast Guard was quickly discovering the small satellite Crystals across the campus and surrounding neighborhoods; they’d marked four so far and were mobilizing to take them out. A fifth was soon uncovered in another pond by the glow.

The Green Berets vehicle unit outside was already jumping in their hummer to reach the furthest one in the dorm, armed with C4 and, if necessary, an RPG to take out the room; Lt. Thompson ordered them to, in his words, blow the damn building up after Rachel confirmed she couldn’t hear anyone else hiding inside the place.

However, while everyone was mobilizing, Rachel’s attention was snatched by the toads upstairs as the fifth joined them, stealthily bypassing the mobilizing soldiers outside to join his comrades; they were now all congregating in the room with the strange symbols, written in blood and a sudden thought crossed her mind.

What if the woman wasn’t leaving a message to us? Could she know their language? If those symbols were actually meant for them… It could be a warning about me; I’m the anomaly to the cult’s plan.

The military was already setting up focused explosives by the vents that could be remotely detonated, but Rachel was now thinking of a new plan.

“Mateo… What if I told you I had a way to kill these aliens without anyone else dying?”

“Hmm.” Eyes narrowing, the man glared in her direction. “By your tone, it’s not without its risks. What crazy plan are you thinking about?”

Taking a deep breath, Rachel hoisted herself up, wincing at the screams her muscles sent her; she was not in any shape to fight these creatures. She frowned while rotating her shoulders and approaching the group again, staring at Selvaria; the woman was hiding something.

“Selvaria, turn around.”

“Huh? Why… Is there a secret code or something?” she asked with a forced grin. “I can go to the wall and look away…” Rachel spun her fingers around, making the girl sigh and comply. “It isn’t even bad; I’m totally invincible, I said!”

Moving aside the girl’s long, ink-black hair with its shimmering streaks of light-blue, Rachel revealed a patch of plated scales along the spine on the back of her natural bra. Everyone winced at a small patch that had been carved out, revealing unprotected skin and a light cut with sticky, azure-colored blood. The sea monster had been trying to hide the damage, but she noticed their shiny glint at the bottom of the pool.

“Luckily, it wasn’t the needles but its daggers,” Rachel warned, letting the woman groan and pull away, rubbing her neck and glaring at the ground. “They flared for half a second, and it wasn’t a coincidence where it struck; the toad was trying to paralyze you.”

Zoe ducked to the leviathan’s back again, staying clear of her agitated and deadly tail to examine the area again. “Ouch! Yeah, let’s get that covered.”

“I’m fine,” Selvaria groaned, arms crossed. “I have really good [Resistances] and [Defense]—it’s my specialty—I even took bullets from that thing,” she huffed, pointing at the fifty-caliber turret.

Rachel snickered. “Stop downplaying it, Selvaria. I get you want to be a heroine, and you’ve done a great job taking out one of the aliens, but you need to fight smarter, not cooler.”

“Can’t we do both?” Selvaria grumbled, shoulders sinking as a Coast Guard medic cautiously approached to dress the wound.

“Sure,” she returned. “You can protect everyone here in case I’m wrong.”

“About what?” Scarlet hesitantly asked, hopping down to glare at the blood entering her body. “There’s no way you can fight these things.”

Rachel flashed her teeth while bringing everyone’s focus to the suddenly self-conscious vespertine reaper.

“What? No… Me? I’m so unstable and, heh, dangerous that I don’t want to let my blood do anything at all.” She jabbed her finger at the crimson liquid entering her skin with disdain. “It may have looked like I was just sitting pretty up there, but I was a freaking hostage; it wouldn’t let me go until just now!”

Mateo worked around his jaw. “Scarlet’s not wrong; her abilities are incredibly volatile, much of which appears to be out of her control.”

“I get that,” Rachel sighed; she hadn’t realized the girl was stuck on the disk, but it didn’t change her plan. “The aliens seem to be reading a message the cultist left behind.”

Scarlet sucked in her bottom lip, grasping her head and walking away while hissing, “No way! Mrs. Peck was talking to aliens, too?! No! No-haha. No, this—this can’t be happening… Why is this happening to me?”

“Scarlet… Scarlet,” Rachel repeated, slowly moving forward to take her arm and keep her focus as her shoulders and bottom lip began to tremble. “I get that your entire life is crashing around you… I can’t know how hard it is, but I know it must feel so unfair.”

“What am I supposed to do?” she wept, bloody tears leaking from her eyes as everyone backed away; caution was even more advised given what they’d learned happened to the toad with his infected arm. “I’m trying—I’m trying so hard to keep it under control—to not listen to Scarlet! She’s evil! She’s so evil! All she keeps telling me is to reap souls—drink blood…to kill! I don’t want to! I don’t!”

Nodding and tightening her grip around the girl’s quaking hands, Rachel’s heart went out to the teenager; Scarlet hadn’t asked for any of this power that most would probably jump at. Rachel knew she couldn’t understand the weight she carried in her soul or the trauma she felt.

“Remember, I told you I would help you with your powers… Do you trust me?”

“Haha! I just barely met you!” Scarlet laughed, blue eyes closing. “I don’t know… I’m so scared of myself… I don’t trust myself, so how can I trust you?!”

It was a fair point, Rachel had to admit; how to overcome it, though?

“Faith.”

“What?” Scarlet asked, vision opening and forehead furrowing.

“Faith isn’t just belief,” Rachel said, squeezing her fingers and smiling as she repeated a line from a workout motivational video; although, in the actual video, there was a lot of screaming and cursing to push you past your normal reps. “Faith is an action—a garden doesn’t just grow because you believe it will…

“You have to prepare the field, plant the seeds of faith, and do the work…” Rachel lifted the emotional girl’s hands to keep her attention. Really, she was just BSing her way through it in the first way that popped into her head; it kind of fit. “I have faith in you, so will you help me plant the seeds so you can see why I have that trust?”

Scarlet gradually returned to a more rational state. “You…want me to save everyone…but what if I make everything worse? I always make everything worse.”

“Prove me wrong,” she beamed, making Scarlet laugh at her insane take.

“You want me, hehe…to prove you wrong when I think I’ll kill everyone? You really are crazy, Rachel!”

“Haha. Recently, I think I may be a bit crazy, too! A mad hatter, huh?” she snickered, bringing the girl’s mind to a place that would probably make her laugh more, which succeeded.

“I really hope you’re right… Let’s hope this isn’t Alice: Overwhelming Madness, right?”

Rachel’s mind blanked. “Uh… I don’t know what that is.”

“Booo!” Zoe called out from behind Selvaria. “It’s a super spooky take on Alice in Wonderland game—a classic.”

Zoe and Selvaria’s lighter mood and added comments managed to help Scarlet past another hurdle. Apparently, the leviathan was somewhat versed in games, as well, although more the ‘wholesome’ kind, as she called them. Scarlet was making progress. As for the toads, Rachel tracked them meticulously, and they appeared to become far more cautious after one of the aliens returned with the infected arm.

Mateo sighed as the environment calmed down, pondering Rachel’s approach; the Coast Guard fidgeted at Scarlet’s emotional outburst, unsure if they should take any sort of action.

“I admit, you do have courage, girl, and with more than a few screws loose, but you haven’t told us your plan or why the aliens haven’t gotten to us yet… Are you saying the toads are reading that cultist’s ramblings on killing you, telling them how to take you out, and your plan is to lure them in so Scarlet’s blood will do the work?”

Rachel shrugged, Zoe’s eyes going big at the reveal as Anthony got up and listened in. “Not entirely, but the general gist of the idea. I don’t think Scarlet can kill them without me dying.”

Scarlet tensed up. “Wait, really?”

“Hehe. No. A single one, who, might I add, was caught off-guard, managed to almost get to us through your blood field, despite the dangers, much less five who have warning and are cautious. However…what if we were able to help you have more control over your powers and strengthen them?”

Zoe’s ears flicked up, eyes shimmering with excitement. “Training montage? Wait, eh…no, that’d take too long… Really! Like…really?!”

Anthony joined them, wearing a grin with black cat whiskers for face paint that made Zoe glare at him. “Hehe. I couldn’t help it. So, Rachel’s planning to teach Scarlet about upgrading her Feats—let me tell you, Level 5 is no joke—really interesting stuff.”

Rachel brushed away any follow-ups. “We’re running out of time. While they’re debating amongst themselves regarding the message and Scarlet’s blood rose infection, we’ll get Selvaria and you up to speed on upgrading your System. This is all you, Scarlet, and I trust you to handle this—no problem.”

“Yeah, you’re OP, girl!” Zoe chimed.

Selvaria gave an impressed thumbs up to Scarlet. “Blood rose infection? Nice.”

Anthony followed the leviathan’s gesture to not butt in.

“Hehe.” Scarlet rubbed her already clear cheeks, tears soaked back into her body. “You’re all insane…but if—if I can help… I’ll do my best!”

Rachel shot a look at the calculating military man, who seemed to be weighing the odds; nearly a hundred students and citizens had already been killed by the aliens while hundreds more were injured, either by other humans or self-inflicted. The question was, did he trust her after everything she’d demonstrated thus far?

“Huu-haaa… Ugh. If you can pull this off, I’m sure you’ll get your private meeting with Lt. Thompson… If anything, to identify how mad you are. You’ll take a radio that’s toggled on so we can listen.”

“Just in case we fail. Haha.” Rachel’s teeth flashed in an innocent smile, ears bowing a tad. “I’ll take that as a yes; the operation is on, girl,” she said, making Scarlet groan and rub her face.

Rachel guided a nervous Scarlet to a sitting position as Selvaria joined them, likely wanting to be a part of the club, and they walked them through the process as the military listened; it wasn’t the time to hold such secrets, and besides, it gave her further validity.

It was a little surprising when the blood dome encircled the vamp-girl as she entered the trance-like state, protecting her and making Rachel a little jealous, but it had been a success. Settling beside the rippling liquid, she debated going under to check out her own Feats and changes after what Anthony said, yet, begrudgingly, decided she couldn’t take the chance of the aliens moving in while she was in the unprotected state—it would have to wait.

The operation to destroy the smaller Crystals was mostly being handled by the Coast Guard, and they prepared to time each one to be detonated at once in case those on the other side decided to rush through with an army.

Rachel’s head tilted to the side while listening to the aliens point or slide their fingers across the whiteboard on specific places, likely for emphasis, their soft actions giving her the impression they were puzzling through something. It wasn’t long until they were on the hunt again, alarming her; their target wasn’t the pool.

“I think they’re returning to the Crystals—they’re leaving the building?!”

Mateo swiftly called it in as Scarlet’s blood field fell, snatching all of their attention; Scarlet wore a small smile as the liquid flowed around her.

“I understand,” she giggled, rising to her feet and holding out her hand for a sphere of crimson liquid to gather in her palm. “I get it… I’m that which reaps… Life’s twilight that eclipses champions slain.”

“Scarlet?” Rachel asked; naturally, that kind of awakening would cause a few people to give her misgiving looks. “What did you learn; did you upgrade your Feats?’

She blinked, blue eyes defocusing before looking up at her. “I did! Yeah, you helped me so much, Rachel. It’s so…different from what I thought. Thank you!”

Okay, could this sound less villain-like? Rachel internally groaned, seeing how everyone was fidgeting at her words.

“Hu-huh?” Her gut tightened as the girl’s blood drew her into a hug. “What’s up?”

When she pulled away, her irises glowed with ruby light. “I am the Blood Red Rose! Scarlet isn’t here to make me kill good people, and I shouldn’t hold down what’s inside of me… I just need to direct it… Like when you felt like everyone would die and ran ahead!”

“I’m not follow—”

Without warning, the shorter girl was enveloped in shadows, leaving everyone speechless and Rachel wondering if she’d made a horrible mistake; yet, the threads of misfortune were now entirely in her favor as they wrapped around the toad’s throats—the vespertine reaper had found her prey.

One by one, Rachel heard the rushing sands meet the laughing raven-haired girl as cutting air sounded; it all happened in less than thirty seconds as she transported herself through shadows to intercept and eviscerate the aliens, seemingly unable to hide from her fiendish eyes.

Mateo’s mouth was slack, looking to her for answers, yet Rachel didn’t know what else to tell him—he’d seen it for himself—she was going full-on reaper, talking about Blood Red Roses and being life’s twilight or something along those lines. Perhaps this was what the cult was afraid of what she’d do in helping the girl.

“Scarlet’s…killing them all.”

Radio rising to his mouth, Mateo yelled, “Execute operation—I repeat—execute operation!”

Lt. Thompson repeated the order, and Rachel’s ears drooped back as explosions sounded all around them; all five Crystals had been destroyed, reports flying in from the soldiers outside.

“Target neutralized!”

“Targets sending light into the sky!”

“Main Crystal shattered—the dome’s down—we’re back, boys!”

“Let’s go!”

“A tale to tell the kids, Boyd!”

“That’s what I’m sayin’!”

“Damn straight! Alien toads?”

“You didn’t even see one, Tony!”

“Shut the hell up and let me enjoy this!”

Cheers sounded all around campus, but Mateo’s focus was still on her with the tense Green Berets, wondering if Scarlet would become their next calamity.

“Well?”

Rachel shook her head. “Four down—she’s on the last inside a building, but all the noise is making it hard to follow,” she groaned, rubbing her head as a migraine formed; her body was already shot and didn’t want to move. “I think… Scarlet! Hehe. Hey… Y-You okay?”

[Level Up - Level 6]

[1 Stat Points Added; 2 Available]

[1 Feat Extension Added; 1 Available]

[1 Stat Modifier Point Available]

[1 Refinement Point Available]

[1 Branch Feat Point Available]

Utterly stunned by the sudden jump in EXP, Rachel blinked as dark mist collected to reveal the grinning girl, holding a scythe of crystal-like blood; gashes and cuts marred her skin, and her clothes were littered with the signs of an intense battle.

“Oh, yeah! I’ve never felt…better…”

Her sky-blue eyes returned before suddenly rolling back, causing Rachel to wince while jumping forward to catch her, yet her legs gave out, and she found herself on the ground, head spinning. The past hours seemed to take their toll all at once as she suddenly felt so much weaker, and it was getting worse.

Anthony appeared to have swept the girl off her feet, blood melting to crawl back into her body as he turned her away.

“Whoops! Hehe. Faceplant much?”

“Ugh…thanks for the support,” Rachel grumbled, trying to collect herself.

“Anytime! Looks like our cute and creepy assassin is out for the count,” he strained a laugh while examining the shimmering red light that shone through her wounds; they weren’t healing. “Uh… Is she going to be okay?”

“Probably?” Rachel theorized, shifting to her back with a groan. “Maybe she needs blood to restore herself?”

Selvaria leaned to the side to peer around the soldiers, tail swaying back and forth. “Spooky. I like her. We should all team—eh, you guys get those levels?”

Zoe cheered, jumping up and down with squeals of excitement. “Scarlet was on our side, or we wouldn’t be sharing her EXP! Confirmation!”

Rachel hadn’t even made that connection yet—she was fairly exhausted—but it did make sense. “Hehe. I guess so. I think I’m done for now. I hurt…everywhere.”

Mateo streamed out his stress and chuckled. “Well… I guess we made it through the night,” he said, pointing at the windows that showed faint orange light and the reason why she was feeling weaker as she traced a beam to her belly. “I’ll call the OIC and see what he wants us to do… Shit. What a night it was…”

Rachel dragged herself against the wall and out of the sunshine, mind winding down; she needed sleep and a lot of rest. One problem was the sun since she didn’t know the full effect it would have on her, and after a quick reflection test, she learned it only drained her [Lunar Pool].

Unfortunately, Scarlet’s skin started to blacken and burn under even the faintest light, prompting them to carry her further into the building. Rachel groaned like an old woman the entire way, much to Zoe and Selvaria’s concern, shooting worried glances at her, but she refused help out of principle, to which Zoe mumbled, ‘She had no problems with Anthony carrying her in the woods,’ that Rachel ignored.

The vespertine reaper remained unconscious, though, making Rachel uneasy, and after several minutes, Mateo’s men informed them that Lt. Thompson wanted a word; finally, Rachel had her moment with someone in authority.

Two levels, and apparently, Level 5 is a big one… Can I make all my work bear fruit with this meeting? I have to if I’m going to survive this cult that is bound to come after me…and my family.

Countenance darkening, she proceeded to the room the military officer was using.

Chapter Nine

Full Confession

Forcing her legs to remain steady on her passage through the hallway, Rachel slowed a bit when Roy—the Green Beret who spoke Korean—motioned for her to stop after obtaining the order from Mateo.

“Lt. Thompson only wants to talk to you, Rachel; a place is being set up for Selvaria, Anthony, and Scarlet. Lt. Herrero will be joining us shortly after handing over command to Second Lt. Falcon.”

Rachel sighed, swapping to the wall to close her eyes and wait for everyone to finish with the most urgent matters. Anthony shifted the unconscious vespertine reaper in his arms as the others came to a halt in the hall, soldiers hustling through it following orders.

Most of the Coast Guard personnel were looking up to Mateo’s Green Beret platoon after word spread that the Special Forces group had been part of the reason they’d escaped the dome and killed the alien threat; they’d taken out two of the Crystal Hubs, and, apparently, as the rumor went, lured one to the ‘Sea Dragon’ that had some circles buzzing with speculation.

Surprisingly, her part was kept hushed over the radio, but that wouldn’t last long as her presence was made known from circle to circle. Now, most of the soldiers were supplying relief and organizing the dead.

Despite the Crystal not being active for long, the quick and deadly brown-skinned toads had murdered over two hundred and sixty people, mostly from the residential area, where a large group had gathered for prayer.

Zoe’s ears drew back as her name was left out of those who would be going to the rest area. “What about me?”

“Unfortunately, you’ll need to return to the Beastkin area for further instructions, Ma’am; we’re still receiving instructions as to how to proceed from command,” he said with a strained smile as his three buddies mirrored him.

“No, I get it…” the cat-girl groaned, rubbing her arm and smiling at her. “Thanks for letting me tag along, Rachel; it really was crazy, scary, and, I know I shouldn’t be saying this…but it was really fun.”

Rachel chuckled, going forward with a pun while opening her tired eyes to give her a thumbs up. “You helped more than you know, Zoe. Now you’re a battle vet, loli cat-girl, huh?”

“C’mon!” Zoe groaned, seeing Selvaria snicker. “Do I really look like a loli?” Selvaria shrugged, holding up her fingers that said, ‘a little.’ “Aww. At least I can pull off some fun cosplay ideas, I guess…”

“That’s the way to look at it,” Selvaria grinned.

“Yeah… Still, I have an amazing story to tell Adam and my other small group of friends… Thanks, Rachel.”

She watched one of their Green Beret escorts take the cat-girl to the area where the Beastkin were being segregated; they were now organizing them into specific categories after Mateo informed them about the different types Rachel had explained to them.

Selvaria moved to lean against the wall beside her, studying the raven-haired girl in Anthony’s arms. “Is she going to be okay; doesn’t she need blood? She’s not healing.”

Roy clicked his tongue a few times before hissing. “We can’t do anything until the lieutenant gets here, and he’s being pulled in all sorts of directions with the OIC over the campus relief effort right now.”

Rachel drew her damp, braided hair over her shoulder before shifting to the ground, feeling like she was going to pass out if she wasn’t on the move without purpose. On the other hand, Anthony didn’t look tired in the least after everything they’d done, which told her he’d put points in his [Stamina] and [Endurance].

“Ugh. Yeah, they’re talking to command right now, reporting the damages, casualties, and specifics to give them an idea of what kind of supplies we need… The campus hospital was already overrun, so they’re now redirecting resources to clear roads to others in the area. Everything’s a mess…”

Selvaria’s mouth tightened as she lightly tapped her tail against the brick; it still sent ripples that Rachel felt while leaning against the wall for support. “On another topic, I don’t think your sports bra is going to last long; it’s pretty damaged.”

Anthony and the other men made faces that said they were of the same opinion.

“Haaa. I’d love to return to my dorm and get a replacement, but my legs already feel like jelly, so…”

“I can do it!” Selvaria chimed in her monotone way, pushing away from the wall to show a bright, helpful smile as her lethal tail wagged left and right, causing the passing soldiers to give them a wide berth. “Won’t you need a change of clothes and pajamas anyway?”

Rachel wasn’t sure she wanted to let a random girl—much less a leviathan-girl—near her things, but, at the same time, she didn’t have much choice in the matter.

“Hah. My pajamas are more of a loose sports bra and elastic shorts, but if you want to pack up one of my suitcases, that would be nice. One of the boys wants to join you since we can’t be alone, I’m guessing,” she added, gesturing between the three remaining Green Berets.

Roy nodded, selecting one of his men after calling it in. “Tanner can join you, Selvaria. Pack light; there will probably be some relief coming from companies soon.”

Selvaria waved her hand dismissively at the statement. “That’s never as good as your own clothes, though, and clothes are very important. Also, you can call me Selv—all my friends do. Do you have a nickname?” she asked Tanner while Rachel took the map the man produced to mark her dorm and room. “Tanny or Tae sounds pretty cool.”

“Haha. Tanny? No. Just Tanner… My mom calls me Tae,” the tall, muscular soldier said, with his buddies joining in his laugh; things were calming down after the tense night.

They moved to execute the plan while Anthony puffed out a long stream of air, showing her a forced smile, and Rachel could guess what the man wanted to ask.

“Yes, Anthony, hehe, I’ll mention your fiancé when I get the chance.”

“You remember the—”

“HCA Florida Mercy,” Rachel grinned, holding a finger up to her head. “I remember everything.”

His shoulders lowered as if a huge weight had been lifted off them. “Thanks, Rachel.”

“Hey, I think we’re a bit more than acquaintances now,” she teased, carefully adjusting her sports bra and shorts now that she had time before shooting a tired, playful leer at him. “Wait…”

“What?” he asked, following her gaze to Scarlet.

“How many women have you been princess carrying in the past twenty-four hours? Your fiancé might get the wrong impression, showing so much attention to other girls.”

“Haha. No doubt,” he laughed. “Amelia will probably beat me senseless when I tell her about all the dangerous situations I’ve been in; she worries about me.”

“She sounds sweet,” Roy muttered, shifting to stare down the hall as Mateo exited with two other soldiers by his side. “Looks like we’re about to be on the move. Need help with Scarlet, Anthony?”

He shook his head. “Nah. I can hardly feel the weight; these new powers are wild.”

“Tell me about it. What’s the deal with that keg you brought back anyway—just beer?”

Anthony shrugged as Rachel forced herself up with a groan. “No idea, mate. They just gave me the stuff, and I’m not even sure what kind of alcohol it is. Want to break it open when we get things settled down?”

Mateo lifted an eyebrow as he joined them. “What’s this about starting a party? Once it’s logged and samples sent off, I’m not against it; the boys need something to kill the edge anyway. Are we ready, Rachel? You’re…not looking too hot.”

Rachel snorted, running her fingers through her hair. “Thanks, way to destroy a girl’s confidence. I’m managing.”

“Hehe. I’m sure. Roy, I’ll take Rachel from here. Start setting up some R and R for the platoon; we don’t know when we’ll be on the move again and need our strength. Henry, keep hold of that sword and the earrings they brought back; a team from command is coming to take it for study. Blood is being prepared for Scarlet from the university hospital. As for cleanup, the Coast Guard is handling it; let’s move, boys.”

“Roger.”

Rachel couldn’t help but stare at the earrings with a bit of disappointment at not being able to keep them. It made sense they’d want to study whatever came from the other world, though.

They broke apart, Rachel waving at Anthony goodbye and hoping it wouldn’t be the last time she saw the fire-haired, muscular Legend. Who knew what might happen when Scarlet woke up? She may even turn into an insane demon after she went to war against the toads.

Just before turning the corner and losing sight of the vespertine reaper, Rachel’s mind lingered on the gashes in the eighteen-year-old girl’s clothing and skin.

Despite all the power I gained from The Oscillation, there was no way I could have come out of this Crystal attack alive…even after leveling up in Anthony’s training grounds. There’s something different about Scarlet that this cult knew about, and she believes her parents started all of this…

She blinked as the world spun, and the next moment, Mateo held her steady; she’d lost time.

“You okay, Rachel?”

“Hmm? Uh, y-yeah… I, umm, just got a little dizzy,” she mumbled, brushing him away to stand on her own with some effort while taking a shuddering breath; several other passing soldiers seemed to have noticed her going down and moved to help, but the lieutenant got to her first. “I’m fine.”

Mateo hissed out a sigh while following close by as she pushed on. “Have…you considered it wasn’t just your adventure into that other world but Scarlet that is causing this effect on you?”

Ears rising a bit, Rachel’s brow furrowed at the question. “I…haven’t,” she admitted, fingers brushing against the wrap on her injured arm as chills ran through it. “I could be a little low on blood, which would explain my foggy mind, but…” she trailed off as he guessed what she was going to say.

“You’ve been operating in combat mode since this started, Rachel; whatever your body uses as adrenaline has been keeping you going and seems to be winding down. I’m just saying…take it easy, okay?”

“Heh. Thanks, Mateo; I just feel like if I stop, I might collapse again… Better than being poisoned and dying, huh?”

He laughed at her joke, and, thankfully, he dropped the subject, more than likely figuring it wouldn’t get them far after he’d offered his thoughts on the matter; plus, she was the only one who could explain all the questions the OIC of the area needed. She had to power through, and Rachel could see the army veteran growing to respect her, which was what she wanted.

Rachel paused when they made it to a brightly lit hallway and pulled them back the way they’d come to take another route; if she lost any more Lunar Energy, she really would be on the ground seeing stars.

Mateo said he knew she’d refuse out of pride—he’d do the same—but offered to get her a wheelchair nonetheless; naturally, she grinned and shook her head. She had to prove to herself she could stand on her own when all of this was done.

On the way to the office, Rachel’s slow brain fixated on what the military man had brought up; perhaps there was more to Scarlet’s bite than simply drawing blood like a vampire and why Cerridwen intervened, snapping the terrified girl back to her senses. After all, her blood was apparently infectious with some kind of rose-like toxin or virus.

Mateo opened the door when they arrived as a secretary outside motioned them to proceed. Lt. Thompson sat at a cleared desk, with four monitors and a laptop cramped on the wooden surface. They showed multiple feeds, emails for orders, and many other sectioned-off windows showing wiki pages. One snatched her attention—the man had one open to ‘moon rabbit,’ surprisingly.

“Take a seat, Rachel, Lieutenant,” he said to them, sounding exhausted while rubbing his eyes; they complied, sitting next to each other, and Rachel sank into the cushions with a thankful sigh. “Give me a second to organize a new sheet; I’ll need to take notes while we chat to compile a report.”

They waited patiently for him to get things ready as the officer’s hands skated across his laptop keyboard and moved things around on the screens behind the desk.

While Mateo and Thompson sounded like they were the same rank of Lieutenant, the Army and the Coast Guard had differences in their rankings; Mateo was an O-2 and Thompson an O-3. The Coast Guard had point right now since it had such a big presence in Florida and the US homeland’s shores, while the State National Guard worked in union with the federal military during martial law.

It took a full minute for him to get everything organized before he sat back to address them with a weary sigh. “Huu-haaa. Alright, let’s begin by confirming a few things, Rachel—I will be recording this for my superiors to review if needed—a simple yes or no will make this quick. Is that acceptable?” he asked, flipping on a recorder that had been set up beside the monitors before she responded; the question was more of a formality.

“Of course. Hehe. I might pass out halfway, though—just fair warning,” she said, hoping to break the ice a bit; the officer was under a lot of stress, and a lot of influential government and military officials’ eyes were looking to him for answers. “I’m an open book.”

He started with the simple questions regarding her being a Mythickin Lunar Hare and went through her government records, asking her to recount specific information that only Rachel Park should know, such as her social security number, birth date, parents, schools she attended, age, and other details regarding her family.

It seemed tedious but was to confirm to those watching that she indeed was the same girl before The Oscillation, and there was a powerful minority that was in question about that fact.

Once that finished, he threw a curve ball at her by asking her to go through an overview of her actions over the past month leading up to her change; she was a little uncomfortable admitting to her fights with her sister-in-law and general feelings toward Alexa.

Unfortunately, given everything she’d heard thus far from the military, Rachel knew many government agencies would be combing through her entire life history—it was only natural given what other Mythickin were doing that put heat on them all—she couldn’t lie, and Rachel wasn’t dumb enough to think she could outsmart hundreds of specialists investigating her. A single slip could throw doubt on everything she said.

Compliance and being useful to those in power, along with looking for answers, would get her the ear of those who truly had influence; one issue she could see was if the Scarlet Hand had infiltrated high positions in government that could cause her problems, and it was a possibility she made clear to the two officers when they got to the topic.

Judging by Mateo and Lt. Thompson’s reactions to her speculation, it was a real concern; they had private information regarding Scarlet and what they’d found at her parents’ house, no doubt. There was already an investigation going through everything related to Scarlet and the associates close to their family, but everything was kept tight-lipped, so Rachel hadn’t discovered much beyond the surface level.

Sadly, Rachel’s mind decided it needed a break after forty-five minutes of being grilled. A reflexive, hard lump pushed down her throat as Rachel cracked open an eye with a groan, spotting the two military men eyeing her.

“How…long was I out?”

“About ten minutes,” Mateo groaned, scratching his arm before pointing at a kitchen tray of fruit, vegetables, hamburgers, and other goods, including an assortment of drinks. “If you are low on blood, you should probably eat… Can you go forward? I wouldn’t be asking, but…”

Rachel cleared her throat with a laugh, trying to orient herself while blinking. “Shit’s hit the fan… No, I get it.” Sitting back and rubbing her hot forehead, she refocused on them. “As for food, honestly, I get the feeling I get more nourishment from the moon than stuff like this now, but it can’t hurt, right?”

Lt. Thompson forced a smile. “We can only hope it doesn’t. You are a citizen, Rachel, despite how hard Lt. Mateo and I seem to be pushing you, and we do recognize you have rights and don’t have to cooperate with us. So, I’ll ask again, do you want to continue?”

Her eyes settled, emphasizing her tone since this was everything she’d worked to achieve, and all of it could collapse if she bailed out due to something minor like exhaustion or pain. “Yes.”

“Okay,” he nodded, seeing Mateo do the same. “You’ve been very helpful thus far… More than I can express, and I’m sorry we’ve been so hard on you, but the information you’re providing could literally save millions of lives, if not tens of millions.”

“No, like I said, I get it,” she mumbled, taking an apple to start with as her stomach growled, but she didn’t think it was for typical food. “Where were we—my decisions from the change to now?”

She kept the bitten apple pressed against her lips as Mateo shook his head with a severe frown and shake of his head. “You were telling us about this goddess figure that Scarlet mentioned stopped her—Cerridwen,” he added, looking at a screen that had been flipped to them and showing a few websites describing her.

Rachel’s mind came to a screeching halt. “Huh… I did what?”

She was drawing a total blank as to the conversation as she internally cursed at the gap in memory; apparently, she’d stubbornly gone on with the discussion to the point she’d forgotten about the entire reveal—and it was a touchy reveal to be given in her delirious state.

Lt. Thompson chuckled. “I thought you were a bit incoherent there at the end; I’m guessing you wanted to bring this topic up in a different way. It sounds crazy, but all of this does, and if Scarlet was brought back to her senses due to this goddess’ influence…we need to know more about this angle than any other.”

Rachel’s ears rose from their drooping position, tilting left with her head. “Scarlet…”

Mateo nodded. “When you were out, we were able to bring some blood for her to absorb. We gave her enough to stabilize her wounds, which did heal her; a military doctor oversaw it, and now she’s resting with Anthony and Selvaria, last I heard.”

“Okay…” she mumbled, feeling a tiny bit better after the short rest; she straightened in her seat, grimacing at the fire that lit in her muscles.

“Mmgm. Give me a second to collect my thoughts… To be clear, I’m not 100% sold on the goddess angle, but I have been entertaining the idea since she seems to be connected to some of my Feats. Should we go into that next for context? I experimented a lot in Anthony’s Quest to understand my change while not putting people at risk.”

The blond-haired OIC behind the desk smiled. “It was a smart decision. While you are recovering, I’ll continue my conversation with Lt. Herrero.” He shifted his chair to the Green Beret, shifting his laptop on his lap to continue making notes. “What has been your opinion of Ms. Park thus far?”

Lead dropped into Rachel’s gut at the sudden topic. A lot would be extrapolated from the soldier since he’d spent the most time with her in the field, and her actions with Scarlet could certainly draw red flags; as she feared, his comments weren’t all positive.

Mateo adjusted his posture while keeping his focus on the officer, speaking dispassionately to offer his unfiltered opinion.

“Ms. Park is reckless, prideful, and undisciplined in many areas; that being said, she’s also intelligent, and I would even say she has a shockingly military mind for a civilian—to an extent. I’d say she has an overinflated ego regarding her abilities, which, while being very useful and powerful, she doesn’t have the experience to utilize them to the degree she operates… She’s been extremely lucky.”

Thompson’s fingers skidded across the keyboard, making Rachel’s tail stiffen and ears twitch. “From what I’m reading about the mythology she’s associated with, couldn’t it be extrapolated that it is a part of her powers?”

“It’s conceivable,” the Green Beret shrugged. “However, from what I’ve heard while paying close attention to her comments and actions, I’d say she falls more in line with what we’ve read regarding the hare in the way of misfortune she can bring others.”

His even tone and gaze shifted to her as he continued. “When the toad entered the building, and we were moving to intercept, she ran ahead, despite her physical state after exiting the other world, to reach the enemy first. I initially thought it was her reckless behavior, but later learned that she sensed many of my men would die and put herself in danger to prevent it.”

Rachel turned away, trying to act natural as her heart thumped against her ribcage; there were so many ways this could go, and anxiety was pushing back the fog clouding her mind as she ate in silence. It was best she didn’t interrupt until being called upon; this was also a test to see how she’d respond to criticism.

“I see…” the blond man hummed, lightly tapping a finger against the keyboard without pressing it in as his knuckles came to his mouth. “Hmm. One could say the act was selfless and courageous then?”

“I’d like to believe so,” Mateo said, folding his hands in his lap. “However, Ms. Park made it clear when we first met that her plan was to meet with you; therefore, many of her actions of bravery could be seen as her trying to score brownie points for that purpose.”

Rachel internally groaned. Dammit! It is a valid point, though…and not entirely wrong. Military men really are observant; he’s been watching me closely.

“She mentioned her Feats or abilities help to connect a pathway to her goals by acting as a sort of memory bank for everything she’s heard while drawing points of actions that can bring her in that direction.

“That’s not to say she doesn’t have good intentions or that everyone doesn’t act in the same way, but it is worth pointing out that she is a very rational and practical girl with high motivation and drive. She wants something from you, Lt. Thompson, and that cannot be denied…”

He paused, narrowed eyes shifting back to her. “If there’s one criticism I have, though… It’s that Ms. Park has no inhibition toward murder from her story against the goblins or when facing the toads. No fear. No sympathy. No remorse. Despite her claim that they were intelligent creatures with culture, as vile as it may have been.

“Everyone thinks they’re prepared to kill something until the gun or knife is in their hands; people have a hard time killing pets. It’s almost as if she’s taken lives before this, and her school records show that, while having top marks in academics, she has a habit of getting into fights.”

They even got into my records while I was out? Rachel internally sighed. All of it shows I wasn’t the one to start them, though…and there it is! I couldn’t help attacking anyone who tried to bully, throw racist remarks, or any other aggressive challenge someone made against me. Although…I did manipulate things where they’d throw the first punch for an excuse.

Thompson slowly nodded, scrolling down on his hidden screen. “It does show she’s been in a decent amount of scuffles, and done some…damage to a few girls with records of their own. She’s never stated to have thrown the first punch…”

“True,” Mateo agreed, fingers tightening against each other. “However, given what I’ve seen of Ms. Park’s behavior, I can see her easily being capable of guiding things down that route and pushing the right buttons. She’s methodical in her approach to things, which showed with how she handled Scarlet, manipulating her into a position to rely on her in the girl’s manic state…and that can be dangerous.”

Rachel knew the topic would come up; if she decided to press the right buttons, Scarlet could become her puppet attack dog. What other choice did she have with the unstable girl? Yes, she did play Scarlet, to a degree, but she could also empathize with her, and it wasn’t like she wanted to hurt the broken teenager.

Thompson scratched his temple, showing a deep frown. “Yet, in the warning report you sent me between the incident, you mention that Ms. Park likely curbed a horrible disaster by keeping the girl stable and calming her down. It is hard now that they’ve established a connection since we can’t separate them… You’re right; it’s a calculated play and calls into question motive.”

He turned to her with a tight mouth, appraising her as she calmly waited; Rachel’s actions only further highlighted her mind and mental state. “What do you have to say about your actions after Mateo described them from his point of view; do you have anything you want to respond to?”

Rachel breathed out a long stream of air while setting aside the partially eaten hamburger she’d chosen after the fruit and cleaning her fingers and mouth with a napkin.

“I promised you I would be honest with how I responded, and I could twist my words and events into a favorable light, but you want the visceral, cold truth of who I am without the bullshit. Ever since I’ve gained this Feat called [Strategic Mind]—which happens to be in the Cerridwen Branch of my abilities—I’ve been able to analyze my own actions in ways I wasn’t able to before, heh…think of it like an epiphany of sorts,” she chuckled, settling into her seat.

Her unshaken, eclipse-like eyes were held on the military officer across from her. “I am cruel to those I view as my enemies—without a doubt—and I won’t deny it; I don’t have a hint of regret or shame for fights I’ve gotten into or the noses I’ve broken. They were asking for it.

“I don’t run from conflict; I find a way to win at any price. It’s how I’ve won multiple Muay Thai competitions, and I love to fight. The reality is, I feel the most alive while in a fight, and when I was under the Azure Moon on the other planet, as the Lt. said, my inhibitions were shoved away, and I was able to see myself in raw form…”

She heard the men holding their breath as she spoke to them, unfiltered, holding every word with clarity. “I learned I’m brutal. I can kill—without hesitation—not that I enjoy that particular part of the process… I enjoy combat, and the goblins bored me after I learned how weak they were.

“So…I tried to manipulate their commander into a feud by killing his subordinates. In hindsight, it was a waste of time; he didn’t care about them. I overestimated my abilities against him and almost died. Do I regret it? No. I loved it,” she laughed, wincing at the painful daggers that ripped into her lungs and chest.

“If I were to make an educated guess, I’d say The Oscillation unlocked more about who we really are from experience. Does that mean I want to take on the US military or kill random defenseless citizens? Absolutely not. I’m not an idiot. I knew I couldn't live a normal life an hour after analyzing my change, so I’ve tried to position myself here to tell you this… I need direction.”

Her fingers tightened in her lap, vision shifting to glare at her much less muscular arms. “I think most of us do… We can’t enter society like we were, and to think otherwise would be delusional; it would be a mistake on the government’s part to do that.

“I came here to tell you about my experience in the last twelve hours, and what I need, which can translate to other Mythickin. I don’t know about Legendkin; Anthony has his own problems and concerns regarding his fiancé; he’ll probably sneak out if you don’t let him go to check on her by the end of the day.”

“Your family?” Mateo pressed, crossing his legs while studying her.

“Oh. Haha. Yeah, I love my family… I don’t want to disappoint my dad or mom, and I’m terrified of how my mom is going to respond to all of this… I was going to ask if you could have someone pick them up because they’re likely stuck in the blockades and traffic jams on the way here.”

Thompson gave her a nod. “I can certainly put out the word to the troops stationed along the freeway. So, you’re a very aggressive young woman who is looking for a direction to point her ambition, and you think the military has a place for that… All of this has sort of been a showcase of your skillset?”

“In short, I suppose,” Rachel said, closing her eyes and sinking back into her chair. “I don’t know what I expect from the military. All I know is that my original plan to become a lawyer feels so…meaningless to me now. I still want to make my parents proud, but in a different way, I guess.

“I’m worried about the Scarlet Hand cult going after my family after that woman freaked out about me getting close to Scarlet. I hear other changed people’s paranoia about the government using us as guinea pigs or treating us like aliens. I want a direction I can be happy to push forward because there is so much chaos right now. I don’t want to be trapped or locked up like some animal…”

Eyes opening, she forced a smile. “So…what is your verdict…or can you even give one?” she asked, looking between them after spilling her heart. “I’ll tell the military everything I know about this System and the goddess thing…which, if we’re being honest here, heh, I was hoping to reveal to someone a bit higher in ranking, but I’m too tired to play games now. So…”

Mateo and Thompson chuckled, rubbing their faces while processing her confession.

The blond man stared at the screen and streamed out a long puff of air. “I can’t tell you anything, and…I think you’re right when it comes to some of this information. I’ll only reference some of the things you talked about and push it up the ladder; we’re being looked at by a lot of high-ranking officials, and I’ll wait to see who decides to slap their weight on the table.”

He stood with Mateo, making her groan to mirror them, and to her surprise, the men shook her hand before saluting her with a smile, the Coast Guard officer speaking.

“No matter the reasons, Rachel, you’ve saved a lot of lives today, and on behalf of everyone under my command, I thank you for stepping up and being an active, positive force that has allowed thousands of people to return to their loved ones.”

Rachel’s ears fell back a little at the respect in their eyes. “I…just did what I thought was the most logical choice… If I did nothing, I felt like my life was over with how Mythickin are being viewed. It was strategic… It was the only way I could see myself seeing my family again.”

“And that’s a key distinction,” Mateo commented, and Thompson nodded his agreement.

“The way I see it, Ms. Park, you took a stand in an impossible situation—as a citizen without the call for duty—and provided critical intel with—while reckless—courageous action nonetheless that has saved thousands while possibly saving millions in the future. Thank you for your service.”

“Thank you for your service, as well, Lt. Herrero, Lt. Thompson,” she finished, rubbing her legs while trying to stop their shakes. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…I’m going to go lay down before I collapse again.”

“Allow me to escort you,” Mateo said, motioning her to the door. “We can talk when you wake up; someone higher in command will likely want to go into further detail with you soon enough.”

“Sounds good.”

Heading to the area they’d set up for them, Rachel found cots where Selvaria and Scarlet were already resting; well, the leviathan was on the ground since her weight had flattened the bed. Anthony was staring up at the ceiling, waiting for her return in the dim room.

“How’d it go?” he asked as Mateo talked with the men standing guard outside, leaving them alone.

Rachel breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted the suitcase Selvaria had gathered for her and went to select some replacement garments.

“Hehe. Translation: when can I see my girl? Probably after we wake up; they can’t give us any definitive plans for the future, but I tried to make a case that forcing us to sit around doing nothing isn’t the best strategy… We’ll see tomorrow. For now, I’m going to change behind those curtains Selvaria set up and go to bed. Night!”

“Heh. Night… Thanks for asking. What’s going to become of us?” he mumbled to himself, likely pondering much the same as her; there were countless ways this could go, and many not so good.

“Hopefully, things will be clearer when we wake up… I gave them a lot of things to consider. Time will tell.”

Silence took the room as Rachel passed Scarlet and reached down to squeeze the sleeping girl’s hand; her wounds had recovered, and it looked like Selvaria had stolen a few of her clothes for them to use, as well, or possibly Cloe’s by the nightgown the leviathan wore.

I don’t know if I’m being stupid by giving so much to the military, but it’s my only path forward… I can’t fight the world and need people in power on my side. I have leverage thanks to Cerridwen and all the details the fantasy nerds provided… Will it be enough, though?

She wanted to cry while gritting her teeth and pulling off her bra and bottoms; Rachel wanted to enter her mental state to upgrade her System but knew it would be better to do it when she had a rested mind. If she blacked out and talked about sensitive stuff with Mateo and Lt. Thompson, she didn’t want to make the mistake of throwing all her points into [Endurance], which would have a terrible return by the low Grade.

Flopping onto her back on the cot, Rachel puffed out a hot breath while settling in; yet, even her dreams were plagued by an assortment of chaotic images and sensations.

A fire-haired goddess—colored almost like a garnet—with burning, coal-like eyes gave her a tight-lipped stare; flames erupted around her, showing her influence over nightmares and the underworld. A black, crescent moon marked her forehead, and a fist-sized ruby hovered in front of her, showing a slitted eye.

Rachel glanced around in confusion, seeing the dream-like infinity burning to cinders with a steaming cauldron nearly empty between them.

The heat pulled back the woman’s thick hair, showing one of her thin, elf-like ears and drawing attention to the obsidian collar she wore as her violet dress smoldered, and a beautiful autumn-haired goddess with flowers in her flowing locks stood beside her, studying Rachel with doubt in her lilac-hued irises.

In the next instant, she was falling over a large city—a blood moon overhead—spotting a colossal tree that sprouted out of a canal, where a massive clocktower rang; the branches soon overshadowed the buildings, and everything went black to show a mixed coral-orange, pink, and white-coated rabbit as a soft voice caressed her thoughts.

Keep those who are supporting you close. Find the Mythickin fairy and unicorn; they will provide you a path toward me… Rachel, your world—all worlds—are in great danger, and you must enter the World Tree. Moongmor will guide you to his mistress. Eostre has agreed to watch your path forward. Be cautious, Rachel; you have enemies far stronger than us, but your power will see you through what is to come.

Chapter Ten

The Devils Within

The sloshing water of the half-emptied pool, soldiers’ movements, and relieved voices that echoed around the college recreational area picked at Scarlet’s mind as she sat on the hard, concrete floor with the confident lunar hare she’d only met hours earlier looming over her.

Scarlet’s fingers twitched in her lap with the pressure tightening around her lungs while in the process of following Rachel’s assured words; if she didn’t know any better, she’d think her blood was pumping in her ears, but it was a figment of her imagination.

Just remain calm, she repeated to herself, eyes closed and throwing a prayer into the aether to anything that would listen to her internal pleas, hoping the voice that was so similar to her own wouldn’t return. Just please, help me not hurt anyone I’m not supposed to… Please, let me not be insane and a psychopath… It’s not my fault! Please, I don’t want to…

Shockingly, Rachel’s words held true as she swallowed the blood in her throat, having replaced her saliva and any other liquid function of her body; her breathing evened out while drifting into a dark abyss to the pillar-like platform Rachel had described—at least, that was what the lunar hare had told her.

The voices of the soldiers bouncing off the walls and happy words exchanged between friends faded with a crack of thunder in a place so far distant she wasn’t sure if it was real; Scarlet could hardly breathe as she strained her ears, searching the emptiness that had embraced her consciousness.

It was challenging to open her heavy eyes, and the only thing that met them were flashes of lightning that guided her path through the darkness. She entered the heavens in a freefall past barren wastelands of ominous, swirling clouds that veiled her passage into wherever she fell. She didn’t know her location, only that it was not the place she’d been told.

In the eternal atmospheric storm, Scarlet saw images of her past in the occasional bolts that illuminated the dark mist, the chilling blood rain pattering her skin. It came at first in still sparks of light before obscure voices echoed through an expansive space to reach her. Yet, the muffled sounds collected into one voice—her own—and time froze. Rachel’s nervous face appeared in her mind before it was swiftly replaced by the abyss.

“I understand… Hehe. I get it… I’m the markings of the terrified’s fears… Life’s twilight that eclipses champions slain.”

Brow furrowing, Scarlet swallowed the lump in her throat while searching the void for what she was talking about, but the flashes skipped between scenes with each slow beat of her practically lifeless heart.

What am I talking about… Wait, Rachel, that’s…that’s not me? I’m not saying that…

A shiver ran down her spine as the clouds parted, revealing a limitless sea of turbulent ruby waters, seemingly enshrined by the gentle thunderstorm overshadowing it. Her gaze wandered, overwhelmed with the soft, memorable piano and organ sounds her parents enjoyed that were concomitant with her heavenly descent into this inner world she’d entered, welcoming her home.

A familiar pulse of a horror-based classical show’s slow, haunting ambiance bubbled up from somewhere deep within her, accompanied by the resonance of falling rain.

The crimson veil falling in the moderate breeze painted her naked body, and, rather than sound, she felt the cries of souls that had joined her in this eerie dance between life and death, yet the strangest part was that it wasn’t frightening but welcoming.

Eyes widening as clarity swept away her foggy mind, she discovered not rain from the supernatural blanket overhead but petals. Souls were with her now—the sand-like toads, wrapped in roses to be swallowed by the current below, and Scarlet’s mysterious voice caressed her ear.

“We finally meet… No matter what you dream, beware of what you say, for the cogwheel has burst out of place. Let the scent of poisonous flowers tempt you away; sweet deceit and pure red roses do await. Welcomed not by the light nor the night, you became the Bringer of Twilight.”

Ocean waves enveloped Scarlet as she entered the boundless waters. The haunting storm above dampened but was always near, with the pattering of liquid against hard surfaces. With less fear than she expected, she sank into the crimson abyss, lured by something that had hooked her soul to bring her into a cold embrace.

Her mind flitted in and out of consciousness in the tide; the scenes of battle flitted across her thoughts as she fought the powerful alien creatures that had invaded in the last few minutes of twilight—or was it someone else wearing her skin? Darkness and light were in union overhead, drawing her awe.

Her blood brought their spirits in, wrapping them ever so carefully in maroon petals to enter the necropolis below the ocean’s embrace, a place not her own.

Without warning, the world opened up—twilight persisting—yet not in the place she’d expected to be; immobilized, her confusion dissipated at the horror that was the last place on Earth she wanted to be. Indeed, Scarlet unwillingly turned the wheel to bring the car into her driveway—she was home.

Thunder rumbled from the cloudless heavens overhead, somber music accompanying the invisible rain that peppered her body as Scarlet exited the vehicle, petrified thoughts watching yesterday’s events unfold like a black-and-white movie.

Navigating around the vehicles that littered the front, Scarlet knew what she would find inside. Neighbors, family friends, and associates of her parents that she’d known much of her life were preparing for their weekly D&D campaign—of course, she knew the truth now. This night, this cursed memory, was the last night she’d ever see her father again.

The trepidation she should have felt was blown away like the gentle breeze that drew back her curled hair as Scarlet came to the closed door, hearing laughter and merry voices within. Everything had been so typical the previous day; her eccentric, wealthy parents had nothing better to do than engage in their decades-old roleplay.

Opening the door, Scarlet remembered her feelings of frustration and annoyance when seeing the dozens upon dozens of men and women in her large house.

Her father had won the lottery shortly after marrying her mother, and ever since then, due to rather successful investments in stocks and companies, they hadn’t worried about money their entire lives. Yet, her parents weren’t your typical rich folk, nor had she lived the average manner the elites and privileged basked in… Far from it.

They had traveled the world throughout Scarlet’s life, but instead of fancy hotels, extravagant restaurants, or popular tourist places, they went to the most remote, obscure areas known to man that held ancient significance to civilizations long dead. They collected goods and funded expeditions—their house was practically a museum—all to facilitate their obsession with these particular meetings.

Scarlet forced a smile and waved at Kyle and Katie—husband and wife—who lived nearby. They’d brought Veronica, their daughter, and the blonde offered an enthusiastic wave and greeting; ever since she could remember, her mother had tried to get her to befriend her weird group’s kids, which only made her want to push away further.

To her, there was nothing worse than talking about her parents’ obsession—to them, passion—somehow, every new neighbor they got over the years had been pulled into their D&D Scarlet Hand roleplay. Typically, they were ordinary people, but on nights like this, they were stealing her hairbrush and waving it around like some kind of holy item while performing rituals.

It was harmless and mostly annoying—minus some of the damage to her personal products that her mother stole over the years—but Scarlet was convinced her parents had cursed her, at least socially.

Every friend she got over the years was moved away by their parents or fell out of touch six months after meeting them for random and sometimes ridiculous reasons; it was mean to say, but friends weren’t her thing now after leaving school.

Oddly, her parents hadn’t been helicoptering over her to jump into college or anything else; it wasn’t like she needed money, but Scarlet wanted to get away. The problem was finding out what it was she wanted to do; when she was constantly being put on a plane and flown around the world, there wasn’t much time to settle down and think about her future.

Heading for the large stairs to reach the 3rd floor, Scarlet grimaced as her mother grinned upon seeing her and hurried over; she had her brush again—hair was a big ritual thing, and apparently, a ‘virgin’s’ was needed.

How they knew, she couldn’t guess, but it wasn’t like she had many options in meeting guys due to the hectic lives they had, and she’d even been homeschooled during various points in her life when staying in other countries. If that wasn’t bad enough, recently, they’d gone into ‘educational’ overdrive, and it had been this way since her graduation last June.

What did that entail? A ton of trips and activities around the world that most girls would be jealous of, but ‘too much of a good thing’ was a real statement. She was exhausted. Sure, they went on a lot of vacations throughout her life, but it was really just an excuse to do their role-play things…but nothing this much. Thankfully, all of that had come to an end last week.

The dull noise of the storm rumbled, and the melancholy music played in the background as if mocking her while her slightly taller mother bustled over to engage her. Scarlet crossed her arms, trying to remain neutral as her dad talked excitedly to the others.

“Hey, Mom… The big night you’ve been talking about?”

“It’s tonight! Oh, how was the little reunion Mr. Jenson set up for your schoolmates; did you have a fun time?” she brightly asked, brown eyes shining as she practically bounced up and down, waiting to talk about her own event.

Scarlet scratched her shoulder-length hair with a short shrug. “Meh. It was whatever… I swear you had a hand in it since the theme was vampire-related. You just wanted me out of the house so you could get all your stuff put in the basement,” she mumbled, rolling her eyes and getting to the meat of what she wanted to talk about so as not to drag it out. “Who is it this time, the holy apostle of Scarlet, Revilla?”

Her father chuckled while moving to join them, and, surreally, Scarlet’s vision swapped to him, seeing the annoyed crease in her own lips and unfriendly posture from a much taller vantage point than she was accustomed to.

“I get you’re not into this stuff, Sweetie, but tonight…tonight it happens—everything will change—it’s different now!”

At the time, Scarlet had no clue what her parents’ fervent belief meant to them as she saw herself begrudgingly entertaining their bubbling anticipation for a short time before waving them off and heading upstairs to finish the sixth season of a drama she’d been watching recently.

The voices around them dulled for the music and storm’s presence, and, now from her father’s eyes, Scarlet was taken into the basement, where candles had been lit; the large, open space was almost entirely clear of furnishings, excluding a coffin in the center.

Scarlet hadn’t been down here for a long time—it was her parents’ place—all of the walls had been knocked down, only leaving the mansion’s support beams; her parents’ arts and crafts project had been under development since she’d been eight years old.

Thirty cultists descended with her parents in the dimly lit area, singing an eerie song that chilled her marrow as she joined them from her father’s lips.

The ominous piano accompanied them while spreading out to various points in the circle; hundreds of ingredients, artifacts, fake organs, and her own personal items littered the occult morphemes drawn in red paint—of course, she knew better now what the sticky, wet runes and body parts were.

“A long way down to the place I found, a lurking silhouette waiting below;

A dark sun, hollowed by the fade—that debt you live to repay;

You see the blackness stare, promising to spare the chosen.

Born of graves and left below, painted ashes, painted snow;

When the dark awakens, fires of our last hopes are burning low;

Our souls will char, flicker to and fro—afraid to linger and to go.

Until her scythe comes to take us home;

A pact embraced, a road unsought;

In blood red roses lay—she became the Bringer of Twilight.

A black heart’s redemption borne by brigand’s blood;

Vengeance is her only ward—beware the blood-red rose’s thorn;

For it will end with Scarlet.

The darkest night, the brightest light, history tainted by the twilight;

Born of graves, left below;

No time for rest, nowhere to go.

A storm was loosed, a foul wretch bound with tear-stained eyes;

A nightmare born between dark and light, she became the blight;

The Maiden of Death cannot tend to her fields, and silence falls on eternities’ end.

Pricked by blood, her seed sown to spread flowers true;

She is exposed, she is undone;

No more colors—her wrath is known.

Shackled in pain forevermore;

Heaven or Hell, the red sea toils…

To where do you land in the spaces between?”

Veronica hugged her mom and dad. In horror, Scarlet saw her mother open the coffin with a joyous nod at the girl’s parents, and Veronica entered it; everyone was crying around them, laughing at how long they’d waited for this moment and how blessed the teenage girl was for being chosen. She would be the one to set Scarlet free—to set her free.

The storm increased with the eerie music as the sky outside fractured, and the coffin was closed—a noticeable change took place in the room that shook Scarlet to her core—she hadn’t been here for this ritual.

Fur sprouted from some of the members’ skin, others illuminated with aura or became stunningly beautiful—they were transforming like Anthony and Rachel—all of them, including her parents.

Every symbol and obscure language written throughout the entire basement brightened, items rising into the air as each person spoke a different tongue in unison, performing their individual part in the complex ceremony.

The artifacts lit with fire while hovering in the air, and Scarlet now understood everything her parents had done throughout the years; they’d been training and gathering what was needed for this colossal occult moment. They didn’t cause it—they had known of its coming and used The Oscillation for their own ends.

All of the blood plastering the walls, ceiling, and floor collected into a scythe in her mother’s hands, glowing red irises fixated on the casket with the teenage girl she’d known most of her life; the blade split it down the center as shadows brought her panicked past self to her parents, seeking help after her change, only to be met by the carnage and evil practice.

Scarlet could only watch from her father’s elated eyes as she collapsed in shock. Veronica’s shimmering blood pooled from the destroyed coffin, imbued by whatever dark magic they’d cast to sink into her skin. She remembered the feeling of being trapped in a box, squeezed from all sides as it melded with her body—suffocated every drop of liquid from her being—and not until now did she know the horrifying truth.

Veronica’s blood…

“Half correct,” her mother whispered, bright crimson irises lowering to appraise her.

She blinked, and she was now collapsed on the ground, hyperventilating from the smells, terrifying scenes, and feelings tainting her confused mind.

Her blood lashed out like pikes to skewer every stranger around her—at least, she’d thought they were strangers at the time—only to look up to find their dead smiles staring down at her as if this was the crowning moment of their lives.

Her father’s blood flowed out to join the crimson tide cycling around the room, dozens of spears holding him high overhead while her mother hummed and shifted to a more curious posture, dropping the crystal ruby weapon to the floor while casually moving to examine the horrific event.

“It is…unfortunate that this is how we must meet, Scarlet.”

Shakily getting to her feet, thunder cracked, revealing her return to Rachel before the bolts showed her the bloody sea she was drowning in; she could practically sense the discontent the lunar hare had upon seeing her state from the slaughter before the images were taken away.

“You… You made them think you’re me; you took over my body?!”

“Hmm. Half correct again,” the monster in the guise of her mother chuckled, shifting her arm to her back and clasping her elbow. “Allow me to introduce myself—I am not Scarlet—as you’ve called me… I am Twilight.”

Stopping beside her, the imposter brought her attention to the hole in her mother’s lower side, where a spear remained; the building overhead faded to show the failing light.

“This crude ritual has bound your body and our souls… An avatar of sorts for my essence. Mmh. The music and sound,” she whispered as if savoring the finest of wines. “It has been so long since I have tasted the rhapsody of souls…”

Stumbling to her feet, Scarlet hugged herself. Half the world melded between her memories and the bloody soup she sank into. “What am I supposed to do?”

Her mother faded to be replaced by Veronica, the grinning blonde flashing her teeth while holding up a chain that went into the maroon void. “You are in control now, Scarlet… It’s so much different from what my parents told me! Rachel seems like a nice friend.”

“Veronica?” Scarlet mumbled, utterly confused if this was Twilight again or the girl she’d tried to dodge most of her life. “Who are you?”

“Hehe. I don’t know, to be honest,” she giggled, glancing around the abyss they were in. “It’s…endless. I kind of got lost, but I saved you! I had to after seeing the truth. Oh, and I would be careful who you trust about this… Hmm?”

Scarlet’s own voice pressed in around them like melting butter as the music escalated with new instruments joining the haunting hum. “Such a magical symphony…”

Veronica forced a grin and rubbed the back of her neck. “Hehe. I guess she’s a sleep talker—or is that me—umm… Whatever. Anyway! I’m here for you, so don’t worry about any of the skills stuff Rachel was talking about; that’s, eh-heh, kind of out of your reach right now with all the chains and shackles.”

Scarlet shivered in the chilling blood as something colossal shifted in the depths below the ruby sea, its scale beyond words. Abruptly, she was pulled out of the waters and drawn through a swirling maelstrom into the stormy heavens, freeing her from the orbital draw of whatever slumbered beneath the waves.

The blonde’s parting words held in her rousing mind as the world returned and the nightmare faded with the haunting yet beautiful ambiance.

“I know we weren’t really friends, and I kind of annoyed you—ugh, I was so cringy—but I’ll be here helping you! Heh. I don’t know what else to do, if I’m being honest. Good luck!”

* — * — *

Rachel’s ears twitched as thousands of voices—and even more sounds—filtered through her brain in an unintelligible mess before gradually filtering away to a more manageable level. A groan left her lips as her sore muscles punched her in the gut, reminding her that she’d pushed her body past the absolute limit the previous night.

Cracking open an eye, she was met by darkness, yet her Feats allowed her to penetrate the veil, and the first thing she saw was the missing bodies. Selvaria and Anthony were gone, leaving Scarlet and her alone; the vespertine reaper’s chest was practically still, heart barely beating in a rhythm that barely broke a beat a minute.

Tucking in a leg to lean against it on the cot, Rachel breathed a few times, closing her eyes while listening to what had changed since she’d been out; she heard talk amongst the soldiers and officers that a helicopter had landed not too long ago outside.

Anthony had been escorted to the hospital where his fiancé was staying with a few of their Green Beret guard detail while Selvaria went to find her mother; the leviathan had been separated from her shortly before The Oscillation due to some rather rude fellows she didn’t get into detail on.

Laying back on the stiff bed, Rachel tried to ignore the pain while maintaining her surveillance for the next several minutes; she had to know what she was walking into after her confession to the military.

Mateo appeared to be outside with the majority of his men, getting what little R&R they could near their room; from the conversation with his men, it was certain something had changed since she’d been asleep—the helicopter was there for her.

Her gaze shifted to Scarlet as she stirred, approximately fifteen minutes after she’d awoken. Her dream regarding the goddesses had been playing on repeat in her mind as she pondered her current position.

Rachel grinned, adding a soft, cheery tone as the girl groaned and forced herself up, rubbing her forehead. “Feeling better after some blood, I hope. You took quite the beating before passing out; to be honest, I would be dead three times over with the gashes you—Scarlet?”

The girl’s face blanched as she bent over and rasped, coughing and holding her throat as black blood sprayed across the carpet and a nearby chair.

“Scarlet, what’s happening?!”

Fighting past the pain, she got up to check on the girl as the men outside rushed in.

“What’s going on?” Mateo growled, his soldiers ready for action as they scanned for danger before spotting the black liquid the girl was choking up; one of his men made a cross sign on his chest. “Is that…”

“I—I’m fine… Ack! I’m just…give me a second,” she cried, crimson streams leaking out of her eyes before returning to her body; her eyes were flickering between red and blue as she clutched at her chest, breathing heavily. “I’m just—I had a nightmare. Can…can you give me a minute w-with Rachel, guys? Please!”

Mateo worked around his jaw, uncertain gaze shifting to her, and Rachel nodded, telling him she’d be okay while dropping down with a grunt beside her to rub the girl’s back.

“Just take your time,” she urged. “We’ll be fine, Lieutenant; I get that I’m supposed to leave as soon as I wake up, but can we have some time?”

“Leave?!” Scarlet’s shifting eyes settled on blue. “Why—what about me?!”

Rachel forced a smile at the officer for answers since she didn’t have any.

“Mmgm.” He scratched his temple and jabbed his thumb for his men to leave. “So far as I’ve been told, we’ll be transporting Scarlet to the hospital Anthony is currently at, where a psychiatrist is being brought in to speak to all the Mythickin and Legendkin to further gauge your mental health…

“First, you’ll be going to Homestead Air Reserve Base, five miles south of here. The report Lt. Thompson sent in was flagged; I don’t know who you’ll be meeting, but he’s been in communication with him through a secure message board for about four hours.

“After whatever happens at the base, I’m assuming you’ll be returning to our custody; at least, those are our orders. I’m told your parents were found and will be brought to the location, as well, where there’s a Mythickin unicorn that’s been making…waves, I’ll say.”

Rachel’s mind came to a screeching halt. Unicorn… My vision of Cerridwen was real.

Scarlet’s frightened eyes went to her as Rachel’s tail stiffened and her ears rose. “What is it?”

“I…promise I won’t leave you, Scarlet. Umm, can you get permission for her to join me?”

The girl’s focus snapped to Mateo as he sighed and rubbed his nose. “I’ll…see what I can do; it might be a few minutes since it has to go up who knows how many levels.”

“It gives us time to chat,” Rachel chirped, happy and somewhat terrified that she’d be able to talk to her parents soon; just recalling her mother’s tone when telling her father they would be driving to Miami put shivers up her ears. “Thanks so much, Mateo.”

“Yeah…well, I’m figuring it out as I go, too,” he mumbled, closing the door on his way out and leaving them alone.

Settling in next to the vespertine reaper, Rachel’s smile fell. “What’s wrong, Scarlet? Why are you vomiting black blood—is it contagious?” repeating what some of the soldiers outside were questioning.

Scarlet shrugged, hugging herself and tucking in a bit. “Rachel… I-I didn’t kill those toad monsters.”

“Huh?” Head tilting to the left, Rachel tried to relax her tail. “So…that was Scarlet who was talking to us about…understanding things?”

“Maybe,” she mumbled, eyes shifting away as she shivered. “I think…part of it was actually a girl named Veronica—the girl that was sacrificed in my parents’ ritual—I know it’s messed up… I’m messed up. I don’t know what’s Veronica, Twilight, or me—it’s all so confusing,” she whimpered, tight fingers rising to grip her head. “I’m so messed up inside!”

“Hey, hey,” Rachel soothed, pulling away one of her hands to squeeze it and refocus her. “Talk to me; tell me about this Veronica girl and everything—okay? I’m here to help you get through this because we’re all in this together, right? Anthony, Sevlaria, Zoe, you, and me. We’re all trying to come to terms with everything. You’re not alone. Okay?”

“Mmgm… Okay… Where should I start? It’s so horrible—all of it is a total nightmare!”

“Wherever you want—I’m listening, and I won’t abandon you…okay?” she said, not wholly committed to the idea. She figured the girl could sense it, but also hoped Scarlet would know she was trying.

Rachel sucked in her lower lip as Scarlet began, telling her life story with her parents’ obsession with this Scarlet apostle called Revilla, the entity inside her named Twilight, and the sacrifice of a girl Scarlet had known her entire life, now possibly trapped inside her body, guarding Twilight’s slumber.

Although, to Rachel, it sounded more like the ritual had been more about sealing Twilight and limiting her power than setting her free. One thing was for certain: the Scarlet Hand was far more than some made-up cult; they had real power, and now she and her entire family were on their radar.

Getting to her feet as Mateo gave them the green light to head to the helicopter, Rachel breathed out a serious puff of air, rubbing Scarlet’s hand to tell her everything would be okay.

Well…isn’t this getting a little too complicated; goddesses, colorful rabbit guides, a world tree, dreams, aliens, game systems, dimensional worlds, nightmares, well-connected secret cults, and me losing my damn muscles and growing a tail out my ass because of, what…suppressed feelings? I need stronger friends in the government if I’m going to survive this. Let’s just hope my story hits the right people.

Chapter Eleven

System Testing

Ears passively scanning for potential information that she could use, Rachel made sure Scarlet was okay and decided to test the waters. Ominous paths continued to open up to her and her family after The Oscillation, and she had to be careful how she proceeded. Only she was privileged to know Scarlet’s full story, and she doubted that the traumatized girl had revealed everything to her yet; there was something important about the vespertine reaper.

Mateo asked if they were ready to leave since they were on a clock, and Rachel turned to Scarlet for confirmation.

“That’s up to Scarlet.”

Rebuilding her nerves, the fanged girl nodded, pointed fangs showing with her weak smile. “I’m okay now… It feels way better having someone to talk to.”

“Right. Let’s move,” he commanded before guiding them out of the room and toward their airborne ride.

Word of their involvement in the operation that had closed the Crystal and eliminated the aliens had spread. The military and CDC personnel thanked them on their path through the building, slowing their progress. It was challenging to keep focused on her environment, with so many things buzzing through her mind, but something floated to the surface as they passed through the halls.

“There is one thing that is bothering me after everything I’ve learned about the cult,” she said, her gaze drifting to Scarlet as their escort of six Green Berets surrounded them—Mateo would be joining their flight with two of his men.

Left fang poking out as she drew in her black bottom lip, Scarlet’s concerned and questioning eyes met hers with the soldiers listening in, but it wouldn’t be shocking for them. “What is it?”

“Hmm.” Focus shifting to Mateo and the sergeant to her right, Rachel made it clear she wasn’t just asking the vespertine reaper for answers. “I’ve heard a lot about them from you and the others involved, but not one whisper about Scarlet’s mother… I understand it is a touchy subject, yet if she’s alive, as I suspect she is, it’s a huge risk to us all.”

A groan came from the lieutenant at their point as he ran his fingers through his hair and turned to look between Scarlet and her; Rachel made sure to bring it up when they were alone in a hallway.

“She’s receiving medical treatment after the…incident; that’s all I can say.”

And it’s a lie, Rachel internally growled, hearing his heartbeat fluctuate; still, she could understand why with Scarlet here. Why he’s lying will be the real issue, which means I was right to come up with a chance to confront him.

Slowing to a stop as they reached the ground floor, Rachel forced a laugh, drawing everyone’s attention while pointing back the way they’d come.

“Uh-heh, Mateo, I left my suitcase, and maybe I should put on some pants or something if I’m meeting someone important,” she added, motioning at her sleeping shorts and sports bra, which was generally fine in Miami and a staple for many women, but just as good of an excuse as any.

“It will only take a second—I’m fast—everyone can go ahead if you want to escort me; I get I can’t be alone. I’ll be right there, Scarlet; my mind has been everywhere recently.”

Scarlet’s shoulders slumped, possibly thinking she was trying to somehow abandon her. Rachel figured she could further curb this by showing back up like nothing happened while wearing a grin. The girl needed someone that wouldn’t run away from her.

“No, I understand…”

Mateo’s mouth tightened, likely figuring she wanted to go into deeper detail on her previous inquiry; cheeks puffing up and deflating, he nodded. “Okay, yeah. Sergeant Murray, see that the pilots are ready to take off when we arrive.”

“Roger that. Let’s move, boys!”

They hustled off with Scarlet’s melancholy gaze lingering on her for a moment before turning the corner; Rachel knew that the girl was anxious and needed reinforcement—this gambit would kill two birds with one stone.

Briskly climbing the stairs again, Rachel maintained a general smile as she whispered to the military man. “What should I wear if we are meeting someone important? I should have something for Scarlet, as well; I’m surprised she didn’t want to join me.”

“Hmm. Given the situation, anything would do,” the man grunted, his eyes telling her he knew she was stalling until they left Scarlet’s sharp hearing, which Rachel had determined wasn’t nearly as proficient as her own. “We should just hurry.”

“Uh-huh…” Once reaching the 3rd floor, Rachel’s cheery, illuminated eyes drifted to the man beside her, hands held behind her back. “I’ll be direct: what happened to her mother, Mateo? Because I know what you told me is a lie. I understand why you might want to keep that detail hidden, but I need the truth to know how to maneuver myself when she’s a threat to me and, by extension, my family, not to mention Scarlet herself.”

Mateo worked around his jaw for several seconds, debating how to respond. “You can’t have been this observant and calculating before The Oscillation as a nineteen-year-old girl. That [Strategic Mind] Feat is really something, and it’s a part of your goddess branch?”

“Correct,” she confirmed, darting into the room to rummage through her suitcase when they arrived. “I’ll let you stew on what you can tell me while I change. I won’t be long.”

Entering the empty room, Rachel pulled up her suitcase to add a black tank top and change into denim shorts instead of the pants she’d planned on, using a pair of scissors in the professor’s desk to carefully create a hole in the back to poke her tail through.

She slipped on some sandals and tossed her used bottoms in one of the front pockets before carrying the suitcase to the exit. Nudging her head to suggest making their way to the helicopter, they started walking; Scarlet had been silent since they left, except for a few heavy sighs.

Mateo was now chewing a stick of gum by the scent of his breath, keeping pace with her. “To, as you said, put it bluntly…she’s unharmed after receiving what should have been a fatal wound. To make a long story short…

“One of the newly indoctrinated cultists had a brother that was in the National Guard; he was concerned about his brother’s new obsession in this ‘game’ and decided to follow him. When he saw some of the things the cult was doing throughout the day, he contacted a few of his police friends and tried to get some evidence to raid the place.

“He found his brother and all the cultists dead, skewered by Scarlet’s blood, and naturally took a shotgun to her… The report says her mother laughed at his futile effort as Scarlet ran away. That is where we came in. We tracked Scarlet down after the police reported there was a vampire loose in Miami, and Adele was taken into FBI custody. That’s all I can tell you, but Adele has been secured.”

Rachel steamed out a long puff of air, scratching her temple as her ears tilted to the left; the Miami FBI field office was to the north of them from the conversations she’d heard, and there was a lot of bureaucracy shit happening to some degree between government, state, and military departments.

“So…the damage Scarlet did to her spontaneously healed, meaning she does have some sort of powers, and all of this could still be a part of her master plan; I can’t see someone so well connected and knowing—to the point of preparing for a ritual before the means to do it were even near completion—to not have plotted her actions to a T after accomplishing it.”

Mateo shrugged. “I’m with you; the more we discover about these people, the more suspicious they become, and we’ve only learned this much due to that Peck woman freaking out about you… Lt. Thompson tried to get clearance to raid her house, but he was denied.”

Rachel’s vision narrowed as they descended the stairs. “Which means someone higher up is taking action… For what reason, though?”

“I’m guessing you’ll know soon enough,” he growled.

They fell silent as they left the building, Rachel grimacing at the dying light that touched her light skin; her already diminished [Lunar Pool] began to evaporate, yet it would still be another five or so minutes until she was tapped out, and she’d already confirmed before that she could survive when on empty—she would just be as weak as a non-athletic girl, maybe even worse.

However, the far more interesting discovery was Scarlet’s thoughtless stroll into the twilight; her skin wasn’t burning, and some of the soldiers who had been with Rachel when they tested it noted the strange inconsistency when they neared the vehicles, causing the girl to freak out a little while checking for damage.

Rachel came up with an answer, though; thanks to tablet Mateo had, she managed to look up a few things online through their satellite link. Her mind returned to the song the cultists sang that the vespertine reaper recounted to her since it was burned into her memories.

Twilight spoke to Scarlet before Veronica sealed her away… Welcomed not by the light nor the night, she became the Bringer of Twilight. The darkest night, the brightest light, history tainted by the twilight… Vespertine is a word relating to, occurring, or an activity made in the evening… Twilight. Scarlet is safe during the evening and night while harmed by dawn and most of the day.

Her smile became drained as Mateo kept a close watch on her from the moment they entered the dying sunlight. “Hehe. If you’re wondering if I’m okay, I’ll be fine—oof, just don’t ask me to run laps or fight anything anytime soon… I’ll probably be sore for a week.”

A sly tilt came to her face, vision shifting to her right as a doctor discussed the unicorn Mythickin at the other hospital. “Unless…I can get someone to heal me.”

Mateo shook his head, focus moving to the horizon as they made their way to his men and the loud and quite large military helicopter on the open lawn; dozens of military vehicles with Mateo’s men talking amongst themselves sealed off the area.

“Isn’t it exhausting?”

Rachel lifted an eye. “Hmm?”

“Scheming… Plotting all the time… Listening to who knows how many people? I already want this to be over just to go home and crack open a beer with the gang… I need to tell Vincent’s wife that she just had her last Valentine’s Day with the man she loved…”

Her ears fell a tad at the sobering comment as they neared the whirring blades. “Because…I don’t want to have that happen to my family, Mateo. We’re in a whole new world now, and I have to learn how to navigate it as fast as I can.”

Scarlet’s hands were knotted at her front as they neared, looking between them, air trapped in her lungs—if her lungs even still worked—while awaiting what she expected would be terrible news that would separate them.

Mateo gave her response a melancholy nod, motioning for his men to help them up as he went to distribute his parting orders to meet them at the hospital and set up an area for them to have in private; she could tell the man was growing to respect and reevaluate her potential threat level more and more with each interaction.

She waved at Scarlet with a grin as the men helped them up to take one of the seats, handing them big headsets; the soldier hesitated upon seeing her left-tilting ears and smiled, unsure if she had human ears to use them, which she did not. Still, she accepted them, holding the microphone to her mouth.

“I can manage my hearing just fine, thank you. Oh, Scarlet!”

“W-What?” she asked, trying to find a comfortable way of wearing the headpiece with her pointed ears. “Do you need to go after this? I, umm…I get it.”

“Huh?” Rachel grinned and lightly slugged the girl on the arm as they sat next to each other, soldiers buckling them in. “Where did you get that silly idea? I told you I wouldn’t abandon you, and I’m not planning on it.”

It wasn’t a lie; she hadn’t planned on it thus far.

Relief melted the tension away from Scarlet’s face as she smiled and nodded, speaking through the device. “Thank you, Rachel… I honestly don’t know what to do anymore. I’m so lost.”

In other words, Rachel internally sighed, I’m the only thing providing you a way forward because no one else is crazy enough to take a chance on you. She really has been screwed over by everything she’d known and left to go insane… What horrible parents.

“Of course! Oh, Roy, can you secure that suitcase? Scarlet needs to find something to wear when we land, too.”

“Me? I, uh…are you sure? I don’t want to take all your clothes… I just feel so helpless,” she cried, making Rachel snicker.

“C’mon, Scarlet! I’m not going to let you meet some military big-shot in your nightwear—well, my nightwear! Haha!”

“Hehe. I guess I should wear something…a bit more decent,” she mused, plucking at the shorts and slightly baggy t-shirt she’d stolen; the girl was a fair bit smaller than her, which had required her to tighten the shorts to the extreme.

Thankful to have the family she did—as imperfect as it might be with Alexa in the picture—Rachel looked forward to hugging her parents when they met again. She had no clue what was going to happen with Scarlet, but Rachel had this unusual gut-tightening feeling she needed to keep this unstable, traumatized bloodsucker attached to her leg; if she let Scarlet go on her own, something terrible would happen.

The helicopter lurched as it took to the air, soldiers waving them off. They swung east in the dying light of twilight, moving over the ocean and giving them a full view of Miami and the surrounding cities.

Silence took them, excluding the two pilots, and Rachel’s wide field of view, fully in focus, allowed her to see things with new eyes from the vantage point, helping to distract her mind from her sore muscles and patched-up cuts.

A few fires were being managed by the military and local infrastructure from who knew what cause, making her realize how little she actually knew. When in her little bubble at the university, she’d had time to scope everything out and identify the key players, but now, seeing the scope of the world, she saw how vulnerable she was.

I have a lot of little bits of information from the local military and pieces regarding the Crystals… The bigger stage is what I have to leverage my way into in this short window if I’m going to have control over my life in this new world structure. Mom, Dad…everyone could be affected by this meeting.

Scarlet squeezed her hand, drawing her gaze; the girl gave her a weak, fanged smile and let go, which was significant, telling her that she was doing better. Relief may have come to the reaper girl, but for Rachel, the walls were closing in, and the pressure was mounting against her chest.

“I’m going to meditate, Scarlet, Mateo. I need to get more answers regarding this System before we arrive.”

The military man shot a wry smirk her way, seemingly relaxing a bit more now that they were in the air, yet the Green Berets still scanned the shore and waters for potential attacks.

“A bit young for a wheelchair, but I’ll call one for your old legs; just don’t freak out when you’re in a new place.”

Scarlet giggled, and Rachel followed it with a nod; relaxing as best she could, she sat back, closed her eyes, and receded into her mind.

Entering the white mental space, Rachel didn’t have the patience to stand still, walking the edges while experimenting with the creative aspect of the place. Thinking on the inner realm, she was reminded of her grandfather’s meditation lessons on the Taoist concepts of Neidan and Waidan, or internal and external alchemy.

Less interested in the fantastical worlds she could create or the luxury accommodations, such as the college kids she’d listened to seemed to be into, she promptly got to work; it was weird to Rachel that people actually wanted to live in this place forever. She saw this space as only a tool to be used, and she didn’t get the appeal of being trapped in some delusion of reality; people needed to touch grass.

She came to the conclusion that, in a way, this internal world was similar to the discussions she’d had with her grandfather on Neidan and cultivating one’s spirit, yet far more visceral; it was the perfect combat simulator, like an advanced form of shadow boxing.

Playing with her imagination, she summoned multiple copies of her Muay Thai trainer, Tyreese, from various years in her memory. Analytical mind setting them to face each other, she studied each version of the Jamacan man fight to the death against one another. The results were…fascinating, and gave her plenty of data to parse through.

Her perception of him didn’t really change the results since, as a little teenage girl, he’d been a giant, terrifying man, yet he grew less intimidating each year she’d trained with him.

Still, the early, invincible image she had of him was generally beaten by the more experienced versions of her trainer as he grew year by year, showing there was something deeper at work unrelated to her personal views.

Whatever this place was, it accurately depicted someone’s abilities, which was a massive identification to make early on. She summoned a floss pick for something to play with something in her mouth, easing her tension despite obviously not needing it in the mental space, musing on how fascinating it was to see habits carried over.

Next, she threw up the hobgoblin—without his blade—having him fight Tyreese, her, and many other martial artists she’d met throughout the years; in every instance, when not taking into account the environment or the moon, she and everyone else lost—handily.

“Misfortune…” she whispered, glaring at the extremely physically powerful hobgoblin at his peak when not blinded by pride going toe to toe with her fully lunar-charged clone, observing her form and technique.

The creature’s armor certainly did help him, and his earrings made it impossible since it could swiftly snowball with the slightest momentum gained; of course, all of this was without a weapon, and Zoe’s earlier comment about something to further enhance her combat potential made her ears twitch.

How far could she actually push this fight simulation, though? She finished with the hobgoblin and went to the meat of what she truly wanted to know, knowing it would put a bitter taste in her mouth.

Arms crossed with gut and eyes tightening, Rachel placed both the white and blue moons she’d experienced in Anthony’s Quest overhead, clearing the stage and setting the environment to the dark, misty woods; her clone looked across the field at her opponent: the grinning vespertine reaper, taken from the moment she’d went to kill the toads.

Her fingers dug into her sides as the girl giggled, madness in her crimson eyes; she vanished in shadows to appear above her—in shock at the tactic and lack of hesitation, Rachel watched her bloody, crystal scythe liquify to spread as an umbrella and engage her lunar clone.

Mouth a line, she paused the scene, walking around whatever this was because it was not Scarlet; this was someone, likely whatever became of Veronica, using her abilities to their fullest and without a shred of moral restriction. She mirrored her fighting style to trade blows with Rachel as the liquid curtain rained crystal needles—it was over in less than ten seconds—white and red roses growing out of her veins.

She instantly identified my weaknesses and blocked my view of the moon while remaining on the offensive; Scarlet is far more adaptable than she looks if she has the mind to do it… She is the strongest opponent I can face right now; not even those insanely powerful and trained aliens stood a chance. Well…

Recalling the damage Scarlet had taken, even if she’d faced multiple toads, made her realize how utterly outclassed they were in that Crystal attack; strangely, the only alien she could replicate in this space was the one she’d fought, adding more depth to her knowledge of the place.

I have to personally meet and contend with the person to have an accurate base, I suppose. What are the conditions; do I have to see them in combat? No… It’s proximity-based.

Flipping between the Green Berets and how close they’d interacted, she discovered a set distance of between three to five meters. Certain things were also impossible to uncover, such as the Berets who wore masks having static-like faces once removed.

There were limitations to this mental space, but it would be an indispensable asset, and it might even be possible to sleep in this meditative state; she’d have to consult her grandfather for advice in that area because that could completely change the game.

“Hmm?”

Rachel’s mind was instantly diverted as her status window popped up, indicating changes to her Feats and putting a smile on her lips.

[Strategic Mind - Advanced to D-tier]

[Mental Acceleration - Advanced to D-tier]

[Beatial Instincts - Advanced to C-tier]

“So…even in here, I can exercise these Feats? They’re advanced through use then, and there could be hidden Feats I can gain through certain actions, plus whatever Cerridwen and this new goddess Eostre blessed me with. Hmm…”

Leaving it there for her initial assessment and deep dive, realizing she needed to look up who this new goddess was, her anxious feelings dissipated, and Rachel created an armchair to drop into.

In listening to all the college kids discussing The Oscillation and the System, she’d been mildly surprised at the forethought many had regarding the change in their society; sure, most of it had been wrong, but what they had gotten correct was huge.

Unfortunately, there was an expiration date on the worth of such information, which was why she had to move fast. It was nearly priceless at the start, yet word would swiftly spread, diminishing the value, which put a timer on all she’d gained through this experimentation, and she needed someone with a lot of influence to sell it to; whoever she was going to meet better have the sway she required, or she was screwed.

Pulling up the menu, she studied her level 6 advancement—Anthony hadn’t been joking when he said level 5 was huge—processing her options:

[2 Stat Points Available]

[1 Stat Modifier Point Available]

[1 Feat Extension Available]

[1 Refinement Point Available]

[1 Branch Feat Point Available]

For Stats, she threw one point into [Toughness] to compensate for her [Power] and handle the recoil of her [Speed]; it was the remaining point that made her frown.

Continuing to pump points into her [Dexterity] seemed like the right decision, but if all of this testing and the previous battle showed her anything, it was that she needed better long-term stability in a fight.

Eyeing the Stat Modifier, she hummed; sure, right now, [Endurance] was Below Average—and she felt it—yet something to take note of was that the modifier didn’t specify how much it would improve. A minor improvement to an extremely high Stat could mean nothing if the amount was fixed, but in a lower Grade Stat, it could significantly improve the base.

Deciding to test it before adding the Stat Point, if anything, to have another piece of information to add to the value of her proposition with the military, Rachel sank the upgrade into [Endurance].

[Endurance Grade Modified - Increased to Above Average]

Rachel internally cheered; from Below Average to Above Average was huge. She’d been right in there being a hidden number given between each Grade. The point was a flat amount boosted; otherwise, it would have only advanced to Average.

Sure, it could have boosted one of her higher Stat Grades, yet due to it being a rounded number and not a percentage, that difference would likely be minimal compared to increasing the lower ones.

Now comfortable with adding the point into [Endurance], she moved on to the next item on the agenda: Refinement, Feat Extension, and this new Branch Feat that bypassed the limited equipped and appeared to be linked to an Achievement of advancing to Level 5.

Refining a Feat was reasonably straightforward; it would increase its base abilities, and a swift examination of her list made her curious. It didn’t specify what could be refined since this System was fairly hands-off regarding possibilities, though that also made it flexible.

Her eyes hovered over one Feat in particular that had Zoe seething due to how broken it had proven to be, and she pulled the trigger. Her smile grew at the notification.

[Primal Force X] - Refinement Time - 7 Days

It was unexpected that it needed a set period to accomplish, but she should have expected it, given the name; still, Zoe’s explanation as to why it was so broken had completely sold her.

Zoe…you’ve created a monster, she thought with a laugh. An EXP base multiplier that will be shared with those in our party, and might be multiplicative or additive with other Mythickin joining in to increase the overall EXP pool? So much to test.

The Feat Extension was more restrictive, giving her three options that included her previous ones, which was interesting:

[Strategic Mind I: Split Focus - Allows the user to split their attention to multitask better.]

[Mental Acceleration I: Rapid Mode - Allows the user to enter an advanced mode for two seconds; 5-minute cooldown.]

[Divine Beast Empowerment I: Seventh Sense - Further delving into the supernatural aspect of the Feat, the user is able to sense potential threats and adds a minor penetrating affix to bypass all cloaking methods.]

It amused her that it named it a seventh sense since [Bestial Instinct] was technically her sixth. The fact it gave her more perception abilities was huge, especially given what she’d seen from the Scarlet Hand, and, while the others were far from useless, the potential of a seventh sense was too great to pass up, given the unknown elements the Crystals and Legendkin Quests brought—she went with the last option.

Finally, her mind centered on perhaps the most fascinating—and potentially alarming—development: her Branch Feat that came in the form of an Achievement of reaching Level 5. One, in particular, threw up more than a dozen red flags.

She wished she could have talked to Zoe and Anthony about it to see if she had the same development as a Beastkin and Legendkin, but she doubted it, given the unreasonable Defense Feat.

[Attack Feat Branch: Curse: Karma I - Place a curse on the user’s opponents [Current Max: One] that returns the effects and damage the user receives. Modified by [Power] and [Toughness].]

[Divine Defense Feat Branch: Less is More I - All areas of exposed skin gain a dampening field equal to [Lunar Hair], and any damage taken to those areas is linked with the Feat, further increasing its Tier. Modified by [Toughness] and [Lunar Coat].]

[Utility Feat Branch: Lunar Recovery I - Moonlight has a minor healing effect for the user that restores their [Energy] and body over time; added effects under different lunar spheres. Modified by [Endurance] and Lunar Energy Type.]

Running her fingers through her long hair with agitation, she glared at the blessed Feat.

What the hell, Cerridwen—[Divine Defense: Less is More]!? Do you want me to be an exhibitionist?! I mean, I’m not one to be shy about showing off my body, but that doesn’t mean I want to go nude. Shit.

She reasoned it could be one of the new figures the nightmare goddess told her about—Eostre, or even this Moongmor person who was supposed to guide her. She had no clue what this new goddess personified, but she wasn’t feeling the forced lifestyle choice that would bring her to degrees of shame with her mother she’d never live down.

I’m not going to be that girl; sorry to not feed into whatever sick fetish whoever gave that to me has…but these other two are tough. [Lunar Recovery] is so, so tempting, yet it only works under moonlight, while the curse is always active, and I can expand the number of opponents it can affect. It has to be [Karma], and I love the name.

[Power Grade Modified - Increased to Extremely High]

[Toughness Grade Modified - Increased to High]

Huh, it also modified my Stat Grades…well, that’s kind of cracked. [Lunar Recovery]’s modification of [Endurance] seems even more attractive now.

Done with her selection, Rachel exited the inner world; she had her résumé now and what she had to offer fresh in her mind. It was time to make her case and adapt to whatever came from this interview; in a way, this was a job application that would decide more than just her future.

Vision clearing, she quickly noted her changed surroundings—she couldn’t hear the helicopter, and her brow furrowed as very few and muffled noises fed back to her sensitive, stiffening ears. She was in what appeared to be a padded white room in a wheelchair.

She had to admit, this was not the best first thing to see after waking up; it definitely didn’t give her a lot of confidence in setting a good first impression.

Where the hell even are we?!

Scarlet leaned forward from her foldable metal chair, giving her a sharp, toothy smile. “Spooky place to wake up, huh?

“No kidding,” she chuckled, head turning left and right as she swept the very bare room; it wasn’t that big, and the only thing besides them was a table with an open laptop on it and a wire running to the padded doorway. “It’s hard to hear anything in the base outside… Did they—”

The raven-haired girl swiftly nodded. “Yeah, it was a rush job ordered by the Army dude over Florida right now; I heard he basically stole the padding from some company warehouse and created this room, like, two hours ago, transporting it in the helicopter. How are you feeling?”

Seeing the concerned look in her blue eyes, Rachel figured her X-ray eyes could see how strained her muscles actually were, and a thought occurred to her.

“I’m managing… Actually, Scarlet, is my body any different than it was the last time you looked?”

Almost-solid-red eyes taking the place of her sapphire, Scarlet swept her figure with drawn-in lips. “I mean…kind of? It’s more of a feeling than knowing what I’m looking at, if you get my meaning. I know you’re stronger and tougher, but you’re also in a very weakened state… Ugh. It’s like…predator instinct,” she uncomfortably mumbled, blue irises returning as she rubbed her arm.

“Cool. Cool,” Rachel jokingly played off. “So, you’re like my wellness nurse here to tell me to take it easy, huh?”

“Hehe. Well, that is one way to look at it,” she whispered, regaining a smile.

“I hear ya! So…what are we supposed to do?”

Scarlet pointed at the laptop. “The military dudes said to press the enter key whenever you get back, and it will connect us to the big boss or whatever; they were being super mysterious. I’m kind of hyped,” she giggled nervously. “So…should I press it?”

Taking a breath and leaning back, Rachel did a once over to make sure she was presentable; it was nice to have Scarlet there to guard her body while she was unconscious since someone could have done anything to her without her knowing.

The vespertine reaper had changed into one of the newer and tighter blue tank tops that weren’t stretched out by her figure yet, fitting the girl somewhat comfortably, and, as a surprise twist, one of the elastic knee-length skirts that her mother had bought her the previous month—she had only wore it once since, but she had to admit, it worked for the girl.

“Yeah. Let’s get to it.”

Scarlet lifted her eyes and hissed with apprehension while scooting forward and tapping the enter; she pressed it too lightly, making her smack it again.

The screen brightened, showing a program Rachel hadn’t seen before with the words ‘connecting’ on the screen. Scarlet and she looked at each other as they waited, and after a full, uncomfortable minute, a man in his late forties or early fifties connected.

“Rachel and Scarlet, as I’m told.”

Voice deep and waving someone off-screen away, he sat back, military vest heavily decorated as his hands settled in his lap. His dark-brown eyes turned to them as the door shut; by the fractured conversations she heard on the other side, this man was in an office at the Pentagon.

Tingles ran up her arms, and a lump formed in Rachel’s throat as she took in the sober military officer, unable to breathe as she saw the four stars on his jacket; this was far more attention than she had anticipated.

“My name is General Dallas. I doubt you’ve heard of me—but allow me to be very clear. I am not here to play games, girls, so I will get straight to the point. I am told you have details no one else can give me, and by the conversation I had with Lieutenants Thompson and Herrero, you have my undivided attention, so don’t waste my time because this will go straight to the President.”

Internally panicking at the sudden development, Rachel did her best to keep her composure. This wasn’t the guy over Florida—this was the guy likely overseeing the whole situation in the United States, if not its presence on the world stage.

Straight to the President? Shit… This could turn south really fast.

Chapter Twelve

Planting Seeds

Unable to keep her tail from bristling, Rachel at least managed to keep her ears from going completely straight; she even relaxed them to an extent with some conscious effort, bending the soft appendages forward while processing that she was talking to one of the most influential people in the world.

Instinctively parsing through dozens of ways she could respond to the strong opening, she saw Scarlet draw a complete blank, not fully realizing how significant this was.

In a state of martial law, when the whole world was still reeling from the backlash of The Oscillation, the man overseeing a giant part of the operational and planning spectrum had taken time to talk to them; the general was right—she shouldn’t waste his time.

Clearing her throat, she didn’t smile since outward pleasantries would only annoy the busy military officer; instead, she went straight to the point. “Where do you want me to begin?”

He studied Scarlet and her reaction for a few seconds; the vespertine reaper’s nervous gaze shifted between them, giving the impression Rachel was in charge.

Leaning forward and placing his elbows on the desk, the man bridged his fingers to rest his chin with a hum, now only addressing her.

“To the best of your abilities, report to me your thought process throughout the previous night that led you to sit in front of me. Include when you believed this higher power got involved, the changes to your mental state you’ve experienced in the moment of acting, and your views on how things have been conducted in your general area.”

Rachel nodded, straightening in her wheelchair and attempting to stay focused, trying not to get sidetracked by the pain she experienced all across her body. This man didn’t want a brief summary but precisely her understanding of herself, the changes around her, and her emotional state throughout the events.

A lot would be taken from this discussion that wouldn’t only affect her but possibly how he went forward in dealing with all Mythickin and Legendkin; she had to build trust, and Rachel doubted she was the only changed person he was talking to, which meant attempting to manipulate things could get far worse for her than the straight truth.

“Alright…do you want me to begin with the morning before The Oscillation, or a month before, and my poor relationship with my sister-in-law, as Lt. Thompson inquired?”

“Hmm…” He seemed to ponder her desire for clarification, studying everything she did while working to develop an understanding of her character. “Personal details can come later. I’m primarily interested in the change itself, the details you uncovered, how you processed them to take the actions you did, and the reason for those decisions.”

She nodded and began. Her throat felt dry after an hour, when he interrupted her; Scarlet breathed a sigh of relief at the respite to the interrogation, or at least that’s how she seemed to take it with his blunt inquiries and attitude.

“I have questions to think about and responsibilities to see to for a short while, so we’ll take a break and reconvene in an hour. Have Lt. Mateo bring you some water or food—blood bags,” he added to Scarlet, “or whatever else you require.”

Rubbing her throat, Rachel showed a slight smile while trying to stand. “Thank you, General, I think I—mmgm!”

“Rachel?!” Scarlet hissed, lurching over.

She tried pushing herself up, only for her legs to tremble and give out, making her growl while slumping back into the wheelchair. “Eh-heh. I’m fine, just…a lot weaker than I thought after the sun evaporated all of the Lunar Energy I gathered last night. I think I need to moonbathe or something.”

General Dallas rubbed his chin with a thoughtful expression. “Do that and report back to me how you feel when we meet again.”

“Will do.”

He cut off the feed, and Rachel gave Scarlet a melancholy grin. “I really hate to ask, but…”

Scarlet giggled and got up to chaperone her with a fanged smile. “I’d love to help! But seriously, Rachel…I’m starting to think you have a death wish with how hard you push yourself. Shouldn’t you slow down a little?”

Leaning back and closing her eyes to breathe and release stress, Rachel yawned before attempting to rub her sore legs while Scarlet went to open the door for them.

“If I did slow down, we wouldn’t be where we are now; it’s the same for school, the gym, and life in general…when you have momentum, you gotta use every second of it to the fullest.” She let out an exhausted laugh that sounded more like a groan. “I have a plan for my exhausted body; don’t you worry.”

Scarlet gave her a wry smirk as her blood seeped out of her wrist to pass through the door, breaking the locks on the exterior that sealed them in. She pulled it open to the mild shock of those outside.

“Of course, you have a plan…you always seem to have a plan. Wait, I didn’t mean to break it; I just wanted to pick it. Ugh! I feel so useless. I can’t do anything right.”

“It’s whatever; they have to tear all this down anyway. Also, the general didn’t want you to talk since his time is limited, so he focused primarily on me. I bet you’ll get your chance sooner or later, and don’t think you’re useless because I wouldn’t be here without you. Heh, how would I get out of this sound-proofed room without you, too?”

The girl’s face glowed at the comment, and Mateo lifted an eyebrow at them when the door swung in, guns partly at the ready; he was with his men and another officer by the marks on his Air Force shirt.

“Done?”

“A break,” Rachel shrugged. “I need to find somewhere to rest in the moonlight, and Scarlet could probably use a blood bag if you have one; he wants a report on how I feel after recharging a bit.”

He nodded and made a few comments to the men next to him before guiding them down the hallway to exit the military facility, Scarlet pushing her. Her thoughts were on everything she’d been able to glean from the general in their discussion, which wasn’t much.

General Dallas had kept an excellent poker face while she discussed goddesses, aliens, the Scarlet Hand, and her own thought process that took pieces of information to fit together into a workable plan of action. She had no idea how this would end, but her gut sense of misfortune hadn’t acted up yet, which she took as a good sign.

Relief flooded her muscles when Scarlet stopped her on the military airfield strip, with Mateo remaining inside to get updates from his men at the hospital and on Selvaria’s movements.

Rachel watched the very active base functioning through the night, bright lights illuminating the entire place as the sounds of whirring blades and jet engines flooded the air. Her mind wasn’t tired, but her body felt utterly spent; she couldn’t wait to further develop her plan to restore her physical health when this was done—if nothing threw a curve ball her way.

Scarlet took a chair they brought out to sit beside her, legs knotted and fingers occasionally rising to manage her hair when the breeze changed; she was likely trying not to think about where her life would go from here.

She was practically scared to tears to see her mother for a multitude of reasons, which obviously included her father’s death, and with the bomb her parents had sprung on her, it was natural that the poor girl was questioning everyone in her life. Ironically, Rachel was her only sense of stability left, and she had to assume Scarlet’s instability was an essential factor for the cultists.

The more Rachel thought about it, the more she was convinced that Scarlet’s former teacher was meant to be the final nail in the coffin that would crack her last straw of sanity; of course, her intervention had changed all that, which was why the woman had freaked out. They weren’t done trying once news got out, which meant Rachel had to prepare accordingly.

Sucking on one of the blood bags a soldier brought her, Scarlet’s blue eyes shifted to her a few times before working up the courage to speak. “Umm…feeling better? How much time do you need?”

Rachel repositioned in the wheelchair to stare up at the partially cloudy sky and the sliver of a moon that went across the heavens. “A while, apparently, since the moonlight is so weak here… It was like I was drowning in energy when I was in that other world.” She let out a dry laugh, which infected the raven-haired girl with a smile. “I think I was spoiled with two moons.”

“Hehe. It must have been pretty—excluding the obvious creepy green goblins… I shiver just thinking about how you described them. Eww.”

“Meh,” Rachel shrugged, passively keeping track of a lot of events happening around Miami as she continued to keep herself up-to-date on the development of things.

Selvaria had found her mother and was being redirected to the hospital, but she was also getting sidetracked by showing off her strength to the military—more like her weight—pushing cars off the road to clear a path for traffic.

“They were interesting at first, but I quickly grew bored of them, like I said. I know it’s not a certainty, but I think it would be cool to go on an adventure with you in Anthony’s Quest World in time. We have to do more experimenting anyway, right?”

Scarlet sighed. “It would be cool…but I’m probably too dangerous and will be locked up. I get it, which, heh, is kind of weird, but yeah.”

“Oh, shut up,” Rachel laughed, reaching over to nudge her arm. “I said I’d be with you, which means if you get locked up, I get locked up, and…well, we both know I’m not getting locked up,” she winked, causing Scarlet’s sad expression to ease a little.

The girk let out a laugh, a rare, genuine sound. “Yeah, you don’t seem like the type of girl that would do well in a cage.”

“And you would? Cap. Look on the bright side, not the negative. We’re making progress. Trust me!”

Scarlet shivered, mouth tight, but it soon lifted. “Oddly…I think you’re really the only person I can anymore. And that…scares me. No one else cares enough to help some monstrous bloodsucking girl…” she trailed off, her somber eyes shifting to her.

“Rachel, will you be honest with me? Can you not placate or try to manipulate me—because I know you can.”

Rachel closed her eyes, sensing some of the Green Berets giving each other looks with their change in cadence from her now hyper-sensitive senses from upgrading [Divine Beast Empowerment]; it was obvious what she wanted to ask.

“Okay… Hey, guys, can we have some privacy for a minute?”

The Green Berets’ muscles tensed in various ways, but eventually, they were left to talk alone; still, they kept a close enough distance where they could be waved over.

Rachel’s eyes opened, and she worked through her pain to find a better position, her gut twisting uncomfortably with the thoughts rolling through her mind. Scarlet’s hands played with her clothes a little, trembling a bit and unable to look at her. If she was going to truly give Scarlet what she wanted, she had to also be honest with herself, which was hard.

Puffing out a long stream of air, Rachel rubbed her chest, her heart burning for some reason. “Can I…work my way up to it?”

“Sure?” Scarlet whispered, fangs poking into her black bottom lip. “Is it t-that bad?”

“Not really. It’s complicated… The world is always manipulative to a degree, and I;ve always toed that line more than most, I think. It’s hard—” she cut herself off, swallowing the sticky saliva in her throat as she confronted some of the things colliding in her breast. “You’re afraid of yourself?”

Scarlet’s watery blue eyes shifted to her before darting away, a quake running through her body. “Very…”

“I am, too, I think, but in a different way—shit!”

“H-Huh?!” Scarlet jerked at her outburst, legs knotting as Rachel growled and rubbed her face. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m trying to draw a similarity that we can bond over—ugh… It might be natural, but  I’m trying to think of a way to say this without being so… Mmgm. I’m trying to be positive and not sound manipulative.”

A strained smile eased Scarlet’s tension. “That’s so crazy how you can just do that so naturally; I had no clue, but…are you really afraid of yourself?” The nervous girl looked directly at her. “How? You’re so strong and confident, though; it’s like you have all the answers.”

Plucking at her shirt, Rachel forced a chuckle. “You know, heh, this line of thinking is exactly what my comment and redirect were supposed to do… Haaa.”

Scarlet pulled her feet under her chair. “I still want to know. It’s true, right?”

“Yeah, which is why it is such a good manipulation tactic—natural works best, after all,” she mumbled, rubbing her arm. “Let’s see, umm… So, I’ve always preferred to be straightforward, charging in and beating my problems to a pulp.”

“Heheh. I kind of noticed.”

“Uh-huh. I was first a Muay Thai muscle head, but when I knew that wouldn’t work, I swapped tactics—as is taught in martial arts—and manipulated my…‘opponents.’ I know that doesn’t sound great since that could be interpreted that you are my opponent—it’s just manipulation is normal for everyone, I guess—teen girls more than most… Heh. Dammit.”

Scarlet smiled and crossed her legs. “It really is tough for you; you’re really so amazing. I wouldn’t have even caught that as a manipulation. You know, uh, I-heh, tried to manipulate my parents with vampire hunter stuff because I knew it upset them…”

“Heh, that’s funny…” Rachel said, ears drifting back a little. “Umm, not getting sidetracked from your original question…a piece of me did change in The Oscillation; I’m pretty sure.”

“How so?” Scarlet asked, now fully invested and making Rachel want to punch herself; it was so easy.

“I see a lot more—the effects my actions can cause, and stuff—and for some reason, I can always find a way to get what I want… Maybe I’m lucky or spread misfortune to everyone, so there’s always an opening—I don’t know. But why do I always see a way to get what I want? Am I being manipulated? What about these goddesses, is it them? Is this really who I am?”

Rachel pointed up at the sky before scratching an itch at the base of her left ear. “I change when I’m under the moon… And I actually like it since it shows me pieces of myself I didn’t know or hid. Because of that, I can see how people would view me as a monster, and I manipulate things so they don’t. Heh…

“And in the next second, I can choke the life out of living creatures with a grin and fight to the death as a muscle head and adrenaline junkie, enjoying every minute of it. I did those things, and I don’t feel guilty I did them…”

She slumped in her wheelchair, seeing the bright-eyed fascination in the vespertine reaper’s engaged face. “It excites me. It’s a way I can move forward. Manipulate others to find a way around a wall or just punch through it. If I can do it on my own, I break through. If not, I manipulate. This is me.”

“A way forward…” Scarlet repeated, almost under her breath, while gripping her arm. “I want a way forward. I also don’t want to be manipulated. It’s so weird; I want to trust you, but I’m scared.”

Rachel forced a smile and reached out to rub her knee, wincing at the pain before her fingers twitched, and she pulled back. “Ack—I can get that, and I don’t want to manipulate you; I’m trying not to—I am! It’s just…hard for me is what I’m trying to say—like I said, blunt instrument, zug-zug, pound into place, or…fine tool, micromanaging those around me into getting what I want.”

A sad giggle shook Scarlet’s chest. “You can be so funny, Rachel—zug-zug? Manipulation?”

“Maybe,” she sighed, sitting back and trying to keep her hands to herself. “Am I scared of you? Scarlet, the adorable, crying, red-eyed girl who’s terrified of her own shadow? Heh. No.”

“Hahah… I’m an adorable but blood-crying girl, huh?” Crimson fell down Scarlet’s cheek as she laughed, arms held tightly against her stomach. “You’re too good!”

Rachel smirked and lightly tapped her shin with the side of her foot. “Cute like a puppy, or a little sister afraid of the world and clinging onto her big sister’s skir—mmgm! I watch my hands, and my feet move… It’s hopeless.”

Unsurprisingly, Scarlet wore a smile rather than a frown. “I think it’s really heartwarming how you can make me forget all my night terrors…manipulation or not. It’s really like I have a protective big sister watching out for me. You’re not afraid of me?”

“No, I’m not afraid of you, Scarlet,” Rachel honestly stated. “I do respect the power you have, and, sure, maybe a little scared of that, but you’re so harmless that I don’t think you could kill a mouse. No. I don’t think you’re the monster—not anything near the monster I am—but there is something, I suppose, monstrous about you—if that makes sense.”

Scarlet swallowed hard and wiped at her cheeks. “So…about us being, umm, friends… Is that a manipulation?”

“Haaa.” Rachel’s ears twitched as she ran her fingers through her hair. “For context, and to be frank, I don’t know if I’ve ever really made friends since I was a kid… There is a monster inside me; I saw it when I went through Anthony’s Quest. But, eh-heh, hear me out,” she swallowed.

“I think I do have an answer for you…but it might sound like I’m manipulating you.” Wincing as it came out, she looked up with a strained expression. “I don’t know what I’m saying; I’m trying to be genuine—which is manipulative…but in a good way, I hope. Is it working?”

Scarlet’s fidgets had settled as they’d talked, and her eyes held a somber crease while gazing off to the side, studying the planes and helicopters coming and going.

“Getting me to listen closer and reverse psychology me or something… Umm, okay, I know we only just met last night, and I’m not trying to be that clingy ‘vamp girl’ trope. Real talk; you just kind of…are here, and haven’t made me feel like a monster. I just wanted to know if that was real.”

Sensing the girl trying to work through the statement, Rachel coughed and glanced away with a smirk. “For you? Yeah. Like I said, I don’t see you as a monster. And clingy? Umm, yeah…this Veronica chick—from what you told me—she’s the clingy one who can’t take a hint.”

The vampire girl gave a sad smile and a small laugh. “Thanks, Rachel. You don’t pity me?”

“Sure. Wait, pity—no! I’m too focused on what I’m doing to get what I want rather than wasting it on feeling sorry for others. Do you think you’re useful?” Rachel asked, ears tilting to the right with her head. “Dammit. Another leading question.”

Scarlet paused, looking thoughtful. “Wow. Still, I, uh, guess…I have been? Huh. How can your manipulations be so flipping useful and positive? It’s so confusing!”

Rachel laughed and pulled back, holding up her arms. “Woah! Something positive about yourself? No way! Ugh… I completely understand. Heh. Don’t let the guys hear you; they might think you’re going soft.”

“Manipulation,” Scarlet snickered. “I actually love it. You can manipulate me a bit if it’s like this… Thanks. I’m feeling so much better that it’s…literally insane how good you are at this.”

“That’s good…ish. Haaa. I mean it, though. I don’t know you, like, at all,” Rachel whispered, knotting her legs at the uncomfortable vibes sinking into her gut. “I’ve only been focusing on what I want. But, to get to the heart of your question about manipulation… You know my misfortune ability?”

Scarlet nodded, settling down a little and shrinking in her chair. “Mhm. But what about, you know…my mom? A-And everything else that’s been going on? How do your manipulations fit with that? I feel like I’m the unlucky one bringing misfortune to you, not the other way around.”

Rachel hummed. It was a depressing topic that she didn’t want to get into; although, it actually brought up an excellent point that shockingly opened up the answer.

“Hmm. You’re turning it around on yourself again, being the monster. Umm. Well, I think we can both see that the cult apparently already wants me dead. So, uh, I’m kind of already a target, so it has literally nothing to do with you. Screw them! Right?” she laughed.

Scarlet snickered at her tone. “Even if it’s dangerous?”

“And leaving you alone is going to fix everything?” Rachel asked with an uplifted eyebrow. “I don’t think they’re a fan of me, to begin with, by that message Peck left. And if they don’t want me hanging around you, then cool—all the more reason it makes me want to do it.”

Rolling her eyes, Scarlet fixed her hair. “Haha. You’re so rebellious! It’s still dangerous—I’m dangerous.”

“Dangerous. Mmm.” She shook her head, a thoughtful twist coming to her mouth. “I think I already have this weird fixation with danger, so…that’s not really a deterrent, Scarlet. To put this discussion to bed, I think it’s more like I’ve tied our problems together in a way where if something is good for me, then it’s good for you.

“My abilities kind of pulled me into this direction,” she admitted, “but I was the one who pulled the trigger, and you were the one to accept it. I’m a big believer in destiny and not fate… We make our own paths: the good…eh-heh, and the bad. I think I even manipulate myself sometimes,” she grumbled, adding a pouting glare to the side. “I’m a real problem.”

“You really are!” Scarlet laughed, doubling over with tears leaving her eyes. After a few seconds, she calmed down and asked the heart of her question. “So, if I’m getting this right… Your ability is connecting our fortunes because with us together, you have a better shot of getting what you want, but it’s manipulated in a way where I also get what I want?”

“That’s…my hope,” Rachel said with a pained shrug. “It seems that way. Plus, I do like that you don’t see me as a ‘bunny’ or ‘rabbit,’ so you get points in that regard.”

Rachel’s hands tightened against her belly, a sudden wave sickening her with feelings of dread of what might happen if she didn’t address this now. “I…actually have this fear that you might see me as some cold, heartless bitch, manipulating everyone around her like some kind of puppet master, using my pawns and throwing them away. Heh. Thoughts? I’m crazy?”

Scarlet crossed her arms, her face becoming somewhat unreadable as she thought. “…You really do think a lot, Rachel; I’m seriously so intimidated and impressed by everything you do. Wow. The way you can talk to people and know exactly what to say… I guess we have only just met, but you’re so…together. And I’m not.”

The reaper forced a laugh. “Crazy? You kind of are! Too crazy good… I’m scared I’m not good enough. You’re so confident… And, ah, pardon the comparison, but you have the energy of a battery-charged bunny!”

Rachel gave her a fun leer and smirk. “I’ll let that one slide since it’s a compliment, but only because it’s you, cry-bat.”

“Hehe. Thanks. Umm. I’m okay with that, I guess. Does that…leave any room for growth?” she tentatively asked. “I want to grow.”

“Of course it does,” Rachel sighed, feeling a wave of relief pass through her as her ears drooped forward. “So, acquaintances going on casual friends while pissing off a cult?” Rachel offered, holding up a hand with a grin.

“Deal,” she said, tension visibly leaving the girl’s shoulders. “Thanks for taking a chance on me—on bringing life back into my life and protecting me.”

“Hey, that’s a two-way street; it takes two to tango, right?”

She giggled. “I have no idea how to dance.”

“Looks like we have something else in common!” Rachel chimed. “I’ve always been more of a fighter than a lover, which…is probably why all the guys see me more as a bro than a girl. Maybe that’s why…”

[Strategic Mind - Advanced to C-tier]

[Mental Acceleration - Advanced to C-tier]

“Why what?” Scarlet asked, but Rachel’s mouth snapped shut on the off train of thought; she had been wondering why she hadn’t been approached by a lot of guys recently, and that had possibly contributed to her internal self-reflection, but now that she had a better grasp on her personality, she knew for a fact it was her attitude.

Wow… My own hubris screwed me, she internally groaned, glancing down at her toned and filled-out, far less muscular figure. Damn hormones. I really was so aggressive and driven that I came off as a bitch to people. I guess I don’t have anyone to blame but myself.

Rachel tried to get more out of her sudden sour attitude as she deliberated on her teenage years; she was different around her family since it was her family. Well, her parents and brother—her extended family didn’t get the same treatment, such as her poor cousin, and now she could see her own influence on him.

It was like a veil had been ripped off her eyes, and now she saw herself for who she was—for better or for worse. The Oscillation had smacked her in the face with a seemingly healthy dose of reality, at least in her case, though that appeared to be one of its effects on the changed people.

By the time their break was over, her [Lunar Pool] had built back to 40%, which wasn’t ideal; it made her want to punch something since a full hour didn’t even give her half when it had drained at a much faster rate in the twilight.

With the air cleared between Scarlet and her, Rachel felt much better about the girl’s mental state; sure, she was still leaning on her—and significantly, at that—for support, but Rachel wasn’t carrying her anymore.

Rachel managed to walk on her own with the help of the stored moonlight bolstering her Stats and, thereby, her physical well-being, but it was nothing compared to how she felt under the dual celestial spheres. It was hard to judge how her levels and varying [Lunar Pool] had affected her body compared to when she’d first become a lunar hare.

Sitting down to talk with the general, it took her another hour to finish her story and answer the rest of his inquiries; the last part seemed to be almost exclusively focused on her experience in Anthony’s Quest, the dream she had of the goddesses, and her thoughts on the optional Divine Feat she’d been offered.

General Dallas sat back, staring off into the distance for several seconds as they waited for the closing verdict; this was where her life would take a turn, yet the man was not done surprising her. Rachel’s ears shot up in shock as his gaze drifted to the left, speaking to someone she had not heard in or around the room. She’d been careless and focused too much on the general.

“What has your experience been from what she’s described?”

A soft, feminine voice hummed, pondering her response. “When I entered the Quest, I had a very different experience, as you are aware, but I went in alone. Perhaps we should attempt an experiment where I lead a team inside. It is worth noting all those that entered had changed from The Oscillation, as well.”

Scarlet leaned forward, asking what Rachel wanted to know. “Who’s that? I didn’t know someone else was listening.”

The general breathed out a heavy sigh and shifted the screen around to show a tall woman with auburn hair, wearing a Marine uniform and rosary around her neck; Rachel figured she had also been touched by The Oscillation, as the soldier looked like she could be a professional model.

“Allow me to introduce Captain Barbara Hall, a.k.a., The Legend of Saint Barbara, patron saint of artillerymen and the US Marines. As is with all special forces recruits, her enlistment is kept confidential, but she was the first female graduate to have gone through the pipeline to become a Marine Raider officer.”

Barbara chuckled at the introduction, illuminated yellow eyes showing nothing but confidence, yet her tone was humble. “I quite enjoyed your story, Rachel. As for my opinion, General, I believe she should be moved to the next phase you’ve outlined to me.”

“I thought as much,” he mumbled, focus returning to her as he went straight into business. “I’ve sent for someone to meet each of the Myths and Legends in Miami. His name is Doctor Richard Raynott—he has two Ph.D.s, one of which is in psychiatry, and more than thirty commonly cited published works, specializing in the military field.

“He’ll be on the flight tonight, reviewing the files I will give him, and will start with you tomorrow, Rachel. Captain Hall will also be making the trip to oversee everything and determine if we are to move to phase three. She will keep me updated.”

He bridged his fingers again and studied her with a hard stare. “I have a good idea of what it is you’re seeing, Rachel, but everything will hinge on multiple factors outside your and my control over the next few days. Lt. Mateo will take you to the hospital to see your parents and await Captain Hall’s arrival. Don’t do anything rash.”

The feed cut, leaving them in silence, and Rachel’s shoulders slumped as she sat back, mind surprisingly blank.

Scarlet’s mouth was tight as she studied her. “So…we’re going to have our brains checked by a shrink? Is…that how this was supposed to go because…I’m nervous now.”

Rachel scratched her temple and rose to her feet, rolling around her shoulders. “Captain Hall was there to call out any inconsistencies with my story and offer advice from a Legendkin standpoint. That ending, though… It tells me that General Dallas has something else cooking in the background, and he needs model Mythickin and Legendkin to set an example for it.”

Arms folded, Rachel’s eyes narrowed while drifting to the left; in all honesty, she wasn’t even sure what she wanted, and maybe that was what he got, which was also why he was sending someone to further dig into her emotional state and focus.

On the other hand, it appeared the goddesses had their own plan that they were trying to steer her down, and why was it necessary for her to meet with them in the first place? Sure, she could ask all sorts of questions, yet there was also the potential danger of stepping into a trap.

Overall, it was her only direction thus far, and a goddess could potentially give her more solid information on Twilight, their change, and the Scarlet Hand. For that to happen, she did need to play nice with the general.

“You don’t have to go into everything, Scarlet; this testing phase is primarily for me, not you, but your actions will affect the results since they see me as keeping you in check.”

Scarlet held up her hands. “I’m fine with that! I don’t want to go through a psych session and be told what I already know… I’m a little broken—okay, more than a little,” she mumbled at her smile. “Still, you have helped me keep my cool… Thanks, Rachel.”

Chuckling at her tone, Rachel sighed and opened her arms. “I’m not a hugger, but I do enjoy going outside of my comfort zone from time to time.”

“Hehe. Thanks for being a casual friend,” she joked, coming in to get a hug. “Just…having someone with me helps so much.”

Easing her fears, Rachel rubbed her back and messed up her hair a bit to get a light glare from the vespertine reaper before informing the Green Berets of the plan; they were as shocked as them to hear a female special forces officer would be flying down to oversee things.

A Marine Corps Captain was the same rank as Lt. Thomson and a rank above Mateo, albeit the fact that all of them were from different military corps. Well, technically, so far as she’d heard from word of mouth passed between groups of soldiers, the Coast Guard was both a federal law enforcement agency and military branch with the Department of Homeland Security, which put them in a leading spot domestically, even under martial law.

On the helicopter flight to the hospital, Rachel reflected on how things were progressing. Personally, she didn’t see a future ahead of her as she was, and the fear of not being in control had likely spurred her to this length. It was a bad habit, but she had to feel in control, presumably linked back to the trauma of seeing her dead cousin in the car accident, where her entire life changed.

It made her chew at her lower lip while considering what it must have been like for her mother when she’d been the one driving, not to mention how her aunt blamed her for it, even if it was the drunk driver’s fault; he’d died, so there was no one to dump the blame.

It caused a rift that only grew over time between her father and his brother’s family. Soo-Geun was probably too young to remember his big sister all that much, but he went by Mason now, hating the Korean culture his parents tried to infuse into him, unlike Rachel, who was proud of her heritage.

My family is more messed up than I thought it was when I was trapped in my little bubble world; I wanted to forget that incident altogether, so I suppressed everything involving my cousin.

“Ugh…”

Scarlet frowned at her tone. “Still hurting?”

“I…guess you could say that,” she mumbled through the microphone, staring out at the illuminated cityscape. “Just a lot to process.”

They touched down on the outside helipad with it taking off after they jumped out, allowing the hospital to keep the lifeline clear for those who required immediate care. Naturally, in the subsequent chaos that overtook the city, the other facilities were already overburdened with patients and needed to move critical patients around.

Ears tilting left and right with her head, she proceeded into the hallways, scanning the area for voices and conversations. She swiftly identified her parents, Anthony, and the Mythickin unicorn. A few other things caught her immediate attention, but she had to put them on the back burner.

Mateo shifted his gun, eyeballing the packs of people walking around or loitering near the hospital with the Coast Guard soldiers patrolling the area. “We’re heading to your parents first, or do you have anything else that we need to do?”

Scarlet fidgeted nervously at the inquiry, no doubt thinking about her own family or how they’d react to her; she was the type of girl who hated causing others trouble.

Rachel played with the base of her tail while pondering the best course of action; her parents hadn’t seemed to have slept for over forty hours by the conversation they were having, but her mother had to make sure she was alright before even considering anything else.

Wanting to go right to her to let her know she was alright, Rachel groaned upon hearing a rather tempting scenario she could capitalize on. She zeroed in on the Spanish-speaking gangs that had basically taken over a particular side of the hospital cafeteria—the unicorn gangster was her target, and helping out one of the boys close to her gave Rachel a way in.

Everything she’d heard from the soldiers and citizens’ gossip told her the unicorn had a very distinctive personality; who knew a hardcore Mexican gangster girl would take on the form of the mythical horse?

“In one moment…I have a live stream to crash,” Rachel chimed, motioning to them to follow her toward the front lobby where companies had been organized throughout the previous day to provide relief for those taking shelter at the hospital. “Stay back with your men if you can, Mateo—you too, Scarlet… After all, it’s only a prank,” she giggled.

Confused, the pair glanced at each other as they complied, making sure to keep an eye on her as Rachel put on a dumb, aimless expression and entered the front lobby, where a group of college kid influencers was performing pranks while live-streaming now that the internet was back up and running.

Playing her cards perfectly as a potential victim for their current ‘prank’ game, she drew a lot of attention due to her mostly full [Lunar Pool] now giving her hair a twinkle effect and skin a light glow.

Wandering through the loitering groups and lines offering clothes, water, packaged food, and other goods donated, she wanted to roll her eyes at the snickering girl who nudged her friend and pointed her out, knowing they’d likely get clicks on social media by targeting her; it was too easy.

Lazily timing it in her head as the black-haired girl crept up behind her, Rachel saw the tight expressions and worried looks from those who had already seen the kids’ bullying antics targeting the Beastkin, trying to warn her with their eyes, but she played the stupid role.

Three, two, one…

The influencer reached out to yank on her tail, missing spectacularly as Rachel smoothly twisted to ‘accidentally’ trip the wild-eyed girl.

“Hehe—h-hey!”

“Whoops! Don’t fall!” she cried out, her friends stiffening as Rachel snatched her shirt at the seam, causing it to tear clean off to show her padded yellow push-up bra as she flipped onto her back from the momentum. “Oof!”

“Wh-wha…” she shrieked, covering her chest as Rachel swiftly dropped to her knees to try and cover her with the item; her friends didn’t stop recording, going so far as to move to better angles. “Help—”

Bending in towards her ear, Rachel released a short chuckle. “Be very careful who you try to ‘prank’; if I wasn’t paying attention, I might have taken your head off. Heh. It’s not just a prank to people with tails.”

The girl’s face went white as she held the ripped fabric against her chest, and Rachel got up with an innocent smile, motioning to one of the stands.

“Hey, can I get—thanks! She just needs something to cover up… You should be more careful next time. Don’t get into more trouble than you can handle; next time, you might lose an eye, and your Only Patrons wouldn’t like that,” she snickered.

“Enjoy the free content, boys,” she winked at the camera, leaving everyone confused if she’d done it on purpose or capitalized on the situation.

Moving away, she went down a neighboring hallway, spotting a wolf-boy’s ears poking up at her comments. Scarlet and Mateo bustled in, the vampiric girl and heavily armed Green Berets causing a stir within the crowd as they passed the recovering group of influencers, the humbled bully was now in tears.

“What was that about?” Scarlet asked, holding the sides of her tank top as if it would just fly off.

Mateo’s sharp eyes caught Rachel’s gaze drifting to the wolf-boy, no older than thirteen, now following them, tail weaving left and right. “Hmm.”

Tilting his head to the side, one of his men backtracked to get the boy; the military men were Special Forces for a reason, by how quickly they caught onto her tactics.

“W-What did I do?” he asked, swapping to Spanish soon after to try and pretend he didn’t speak English. More than a few of their Green Beret escort chuckled and responded in the same language, making the boy’s face go bright red.

A few of the Mexicans in the area frowned and paid close attention to them as the soldier brought the teen to them; most of them were somehow affiliated with the unicorn, whom they called ‘The Queen’ since she was a prominent figure in their tight-knit community.

“I didn’t do nothin’! I found the five dollars below the vending machine! I didn’t steal it—I swear!” he balked, eyes wild.

Rachel gave him a compassionate smile while waving to get his attention. “You’re not in trouble. I know those guys were picking on you, pulling your tail and ears to embarrass you in front of their fans. They shouldn’t mess with you anymore, and if they do try to, then just pull out your claws, and she’ll leave real quick. Okay?”

The boy’s face now turned another shade of red as he fidgeted with his shirt and nodded. “T-Thanks, umm… I’m Diego. Uh, yeah, she was saying nasty stuff l-like kissing me would be like kissing a dog—people do that, right?! N-Not that I am a dog… I like wolves,” he mumbled, ears drooping and looking away as his tail went between his legs.

Rachel knew treating him like a little kid would only further agitate and embarrass him, so she took a better route.

“Totally; wolves are cool. Got to respect strong pack animals that help each other, right? It’s just hard when you don’t want to scare people or hurt girls; it sounds like you’re a pretty good guy, which is why you didn’t bite her hand. I may have!”

He nodded fervently and laughed at her last comment. “Yeah! Why was she so mean to me? All my friends that are girls aren’t nasty like her… The Queen’s not like her; she helps everyone on the block!”

His eyes grew big while shifting to her bandages and patches. “You’re hurt?”

This was what she wanted him to focus on, so she lowered herself a little, looking around as if she had a secret to pull him in and pulling her long braid over her shoulders to draw more attention to her face.

“I fought some aliens over at the college nearby when they attacked the school. That’s why I have these military guys with me.”

“Cool,” he mumbled, seemingly captivated by her eyes, before following her gesture to the soldiers. “Wait, so…are you okay?”

Rising back up, she chuckled. “Bruised, cut, and sore, but I’ll be fine. Why don’t you go see your friends? Best to stay in the pack, right? No need to be a lone wolf when you got a cool queen to back you.”

“Yeah. Thanks, umm…”

“I’m Rachel,” she grinned, ears shifting to the left and flashing her teeth. “Mine are normal, by the way. What about you?”

He copied her, showing the sharpened parts. “Mine are pretty scary, so…maybe that girl was just trying to, uh…”

Rachel shook her head. “No. She was just a bitch. Still, be careful, Diego; there are some mean people out there, so stay with your pack.”

His head bobbed, regaining his confidence as he jogged off down another hall, stopping and waving near the end. “Thanks, Rachel!”

Mirroring the gesture, she rediverted their path to the elevators to take them to her parents on the 4th floor, where an area was sectioned off for them.

Scarlet wore a beaming smile at the encounter. “That was sooo nice of you.”

Mateo snorted, knowing the truth. “That was all manipulation… You’re building rapport with the unicorn’s gang.”

Rachel’s illuminated eyes twinkled as she gave him a side-long smirk. “Can’t I be nice and build rapport, all while easing tension and putting a bitch in her place? I try to multitask. Now, the terrifying part…meeting my parents.”

Chapter Thirteen

A Turbulent Reunion

Slowing her pace as they neared the elevator, Rachel’s chest tightened, the air in her lungs feeling heavier with every step; she had to laugh at herself for being more nervous about meeting her parents than jumping into an alien world to fight unknown monsters.

Her mind drifted in other directions to keep her ears from going completely stiff as they entered the elevator, remaining as relaxed as possible since Scarlet looked nervous enough for them both with her fidgeting fingers; Rachel didn’t miss the black-haired girl checking herself to make sure nothing was out of place.

She was thankful Mateo didn’t ask her any questions while continuing to receive updates and listen to radio chatter regarding the movements of various military bodies around them to maintain situational awareness.

His men were more focused on the crowds, as well; they may have looked somewhat friendly and disinterested in the people they passed, but their wandering gazes took in everything as a potential threat.

Of course, when they all carried powerful military armaments, it was no surprise that their guard was up, considering one mistake could have a kid running by and snatching a real grenade as a joke—the prankster influencers earlier didn’t help the mood.

On the other hand, she was learning a wealth of information from the disgruntled hospital staff and gangsters occupying the cafeteria when it came to the hood queen; her thoughts shifted to a conversation two nurses were having in private on the second floor while taking a short break.

“Can she be any more of a bitch?! Who charges people for healing things when she can literally do it with a wave of her hand?”

“Exactly. Does she expect insurance to pop up and toss cash in her face? Did you hear what Greg said?”

“What—was it about the college athlete that wanted his leg healed?”

“Yeah, apparently she can cure tendon damage, which is…yeah, a miracle—but when he said he didn’t have any cash on him, she said she accepts Cash Me and other payment apps. Like, really? You could change so many people’s lives, but it’s still all about the money.”

Rachel suppressed a hum, drawing in her lips while her eyes subconsciously drifted in the unicorn’s direction. Their complaints were only half right, which was interesting; the Mexican gangster had her own system, and the more she learned, the more Rachel could see angles she could take that might open up some promising possibilities.

Zoe had been the one to get her on the idea that it was never a bad idea to have, as she put it, a pocket healer. Honestly, she mainly wanted the benefits of pushing herself to the limits without the consequences: endless workouts and fights with someone who could restore her in a second to continue the grind.

Flexing her fingers, Rachel’s head tilted a bit to bring her arm into her peripheral vision; perhaps if she worked out enough, she could get some more bulk in certain areas. Time would tell, but that would come when the seed she’d planted in the wolf boy brought her fruit.

Anthony was still talking to his fiancé, and, naturally, after the obvious questions and answers, the young woman had zeroed in on how Anthony spoke about his time with Rachel; strangely, her cadence was more geared toward curiosity than jealousy or being defensive.

It was funny to hear Anthony stumble around his words on how to describe her because Amelia was ruthless when honing in on specific phrases or expressions her man made when going through their short time together after The Oscillation, which helped lighten Rachel’s pounding heart.

Watching the number slowly change as they rose, Rachel puffed out a long breath of air, hearing reports of Selvaria having to return to the ocean to refuel on seawater since it was more effective than normal water; the girl had wanted to show off to her mother and gotten a bit carried away. They’d make their way to the hospital once she’d lazed about in the waves for a time.

So many pieces on the board, and General Dallas is taking note of every action I take… The fact he’s personally sending people and taking time out of his busy schedule to sink resources into the Mythickin and Legendkin of Miami, combined with the comment made by the Legend of Saint Barbara, means something big is happening behind the scenes, and we’re being screened to be a part of it.

The door opened, and Rachel pushed ahead, turning left to reach the rooms they’d been given by the hospital, away from the general public; her parents had only been told she was en route to meet them, not when she’d arrive, leaving her mother anxious and pacing.

I can’t tell Mom everything, and Mateo has more than likely been told to keep a close watch on what I say and do. I have to be careful with how I proceed, and the horrible developments happening in Miami Beach could become a factor moving forward…

The goddesses’ intentions were still a mystery, and General Dallas’ objective intrigued her, but the Scarlet Hand’s agenda was clear as day: they wanted a fight—and she’d never been one to back down from a challenge.

She grimaced at the thought that it was really only a combination of unlikely events that had drawn the general’s eye in the first place. If any number of those things fell apart, so could her connection to this bigger game.

After her transformation, Rachel didn’t quite know what she wanted to do with her life, but, at the very least, going down this path would provide her with some measure of control, and that was everything to her. She just had to make her parents understand her decisions.

Just before turning down the hallway leading to a dead-end, where the four rooms had been given to them, she looked up at Mateo with a sad smile. “I figure you’ve been told to see what actions I take, so I might as well ask up front… What can I tell my parents, and what is considered off-limits by the military?”

Scarlet’s fingers tightened against her elbow while glancing between them, each of Mateo’s men spreading a little to keep an eye on blind spots as the officer studied her.

“Hmm. So far as I’ve been told, only detailed information on the Scarlet Hand, Scarlet herself, and the subject regarding your…divine sponsor are to be handled sensitively—as with the specifics as to who you’re in contact with.”

In other words, only give them the needed information on Scarlet, Twilight, or the cult, and don’t mention anything about the general or gods. Got it.

Placing a hand against her breast, she streamed out the last bit of stress she could before nodding and taking them around the corner. Scarlet remained partly behind her, not wanting to draw attention to herself, but her mother totally snatched her the moment they locked eyes.

Will she even recogn—

“Sung! W-Why did this…”

Rachel almost tripped onto her face as her mother lurched forward, tears coming on with the emotion filling her breast upon seeing the look in her mom’s muddy-brown irises.

Time slowed in Rachel’s quickening brain as she examined every inch of her mother’s appearance; everything she spotted only reinforced the heat rising up her throat, making Rachel’s thumping heart go wild.

It was the bags under her mom’s eyes and slightly smudged makeup. It was her light-blue button-up shirt that was opened up more than normal. It was the sleeves rolled back to the elbows, displaying agitated fingernail marks from the pressure she’d more than likely been bottling up inside.

Needles poked at Rachel’s arms when spotting the mismatched socks she wore, only just visible between her tight, black pants and white running shoes; it told her that the woman had thrown on whatever she found to rush to her, but it was her hair that made her choke up: messy, dark locks, half in an attempted braid, meaning she was getting ready for bed—and her only jewelry was her wedding ring.

“Mom, I…”

Her world spun as her mother latched onto her, making Rachel’s tongue catch in her throat at the Korean words she repeated.

“It’s my fault! It’s all my fault—look what I’ve done to you—why did I send you a-away?! It was too soon! It’s all my fault! I should have been there!”

“Mom, no…” Sniffing in her emotions, liquid falling down her own cheeks, Rachel pulled her in tighter. “No, Mom—it’s not your fault! What are you talking about?”

“I’m so sorry, Sung-Hyo—I’m so sorry!”

World blurry, she looked up to see her father’s forced smile, brushing away a few tears himself while moving to support her mother and pull her away.

“Come now, Chan-hee… See? Our daughter has…gone through some changes, but she’s here.”

Her mother refused to let go, crying into her bust, and, swallowing her own emotions, Rachel nudged her head to one of the rooms that had been given to their parents to sleep in, which they’d refused until seeing her.

“It’s okay, Mom… It’s okay…”

Her dad opened the door, moving in to kiss her forehead and giving a reassuring smile before closing it to allow them privacy; she was shocked her dad had cried at all. It had been the first time she’d seen tears fall from his eyes or so much emotion on his face—but it touched her heart to see how much they cared for her.

Guiding her mom to the cushioned bench that allowed one to overlook the parking lot through the private room, she sat, forcing her mom to sit next to her as she continued to blame herself and babble unintelligibly; it took several minutes to get her to calm down, Rachel somewhat panicking at how fast her mother’s heart was beating.

Mateo stayed just outside the door, no doubt listening. He had a duty to fulfill after all. Still, giving them a semblance of privacy for her mom and dad to spend time with her was noted.

“Mom…you’re exhausted—you need to sleep… I’m worried about you…”

Keeping a shockingly firm iron grip on her hand, her mother used the other to brush away the snot and tears, hiccuping a few times while trying to reign herself in. “I t-thought I might lose you… So many things could have happened, a-and I wasn’t here to p-protect you… I’m a failure! Y-You—t-the military… I failed you…”

“Mom…no. You’re going to make me cry again…” Leaning in to kiss her forehead, she held her against her chest for another few minutes, breathing out the heat in her lungs. “I’m okay. I’m okay, Mom.”

After another fit of emotion, her mother began to calm down enough to just hold her and breathe; it took nearly ten minutes for her to actually be able to draw back to study her red and puffy face.

“You’re…a Mythickin Lunar Hare? The soldiers told us you’d changed a-and what to expect.” She almost started crying again while fixating on her ears, showing a melancholy smile. “Do…do you remember when I used to dress you up as a hare during Halloween because you liked my stories about the Limpid Jade Hare and Pure Onyx Rabbit? You loved my Korean shamanism tales as a little girl…”

Rachel’s eyes widened, having totally forgotten about those earlier years, likely due to suppressing them after the car accident, but her mother’s stories regarding the Korean hare of misfortune surfaced like a thunderbolt that went from the tip of her ears to her tail.

“You…did tell me a lot about those bedtime stories… About Seonangsin, the Korean patron deity of war, boundaries, and village protection… Her constant fight against the mischievous hare—that’s…” Rachel trailed off, deep in thought.

Mind turning, she considered the Korean fairy tales of her childhood, involving many of the religious figures her mother grew up in with her parents’ believers of the shamanistic roots of their culture; Rachel’s great-grandparents died shortly after her parents had married, so she’d never met them, only heard about their views. It couldn’t be a coincidence that she’d become a lunar hare, could it?

Her mother pulled around her braid to play with the tail end, clearly looking for anything to do with her hands to distract her. “Hehe. You used to play with…with your cousin all the time—you’d be the Limpid Jade Hare as she took on the role of the hare’s lucky brother… I still have videos of—mmgm…”

Muscles tightening up, Rachel knew it was hard for her mother to talk about her little cousin Seo by name and how interconnected their lives had been before the accident. Kissing her head, Rachel reached over to hold her mother for a time until her quakes passed again, no doubt reliving the car crash.

“It’s okay, Mom. I’m here for you…”

“Aww. You’re so sweet…like Samgong—karma will bring us back together,” she whispered, saying a prayer with closed eyes. “Everything will be okay in the end—I have to believe everything will be okay in the end…”

Stroking her mother’s head, Rachel had to wonder if her father had legally changed his American name to Sam when they married as almost a joke, considering her mom was so fixated on the Korean shamanistic figure.

“Do you want me to tell you everything I can about what happened to me?”

“Is it too hard? I don’t want to put more stress on you,” her mother whimpered, looking up at her with big, brown eyes full of tears. “You’ve already been through too much…”

“Mom…”

Knowing she was mainly talking about the accident they’d been a part of that had significantly changed both their lives, Rachel had to curse fate for doing this to her mother; the moment she let go a little, allowing her dad to push her into becoming more independent, this had to hit.

Her mother was traumatized enough, and now that she had this first taste of freedom away from home, Rachel was practically jumping as high as she could go to see what influence she could have on the world. It compounded in her chest; Rachel didn’t want to hurt her mom further, but she also couldn’t back away from her current trajectory. She had to muddle her way through this sticky situation.

Knowing what would help her mother, Rachel hummed thoughtfully to draw her mind away from its spiral. “You know how I used to joke about you being the incarnation of Jowangsin?”

“Rachel…” she mumbled with a light glare, knowing she’d said it more as a negative than a positive, but the fact she was calling her by her American name said she was calming down. “Yes, I’m strict in the kitchen, and I did put up Jowangsin’s rules on the wall, but it is a place that is sacred…where the family gathers to celebrate what life gives us…”

“I know… I think I get it now,” Rachel whispered, pulling her mother in again; in a way, it was part of her mother learning to cope with Seo’s death, but she recalled her always being a bit of a hardass when it came to the kitchen, or as she put it, her space. “You know what I’d love tomorrow—or whenever you get up?”

“Hmm?”

“Some home cooking,” she grinned, making her mother smile. “You always did make the best food—hands down—and you always tailored it to whatever diet I was on.”

“That’s what mothers are supposed to do,” she said, swallowing the lump in her throat and brushing away her tears. “Alright… How bad is it if you have military Special Forces following you around everywhere—do we need to get our lawyer involved? We will not give in without a fight!”

“Haha! No, Mom. It’s not like that…yet, at least.” Seeing the fire light in her mother’s eyes gave her strength. “Here, let me explain—wait, do you need some water?”

Her mother’s out-of-place black hair weaved with her head motions. “No. I’m ready whenever you are. I’m just happy I can hold you again…”

The hard part over, Rachel started from the beginning; yet, unlike with the military men she’d had practice discussing her journey, her mom was quite interruptive and became abrasive and defensive about the strangest things that threw her for a loop, such as being open with the military regarding her transformation.

Mateo remained outside the whole time, trying to stay out of her crosshair yet he didn’t have any of his men take the duty; it was a sweet gesture of trust, knowing none of this would be gossip.

Over the following hour, Rachel was stunned by her mother’s rebounding vigor as she honed in on so many little details, pressing her for clarification in areas like a prosecutor going for the throat; ultimately, everything led back to the same fear—being used by the military.

“You’re not telling me everything,” her mother grumbled, aiming her displeasure more at the door and soldiers outside than Rachel herself.

“Eh-heh, how can you tell?” she asked, forcing a smile. “I’m being as open as I can… You’re really not that—I don’t know…upset I killed goblins?”

Her mother’s puffy face had settled over the last hour, showing a rather dull expression. “They’re terrible monsters intent on doing people harm—no…but…”

A lump dropped down Rachel’s throat at the look in her mother’s terrifying eyes. “What I am pissed about is you putting yourself in danger against those aliens when it is the military’s job to protect you—not the other way around! Haaa. You’ve always been headstrong and combative, but you’re not a soldier, Sung… You’re a citizen and still a teenager.”

Fiddling with her fingers and looking away, Rachel shrugged, feeling more intimidated by the minute with her mother’s hounding gaze on her. “I’m…figuring out what I want to do, Mom. We both know the world is going to change from this.”

“Our world doesn’t need to change,” her mother insisted, white hands taking Rachel’s in a firm grip, yet her eyes were as steady as she’d ever seen them. “You can still do your martial arts competition stuff, attend college…have a normal life. All that changed is you have cute ears and a tail now. Oh, which reminds me, we need to do more shopping—a complete wardrobe change. There are some small stores that should be open on the way back home—”

“Mom!” Rachel pulled away to cross her arms, mouth tight while looking away. “No—I-I can’t go home. I told you, it’s not just my appearance that changed… I don’t think I want to, mmgh…”

“Want to what?” her mother asked, worry and fear entering her vulnerable voice, making Rachel scratch her left ear.

“I don’t…think I want to continue with college, Mom—haaa, believe me, I know it’s not easy to hear—hah, it’s not easy for me to admit to you, Mom… I’m sure Dad will be pissed, but… I need to figure things out. Mom…please.”

She looked up to see her mother’s bottom lip trembling, her world seemingly falling apart. “Sung… I can’t have you g-getting hurt. If you go down this path, you’ll… I can’t protect you. I know you may h-have felt some kind of way when going on that Quest, b-but…”

Unable to finish her sentence, Rachel knew they’d already spoken about everything that needed to be said and scooted closer to hug her weeping mother; eventually, she managed to move them to the bed, laying with her mom to comfort her through the realization she wouldn’t be hopping in the car and returning home to put all this business behind them.

The sun’s rays had began peaking through the window when her mother had cried herself to sleep; Rachel sat there, watching her for a while, until her father lightly tapped on the door, peeking inside. Once spotting them cuddled up together on the cramped bed, he smiled and entered, closing the door behind him.

“How’s your mother?”

Rachel sighed. “Not doing well… Can you close the blinds, Dad?”

“Sure.”

He calmly went to the window and locked out the rising sun before changing the armchair’s position to sit beside the bed. “I appreciate the care you’ve given to your mother, Sung… I expect you’re exhausted, as well, given what your new friend told me.”

Taking off his glasses to clean them, her father loosened his tie now that he wasn’t in public and unfastened the top button of his dress shirt; he’d already left his suit coat out front.

“Heh. I’m surprised you’ve been so patient with Scarlet, given your usual temperament.”

“Haha. Thanks, Dad,” she whispered, trying not to wake or disturb her mother. “I’ve seen a lot of things I was blind to recently… I think Seo’s death messed me up more than I liked to admit; I pushed people away because of it… It’s probably why I’ve been so critical of Alexa, as much as I hate to admit it.”

Her father replaced his spectacles, a thoughtful frown now touching his thin eyes. “I can’t imagine this experience has been easy on you, nor the stress of whatever you shared with your mother; I’m sure I’ll get quite the tinted vision from her version, but it’s nice to see you starting to mature into a young woman. Give me the cliff notes so I can relieve you of your mother and rest my own restless heart for some sleep.”

That’s Dad…no BS and straight to the point.

She told him about her decision to follow through with whatever was happening with the military, despite the dangers and her mother’s feelings; he listened without interruption, scribbling down a few things on his phone like in a business meeting.

“Hmm. So, your mother is terrified you’ll be drawn into some shady government project and senses you’ve grown restless with ordinary life after your recent experiences? It’s a real concern, and you know how delicate your mother is…to the point of convincing your brother and sister-in-law to stay in the house as they save up for their own, just so Nam would remain close.”

Her father leaned back and crossed his legs, compassionate eyes on his sleeping wife, still holding onto Rachel as she slept. “You’re her baby girl that she has to protect, which I think contributed to your teenage angst and frustrations, leading to some of your more…feisty behaviors.”

Rachel streamed out a long puff of air. “Hehe. I should have known I wasn’t hiding much from you with the fighting, which is why you got me into martial arts early so that I didn’t turn it on my peers… Well played, Dad. I do think it’s a bit more with Mom, though.”

“I’m listening.”

“Mmgm.” Brushing her mother’s bangs out of her face and settling into a more comfortable position beside her, Rachel sighed. “Mom wants our family to grow—she sees Alexa, despite all her flaws, as her own daughter, while I’m…scared, Dad. I don’t want to let people in and be hurt—if they die, I guess… I’m trying to reconcile with all these flaws I’ve started to see in myself, and they only keep growing.”

“Sung…” her father whispered, getting up to walk around the bed and give her a gentle hug from her lying position. “I understand you also have a need for perfection… I’m the cause of that, to some degree, since I’ve always been hard on Nam and you to succeed in life, but something your grandfather often reminds me of is that sprouts need room to grow… You are talented and disciplined, so growth will come in time. Be patient with yourself.”

Rachel’s thoughts returned to her internal battle against the version of Scarlet that had battled the toad aliens and how outclassed she was, putting a bitter taste in her mouth.

“I have to get stronger, Dad… You and Mom are in danger because of the cult I’ve let up into our lives.”

Her father gave her a critical stare, fingers folding in his lap. “You were hard on your mother for blaming herself for your transformation; don’t make the same mistake as her, Sung. You are not alone in dealing with this cult. Also, from what you’ve expressed, it is your very existence that offends these people; there is nothing to feel blame for as it is they that have the problem with you that has initiated this conflict, not the other way around.”

She let out a tense sigh, grumbling, “I suppose so.” Changing gears, she ran a hand down her face while staring up at the ceiling. “So, what did you think about Scarlet? I heard you two talking for some time outside.”

Expression lifting a tad at the subject change, her father chuckled. “Adorably awkward and self-critical, which promotes one to want to protect her. Is it too much to think you see a piece of your cousin in her?”

Rachel worked around her jaw, pondering the thought rather than simply reacting to the inquiry; her father wasn’t the joking type, which meant he saw something that put him on that train of thought, and he was far more candid when speaking about such topics as opposed to her tentative mother.

“I don’t know… I suppose she’s growing on me, which is more than I can say about most people. To me, Scarlet trusts too easily—then again, her mental state and devastated life play a role in that… Still, I’d be super sus if the roles were reversed, but maybe that’s just my paranoia and distrust for people in general talking…

“Eh-haaa…maybe I can see myself trying to open up a little. Not to be harsh, Dad, but at first, I primarily worked so hard to keep her around because she’s useful. I have this gut feeling I should, but…there is a bit more to it than that; I guess she did remind me of my childhood subconsciously, and that’s why I’ve been softer on her, especially now that it’s on my mind.”

“In any case—she thinks the world of you,” her father said, stifling a yawn. “I’ve raised you to be your own woman, and while I’m not pleased with this particular route you’re deciding to pursue, I won’t be so hasty to judge it. You’re an intelligent young woman…when you want to be,” he added while rubbing his temple. “So, pursue this, and I will support your mother through the hard times, but be smart, not prideful… If you need help, I’m here for you as your father.”

Unable to express the relief that fell away from her shoulders at her stalwart father’s words, Rachel could only tuck her bottom lip under and nod.

Not soon after, he began to make her mother more comfortable on the bed, removing her shoes and taking Rachel’s place to slide in as her new body pillow; she snickered at her dad as he released his tie, saying as a little girl she thought he wore a suit to bed, which got a laugh from him on her way out.

Thanks, Dad…

Quietly closing the door, Rachel waved at Scarlet, seemingly having trouble staying awake, which she assumed was more about her blood intake than actually needing sleep; still, the girl was refusing more blood, wanting to maintain a good sleep cycle in conjunction with her.

The fanged girl rose to her feet as she exited. “Everything okay?”

Rachel yawned and scratched her neck; some of the morning rays had slid through to drop her [Lunar Pool] down to forty-five percent, and she felt it in her muscles. Fortunately, her previous actions with the wolf-boy had paid off, which meant she could sink her hook into the curious unicorn before bed.

“Mostly. I’m sure my mom will want to properly meet you when she’s rested.” Glancing at the room across from them that housed quite a few of the Green Beret company, including Mateo, who had ‘kept an eye on her’ long enough and retired for the day. She took note of the soldiers who had replaced them, trying to better get a grasp on their personalities. “I know you’ll want to come with me, Scarlet, but I need to go meet the unicorn alone. I’ll be right back to get ready for bed.”

She directed her focus to the company’s current OIC. “Is that alright, Sergeant Murray? If I need someone to follow me to the cafeteria, that’s fine, but I have to meet her alone to not cause any kind of commotion. She’s…touchy toward the military, government, and law enforcement in general.”

Murray pursed his lips, looking between his men and Scarlet’s slumping shoulders, likely wanting to release her own tension about the girl’s conversation with her father.

“Roy, tag along.”

“Sir.”

Rachel was surprised to see the tall and muscular Green Beret was now in civilian clothes from the donations downstairs; he took off his gun and put his hands in his pockets to follow her down, showing a smile.

“Gotta blend in and get a grasp on the situation without intimidating people,” he explained at her lifted eyebrow. “Don’t worry, Scarlet, we’ll be back. Actually, how long will it take, Rachel?”

The man was genuine in his casual wave at the blood-drinking girl, showing how much rapport they’d built with the Special Forces in their short time knowing each other; they didn’t want the vespertine reaper to feel excluded or an outcast.

“It’ll be quick. I left the bait; now, I need to hook her before letting the line go for a bit,” she explained with a grin and wink. “It’s all in the mystery!”

Scarlet giggled. “You really are amazing… I’ll be here…being lazy and useless,” she groaned and continued before anyone could say otherwise. “I know, I know…‘you’re not useless or lazy.’ Ugh…”

“Mmmm.” Rachel tilted her head to the side with her ears. “Useless and lazy are strong words. You’ve done plenty already and kept me company through the boring bits. Thanks for being a friend!”

“Aww… You’re too good!” Scarlet huffed with a smile. “Your dad was really sweet, but I guess we can talk about that later. Good luck.”

Walking backward, Rachel added a sly smirk while pointing at her. “Don’t think I don’t know you’ll be watching me the whole time with those ruby eyes, Ms. Peeping Jill.”

“Haha. Peeping Jill? I like that. I get bored, too, and I’m exercising my abilities like you said!”

“Touché,” she snickered, walking around the corner with Roy. “Be right back.”

The man shot a small look down at her as their passing caught the attention of many nurses.

“What?”

“Either you’re getting better at masking your intent, or you’re growing more fond of Scarlet; it’s sweet to see you take her under your wing like a big sister. She needs a good role model to show her there’s a way forward.”

“I guess,” she hummed.

Projecting how things would go in the future, Rachel’s mind centered on her mother’s mannerisms and desires; if things continued, her mother would no doubt begin to fuss over Scarlet, seeing her as someone who needed a mother figure in her life.

All her mother ever wanted was to be a mom, and even that wasn’t totally fulfilling as she branched out to the community youth projects in their city as they grew. Her mom was well-respected among the soccer mom, youth educational, and community center circles for a reason.

We really are a proactive family… Dad and Nam are deep in business and financing, Mom in homemaking and community with me in martial arts, fitness, and schooling. It’s not hard to see why Alexa would feel so overwhelmed by our active lifestyle. Scarlet keeps mentioning how intimidating my work ethic is… I need to be more mindful that it doesn’t come naturally to some people.

Refocusing as they made it to the elevator, she reflected on what her mother said earlier regarding her shamanistic beliefs and the stories she’d told her growing up; it was the reason she knew the differences between hares and rabbits, but she’d utterly ghosted that point in her life due to the trauma to make the proper connection.

The Limpid Jade Hare and misfortune… It can’t be a coincidence that my mother is a semi-practicing Korean shaman, telling me stories about her beliefs and deities, and then I turn into a lunar hare. If goddesses are real…does that mean Korean figures like Sungmo, Haesik, Pali Kongju, Magu, and… Dalsun became the personification of the moon when she and her brother escaped the hungry tiger that ate their mother before they climbed to heaven…

Rachel’s mind froze as they passed a waiting room beside the elevator, and all sound died with the world coming to a complete standstill; her focus was drawn to what sat on the ground in front of the steel box: a slowly spinning egg, dyed shiny orange, pink, and white.

“Roy…” The man was midstep, petrified like all the other staff in the area, making Rachel hiss. “Shit.”

Glancing around cautiously, she stood in the silence for a time; not a thing twitched besides the egg, yet she had the distinct feeling of being watched just outside of her peripheral vision with her enhanced senses.

“Moongmor?” she hesitantly guessed, recalling the goddess’ words about someone by the name being sent by Eostre, the goddess related to easter and spring; it couldn’t be a coincidence that the season was coming up and this deity’s sudden activity. “What is this about?”

When no answer came, she carefully went to the rotating item, bent down, and grabbed it.

A vision of a tiny, fairy-like girl, no more than ten centimeters tall, flashed across her mind; she was trapped inside a fish tank with cuts and bruises, weeping within a fake rock. It was immediately followed by a pretty, violet-eyed woman, irises alight with flames and wearing a sadistic smile while holding a little girl by the throat.

View somewhat obscured, Rachel saw the beautiful, autumn-haired goddess before her earthy, feminine voice whispered into her ears. There was a rabbit on her shoulder, its fur the same colors as the egg she’d just touched. The heavenly figure looked almost frightened, focusing on something down the hall from where Rachel had come, yet her gaze swiftly snapped to her, speaking in haste.

“You must find Fiona before it is too late—convince Tom Dallas to test your abilities in the field. Please, Rachel, beware of the woman named Relica: she has support beyond the mortal realms… Use discretion in how Scarlet meets her, or it could doom us all…”

She blinked as the world continued, leaving her momentarily stunned by the rush of sound that hit her brain; Roy glanced to his left and then at her, crouching at the elevator.

“When did you—huh?”

Damn goddesses! she internally snarled, slowly rising to her feet, fingers closing to empty air where the egg had been. Why do they always have to be so minimalist?! I guess they’re limited in some sense, too, if this Relica woman is getting help from her own gods…

“Ugh… It’s nothing. Let’s go.”

Pressing the elevator, she glared at her warped reflection in the steel. I’ll have to bring it up to General… I guess his first name is Tom. I wonder what he’ll think about me revealing that bit of info. It does give credence to my supernatural connection to these beings… They say so much with so little! Dammit. At least give me a timescale to work with if it’s time-sensitive!

Chapter Fourteen

The Celestial Unicorn

Rachel leaned against the inside of the elevator while rubbing her left arm, doing her best to breathe and release the whiplash she felt from Eostre’s vision; unfortunately, the state of her body was bad enough that even just standing here made her want to puke and put a stitch in her side—it grew worse whenever she was idle and thinking about it.

She glared at her quaking left hand, vision swaying for a second; she used the elevator’s corner to not tip over from vertigo, gritting her teeth as her thoughts lapsed momentarily. A blink and Roy was suddenly in the box, making her ears twitch as his muffled voice came to the foreground; she noticed the door was now sealed, though she hadn’t caught it happening.

“…Rachel—stupid question, can you hear me?”

What appeared to be a delayed energy wave from the goddess rushed through her, further sapping her already screaming muscles and fluctuating mind; each sensation jolting her brain or deteriorating her body was far worse after the vision. If she didn’t get Maria’s help, Rachel knew she’d be down for more than a week with how far she’d pushed herself, and she didn’t have time for that.

Roy scanned her shaking legs and tight expression, gauging the sudden change that came over her once away from prying eyes; he pressed the button for the ground level before anyone could put them in a queue.

“Obviously, something happened,” he said in somewhat proficient Korean, making her force a chuckle while fighting past the nausea that gripped her belly. She was glad this man was chosen to escort her; he had seemed to care and try to connect with both her and Scarlet—a sorely welcome experience after all the craziness. “Either you had another visitation, or your body is finally starting to break down.”

“Both, I suppose,” she mumbled in the same language, closing her eyes and rubbing her flaming forehead; her white blood thankfully made it impossible to flush, but bruising had a slight discoloration, and there was a lot of it now that time passed. “I didn’t want to make a scene… I don’t know who’s watching us, and the Scarlet Hand could have corrupted anyone. Hopefully, I play my cards right, and one of those issues is resolved.”

Roy worked around his jaw, frowning as she rubbed her legs, back, and neck, twisting to loosen up and prevent knots or cramping, despite the sensation of shredding her limbs. “I’m guessing you have to keep going, or you’ll collapse… Sitting still with your mother must have been torture.”

“Well worth enduring,” she mumbled, holding back tears and trying to direct her mind to anything besides the pain. “I can’t afford to let my body slow me down.”

Leaving the elevator as it opened, she saw many of the crowds dotting the hallways of the first floor shift their attention and conversations to her upon seeing her light-glowing figure. Roy had a neutral expression again, hands in his pocket and slowing his pace to keep a distance from her, but not without whispering something to make her smile.

“Workin’ hella hard ‘till they put you in the dirt, huh?”

“Hehe… That’s me, rookie of the year,” she said under her breath, thoughts using his words as fuel to bolster her resolve.

Yeah, hit the ground running; there’s no way I’m taking a back seat, and I’m not stopping until I’m at the top! I have a full hand and a full plan. If I can’t beat people like Scarlet off the go, I’ll beat them in fight and drive. I’ll work harder than my competition and maneuver into positions to run circles around these Myths and Legends… I won’t stop until I’m at the top…because I want to have worth.

Cold resolution tempering the heat in her muscles, Rachel made her way through the halls until she came to the cafeteria, spotting the dozens of Mexican gangers sleeping on the floor, in chairs, or against the walls; they’d made the area into their base of operations and, luckily, pulled all the blinds to dim the light in places to rest.

Great! My energy shouldn’t diminish too quickly where they are. Luck is on my side! she internally cheered while studying her target, having already heard plenty about her.

The 23-year-old woman was a natural night light with her twinkling aura, yet most of the men taking shelter in the cafeteria whispered about her wide hips, ample bust, and stunning looks—her attitude elicited some grumbles, though. There were a few broken noses that she refused to heal due to a few harassment incidents that had been swiftly handled by the gangster.

Of course, her clothes were the complete opposite, being decked in an all-black tank top, black pants, and expensive name-brand shoes; the 808 angel number plastered across the front of her top, gold chain necklace, and red eyeliner said a lot about the woman with her lazy posture.

Maria’s silver eyes matched her hair, possibly even thicker than hers, drawn back and left free to dangle behind the chair she sat on to nearly touch the tile. Her ears were more elf-like than a horse, which was something many people had taken note of, and an illuminated white star symbol sat high on her brow and just below her hairline, which her energy-like horn appeared from when using her powers.

However, her appearance was the last thing on Rachel’s mind after hearing many of the English conversations she’d had with her rather large crew; she swapped languages reasonably often, and her blunt attitude did not make people happy.

Being a Mythickin Celestial Unicorn, she could gain energy from the sun and moon, yet there seemed to be a catch that Rachel hadn’t managed to uncover in their discussions; they all appeared to have some kind of weakness or fault as Myths and Legends. Perhaps even more shocking from her appearance and attitude, she was a semi-practicing Catholic, attending church at least twice a month with her little brother.

Head shifting left and right to take in the full scope of the cafeteria, she saw Roy get in line to grab some food; due to the emergency, people were working behind the stoves in shifts until the crisis was resolved.

Rachel’s vision hazed again, yet she forced her fingernails into her palm to keep focused. Going right for the table the unicorn’s gang hovered around, she prepared herself for the encounter. Judging the woman’s size, she gauged she was roughly half a head shorter than herself—approximately 165 cm. She didn’t need long with the gangster since this was just the hook to draw the woman into her plan.

“Yo, Maria, what’s up?” she asked, smiling when her willpower grew weaker; she wanted to give up, collapse, and never move again—even her face was tingly. “I’ve heard my name passed around a few times between you guys. What does ‘Liebre Lunar’ mean, by the way—is it moon bunny—because you guys have been saying it a lot?”

Maria tsked and crossed her arms while pressing her tongue against the inside of her cheek. She glanced between her boys, mumbling to one another in Spanish, their tone defensive.

“Aye, well damn…ya been listenin’ to us, eh? I heard what ya did for one of the lil’ niños. Hmm…”

Rachel spun one of the free chairs around to sit backward, matching energy and resting her arms on it as they discussed her entrance, a few pointing at her large ears. “I heard no one can lie to you, and in return, you can’t lie. Is that right? Rachel, by the way, but, heh, Diego told you that. He’s sleeping, right?”

“Yeah… Yo, the hell happened to you, chica?” she mumbled, silver eyes scanning her bandages and lightly discolored skin representing her bruises. “You look like you’ve been scrappin’ with dogs.”

A few of the men chuckled, but Rachel was sincere and straightforward; she’d be the type of person Maria liked dealing with, and since she could detect lies, breaking the ice would be quick.

“I did fight aliens from another world with a dragon. Am I lying?”

The woman’s eyes narrowed, and she sat straighter, silencing the men around her at her sudden change in demeanor. “Aye, aye—say that again, chica—a whole ass dragon? Shit. What about the toad aliens I’ve heard about—were they perras ya popped off on?”

“I fought a few different aliens, sure, but I took care of some in their own world before that toad invasion at the college happened.” Rachel giggled, trying to ignore the spotted vision and swaying faces as she held up her hand to distract them, showing a squeezing gesture. “Popped their heads like a child’s doll!”

Several of the men and women around them shifted uncomfortably at her blunt confession to murdering that the unicorn didn’t call out, their queen’s posture changing as the conversation went on.

“Ah, but I’m not here for that,” she giggled, flashing her teeth. “I’ve heard you can heal people, and, well…you can see I’m in need of a little support. Eh-heh. Are there two of you or five; I can’t even tell anymore? Haha. C’mon, help a girl out!”

The atmosphere grew tense as Maria leaned one arm against the table beside her, index finger tapping the surface; more than just her crew were now paying attention to their meeting.

“Ugh. I figured ya weren’t just bein’ nice ta Diego… Liebre means hare, my chica—your ears are too big to be a bunny—but, damn, I get the feeling you’re more of a loba.”

Rachel’s ears shifted to the left, pain making her tail go completely stiff, yet she kept her voice under control. “I’m guessing that means wolf by the context—heh, instead of a wolf in sheep’s clothing, I’m a carnivorous hare, huh?”

“Ya ain’t lied yet,” Maria grunted. “Respect for that—even the carnivorous hare part regarding your personality…but some of my girls were watching you when you came in… You’ve got an angle; spit it out.”

Expression twisting to a more sly smirk, Rachel hummed, looking the uncomfortable unicorn in the eyes; some of the gangsters’ hands went to their hidden weapons, but they didn’t escalate things as Rachel kept her focus on their queen.

“I did want to help Diego—I’m not about to let some wannabe influencer make fun of a boy nearly half her age without stepping in. I’ve been on the receiving end of that in junior high—but I also like to make the most of my time. I knew you’d feel compelled to heal me for Diego because you don’t like to owe people favors and believe in karma. Well?”

Drawing in her pink lower lip, Maria held a guarded gaze, listening to some of the Mexicans mumble in Spanish around them and responding to a few inquiries; she retained eye contact the entire time.

“Tsk. Damn, not a single lie, chica. I usually can’t go a minute without feelin’ one. You scratched Diego’s back, I’ll scratch yours, but there’s more to it than that, Liebre Lunar. I’m not tryin’ ta make waves with the wrong people, and I hear ya got somethin’ going on with some military types—qué demonios es esto!”

A brilliant light lit up the space as her spiral horn solidified on her brow, and she shot to her feet in shock, making Rachel force a laugh at her face; the rest of the room did the same at the sudden action, unsure if they should make a break for it.

“Chica—the hell’d you do to your body? Shit!” she snarled, eyes sweeping past key parts of her figure. “Ya get hit by a camión de la basura—how the hell are you not screaming?!”

“Heh. That bad, heh?”

“Worse than the trauma patients I’ve seen in this bitch—I, eh…damn… It’s gonna take hell ’ta get you put back together. Saint Mary better bless us, chica, because I ain’t sure I can bring you back with my power.” She hastily motioned to the crew around her. “Aye, let’s bounce—shit…”

A little lost now, Rachel frowned and forced herself up, jaw tightening at the pressure she put on her legs again, causing her to see spots; she did her best not to teeter. “W-What’s up?”

Maria looked at her like she was insane. “The hell you mean, what’s up, perra loca?! I gotta juice up ta deal with your shit. Catch up, chica!”

Rachel glanced left, seeing Roy watching them from a table, only a single bite taken out of his sandwich as they passed; the urgency in Maria’s voice was accompanied by a refreshing pulse of energy that lessened some of her pain with one caveat.

“Wow,” she whispered, seeing some of the bruising fading. “That was—Maria?”

Her brow furrowed, now seeing how terrible her reaction time was as the gangster’s tight expression grew more frustrated as she almost tripped, cursing in Spanish under her breath while her light faded.

“Shut up,” she grumbled, rubbing her chest as if in pain, her horn dimming significantly; her voice lowered when Rachel caught up, already ahead of the pack, scrambling to join them. “The hell you get off on… Masochistic bitch, your organs are failing—five hours, and you’re on ice—so shut your mouth and keep close. You’ll be blacking out soon—how the hell are you still conscious?”

A shiver ran down her spine at the revelation; sure, she’d been pushing herself to remain awake, just like when she’d talked to the officers the previous night when she’d passed out, yet somehow continued to speak, but she didn’t think it was due to organ failure.

“I…guess my pain threshold is a lot higher than I thought.”

“No shit, Sherlock—you’re a machine. Now keep up,” the unicorn growled, more pissed than Rachel thought she’d be.

However, if her new suspicions were correct, Rachel could understand why she was suddenly so temperamental; healing people could have a negative effect on the unicorn, and, while she was the type to demand payment—rightfully so if there were side effects—Maria wouldn’t let someone die in front of her if she could help it.

Making her way to the doors, she hesitated for half a second just before entering the bright section of the cafeteria; she didn’t want to drain all of her lunar energy since it was helping to sustain her, but she didn’t really have a choice—she stepped into the golden rays.

Maria spun in a circle, making Rachel’s ears go stiff as she shoved her back with a curse; she managed to twist around to stumble between some of her shouting gang members with the unicorn’s energy mending her.

“Eres un maldito desastre!” she snarled. “Why is your condition getting worse?! Shit. Are you trying to merk me, chica—take me down with you?”

The unicorn’s teenage brother had woken up from the shouts. “Eh, hermana?”

“Uh… I guess my lunar energy is reinforcing my organs?” Rachel guessed. “If I go in the sun—”

“I get it! Shit… Aye, hermanito, get a blanket, huh? The damn banana-eared moon hare is trying to give me a heart attack! How the hell do you let yourself get so torn up—brain damage?”

Her brother jumped into action with another Beastkin girl that looked like a honey badger, tossing it to him to run over; Maria ordered them to put it up by a wall so she could stand in the unfiltered beams by the door and remain in sight of her to allow her horn’s rays to restore her body—unfortunately, it didn’t help much.

Rachel’s smile strained under her cross-armed scowl; the pain eased with her golden horn’s glow, but she was also growing weaker. “Umm… Is your healing solar-based when using the sun’s energy?”

“Tsk… You owe me, chica. And what do you think, stupid?”

The unicorn grimaced, light intensifying as a crowd started to form; it took fifteen minutes, with Maria’s face pinching further with every minute, making it look like she had a stomach ache. Once it was done, not an ounce of lunar energy was left in her, leaving Rachel as weak or weaker than most of the women watching the magical operation.

“Maria…”

The woman’s nose twisted with agitation as her brother brought over a chair for her to sit with a towel to wipe away the sweat on her brow. “Aye, you owe me after that, chica—I practically healed ten people on you, bitch… Shit. What?”

Rachel crossed her arms, studying the unicorn as her crew rushed to bring her fruit, drinks, or anything else to help. “No disrespect, but have you ever considered you’re wasting your talents?”

“The hell are you talking about?” she muttered before drinking some water.

“Listen, I do owe you… Do you want to make money to set up your entire block for life—live the good life—and learn how to really use your powers? Come to the fourth floor and talk to me when you want to enter the big leagues. I’m not talking millions… You’re worth more than that.”

Laughter and Spanish conversations followed her statement as Rachel turned around and walked away, but Maria didn’t join in; after all, she knew she wasn’t joking.

Roy met her at the exit to return upstairs. “Organ failure, huh?”

“Yeah. Crazy, huh?” she smiled. “Now I know my limits and threshold.”

“Pfft! What a way to look at almost dying. You really are insane, Rachel; you know what they were saying?”

She shook her head. “What?”

“A cold-blooded monster—basically, they think you’re a robot with the way Maria talked about how torn up your organs and muscles were and how nonchalant you were acting… You weren’t going to heal with time, Rachel.”

Rachel shot an impish smirk his way, hands held behind her back with a spring in her step now that she was right as rain. “Concerned about me? That’s sweet, Roy. Hehe. No, I understand, but didn’t I tell you I had a plan? Oh! I don’t feel super tired now—I’ll need to sleep, but why don’t we stop off on floor six real fast?”

“Anthony?” Roy asked with a lifted eyebrow as they stopped before the elevator, waiting for it to come down. “Look, I’m just trying to say, maybe it would be better to take a break from the training and relax; you can’t train twenty-four-seven.”

“Oh?” Rachel watched the numbers descend with a tilt to her lips. “With Maria, I think I can, and I have another method to try tonight. Let’s go.”

Heading up to the top floor, they stopped outside the door to Amelia’s room. The two Green Berets greeted Roy as Rachel held a finger to her lips while slipping inside. A silent chuckle shook her stomach upon seeing Anthony’s flaming head resting on the foot of the young woman’s bed.

Amelia’s gaze drifted from her passed-out fiancé to her, focus rising to her ears before sweeping the rest of her appearance; the terminal cancer patient had lost all of her hair, and black rings were under her brown eyes, but she wore a soft smile.

“Rachel, I presume,” the woman whispered, careful with how she shifted in bed as her morphine drip continued to ease her pain. Rachel had heard from the doctors’ conversations that she only had a few months to live. “How many times have you heard me ask you to come?”

“Three,” she casually responded, taking a nearby seat.

“Hmm? I guess you aren’t as omniscient as Anthony thinks,” she quietly giggled. “I actually did it five times.”

“Sly, Mrs. Fiancée.” Rachel smiled, trying to draw favor from the girl by recognizing she was practically already married to Anthony while she leaned back and crossed her legs. “I’ve tried to give you some privacy, but I couldn’t help overhearing his plan to find a cure through his Quests. You don’t sound convinced, though.”

Amelia leaned over to take one of the jello cups one of the nurses had brought earlier. “Only because he doesn’t sound convinced… Tell me, Rachel, does Anthony think my worsening condition is due to his change?”

Sighing, Rachel gave a helpless shrug. “It’s…seemingly connected to his legend. Still, a cure might be found in other ways; there are other options we can consider.”

“Maria?” she asked, eyes downcast before moving to her man and ruffling her hair. Amelia doubled over, stifling a cough and dropping her jello. “Anthony already tried before you arrived… She says it’s immutable—at least for now.”

“Ah…So that’s why he blames himself,” Rachel whispered, vision falling to the floor as she pondered the response, watching the woman recover. “I wouldn’t give up hope; magical curses are real now, but so are cures.”

Amelia gave her a dubious smile. “From everything I’ve heard, Rachel, you don’t do anything without a purpose. You want my fiancé’s help with dangerous tasks…danger he might throw himself at in grief, anguish, or as a form of punishment. I don’t want that. So let me clarify this: if you can’t make his life more positive, I don’t want you in it.”

Rachel’s lips drew in at the steel in Amelia’s voice and eyes as she made her feelings known; it was a threat, and she wasn’t finished.

“I won’t let you use me as a ball and chain around his heart to pull him into the madness you seem to crave. I will convince him to reject whatever you offer, and you know I’m not bluffing. I want Anthony to live…to feel alive again—I don’t like seeing him depressed and desperate,” she whispered, face pinched with frustration. “Tell me how your plan will make him happy, and I’ll make sure he goes down that path…because I don’t have an answer anymore, which scares me.”

Looking away, Rachel chewed on the inside of her cheek for a minute, deep in thought; it was a challenge, but she loved challenges. Nodding without a word, she got up and left; she had adjustments to make.

Heading back to the fourth floor, she heard Selvaria just about to reach the same level; the leviathan was huffing a bit, her mother rubbing her back as they took the stairs—she had broken one of the elevators by just getting inside ten minutes earlier.

“Need to work on that cardio, girl,” she joked, waiting for them to reach her.

“Rachel…uh, yeah—I, uh…I’m good,” she lied, tail dragging along the floor. “This is my mom—ugh… Kill me,” she cried in her monotone voice that made Rachel chuckle.

Her brown-haired mother smiled and moved forward to shake her hand. “Hello. It’s Rachel, right? Selv told me your parents would be here, too. Umm. It’ll be nice talking to someone else about how things have changed… It’s been crazy.”

Selvaria took her mom’s hand and moved to allow some nurses and doctors to pass in a pack, discussing some strange case regarding a Faekin Brownie’s small physiology while looking over x-ray sheets.

“I’ll—” Her heart stopped, ears darting to the left. “Excuse me real fast…” She broke away, Roy spotting her change of direction and following.

“Oh, okay…”

Selvaria made a weak gesture, seeming to catch her breath. “That’s Rachel, always busy running around doing stuff. Maybe we should go running when we get up. Oh, maybe Scarlet will join us! Wooh. I’m getting pumped. We should get some sports clothes—uh…my tail, though.”

“Hehe. I’d think you’d have a lot more stamina with how often you’d play games in the pool—you even waterproofed your handheld devices to play underwater!”

“Heh. I did, didn’t I,” she mused as her mother rubbed her head.

“Yeah… Also, I can sew something for you, Honey; you know how good I am at it with all your cosplay stuff.”

“We can make stuff for everyone! We should look up some cool designs from the games I like to play… Maybe there’s an update. Oh, a really nice dress, maybe.”

“For running? Hehe. C’mon, Selv. We need to be practical.”

“One word, Mom. Magic!”

“Hehe. Okay, my little leviathan witch.”

Rachel turned her ears away from the conversation as she made it to one of the waiting rooms, opening the door to the surprise of those waiting while their loved ones were in surgery. The news was on, showing a news feed live from the United Kingdom as Rachel listened to the reports, heartbeat quickening. A colossal tree sprouted out of a large riverway, and the famous clock nearby told her where it was:

“We’re here at the Houses of Parliament, and, as you can see, a massive tree is growing out of the River Thames. Several eyewitnesses to the event have described it in horrific detail! A well-known party vessel for the wealthy, according to those onboard at the time, sank late last night due to an attack by a Mythickin Nymph—yes, the Greek kind.

“However, some conflicting statements have surfaced that claim she was trying to save the life of an unidentified man. One witness to the event stated that as everyone was thrown into the water, this enormous tree began to grow, saving many that had fallen into the River Thames, yet several people are still unaccounted for, including the Mythickin Nymph, herself.

“The tree roots are currently blocking traffic on Westminster Bridge, Abingdon Street, A3212, Lambeth Bridge, A3036, and penetrating into the roads all around the area; thankfully, most buildings seem to be unaffected, and there are no reported casualties from the tree itself—the panic and riots are another issue with the rapid increase in knife assaults and magic-enhanced terrorists.

“As for the tree, there are rumors that these rhizomes reach as far as the North Sea and the English Channel, but there are multiple confirmed sightings of large roots spread across England, and this mythical tree continues to grow, even threatening Big Ben! People are already comparing its height to the Burj Khalifa, with its enormous branches overshadowing London.

“Our network has consulted multiple experts on the pictures we’ve secured before the military grounded all aircraft; it seems there are plants of unknown origin growing near the base and further up in the large branches where waterfalls can be seen, flowing from fissures in the trunk.

“You can see that the water and plant life—even the trunk itself—seem to glow, radiating their colors in an almost magical way; reports have been issued that it is not radioactive. It looks like a forest itself is sprouting out of the trunk and branches.

“Experts theorize that the mass spread of its roots must reach far underground and tap into many underground rivers and water sources across the country to sustain its massive size, causing concern regarding our water supply. Waterfalls are gushing out of various openings, cascading down branches further up the trunk. Some already call this the Eighth Wonder of the World: The World Tree.

“However, scientists warn us that this could severely affect the water levels around the UK and the agricultural industry. The area is being sealed off by local authorities as the military prepares to enter the tree’s inner hollows at one of the openings in the trunk’s base. We will continue to keep you posted.”

Rachel’s thoughts returned to the first vision the goddesses had shown her; this was where they wanted her to go. Well, General Dallas has to believe my dream vision from the goddesses is real now… How could I have predicted this otherwise?

“Holy shit,” Roy mumbled next to her. “We really have entered a fantasy book…”

“You have no idea…”

Rachel returned to the area they’d been given, hearing Selvaria and her mom in the other room; the leviathan appeared to have forgotten what happened last time since she tried to use the bed without considering her weight—it folded like paper. It didn’t help that the panicked waving of her arms and tail broke tiles and equipment nearby, which made her tear up.

“There, there,” her mother soothed. “You’ll get used to it in time. Can you become a little girl to sleep and release everything in your [Water Pool]?”

“No…I’ll die,” she sniffed. “Being heavy sucks sometimes. Well…I can release some water, but not all of it. What if I can’t even use the elevator if I become a little girl? I can’t use the elevator or…or the cord breaks. I break everything, Mom… I could hurt people.”

“We’ll get through it, Sweetie. Just release what you can. Here…”

“Chocolate!” she smiled, taking the moose plushie. “Thanks, Mom.”

“Mhm, I also brought your favorite blanket too! Okay, let’s get ready for bed.”

Likewise, Rachel prepared to do the same when going into Scarlet’s room—the vespertine reaper looking practically dead with her unmoving chest in the bed—before quietly moving into the room with her resting parents. Something caught her eye, however: the eerie sight of blood weaving out of the girl’s skin, moving on its own accord, forming into a girl brandishing a scythe in her direction.

“Veronica…” she growled at the agitated, shimmering liquid girl who had been used to seal Twilight, testing to see if it would respond. “I’m not doing anything shady, so don’t get jealous—didn’t you say I was nice?”

She glared at it until the infectious substance snaked back inside Scarlet’s resting body. “Yeah, that’s what I thought… If you want her to be your friend, maybe do something nice for her that doesn’t involve murdering people, body snatching, or creeping her out.”

She was almost impressed as the blood paused and took on a personality of its own, forming into a hand to give her the middle finger before the shape of a hare, slicing off its head—certainly, a 16-year-old girl’s response.

“Don’t get all up in your feelings,” she snickered, staring at the substance thoughtfully while adding this newly discovered guardian living inside the girl to her internal equations and plans. “Just offering some advice—oh, don’t tell me, the goddesses have you flustered. Right,” she confirmed as the liquid shot back into her body in what seemed to be a huff.

Veronica is growing frustrated because of something nearby, and it’s almost like she doesn’t want to go into my parents’ room… Eostre, are you still lurking?

Leaving to the other room, Rachel placed the bed by the window, cracking it open since she was already drained, allowing herself to soak in a bit of moonlight whenever the moon did start to rise.

Tomorrow would be a huge day: the Legendkin captain and military psychiatrist would put them to some kind of test, while Maria would be the linchpin for something grand; for now, she sat by the window and controlled her breathing to enter her inner world, at least for a little bit to test it out. She had a lot of speculation and observations to make regarding the various enemies she’d faced thus far. Time to plan.

Chapter Fifteen

Hacker’s Introduction

Instead of sleeping, Rachel decided to enter her inner world through the meditative state and take the time to better analyze everything that happened in the last forty-eight hours. She played through the events, spotting things she’d missed when in the moment.

It was quickly becoming very evident how powerful this internal world was since it did have some restorative effects on her psyche in the time she tested it. It appeared to catalog everything she perceived with her enhanced senses, as well as a short distance that seemed to be subconscious or related to some spiritual perception.

Though there were flaws in it that she started to see while poking and prodding the world from various angles. It did record reality accurately instead of by her own bias, but only when it came to her immediate surroundings, which could be related to a spiritual imprint others left on her soul.

As she relived sections of the night immediately following The Oscillation, Rachel discovered the reason for her organ failure. Time paused with her desire as she walked around the brown-skinned toad’s cobalt-hued dart. She concluded Scarlet couldn’t get all the poison since she’d been interrupted.

Swapping the scene to when she and Scarlet huddled close together, her blood spiking out to follow the deadly toad, Rachel focused on the slowed-moving liquid. Everything took on a new meaning as she examined its actions since she’d come into the picture.

Veronica was controlling it from inside Scarlet, or perhaps she was the blood itself, but there was a stark difference in its activity before and after the girl had sunk her teeth into her arm. This was obvious in how it consciously lifted the vespertine reaper off the ground against her will when Selvaria caused the wave.

By the fanged girl’s own account, Veronica told Scarlet she’d been lost before that point in the endless ocean that was Scarlet’s internal world.

Reliving the moment when Veronica flipped her off, Rachel scowled while creating a seat to collapse into; she’d spent hours in introspection and was growing surprisingly tired. This wasn’t some infinite training simulator; it did cost resources—spiritual and mental—yet also provided another way to exercise those aspects.

Veronica is dangerous, and it’s only a matter of time before she grows restless from being locked inside Scarlet as a gatekeeper. She has feelings and was practically brainwashed since she was little to see Scarlet as her god… It appeared things are changing for her now, however.

Leaning to the side, she rewound time to the second the psychopathic girl had taken control of Scarlet’s body to fight the toads. She saw somewhat of a reflection of herself in Veronica’s thrill to engage the aliens but for entirely different reasons than her own.

Rachel loved the excitement of the battle and the heat of the exchange; the word ‘prey’ left a bitter taste on her tongue since it wouldn’t get her blood pumping—she had discovered that part of herself under the Azure Moon.

However, Veronica loved to toy with her victims and dominate them with insurmountable power, condemning them to the realization of how worthless their lives were. She saw it in the hundreds of battle simulations she ran through the night—Veronica saw herself as a force of nature that couldn’t be resisted.

With every battle Rachel simulated between them, Veronica won, and she lost without exception—it wasn’t even close—making her heart rate increase over time. Observing from her sitting position, fist held against her cheek, Rachel cursed as Veronica beat her in record time.

The frightening part she was now starting to see was how intelligent and cunning Veronica was. Rachel had no clue how the girl was groomed to take this pivotal position in the Scarlet Hand’s plot to restrict Twilight, but the teen was not your typical schoolgirl.

I’m not just dealing with Scarlet, and she’s not the real issue… Veronica is. She put the thought aside while watching the laughing girl possessing Scarlet’s body cut her into ribbons. Veronica won’t hesitate to rip me apart if I stop being helpful to Scarlet.

Releasing a long stream of air while studying her status sheet and what had changed, she rubbed her temple.

[Strategic Mind - Advanced to B-tier]

[Mental Acceleration - Advanced to B-tier]

[Bestial Instinct - Advanced to C-tier]

[Bestial Instinct] only started rising when she began her simulated combat with Veronica; it seems she could further develop her senses inside this inner world, yet [Divine Beast Empowerment] couldn’t be exercised.

Her focus drifted to her [Energy] Stat to center on [Constitution]—it was this that made this mental space more flexible. Being of High Grade meant she could do much more with it than others, or so she’d come to believe, and it might even be worth putting a point or two into.

Yawning, she left the world, cracking open her eyes to the blazing sun, hardly blocked by the curtain by being on the window seat. Her arms felt like limp noodles in the light, and a wave of exhaustion flooded her exhausted brain; Maria’s healing could only do so much, she guessed.

She’d placed Scarlet’s bed far back on the opposite wall to keep the deadly rays away from her, and she’d taken this position because someone would have to intrude on her personal space to open the blinds up.

Her parents were still fast asleep, with her father holding her mother close in the cramped hospital bed, where she appeared to be enjoying the close contact. A smile touched Rachel’s mouth as she settled into a lying position, using one of the hospital blankets they’d left for a pillow.

It didn’t take long for her thoughts to give way to dreams, returning to Anthony’s Quest. She roamed the faintly misty forest lands under the azure and alabaster orbs; visions from the goddesses didn’t come—thankfully—allowing her the chance to rest her troubled mind.

Noise made her ears twitch, rousing her drifting consciousness as her mother’s soft laughter made her groan and crack open an eye; it was dark, and sixteen percent of her [Lunar Pool] had been restored—somehow, someone had gotten by her to open the blinds, allowing the moonlight to hit her.

Scarlet and her mother appeared to have moved the beds to the side wall and brought in some chairs to sit in and chat. A quick vocal search discovered her father in the next room, trying to get answers from Mateo, but they weren’t alone.

Rachel sat straighter, stifling a yawn while hearing Captain Barbara Hall and another man she presumed was the military psychiatrist. Surprised, she realized she’d slept nearly fourteen hours—it was almost twelve at night.

“Finally awake?” her mother asked with a short chortle as she caught her stretching out, ears going stiff. “Scarlet and I have been becoming acquainted, and you startled her by bringing her into our room.”

“Eh-heh. Yeah…” The girl’s cheeks darkened with embarrassment. “I meant to stay up until you came back, but, umm…my mind had other plans. Sorry. I just closed my eyes for a second, and I passed out. Oh, are you doing better?” she asked with true concern. “You looked terrible last night.”

“A lot—better,” she said, stifling another yawn. “Maria’s an interesting woman. She’ll probably find me later today… Oof.”

Scarlet and her mother looked at each other in confusion when she winced, her mom asking the question on both of their minds.

“What is it—something wrong?”

Rachel rubbed her neck and got up to stretch out her stiff back and limbs. “Not really. Maria’s still recharging after healing me…” she trailed off, catching herself in time to not expose her terrified mother to how bad her condition had been. “I’m perfectly healthy after the good unicorn’s magic, though! No need to worry, Mom. Looks like the captain and doctor are here. I’ll just go see what’s happening—Mom?”

Internally pumping herself up, she went for the door, only to be stopped by her mother’s embrace.

“Just getting a quick hug in,” she whispered, kissing her on the cheek. “Please…don’t push yourself more than necessary. I can’t lose you.”

Rachel noticed Scarlet rubbing her arm with a melancholy smile as she broke away. “Haha. You know I’m built of tough stuff, Mom, but I’ll be more careful. Love you.”

“Love you…”

Her fingers slid down her arm while Rachel went outside, waving at the Green Berets on watch outside. “Morning!”

“Morning.”

“Heh. Crazy last few days, and now we have a Marine bigshot with us, but I guess you knew.”

“Roy sleeping?” she asked the two men, marking where the rest of the unit was, scattered throughout the hospital, gathering more information about public morale.

“Yup, he was woken up to report to the lieutenant and then hit the sack again.”

“Cool. Thanks for keeping watch.”

She knocked on the door across from the hall, scanning the multitude of voices within her range to get caught up on the latest gossip or news.

Selvaria was in the shower, her mother downstairs browsing clothes that might work with her daughter’s new physique.

All of them would need to go through the psych evaluation, and a good cold shower sounded nice. Rachel had no clue how sweat or BO worked with her new body—among many other parts of her anatomy—but mentally, she’d feel better following her daily cleansing routine—a shower was on the agenda.

As for Anthony, unsurprisingly, he was with his fiancé. That avenue would be a tricky one, and if Maria wasn’t an option right now, his Quests should hold a solution. The issue lay in how soon they could get the cure since she only had months to live—at most.

Everything was moving quickly, and if what she thought was coming was correct, then she needed people she could trust and could be convinced to join her. It was becoming very evident throughout the world news that Mythickin and Legendkin were among the top echelon when it came to growth and power. Just like genetics, no two people were built the same—nature was unfair—and she could see why Zoe was complaining about, as she put it, her F-tier roll.

Still, from her experimentations in the internal world, Rachel could see it wasn’t so clear cut. Sure, there were limitations to the other Kins, yet Zoe was likely at a higher level than a vast majority of changed people. Due to her being in their party for Rachel’s shared EXP buff in the way of [Primal Force] while participating in a Legendkin’s Quest and a Crystal attack, she would be more stacked than she liked to admit if she was careful.

With the type of Feats Rachel had obtained, she also concluded it wasn’t random; there was some guiding force in how they lived and the actions they took. It didn’t help when she also had goddesses interfering and adding weird options like increased defense via revealing clothing. The shocking Feat choice was still playing at the back of her mind.

Rachel stepped up to the door and knocked, waiting for a second before poking her head through with a smile. “Welcome to Miami, Captain Hall, and…Doctor Richard Raynott, correct?”

She turned her attention away from the auburn-haired, tall military woman sitting across from her father to the older gentleman in the armchair beside her. Richard had black hair, streaked partly with silver, giving him a distinctive look with his neatly groomed facial hair and strong features. The dark, long-sleeve shirt and dress slacks presented a professional introduction.

The man was undoubtedly silver-fox eye-candy that a group of girls she’d known in the gym would fawn over; highly educated, experienced, and successful by the strong presence he put off.

Her father was the first to greet her, fitting in with the two military officers and psychiatrist with his suit, crossed legs, and business-like attitude. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

“Longer than I thought I would,” she returned with a short laugh.

She entered, shutting the door behind her. Rachel was somewhat thrown off by the woman waiting for her—the Legend of Saint Barbara. The patron saint of artillerymen was in a knee-length business skirt, close-fitted top, and braided locks, showing a rather womanly vibe instead of a military badass.

Barbara’s dressed-up appearance told Rachel that the woman might be a rugged Marine—and her position as the first Marine Raider showed her talent—but she was also perfectly comfortable and in touch with her feminine side, including painted nails.

Of course, considering she was military, orderliness was likely an essential part of her daily routine that she could respect. Appearances were also significant in the military; at least, she assumed it was from everything she’d heard and seen.

The woman put off a pleasant vibe, and Rachel didn’t miss the woman’s impressive physique, developed in the Marine Corps.

“Good morning, Rachel. It’s lovely to finally meet you,” she said, smoothly rising to her feet to shake her hand as she approached. “You’ve already guessed that this is Doctor Raynott.”

He uncrossed his legs to rise and join them, handshake firm as their fingers tightened around each other. “It’s a pleasure. I look forward to getting to know you better, Ms. Park. Your father says you prefer your American name in general. I assume you reserve your Korean name for close friends and family?”

“It’s just easier that way,” she laughed, breaking away.

She assumed the psychiatrist had likely served in the military by his cadence, possibly during Desert Storm or the Global War on Terror that she’d heard about while in school. It made sense to send for a military psychiatrist to understand what his patients went through. For him to be so highly regarded spoke volumes, considering he’d been chosen out of all available doctors in the field for this assignment.

Barbara motioned to Mateo, drawing everyone’s attention as she took charge of the conversation. “Lieutenant, if you could keep Mr. Park company while we proceed with preparations for the evaluation? As I told you, we will be able to answer more of your questions after we’re finished.”

Her father’s folded fingers and tight-eyed expression told Rachel he was guarded; they’d likely stonewalled him on many answers that her mother wanted. “I look forward to the debriefing. Will my daughter be able to freshen up before you interrogate her?”

His voice was even and without heat, but the words carried a spear’s point.

Richard forced a laugh and pointed at a locked briefcase. “I need to set up and get things ready for our first session, which should give her plenty of time to get ready and have breakfast. Please, by all means, go down as a family; we all should be grateful for the safety of our families in these troubling times.”

Barbara nodded with a soft smile. “I’ll only steal your daughter for a moment, Mr. Park. Thank you for being patient with the military; I know it must be hard to have us going through your life history and digging up bitter memories.”

Her father’s expression didn’t change, but his tight grip told Rachel what they’d touched on while she was asleep; they’d discussed the accident with the drunk driver when she was nine—something her mother wouldn’t open up about and would refuse to be present for.

He silently acknowledged their statement, shooting her a look that told her to be cautious. Her father dealt with many high-value clients who used their accounting firm, and he wasn’t used to being helpless, but martial law gave the military practically unlimited power to do whatever it deemed necessary. The United States had temporarily turned into a military state until the crisis was over or Congress challenged the order, causing him—and likely many others—a great deal of stress and anxiety.

Following Barbara out and into the room Scarlet had used before, the Marine shut the door and crossed her arms to smile down at her; she was a few inches taller and likely near Anthony’s height.

“Lt. Mateo tells me that one of his men believes you had another visitor, and I just wanted to confirm it in private. I’d rather not pass on sensitive data over the airways, but if there is critical information, it’s best to strike while the iron’s hot, as they say.”

Now that they were face-to-face, Rachel could feel the woman’s strength—she was at least equal to her, which was saying something when the Marine was very likely lower-leveled. That was, in a fair fight, at least. Then again, it might be just the military training and experience that made her feel that way. Rachel hid a smirk; she was only at 16% capacity, after all.

“I think it is important—even time-sensitive. I’d judge it is worth the risk.”

“Right. Well, then, I suppose my superior may choose to contact you sooner than anticipated. For now, relax with your family for a bit. No need to fret while I get things ready. This first session shouldn’t take long; the doctor just needs to get a baseline of who you are.”

Rachel smirked, vision shifting to the wall. “Which is why you concentrated on getting my family here to have more insight into my past. I’ll turn that around on you, and say you don’t need to worry; I’ll be entirely transparent and on my best behavior.”

“Wonderful. If things work out, I hope to get to know you better,” Barbara concluded, opening the door with a cheery tone. Despite her casual movements, [Bestial Instincts] told Rachel this soldier could flip on aggressive mode in an instant if she stepped out of line.

Pausing just outside, the lunar hare half-turned to shoot a curious smile at the red-haired woman. “Does one of these tests end with us in the ring together?”

“Haha. Perhaps! Still, I’m not very…good at keeping my opponents alive,” she said with a faltering smile. “I may look like this on the outside, but my unit’s specialty is more of a bomb than a stick to beat someone into their place.”

Rachel chuckled while moving toward the next room to meet with her mother. “Consider me even more interested.”

Entering, she updated her mom on the short-term schedule, stomach growling due to her drained [Lunar Pool]. Her mother was more than happy to cook something, including for Scarlet, since her mom somehow had gotten on the topic of experimenting with blood dishes for the teen.

They found Selvaria and her own mom in the cafeteria, the bubbly woman almost the exact opposite of her dull-toned and generally unenthusiastic-looking daughter as she waved them over.

The leviathan had shrunk into more of a young teen-like size by expelling a lot of the liquid in her [Water Pool] to not break everything around her; it seemed like her mother loved her ability to change ages based on water volume, by their conversation. Selvaria was snacking on various foods with a pepper mill near her, passively listening to their ice-breaking conversation.

Rachel was thrown for a loop when the girl said she planned to make an underwater sea temple with an army of seals and penguins. The girl shyly stated she needed friends first, of course. It was a little sad, but also told Rachel a lot about her; she mainly talked about her animals she had back home more than people.

Perhaps she was bullied growing up, but the answer came from Selvaria herself when revealing before The Oscillation she had minor brain damage that had been healed.

Her mother—who insisted she be called Teri over Mrs. Higginbottom—was enthusiastic that somehow her daughter’s path had crossed some new ‘friends’ and that now she was trying to learn how to interact with others. Of course, Rachel knew her mother would gobble up such a tale, asking about their plans and what they would do, while her father was more silent in these kinds of discussions, passively listening.

Rachel smiled at Scarlet, giving her a look that said there was no way for them to enter the conversation when her mother got going. Surprisingly, Scarlet appeared to be totally content just being a part of the group, laughing and listening to the mothers go back and forth. At a certain point, she saw Scarlet’s eyes falling to the table in sorrow. She’d lost everything, so Rachel knew times like these were a double-edged sword for the broken vespertine reaper.

She gave the girl an encouraging smile that Scarlet returned; it was relieving to see her able to not break down into tears when thinking about her broken family, despite the immense pain. Though it was probably a lot easier knowing that Veronica was to blame for her father’s death—even though the blood-girl was perhaps unable to control that event from what Rachel had come to believe.

Once the mothers finished noticing they were in their own little bubble, they laughed and shifted focus. Excitement budded in Rachel’s belly when her mom got up to see if she could cook something in the kitchens—unfortunately, the request was denied, making her a tad disappointed.

Her mom said she understood the reasoning behind the decision; there were so many unknown factors in a hospital during even typical times, let alone now. Allowing random people near their food with hosts of people seeking refuge at the hospital and the possibility of contamination was reason enough to reject the request.

Eating under the sky to regenerate her energy and finding suitable clothes to change into, Rachel kept track of everyone’s movements around the hospital. A few Green Berets shadowed them undercover, and Barbara met with Anthony to discuss a rather interesting topic about their Quests.

According to her, there was a cooldown timer on each one, and certain conditions had to be met in order to advance to the next Quest, which might include level, advancing Feats, or performing some other action involving their legend. She asked a lot of questions concerning the inclusion of other changed individuals in his Quest, including details regarding the disguised prince who had given him a letter to give to his father—that particular story had yet to conclude.

Maria was fast asleep behind the hospital, resting on the grass with a few of her gang while soaking up lunar rays. It fascinated Rachel that another Mythickin was empowered by the moon, but the celestial unicorn also gained power from the sun.

By a few comments that her tilting ears picked up, the woman’s healing and purifying factors were diminished and strengthened by the position of the two. It was why the woman had burned so much energy on her since she wasn’t only restoring her body but purifying the poison, which was a part of her lunar kit.

Maria’s Solar Branch strengthened mending while the Lunar enhanced her sterilizing Feats. It was fascinating that she could do either, yet the price was heavy on the diminishing returns. Some of her gang got calls that made them nervous, but they only spoke about it in Spanish; it was apparent they were split on whether they should wake their ‘Block Queen.’

Rachel returned with her new fanged ‘friend’ and her mom to the room they’d used before, starting the private shower and going first since Richard was nearly ready for the interview. Scarlet grew more nervous by the minute, crimson-illuminated eyes darting in the psychiatrist’s direction occasionally as Rachel exited the bathroom, combing out her hair.

Her mom was quick to her feet to examine how the cut she’d made in the shorts for her tail was working. “Look how beautiful you look! I swear, you’re practically a goddess! Don’t think I didn’t see the way guys were looking at you,” she teased as an off-handed nudge toward previous conversations they’d had.

“Hehe. Yeah, but can they beat me in a fistfight? Mom! I keep telling you not to fiddle with my tail…” Rachel grumbled, turning away as she stroked the fur.

“Ooh, sensitive? You know, I was reading and found out hare tails are longer than rabbits’—naww…your big floppy ears are so adorable, and your tail’s so fluffy!”

“Mom…” she groaned, trying to fend off her affection while Scarlet laughed. “I need to go!”

“No! Just a little longer—I want to look at your ears more, and so much is happening with your eyes now—give your mom some time to know how much her daughter has changed!”

“I’m going!”

“Aww… You’re not being very nice,” her mom pouted.

Pulling away with some effort from her mother’s grabby hands, she hurriedly waved at Scarlet in her retreat. “Don’t worry. I’ll set things straight. Love you, Mom!”

“Then let me braid your hair!” she called back as she rushed to leave the room. “Ugh. Do…you want me to braid your hair, Scarlet?”

“Hehe. Sure. I’d like that.”

“Success!”

Rachel rolled her eyes; naturally, her mom knew at this point she could hear her. She was likely trying to make her feel jealous in some weird mom way; she didn’t get it. Sure, her mom was still spiraling, trying desperately to keep her close, but it was almost crazy how clingy she was being. This wasn’t normal behavior from her active Korean mom. Then again, this wasn’t a normal situation, so that was fair.

Making it to the room Selvaria and her mother had slept in—where Richard had set up his laptop—Rachel knocked. He welcomed her in, and she sat across from him, crossing her legs and settling down.

The man had the device open on his lap, but from the second she entered, his attention was on her.

“Let’s not waste any time breaking ice; from what I’ve concluded while speaking to your parents and your previous introduction, you’re not the type to spend valuable minutes on chitter-chatter.” He folded his fingers atop the front of the laptop. “So…what is your impression of me and why I am here—what are your expectations from this?”

Rachel sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, drawing it to the side to look at the wall with its wellness chart and face diagrams.

“For this first interaction? You’re here to see if I fit enough boxes for the criteria the general is looking for while gaining valuable insight into Mythickin’s mentality. What have you found? A complex bag between emotions, logic, and expectations…

“I love having a competitive lifestyle. I hate staying still, and I have very little patience for those who, as I see it, waste time. The world has changed, and I have to adapt to it—that’s how I see things.”

She paused, head and ears tilting to the left while hearing a young nurse entering their section of the hallway. “Can we speak candidly regarding the person employing you—also, the coffee you requested is here.”

Richard nodded, leaning against his armchair, and followed her gaze to the closed door. “Now that we’re in this phase, it’s fine. The initial screening was just a precaution for other reasons, but this computer isn’t networked, and nothing in this room is connected to the internet. Due to all the new abilities, the general likes to be cautious regarding sensitive information, such as your communication with these…divine beings. How soon until the coffee arrives?”

“Twenty seconds.”

“Alright.”

They waited for the nurse to bring the cup since the psychiatrist seemed jetlagged. She assumed he’d had to parse through a ton of documents in a short time to be prepared for this interview, not to mention come to terms with many uncomfortable revelations for an atheist—at least from what she’d been able to find about him online—but his job wasn’t to question her visitations from the goddesses.

The nurse was directed to their door and knocked before entering; bright-eyed and blonde, she wore scrubs and was chewing gum, blowing a bubble just before entering.

“I have your coffee, Doctor. Is there anything else—oh, I was wondering why they had this area blocked off and guarded… Wow.”

Rachel didn’t know exactly how to respond to the blunt response and unabashed stare as she delivered the item to the man.

“Thanks, dear, and no, that will be all.”

“Okay. Cool ears.”

“Thanks?”

She popped another bubble in her exit, lingering with her hand on the knob for a second. “Uh, you’re the one that dealt with those alien toads that killed all those religious people that gathered together to pray?”

“Heh. No comment.”

“Cool.” She grinned and left with a wave, but Rachel’s eyes lingered on her thin wooden rectangular-shaped earrings; she hadn’t seen any other hospital staff wearing jewelry, but maybe she’d just gotten here since they were understaffed at the moment.

Turning away from the awkward encounter, Rachel settled back in, hearing the nurse hum to herself, popping bubbles and chewing her gum on her way to the break room to get coffee for herself.

“Uh, yeah, anyway… From what I can tell, the general is trying to make a case for Mythickin and Legendkin to the President, Congress, and the Senate. It helps that some individuals in those seats have also experienced The Oscillation, but it is nowhere near a majority. He wants data to show that some of us aren’t…extremists. I don’t think it’s a good direction, though.”

“Oh?” Richard made a few notes and looked back up at her. “Care to elaborate?”

She motioned at his computer. “We are extremists—it almost seems like a requirement. I’m guessing you have the notes of everything I’ve said to the general, so let me elaborate. From the second I changed, I haven’t been satisfied with my life’s direction, and if a path isn’t opened up to provide a path to fulfill our instincts, I can see a lot of trouble on the horizon, especially for Mythickin.”

He stroked his beard, scanning the reports. “You’re saying you’re attracted to violent situations, and everyday life isn’t something you can return to… That’s something many military veterans struggle with once returning home; the structure and direction the military offers provide a clear purpose they can believe in.

“Hmm. I can assume through your incredible sensory abilities that you’ve noticed the strange happenings around the world—the Crystal attacks, the rapid rise in terrorist activity, and the struggle for governments to give solutions to these surmounting issues.

“Many of those changed by The Oscillation feel as if their lives are ruined by the change, and it is more of a curse than a blessing. Still, there is a lot that can come from this, including technology and an ever-progressive future with the revelation that we are not alone in the universe…and with god-like beings that even seem frightened of what is to come.

“You want to act on the frontier of this new world we’re jumping into…and you know the powers that be will be hard to convince otherwise, but you didn’t have this plan from the start.”

Rachel laughed, legs crossing the opposite way while observing the sharp-eyed psychiatrist.

“No… No, I only wanted to be in control—I have to be in control… It’s probably self-compulsive. Also, I doubt the general would authorize a civilian to just jump into the military or have the potential blowback none of the politicians want, which is why I believe the general is considering a method the United States has employed extensively in the past…

“Private military companies. I believe that will provide a way for Mythickin to have the freedom they desire while still being under the US military’s supervision but not directly connected to pose a risk. Congress can set new laws regarding it and whatever is discovered within the gateways, such as the items I brought back from Anthony’s Quest or the stuff the military collected from the alien toads.”

“You’ve given this much thought,” Richard whispered, fingers skating across the keyboard. “I can’t say what the general is plotting, but that certainly does seem like an option some Mythickin could go, depending on what more comes of those topics, but let’s stick with the reason I’m here… If you are willing to be open with me, let’s start with the car accident. Tell me what you remember…”

Rachel had made it clear what she wanted, and now she had to go through the exhaustive screening portion to give Tom a picture of who she was and how useful she could be under the right circumstances.

While going through her troubled past, manipulative behaviors in hiding her feelings, and raging internal aggression from that turning point in her life, Rachel also touched on her connection to Scarlet.

She plainly stated she couldn’t talk about certain things about the vespertine reaper that she’d entrusted to her, which was also a power move to give her more leverage in keeping the girl a harmless little bat.

An hour passed, and Richard relieved her to gather his notes. Just as she was about to leave, he added one last request. “Oh, and could you direct Selvaria to join me in twenty minutes?”

A frown touched Rachel’s eyes. “You’re making Scarlet stew… She’ll only become more nervous with every person that goes before her. It’s mean, but I guess you have to test her in ways other than me…”

He folded his fingers together with an even stare. “If you are thinking about PMCs, then military personnel has to be able to respond to high-stress situations. Situations where people’s lives are held in your hands by a hair’s breadth, and you don’t have the support of a government body or extensive training. Judging by the psychological profile I’ve built from the reports I have thus far…”

He shook his head. “I wouldn’t recommend her being anywhere near combat zones. She needs a stable life and people with whom she can rebuild trust and boundaries, yet you’ve handcuffed her to your leg. You, who, as you’ve described yourself, craves high-tension situations—to provide more leverage.

“I’d say that is far…meaner, Rachel. She obviously will develop trust and abandonment issues from her trauma, which could be devastating with how you’ve maneuvered your current relationship. I do believe you are trying to help her—to an extent—but you will need to draw a line soon, or things have a high probability of spiraling out of control for her, you, and your family. How far? I may be able to give you a rough projection in our next session. You likely already know this, though…”

Lips drawing in, Rachel left without a response; he wasn’t wrong, and her gut squirmed at the blunt evaluation. She had to pull Scarlet closer or break away, but it wasn’t Scarlet she was worried about; Veronica was the one who weighed on her mind, which was the critical piece of information complicating things that Richard was missing.

Barbara’s head lifted as she exited, spotting her neutral expression. “Ah, Rachel. If you could follow me. He’s made some time.”

Puffing out a long stream of air, she nodded and directed one of the Green Berets to deliver her message to the leviathan before following the captain into the same room they’d used earlier. A laptop had been set up; the Legend remained with her, promptly opening the device.

“It should only be a moment—ah, speak of the black-eyed devil.”

General Dallas had dark rings under his eyes yet slightly smirked at her chiming comment. “I’ve been told you have something new to report to me… Your giant tree prediction was on point, and negotiations to get inside it are not going well. Now the United Kingdom wants to know where we got our intelligence from since the damn thing sprung up right next to the Houses of Parliament.”

Barbara chuckled. “It’s become a whole political mess, hasn’t it?”

“Shockingly, yes… Ugh. What else can you add to my plate, Rachel; who was it this time?”

Rachel recounted the vision in detail, mentioning the rabbit Moongmor on the goddess’ shoulder and the urgent need to rescue the fairy Mythickin.

Tom ran his hand over his face. “Great… I don’t even have an answer as to where the Mythickin Fairy is—”

“I might be of assistance.”

The screen fritzed, pixelated, and swapped to a cute pixel art of an ever-changing face, with a blurry halo behind it and a fancy ‘A’ inside it. The flickering, flaming eye on the laptop instantly caught her attention as smaller pixel avatars did random activities across the display, such as taking pictures of each other and playing games.

“How…” Tom trailed off as the hacker chuckled, a fluctuating deep to feminine, filtered voice following.

“Did I beat your encryption? Chaos and earthquakes! Haha. It was child’s play for someone like the Myth of Astra—my calling card online. I’m dressed up, amped up, and in a black car—but you’re going to freak when you see what I’ve managed to collect, despite your precautions, General.”

“What do you want?” Tom growled.

“Oh, in due time! Cracking your code has certainly whet my appetite, but to get me on planes and to fly across the US at the drop of a hat? It’s big! You have no idea how many energy drinks I’m running on and the lengths I went to win your game! I’m in love with this changing world.”

A smile brightened Rachel’s face. “You’re interested in me?”

“Haha! Conceited much? Eh…somewhat in you, but mostly the circumstances surrounding you! I’ve been rather fascinated by this little development in Miami—the pieces on the board that you’ve shown me, Tommy. Is this who you’re looking for, Rachel Park?”

A sideways angle of what appeared to be a hacked phone showed a dark room with a small, white-haired girl in a fish tank. Her face was puffy and red as someone loomed over the container out of view; she was wingless and a perfect match to who she’d seen in her vision.

“It…is.”

“Fiona White, or Flutter Wings, as she’s known online. A somewhat successful Gaelic teacher and singing streamer, you can find all of her VODs to confirm it, and there’s even one of her just after The Oscillation, as you’ve coined it, General.

“In my humble opinion, she has quite the cute and wholesome channel from what I’ve seen, which is a shame because she has been taken hostage by a group of Cuban-affiliated gangsters that run the operations in the sunny state… Have I piqued your interest yet?”

A strange, filtered pop sounded from the audio before the hacker’s logo returned, a male avatar now smiling in the background. “I think we can have all sorts of fun. Care to hear more? Because your time is running out, and I bet you’re dying to know why!”

Chapter Sixteen

The Myth of Astra

Shifting the weight on her hip, Rachel tilted her head, ears raised to the ceiling as she passively scanned for where this person was nearby. She couldn’t quite place the location, but she’d heard the cadence in this person’s way of speaking recently, despite the filter.

Saint Barbara held a thoughtful note while studying the transforming avatar of the hacker. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t Astra a Hindu word used to describe projectile weapons?”

“Oh, quite perceptive and on-point, Barb! Heh. Yes, among many other things,” she chimed, male avatar pixelating to be replaced by a female nurse, blowing a bubble. “A star, a deity, one of the four weapons that are capable of destroying a whole universe, I’m quite the firecracker! Figured something out, Rachel? Hmm?”

Rachel’s eyes widened as they darted to the left, to the break room where the nurse earlier had gone to retrieve coffee, although the connection swiftly collided with her distrust. If Astra could hack into so many devices and spy on people, she could be using the young woman to play with them. She was currently alone, casually playing with her phone.

“I’ll save my thoughts for now,” she returned, keeping her posture and attitude lax.

“Boring! Know what isn’t, though? Getting my hands on this bit of information. What’s this about, General?”

Astra’s pixel art changed to a grinning little boy with devil’s horns as the screen fritzed to display what appeared to be military body-cam footage of a scene out of a horror movie.

Barbara grimaced, and Tom cursed. That didn’t stop Astra as more angles and recorded conversations about the incident followed. The hacker seemed to have recorded things that had been between the President and the four-star general. As if to add dramatic effect, suspenseful music was glazed over the recording like some kind of movie trailer.

“What are you showing me, Tom?”

“High Rolls, New Mexico’s Crystal event. Population: 1,604, including tourists passing through.”

“Casualties?”

“…1,604.”

“My God. This is the worst attack on American soil since… It looks like…”

“The Scarlet Hand I briefed you on. We aren’t ruling anything out at this time. It is consistent with some of the ritualistic practices we’ve discovered thus far after raiding a few known cult associates’ homes, but it is still too early to say for certain, sir.”

The President’s throat became hoarse as the images showed a shiny, black, stone-like ground in a devastated area. Occult markings were drawn all across the unnatural, rocky surface, symbols still glowing with a hellish flame.

Spiked to charred wooden stakes were the corpses of people—children, women, and men—positioned in some colossal pattern they had yet to see, skin flayed, shining with the same light as the obsidian flooring.

Somehow, they’d been entirely drained of blood and organs by the victim’s collapsed figures, the liquid being dumped inside of a twenty-by-twenty centimeter ravine that ran around the entire city. Signs of vomit were seen from the soldiers while securing the area, and, by the conversations and expressions, she could see the scent of over a thousand people’s rotting innards permeating the unhallowed area.

The President coughed as the footage from a drone showed the devastated area from above, displaying a demonic decagram written in an alien language. The symbols were congruent with side-by-side comparisons to the ones made in what appeared to be Scarlet’s basement.

“General, are you telling me the Scarlet Hand and these aliens worship the same thing; are they responsible for The Oscillation? How long did it take for these aliens to do this?!”

“Less than two hours, our time.”

“God help us…”

Tom’s graven tone held a deep rumble. “As of right now, I don’t know if they are connected, but what I do know is we are ill-prepared to handle the kind of powers that made this kind of attack. Color, shape, and size, among many other factors, seem to correlate to the level of firepower these Crystals will produce.”

“What’s your current assessment?”

“Green is the weakest, followed by blue and purple Crystals.”

“The Miami one with the toad assassins you showed me was blue? And the High Rolls’?”

“Purple…the same as the one that was recently discovered in Billings, Montana.”

“Shit. The evacuation?”

“It’s already underway.”

“I see that look on your face, Tom. What is this mission statement—what kind of response are you recommending—a nuke?! And to be set on a signal cut protocol—nuke our own—a US city, Tom?! Do you have any idea about the blowback we’ll get!”

“Sir…” The saliva in Rachel’s throat dried up at the general’s voice. “High Rolls… The scientists’ preliminary reports state the stone and trees aren’t native to Earth. Nothing from the settlement was left standing—the forest, buildings, goods—everything was plastered with this black stone that goes down at least five meters at the edges. We can’t cut it with diamond chisels… We’re ill-prepared for this war as it stands. Hit it with our best, and work down from there if possible.”

Rachel couldn’t breathe as the President streamed out a tired sigh. “Haaa. How much time do we have until they come through?”

“Hard to say. We’re dealing with forces we don’t understand. If we can’t handle this in our own backyard, then the rest of the world doesn’t stand a chance.”

A pause that followed was deafening before the words left the most powerful man in the world’s throat. “Prepare the nuke, and coordinate a full evacuation of the Billings area.”

The devilish avatar of a little girl returned. “Chills!”

Tom’s face appeared in a window on the bottom right, eyes hard, fingers linked, and coldly staring at the screen. “Is your intention to release this to the public, thereby inciting panic and anarchy, or as blackmail?”

“What?! By no means!” The image swapped to a haloed angel boy with wings. “I had to sneak surprisingly close to Captain Saint here to get access to your private channel in order to get this information. It was really quite thrilling! No… I’m far more interested in lending you a helping hand! After all, I live in this world, too, and who doesn’t want to play a part in something this cool?”

Barbara frowned at learning the hacker had not only used her to get into the general’s heavily guarded devices but had possibly met her somewhere along the flight to Miami.

Rachel crossed her arms as the nurse got up and started exiting the room with a hum, still on her phone. The lunar hare kept close track of her movements through the halls and the passing comments she made to others.

“You hinted that you have the answer as to why rescuing the fairy is so critical. Care to enlighten us?”

“Before that, Rachel, I found this part of your interview with Doctor Richard quite enthralling… Private military?” A wicked grin lit the angel’s face. “The general was thinking the same thing, considering the threats the world is now facing with these invasions. Isn’t that right, Tommy?”

The man didn’t twitch at her provocation as he bluntly stated, “I assume you already have my conversation with the President.”

“Tee-hee. This one?”

A new recording played in the background. “There’s going to be an arms race between all the nations regarding these people with powers, and we’ve already seen what low-level thugs and criminals can do. We need to act fast in order not to alienate them. We can’t fight a war on multiple unknown fronts.”

“Tell that to Congress and the Senate,” the President snarled. “Senator Benjamin’s mother was murdered in the Seattle Vampire Massacre, and we still haven’t been able to locate him after the slaughter. I’m getting heavy opposition, and all of the negative press on Mythickin and Legendkin isn’t making it easier.”

“I have a few groups across the United States—and outside of it—I can pull in to provide a more positive light, but I need more time to vet them. Fable is at the top of the list, and they’re also verifying a few things you’ve mentioned…some things you’ve said are new to me, though.

“If this leveling system is legitimate, we’re looking at individuals that could be at the level of a nuke or greater in time… We have to get ahead of this now, and with the introduction of gods and goddesses…”

“One thing at a time, Tom—ugh. Everything we know about the universe was just pulled out from under our feet. Now the UK Prime Minister is blowing up my phone, demanding answers as to the giant tree growing outside of his window that the CIA director is telling me was created by the US ambassador’s daughter!”

Astra giggled as the recording cut. “I quite enjoyed that last part. Well, General, now that I have your attention, want to know what I think as a master of the web, considering I likely have far more information than you?”

Rachel was starting to like Astra’s way of doing things, and she still wasn’t sure if the nurse was the Mythickin or if she was simply a computer program that was given life.

Tom and Barbara had been surprisingly calm and collected during the whole exchange, studying the hacker’s ever-shifting avatar and actions.

The general sat back in his chair. “If you’ve gotten into our network, I suppose that means you’ve tapped most of the other countries’ information feeds. What have your algorithms and spy network found?”

Astra grinned, devil horns returning as the avatar and voice turned more feminine. “The goddesses want you to go to the world tree. To accomplish that, they’ve given you the task of rescuing the little fairy, who happens to have citizenship in Ireland—right next to the UK border. Coincidence?” She held up an x sign. “I think not!”

Avatar changing to a male detective with a magnifying glass, a window popped up showing the haughty security video of Maria and her gang at the back of the hospital.

“However, what does our chola unicorn have to do with her visions? Simply to save our big-eared protagonist from the scary poison she mentioned to her buddies? I think not, my dear Watson! In fact, it is my belief she is about to be kidnapped! Ho-ho, and by the same people that took our fairy. Hmm-hmm-hmm?!”

She got closer to the screen, studying the window as Rachel’s lips parted in disbelief. Two African American men appeared from nowhere in the center of the Mexican group, causing a commotion. Her ears shifted to the left as she followed the conversation that ensued.

“Aye! Who the—Marcus?”

“Tch. Yo, Bro,” the other man groaned. “Why is it they always mention you first, huh?”

“Haha. Chill, Daran. I just got the looks. Hey, woah! Maria, chica, is that you?”

All of Maria’s gang swiftly got to their feet, shifting uncomfortably as the two tall men that had casually teleported into the center of their relaxation time. The unicorn’s guarded voice was the one that answered them as Spanish mumbles circled the gang.

“Shit… The hell are you two doing here? I heard the cartel was causing trouble in South Beach. What’s that gotta do with Little Havana?”

“Damn, girl,” Marcus snickered. “Heh, the change made you white-white—I’d be pissed! Word is you turned into a horse, and bitch, you certainly got the curves now! Haha. Right, bro?”

“No cap. No need to be crude, though. We’re not here to start shit. I know TNS and us haven’t been on the best of terms recently, but Dad wants a word with the Mexican Queen. Ya hear? Hey, wait—if it isn’t the little bro, too!”

Daran moved to throw his muscular arm around the neck of Maria’s brother, making most of the Mexicans twitch with agitation. They looked at Maria’s tight expression for what to do, but obviously, she did not want to escalate anything with these brothers, showing how dangerous they could be.

The woman popped her tongue a few times, and Rachel saw her defensive posture, arms folded, keeping her gaze on her nervous little brother. Meanwhile, Astra gave the cliff notes in the short exchange as they watched.

“May I introduce Marcus and Daran Ellis—sons of Terrell Ellis—the middle man between the Miami gangs and the Escarlata Syndicate! Our villains in this tale who kidnapped our princess fairy streamer. Yikes!”

Marcus rolled around his neck, flexing his muscles a bit and grinning with all the attention on them. “Maria’s really brought your block up; acting as the couriers for TNS is making waves, boys. Respect!”

The unicorn straightened, nudging her head in a way to tell her men to relax. “What’s Terrell want; why not come himself? I’m not hiding. I heard something ‘bout some yellow paper from Ballesteros, too. What’s that about?”

“Bah.” Marcus shrugged. “We’ve heard TNS’ problems with Ballesteros. We’ll pay him a visit soon, but right now, Dad wants you. Comprende? Why not bring the bro—I got this Cheetah bitch—you got no idea what she can do with her tongue! Haha. Let’s go.”

Maria huffed, stepping forward and showing a strong exterior, but Rachel could hear the inflections in her voice that said she didn’t want to go. “Naa. You know we’re Catholic, hombre. We cool. Aye, Carmen, take my bro to grab somethin’ to eat. I’ll be back in a bit.”

“That’s a good girl,” Daran laughed, stepping forward to throw an arm around the woman’s shoulders that made Rachel’s fingers twitch. This was a kidnapping, and that the gangsters weren’t acting up said a lot about the influence these men had. “How does being a Catholic work with this change anyway?”

Marcus placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder, a honeycomb-like barrier flashing around them, and they vanished in a flash of color, leaving the Mexicans in an angry buzz. Astra flipped the screen away, now imitating General Dallas in a military outfit with a stick to point at various windows she pulled up.

“Now, soldiers, we have a search and rescue operation to plan!” Rachel’s jaw tightened as three new images popped up of mug shots or grainy pictures taken from a distance. “Our enemy isn’t just amped up with teleporters and shielders like the Ellis Brothers; our opponent has Myths and Legends of their own… I think you’ve already been warned about Relica!”

Tom breathed out a long sigh, rubbing between his eyes. “I’ve been briefed on the troubles in Miami Beach. Are you suggesting I test out Rachel’s powers and aptitude on this operation? A SEAL team was already dispatched to handle them.”

Devilish smile returning, a shaky video coming on the display of a group of heavily-armed men shouting; machine gun fire went off, explosions sounding from the chaos on the coms as a bare-chested man barreled through a cement wall, laughing.

“Grenade!”

The man caught the item seconds before it went off, smoke clearing away to show him utterly unharmed while advancing on the cursing soldiers. Bullets struck his skin before harmlessly falling to the ground, and a still image blew up to show the projectiles undamaged, as if they hadn’t hit anything at all.

“Unfortunately, General, the team met an immovable wall. Two of the SEALs died to allow the rest to escape, but if they can’t get past the first obstacle, how can they handle the other three?”

Barbara put a hand on her hip, lips drawn in while observing the looping videos. “Are you saying you’ll provide all of this intel for free and guide the operation? What’s your endgame, Astra? You don’t seem like the type to get involved unless something is in it for you.”

“Entertainment,” Rachel responded, gauging it from what she’d been able to gather from their interaction thus far. “From what I’ve heard, they get a thrill out of spying and getting into places they’re not supposed to be—a challenge—and they want to build a somewhat positive angle for something in the future.”

Astra’s mischievous angel boy avatar flickered across the screen. “I will be entirely transparent. I’ve dabbled with the Scarlet Hand’s agenda in the past; of course, I didn’t know it was them at the time, but everything connects now. I’ve built quite the file on them in the past forty-eight hours…”

A smiling, unassuming woman’s face popped up on the screen with a man, likely her husband, by how they held each other’s hands. In between them was a grinning, black-haired girl—Scarlet.

“I can tell you this… Adele Johnson is no longer in FBI custody. She’s been replaced by a doppelganger courtesy of this woman—Relica, or, at least, that’s all I know about her since it’s her only known name and alias. She placed 7th on the FBI’s most wanted list of terrorists out of the Middle East, and she’s in your backyard! I do enjoy a good puzzle!

“Why is she here? Is it a coincidence that she saved our cultist housewife? Why bring her to the Escarlata Syndicate? Why would the goddesses be so frightened of this terrorist, and what divine being is backing her? What is her connection to the cartel and her purpose here? Does it have to do with the sudden internet blackout across all of Cuba? So many questions!”

Tom’s silent, dark expression deepened at Astra’s chiming tone. “I’ll have to confirm a lot of what you’ve shown us. I want you to meet in person with Captain Barbara. I won’t deal with someone who doesn’t have a face or who won’t put skin into the game.”

Astra’s digital avatar’s mouth drew in while swapping to a fancy suit and staring off to the side. “Hmm. That’s a poor choice of words for someone like me. Hehe. I don’t really have a solidified face, I suppose you could say…I always change my appearance. But…I guess I have come this far. I don’t know what good it will do, heh, but I’m confident you won’t try to snatch and grab me. I’ll be in touch! Oh, this is so cool—I’m an actual spy! Tootles!”

He waved at them, and Tom’s feed returned, showing a scowl. “I expected some hiccups…not that. What were your thoughts on our hacker, Rachel?”

A smile spread across Rachel’s lips as the nurse popped another bubble and stopped at a military vehicle in the parking lot with a cheerful hum, yet it was the male’s voice now, and one of the National Guard members greeted them in passing.

“Hey, Cole, I thought you were on vacation? When did you get back to Miami?”

“Bro! You have no idea. I was chillin’ on the beach in the Bahamas when my sister called and pulled me back—family trouble.”

“No shit. Everything good with Katie?”

“Meh. It’s kind of private; I gotta make a run for some military big shot, though. Catch you tomorrow night for some drinks, maybe? I could use it!”

“Haha! For real. After all this? I’ll text you if I ever get some time off—this shit is crazy!”

“Sounds good, and for real! Later.”

Rachel rubbed her chin as she turned her head to listen to the conversation; the female nurse had become a male at some point. “I think our hacker doesn’t only use avatars in the digital space… I’d categorize them as on their own side, but if things are really as bad as you say they are, then we can use all the help we can get. Right?”

Tom worked around his jaw, studying something on a tablet beside him. “We’ll see… I’ll review the doctor’s notes and get back to you. Stay sharp, and keep an ear out for what is happening with that South Beach cartel.”

“Got it.”

The screen cut and Barbara scratched the back of her neck, shimmering golden eyes shifting to appraise her. “You’ve already located Astra, haven’t you?”

Rachel shifted positions to look at the taller woman, far more cool-headed than she thought the captain would be after the intrusion.

“I’m fifty-fifty on if it really is them; they could be using another person with body-altering abilities to mislead me. Either way, the person I’m following is either affiliated with or is Astra. They crashed my meeting with Richard, and I suspect their jewelry was used to hide whatever technology they were using to pull data off his laptop, and he needed to be close.”

“A male?”

She shrugged. “He is at this moment, at least. My guess is he’s leaving my listening range to take on a new identity before setting up his next game to contact us. He didn’t give us all the information for a reason and probably wants to be in charge of overseeing the operation and directing us.”

Barbara sighed. “So…all of this is a game to them. Still, if they do have all of this information, it’s hard to ignore.”

Reflecting on everything Astra showed them, Rachel knew all of it was for a particular purpose; it showed how good they were at getting difficult to obtain data, and how dire the situation was. One thing did resonate with her, though.

“The general expects there to be an arms race on recruiting the people that changed, and we’re included in that as a pilot program?”

“Haha! Not even a pilot program yet.” The saint held her arm behind her back with a shining grin. “It’s more like the general sees the possibility and dangers of allowing others to form groups on their own without the guidance of government departments.”

Ears tilting to the opposite side, Rachel hummed. “Doesn’t the US have a long history with PMCs? If we are entering a world war against these Crystal attacks, changed people, and the potential outbreak of other armies coming through Legendkin Quests, then isn’t the evolution of warfare only natural? At least, that’s what I’ve concluded, and PMCs grant deniability and a shift of responsibility away from the government if things go wrong.”

Barbara smoothed out her skirt and fixed her front before showing a perfect poker face. “All of that will come in time. For now, enjoy what time you have with your family. I have some inquiries to make with the local officers. Don’t get into too much trouble.”

The Legendkin left Rachel stewing on everything they’d heard to attend to other duties. It was challenging not to run after Astra and corner them, but she tempered expectations. The hacker had worked for the Scarlet Hand.

Did something sour their relationship with the Scarlet Hand? Were they bitter about being used? As a gut feeling, Astra seemed like the type that would hold a grudge. They did come off as the lazy type from their comments, but, in practice, they were quite active—a natural spy. She couldn’t truly trust someone like that.

Laughing to herself, Rachel exited the room to meet up with Scarlet and her mother; Selvaria was still being interviewed by Richard. She listened in on the leviathan’s session, but it was hard to take the girl seriously when she talked about making underwater bases and gathering an army of seal warriors.

Astra had to be a part of the goddess’ plan; it was too convenient that the one person who could prompt them along the path the heavenly figures set had interrupted her discussion with the man who could make it happen. She’d also confirmed what Rachel had suspected from the start, given her Misfortune Sense; she had to get much stronger, or everyone she loved would die.

At least things were spicing up, and the Mexican gangsters were in a frenzy, making calls and trying to figure out what had happened to their queen. Rachel didn’t let anything slide to anyone else in the two hours it took for Richard to finally finish Scarlet’s interview.

The vespertine reaper broke down into bloody tears a few times, but the man was far gentler than he’d been in their discussion.

He primarily focused on how she was fairing after her life had fallen to pieces and how she felt toward her parents. There was a lot of anger and even more questions. Eventually, she voiced that she was terrified to see her mother. Scarlet said she’d rather not talk about her father, which he accepted and moved on. Astra didn’t make contact throughout that time and had since left the range of her hearing.

Unable to dodge her mother’s jabbing questions any longer, Rachel finally broke down and told her parents what she wanted to do. Her father wasn’t thrilled since it was basically her saying she was joining the military, but her mother was a total wreck and shut herself in a room and sobbed into her dad’s shoulder.

Rachel sat outside, waiting for Scarlet’s meeting to end with the Green Berets giving her forced, understanding smiles; a few of them offered words of encouragement that they had similar reactions with their folks when enlisting. It wasn’t like she was enlisting, though; it would be a private endeavor that could net them a lot of money and fame—not that her mother was interested in that.

She sighed when Scarlet finally left the room, giving Richard a thankful smile at listening to her fears and complaints—some of which included Rachel never resting. It wasn’t true, she argued to herself; she was sitting here waiting outside the room, doing nothing right now. However, that was not entirely true since her mind and ears were always on the roam for more information.

It took another half-hour before Saint Barbara got a text that pulled Rachel’s misfortune sense in an entirely new direction, putting her slightly on edge. She figured the general had done it in response to her sensitive ears and had things to say he didn’t want her to know. Upon knocking on the door and telling her mother she needed to meet the Legend, she was pulled into the room by the arm.

Her mother’s cheeks were puffy, but her eyes were alight with fire while holding her hands. “I know I can’t talk you out of this—you’re too damn stubborn! So… So, if you are going to do this whole private military thing—if you do make it work—I want to be a part of it.”

“Mom…what?” Rachel mumbled in disbelief, not expecting this at all. “How—what, do you want to be, like…a receptionist? What are you asking me?”

“I’m not asking,” she stated, shaking fingers white as she held her in a death grip. “I want to be a part of your life, and if I let you go… If you walk away from me, then I’ll never see you again. I don’t care if I am the receptionist or whatever. I just can’t be shut out—please don’t shut me out… I can be strong, too!”

Rachel wasn’t so sure about that with how her mother was acting, but she couldn’t see any other way at the moment, and by the look on her father’s face, she knew he didn’t either.

“I’m…sure we can work something out. I still don’t know what to expect, Mom. I’ve never run something like this, so…Dad’s input into running things and financing would be amazing. I don’t know—Dad?” she asked, hoping for a lifeline.

“I…can understand where your mother is coming from. As you said, we can’t be sure of the structure of what will come from this. All we can do is try to support you. I’m sure your brother will want some words about this…direction, but in the end, you are an adult, young as you may be—but an adult, nonetheless.”

Rachel wanted to cry now as her father’s face softened. “If you’ll allow us to remain in your life, it would mean the world to us.”

“Dad… Of course. Mom, I love you both. I don’t want to hurt you—I’m just trying to figure out how to move forward after, heh, after growing ears and a tail! It’s not like I’m planning to die.”

“But it is always a possibility in this line of…work,” her father hesitantly replied. “Your mother would have acted the same if you decided to become a police officer or—”

“No!” she heatedly shot back. “Military and the police are two very different things, Sam, and we’re not even talking about alien invaders! I would be worried but not petrified! Yes, we support you, Sweetie, but I can’t pretend like I’m not terrified. I love you, and I can’t lose you!”

“Mom…” Holding her head for a few minutes, she puffed out a hot breath and gently pulled away. “I need to go, but we’ll talk later. Okay?”

“Okay…”

Her face said otherwise.

Leaving her in the care of her father, Rachel joined Selvaria and Scarlet outside; the leviathan’s dull expression somehow took the pressure off her chest. If there was one thing she could count on, it was this girl’s ridiculous antics to lighten her mood.

They walked to the back room to wait for the captain to join them; she was speaking to several officers regarding new troop positions and preventive strategies for some of the troubles they were encountering.

Rachel scratched her forehead and forced a chuckle, drawing the two girl’s attention. “You’re really going to build an underwater base and fill it with ninja seals?”

“Huh? When did I say anything about ninja seals?” Selvaria hummed, dangerous tail weaving behind them. “If we have magic, then I should be able to find something to get a magical seal army. Plus, if we do a bunch of quests, then we’ll have loads of treasure—there’s always treasure. Sometimes, maybe you can get tames or beast companions, too. That’d be awesome… Mmh. Seal pets.”

Scarlet snickered. “Oh, yeah, like the barrel of ale that Anthony brought back. I’m sure that will fetch a high price.”

Rachel tilted her head with amusement. “Actually, it probably would. Otherworldly beer? I’m sure that’ll sell high on the market. How’s your mom with the whole dangerous thing?”

Selvaria scratched her collarbone. “Uh… I haven’t told her yet. She knows I want to be a superhero, so…she’s probably good with it. I just have to be super strong and invincible, which I already am, so yeah.”

“Just super strong and invincible,” Rachel repeated with a laugh. “Wow. Honestly, I didn’t actually think I’d get this far. I mean, shoot for the stars, but damn. Let’s see what the verdict is.”

Anthony was still totally distant and catering to his woman, which was heartwarming to see, but she did need to somehow brighten his mood to get approval for his potential addition.

Sitting in chairs—Selvaria taking the wall to avoid breaking anything—they chatted a few minutes before Barbara came in. Rachel held her breath as she addressed them.

“I’ll be brief; I don’t like drawing things out,” she said with a serious tone. “There are a few dire circumstances happening in South Beach, and the threat level has increased. If you want to show us how useful you can be in a combat scenario, then you’ll be running backseat in the operation, providing support where asked.

“I will be taking over command and leading Lt. Mateo’s unit in conjunction with the remaining SEAL team that was sent in—”

She cut off as a knock came at the door, and a bright-eyed, handsome blond boy poked his head in, making Rachel smirk. She’d followed his entrance into their area and BS excuses to the Green Berets; the bubble gum in his mouth gave him away.

“Welcome, Astra. You’re late.”

The man laughed it off, pixelated blocks shifting parts of his frame to now show a young girl’s cheery face; his scrubs turned to a pink summer dress as her voice lightened. “Fashionably late, yes! I got held up on a bit of code. Now, allow me to tell you everything that you’ve missed. Our villains are quite the pieces of work, but never fear, for Astra is here! Let the operation…commence!”

Chapter Seventeen

Bringer of Misfortune

Maria’s fingers curled into a fist, silver eyes shifting between the two Ellis brothers. All the older members of the block knew what would happen if they resisted, and the younger ones were ready to jump on her signal.

It only took Maria a few questions to confirm what this was about, though. She wanted to do what was natural to her, cuss out and resist anyone trying to intimidate her, but these weren’t some low-life street thugs.

She brushed off their crude comments, subtly telling Carmen to get her brother out of Miami since things were likely going to pop off from the brothers’ casual statements. Maria knew that if their small block was to survive this, she had to comply, and if that was the price of keeping those she cared for safe, she didn’t have a choice.

The Escarlata Syndicate was making a move to take over all the gangs in the area. Whatever they were planning, it was big, and they were snatching up anyone who could bolster their ranks. They teleported in to make it perfectly clear that they could get to anyone. This was a courtesy call; the brothers could come in force. If she didn’t come willingly, she was the enemy, and her entire block would suffer that decision.

Maria wasn’t game for punching Daran as he came closer to pull her in, despite the placement of his arm against the side of her breast. It clearly wasn’t unconscious as he put pressure against it to steer her around. Marcus placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder, and in a swirl of vertigo, the world changed.

Daran kept her close and stable, and another wave of nausea hit her as they made three more jumps in quick succession. Appearing inside some restaurant, Maria hissed as Daran let go, stumbling to a table and holding it for support as her head spun.

“The hell was that?” she snarled in Spanish, stomach squeezing and blinking to reorient herself.

“No, I feel ya, Curves,” Marcus groaned, gagging for a second and rubbing his head. “Dammit, Bro, why did ya do it so—so fast?! Y’know, I hate it when you flash jump—I need to vomit! Shit—”

He stumbled into what appeared to be a restaurant bathroom. Maria caught sight of several frightened older men and women sitting in a corner with two heavily armed men nearby—shit, there were kids there, too. She recognized the thugs from one of the local gangs. They hadn’t been affiliated with the Syndicate; obviously, things had changed in the last few days.

Daran smirked while dropping into the chair, saluting the chuckling men. “Wanted to see if it affected you like Marcus. Y’all got weak stomachs. Hey, Timmy, toss me the radio.”

“When we getting the goods, huh, Boss?” the man on the left asked, complying with the order.

Daran caught it and gestured for Maria to sit down. “We’ll be here for the next hour, so sit and chill, chica. As for the tank and military goods, I’m making a run tonight to snatch some of the stuff. Just keep good track of the hostages, boys. We got time.”

Maria dropped down into a chair, doing her best not to look perturbed or bothered by the crying kids. The elderly folk attempted to keep them calm so as not to annoy the gangsters, not that it was doing much good.

She didn’t pity the incorporated gangs. In this world, weakness was death. Maria had heard a few things about what was happening in South Beach but wasn’t prepared for what she learned the hour it took the man to recharge.

Daran’s teleportation wasn’t limitless, and he could only go a little over two kilometers in total before he had to wait for his ability to charge. From what she understood, it came in charges, and the sooner he used them, the sooner they’d return.

The cartel had co-opted a few gangs into their ranks through various means, and they were expanding. With all the extra manpower and Daran’s teleportation to get them to key areas, they’d set up their own territory, killing all the police in the area and confiscating their weapons; it drew the government’s attention, which put Maria on edge.

Terrell had to be insane if he was now picking a fight with the US military, yet a few of the more chatty gangsters on their second jump talked about some military team that got sent in to deal with Terrell, only to be repelled. The hostages were there to stop them from using more excessive force, and the man had obtained some mysterious, high-value cartel-affiliated assets as big hitters.

Somehow, they could grant even normal humans some form of elemental powers for a short time, but only the higher ranks got the privilege. Terrell was building an empire for himself after gaining powers.

How he and his sons obtained abilities didn’t sit right with Maria. Her original theory had been that some government experiment went wrong. Although, after learning it hit the entire planet, she didn’t know what to think. What she did know was that it wasn’t random. It was too specific on certain families, including how they changed in line with their interests or desires.

Marcus and Daran were fairly tight-lipped about her purpose in all of this. It wasn’t hard to see, though. She knew their father had some kind of eye cancer, and if that was all he wanted her for, then that was all fine and good. Unfortunately, from what she saw, he wouldn’t let a healer like her go.

Maria felt sick when Daran brought them to an underground nightclub. Three dozen kindergarteners sat on chairs in the corner, eyes glazed over and radiating a purple light; if that wasn’t enough, the dried drool running down their chins told her they were being controlled.

Terrell’s large lips peeled back, looking at her with clouded white eyes as if he could see her. “I’ve been expecting ya, kid. Even though The Oscillation made ya white, ya can’t deny your ass got finer by it, and, heh, if I’m saying that, ya know it’s true. Nice work, boys.”

Maria’s nose twisted as she shrugged off Daran’s arm. He laughed and held up his hands in a way that said he didn’t want any smoke as Marcus rolled around his neck and coped with the teleportation sickness.

“Yo, Dad, so what’s the play? I got time to chill with some hoes?”

“Language, boy,” Terrell grunted, nudging his head toward her. Maria had her arms crossed, stepping away to put some distance between them. “We got a fine woman here, and Maria works hard for her block. So, show the lady some respect.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Marcus grumbled, going to the bar to pour himself a drink.

Daran gave her a helpless shrug—like he was any better—pointing to the bottles on the wall. “Want somethin’, Queenie?”

“If I did, I’d get it my damn self,” she stated, switching back to the English her captors were using, all the time keeping her focus on their father.

“Damn. Cold, but okay. Shit, just tryin’ ta be nice; no need to cut my balls off.”

Given what acts she’d heard the man commit, Maria wouldn’t mind the prospect, but she kept her mouth shut in that regard; these dudes were riding their old man’s coattails anyway.

“No disrespect, Jefe, but I got my own shit to handle. Tell me what ya need so I can be on my own business; my pandilla be waitin’, ya know? I ain’t be about this…fancy club shit,” she grunted, nudging her head to the bar where his sons were making themselves comfortable. “I’m a backyard barbecue with the crew kind of gal. Ya hear?”

Terrell rubbed his chin, looking off to the side with a thoughtful look in his dark eyes. “I hear ya, Maria. Don’t get your thong twisted.”

“Ain’t never worn one, so I wouldn’t know,” she shot back.

“Haha! Cheeky. I do like the mouth on Little Havana’s young cholas. Ugh. I got some urgent business, though. Bad timing, boys.”

Marcus shook his mixer, preparing some fancy cocktail. “You said to bring her quick; we brought her as quick as we could—oh, shit! Relica! And who’s the prison MILF?”

Maria shifted her weight to look at the somewhat large dance space entrance as two women walked through. Both had black hair, yet one had a motherly look and wore an orange prison jumpsuit, while the other was an olive-skinned seductress, practically sculpted to perfection in her blue dress.

An impish tilt came to Relica’s mouth. “You should really be more careful how you use your tongue when addressing women… Someone might snatch it out.”

Marcus’ eyes widened, hands going to his throat as the woman casually brought two fingers to her thumb and then flicked her wrist. The man tried to speak, yet no words were heard. His brother held up his hands in a way that said he wouldn’t utter a word, continuing to make his own drink as Marcus recovered, now utterly mute.

Terrell sighed, gesturing for Maria to sit off to the side. She didn’t need to think twice after seeing the influential man not demand her to stop; this was probably one of the Syndicate’s high-value assets and a real killer.

“We can’t have any devices here due to some hacker.”

“Mine are spelled, sooo no leaks on my end!” the dressed-up woman sang.

“Right… What do we owe the pleasure of you returning to Miami, Relica? I thought your business was done after setting up our takeover operation. I’m guessing El Padrino sent you back?”

“Naughty-naughty, Terrell. You know I cannot divulge my purposes,” Relica giggled, making the man shift uncomfortably as she smoothly sat before him; the man was clearly intimidated. Someone bigger was always pulling the strings, and it appeared even Terrell was only following orders. “Don’t let a tiny amount of power go to that big head of yours.”

“Ahem. No big head here, ladies. Yeah, I’m at your disposal. What do you need?”

“Wonderful!” she said, hands going into a praying position before gesturing to the agitated woman beside her. “All you need to know is that Adele here is a very influential individual who has been the Syndicate’s largest financial contributor. Whatever she needs, you will provide, and she wanted to meet you. So, here we are!”

Maria’s focus shifted to the woman with everyone else.

Adele’s disapproving stare went from him to the children. “Something is…wrong. My daughter should have been here already; these men are supposed to be dead. I should have been broken out of the facility by Scarlet yesterday. There is a variant, and I need to know what it is.”

“What?” Terrell asked, looking at Relica as if the woman was insane. “What are you talking about—was there a request somewhere in there? I’m confused.”

Relica gave the frustrated woman a cheery shrug, ignoring the man’s inquiry. “If you are concerned for your daughter, why not have Terrell spy her out? As I understand it, his blind eyes can actually scry things from quite a ways away, which is how his son teleports to these specific locations. Would you like him to collect her?”

Adele rubbed her chin with a troubled look directed at Marcus and Daran, who were now entirely focused on the pair; the younger brother still couldn’t utter a word after Relica’s spell on him.

“She would simply kill them before they fully materialized… Scarlet should be seeking me out to make sense of everything, so…where is she?”

“Hold up.” Terrell sat straighter, breathing out a long sigh. “Your daughter’s name is Scarlet—the timid vampire chick running around with the lunar hare Mythickin? I’ve been keeping tabs on them after hearing about the Crystal event at the college. They’re making plans to take us out with some hacker Myth right now… What’s going on, Relica?”

“I don’t know!” Relica chirped. “It’s exciting, though! In the years I’ve worked with the Scarlet Hand, I’ve never known you to be wrong in your predictions, Adele. What a horrific turn of events! Oh, did you realize something? I’m very interested now.”

Maria’s hands tightened into fists, trying to sink into the corner of the room as Adele’s vision became distant after Terrell’s words.

“Lunar hare Mythickin… No, it’s impossible—there shouldn’t be a lunar hare Mythickin—she died ten years ago. You were in charge of that, Relica!”

A note of recognition rumbled in Relica’s throat, vision narrowing while looking off to the side and making Maria swallow. These people were insane; she didn’t want to be here listening to past hits and conspiracies.

“Oooh! I remember you having me orchestrate a little accident ten years ago in Miami; an Asian family, if I recall correctly. Let’s see…”

“You told me they were dead—the mother, sister-in-law, and their daughters! If Rachel is still alive… No. Shit… Without a doubt, she would be the anomaly. Her very existence will ruin everything! Everything I did was necessary for the future, but now—now, I don’t know!”

Adele bit her lower lip, beginning to pace and making Maria nervous she might turn that anger on them; her instincts told her this woman could likely erase all of them.

Relica pulled out her phone to scan the web. “Let’s not jump to conclusions; I confirmed they were dead. I remember it like yesterday:

“I coerced a rather pathetic father into making it look like a drunk driving accident by using his son’s heroin addiction as collateral. Hehe. He couldn’t let it ruin his son’s promising future as a judge, and when confronted, you should have seen the tender moment they shared; he was going to get better. He died a year after his father of an overdose. I had a hand in that, as well, but it’s so fun to see what normal people will do to protect the secrets of their family.”

Her fingers paused in their swipes and clicks. “Yes! See, it is on the police rep… Wait, there was a correction. Well, huh… Damn. Isn’t that unlucky? Initially, it was reported that all of them had died. That’s a shame.”

“A shame?” Adele snarled, brown eyes alight with fire, making the terrorist’s lips pull in. “Everything I have planned—all of it—none of the sacrifices mean anything if Rachel is alive! You!” She pointed at Terrell; the man’s arms were now crossed defensively. “What has Rachel done?! Every detail matters—every event and person she’s interacted with!”

Terrell pointed at her, making the hair on the back of Maria’s neck stand up. “Maria healed her; apparently, she was on the verge of death before that, fighting some kind of toad people. If your daughter’s the vampire chick, then Rachel’s manipulating her into being friends, as far as I know. She all but admitted it to a shrink. A military big-shot is now in her pocket, too. Look, her parents are here; we snatch them, and it’s easy!”

“Idiot!” Adele hissed, holding her sides as she stopped to glare at the corner of the room. “Rachel’s power isn’t in her strength, speed, or even her intelligence…it’s her misfortune. Her very existence pulls things in that warp the future negatively to her favor.”

Daran forced a chuckle. “Pfft! You can’t be serious. So, she’s like the opposite of a lucky rabbit? Wouldn’t that mean she’s unlucky?”

Adele’s fingernails dug into the side of her jumpsuit, nose flaring with anger.

“Everything was planned down to a T by the Scarlet Apostle. How do you think your father rose to his current position, hmm? I knew who you would become when you were under three years old, boy!

“Now, everything is in jeopardy—every plan and movement from the moment Rachel survived that crash—ten years of potential anomalies from her misfortune working against the reality I tried to forge! The Crystal invasion will be different, Legendkin Quests, the deities in the background, who changed and into what—our knowledge on how to counter them—everything!”

“Let’s not have a stroke, Adele!” Leg folding over the other, Relica sat back with a thoughtful hum in her throat. “Why not test it?”

“It won’t work!”

“Can I try, at least? Please.”

“It’s not going to change anything,” the woman groaned, seemingly almost in tears. “She has my daughter!”

“All the more reason to try! What do you say, Terrell? Do you have faith in your kids to perform a simple snatch-and-grab? I’ll even help!”

Terrell and Daran gave each other unsure glances as the unstable, smiling woman motioned to the teleporter to join her with a finger. She got to her feet and glided to one of the children in the chair, holding up a hand as her eyes flashed violet.

“Well, what are you waiting for, boy? Come. Come.”

Just as Maria had no choice but to join the brothers, the roles were reversed as the man puffed out a heavy breath and went to the grinning terrorist.

“What are you—” His words cut off as she placed a hand on a little boy’s head and Daran’s chest; her dress fluttered as a gentle breeze cycled around her, lilac hues connecting the three.

Relica spoke as if this was just another casual exchange. “Did you know souls have tremendous power, especially the young?”

Maria’s fingers trembled in her lap as she watched the little boy’s body shrivel before her eyes, turning to dust; the remaining light transferred to Daran. He stumbled back when the last rays were absorbed into his chest, gasping and choking as he clutched his breast. Tears and snot ran down his face, looking into the distance at some unseeable horror.

“I…I felt—why…”

“Mhm!” she chimed, bending down to pat him on the head like the child she’d just murdered. “The pain and agony the soul went through as I forced it into you. Yes, yes. Terrible, terrible. But look on the bright side! Now, you can teleport dozens of times before the energy provided by the soul is used up. The pain will leave. The Trauma? Mmh. Debatable.”

Maria stood, fists shaking at her side and drawing the others’ attention.

“Ooh. Feeling sad for him—angry? You are a healer, I suppose,” Relica nodded. “What would you do if I forced the same onto you?”

She wanted to charge the woman and beat her senseless, but Maria knew it wouldn’t help; being a leader on her block meant she had to make tough calls and keep a level head. Maria could no longer see this woman as a human. She was a devil from hell. No human could be this twisted. If she made a move, the children would suffer.

Adele was the one to answer, though, vision narrowed dangerously. “I’m not here to see unnecessary suffering, Relica. Everything I do is for a better world—a world that survives—for my daughter’s sake.”

“Haha! I’m only partially joking,” the terrorist mused, holding out two fingers and flicking her wrist to magically force Daran to his feet. “Now that we have our carrier pigeon… Go fetch!”

“It won’t work,” Adele repeated, scratching her head and looking inward. “You have to create an event so impossible to overcome that even her misfortune-warping won’t be able to save her from it. It’s why I wanted you to kill her before she fully unlocked her abilities.”

“Obviously, if I failed, she had the misfortune, or whatever, working in her favor before The Oscillation even occurred, dear,” Relica stated, retaking a seat and waving for Daran to get moving. “Which…has drawn my attention.”

He stumbled to the counter before his father nodded, the still muted man clearly wanting to shoot the devilish woman; they vanished in a haze of hues, the color far stronger now.

“She said it won’t work, Relica,” Terrell muttered, sweat gathering on his forehead. “Rachel is talking like she already knows my boys are coming!”

The seductive woman snickered. “Humor me.”

A numbing silence took them as they waited, Terrell’s face going white while spying on his son’s mission. She didn’t like this side of gangster life and typically only worked with the gangs that held a specific standard. People had to do messed up shit to survive, and she understood that, but this, this wasn’t that—this was just the spawn of hell incarnate, tormenting people for amusement.

Maria edged over to the children. Radiant horn flaring to life, her heart hurt as she examined their condition. Relica hadn’t only placed them in some hypnotic state; from what her purifying instincts and abilities told her, they were trapped in a nightmare, running from their worst fears.

Unable to restrain herself at this point, her pale light bathed the children, dispelling the visions they saw; at the very least, she could rescue them from the terrifying nightmares so their minds could slip into more positive dreams.

Relica lifted an eyebrow. “Quite the potent purifying feats you have. What was her name, Terrell?”

“Maria, bitch,” she responded, introducing herself while staring the fiend down and turning to stand between her and the children. “Next time you want to hurt them with your bullshit, use me instead. Comprende? I ain’t watchin’ that shit again.”

“Bold! I like her, Adele,” Relica laughed, eyeing her up and down. “You wanted her to get rid of that uveal melanoma you’ve got, Terrell, right? No, someone else wanted her. That’s right. Oh! Something happening to your boys? My, my, what did Rachel do?”

Terrell’s face went white, rising to his feet. “Hey—Maria!”

A flash of color brought the brothers to their father’s feet; Marcus was gasping for air, seemingly unable to breathe as blood leaked from his mouth, eyes, nose, and ears, his chest caved in. Daran’s left arm was half torn out of its socket.

“H-He just—the h-hare girl—”

“Heal him, dammit!”

Maria’s light intensified, face blanching at discovering the damage done to the younger brother. “The hell? He’s bleeding internally everywhere! I-It’s like his whole body was beaten by a hammer!”

She hissed as she tried to restore the tissue. Her Solar Pool went from full to twenty percent just to stabilize him; ten more was used to fix most of Daran’s shredded meniscus and powdered bone. If it were daylight, it wouldn’t have been an issue, but her healing factor took a massive hit outside of the sun and during the night.

Sweat soaked her shirt front as she finished. Relica sat nearby, talking to Adele and ignoring the father as Terrell freaked out, questioning Maria on the state of his boys.

“Huh. You were right, Adele. Not even empowering him to zip in and snatch her parents worked.”

Adele rubbed her temple. “You’ve only made things worse and made a worthless sacrifice. Now Rachel sees you as a threat and target. But you wanted that, didn’t you?”

Maria’s chest hurt as her life force was drained yet again; Rachel had taken enough of it the previous day, trying to purify the ridiculously potent toxin and then restore her very condensed and unique organs. She did not expect to be thrust into this kind of insanity, and now Rachel had caused her trouble yet again, not that she would have done any different.

A sly tilt came to Relica’s eyes. “I always finish my jobs. And don’t call it worthless; I needed to test what I’m up against. I’m impressed. Rachel didn’t even hesitate. The moment they popped up, she went for the kill. I think I want to see more about this hare girl you’re so afraid of, Adele.”

“If she learns you were involved in the car accident that tried to kill her ten years ago…”

Relica’s teeth flashed. “Oh, things are starting to get fun! And don’t give me that look, Adele; I will be very careful regarding your daughter. I know she’s some messianic figure, born to usher in the Scarlet Veil—yada, yada—or whatever you call it. I’m just a little interested.”

Adele turned to leave. “I still need you, Relica. I’m not worried about my daughter… I’m worried about losing you. Prepare my way to the UK. You will fail, so don’t die here and go all in. When you do, join me. I must devise a way to get that conniving hare away from my daughter! How could this have happened?”

“Whatever you say, High Priestess,” Relica laughed, following the woman out. “Maybe you should ask the ‘all-seeing’ Scarlet Hand for advice; she’s always helpful.”

“I will.”

“I was joking! Haha. You cultists are always so serious. Oh, and Terrell, keep the unicorn girl close. A war is coming! I’m so excited.” She snatched one of the radios from a table and flipped it on. “Conner, you there? I found a little wrestling buddy for you to play with. I hear she’s quite the handful!”

“About time!” a man growled. “I’m growing bored with all these military men. All they do is destroy my clothes with their rockets and shit.”

“Is that right? I’d enjoy that view. Maybe I’ll join you for a little tussle under that steaming skin. I’ve been longing for something hot to press against recently. Do you mind, Adele?”

The woman didn’t respond.

“I’ll take that as a no. Haha!”

Daran and Marcus stabilized, Maria sat back on a chair and wiped the sweat from her brow.

“You work with those assholes? The hell you up to? You’re a lot of things, Terrell, but I didn’t take you to be truly evil—a devil—I just watched a kid die, man! If you’re gonna kill all these—”

Terrell punched the ground, splitting his knuckle. “Look, we all got our bosses, kid. You think I wanted to see my son choking on his own blood? Shit! You know as well as I that fiend can twist us like a jigsaw puzzle with a flick of her wrist! That bitch was always insane, but now—shit! Daran…”

“Yeah, Dad,” he muttered, keeping his brother’s head up as he slept, the saved man too exhausted to remain conscious after the trauma to his body.

“Take Maria to the room with the fairy. Don’t go anywhere, Maria. Okay? Shit is escalating way too fast, and I don’t know what’s gonna happen. Catch me?”

Maria worked around her jaw as Daran carefully put his brother’s head down. “You got no intention of letting me go, huh, amigo? I’m some product now, like that terrorist chica said. Is that it?”

Terrell flexed his bleeding fist, clouded irises glaring to the side. “Dammit! Somehow the hare can see my eyes now… That damn hacker has so much intel on our operation.”

“Aye!” Maria prompted, snapping her fingers as flames rose in her belly.

“I don’t know, Maria! I got orders to take you to meet someone in Venezuela. If you comply, your block will be fine. I promise. All they asked for was you. Got it?”

Maria grunted, keeping her thoughts to herself; she had to speak the truth if she responded, so she said nothing, silvery eyes drifting to the kids.

You really think I’m just gonna lay down and roll over like that, Terrell? No way in hell you’re takin’ me to Venezuela and leavin’ my little brother to fend for himself. I’ll find a way out on my own then, and I sure as hell ain’t gonna leave these children to that devil bitch or take shit from these assholes.

Daran nudged his head toward the door. “This way…and thanks, Maria. Damn,” he shivered, rubbing his healed arm. “I can still see that hare girl’s red eyes. Shit! I only saw that look for a moment—like I looked at death itself—and then that burst of light and cold heat… I don’t even know. Shit…”

Plotting her escape while following him up the stairs to another section of the building, Maria left Terrell to cradle his youngest boy, spewing curses. Maybe the fairy chick the gangsters talked about would be game for bustin’ out of this hell hole; it was worth a shot.

She would do anything to protect her little brother and block, but she wouldn’t sit by and watch another kid die. Maria resolved to take their place without a second thought if it came to that—it’s who she was.

All of her thoughts and forming plans vanished when Daran opened the building’s main reception area door. Adele was nowhere to be seen, but cross-legged, floating three meters in the air, was a transparent figure.

Relica stood beneath the ghostly personage as it gradually spun to observe them, hood obscuring its features, but the trance-like white haze over the demonic woman’s eyes made Maria’s stomach squirm.

It only lasted a moment before she straightened and started tapping the walkie-talkie’s antenna against her mouth. “Well, that is a, hmm…that could be thrilling. I’ve changed my mind. Akio, are you done looking menacing?”

The phantom laughed, an ethereal voice reflecting off the walls in strange patterns. “Meditating to better understand the supernatural dimensions of this space, but sure, make light of my needs. Get a vision from Hecate? What’s the plan, Witch?”

“You know I only joke,” she said with a fond gesture. “Also, I prefer the term priestess to a witch, personally, but to each their own. Ah-ah-ah—don’t take her up there yet, Daran. I’m feeling rather frisky now!”

Maria came to a stop, glaring at her, unsure what she meant by the word.

The ‘priestess’ laughed. “Don’t give me that look, dears! Actually, I’ve been thinking about what Adele said about Rachel and providing her with an impossible situation for her misfortune to overcome. I am really curious. I have to understand how it works! So…”

Relica pressed the button to communicate across the radios, making them wait for this supposed master plan she’d concocted. “Conner, you’ve opened up the possibility of your Legend’s Quest, correct?”

A male panther Beastkin formed out of the shadowy wall to approach the ghost and terrorist, taking note of the situation, but the woman only had ears for the radio. Maria held her unimpressed, disinterested demeanor so as not to appear weak as the man on the other end answered her. Yet, the conversation that followed made her want to run and just take her chances. These cartel hitmen were living in la-la land; the frightening part was not one lie was spoken.

“Sure, but I ain’t jumpin’ in that ring until I can find a worthy opponent to match up against. You saying this bunny girl you mentioned will even the load?”

“I am! Isn’t this just too perfect?” Relica’s grin widened as she began to pace. “Gather ten men and ten women. Drugs, alcohol, sex, music, and all the ecstasy between. Hehe. Then, kill them when you’re all doped up.”

“The hell?” Maria mumbled, unable to believe things could continue to spiral to the point of devilish rituals. “I want no part in this satanic shit, bitch!”

“Oh, you’re only there to purify Conner when he’s done; he’s gotta be sharp for the whole encounter with Rachel! No need to sully those pure loins of yours—you are a virgin, right? Haha. I knew it!” she said at Maria’s scowl, which had nothing to do with the comment. “You should be in a Catholic abbey, but being a virgin in this day and age is certainly one in a billion, so I suppose a unicorn fits the hoof. Such a silly belief. Still there, Conner?”

“I’m listening now. Haha. A ritual to gain favor?”

“You know how fickle lesser gods can be! Prepare your Legend’s Quest while I go to set the stage for the performance. Ah! I’m getting chills just thinking about it! Ah, Luis,” she clapped, finally noticing the Beastkin. “How is our lovely fairy?”

“Our enchantments need to be redone soon,” he muttered. “Are we expecting company?”

“Indeed! Get Eliza and Margaret ready. Is Abeer already here?”

“From what I understand, he arrived with that MI6 group you mentioned, but the blockade is making things rough; they said the transport ritual would be done in the next hour. Is Abeer finished, eh, feasting? I’m not going in if he’s not.”

“So far as I’m aware. Don’t be a baby!”

Akio rubbed his transparent chin, lifting a few papers to use his supernatural powers to fold them into paper planes. “You’re playing it too close to the chest, Relica. I’m bored. What’s this about?”

“Hehe. It’s too bad you won’t feel the warmth of one ever again as a Lost Phantom Abarrentkin—too close to the heart?” she snickered at the ghost’s dull grunt, yet there was a sickly smile under the hood. “War, my dear Yakuza hitter! War! Gather the troops and have them take their positions.”

She marched to the door with purpose and a song to her voice. “We’re spooks and ghouls tonight, loves! Oh. And, Akio, I want you to saturate this building with your presence… No one gets out alive—well, except for Conner, of course.”

The hair on the back of Maria’s neck rose as he lowered himself to the ground, fingers digging into the tile. A ghostly light cracked it, infusing into the environment and spreading out before it was replaced by wood.

Maria backed away, but the ripple in space passed through her, chilling her marrow as a massive wave of negative energy permeated the entire building inward until a maze of hallways, doors, and rooms cycled around her.

Relica was now upside down on the ceiling, a double paper-wooden door sliding open to a bright light that allowed her to leave. Daran choked, rubbing his throat beside her as the laughing woman exited.

“It’s…endless.”

Maria felt the phantom’s presence all around her as a prickle ran across her spine, making her jump.

“No purifying my negative energy, Sweetie… I wouldn’t want to get rough with such a beautiful woman. Now…if you could follow me. Welcome…to my domain.”

Clicks and creaking wood erupted in a frenzy before silence took them, and one after another, dozens of doors slammed open to guide them to the room where they kept the fairy.

Knowing she was trapped for the time being, Maria didn’t say a word, cursing her luck. Perhaps her brush with Rachel had sent her down this path of misfortune. She followed Daran’s lead for now, but she’d find a way out; she had to find a way out.

* — * — *

Rachel’s mind spun webs of connecting thoughts as Astra informed them that Terrell had been spying on them for some time. She prodded the air, causing a holographic, digital display to pop up. Expanding it with a simple gesture, she flicked it through space to stop in front of Saint Barbara before it branched out to mirror the data to the rest of them.

An invisible eye was shown on the feed, partially transparent. The man had some kind of clairvoyance ability that allowed him to know where and when the SEAL team would strike. It was a miracle the special OPs unit had managed to retreat at all.

Knowing what to look for with the knowledge of the device, Rachel’s senses zeroed in on the objects, making her smile as they appeared.

[Divine Beast Empowerment - Advanced to C-tier]

[Bestial Instinct - Advanced to B-tier]

According to Astra, the cartel had brought several big names to Miami, including one from the local prison that had broken out; she didn’t have much info on them at the moment, but it wasn’t Adele. Scarlet was nervous about meeting her mother, but the hacker assured them that the woman appeared to be leaving, and she was pissed by the few phrases she could snatch from nearby devices.

Terrell’s people used the city’s towers, which were easy for her to track and infiltrate, but satellite-linked devices were far more troublesome. Without knowing which one they were using, it would be more challenging than it was worth to get anything further. Besides, she already had a wealth of data she’d collected.

Unfortunately, when she played her hand to start building rapport with them, Relica had snitched on her to Terrell, which meant they were being cautious now with technology. Now, all networked devices have been moved to another location, cutting her off from their primary leadership as they went to shortwave radio.

Partway through the hacker’s extravagant showcase with images, video, and an endless stream of changing avatars to make it perfectly clear she was always an enigma, Rachel’s ears flew up. Scarlet saw it first.

“What’s wrong, Rachel?”

Gut twisting, Rachel got to her feet. Vision narrowing, she kept her focus away from the hovering eye overhead; her instincts told her something terrible would happen to her parents, and she could guess what it would be if Terrell had been observing them.

You think you can kidnap my mom and dad—apply leverage? Well, buddy, you’ve made it personal now.

Leaving the room, Saint Barbara, Scarlet, Selvaria, and Astra followed her.

“Was my explanation that boring?” the elderly hacker asked, stroking his beard and chewing his gum; he examined the holographic screen that kept pace with him. “I thought you’d like the whole kaiju fight idea.”

“I like that idea,” Selvaria dully said, throwing a fist in the air. “I’ll be the greatest kaiju! No one can out-kaiju the invincible leviathan.”

The Green Berets looked confused at the old man who somehow had entered the very private gathering; they fell in line with the tight-faced captain, asking for clarification. Rachel answered while opening the door, pumping her fist a few times as her fingers started to glow with white light.

“You know those Ellis guys you told us about, Astra?”

“Uh…yeah?”

“Well, they’re here for round two.”

“Rachel?” her mother asked, eyes going big in the chair she shared with her father.

“Just stay still, Mom, and…”

A flash of multi-hued lights revealed the kidnapping pair, and Rachel shot forward as a blur, the others only just starting to react as time slowed to Rachel’s accelerated mind. Daran’s hand went to grab her mother’s shoulder, a honeycomb barrier closing around them to isolate her parents.

Hissing out the air in her lungs and using the form she’d practiced tens of thousands of times in her Muay Thai training, Rachel’s fist struck the shell. Her intense gaze fixated on the teleporter; her illuminated hand erupted in a dazzling radiance, blinding everyone.

[Lunar Burst] shattered the wall, crushing the younger brother as he was propelled back. Curses rang out from the radiance she released, a shockwave causing chilled air to fling her ponytail around, yet she wasn’t aiming at the shielder. Her blow connected with Daran’s shoulder, thrown off by the barrier.

Saved by his brother’s shell, the man toppled onto Marcus, his younger brother gurgling and spewing blood from the internal shock of her Lunar Energy-charged blast; apparently, the man’s shields were connected to his body, and her element bypassed his resistance and dampening effects.

Following the momentum, she pivoted to a roundhouse kick, foot turning the brick to powder as it passed through the teleporting brothers, escaping at the last second.

“Damn cowards,” she snarled, legs tingling and her foot a little sore as she pulled away from the powdered wall, the blow bending the rebar within and damaging her shoes.

Her mother was clinging to her father, eyes wide. “H-Huh?!”

Astra crossed his arms, taking on a younger avatar. “They went after your family; I should have seen that coming. My bad.”

Selvaria glared at where they’d been before running to the other room to check on her mom, making the soldiers dart to the sides of the hall not to get run over. “Aww, hell no, they didn’t!”

“She’s fine, Selv!” Scarlet called after her, powerful eyes returning to check on the rooms around them. “I-I don’t see them, Rachel!”

“They’re not coming back after that,” Barbara sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. “I guess if they’ve got an eye on us, that changes things. We need to move fast. Mateo, get everyone ready; we’re heading out. Rachel?”

Rachel put on a strained smile for her mother as she bent down to assure her everything would be okay, but her heart was ice. It was time to switch lanes; the gloves were coming off.

“Mom, I’ll explain it all later. I love you. Can you just come with me without all the questions—please, Mom?”

Her mother’s big brown eyes told her she wasn’t okay with what just happened, but she nodded as her father squeezed her hand and pulled them up.

“Just…promise me…”

“I promise,” she laughed, knowing what she was asking while hugging them and pulling her parents toward the door. “Captain, I’ll be right out. I just need to go talk to Anthony and Amelia. Scarlet, can you grab Selv’s mom and meet me up there? I’m sure another attempt will be made while we’re gone; I have to expect it.”

Astra pointed at her. “I’ll be with them then, Captain! Haha. You need someone acting as Overwatch, and I need protection. Win-win!”

“A fair assessment,” Barbara said, getting out of their way. “Tighten up your hair, girls; you don’t want it getting in the way. Scarlet?”

“I’ll be fine! If my mom is there… I have to know why she would do this—allow this—it’s not my mom. It just…it’s not the mom I grew up with,” she mumbled, rubbing her arm while jogging into the other room to fetch Selvaria.

Showing a confident expression to her parents on the outside; there was only one thing going through her heart. Whoever had the bright idea of targeting her parents, they would die. Anthony would keep them safe in the meantime, and she had an answer for the man’s fiancé.

The thrill of an upcoming battle quickened her pace; just because it was personal didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy it. In fact, it made the flavor all the more sweet.

Chapter Eighteen

The Invitation

Rachel motioned to Roy on the way out of the room as she moved towards the elevator. He jogged after her, glancing at her nervous parents and Astra—taking the avatar of a blonde teenage girl—busy on her holographic display.

Mateo and Barbara issued orders behind them, preparing for the operation while getting in connection with the SEAL team that would be joining them.

“What’s up?” the Green Beret asked upon catching up.

“Can you talk to…” she trailed off as the saint issued the order Rachel wanted him to discuss with her. “Never mind. It seems you’ll be overseeing a four-man squad to secure base operations. The captain really does pay close attention to detail,” she whispered, head tilting to spot the now-packed hallway as the Special Forces platoon bustled about the woman’s commands.

“Haha. Yeah, the lieutenant is impressed with her.”

Astra chuckled beside them, still sifting through a string of data on her chaotic screen. “You should see the unredacted military files of our patron saint.”

Rachel didn’t pay the hacker much mind after the look her mother gave her on their path to the elevator; they had bigger concerns than gossip. Personal feelings were harder to get away from, though. Her mother’s frightened brown eyes didn’t want her to go, making Rachel’s chest hurt.

Sorry, Mom. I can’t stop now…

She called the elevator as the other three men assigned to Roy rushed to their side. They tossed the man a pack filled with equipment and made a few grinning gestures that made Roy roll his eyes with a smirk.

Most of the staff in the area were interested in their movements, wholly unaware of the tense abduction attempt that had happened not three minutes prior.

The reflective doors opened to take them to the higher floors. Luckily, those on it all exited after spotting the Special Forces; filing in, Rachel felt a tad cramped as she positioned herself to control the button. She wouldn’t press it until after she’d lured in her prey.

Her ears were fixated on specific areas, filtering out details to allow only certain sounds and voices to play in the background. Her gaze was away from the half-visible eye that tried to follow them, keeping to the top corner of the hallway.

“What’s up?” Roy asked, dropping his pack between his legs to allow more room and gripping the rifle strapped around his shoulders.

Astra hummed from her corner position. “Uh… Oh!”

Rachel’s fingers slowly illuminated as her target neared the box and she hid her fist behind her back, drawing her parents’ unsure gaze. They pressed further against the wall, probably thinking there would be another teleportation kidnapping attempt.

“Give it a few seconds.”

Just a little closer… Gotcha!

She wasn’t sure if the eye could be interacted with normally, so Rachel decided not to risk it. Her fist erupted with light a second time as it tried to sneak into the top corner, vaporizing the spy in the expanding Lunar Energy and denting the metal.

[Divine Beast Empowerment - Advanced to B-tier]

[Lunar Burst - Advanced to E-tier]

[Bestial Instinct - Advanced to A-tier]

“Nice!” Astra cheered. “One down.”

“The eye spying on us?” Roy asked, some of his men standing in front of her parents to act as shields while scanning the hallway. “Are there any more?”

Some of the doctors and nurses flinched at the focused explosion, but the door was already starting to close as Rachel pressed the button to take them up.

Astra flipped between windows and data in her cramped position. “Not yet. One is outside, but it’s not coming in. I’m monitoring feeds to see how Terrell reacts… Unfortunately, they’re keeping the inside of the club pretty isolated from networked devices and disconnected WiFi. I’m actually impressed.”

“Alright. Anyway, Roy, you speak Korean, right?” Rachel brightly redirected, figuring Barbara had the same idea as her in restationing the soldiers to guard her parents during their assault. “Can you write in Hangul, too?”

“Eh-hah. Not particularly well, I’m afraid,” he said with a strained smile. “I don’t get to practice often.”

“Huh. How did you get into that?”

Trying to lighten the mood while keeping track of everything, Rachel led the way through the halls to Amelia’s room. Her attempts at calming her parents weren’t bearing much fruit.

When the two Special Forces men saw them approaching the room, they hustled to the elevator, bumping arms on the way out with their comrades. When they made it to the door, Rachel asked her parents to wait outside with Astra and the soldiers, explaining she needed to talk to them in private.

Her mother gave her a shaky hug, lingering a moment before kissing her on the cheek and returning to her father. “I…know things are getting dangerous. Just come back to us in one piece…please. I just don’t want a broken house,” she choked, prompting her dad to hold her tight.

Rachel had to lock her jaw to not tear up herself while reflecting on the wake of the accident that had caused so much turmoil in their household for a time. It took three years for things to somewhat return to normal for her parents; her life from nine to eleven saw her mother an emotional wreck at being the driver, despite it not being her fault.

Astra and the Green Berets tried to shrink into the background.

“Of course, Mom. I—” She scratched the side of her head, looking away and breathing out a long sigh before committing to something that would improve her mother’s mood; it would also give them more time to talk. “Heh. Don’t we need to go on a shopping trip after all this? I need new clothes. Right?”

A pained, teary smile lifted her mother’s red and puffy face. “It’s a promise.”

“Thanks, Mom. Love you too, Dad.”

His silent nod and fake smile somehow helped as she turned her attention to the door and knocked. “Anthony?”

“Come in,” he said, his tone somewhat more guarded than it had been in the past.

Opening it a crack to slip through, she closed it behind her to show a strained grin. Anthony sat in a chair beside his girl, a book open on his lap that he’d been reading to his fiancé.

“Hey, so…I need to be a quick little, uh… Can I talk to Amelia for a second… Alone? I know that seems a little forward and out of nowhere, but…”

Amelia’s sunken eyes shifted to her lover. “It’s fine, Sweetie. Can you get me some orange juice—maybe some of those dark chocolate-covered blueberries I like? Hehe. You know, research shows they help cancer patients!”

“Haha. Yeah, sure, Babe.” He set the book down and leaned down to kiss her bald forehead. “Be right back. Rachel,” he nodded in passing.

Rachel wanted to cringe when her mother greeted him as he walked out.

“Oh, are you…Anthony?”

“Yeah, and you are…”

“Rachel’s parents,” she chimed. Her mother appeared to have found a good distraction as she engaged the Legend. “Sam, this is the man Rachel told us about! He really is as handsome as she said.”

“Molly…”

Her mother was already onto the next topic before Anthony had the chance to break away or her father could reign her in. “Oh, I actually wanted to talk to you about a few things.”

Rachel wanted to run out and shoo her away. It was challenging to keep herself focused as her mother somehow maneuvered herself into joining him on the trip down to the cafeteria. Roy wasn’t sure how to react, so he left two men behind while joining them.

Astra was totally oblivious to the exchange outside, sitting in a wheelchair at the nurses’ station and playing with her holograms.

I can’t believe she’s doing this after almost getting kidnapped! she hissed to herself.

Her mother was actually fairly bold and forward when it came to most things not involving the home, and this was a part of her personality she hadn’t seen come out yet. Left ear twitching and fingers tightening at her back, Rachel was forced to let it go as she walked to the side of Amelia’s bed.

If it helps, Mom, then I guess it’s okay… Why am I trying to convince myself?!

“Something wrong?”

“Hmm? Oh, just my mother,” she groaned, rubbing at the base of her ear while trying, unsuccessfully, to block it out; trying to puff out the tension building in her chest was of little help. “It’s nothing. To business, I have an answer for you, and I’m on a bit of a clock.”

A long stream of air passed through the young woman’s mouth, mirroring Rachel’s earlier action that made her smile. Amelia looked up at the ceiling, seemingly trying to draw strength from anywhere she could find it.

“Did you know true crime bores Anthony to death? But he reads them to me anyway because he knows it helps me forget about my illness.”

Thrown off a bit by the inflection in her voice, Rachel’s fingers tightened against each other at her front. “You…feel guilty about that?”

“I guess.” A weak laugh followed, thin arms pulling her blanket up to her chest. “The complication of feelings and emotions beyond our control, huh? I read a book about it once. Anthony and I are both already dead and broken in our own way… So,” her weary eyes shifted to her.

“Everyone tries to convince me of some positive spin on things and go back to their own lives. We all feel some kind of irrational guilt—the looks people give me—it’s not new. So, what light do you offer us, Rachel?”

It clicked in her mind; Amelia wasn’t only searching for Anthony’s happiness. Anthony’s happiness was intrinsically tied to her own, and she wanted something to believe in that wasn’t just hollow words; she didn’t want to feel the poison of her illness hurting her fiancé.

Brushing back her bangs, Rachel rubbed her left arm and sat beside the woman. It was hard not to look into her searching gaze when everything within Rachel’s peripheral vision was in focus; they told of external and internal struggles she couldn’t imagine.

“I’ll just throw it out there, then. I know how this might sound—insane is an understatement—but these moon goddesses are attempting to make contact with me, or…guide me to this giant tree in the UK. I’m not convinced they are on my side. It’s more like they see me as useful, but they could be useful for me, too.”

She had it a lot better planned out in her head, yet staring into this woman’s sunken eyes made her nervous; it somehow connected with the uncomfortable emotions she felt in front of her mother.

“So…yeah. If there is a solution to this illness problem, I can’t think of a better one than personally asking some higher power. Too crazy? Haha. I’d think it was too far out there.”

Amelia’s head rolled back on her pillow to look up at the ceiling, eyes becoming shiny. “Crazier than growing ears and a tail, going to different dimensions, or toad aliens? Hah,” the woman let out a weak chuckle.

“How insane has the world become in the past week? It makes me want to cry. All these miracles, and… I guess that’s one reason Anthony is in this spiral,” she whispered, accepting a tissue from Rachel as she pulled one out from the box beside her bed.

Rachel chuckled herself before coming melancholy. “Yeah, you’ve got a point. The whole world was flipped on its head, yet in some cruel twist of fate, to you, not a whole lot has changed—I guess it’s even worse.”

“Huh…” The woman swallowed back tears, her throat becoming thick. “I don’t know. I think there is a lot of beauty to be found in how things are going, despite the pain. You can’t truly understand joy without the sorrow; at least, that’s what I’ve come to believe. How interesting.”

“What?” Rachel tentatively asked, unsure what to make of her reaction as things took a turn, and Amelia’s weak smile fell a tad.

“An adventure of searching out these moon goddesses… Overcoming obstacles to find them and traveling into the depths of a mysterious world tree to discover the truth? Making friends, saving people in trouble, and supporting others. It sounds like a fantasy tale Anthony would love.”

Not speaking in the ensuing pause, Rachel waited for her to process it; Rachel was still processing her own goal and path.

“The danger is a given,” Amelia whispered, “but I’m not stupid enough to think answers come without sacrifice. Look at me—all the experimental treatments and pain… No, he’ll be away from me, which will be…hard—almost unbearable—but…so long as he thinks there is hope, it will keep him going.”

Strength filled the woman’s eyes, yet her face softened. “What would Anthony be doing with you, Rachel?”

She shrugged, not really having a full answer. “Right now, I only want him to stay with you and protect everyone while we’re gone. A local cult-affiliated cartel just made a kidnapping attempt on my parents, and I expect more to come when we leave. You’ll receive updates from Astra on how things are going since she’ll be in—never mind, heh, he’s now in a male avatar. I wish he would just pick one,” she grumbled, rubbing her forehead.

A few seconds passed before she sighed. “…Okay, Rachel. It is a quest Anthony can find purpose in. Even if it is a dead-end…it’s something he can hold onto. Heh. And maybe…maybe I can bring myself to eventually believe it will bear fruit. It’s just so hard when every failed hope feels like another nail digging into my chest.”

A weak, teary laugh came from Amelia. “In any case, I won’t take any more of your time—since, heh, you’re on a clock. Thank you, Rachel. Have the guards outside and this Astra person come in to chat with me until Anthony gets back; he’ll appreciate someone being with me.”

Getting up, Rachel gave her an encouraging smile and reached down to squeeze her hand. “I’m not all that noble of a person to care much for others, Amelia… I think I want to, but—I don’t know, I’ll do what I can. I owe Anthony and you for this.”

Silent laughter shook the woman’s chest. “You want to be someone who cares for others… Sounds like you’re struggling with your own past. It’s nice to know you’re not some perfect moon hare, here to swoon my last thread of light.”

“Haha. What a word to use,” Rachel snickered. “You’ve got a good one. He really seems to care about you.”

“Anthony does…despite how little I deserve him… Hmm.” Her fingers tightened around Rachel’s for a moment. “As someone I can’t name probably once said, a friendship built on business can be glorious, while a business built on friendship can be murder. I’m glad to lay that second brick, Rachel. Good luck.”

Being careful with her frail hand, Rachel’s opinion of the woman rose. “Business partners then. In the meantime, try not to die, Amelia.”

“Just throwing it out there, but maybe sending a postcard or flowers every so often would help revitalize me?” she grinned, waving her off. “It’s nice knowing people are thinking about you. So, whatever you’re doing, kick some ass.”

“Haha! That’s my hobby. Later, Amelia.”

“On the flip side, Long Ears. I’ll be here praying—ack—t-they don’t grow bigger. You might have some problems, then.”

“Oh, shut up, Bed Gremlin,” Rachel muttered, spotting the woman’s pained smile; her visit hadn’t been nearly as bad as she thought it’d go. Maybe Amelia was looking for a friend to help Anthony when she wasn’t around. It was a sobering thought, but something that crossed her mind nonetheless.

Exiting in a brighter spirit, Rachel jabbed her thumb at the room for the soldiers and Astra to join Amelia. Astra had a frown on his elderly face, though, making her pause.

“What’s up?”

“Relica just held up a phone with this smug, thrilled tone and told me she would contact us shortly.” He popped out his gum to swap for a new stick, shoving the half-empty container into his pocket. “She’s excited to meet you or some shit—the tramp. I’d be cautious; she’s making huge adjustments to their positions. I’ll get back to you, but some concerning connections are popping up.”

Rachel went for the elevator, wanting to return to Barbara before getting distracted by her mother with Anthony. Amelia would convince Anthony. She was reasonably aggressive, though her illness probably contributed to it. Now, she was slightly concerned about leaving her mother to gossip with the woman.

There was something weird about how engaged her mother was with the Legend and the details she was trying to extract regarding his personal life; of course, her mother had recently been on the ‘get-a-boyfriend train,’ which was bound to come up.

She figured it was the standard, hardwired, embarrassing mom practice that many girls got, and Rachel half wondered if the topic of Anthony having a brother, or maybe a cousin, would come up. Not that she wasn’t interested in that potentially juicy topic, but there were priorities!

Selvaria was only just making it up the stairs to the top floor with her mother, unable to take the elevator due to her weight, and Scarlet passively waited for orders in the hallway.

Arriving at the gathering of Special Forces, Astra had already informed Saint Barbara about the unusual tactical shifts as Relica took over command of the cartel branch. The Legend tossed her a modified earpiece she’d made with a rubber band, hot glue, and a soft fabric inner lining.

“No way you made this for me—when did you find the time?” Rachel chuckled, yet an ominous wind from the east snatched her gaze. Her supernatural senses went on high alert.

“Wrap that around one of your ears; it’s mainly so you can communicate with us. When? You’re a heavy sleeper.” Her fashionable dress changed to an impressive suit of armor. “Alright, ladies, get that equipment down to the—”

“Something’s incoming!”

“Oh, hell. Give me eyes—cover, ladies!” Barbara snarled. The Green Berets lurched into action, throwing nearby doors open and warning several doctors and nurses to get back; they froze instead from their sudden movements.

“Move, move!”

“Down, people!”

“What we got, Rach?”

Thirty heavily armed and trained men took up positions in the hallway like they were expecting a siege from every angle, Scarlet spinning in a circle to try and identify the threat.

“Where is it, Rachel? There’s—”

“Window, the fourth door down. It’s—”

Their attention snapped to the partially open door of the place she pointed as a black mist rushed through the open doorway to spill out toward the dead-end sitting area; the lights around it flickered and went out as it collected into the shadowy haze of a smiling umbra.

Barbara held a fist in the air, a submachine gun in her other hand. “Hold! State your purpose…”

Rachel strode forward, making the shade’s grin increase. “Relica’s here to distract and throw us off.”

The shadow hummed as if not impressed. “To be honest, I expected…more from the horror stories your cataclysmic presence is supposed to elicit. Hmm. We should have tea!”

Scarlet’s blood snaked out as she inched closer to Rachel. “Tea… What are you planning? It’s a trap.”

Rachel made a gesture to tell Scarlet to chill; killing it wouldn’t do any good.

Saint Barbara’s calculating golden eyes narrowed. “So, you’re Relica? Are you using the children as hostages to negotiate a meeting?”

“Hmm? And who are you—no, I don’t care much anyway,” the shade dismissed, her violet eyes tilting to Rachel’s stiff ears, ready to fold back in case of action.

“How about a game, Rachel? I could kill all of the hostages right now. You don’t want that, though, and it doesn’t do me much good. So, I propose a bit of a game!”

“What kind of game?” she returned, shifting her weight to a more casual posture. “No one will get hurt so long as I show up and have tea?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say nobody will get hurt. Hehe. We can have rules and stipulations, though! You see, I’ve always been a creature of passion—I can admit to being a tad obsessive—and I always get what I want. Keeping it? Mmh,” her head tilted to the side. “Not so much. I like tension, though. What about you?”

The umbra’s spiky teeth flickered before the deep, purple hues of its eyes intensified, causing the shadows under it to pulse like a heart and making Barbara sigh. A golden light surrounded the military woman, pushing Relica back half a meter.

“Don’t push it, Relica. I’m entertaining this message as it is,” she warned.

“Aww. No fun,” she huffed, yet there was a bit more interest in her temporary gaze on the saint. “In any case, what do you say about a little get-together, Rachel?”

Rachel hadn’t flinched, keeping a passive smile to keep the woman engaged; Astra fed her further general data regarding the terrorist that they’d been able to uncover, but it wasn’t all that useful.

“That depends on what you’re offering me.”

“I like that!” Relica paused, clawed fingers rising to cup her chin in a thoughtful hum. “You know, if I can’t have what is promised to me, heh, no one can! It’s just the type of woman I am. So I’d be careful what you commit to when it comes to what I want,” she chimed, voice honey but words venom.

“I will take my revenge for the smallest slight made against me—slowly, beautifully…in such torment that it makes my soul sing with pride. Such is the burden of my tragedy, but I will have what I want, even if for a short time…one way or another.”

“Are you stalling?” Barbara questioned in a way that said she was over it. “You want Rachel engaged with you, but obviously, you’re not going to go in without precautions. Let’s have it and be done with it; state your case.”

Rachel shrugged to the Legend, indicating she didn’t really mind being used as a bargaining chip; if it came down to it, she’d find a way out.

“To business, indeed!” Relica chirped, shifting gears while folding her fingers together in a deliberating manner. “Well, mmm, it’s complicated. Am I stalling? Certainly! You’ve somewhat caught me by surprise, and I have to set the board.”

“I’m getting some weird movements from these dudes,” Astra grumbled. “A lot of the children are being moved inside of the club Terrell is at, and the other hostages are being spread out in a large area. Given her profile, I’d say any harm done to her is bound to trigger something with the kids.

“Uh, I’m getting social media sightings of a giant bull Mythickin I’ve linked to that cartel is at a South Beach bank, too. Yikes! It could get messy from the messages I’m seeing. They’re demanding the Coast Guard leave the shores, or they’ll start murdering citizens.”

Barbara ran her fingers through her hair. “You’re trying to divide our rescue efforts—you’re trying to distract us in multiple areas by sacrificing your pawns.”

The shadow clapped. “This hacker I’ve been told about must be good! Yes, I’ve set up a little game for all of you. I will promise you that if you act fast, you won’t lose many hostages! Hehe! I could care less about this operation or what all your little friends do.”

Her tone lowered, becoming somber. “That is…if you agree to this meeting, Rachel. Think of the children. All I want to do is to test your misfortune powers; I’ll give you Terrell, his boys, and almost everyone else! Doesn’t it sound fun and fair? Less blood, more entertainment, and some hundreds of innocent lives go back unmaimed.”

Ears shifting to the left, Rachel tried to contain the emotions budding within her chest. “And why are you so focused on me? You said you’ve heard I was some calamity. From who?”

“Oh, dear, but who else would give me that tidbit?” Relica mused. “Scarlet’s mother! I’ve heard so much about you both, but Rachel is the one that piques my interest. After all, we have somewhat of a history together.”

Rachel’s tail stiffened; it was hard to contain herself, and she instantly wanted to refute the claim from the ponderous look Barbara gave her. Astra gasped as if it was a twist in some book, and Scarlet’s troubled stare wasn’t helpful.

“We…have a history?”

“Absolutely!” Relica nodded. “Why do you think I’m so adamant about this meeting, sweetie? I’m sure your mind is riveted! I can’t wait to talk about it in person. I’m dying to see your reaction! What could our connection be? Hehehe.”

The spur of a challenge ignited the fire within her soul; the number seventh most wanted terrorist of the FBI had singled her out and said they somehow knew each other. It had to be some manipulation tactic. But…what if it wasn’t? In any case, there was no way she could pass up this chance to go in the ring and prove to herself she could play at this international terrorist’s level.

“So,” Rachel began, striding forward and making the soldiers tense while she circled the shadow to show she wasn’t intimidated. “Is all of this for your superpowered people to jump me? No, I don’t think so,” Rachel concluded.

“No! No!” Relica giggled, setting a few of the soldiers on edge, yet they held their guns steady. Some of the more stupid hospital staff had lingered behind, listening behind counters and a few recording the incident from further down the hall.

“I can see your mind spinning! All I propose is a fair fight. You against Conner—I’m sure you’ve heard of him.”

Astra went into more detail about what she’d uncovered to Barbara and the green berets as the woman continued.

“You know, the man some people call invincible? The juggernaut that can run through brick and concrete walls? I trust you’ve seen some of his work from your hacker friend—is she telling you more now? Heh, naturally, this contest will come after our completely peaceful talk. Maybe you’ll try to kill me! Wouldn’t that be the twist? Hehe. No. That would be boring!”

Rachel stopped in front of her, showing a lax posture and glancing away from her to show she was pondering her proposal. Her mind accelerated, piecing things together.

Instinctively, she could destroy this shade without an ounce of effort with [Lunar Burst], but it was only a proxy to relay her message; they’d gained quite a lot of information from this exchange.

[Mental Acceleration - Advanced to A-Tier]

[Strategic Mind - Advanced to A-Tier]

[Bestial Instincts - Advanced to S-Tier]

Lips curling, Rachel felt a shiver run down her spine to the tip of her tail as her gut gave her a surprising realization; she didn’t have the upper hand.

“Ooh.” Relica’s smile widened in response to her tightening eyes. “What misfortune have you sensed? Ah! Perhaps it’s my current limitations,” she lamented while shifting her weight with sudden agitation.

“I’ve run out of time for this remote chat. Tick-tock, my dear; I’ll be waiting for you and your antsy tail in the middle of the street outside of our little club! So long as none of your soldiers enter it, or any other hidden no-no is done, not one hostage will be executed inside. Xodâfez!” she sang, waving at them before dispersing into nothing.

The lights returned to normal, and Barbara’s glow faded. Relica was turning out to be a lot more of a handful than she initially expected.

Astra’s childlike voice snorted through the device as the soldiers dispersed the onlookers and confiscated phones, but the hacker appeared to have already taken care of the data.

“That’s ‘goodbye’ in Farsi; her files say she grew up in Iran, I guess.”

“We’re well versed with the language,” Mateo muttered, moving closer to whisper to Rachel, and Barbara was close behind him. “Is your sense of misfortune acting up? And what was that about knowing her?”

Scarlet’s fangs were inside her black bottom lip, seemingly unaware she’d split it as she waited for her own answers.

Rachel’s thoughtful smirk hadn’t faded. [Bringer of Misfortune] was tuned to her own goals and aspirations, helping her determine vague directions to go to achieve them. However, she now had [Curse: Karma] in her arsenal, which also made the worst-case scenario mutually assured destruction against a single opponent.

“It’s not good… I’m definitely walking into a trap, but that was pretty obvious. She was fairly specific that only ‘soldiers’ inside the club would trigger the death of the children…”

Barbara streamed out a long sigh as she turned her somber gaze to the terrified blood-sucker. “Meaning, Selvaria and Scarlet are the only ones that can enter for us to avoid a slaughter.”

Rachel nodded. “And she’ll be keeping me busy for a time, trying to get under my skin and making me act out. Relica is poking me to see where I’ll snap. I don’t know what she could possibly do to make me lose control… She definitely has something up her sleeve, though, and, for the life of me, I can’t think of any instance I would have met her.”

She ran her hands over her ears, trying to calm the tingles the encounter had left. The soldiers and Scarlet were now on guard, looking for clarification on what was their next move. “Sadly, I know without someone like Maria to prove I’m not lying, you can’t really take anything I say as the truth.”

Scarlet’s folded arms showed how nervous she was, but she shook her head. “No, I believe you. It’s just…hard to hear my mom is working with someone like that—it’s like I’ve lived a lie my entire life.”

“We need to shelve that,” Barbara softly prompted, trying to comfort the girl by rubbing her shoulder. “Relica’s playing a gambit, and we need to figure out which are bluffs.”

Rachel grunted, turning to look out of the window at the dark cityscape of Miami. “She’s buying time for Conner to set something up since he’ll come in later to challenge me. Hmm… If I can take two major pieces off the board, then it should give you guys enough time to handle the rest of the hostages. My only problem is…”

Scarlet fidgeted with the skirt she’d taken from Rachel’s wardrobe, groaning as everyone looked at her. “I…need to save the unicorn, fairy, and children. My mom’s not there, though. Right, Astra?” she fearfully asked, holding a finger to the device in her pointed left ear.

“Right now, she is, but I’m getting chatter about a helicopter and submarine. So…”

“A helicopter and submarine?!” Barbara snarled, scratching the back of her neck. “Agh. How? So they want the Coast Guard to back off for them. We have the seas barricaded… No. I’ll deal with that angle with the local officers. Mateo, your company will coordinate with the SEALs and Astra to take out the cartel and gang members, rescuing the hostages. Scarlet… Mmgm. Rachel?”

Rachel figured the agitated captain was asking her for input since the goddesses told her to be careful how Scarlet and Relica meet. The woman hadn’t even been focusing on the girl during their talk, so that could hardly count. No, it was during this rescue operation.

Despite the girl’s ridiculous power, Scarlet’s blue eyes were filled with self-doubt; her trauma held all that strength back. However, without Rachel’s careful attention to her, Scarlet could have likely been the second advent of the Seattle Vampire incident in Miami. Then again, this mission could also be precisely what Scarlet needed to take another step away from the ledge she was standing on.

“Hmm. If Selvaria was there…”

“She won’t be,” Barbara flatly stated. “I could deal with the bull myself, but obviously, Relica has calculated things that I’d go after Adele and this threat of a submarine off the coast—one that could have nuclear weapons onboard for all we know.

“In fact, Selvaria may even be needed for that and the helicopter after she deals with the bull. I can’t be in all places at once, and I have to be ready to act against whatever Relica has hidden. Ugh. The Scarlet Hand has set up a large operation here that we have to adapt to, and fast.”

“S-So I’ll be alone?!” Scarlet choked. “I’m not good in stressful situations. What if my blood kills all the children?! No, I couldn’t—I can’t!”

Rachel took the panicking girl’s hand to draw her focus. “Your blood reacts to your fear, Scarlet. There are no deaths needed. Shadow teleport in and out—simple snatch and grab…unless you have something else?”

“I don’t know; Ver—I mean, I don’t know my abilities! I can look through walls to some extent, teleport through shadows, and blood-spike people. Oh, and I’m also, like…immortal or something. I’m not confident like you, Rachel! I wish I was…”

“You’re powerful, Scarlet. Own it! Would you feel bad if your blood killed someone who tried to kill a child?”

“No…but what if the child is mind-controlled and they attack me? See what I’m saying?!”

Astra’s unhelpful voice entered the background. “They are mind-controlled, by the way; I confirmed that.”

“Great support, Astra.”

“No, but I’m sure Maria can purify it. So, get Ms. Gangster and win the level! Easy peasy. I should be able to help guide you, girl,” he boasted. “Follow my lead.”

“Mmgm. I…I do want to help. Agh! Fine. I just need to look through the walls, find Maria, and then she can free the children—that simple?”

Astra snicked before popping a bubble. “You’re forgetting the power-granting fairy! I’ll keep your head straight. I got you!”

“Okay…” She shook herself out and rubbed her cheeks. “Confidence! Just be confident. I can do it!”

“That’s the spirit,” Rachel said, pulling her into a hug that seemed to surprise the vamp girl. “I’m proud. You’re making huge strides.”

“Really?”

“Really.” Rachel flashed her teeth. “You good, friend?”

“Haha. I’m not the one walking into the obvious trap.”

“Bah. I’ll figure something out. Let’s go. We got some people to save.”

Selvaria’s thumping footsteps came from around the corner, perspiration slicking her face as she panted; she’d just dropped her mother off in Amelia’s room. Her sharp tail dragged along the ground, cutting a line through the tile wax.

“Haa-haa-haa…w-wha’d I miss? I need some water—I hate stairs…”

Rachel walked forward with the others, directing the leviathan around. “Well, you’ll have to go down a few more. We got you a fight with a giant bull. Excited?”

“More stairs? I’m meant to swim in the ocean, not do…this,” she groaned in her amusedly monotone way as Rachel turned her to face the doorway beside the elevator. “Just throw me out of a window…”

Chapter Nineteen

Beckoning Disaster

Rachel’s ears twitched as she heard the helicopters and string of information passing to Saint Barbara on their descent to the hospital’s ground level.

She’d rerouted their transport by coordinating with SOUTHCOM and NAVAIR from the nearby city of Doral. Satellite information and on-site personnel from the Miami Beach Coast Guard base were flooding in as they got on the same page.

Military hardware, soldiers, and Naval assets were being pulled in from nearby reserves to offer medical and backup support to clean up after the Special Forces units cleared areas. Astra was even supplying them with private user data he’d hacked into to identify key threats.

Terrell’s cartel branch had poked the drowsy giant and drew its eye. By murdering a large department of local police, stealing their armaments, and taking hundreds hostage, the might of the US military was closing around his neck.

Although, after everything Relica hinted at, Rachel assumed this was all a part of something bigger that the Scarlet Hand had anticipated. What they hadn’t counted on was her involvement and pulling Scarlet back from becoming a murder hobo. Now, everything was falling apart.

Three helicopters were just touching down in the parking lot to pick them up, loaded with equipment for the Green Berets and items to restock the SEALs they’d be coordinating with during the operation.

Tingles ran down her arms as she heard a few civilians watching the military transport vehicles touching down. They excitedly talked about the Black Hawks escorting them. The attack helicopters were fully equipped with chain guns, Hydra rocket pods, Hellfire missiles, Stinger missiles, gun pods, and even minigun pods for door guns.

It was apparent that after the Seattle Vampire tragedy and over a hundred people already confirmed murdered by the coalition of gangs in Miami Beach, hundreds more held as hostages, the US government wasn’t going to play around.

Rachel had to wonder how the local gangs thought they were going to come out on top. Maria’s gang certainly didn’t want any part in what was going on, and a few other neighboring city gangs were all on the low in order to not get pulled in.

Then again, they did have unusual ability users on their side, and Conner seemed to be invincible, according to the reports. Still, something about the escalation didn’t sit right with Rachel as they exited the elevator on ground level.

Scarlet gave her a nervous smile as all of the soldiers with them jogged toward their transport, the people in the hallway flattening against the wall at the sudden surge of swift-moving military men.

Rachel posted up by the staircase in wait for Selvaria, observing the next group that lapped the poor, exhausted leviathan; she really didn’t appear built for land-based activities. Barbara had a plan in motion for the girl, though, and was organizing things with command.

“Are you okay, Rachel?” Scarlet asked, forcing a laugh while plucking at her skirt. “I guess it doesn’t really matter what I wear, but it makes me think I’m in an anime.”

Knowing she was nervous beyond words, Rachel nudged her with her elbow. “If being some protagonist helps you, then I’m all for it. I’ll be listening, Scarlet, okay? You’re not alone.”

“Thanks…” She puffed out her pent-up air, chuckling a little and shivering. “I used to think what it would be like to be in some combat anime with special powers, but…”

“Hehe. A lot different in real life?” Rachel mused.

She nudged her head to the side as the last string of Green Berets exited the emergency staircase before Selvaria made it out; even if the leviathan had started before them, being the first one in to stairwell, she couldn’t keep up with the military men.

Scarlet’s chest shook with silent laughter. “Yeah. Poor Selv. Do you think that unicorn gangster is okay? Why did they take her?”

Rachel shrugged. “No clue right now, but the reason doesn’t concern me that much. I just feel like she’s critical for us to go against Relica.”

“No pressure. Geez.”

Giving her an encouraging smile and hearing the dying leviathan finally reach ground level, dragging her tail toward the door, Rachel opened it to clear her way.

“No need to overthink it. Maria can probably help you work through any trouble that pops up; she’s an assertive woman.”

“W-Water…” Selvaria gagged. Rachel lifted an eyebrow as she opened the door to give her a clear path forward. Steam was rising off the girl’s flushed skin, eyes spinning.

“Selv?!”

“Over here,” Rachel said, guiding her to a nearby fountain.

Scarlet followed close beside them. “What’s wrong?”

Selvaria only shook her head, unable to speak. The crowds of people in the hallway watched with uncertainty as she chugged down the liquid for a good two minutes.

She’d shrunk in size and age again, now a young teenager. Her spike-punctured shirt was baggy, her shorts long lost and showing her black-plated scale garments.

“Agh! Haa-haa-haa. I need—ocean… Too much—too much exercise…”

“Well, it’s a good thing they’re waiting on us,” Rachel chuckled, pulling her toward the nearest exit. “They’re going to drop you out of the helicopter on the way.”

Selvaria held up a thumb. “Nice…”

Scarlet gave her a look that asked if she was going to be okay, and Rachel returned it with a smile that said, ‘Probably.’

Exiting into the night, Rachel breathed a sigh of relief with the moonlight that touched her skin. The phases were on the path to a full moon, which was good for her because a new moon would have been a disaster.

Rachel helped the dehydrated leviathan into the large transport helicopters with a few of the men. They used straps to anchor her down in preparation to shove her out whenever they passed over the ocean. Mateo handed her a waterproof backpack that had some power bars and an earpiece inside for her to use to receive directions and orders.

Scarlet was buckled onto the bench with Rachel as the helicopter took off, most of the soldiers not bothering with straps, clearly accustomed to the ride. All of the Green Berets were making signals to one another to communicate private jokes that made them laugh.

It was all rather quick, and she heard Astra complaining on their private feed about Barbara forcing him to stick with at least one avatar every 24 hours. He chose a rather scholarly-sounding Brit for the role and played into it as if born in the 1920s.

Rachel held her braid against her chest, feeling the cool metal of the captain’s shiny armor against her shoulder. She had positioned herself to be seated beside the saint because there was one thing she wanted to change in the woman’s plans.

Motioning for one of the men to toss her a headset, she spoke through it to Barbara, causing her to glance over at her and the chatter on the line to cut.

“Drop me off in the open, where Relica can see me coming. I’ll buy you time and keep her busy; as for a sniper taking her out, let me confirm some stuff. You have something to listen in on our conversation?”

Barbara gave Mateo a tight-lipped look, pondering the change of course as the helicopter tilted to the side. They’d planned on her going in from a far more covered position and taking her out with a Hellfire missile if needed since she claimed she was going to be in the open.

Still, it didn’t sit right with many of the officers in military command, along with Barbara and Mateo, that she’d leave herself so exposed. Mateo was the one to pose the question, Scarlet looking petrified again.

“It’s reckless to put yourself in that position, Rachel. Your parents are probably going to hear about what you’re planning to do from Astra since they’re listening to a lot of the feeds with the people Anthony’s guarding. Is this one of those misfortune gut feeling things?”

Rachel looked up at the fluttering American flag secured to the ceiling and all the veteran Special Forces men looking at her. There was a tightness in her gut that told her she was on the back foot.

Relica didn’t care about hostages, the cartel interests, or Terrell. Her entire visit was to provoke her into this very action, so it was entirely understandable why this seemed like a stupid idea. That being said, she couldn’t get the answers or shift things in a better way by skulking in the shadows. Playing the defensive wasn’t an option when it was the opponent’s strategy; she had to disrupt it.

Tongue sliding across her lips, Rachel grinned, ears leaning with the chopper as she addressed the officer.

“Relica is seventh on the FBI most wanted list. She’s not stupid. If she is in the open, then she has a guaranteed escape route. It could be Daran, but I doubt she would entrust her safety to anyone but herself.

“She’s dangerous, and she wants to test me. So, let me distract her and this invincible guy named Conner. I’m not suicidal. If I feel like I’m in danger, I’ll do a tactical retreat, and I highly doubt they have anyone that can match me in speed.”

Barbara reached into a nearby backpack and tossed her a walkie-talkie, leaning over to show her how to use it. “Keep it on this channel and always on. I’ll have Command record it, and if there’s anything wrong, I’ll have a Black Hawk and sniper detail stationed to you. In case you need to retreat, they’ll lay cover fire. We’ll be listening.”

It surprised Rachel a tad that the woman was taking a chance on her, but they were dealing with forces they didn’t understand, and Conner himself had proven to be more than just an annoyance after taking everything a SEAL team threw at him.

Then again, she reminded herself that she shouldn’t be surprised since Tom and Barbara definitely wanted to know the reason why the Scarlet Hand and Relica were so focused on her. Rachel wanted to know that answer herself. Sure, she had some odd senses that gave her quite a few advantages, but there had to be more to it than her simply being a disruptor.

Why had goddesses contacted her? Why did they want to meet her specifically in the giant tree in London? Why had she been so close to Scarlet when The Oscillation occurred? There were so many questions, and everyone wanted the answer, except for her parents, who just wanted her to be back home and safe.

Rachel’s shoulders sagged as her mother’s voice came from the earpiece Barbara had tinkered to attach to her ear; she was listening in on Astra’s network.

“Rachel…you promised me a shopping trip, right?”

“Trust me, Mom,” she said, accepting an earpiece from the Legend to speak to her. “Heh. Do you remember the third day you took me to the Muay Thai gym? You had the courage to let me be there by myself.”

“Eh-heh… I didn’t, though,” her mother mumbled. “I watched you from the window outside—I couldn’t let you be alone for months.”

“Oh… Huh.” Rachel forced a smile and scratched her left ear as a few of the listening soldiers chuckled. “Well, trust me now. You said you would. I’ll come back to you.”

“In one piece!”

“Hehe. Yes, in one piece, Mom. I love you, but you can’t be jumping in on military calls. If all of this works out. Yes.”

“Yes, what?” her mother pressed, sounding winded.

“Yes, you can have a part in whatever business comes from this—not field stuff, but something that will keep us close. I love you.”

“Thank you, Sung,” her mother cried in Korean. “I’ll pray for your safety.”

“May the gods be with me,” Rachel half-jokingly returned, knowing how serious her mother was about her shamanism practices. “See you in the morning.”

Handing it back to Barbara, she saw the back of the helicopter open, and the soldiers brace themselves. A few were already beside Selvaria.

Scarlet and the leviathan waved at each other as the young teenage girl gave a thumbs up and did a ridiculous back roll off the helicopter.

“Bye…Woops…”

Two of the Green Berets panicked a little, trying to grab her, yet in the blink of an eye, she was free-falling into the night. “Wait—it’s still a bit shallow there…”

“Aww, shit,” the girl mumbled in the air before likely body flopping into the ocean, causing quite the splash and noise to return to Rachel’s ears.

Scarlet locked up, crimson eyes replacing her blue as she searched for the falling girl. “Rachel! Will she be—oof! Wait… She’s rising to the surface, and… Thumbs up, but it looked a little painful.”

“Kill me…” Selvaria groaned, for some reason cursing her as the woman sank below the waves. “This is—blegh, seaweed—is on you, Puffy Tail! I’ve been cursed by your misfortune… Ugh. I’m going to throw up.”

A little entertained by her antics, Rachel breathed out a long stream of air and smiled at Scarlet. It seemed to help her, and it didn’t take too much longer for their swift ride to reach 5th Street; near the end of the road would be one of the hotel clubs that Terrell was using to stage his operation.

Figuring that the terrorist would be alerted to her presence, she had the helicopter touch down a few streets back to land on a rooftop near the 5th and Meridian Avenue intersection. The pilot didn’t even touch down on the roof, allowing them to hop out of the back.

The soldiers swiftly went to the roof access door, and Rachel informed them that there were only scared citizens, taking shelter inside the building. Gunshots could be heard across the zone from a few cowboy-like groups that were trying to enter the area to get their loved ones out.

Barbara gave her a grim smile as the helicopter took to the air again, rerouting to the Coast Guard ships east of Miami Beach. “Good luck, Rachel. I really hope we’re not overestimating your abilities.”

“Me too, Captain,” Rachel responded, holding the radio to her mouth before letting it fall.

The aircraft pulled away, their goal to drop Barbara off to identify the threat of the stealth submarine Astra picked up chatter about. If it hadn’t been discovered, then there was something magical about it from The Oscillation, and its cargo and weapons were the most significant risk.

Black Hawks now patrolled the city from the air, providing air support as most of the Green Berets took the stairs to ground level, preparing to break off into units to follow Mission Command’s orders to secure hostages.

Turning in a slow circle with Mateo, his communications man, and Scarlet by her side, Rachel closed her eyes and listened. She created a grid of the area in her mind, mapping the inflections in people’s voices, their cadence, and of those that spoke around them.

She quickly pointed out key areas that Scarlet quickly identified with her eyes to describe to Mateo’s communication expert. It didn’t take them more than a minute with her wide-ranged hearing pointing them in the right direction of the hostiles. However, it only took that long for their position to be compromised.

“Rachel, look!” Scarlet hissed, tugging on her tank top.

Eyes opening, she smirked as a hovering eye stared at them from overhead. The fact Scarlet could see it now showed that Veronica had put points into or obtained a Feat so she could see them. For the first time since she’d landed in this area, Relica’s voice spoke from the street, far to the east.

“Are you done playing, Rachel? Hurry up!” she sang. “I’ll get the tea ready and chocolate pastries ready. They’re a day or two old, but they should still be divine!”

Ignoring the terrorist for a moment, she held out her hand, still smiling at the disgusting organ overhead. “Mateo, can I have your gun for a minute? I want to test something out.”

“Do you know how to shoot it?”

“Not really, but how hard can it be? Point and shoot.”

He handed her a pistol, and she held it up, looking down through the iron sight. It was easier to spot the tiny point on the sight with her sharpened sight. Bracing herself for the recoil, as she’d seen on TV, Rachel pulled the trigger. She missed. Her ears shivered at the pop, making her wince.

Taking aim again, she launched a second round. The bullet ripped the bottom left half of the large eye apart, causing it to fall to the ground; their only advantage was stealth, which meant they could be brought down with any kind of damage.

“Nice!” Scarlet cheered, jogging to the edge to watch it hit the road below.

Rachel gave the gun back to Mateo and picked up her own radio off the roof. “If I hear anything important, I’ll let you know. I need to test boundaries anyway,” she grinned, leaving the Green Berets to go about their task of rescuing the scattered hostages.

“Godspeed.”

Scarlet hugged herself as Rachel approached. “So…do we need to sta—Rachel?!”

Hopping over the edge, Rachel dropped the four stories to the ground below, landing without much difficulty; it didn’t even hurt her legs that much, and her [Lunar Pool] was only seventy-eight percent.

The vespertine reaper appeared out of the shadows beside her as Rachel casually began her journey down 5th to meet up with Relica. Mateo’s men were exiting the back of the office space, breaking into teams after warning those inside to stay barricaded inside until the Coast Guard secured the area, building by building.

“Why are you always in such a rush?” the black-haired girl huffed, crossing her arms and walking beside her down the empty street.

Rachel hummed, holding her hands behind her back and taking a more casual stride. She slowly turned her left and right, ears high and alert as she heard the SEALs, Green Berets, and other military teams brought into the large-scale operation start outward in.

They used Astra’s intel, along with what Rachel’s ears were able to catch on their initial arrival in the area. Marking each terrorist cell and catching them by surprise, the teams were hitting them hard. Few would be taken alive due to the circumstances; there were too many lives on the line.

Those bunking down or taking shelter across the city due to the firefights and fear were beginning to grow bolder with the military’s presence. Several parties hiding in the buildings just down 5th were questioning if they should make a run for the bridge off of Miami Beach after hearing the helicopters.

“I’m just not all that scared,” she honestly replied, motioning for Scarlet to the cream building ahead of them. “We’ll be able to see Relica soon, so you should hide. Have faith in yourself, Scarlet. Be someone’s hero. Don’t forget, I’m here if you need me.”

Scarlet’s throat constricted as she slowed to a stop, rubbing her sides. Determination set on the girl’s face. “Just…be safe. I really need a friend, a-and I don’t know if I can…”

Rachel laughed and turned to give her the same thumbs up and smile the leviathan gave her. “I don’t think you’re the only one that wants friends, Scarlet. I’m sure Selvaria is worried about us, too. Let’s not make each other worry anymore and just win!”

“Pfft-hahaha!” Scarlet’s fear seemed to vanish, bloody tears coming to her eyes. “You really did channel your ‘inner Selv’ there… Thanks, Rachel. I won’t fail!”

Shadows carried her away, and Rachel let the cheer and hop in her step fade, cold anticipation crystalizing within her heart. Swapping her hand to her elbow behind her back, her illuminated celestial eyes fixated on the table and chairs that were placed in the middle of Ocean Drive and 5th, where Relica waited.

Gunfire, helicopters, and whispered prayers winded along the haunted wind that swept through the lifeless streets. An eerie vibe tickled her senses from one of the buildings to the south of Ocean Drive that foretold an ominous nexus point.

“How long did you intend to keep me waiting?” Relica asked. Her bright-purple eyes shone with some kind of inner magic as she smoothly poured the contents of a steaming teapot into some cups. Setting it down, she pointed at the Black Hawks circling them. “I’m surprised by the show of military force, to be honest. Respectable.”

Rachel sat across from her, placing her active radio on the table to be easily seen. Folding her legs and placing her hands atop her lap, she shook her head. “I don’t believe this is the place you told me to meet you. Terrell’s little club is in that rather unnatural feeling building about fifty meters to my right. How can we build trust?”

“Forgive me,” Relica sighed, glancing at the cleared cross-section. “It is rather cramped with all the vehicle barricades they have over there, and this was such a lovely spot. Honestly, maybe we should go for a walk. What do you say?”

“I’m fine, either or.” The woman likely knew about the potential for snipers or had another plot in mind, but it didn’t matter to her. “I thought you wanted tea, though?”

Relica gave a short start. “Haha. I’m a tad nervous, which is so rare for me. You’re giving me butterflies! I have never seen Adele act like this about anyone. Hmm. Well, what do you think?”

Rachel grimaced at the tea, its earthy scent lifted on the breeze. “I don’t know if I should be offended or flattered by your effort… Carrot tea?”

“I know! I had to look up a recipe,” she giggled, sampling a bit. “It’s…terrible. Haha. But the pastries are good!”

“I’m sure… What did you do to Terrell’s building?” she asked, truly curious.

She ignored the refreshments to stare at the warped and twisted outer appearance. She was sure normal people would see nothing wrong with it, yet there was something haunting about it that her divine supernatural senses picked up. Scarlet was examining it from an alleyway, seemingly unsure if she should enter.

Relica gave a dismissive shrug, following her vision and taking another sip of the tea, despite her earlier comment. “Insurance. When is your fish friend going to show up? If she doesn’t come soon, I’m afraid we might have some trouble. Abeer isn’t good at waiting.”

Rachel took the radio off the table, head tilting to her left as she spoke. “Soon… Team Gamma, five hostiles changed locations to the building across from you, the second floor, third building on your left. They discovered the mayor’s son and plan to use him as a bargaining chip.”

“Tch.” Relica’s souring expression drew her gaze; the woman’s light-purple eyes practically leaked venom, but not for her. “That…wasn’t a part of the script. Pity.”

She lazily snapped her fingers; simultaneously, a loud pop erupted from the area, splattering the walls and ceiling. Lumps of what Rachel could only assume was flesh splattered onto counters and tables, dripping gore tapping against a sink.

Seconds later, panicked screams came from the mayor’s son. Through his partly unintelligible mumbles and pants, as he stumbled out of the room, Rachel confirmed what happened: the men had exploded in a geyser of blood, showering him and the room in their innards and bone.

“That was…something,” Rachel muttered. “Gamma Team, Relica took care of the situation. All hostiles are neutralized, the victim, likely traumatized with some minor injuries.”

An angelic smile was on the terrorist’s face. “You’re welcome! I don’t like it when people can’t follow simple instructions. I’m used to far more, hmm…aware subordinates.”

Ears twisting to the left, Rachel heard Scarlet hype herself up and teleport into the haunting building; all sound inside died. She didn’t like it, but her gut told her that she needed to get things moving with Relica.

The military’s advance was swift and methodical as they pushed in from all sides, killing the gangsters and sending the hostages to be debriefed and questioned by the Coast Guard. She had to expose the truth since the snipers were already getting in position and taking aim at Relica.

“Let’s cut to the chase.” Rachel’s smiling eyes fixated on Relica’s innocent gaze. “You’re out here in the open, free as can be, because you’re not afraid of me. Why’s that? If Scarlet’s mother, your boss, is terrified of me. Why aren’t you?”

Relica’s cheerful tone didn’t falter as she leaned against the side of her chair. “Why should I be scared? We’re having such a lovely conversation. Oh…are you starting to glow?”

[Lunar Coat - Advanced to E-tier]

[Lunar Pool - Advanced to D-tier]

[Lunar Cap - Advanced to D-tier]

“Haha!” Flashbacks of her time under the Azure Moon brought a wicked twist to Rachel’s lips as she held up her brightening hand and flexed her fingers; her braided hair and figure were taking on the same twinkling sheen. “You chose this spot on purpose; the moon is shining right on top of us.”

Her eclipse-like ruby eyes drifted to the terrorist. “Why? We both know, at this point,” she held up her hand, glowing luminescently under the bright half-full celestial sphere, “I could punch a hole in that chest of yours the size of a sunroof. Hmm-hm-hmm. I think I know the answer.”

“Oh… Tell me, why am I not afraid? Maybe I’m just that brave, hehe, or insane! Sometimes I feel a little of both, to be honest,” she cooed, rising to her feet with Rachel.

Curiosity was in the woman’s eyes instead of fear, prompting Rachel to hold her hands behind her back and begin circling the table. Relica moved the opposite way, the anticipation and razor’s edge of combat caressing Rachel’s lips, yet she knew that was just what her opponent wanted.

“Brave… Insane?” Rachel mocked, casually picking up the radio with one hand to hold the antenna against her chin. “Haha! How pretentious and pathetic. I actually expected a lot more from such a big-name terrorist.”

“Well, that’s rather rude. I’m being nice!” Relica huffed, a pout coming on as her arms crossed exaggeratedly. “I thought I could be a bitch, but what’s with that smirk? Do you think you’ve figured me out after only two short exchanges?”

Striking at the woman’s pride was meaningless since she didn’t have any. Rachel had met all sorts of people on the street, in school, and in the ring when it came to fighting.

Her heart thumped with anticipation, hearing Selvaria exit the waters behind the hotel. The adrenaline made her tail go stiff and her ears twitch; her bestial senses were on high alert, telling her all she needed to know.

Rachel gave her an incredulous stare. “Heh. What do you mean? You thought you were something special? You’re not that deep, babe. You’re the one that wanted to get in the cage with me, but you really didn’t want that. Isn’t that why you’re waiting for your knight to come save you?”

Relica clutched her stomach, figure shaking with laughter. “You think I’m scared of you? Try me. I’m right here!” she huffed, stopping to shove the table out of the way and shatter the china across the road. “I’m wanted across the globe.”

“And you’re afraid of little old me? I’d be flattered if that actually meant anything,” Rachel dryly returned. “Are you trying to impress me? It’s sad.”

“Eh-heh… Sad—me?” Relica’s mouth drew in, eyes practically daggers attempting to dig into her throat. “Do you have any idea the resources entire countries have put into seeking me out—for my talents or to see me dead? A single day in my five decades of accomplishments is worth more than your entire life!”

Rachel walked around the table, ignoring the cracking woman to bend down and pick up a piece of the broken porcelain pot. “You’re real scary, huh?”

Slowly rising to her feet, Rachel twisted the sharp weapon around her fingers. Relica’s smug face returned, opening her arms to invite her to strike. Yet, Rachel only moved to circle the woman, porcelain in her left hand and radio in her right.

“You don’t care about any of the lives here. No one matters but what your obsessive, overdressed ass wants. And you wanted me. But not like this. You want to be in control.”

“Haha. I am in control, sweetie,” Relica chuckled, crossing her arms and taking a casual posture as the lunar-charged shark circled her. “I wanted to see what Adele saw in you, but I am the one disappointed. I thought we could become friends.”

“Pfft!” Rachel leaned in to whisper at her back. “Your friendship is as worthless as your false bravado.”

Stepping away to glare at her, Relica hissed. “False bravado?! Who do you think you are? Some college hare kid that got lucky?”

“Am I lucky, or are you just unlucky to have met me?” Rachel teased, holding the sharp shard against her neck; each pulse of Relica’s pumping vein increased Rachel’s heartbeat. “Hah! But…you aren’t afraid of this…”

Rachel dropped the fragment to shatter at her feet, their twisted dance linking dozens of thoughts in her accelerated mind. Every twitch the woman made, the inflections in her voice, the emphasis on specific words, and the chemicals her body released painted a dazzling picture in her focused mind.

All of it was only the beginning of her craftwork, a hunger for more pushing Rachel forward as if locked in a sway of fate and destiny at play. The anticipation beating within her core unveiled more and more blood-quickening stimulation with every action.

Relica snorted. “You don’t have the balls!”

A sly tilt came to Rachel’s lips as her fingers deliberately, slowly, reached for the woman’s throat. Relica swallowed reflexively with her hand comfortably held against her windpipe. She wasn’t even sure what she was saying now; all she knew was the intoxicating hunger for equilibrium with the rush flooding through her breast.

[Level Up - Level 7]

[1 Stat Point Added; 1 Available]

[1 Equipable Feat Choice Added; 1 Available]

[Bringer of Misfortune - Advanced to C-tier]

[Strategic Mind - Advanced to S-tier]

[Mental Acceleration - Advanced to S-tier]

“Please, underestimate me,” Rachel whispered, keeping the woman’s illuminated purple eyes fixated on hers. “Test your fate against mine and see the altar of misfortune. You think you’re merciless? You’re pathetic. Always hiding behind the lives of others. Weak. Did you think I wouldn’t know why you would meet me like this after all the hints?”

Fingernails carefully sliding down her skin, the spell broke, and Rachel shoved her back, causing the woman to trip and fall to her butt. “I’m not in the business of killing the innocent.”

Bringing the radio to her mouth, Rachel leered down at the choking woman. Relica’s lungs were affected instead of her soul-linked victims since Rachel didn’t choke her; all it had taken was her fingers around the terrified woman’s throat to bypass the bond and bring back some intense, traumatic memory to do the work for her.

“Snipers, stand down. She’s tied her life to the hostages, possibly the children, and she’s too much of a coward not to have them on remote detonation if she’s captured.”

Rachel’s ears and gaze shifted to the front entrance of the club as it opened, revealing a tall, muscular, grinning man, almost completely naked except for the tight short-shorts he wore.

Relica forced a laugh, blinking her eyes and forcing herself up to try and regain some form of her shattered control. “Whatever…that was… Did you know what you were doing, I wonder? Are you a slave to misfortune, or its master? Fascinating.”

Rachel couldn’t help but laugh when the woman took a step back as her wide eyes met hers. “You think you’ve won by buying time? I told you, please, underestimate me. Make no mistake, Relica, the ‘fake’ are the first to perish at the stake. Despite all those lives guarding you… I can hear the fear in your voice and trembling muscles.”

“I’m really not afraid, but, heh, whatever you say, dear,” Relica giggled, undertone giving her away as Rachel walked toward the man. “W-Where are you going?!”

Rachel’s grin gleamed in the street light. “There’s no other way. Victory always calls for sacrifice and blood. Something you know nothing of.”

Relica doubled over with cackling laughter before her confidence was back in place. “You want to test fate? Very well! I can’t believe you’d just walk right into it. Test Conner, the blessed immortal in a true stadium worthy of your terror, then! How unlucky are you?”

Conner came to a stop a few meters away, wearing a perfect smile that reflected his Adonis-like figure; power emanated from his body as he gave her a courteous bow.

“Rachel, was it?” She held her head high and returned his grin as he went on. “Might I offer this cordial invite to fight and perish at the hand of a god?”

“Hehe. The way I see it, this is just as good a way as any to end your life,” she laughed as he smashed the back of his fist against space, cracking it to show a portal to an opulent, massive, open coliseum.

“Shall we?”

“If you believe I bring misfortune, I’ll show you what it really means to summon apocalyptic scenarios. You’re already under my heel.”

She looked to her right as an explosion of sound came from the back of a bank further up the road; Astra had guided Selvaria to her target. All that was left was for Scarlet to finish her mission.

Chaos erupted from Astra’s feed as Daran and some bomber ability user were spotted near the hospital. She wasn’t worried, though; victory was practically sealed in her heart.

Laughing, Rachel felt something feral rise up within her, similar to when she’d bathed in the light of the Azure Moon. And one devilish thought connected to Rachel’s mind as she turned her smirk to the unnerved terrorist.

“Wouldn’t it be a shame if your life-linking magic was purified? You should run.”

She stepped through the gateway.

* — * — *

Fiona shivered within her little fake rock, peeking out at the bright, massive room beyond her glass prison. Giants moved beyond, their thunderous footsteps traveling through the wooden table and to the fish tank she was trapped in.

Every muscle in her body sent a dull burn to her brain, her stomach snarling at her; they only gave her a tiny amount of sugar to sustain her life until they needed her. She tried to swallow, yet the lump in her throat wouldn’t go away, nor the scratching behind her tongue.

How did it get like this? We only went out to get some doll clothes for me… Please, be okay, Erika.

Her silver eyes lifted to the warped corner of the tank as the door opened for a new giant to enter; well, they were giants to her since she was less than 10 cm tall as a Mythickin fairy. She’d been so caught up in her size that she hadn’t even been able to explore her abilities, and now she was just too weak. So far, her captors knew she could enchant people with elemental powers, and that was all they wanted her to do.

To Fiona’s surprise, most of the gangsters around the room left, and the pretty white-haired woman who had just entered moved to her cage.

“Aye, chica, you in there?”

Curling tighter into a ball for a moment, a tear came to Fiona’s eye as she remembered what would happen if she didn’t come out. She tried not to whimper from the sandpaper-induced raw wounds on her arms and back on her way out.

“W-What do you want from me now?” she cried. “I—ack…did everything you wanted me to—huh?”

“Aye!” The woman took one look at her and shouted at Ben, the only other guard left in the room.

Ben shifted his gun comfortably as he moved forward. “What, Maria? Look, I’m just doing—ugh!”

Fiona couldn’t believe her eyes as the woman promptly marched over and started to beat the living snot out of the guy; his machine gun was yanked off, yet she seemed to prefer her fists because soon her fists were splattered with crimson.

“S-Shit—stop, Maria, I…I didn’t do it…”

“The hell you think you did to that lil’ niña, huh? Bastard! Lyin’ ta me?” she growled, clearly having some enhanced strength as she kicked him two meters into the wall. “Hehehe. Ya feel powerful now, right?”

“P-Please…” he begged, nose broken, blood pooling down his front and face already begging to look more than a little ugly. “Orders…”

“¿Como dice?!” Maria huffed, picking the trembling man up by his shirt to throw him into a corner. “I don’t give a shit what some bitch told ya ta do! Get out of that corner, and I might just break every bone in your body, Ben. ¿Comprende? Don’t tempt me, follador de burros!”

“Got it…” he wept. “I got it…”

Tears filled Fiona’s eyes as the woman’s face softened and moved closer. Compassion in her soft voice as a brilliant horn flared to life, all the pain washing away in a warm embrace.

“Aye, you okay, lil niña? Hey, let me get ya out of this. You’re with me now. ‘ight? I won’t let these bastards hurt you anymore.”

Fire shot up Fiona’s throat and nose, but this time, it wasn’t because of pain as she moved to collapse onto the angelic woman’s hand. “T-Thank you. I-I… My friend—I don’t know what to do…”

“Shhh. It’s okay. I got you. Shit, they’re coming back,” she hissed. “Here, stay in here, and don’t make any noise. Understand?”

Darkness took Fiona with a comforting warmth as the woman pulled up on her tank top and nestled her safely between her breasts. Her words vibrated Fiona’s body as she snarled at Ben.

“You breathe a word; you ain’t ever forgettin’ my fists! You know who I run with, puta.”

“I-I know! I won’t! I won’t!”

The door opened, and muffled words followed. “Hey, where did the fairy go?”

“S-She got away… I-I’m sorry!”

“The hell, Ben?! Hey, where’s that damn ghost when you need him? Agh! Terrell’s gonna have my balls. Search the room. Let’s go!”

Maria posted up by the wall beside Ben, probably to remind him of her presence, remaining silent as the men went crazy looking for her.

“Maria, you seen anything?”

Her hero just snorted, barely giving them a look.

“C’mon, don’t just ignore me! Ugh… Never mind. Hey, go get Luis! We’re all dead if we can’t find her. Look, we don’t want beef with Miguel or TNS. Maria, please, just don’t go anywhere.”

Fiona was speechless at how they were treating this woman. These guys were the cruelest people she’d ever met, but Maria made them quiver in their boots.

“Get the hell outta my face then. You seen what happen to Ben, huh?”

By the sounds of things, he held up his hands and backed away at the sight of the bloodied man, holding his ribs and unable to look at anyone.

“No one’s gonna touch ya, Queenie. I’ll, uh, get Eliza and Margaret to, eh, welcome you.”

Fiona shivered at the names of the elf and panther woman; these guys were afraid of her unicorn savior, but those two definitely wouldn’t be. They were running on borrowed time.

“Tch. Ah, no-no, Ben, ya ain’t goin’ anywhere,” she said with a vicious chuckle as the man tried to leave. “I ain’t done with you.”

He whimpered, but the other men didn’t seem to want any trouble from the angelic woman as they looked around the floor and sent people into the hallway.

“Dammit! Check the vents… Is that a crack in the back wall? Shit!”

Fiona wanted to cry but held it in; she had thought she would die here.

Thank you… But we need to find a way out of here before Margaret and Eliza show up.

Chapter Twenty

Awakening

Fiona’s thumping heart began to settle as the agitated gangsters kept a distance from Maria. They took off vents, ripped out couches, and scanned every inch for where she might be. It was fairly obvious that they suspected the unicorn had set her free, but it said a lot that no one confronted her about it.

One of the nervous men stayed with Maria since she wasn’t allowing Ben to get off the couch; she could practically see his bloodied face from the occasional sniffs and pained groans he gave. It served them right for the torment they’d inflicted on Erika and her.

She expected the unicorn’s immunity to only last so long, yet no one so much as pointed the finger at her, and the warmth she radiated felt just like the comforting rays of a bright summer day. On the plus side, the woman’s bust was large enough to give her plenty of room to settle at the bottom of her bra band. She could even see in the dim space since the woman’s skin had a star-like shimmer to it.

After a while, she realized the pulse of Maria’s heartbeat against her ear wasn’t like a normal one. It could have just been her tiny 7 cm size that gave her that impression, but the throbbing hum it radiated gave her a sense of relief.

Despite the unicorn’s crass mouth and attitude, her presence alleviated the horror the last three days had been, settling her frantic emotions. Just thinking about the raw sensation of sandpaper against her tiny frame, the debased threats against Erika to keep her in line, and the experiments made her body shake every so often.

Fire, tasers, the freezer, boiling water, and even blasting music seemed to have little to no effect on her, but her body was so delicate and weak that the slightest bump could bruise her. She rubbed her shoulders, trying to get the bitter memories out of her head.

Never in her life could she believe people could be so cruel; it was as if they weren’t even human. Still, at least she’d saved Erika from the pain, and that was enough to get her through each punishment.

Learning more about the woman protecting her helped to pull her thoughts away from a downward spiral; she couldn’t believe they would make it out of this alive, and she feared what they might do to Maria when she was finally discovered.

However, Peter, this group’s supervisor, only seemed to make nervous small talk with the unicorn while waiting for his Panther Beastkin boss, Luis. Fiona trembled at the security gradually setting in. She didn’t want hope to be betrayed. Not again, not after one man tried to rescue her, only for her to be forced to watch them torture him to death. She couldn’t be weak.

Maria’s strong voice helped as the vibrations transferred through her chest to Fiona’s tiny body, somehow quelling her own shakes whenever the unicorn responded. Most of it was centered around her treatment, making Fiona’s lower lip tremble. It was challenging to keep her thankful emotions in check because she really wanted to cry.

Be strong! Don’t cry… Please, don’t make noise…

Maria was certainly a prisoner, just like her, but she seemed to be the boss of another influential gang that acted as an intermediary for a few criminal organizations. They handled a lot of courier business and were highly respected due to their loyalty and efficiency.

She was also affiliated with a much more influential organization called TNS that dealt with international criminal networks, as well. And it appeared a lot of these smaller gangs feared a conflict between Terrell’s cartel group and TNS.

Her sharp ears picked up some mumbled conversations that indicated some members weren’t sure about their direction since someone named Relica showed up. Fiona didn’t want any part of this, though. If she could get some sugar to restore her power and her best friend, she’d be out of here in a second.

Being careful with her hair and movements not to tickle or agitate Maria, Fiona got into a better position to release her tension and jitters. Her thoughts went back to how all of this happened, and she was debating if it had been a good idea to leave Ireland in the first place. She was falling into a darker place than she’d ever thought possible.

She’d graduated high school three years ago and was fairly popular in her small ocean town. Throughout her life, Fiona had been surrounded by the boys in their community and praised for her voice. Sure, some salty girls had talked smack, but she never paid them much mind, and they had generally only liked to hang around her to be near the more popular boys.

The attention was nice, although she never quite felt like she belonged. Everyone was so superficial; it was like they only wanted to get to know her to say they knew her. She was the star of her little town, yet Fiona couldn’t feel comfortable around them.

So, she did the minimum, was nice to people, and mainly focused on her Gaelic studies and online courses. Everyone said she was so mature and ahead of the curve, but they weren’t really seeing her; they all had this ethereal picture they plastered over her face. It didn’t take Fiona long to realize she wouldn’t be satisfied with the few opportunities and limited circles of people there.

That being said, it wasn’t the thing that tugged on her mind. Sure, all of that was meh, and she didn’t like it; still, there was something just not right about how she was living, but she could never place a finger on exactly what that was. So, she left as soon as she could to discover what it was she was missing.

Now, she wondered if she’d made a terrible mistake in her life choices. Had her life felt off? Yes. But at least she had her family, her sister, who looked up to her—the last thing she wanted was to disappoint her. Had she by leaving? She’d gone home ten days ago for the first time in two years, and a lot had changed. Maybe she didn’t have enough time to process it, though.

Due to some channel problems involving unjustified copyright strikes from her bitter online rival and another Gaelic instructing influencer channel, she’d had to cut her first home visit in nearly three years short; her income was at risk. Not ten minutes after returning to her small condo, she’d shrunk to the size of an egg. She wanted to break down at the thought.

An egg… I can fit in an egg; I’m smaller than a chick! My life sucks…

In a way, maybe this was her punishment for leaving her little sister when she was struggling a bit to keep friends. Something was up with Nora; they’d been so close growing up, and she didn’t know how much she missed her little sister until she went home for a few days.

Nora didn’t show it, but Fiona knew something was wrong, and her little sister had grown up so much in just three years. She’d been so focused on her own grind that the photos and videos she sent were all a blur. Her little sister was even the one who pushed her to try V-tubing during her junior year since she’d been watching a few influencers online.

Fiona started her channel in middle school and already had 35,000 subscribers by high school for her Gaelic language lessons and singing covers in their native and dying language. It was her first language, and she’d become passionate about trying to revive interest in it. So, being a V-tuber sounded like a good opportunity to break into a new audience.

Nora was the expert, so they worked together to make this fairy avatar since Fiona already had a bright and cheery persona that would fit the image. If that wasn’t enough, her sister had got her in contact with someone to make it become a reality by asking for advice from an upcoming V-tuber in the industry she admired.

Their parents supported the project and helped to buy some basic equipment, and six months into her junior year, her channel blew up to 450,000 subscribers with 5,000 average stream viewers. Money started rolling in with sponsorship opportunities.

She was a family-friendly educational streamer, pulling in a young audience that kept growing by the month. Her demographic was mostly teens, but that soon mixed with parents wanting their kids to hear her mix of language lessons with gaming, pop culture, and popular song covers.

During her senior year, unsure how to process her growing fame, she reached out to an old neighbor of theirs who had gone to TC University for law and business. Since that time, Erika had become one of her closest friends. She’d prevented a lot of Ireland and UK labels from taking advantage of her in their predatory contracts.

Acting as her agent, Erika had taken on a more prominent role and taught her how to run a business. A few months out of high school, she had enough saved up to move out of her small town and get into the bigger world. She’d put up a poll to her community on which general country she should go to, and the United States won out—her audience was big there.

Miami became her choice since she wanted to be close enough to fly back to Ireland, be somewhere hot, unlike her hometown, and be near the ocean. A new condo in her price range opened up at the perfect time in the prime location of Miami Beach. It was a dream come true, and citizenship wasn’t that difficult, given her age and Erika’s help with the legal stuff.

Now, all she wanted was to make sure Erika and her family were okay. She needed to get back to Ireland. Fiona didn’t know if that was possible since the two female assassins were on their way.

She wanted to bite her nails; oddly, it seemed to be taking forever for the two women and the panther man to come. Attempting to put her negative emotions behind her with Maria’s helpful aura, Fiona internally hyped herself up. It wasn’t like everything was terrible.

Okay! Gotta keep moving forward. Keep on track, Fiona! Live with no regrets; that’s the motto! Be grateful. You’re not alone anymore. Maria healed you. You’re not in pain anymore. If you’re enough lucky to be Irish, you’re lucky enough, as Dad says! Ugh… My stomach, though…

She rubbed her very thin belly as it rumbled.

No! Always shoot your shot! Bright side of the rainbow, Fiona! I have an excuse to be a sugar addict now, and I can practically live in a gingerbread house. Hehe. I just need to survive this. Think! Positives and negatives. Let’s see…

She scanned her thin and small frame; she and Erika had managed to get some Barbie clothes that mostly fit her.

Pros:

I’m elegant and pretty. That’s a blessing not to take for granted.

It’s cool that my hair, fingernails, and eyes change color with whatever enchantment I use. No need to dye my hair. Chat was going crazy about that… Oh-no. My face reveal seriously happened when I transformed into a real fairy. Hehe. Well, that’s unique, I guess. I don’t need the avatar anymore. That’s a plus.

I can hum and grant people elemental powers, which is…something.

If I’m not sugar-drained, I can fly… That’s fun.

Huh. Is that the end of my awesomeness? I suppose you gotta take the small potato with the big potato.

Cons:

I’m bleeding 7 centimeters tall.

I can’t bench-press marshmallows on a toothpick, for darn sake! And I can’t believe Erika would laugh at me struggling, at that… No, she would. She’s a Fox Beastkin, for St. Patrick’s sake. Crafty vixen… Please, be okay.

Oh, bugs… Flip-smackin’ bugs. How can I forget that I almost died to a spider just after changing? Can’t forget that traumatic experience—

She stiffened and looked up as she was jostled a little bit, seeing Maria’s index finger tug on her top a bit.

Sorry! Sorry! I’ll stop fidgeting.

Cons…cons… I can’t enchant myself. I’m practically a buff-bot.

I’ll probably die if I don’t get enough sugar… But I am rather fond of my sweets, so is that a con?

Fiona’s scratchy throat constricted as two female voices came from down the hall; they’d finally arrived.

“Ugh… Can you please not spread those pheromones everywhere, Margaret? It stinks like bad BO.”

“Aww, are you jealous Luis is paying more attention to me instead of you, Lizzy?” the Panther Beastkin purred. “Maybe if you wore less clothes, then you’d draw some eyes.”

“Pfft. Babe. Can you really call yourself a nudist if you’re covered in fur? And I’m not into excessive hair. So, you can keep Luis. What you must smell like in the shower. Yikes. You literally clear halls with that musk, though. Ugh! I’ve had to take two showers today just being near you!”

“Hater. No, racist? Hehe. I mean, it fits the white elf stereotype.”

“Shut up. It’s always race with you. He doesn’t like black chicks. She hates me because my hair’s nappy. Why’s he with that fat brown cow when I’ve got these thick thighs? I’ve got a fatter ass than her; why does she get the attention? He’s racist. He’s probably gay. Hoe, get over yourself!”

“Bitch, please. You had the flattest ass before getting that fat injected into that butt three days ago. Quit acting like you’re hot shit because you’ve got pointed ears and an okay face. I bet your powdered milk bush is still dry as rice. Get your white ass outta here.”

“Why’s it always Asian and Latino hate from you?”

“Huh? Says the person who hears rice and instantly goes to Asian. Pfft. You got issues, Babe. Aye, where’s Maria? Damn, y’all are beta bitches. Did she cut your balls—yo, the hell?!” She burst into laughter as the door slammed open. “Haha! Ain’t no way that’s you, Queenie! I-I can’t—Lizzy, hold me—I’m gonna fall!”

Fiona locked up as they caught sight of her savior. She’d heard girls roasting each other and been on the receiving end in Ireland, but nothing like this! Of course, she was in a small town and was the type of girl who didn’t like swearing in general, which didn’t do her any favors when she helped out at her uncle’s bar when in middle school.

Maria met their energy without blinking an eye.

“Aye, you talkin’ shit with that nose, apestar pinche puto. What, you tryin’ ta be a goth furry mixed with a clown, huh? I guess it works for that mashed face.”

“Damn!” Eliza snickered. “Hey, that’s definitely Maria.”

A low growl came from Margaret. “Bitch always talks shit. Y’all Mexicans and Cubans be racist as hell. Talkin’ ‘bout my nose like that, I should rip your throat out, chica.”

“Try it, puss,” Maria snarled back, a swift shift in moment forcing Fiona against the woman’s chest as she pushed off the wall. “Last time you were in my hood, I gave you that nose job, gata.”

What are you doing?! Fiona cried, trying to stabilize herself between her breasts as the unicorn marched up to the woman without hesitation. They’ll kill you! They’re flippin’ assassins!

“Pfft-haha!”

“You’re such a bitch, Maria! Haha. I love you, you Catholic hoe. How’s Little Havana?” Eliza asked. “Damn, last time I saw you, you were seventeen, poppin’ off on the block. Hey, you remember how she looked after beating the snot out of those two punks that jumped her?”

“Yo, I always said she had balls, slut. She’s not stupid, though. You think she’d hide that fairy? That’s cap. Set her free? Probably.”

Eliza hummed. “Hehe. What’d you do to this pop-bitch next to ya, Queenie? Damn, he’s all sorts of ground beef. Ya didn’t put a cap in him, though? Tch. Girl, don’t tell me your horse ass be soft like that?”

Huh? Fiona’s racing heart and mind swirled as things took a complete 180. What’s going on? Is she buying time for us and redirecting them, or is she just in some weird roast session pre-match?

“Says the prep ass elf bitch? Aye, get into the corner, puta. Shit, what I wouldn’t give for a liga right now, ya know; this hair is annoying as hell.”

“Aye, she got a point as sharp as those ears, Lizzy! Hehe.”

Ben scrambled off the couch with a pained grunt as gravity shifted for Fiona, becoming momentarily pressed against the top of Maria’s bra as she dropped into the cushion. The men were mumbling to one another, but the three loud women were in a world of their own.

“Knock the ears all you want, but you know I be baggin’ dick with them. And annoying ass hair? I get that,” Eliza laughed, leaning against the table to face her at how close they sounded. “Not that this short-ass butch knows the feeling.”

“Hoe, please,” Margaret sniffed. “I bet those ears do be baggin’ dicks. Am I right, fat ass? Hehe.”

“Shut your hairy mustache up.”

“What, ya hatin’ the cut when ya ain’t got no claw to scratch that sandy crab? Luis likes the smooth panther fur. Maybe you should chop off those bangs, forehead-lookin’ ass. We all know why you grew that shit out.”

Maria snorted. “Aye, the gata’s got a point, blondie. You could fire an arrow off that bow.”

“Damn!” Margaret snickered. “She’s roasting your ass!”

Fiona was completely thrown off by how natural Maria was in this environment. Most of the men here were terrified of this elf and panther woman, but she didn’t show an ounce of fear.

“Hah. Jokes on you two,” Eliza laughed. “Take a good look. This change has me lookin’ like a fantasy dream model, sluts. While you got what, coconut, a tail, and pubic hair all over your body. And you became the poster bitch for horny choir kids with mamma issues?”

Margaret choked. “Haha! Yo, ya nailed Maria, Lizzy! The Catholic busty nun outfit—we gotta get her one—teachin’ Sunday class to mamma boys, trippin’ over themselves! Haha! Attendance goes through the roof with those backroom lessons. Ya know what I mean?”

Fiona’s gut squirmed at the crude gestures the woman was likely using. This was not her scene, but Maria adapted without batting an eye while protecting her when she didn’t have to. She’d put herself in danger for her, and Fiona didn’t want to see her get hurt. The unicorn kept matching their energy, though.

“Tch… Puta sucio. Y’all can’t leave my faith outta shit. Congrats on the gonorrhea cure, by the way, puss. At least ya got one blessing goin’ for that itchy ass, but I don’t envy the lifted tail every time ya gotta shit.”

“Wow! I know, we’re going to hell, but that was good,” Margaret laughed, seemingly in tears. “Damn, I forgot how fun you could be! So, how’s the spot?”

“You know what it is,” Maria grunted. “Guagua be runnin’ all day, pero like, business be business. Chonga postin’ up, dominoes all day e’ry day, cafeterias on every corner, and Miami’s most festive spot, no cap. Is what it is. Roll down the hood; I got ya.”

Eliza sighed. “Damn, I do love rollin’ through Calle Ocho. Drugs and tattoos, never likin’ the rules… That neighborhood music always playin’. Shit, Marg! I want some of that Latin food now.”

“Pequeña Habana,” Maria stated, stretching out a bit and squeezing Fiona; she tried not to squeak. “That’s home. Barbecues, cookouts, old cars, and love for the fam. Better than whatever shit storm ya got goin’ on here. Aye. Ya got a kitchen and a 12-pack of frias; I would whip us up some homemade tortillas, ya feel?”

The door opened again, a rush of mumbles from the men outside coming into focus as a deep-voiced man walked through; Luis had arrived.

“Might take you up on that, Maria, but first, we gotta deal with this business with the lost fairy. Damn, who be smelling fine? I caught that shit down the hall.”

“Bae!” Margaret chimed, moving to probably lay her paws all over him. “I guess Relica did with whatever shit her kinky ass is into right now. You saw Adele off? I wanna split. Something creepy’s got my fur stiff…”

“That would be me.” Fiona’s thighs tightened as a whisper seemed to slide down her spine and whisper in her ear. “It’s taken me some time to fully bring the building under control, but we’re set. Also…we have an intruder, and she—shit, it’s Adele’s brat. I thought she was off the grid?”

“Tch. Damn,” Eliza hissed. “Akio’s creepy ass is here with Adele’s brat, and right after she split—the hell kind of luck is that? Can MI6 get her back because we ain’t supposed to do shit to her, right?.”

Akio’s tone became agitated. “Unfortunately, they’re all gone… Hold up, she’s able to teleport via shadows. Relica should be back soon, but not soon enough. Shit. She skipped the whole spiral staircase from hell… The brat’s not affected by my mist? How the—”

Maria’s chest tightened for the first time as silence came across the room, and a nervous girl’s voice popped up nearby.

“Uh…hi, terrorists, umm… I’m just here for Maria and Fiona—t-that’s your name, right? Crazy hiding spot, by the way. What’s up with the warping walls and spooky mist everywhere? Hey! Hey!”

“Who the hell are you?” Maria snarled. “The shit does everyone want from me? Son of a—aye, chill! I’m cool.”

Fiona couldn’t help but pull herself up to peek out from behind Maria’s tank top at the room, eyes widening in terror at the sight that met her.

Blood circled a frightened-looking black-haired vampire goth girl. Maria was standing on the couch, ready to dive anyway, and the gangsters, even the ethereal ghost man, had retreated to the doorway. Ruby crystal spears were forming within the liquid.

Luis and Margaret had their long claws out, feral eyes wide and on the girl; darkness frothed off the man’s frame as he prepared to leap through the shadows to strike from a blind spot—she’d seen him play with his prey before as a lesson to do as they said. All of these gangsters, terrorists, and assassins were practically petrified at the sight of the teenage girl.

Eliza had a bright alabaster bow in her hand, a white arrow of energy nocked and ready to be fired as a dozen men in the hallway trained their scary military weapons on her. Yet, the most terrifying part was the girl’s desperate pleas.

“Please! Please! No, no, no! Don’t make me kill you! Astra? No! Why did you cut out on me? Stupid ghost interference. Uh-uh… Wait! Wait! I…I don’t want to kill anyone—Maria, please, j-just—we’ll go, and no one has to die.”

The elf groaned, sharp eyes spotting her peeking out. “Dammit, Maria… Luis, I’m getting chills, man. My hands are shaking…”

“Point the weapon away, Eliza! We need to figure this out. Akio, you know what to do.”

Margaret and her man’s neck fur were bristling as she agreed with Eliza; the blood was inching closer to them as the vampire begged them to go.

“The hair on the back of my neck… My heart’s beating right out of my chest! Something’s wrong, Luis. How the hell does this bitch make me want to piss myself?! Aye, Akio—”

“I got it!”

“Huh?!” The room tilted upside down, making Fiona’s stomach do a somersault; her hair flipped up with the vampire’s and Maria’s, yet they stayed rooted on the ceiling—but only for a second.

Blood lashed out in a hail of spikes, but the room spun sideways, throwing the gangsters out of the opening before the forming paper doors slammed shut. The liquid split, circled Maria, and pulled her into the air as a crimson disk lifted the vampire off the ground.

Walls, ceiling, and floor twisted like a Rubik’s Cube and sent the furniture tumbling everywhere; the vampire’s crystalizing blood cut everything into ribbons that came near them. As if illusions, the walls melted away to show an old Japanese room with two paper doors on every side. The ghost dispersed into the mist, sinking into the floor with laughter.

“We can’t kill you without Relica’s permission, but now that you’re this deep…just try to escape the Paper Maze!”

Maria seemed as stiff as Fiona at the abrupt change of hands; they went from prisoners of gangsters to a vampire.

“What is going on?!” Fiona cried, unable to hold back her tears now. “I just want to go!”

“Aye, La Fairy. She with you?”

Fiona choked. “No! I-I don’t know her!”

The black-haired vampire girl’s large, illuminated crimson eyes shifted to them. Relief was on her face as she forced a smile and showed off her pointed fangs. She fidgeted with her hair and skirt, seemingly unsure what to do with her hands as her gaze shyly darted away.

“Hi, umm, I’m Scarlet—sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s just, if I’m threatened, my blood kind of…kills everything—it’s not under my control. Not that I’ll kill you! I’m sorry! Umm. I think I bought us some time. Heh. Perks of being an OP reaper!” she rambled.

Fiona’s gaze darted to the ground as the blood lowered them to the absolute mess that was the floor, and Scarlet took another deep breath. “Yay…go me, umm, we’re safe, so yeah… Eegh. Cringe. Umm. Did I mention my name’s Scarlet, and I’m here to rescue you?”

“You did,” Maria mumbled, grimacing and looking at the quiet space they were in; sugar floated down around them from a broken bag that made Fiona’s queasy stomach punch her. “Aye, so, uh… How do ya know my name, chica?”

“Mine, too?!” Fiona called out, trying to climb out of Maria’s front. The unicorn took notice and held out her hand to let her fall into it. “Thanks, uh… I guess I’ll take help from anywhere at this point. I’m just—don’t mind me… I want to cry, but maybe after we get out of here?”

Scarlet glared at her blood as she made motions that it followed. “Well, I have control over it again. So…that’s good, I guess. Umm. You’ve met Rachel, right?”

“Who?” Fiona shook her head as she stumbled toward a large clump of sugar to pick the grains off the floor and pop them into her mouth. Energy flooded her fatigued body with a sweet taste that put a smile on her cheeks. “Finally…”

Maria hummed, causing Fiona to sit down a meter—might as well have been a street—away to look at them. Apparently, the unicorn did know who this Rachel girl was; the only thing that Fiona’s mind associated the name with was an infamous manhwa girl who shockingly betrayed the MC.

“So, you’re with the hare, huh? Mmm. I guess she did kinda owe me,” she mumbled, working around her neck. “Damn. Aye, can you get us to the club floor to save some kids?”

“Oh!” Fiona’s hand shot up, hoping they’d hear and see her. “My friend’s locked up, too. They were using her as a hostage to force me to enchant their people with elemental powers.”

Scarlet’s eyes changed to a stunning blue. “No way! You’re an enchanter? That’s so cool! Umm. I’m not very…good with combat,” she winced. “I’m only supposed to teleport in and teleport you guys out, but…there’s a lot of twists and turns now. I can’t see through all the walls—my guess is it’s a spatial warp ability. Maybe your guys’ abilities can help? Rachel said you’d know what to do, Maria. What Feats do you have?”

Fiona blinked and looked up at Maria, who looked as lost as her. “Feats… Are you saying we have selectable abilities that we can put points into and level up?”

“Okay, chicas, I’m totally lost on this shit,” Maria growled, flipping her hair back and trying to loosen up. “What are you—”

Needles ran down Fiona’s back as Akio’s haunting voice returned, the floor starting to twist slowly. “You think I would—ack!”

“Shut the hell up!” Maria snapped, a radiant horn flaring to life and breaking apart the wooden floor to reveal the carpet beneath them. “I ain’t about your shit right now, comprende? I’m done!”

“Maria! You’re walking a dangerous line. I’ll kill your brother myself, and Fio—son of a bitch!”

The light intensified, making Scarlet squint, and the room returned to normal. “Aye, Vamp, I can’t keep this shit up for long. You’re more creepy than the ghost man, but you got them scared shitless. You have some info to drop ta help? Let’s hear it.”

Fiona munched on her sugar, excitement bubbling up within her as Scarlet’s nervousness chipped away, and, for the first time since changing, she found a sense of security and safety with these two. It didn’t take long for the vampire to explain the System; well, longer for Maria, but Fiona got the gist of it pretty quickly.

One thing resonated with her, though. If she could refocus and refine her Feats, then she could save Erika herself. Scarlet seemed skittish about a conflict anyway, but Fiona felt her emotions beginning to boil now that things were coming back under control.

Scarlet made blood disks for them to hover on so Maria didn’t have to keep wasting her purifying force, and a thin shell of her bloody liquid encased them to block out the threatening ghost outside.

Closing her eyes, Fiona tried to relax and enter this inner world the vampire spoke of; it was more fluid than she thought as her mind drifted into darkness. However, the blank area and spotlight the girl explained didn’t meet her.

A dense, vibrant forest garden of color shimmered into existence around her. Sweet smells and mysterious, magical sounds fluttered in the wind. It felt so natural and enthralling that she stood still, taking it all in as her toes wiggled in the leafy-covered ground. It was soft to her feet, as if moss grew underneath, and a small brook created a rhythm of moving water that tickled her ears.

At the center was a wooden throne, overgrown with flowers, vines, and other earthy things that she knew would be the most comfortable thing to rest on. Walking forward to circle it once, she marveled at the intricacy of its design before sitting. She hadn’t even noticed her fairy-like dress that had replaced her Barbie garments until smoothing it out.

A simple thought brought her status window up, making her heart soar with the majesty of the world she’d entered. She could be more than just some buffer support. Fiona didn’t want to ever feel as helpless as she did these last three days.

She finally knew what she was rather than just some generic fairy. Plus, it seemed that all of the awful things the gangsters did with her elemental enchantments had also contributed to her own EXP because she was already Level 5.

Fiona White

Mythickin Fairy Queen

Age: 20

[4 Stat Points Available]

[1 Stat Modifier Point Available]

[1 Feat Extension Available]

[1 Refinement Point Available]

[1 Branch Feat Point Available]

Force

Power:

[Body] - Extremely Low

[Magic] - Extremely High

Strength:

[Body] - Extremely Low

[Magic] - Extremely High

Defense

Toughness:

[Body] - Extremely Low

[Magic] - High

Resilience:

[Body] - Extremely Low

[Magic] - High

Dexterity

Speed:

[Body] - Extremely Low

[Flight] - High

Agility:

[Body] - Extremely Low

[Flight] - High

Quickness:

[Body] - Extremely Low

[Flight] - High

Energy

Constitution - High

Stamina - Extremely Low

Endurance - Above Average

Tenacity

Elemental Resistances - Extremely High

Physical Resistances - Extremely Low

Control Resistances - Average

Penetration - Above Average

Base Feats

[Primal Force X] - S-tier - Mythickin

[Plight of the Whimsical Queen X] - S-tier - Fairy

[Sugar Pool I] - E-tier - Fairy

[Divine Fae Physiology I] - E-tier - Blessed Fairy

[Divine Fae Sense I] - F-tier - Blessed Fairy

[Prismatic Lumination I] - C-tier - Fairy

[Zoolingualism I] - F-tier - Queen

[Ephemeral Grace I] - F-tier - Queen

[Fae Queen’s Ire I] - S-tier - Queen

[Primal Force] was the same EXP buff passive Scarlet had described, but [Plight of the Whimsical Queen] snatched her attention. Her entire life stretched before her, highlighting her whimsical nature and attitude.

All of the attention, the ease she had in drawing people to her, and how effortless it was to excel at whatever she put her mind to clicked when reading that one Feat. It was a reflection of her inner axiomatic foundation imprinted on her very soul, but there was far more veiled from its simple description.

[Sugar Pool] was simply her source of power, but [Divine Fae Physiology] and [Divine Fae Sense] were so much more. Again, she had this instinctual understanding that this status sheet was only the tip of a much larger iceberg.

She could talk to animals with [Zoolingualism], and [Ephemeral Grace] provided her an inborn grasp of etiquette in how she behaved. Nonetheless, she could choose to exercise it or not due to her whimsical nature.

[Fae Queen’s Ire] had certainly not been S-tier when she’d changed. It was built over three days of constant torment, waiting to be released.

Equipped Feats: 3/3

[Elemental Enchantress I] - F-tier - Oonagh

[Emotional Surge I] F-tier - Oonagh

[Sweet Magic Boost I] F-tier - Oonagh

[Elemental Enchantress] was clear enough; it was her ability to give others electric, wind, or fire abilities for a limited time. [Emotional Surge] and [Sweet Magic Boost] provided a whole new direction for her that made Fiona’s lips curl with the tinting forest.

Fiona knew exactly who Oonagh was; the Irish Queen of the Fairies and a goddess of magic, but she had other things on her mind. With every grain of sugar that she consumed, her emotions and magic would continue to spike.

She was more than just some sweet thing that sang and flitted about; from the moment she stepped foot in this mystical forest space, something awakened within her that roared to be heard. Fiona selected her Stats:

+2 Power: 2

+2 Constitution: 2

Fiona was done being pushed around and stepped on. She wouldn’t be held captive or allow her friends to be held captive again. She chose her Feat Extension:

[Sugar Pool: Well Fed - Allows the user to reach up to 150% of their maximum pool before being inflicted by the addled debuff for 30 minutes.]

She knew precisely what Stat she wanted to modify:

[Power Grade Modified - Increased to Maximum]

Fiona flexed her fingers as the area around her continued to brighten with red shades with her growing anger.

They had attacked her. They had tortured her. They had threatened her friend. They had hurt people to make her use her magic. They’d forced her to watch horrible acts as punishment. They used her magic in horrible ways, marring her heart. And deserved everything her aching heart urged her to release.

Her gaze went to the Level 5 Advancement Path—she didn’t hesitate:

[Attack Feat Branch: Prismatic War Magic I - Obtain the elemental attributes of a Prismatic Fairy Warlord, obtaining [Warpath] and [Elemental Magic] Feats.]

[Warpath] - Reactive State - an Enrage State that provides buffs at a cost:

All spells double in power and cost 50% less sugar. [Emotional State] will remain at 100% raging and cannot be deactivated until the user’s perceived enemy is dead.

[Elemental Magic I] - Active - as this Feat grows, so too will the elements the user can gain access to and their diversity of spells.

Currently available colors:

[Red - Fire Magic - Inferno - F-tier]

[Light Blue - Ice Magic - Ice Shard - F-tier]

It was her only attack option, and maybe she was a closet rager because something within her was burning to be let out; more prismatic colors would be available as her Tiers and Grades increased. All the misery, heartache, and fear were converted by [Fae Queen’s Ire] to enhance her spells with [Magic Boost] and [Emotional Surge] before [Warpath] pushed it even further beyond.

It all came to her naturally, as if waking from a lucid dream; Fiona didn’t need more than a minute to make her decisions after sitting on her throne. She didn’t feel like a new person but like something caged within her was being set free. She refined the Feat that most called out to her:

[Plight of the Whimsical Queen X] - Refinement Time - 7 Days

Scarlet and Maria could do their own thing; she was going to burn this building to the foundations if that was what it would take to save her friend. It wasn’t murder that was on her heart; it was restitution. Fiona exited her inner world.

Chapter Twenty-One

Plight of the Whimsical Queen

An unusual clarity came to Fiona as her eyes opened to the blood dome that protected them; it was as if all her fear, anxiety, and pain were being pulled into a machine to be torn apart and used as fuel.

Maria and Scarlet were already out, a look of disbelief on the vampire’s face as she stared right through the unicorn.

“…mean that bitch is outside?” Maria snarled, unable to shift in the tight space to see behind her. “What happened to the hare chica? Aye, c’mon! Quit spacing out on—shit…”

Scarlet didn’t answer her, left fang punctured into her black bottom lip as the veil of crimson split into bars, giving Fiona a full view of the scene. One of the paper doorways was wide open, revealing Relica, Luis, Eliza, and Margaret.

Relica’s dress, shoes, and left arm seemed a tad dirty as if she had fallen into a semi-dried patch of mud. She didn’t show any discomfort upon addressing them, and Fiona could feel chilled spikes entering her veins with every word she spoke.

Breathing out a long stream of air, she reached for her sugar, calmly scooping up grains to eat as she listened; her current sugar level was 104%. She paused a second while they talked to look at her fingernails, glowing between red and light blue; her base white hair mirrored the color variants and streaks.

[Plight of the Whimsical Queen] was flipping her urges from hot to cold, yet both directions ended the same way. Should she go on a rampage? If she did, they could hurt Erika. She could hurt Erika. Doing nothing wouldn’t save her, though. They’d killed and tortured dozens of people and should be punished.

Caught in the middle of unfamiliar and familiar impulses, one on a cliff to her left and the other to her right, she dangled over a bottomless chasm, feeling pulled side-to-side; the unfortunate part was that her feet weren’t touching ground. Below her was a chasm of ice and fire, welcoming her to let go of the rope and embrace the fall into freedom.

“Ah! It took you long enough to notice us,” Relica snickered, arms folded and a sneer in her eyes. “I’ll make this simple. What—”

“Where’s Rachel?” The growl in Scarlet’s tone made everyone but the black-haired terrorist back away a step. “What did you do to her?”

Relica’s lips peeled back into a half-smile, yet her fingers twitched shortly after, gaze drifted to the unicorn. “I trapped her. Give me Maria, and maybe we can make a—”

“Lying bitch,” Maria interjected. “You don’t believe that.”

“Hmm? Well, heh, I suppose I don’t know what happened to her. My guess, she’s about to die—oh!”

The blood underneath them flooded out, dropping Maria onto her butt. Fiona’s butterfly-like wings automatically flared out of her back, keeping her airborne; the bag hit the wooden planks and sank into them, making her sigh; it seemed 123% was the max her sugar pool would get with the time she had.

[Sugar Pool - Advanced to D-tier]

Luis and the others darted into side rooms, shouting in fear, but Relica didn’t flinch at the spears surrounding her.

“You’re lying! Rachel promised me she wouldn’t—she won’t die! She promised her mom!”

“Ack! Dammit…” Maria grumbled, forcing herself up. “Uh…she believes it. We should get—”

“No,” Scarlet whispered, hands knotting against her chest. “No, Rachel’s misfortune ability… I trust her. She won’t die!”

“Kill me if you think I’m lying. Can you? I’ve heard you don’t want to kill anyone.”

Relica chuckled and tapped a finger against the crystalized blades pinning her to the spot; she didn’t have much breathing room. However, the weapons redirected to Maria as she grabbed Scarlet’s shoulder, pulling her back.

“Don’t kill the bitch! Shit… Aye, look, she has this link with a bunch of kids. If you kill her, the kids die!”

Scarlet’s frame became shaky. “What…am I supposed to do?”

“Let’s take this nice and easy…”

Akio appeared from a wall, the doors on all sides flying open to reveal hostages; none of them were Erika, but it made Fiona breathe a sigh of relief.

[Warpath: Activated]

“Maria, Scarlet.” Fiona floated higher in the air, drawing their attention. Everyone except for the frightened women went silent, scrapes and bruises could be seen across their skin and through their ripped clothing. “You two go free those kids. Okay? I’m going to save my friend.”

“Pfft!” Eliza snorted. “What’s a useless enchanter like you going to do? We got hostages, sweetie.”

“Hmm-hmm-hmm-hmm.” Tilting her head left and right as she gave a thoughtful, musical hum, Fiona stretched her hands high above her head; her belly showed as she leaned left and right in the air. “How about some buffs?” she chimed, flashing her teeth.

“Hey, Lizzy, shut up,” Margaret hissed, the panther woman’s ears folding back. “Something’s up with this pixy—I’ve got a bad feeling.”

[Emotional Surge I: Activated]

A light breeze cycled around Fiona, fluttering locks shimmering jade and gold, static sparking around her frame from [Elemental Enchantress]; it expanded to wrap around Maria and Scarlet, causing their frames to illuminate for a moment with the elements she’d granted them. Electricity snapped from Maria’s fists, and wind lifted Scarlet off the floor.

Fiona’s hues of green and yellow colors faded as a chill escaped her tiny frame, the atmosphere plummeting with the light-blue shades taking their place. A thought came with the pale aura that embraced her, heart beating at an even tempo.

[Sweet Magic Boost I: Activated]

“You have hostages, so we can’t do anything, right?”

Scarlet stepped to the side as the liquid in the air around them condensed into snowflakes from the dense magical energy gathering. “W-What are you doing, Fiona?”

“Aye, they got kids,” Maria hissed, but Fiona’s thoughts and heart were elsewhere.

[Fae Queen’s Ire I: Activated]

[Ephemeral Grace I: Changed to Active]

One particular piece of wisdom came from the arctic gale that brought out a part of her that she’d never had to use in her happy and positive life.

“What’s she doing,” one of the men holding a knife to a bound woman’s abdomen mumbled. “Stop it! Stop it!”

Luis leaned closer to Eliza, whispering, “I feel something’s different about the—”

Fiona focused on the nervous man threatening to kill the hostage if she didn’t stop. “You can’t negotiate with terrorists; one hostage turns into two, and it only increases until the root of the problem is dealt with.”

Hand rising into the air, the magic leaking out of her body collected above her fingers, enhanced by her many active Feats, high sugar pool, and frigid emotional state; within two seconds, jagged crystals formed into an ice javelin two and a half meters long.

Without hesitation, she smiled at the stunned man. “I appreciate you making this easier on me.”

A blast of biting wind sent the projectile into the man’s eye, out the back of his head, and ripping through paper wall after paper wall beyond it; the hole where the spear had punctured began to ice over, freezing what was left of the man’s brain.

Relica’s brow furrowed. “How…did Rachel manage to put into motion this misfortune? Her powers grow by the minute.”

“Aaaaah!” The woman he’d held screamed, shoving the dead gangster’s body away as she tripped and scrambled away.

Fiona didn’t feel a thing as her wintry blue eyes surveyed the crowd for her next target, another javelin forming in her hand, yet the doors slammed shut as Akio sighed, flipping the rooms around. However, a slight smirk lifted Fiona’s cheeks as they stopped.

Crying and curses were heard in the distance, but that didn’t bother Fiona. She’d already heard where they were keeping her best friend, and this instinctual clarity from the cold side of [Plight of the Whimsical Queen] filled her with delightful thoughts.

“Aye, what the hell was that?!” Maria snarled, but Fiona pointed at the hole in the ceiling. “They could… Oh.”

Scarlet’s eyes widened, hand flying to her ear. “Astra? Astra—what? No, I have Maria and Fiona, but…but we need to rescue the kids. Huh?!”

Fiona floated down to pat the floundering girl on the cheek to grab her attention. “Hey. It’s okay. Mhm. You and Maria go after Relica with her purifying power; I will rescue the hostages and draw their attention.”

Maria caught on quickly. “Aye, you’re loco, chica, but don’t go dying on me. Okay? Damn. Let’s go, fangs!”

“H-Huh?! She just—in his head!”

“Shit!” Akio floated after her, trying to change more rooms around to confuse her, but she saw a glaring weakness in the ‘endless’ rooms. “Luis, Eliza, get her ass!”

Waving at the vampire, she flapped her wings, shooting toward the hole; straightening, her energy-like wings vanished, allowing her to go straight through. Reforming, she flipped in the air, gravity changing in the new space.

A bright light sparkled to Fiona’s left; she spread her wings, resistance flipping her out of the way as a beam of energy grazed by her leg. Spear forming, she shot it at the cursing elf woman; the doorway snapped shut, carrying her away, and Maria called out.

“Hijo de puta! Aye, watch it!”

Fiona huffed at the smirking ghost; he’d likely swapped rooms to make her hit Scarlet and Maria. Yet, she met his grin while stabilizing herself, a spur of manic energy blooming within her as the blue aura flipped crimson, and she summoned the power of mayhem.

“What are you going—shit, don’t!”

If a ghost’s face could go ashen, Fiona was sure Akio’s certainly would have as her fingernails sparkled a ruby hue; a fireball the size of a beach ball blazed into being.

[Elemental Magic - Advanced to E-tier]

“Love the paper wall aesthetic, but you really didn’t think this through.”

“No!!!”

Fiona launched it at the corner of the room as Margaret jumped out of the floor doorway, claws extending and glowing with brilliant light. She used all six surfaces to reposition and try to cut her to ribbons; Akio seemed to try to help her by flipping the room. Maybe he was bringing someone to put out the fire she’d started, but she didn’t care since she could just make more.

Margaret was fast and agile, yet Fiona felt like she’d been born with her wings; she had full maneuverability in the air, unlike the panther. Timing the launches, her inferno shot for the woman’s face, making her ears fold back.

Luis jumped out of the shadows in the corner to tackle her out of the way. Fiona laughed while sending another ball of flames after them; the door didn’t close fast enough, erupting on the other side.

“What have you done?!” Akio cried, and she giggled upon seeing him holding what appeared to be a burned place on his arm. “You’ll kill everyone; you’re insane!”

Her hair was ablaze with red hues as Fiona entered the inferno. Her clothes lit like a tinderbox, eating away the plastic-like fabric. All Fiona felt was the liberating scintillation of freedom. She wasn’t just falling into this chaos but dancing in the flames.

Explosions followed her path, and the paper hallways flickered, melting away as Akio likely fled; it seemed his essence was tied to whatever he haunted, and he didn’t appreciate being slowly flayed.

Fire alarms accompanied the cries and cursing from the gangsters and hostages in the next room. Akio appeared to be gone as she turned the room he was in into a hellscape, or perhaps it was Maria’s doing. Without the specter’s support, there was no one to protect them from her wrath—it was open season.

Blowing the door off its hinges in a ball of fire, she left the sea of flames behind her as the sprinklers turned on. Smoke started to haze the area, making it difficult for her to see, but the smog didn’t affect her lungs.

The heated aura she carried was smothered by a light rush of frost and light-blue colors, creating crystals of ice around her. Choking between yells, she spotted two screaming and fleeing men, having left the hostages by the corner.

An unfamiliar, cruel laugh came from her throat with the arctic forces pulled out from the torture they’d caused her; it was Ben and another one of his friends, the one that enjoyed implementing toothpicks in Fiona’s suffering. Thin spikes pierced their calves, digging into the tile ground and causing their bodies to jerk from the sudden shift in momentum.

“Haha! Not so fond of pointy things now. Are we?” she mused, floating closer to the choking and hyperventilating men as the ice froze their bone to the marrow in place. “How much do you want to live? Will you find a way to cut off your own legs before the fire comes, or will you suffocate? I don’t think the sprinklers are stopping it. Hehe.”

“P-Please…”

Fiona’s frosted eyes and frozen smile shifted to the hostages as they huddled beside each other. “Oh! Wonderful. I need you two to come with—” A bright light hit her on the side of the head; it didn’t make her move that much, but it did sting a little. “Huh?”

Looking to the left, another one hit her dead in the forehead. Her teeth flash upon seeing the holes in the wall from the light-based arrows. Fiona’s dense magic condensed above her head while waiting for the next blast, ice javelin forming from her rapidly diminishing Sugar Pool.

“Elemental attacks, hmm? I’m sure that must be very powerful against most people, Elfy. Sadly…not against me.”

“Watch out!”

Fiona’s sapphire eyes darted left at the terrified women, spotting movement out of the corner of her eye. Her free left hand lifted in that direction, spear forming. Luis’ shadowy figure emerged two meters away, only for Fiona’s spike to enter his chest and impale him on the condensing ice.

“Bitch!!”

Margaret ran out of the room she’d just left on all fours. She was fast, but Fiona’s speed in the air dramatically increased with the use of her wings. [Ephemeral Grace] seemed to be more than just etiquette; when airborne, her [Speed], [Agility], and [Quickness] dramatically increased, helping her maneuver.

[Ephemeral Grace - Advanced to E-tier]

[Divine Fae Sense - Advanced to E-tier]

[Emotional Surge - Advanced to E-tier]

[Sweet Magic Boost - Advanced to E-tier]

She laughed at the furious cat’s attempts to reach her near the ceiling, the hair on her neck standing up and her face changing from rage to horror as Fiona dragged the panther man through the air with them. His arms struggled against the jagged ice that had likely punctured a lung.

“As I understand it,” Fiona snickered, “it’s not good to pull something out after it enters an organ. Ooh. Running now?”

Margaret spun in the air, foot coming down on the spear to break it in half; she lost control over it, and the panther melded into the floor with the woman.

Fiona sent a swiftly formed one-meter shard at them, only for Margaret to snatch it out of the air with her teeth before it could enter Luis’ eye. An arrow of light struck Fiona’s back, sending her flying forward before she could launch a follow-up attack, prompting Fiona to use the momentum to flip around and fire another spear in Eliza’s general direction.

“Dammit! She’s practically as invincible as Conner… And this smoke and water! Agh!”

She chuckled at the elf’s comment, retreating to regroup with Luis and Margaret. Her shimmering blue eyes shifted to Ben and ‘toothpick buddy’ as they wept.

“P-Please… I-I’m sorry—I just did what I was told… I can’t feel my legs.”

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…”

Fiona hummed, wearing a strained smile as she skated through the air to the terrified women in the corner. “Sorry for the scare. I’m…not entirely myself right now. I don’t know; maybe I am? Anyway, why don’t you go grab those guns over there? Oh, look at that! A window. We better hurry; the smoke is getting thicker.”

Ignoring the mumbling gangsters, she coaxed the coughing women to follow her; she had them open it and climb through to the fire escape. Sadly, two of the hostages she’d seen had been killed as she went room by room, clearing people out on her way to the kitchen.

Eight gangsters had the joy of experiencing what it felt like to burn alive. Five Fiona left spiked to the wall or floor to suffocate in the growing fire. She missed her target twice due to poor visibility, killing two terrorists by accident; it was a shame.

Her thoughts and emotions drifted from hot to cold, depending on the situation in this hatred-fueled [Warpath] she was on. Thirty-seven hostages were saved, and she eventually caught up to Eliza, Margaret, and Luis in the kitchen; her Sugar Pool had reached 13% in less than ten minutes of ruthless carnage and fickle mania.

Ice spear breaking the glass window of the double doors, Fiona held her hands at her front while floating through to meet the three; they weren’t alone.

Eliza didn’t even have her bow ready; instead, she held a frying pan. Fiona had to admit, it was an intelligent choice. Lasers weren’t working, and they already knew physical attacks did a number on her.

“F-Fiona…”

“Hmm.” Fiona’s mouth drew in as she hovered in the doorway; this wasn’t good.

Blood stained Margaret’s claws as lines dripped down Erika’s throat to her front. Her black-furred fox friend was trembling with Luis holding a machine gun rather than using his powers. The weapon was aimed at even more hostages, making a happy ending impossible. She’d taken too long, which was her whimsical nature’s fault, not these evil people’s.

Erika’s ears were pulled back, and her fluffy tail was wrapped around her leg in terror. The giant ice box was open behind them, showing fifteen women inside, half of which appeared to be Fae or Beastkin. None of them likely knew how to use their powers correctly, as Scarlet had taught her, or else they would have probably been strong enough to escape on their own.

“Don’t so much as, ack—t-twitch,” Luis snarled, choking, but any blood that would have filled his lungs was frozen by the ice shard still stuck inside his chest; he took the pain well, yet the ice affinity was making him shiver.

“Not looking so hot there, bud,” she chuckled. “It’s okay, Erika. If they hurt you, I’ll kill them; they don’t want to die. Isn’t that right? So…let’s see, you can leave or die. What’s worth more, making me suffer and die or saving Luis? Tick-tock.”

Margaret forced Erika toward the rear exit. “We’re going to leave with your friend as insurance. Heh. Do you negotiate with terrorists now that it’s your friend?”

[Grade Advancement - Fae Queen’s Ire II Unlocked]

Fiona hummed, ice in her veins as she spoke words she’d never said aloud. She could see the uncertainty in Erika’s eyes, but she couldn’t focus on that right now. Fiona had a war to win, and the fire in her chest came out with a spiteful, grinning tone.

“Dryshite. What a little wagon hoe. Well, bollocks, it seems ya got me,” she sighed, Irish accent thickening as she rubbed the back of her neck.

“Sure. Lizzy…”

“Go on, ya sorry saps. The sea won’t give ya a second wave; don’t let misfortune kick ye on yer arse on the way out. Langers.”

“This bug is insane; I’m watching her! Shit, I need to get a slingshot for this bitch. Damn, shrimp. I swear…”

“No! I hear pounding outside; something’s coming. It’s been pretty intense out there, though, so it’s probably…”

All three froze as the back door opened behind them, introducing a new player to the board; Fiona wanted to dart forward, but luckily, her colder half won out.

“Huh. I hope I’m not interrupting anything? Hey, that’s not nice,” a woman encased in black plates said in a monotone voice.

Margaret flipped around as a scaled hand covered in red liquid grabbed the panther’s wrist, applying pressure; she let go, shoving Erika forward with a growl as she tried to contend with the newcomer. The fish-tailed woman easily pushed the elf and black-furred man to the side.

“Wha—”

Monstrous, turquoise eyes made the cat’s ears fall back as a tail with a wicked blade broke part of the wall in an agitated flip, sending dust and concrete pieces scattering across the tile floor.

“Are you a bad guy? You look like one. A black cat Beastkin, Astra?”

“N-No…” Margaret whimpered, unable to break the girl’s grip; Erika’s tail curled under as she skipped away, running to Fiona’s side. “L-Luis, s-she’s—fmging strong! Get off!”

“The hell?!”

“Let’s go—”

Eliza drew her hands back and smacked the back of the girl’s head as Margaret clawed her face; the woman didn’t even flinch, but the pan bent, and the cat hissed as her glowing claws didn’t so much as leave a mark. The woman turned to look at the stunned elf, her dull gaze asking if she were serious.

“I’m a leviathan, shrew.”

One backhand sent Eliza flat against the wall, brain checked out after a single gasp. Luis dropped to the ground beside her, eyes practically bugging at the elf’s broken face; he held up his hands in surrender.

“Look, we give up! Okay?”

Fiona met Erika and hugged her neck as the fox woman began to cry.

“F-Fiona, I—what is…”

“Shh! Shh! It’s okay. It’s okay… Umm. Who are you, by the way?”

With a smile, the woman held Margaret’s hand in the air, making the cat Beastkin hiss, unable to do anything to so much as budge the leviathan.

“I’m the invincible warrior of the seven seas, Selvaria the Super Babe Leviathan—the name’s a work in progress, Astra; shut up.”

Unable to fully enjoy the moment due to [Warpath], Fiona floated down and took Erika’s hand, guiding her a bit away from the woman as the others cowered in the meat locker. Erika was smart enough to listen intently instead of start babbling.

“Okay, so who…are you with, exactly?”

“Help!” a few of the women in the freezer whimpered, shivering from the chill and making Sevlaria frown.

“C-Can you let go of my wrist?” Margaret cried, mirroring the hostage’s tone from Selvaria’s pressure, yet the leviathan ignored her.

“Hmm? Oh, right. I’m with the side of justice! Uh, you’re the fairy, so that means Rachel and Scarlet wanted to find you. Where is Scarlet?”

The scene of the showy, monotone woman and terrorists was so pathetic, with Luis surrendered on the ground, Margaret’s hand being used as an extension for the leviathan, and the unconscious Eliza possibly suffering brain damage, at least judging by the drool and blood leaking out of her mouth, that Fiona didn’t even see them as worth her attention any longer.

[Divine Fae Physiology - Advanced to D-tier]

[Prismatic Lumination - Advanced to B-tier]

[Emotional Surge - Advanced to D-tier]

[Sweet Magic Boost - Advanced to D-tier]

[Elemental Magic - Advanced to D-tier]

[New Element Selectable]

[Warpath - Advanced to E-tier]

[Warpath: Deactivated]

“Super Babe Leviathan, can you guide us out of… Who’s Astra?” Fiona questioned as she talked to some other random person, only for Selvaria to hold her free hand to her ear and turn toward the door as a humming drone floated down.

“Astra, you’re not dead… Cool. No boom? Oh. How big of a boom. Cool. Not cool. Of course, I have the fairy here. I’m the heroine of the sea. Uh-huh. Okay. I’ll save the hostages. No. I don’t like the bull guy. Yeah, I got a present for my mom.”

“Selvaria?” Fiona tentatively asked, feeling her strength beginning to leave her as all the emotional energy faded. “Are we leaving?”

“Oh, right. Escort mission. I’m good at these—well, except for last time… Stupid rubber banding. Stay close. Oh, and a villain escort quest, too? This is my first! Let’s go. March—oh, you can’t,” she mumbled, staring down at the shivering panther man. “He doesn’t look too good. Let’s—”

“Aaah!”

Luis detonated in a rush of blood, bone, and guts, Selvaria taking the brunt of that shrapnel that pelted her front.

“Luis, n-no… Relica, p-please…” Margaret whimpered, Selvaria mechanically shifting her toward the door in case she was next.

“Move!” Fiona screamed, pulling Erika behind the counter just as Eliza exploded, shortly followed by the panther woman.

“This is insane!” Erika cried, head covered and bristling tail wrapped close to her body.

Selvaria forced a smile, clearly trying not to think about the gore that now blanketed her. “Heh-hehehe. I hate you, Puffy Tail… I’ve been cursed. Dammit. I hate villains. Okay, let’s get you guys out of here before you all explode. Oh, you need sugar, too, right? Let’s get you sugar.”

The plated woman snatched a half-bag of sugar from the counter and waved for them to follow her. “Come with me if you want to live. No. I’m not quoting a movie, Astra. Am not. Not! Okay, you got me… I kicked the bull’s butt, though. I don’t know what you’re on about. The freaking British.”

Fiona settled on Erika’s shoulder, feeling somewhat spent and sleepy; a wave of sickness came over her from everything she’d done. Smoke was sweeping through the club, but Selvaria guided them out.

At least Erika’s safe… We’re safe.

[Level Up - Level 6]

[1 Stat Points Added; 1 Available]

[1 Feat Extension Added; 1 Available]

The world hazed and went black.

* — * — *

Selvaria weaved through the water, chomping on fish in her passing. Her chest still hurt from the free fall into shallow water, but it wasn’t that bad. Her waterproof bag was a bit tricky to find afterward, though. So, she was a bit behind schedule.

[Kaiju Leviathan Physiology - Advanced to A-tier]

Poking her head out of the water every so often, she found the place Astra had shown her; she was on bank robber duty. She swapped into her human form near the shore, throwing the soggy backpack over her shoulder.

Huh. Has everyone already started?

Not seeing anyone on the beach, she scanned the ocean and spotted all the Navy and Coast Guard ships in the water; their sonars tickled a bit when she was in the sea. Yawning, Selvaria unzipped the bag and found the earpiece with a huff.

I can’t believe they thought I’d lose it. Wait, maybe I would if I changed forms.

“Hmm.”

Putting the device in her ear, her eyes dulled as Astra’s British voice came over the coms. “Alright, mate? Feelin’ a tad bit knackered after the dip?”

“I’m doing fine. So, I just gotta go in there and take out the bull guy, right?”

“Blimey, I can’t believe yer not out of it with a fall like that! Yup, ya just need ta’ march in there and clobber the bloke. Once yer done, we can have a good fag and celebrate.”

Selvaria’s tail dragged along the sand as she made her way toward the back of the bank, bending the fence with her weight to get through. “I think that’s a bad word, mate.”

“Eh? Haha! Fag’s a cig here in London, hun. I got a drone en route—aww, shite, I lost contact with Little Tooth. Bollocks. Supernatural shite. Uh. She’ll be fine. Right?”

“Uh. Probably not,” Selvaria sighed. “Want me to go check on her?”

“No. Stay on mission, Mighty Dragon! Gah. It’s all gone pear-shaped. Hmm. Just focus on that gobby shite stalker. Did I mention he’s a stalker, and not in the good way?”

Selvaria’s face turned red as she struggled to pull herself up a chest-sized rise to reach the building, managing to roll herself over. “Mmgm! Ugh… Haaa. Haaa. I’m too heavy sometimes.”

“Hehe. What was that, mate?”

Face turning red, Selvaria cleared her throat and got to her feet. “Nothing. What is a good stalker?”

“Oh, love. If ya know, heh, ya know.”

“Uh-huh… I think you’re crackers.”

“There ya go, Selv! Get inta the British spirit! Uh. Rachel is mad! You should hear the mouth on this lass? She be takin’ the piss all over the curtain twitcher!”

The hum of a drone floated down as she made it to the bank’s back door, a speaker projecting Astra’s voice. She already knew Rachel had a few screws loose, but that was what made her fun; plus, she really needed more friends.

“I’m with ya, Tails!” he chimed. “Once you’re done moppin’ the floor with this wanker, we’re on ta help Cuddle Bat. Best be quick! We don’t want the gobsmacked fangs to get capped.”

“Onward to victory!” Selvaria cheered, kicking the door in; it flew down the hall and out the window, shattering the glass. After a rather unmanly shout, silence ensued for a few seconds, leaving Astra to snicker.

“You are so over the top.”

“The heroine always has to make an entrance,” Selvaria grinned, strolling in like she owned the pace as her tail weaved left and right.

“What if you hit someone?” Astra asked, following her in with the drone.

“I wouldn’t have—wait,” she stopped dead in her tracks to glare at the hovering machine. “Why did I need an earpiece if you had a drone?”

“Because you’ll lose it. Hehe. Good luck!”

As it left, she glared after the drone, and a gruff voice called out from down the hall.

“Haha! Well, I expected…more.”

Selvaria licked her lips, tail slapping the floor and shattering the tile as she faced the smug, shirtless man; he was more than two meters tall, had bull horns, a weak tail, and hooves for feet. He seemed excited, but the cronies behind him looked terrified. “Hehe. Looks like I will have a barbecue tonight. Let’s fight!”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Battle of the Beasts

Selvaria’s tail weaved behind her as she ran at the tall bull-man—this was her hero moment! She pulled back her arm and aimed right at his chest; there was no way he could hurt her with those stumpy horns.

The world flipped upside down, a thump against her back; shattered tile spat out like a grenade, causing shouts from nearby.

“The hell!”

“Woah! Woah! Chill, Abeer!”

“Blimey!” Astra snarled. “The bloody hell was that racket?! Selv?”

[Dermal Armor - Advanced to B-tier]

[Reflective Exoskeleton - Advanced to E-tier]

“Huh?”

Selvaria’s lips parted in disbelief while staring up at the muscular man; gravity must have reversed because there was no way he’d just thrown her, but here she was, staring up at the ceiling. He walked to the counter to lean against it, his small bull tail weaving behind him.

“Haha! I like the energy, and damn, you got weight on you, girl. That felt good!”

Her blade-like fin slammed against the tile, sending more shrapnel flying everywhere; he was making fun of her, but she had to be cool. Smoothly rolling to the side and pushing herself up, Selvaria’s dull-blue eyes fixated on the man as she dusted herself off.

“Humph. Is that all you have, beefsteak?”

“Ooh. You took that like a champ!” He rolled around his neck and pointed at the broken concrete underneath the pulverized tile. “I’ll hand it to your defense. The name’s Abeer, and who are you, sweetheart? I’ve been looking for a good fight.”

He did not just judo-throw me! I have trouble lifting my own weight when my pool is full.

In a partial daze, she had to admit he had some power; it was probably where he’d dumped all his Stats, as she’d mostly done [Defense]. Selvaria rotated her tail and shoulders, loosening up; it was important to look strong in front of the villain, after all. This was a perfect monologue time to assert her dominance.

“Ho-ho-ho.” She put a hand up to her mouth and glanced around at the gangsters; Astra informed her that the hostages were on the second floor with an armed guard. “How weak. Do you think your puny guards and their toy guns mean anything to me?”

Abeer glanced at his nervous men. “Well, you heard her. Shoot the bitch.”

“B-Bitch?” Selvaria seethed, showing a smile as her narrowed gaze shifted to him. “Why are bad guys always so rude?”

The men let off a spray of bullets that ricocheted off her scaly plates as they covered her skin; one man dropped to the floor after catching a shot in the leg.

[Scales of the Deep - Advanced to B-tier]

“Ahh!”

“W-What’s she doing?”

“Where are the grenades?!”

Two men tossed the deadly objects at her that she caught; well, she caught one of them, holding it up with a grin as the other flew two meters away. A slight sting hit her palm as it detonated, and she hardly felt the one at her back, making the men’s eyes pop.

[Liquid Enhancement - Advanced to C-tier]

[Human Adaptation - Advanced to A-tier]

Tossing the remains in her mouth, she chewed them up with a smile. Abeer didn’t even budge from his casual position and did what all villains do: laugh while watching her torment his men.

“There’s no shot!”

“Those rounds were armor-piercing!”

“Shut up and run, dude! She took a grenade and ate it!”

“You gotta be shitting me!”

“Run! Run!”

“Dude, she ate it!”

“Go! Go!”

“I’m not getting paid en—”

She’d had enough fun; it was time to start the boss battle.

[Intimidation Aura I: Activated]

Selvaria sucked in the air, compressing a large amount into her lungs before releasing a deafening roar that shook the air. The gust she created would have made the men stumble back, had not their eyes rolled back into their heads and they dropped to the tile floor unconscious.

“Oh, c’mon, ack… That wasn’t even my more advanced [Kaiju Intimidation Aura] since I’m in my human state,” Selvaria coached, feeling its increase to the E-tier, probably due to the number of people she affected.

Rubbing her throat and sighing, she looked up at the ceiling as Astra informed her the men upstairs were panicking with the hostages and running for the fire escape.

“Well, well, well.” Clapping came from Abeer as he pushed himself off the counter to appraise the sleeping cronies. “Night-night. Damn. I see you. Relica was right; you were worth the wait, scale girl.”

Selvaria puffed up her chest, holding her head high. “Astra, you there?”

“Not for long, love. We have a bomber situation. What’s up?”

“Can you record? I wanna show my mom how I wipe the floor with this bozo.”

“Ooh.” Abeer flexed his fingers and flashed his teeth. “I love a good show. Why make it exclusive? Let’s show the world me goring you. I can’t make it fast; I want to enjoy myself.”

“I got ya, ya cheeky cock. I’ll set the bugger ta follow ya. I might be MIA for a bit. I gotta cut all wireless feeds for the bloody bomber sheila. Sound is recorded on yer earpiece, so don’t lose it!”

“Hehehe.” Selvaria pointed at him, her monotone voice escalating as Astra’s drone floated through a busted window to record. “Big talk for an oversized piece of beef jerky!”

Abeer walked forward to face her, towering at least half a meter or more above her. “As you said, let’s fight!”

Spinning back with a monotone giggle, her tail whipped to the side, sweeping his legs out from under him. “Girls first!”

“Nice tr—”

He tucked into a sharp barrel roll, only for his shoulder to be met by her scaled heel. Abeer grunted as she punted him through the desk and into a fancy stone pillar in the large bank area. Using her tail to right herself, Selvaria began humming her favorite anime battle song; things were only getting warmed up.

Breathing in deeply through her nose, water filled her mouth as she opened it; the liquid was drawn out, condensing tighter and tighter into a sphere.

[Breath Augmentation - Water Beam]

Abeer forced a laugh as he got up and broke into a charge, chest bleeding slightly from the imprint her clawed toes left in his skin, tinting a dark purple hue. The blast of hyper-condensed water jetted from between her jagged jaws, yet it dispersed into mist against the bull’s maroon aura as he powered through. Still, it applied just enough pressure to make her grin.

Just as her liquid beam petered out, Selvaria jumped forward, sliding across the slick tile to trip the raging bull; Abeer mirrored her, chest hitting the still-settling water. The earth shook with their movements as they collided, Selvaria’s weight carrying her through his momentum and sending him toppling over her to be ripped across her spiked spine.

Unfortunately, she hadn’t considered the ‘after’ portion of this plan.

“Uh…no, no, no—oof!”

Trajectory thrown off by the slick tile, she crashed, slamming into one of the pillars at full force, breaking through the bottom and sending it falling on top of her.

“Give me a break,” she grumbled, face turning red as she tried to push it off her chest; her tail thrashed, beating against the bank floor and cracking the tile, but her attempts to free herself came to no avail. “C’mon—moooove! Ugh.”

Abeer had tumbled into a wall and was getting back up, showing minor cuts across his back and shoulders; Astra’s drone was still recording. “Eh-haha… Ack! Son of a bitch; you do have some sharp edges! Damn. Well, what happened to you?”

The tapping of liquid dropping from the ceiling came into the foreground as Selvaria glared at the bull-man from her trapped position; the problem was her back spikes had dug into the concrete, and the pillar was on her chest.

She sighed. “Go on, take your free shot—”

Abeer rubbed the cuts on his chest before looking at his blood with a small smile; his brown skin had converted to purple, the shade deepening as his horns grew and thickened.

“Oh, babe, I’m just getting started; let’s start getting serious.”

“Woah, woah, woah. Let’s not do something crazy,” Selvaria said with a dull laugh, not doing well in her attempts to wiggle out; she was starting to feel a bruise from his previous attack. “You’re not supposed to go boss mode yet; I haven’t reached the enrage timer.”

“Can you take a full charge from my released state without any damage? Let’s see, dragon girl!”

The red aura expanded, and Abeer’s frame illuminated. He grew and shifted to become a 4-meter-tall bull, his maroon fur deepening, and white symbols and hair sprouted out of various parts of his body.

A strained laugh bubbled out of Selvaria’s tight chest as he practically grew six more horns that were practically fused together and wrapped around his face. One curled under his eyes, two jetted out from atop his head, and two curved out, each one housing deadly barbs.

“You gotta be kidding me… Well, this is probably going to—eh?”

[Level Up - Level 5]

[1 Stat Point Added; 1 Available]

[1 Stat Modifier Point Added; 1 Available]

[1 Refinement Point Added; 1 Available]

[1 Branch Feat Point Added; 1 Available]

The level came as a shock, considering her position, but it probably meant their team was winning somewhere and sneaking her EXP.

Score! I get my super abilities now! Well, if I don’t die. Pfft! Me? Never! Just please don’t hurt too much…

Hot steam shot out of the bull’s nose as the bone atop his head thickened with spikes that ran down his spine. Abeer’s muscles would have made Rachel jealous as they flexed in his agitated pacing…and had he not been a bull right now. Each step of his glistening hooves caused shockwaves through the floor, yet the sounds the hooves made was less intimidating to her.

Some of his men started to wake up from her fear aura, saw their drenched environment, the bull about to go on a rampage, and her under a pillar before scrambling up to run. Astra’s drone caught their exit in 8k, and she couldn’t go out like a punk.

“Bring it on, beefsteak,” she laughed, trusting in her [Defense]. “Better make this one count, or—oh, and there he goes… Mmm.”

Abeer turned and walked through the front, destroying the wall with a flick of his head. Selvaria could see where this was going; yeah, it was time to really try before this got bad.

[Liquid Enhancement: Activated]

Strength flooded her muscles as she burned a bit of liquid; she groaned, trying even harder to push the debris off. [Breath Augmentation] wouldn’t be strong enough to rip through the pillar at its low tier. She needed to get to the ocean to transform and access her full kaiju-enhanced abilities, just as he’d activated his; she couldn’t win against a kaiju in her human state.

However, Abeer had made the critical anime error that every bad guy or hero made: the first one to unleash their hidden power was always the loser.

Shoving off the pillar just as a thunderous noise came from outside, the drone catching every second from its high vantage point, Selvaria stumbled to her feet and activated her defensive Feats in quick succession to their fullest, fueling them with 50% of her current water supply.

[Dermal Armor] Max - 10%

[Scales of the Deep] Max - 15%

[Liquid Enhancement] Max - 15%

[Reflective Exoskeleton] Max - 10%

The dark plates along her body shimmered with an obsidian sheen, thickening and flaring out in preparatory retaliation as her aquamarine eyes brightened; metal, brick, and stone exploded inward as the brown-eyed bull charged, head lowered and hooves ripping up concrete in his swift acceleration.

“Bring it on!” Selvaria screamed, running to meet him; her weight was dropping dramatically due to her loss in water, but she had a short delay in the consumption to loss in overall Stats due to the loss in her pool.

Abeer’s front horns met her protected belly, forcing the air out of her lungs and sinking slightly into her skin underneath as his bony head met hers; the world went white. Flashes of light and dull sound met her ears, her mind spinning as she saw falling pieces of a building, a bent metal dumpster flying over her, and fire burning her abdomen. Had his horns been cloaked in flames? She couldn’t remember.

[Grade Advancement - Dermal Armor II Unlocked]

[Grade Advancement - Scales of the Deep II Unlocked]

Selvaria’s hazed vision saw a bright, partially cloudy sky, with a pretty moon overhead as air rushed past her; she blinked, and suddenly there were choppy waves overhead, her mind soon washing out completely.

Damn… she thought, numb body sinking into the sea. That’s gonna be a cool scene…

[Water Pool - 34%]

[Water Pool - 35%]

[Creature of the Fathomless Void: Activated]

[Dermal Armor - Augmented to Kaiju-class]

[Leviathan Physiology - Augmented to Kaiju-class]

[Scales of the Deep - Augmented to Kaiju-class]

[Leviathan Sense - Augmented to Kaiju-class]

[Intimidation Aura - Augmented to Kaiju-class]

[Reflective Exoskeleton - Augmented to Kaiju-class]

[Breath Augmentation - Augmented to Kaiju-class]

Strength flooded Selvaria’s body, bright eyes opening to the sea paradise she’d made for her inner world; Abeer’s attack had been strong enough to knock her unconscious and heavily damage the plates guarding her belly, but they’d held due to maxing her defenses on impact.

A smile spread across her monstrous jaws as the status screen popped up, giving her an understanding of what she’d gained; this was what she’d been waiting for.

She swiftly scanned through the options and didn’t have to think hard about her decisions; she was a tank bruiser, after all.

Exiting her internal world as fast as possible, Selvaria felt a pulse quake through her entire body; her tail scraped along the bottom of the floor as she twisted around in the water, the seafloor growing smaller as she grew larger.

Head exiting the water, Selvaria lifted her long neck out of the ocean, powerful legs pulling her out of the waters; her laughter rippled the air with hair-raising rumbles. Abeer was still in his bull form, 4 meters tall, and turning to look at her.

Nearly 20 meters long with everything she’d gained, Selvaira opened her spiked mouth, bones on the outside of her wide jaws meant for penetration as her triple rows of teeth glistened with her black tongue.

“We’re not done, buddy!” she roared, her terrifying [Kaiju Aura] radiating within her cry.

Hot steam shot out of Abeer’s nose, his grunt translating to her through the universal Kaiju language as he turned around. “So you’ve become a bigger target? How kind of you…”

Selvaria’s tail curled around, bringing a wave of seawater onto the ripped-up beach. Tipping her head low, electricity ran along her back up to open her mouth, and she pulled in liquid, charging and condensing the particles with the static bouncing around her jaws. This time, she wasn’t using her weak human variant of the attack, and she had a whole ocean to fuel her.

[Kaiju Breath Augmentation - Ion Cutter]

“Shit…”

Abeer used his horns as a shield as she breathed the shimmering, aquamarine laser at the bull; the force of the impact forced him to take a step back—two seconds, three, five—the beam dwindled, showing a heated spot on the man’s larger horn. A second later, it cracked and fell to the grass.

“Fight me, villain!” Selvaira roared, thrashing her tail and kicking up sand. “Our battle will be leg—why are you running? Why are you running?!”

He took one look down at his broken horn as a flaming message Selvaria couldn’t read flared into existence beside him. “How…did you get so powerful in less than three minutes? Shit. Agh! Son of a bitch. Next time, dragon girl—this isn’t over—I have other business to handle.”

Turning, Abeer charged into the building.

“No… Dammit… Stupid, slow body… Coward!”

“I’m no coward!”

Every step onto land made her body cry out to stop as she tried to pursue; sure, [Environmental Adaptation] allowed her to be in this form on land, but that didn’t mean she was good at it.

“W-Why are you…going—yes, you are—cowardly beefsteak… I’m hungry. Aww, this sucks… I’m soooo slow…”

Falling on her belly, her head struck the rise that led to the bank’s broken back wall; a dog was nearby, barking at her, somehow bypassing her fear aura, or maybe she just didn’t want to scare it, and that mattered. Frustration boiled in her restored belly while staring at the large horn Abeer left.

The drone came hovering down, her big eyes following its path as Astra’s voice came over the speaker. “What did I tell ya, mate; you lost the earpiece, didn’t ya?”

“Shut up,” she grunted, but it only came out in an agitated, monstrous growl.

“Hehe, well, bollocks. It’s a good thing yer mate knew this would happen and packed a spare!”

Returning to her human state, Selvaria groaned as the weight of gravity against her less-enhanced body increased. “Ugh… I need more points into [Power]… Wait, really? Aww. Thanks, Astra,” she said, releasing the tense air in her lungs. “I guess I have a trophy and video for Mom…”

She stopped at the wall, crossing her arms and glaring at the rise as Astra snickered.

“Knackered, love?”

“Ish. I’m taking the stairs… Screw platforms,” she yelled into space in her monotone way. “Wait, I scared off the villain, which is a good segment. Right?”

“That it be, chapette! The Adventures of the Invincible Sea Lassy, episode one!”

“No, no, no… We gotta have like a short teaser of the fight,” Selvaria hummed, rubbing her chin while taking her time to get up the rise; she was, as Astra put it, quite knackered. “I need a cool ‘just your normal girl’ introduction with my mom and Chocolate the Moose…oh, and my new friends.

“Aww, you’re so wholesome and terrifying,” Astra laughed. “Oh, you will not believe how things ended with this bomber, ma’am.”

“Ooh? Go on, and take me to another fight… I can’t believe he ran away. Ugh. I hate villains.”

“Oh, and don’t get your knickers in a twist; he’s gone-gone. Someone’s doing some teleport shenanigans—probably MI6, and… Hold up. Blimey! I think Rachel’s back, and rockin’ a look?! Damn, girl, got some bling!”

* — * — *

Anthony moved Amelia’s bed to the corner so he could act swiftly anywhere in the room, keeping Molly, Sam, Astra, and Selvaria’s mother close to his fiancé. He took up a central position in the room with two soldiers beside the exit on the outside and in.

Amelia had gotten along with the two women, talking about their daughters as Astra mostly kept to himself, showing off his British vocabulary to him, no doubt by the avatar he’d currently taken.

Ever since this whole operation started, he’d been pondering his part in all of this. Naturally, he was taking up the home base protection detail since he wouldn’t leave Amelia’s side, but Anthony also couldn’t deny that he was falling behind in this changed world, and it didn’t sit well with him.

Staring down at his fidgeting hand, he knew Amelia would notice; she always caught onto his nervous ticks. What if I’m not strong enough to handle it, or one more Feat Extension could be the difference between life and death?

A pop came from Astra as he blew a bubble, mouth creasing and making Molly’s nervous eyes shoot toward him. “Has Rachel come back?”

“My apologies, ma’am, but not yet… Oi, lover boy, we got incoming—the bleeding bomber and cheeky teleporter chap. I’ma have ta cut all wireless signals to stop any remote detonation; my man’s gonna to have ta get close… Eh?”

Anthony’s short sword blurred into action, now having a confirmation as to his target. Daran appeared by the wall, holding up his hands and wearing a frustrated expression as his blade came centimeters from his neck. Sam got in front of his wife as the others in the room tensed.

“Hold up, dammit! Shit… I’m not here to start—chill, homie!”

The Green Berets aimed their guns at him, calling out for him to get on the ground, and to everyone’s surprise, he did.

Anthony kept his blade to the man’s throat as he slowly dropped to his knees and got on the floor; the soldiers hustled over to zip-tie his hands behind his back.

“Look, ack—this shit has gone too far… Relica sold us out—I want witness protection for my dad and brother. I’m sure we can work out a deal with your commanding officer, dammit! I have teleportation for—I’m cool! Just…”

“Where’s the bomber?” Anthony snarled, keeping his blade point on the nape of the man’s neck and ready to thrust if he made any moves.

“That’s a good place to start,” Roy grunted. “We got thousands of people taking refuge here, so your life ain’t worth shit until the threat is neutralized.”

Astra snapped his fingers. “Best start chattin’, ol’ chap. I’m recordin’.”

“Relica can’t know I’m trying to make a deal,” Daran panted, sweating profusely and shaking with fear. “S-She’ll kill my dad, brother, and me—with a snap of her finger! We need Maria to dispel whatever magic shit she placed on us…”

“The bomber!” Roy repeated, gun jabbing his side.

“Okay! Okay! I dropped him off in the boiler room; she’s going to use a chemical bomb in the vents. I had to make it look legit!”

Roy forced him up. “If you want any kind of deal, teleport us there—Kenley?”

“Neutralize. Got it, boss,” the man stated, checking his gun and unfastening his pistol strap and knife for quick use before adjusting his sight. “Ready to roll.”

Daran’s eyes darted left and right, his fear almost palpable. “I-I… What promise do I have, if I’ll get anything?”

“You don’t, but if you’re helpful, then that should be taken into consideration—now, teleport, dammit!” Roy demanded.

Anthony took a step back as the prone man shimmered, taking the two men kneeling on his back to another location. Tension ensued in the next two minutes as they waited with bated breath; Astra couldn’t even coordinate things since he’d had to cut all air traffic in the area to stop a possible remote detonation.

He walked over to hold Amelia’s hand, reassuring her by his smile and a light squeeze, like Sam was doing for Molly. Molly was doing the same for Selvaria’s mother. However, the three returned within ninety seconds—sooner than he’d expected.

Roy’s voice came from the hallway as he appeared to exit from a side door, dragging Daran along. “Body in the next room, get a doctor to help wrap it up for transport, boys.”

He came through the door, shoving the pale-faced gangster forward. “Astra, any more hostiles you’re aware of?”

“Nope. I caught a CCT video of the two blokes teleporting on their way here. My intel has nothing else, but I suspect Relica will know soon enough that the deed isn’t done. The bloody woman has spies everywhere, it seems. I’ll report it on—limited network should be back up in a few minutes…”

Anthony still wasn’t convinced. “Why would you betray Relica? You’re practically pissing in your pants. What made you flip?”

Daran choked, face red as he pressed his body against the brick corner, tears running down his cheeks. “S-She stuck a-an f’in child’s soul in me, dammit—as a battery! She forced me and my b-brother to try and kidnap that hare bitch’s parents… He almost died! Shit. Shit! I called the boss, and…and everyone in Colombia is dead! Adele stabbed the cartel in the back…”

Astra’s fingers paused over the keyboard, blowing a bubble before sucking it back in. “What in hells are ya on about, mate? Colombia has loads of internet traffic.”

The gangster shook his head, shaky legs making him fall to his knees. “No, the cartel—our base of operations—all I heard from the survivors was that domes… Domes trapped them, and white-scaled salamander monsters killed almost all of them—toad people… Living trees that kidnapped all the males and killed the females! Insanity!”

“Cry me a river,” Anthony grunted, flipping his chair around to sit by Amelia and hold her hand. “So a cartel is dead. What’s her plan?”

“You don’t get it!” Daran snapped, visibly shaking. “This was a global operation that was systematically dismantled in the last three days, and someone on the other end left one person alive to deliver a message—I won’t give it until…” he trailed off as Astra flipped around a screen, showing Captain Barbara’s cold eyes.

“Provide me enough details, and we’ll see about that witness protection; I have the authority to bring your case directly to the Attorney General of the United States. What are we dealing with?”

Swallowing, he cleared his throat. “He said his name was Wolfgang—a German man—and I should turn m-myself in if I wanted my family to live, s-since Relica and Adele have no intention of keeping us alive. I need Maria!”

“German, yikes. Wonder who he’s with? Did he happen to give you a name, by chance?” Astra muttered, rolling his eyes and frowning while scanning multiple feeds. “Your call was encrypted so well that even I bloody couldn’t crack the bugger.”

Daran sucked in his bottom lip as the hair on the back of Anthony’s neck stood on end. “H-He said you should look for something called the Ordo Temp—”

“Roy, Kenley!” Anthony shouted, making the men instinctively dive away from the man after hearing what Relica did to the men holding the Florida mayor’s son.

Flipping the chair over, he launched toward the man to cover most of his body; as Daran wept for help, an eruption of gore exploded, covering the seat and blowing parts of it away in the hail of bone shrapnel. Anthony managed to take the brunt of it, his Stats and enhanced physiology keeping him safe.

“Roy, Kenley?”

“One got my leg,” Kenley growled, limping over to check the others with Roy, but the distance and chair had kept most of it isolated to the corner.

“Doctor!”

Molly’s face went white before fainting in her husband’s arms at the guts spackling the walls, and Selvaria’s mother had a light cut across her neck. Sam was holding things together, but Amelia was looking away, trying to hold in her stomach as the horrific stench filled the room.

Roy swiftly opened the door, coughing and ordering nurses and the men in the hallway to help move them to another room. Anthony was instantly beside Amelia, trying to comfort her as she started to hyperventilate; her body was already weak as it was, making him stress.

Astra completed the living bomb’s phrase, though, seemingly ignoring the exploded human. “Smashing! Ordo Templi Orientis, founded by one Aleister Crowley… Well, bloody hell. If this pans out, I suppose the bloke’s sacrifice will have uncovered our MI6 and UK connection. Isn’t this getting interesting? Oh, looks like Selv made the chap turn tail!”

Chapter Twenty-Three

A Courageous Bat

Scarlet’s world cracked as Relica’s cruel, twisted smile dared her to impale her with the blood spears. Yet then, Maria warned her that the kids would die if she hurt the witch. What was she supposed to do? Now her spears aimed at Maria, and the terrorists brought crying hostages out; this wasn’t supposed to happen!

Without Rachel telling her what to do, she might make a mistake and kill dozens of people. There was no way Rachel could die; she was too intelligent, driven, and strong. Rachel always had an answer; she always knew what to do. Rachel never panicked. Why couldn’t she be more like her instead of feeding off of the in-control aura she produced?

She could feel the bloodlust and fear pulsing through the building like a beating heart, applying more pressure against her chest with every passing second. Yet, one emotional wave stood out from the others.

Scarlet felt weightless as Fiona’s hum brought a soft wind that lifted her off the ground, her skirt fluttering a tad at the breeze circling her. Electricity sparked across Maria’s skin as the fairy’s enchantment took effect.

It didn’t take long for chills to run through Scarlet’s bones in the cooling, magical atmosphere, and she froze at the sudden shift in the fairy’s mental state. She hadn’t felt cruelty, coldness, and such a deep thirst for murder since meeting Veronica in the ocean of blood. Yet, Fiona’s voice and smile were like smooth jazz as she thanked the terrorists for making things easy for her.

A shimmering shard of ice formed in two seconds and scattered her spiraling string of thoughts as it flew straight through one of the gangster’s skulls. A short, stunned silence overtook the tense scene, Relica looking just as confused as everyone else.

Another ice spike formed above Fiona’s hand, causing Akio to sigh, shut the doors, and spin the rooms. Maria purified the ground under them to keep herself stable while shouting at the fairy, but Astra’s staticky voice in her ear snapped her panicking heart back into focus.

“Fangs… You there—”

It cut off as the supernatural aura of the area scrambled the signal, killing her hopes at news regarding Rachel’s whereabouts. A baby-blue glow brought her feverish gaze to the smiling, illuminated fairy, and Scarlet breathed in Fiona’s similar confident vibe, not quite, but close to Rachel’s.

“Hey. It’s okay.” Her tiny hand patted her cheek. “Mhm. You and Maria go after Relica with her purifying power; I will rescue the hostages and draw their attention.”

Maria responded to her as Scarlet closed her eyes and breathed, using whatever power she had to feed off the fairy’s grace and confidence. The unicorn’s unique blend of courage and attitude, mixed with Fiona’s emotional aura, provided just enough of a crutch to stabilize her frantic mind.

She would have responded, but Fiona was already flying away, as serene as a clear sky if a clear sky rained down shards of ice. Another frigid spear shot out above them, barely missing Maria’s shoulder and making her curse. On the flip of a coin, Fiona’s serenity became a blazing ball of enraged laughter.

Akio went after the fairy, and the room shortly started to return to normal as Maria carefully took her arm and pulled her away; it wasn’t hard when she was floating a few centimeters off the wooden floorboards.

“Aye, chica, you got us, right? Chica?!”

“Huh? Oh. No, yeah, umm… I-I’m with you! Just—just give me a second,” she panted, clutching her chest as her blood cycled around them; Relica’s claim about Rachel was like a dagger plunging into it.

With Fiona’s departure and the crutch of her stability replaced by a whimsical manic hate, all Scarlet could lean on was Maria to keep herself from falling back into a petrified hole at just the thought of being forced to tell Molly her daughter had died. It was enough.

Scarlet breathed a long sigh, and her feet touched the carpeted floor as the paper walls and wooden boards receded with the supernatural presence; it seemed Akio was abandoning the ship, and he wasn’t the only one.

“About damn time ya got your head straight. Shit,” Maria snarled, picking up her pace as their room became a long hallway on what appeared to be the second floor. “Aye, Tony, don’t do—”

Two gangsters with two terrified female hostages came into view with the melting paper walls, and the light-skinned man instantly dropped his knife upon spotting them. He shoved the woman forward and dropped to his butt.

“Hey! Hey! I’m done! Zack, drop the—”

Her blood launched forward, creating a wall between them; Scarlet felt death looming. Her vision tinted red just as the mass of purplish force flooded the men’s veins, moving along a string-like substance that permeated their circulatory systems. Then, suddenly, her hand flew to her mouth in shock as the men exploded.

All sound from the detonation was hidden behind the crimson wall blocking off the hallway, Scarlet dropping to her knees with the cowering women. Maria rushed forward to comfort the women but paused beside them as Scarlet bent over to dry heave, gripping her throat.

She could taste it: their blood mixed with her own, filling her with power, sweet, terrified hormones mixed into the liquid. Scarlet didn’t want it, yet the blood crawled to her as if she were a magnet.

“No… I don’t like it…”

It was a lie, and Maria seemed to know it by the bewildered look on her face as she whispered to the two trembling women. Scarlet didn’t want to love it, but her body welcomed the blood in like a gourmet meal.

“No, focus…” Scarlet growled, breathing deeply and trying to pull from her inner Rachel. “Focus… Relica…”

Her fangs bit into her black lips as she stumbled upright, the cool breeze of Fiona’s enchantment still flowing around her. She had to trust in Rachel, and Rachel told her that she could handle this—Scarlet knew she was powerful—she would handle this…hopefully.

Taking a deep breath and releasing the pressure, Scarlet walked forward, shadows and blood pooling around her. The women tensed and wept for their lives, but they were behind a group of soldiers when the darkness left them safe from harm.

Without explanation, she left them, carrying Maria and her to two more groups of panicking gangsters; every time she appeared, the violet string running through the gangsters’ bodies expanded and turned them into living bombs. Scarlet detached herself from her emotion, instantly teleporting the victims away after the ghost’s disappearance.

Maria’s eyes were practically spinning with the swift changes in location as Scarlet brought them to the front entrance; Relica was waiting inside.

“W-What the hell was that about?” she choked, sweat slicking her face as the sprinklers triggered from the fire Fiona was creating on the upper floors. “If ya had that kind of power—shit…”

Scarlet’s blood fanned out to keep them dry, fingernails digging into her palms to keep herself from trembling. She could do this; she just had to remain strong, but now she didn’t know what to do.

Her focus shifted from Maria to the room where the terrorist waited. Everyone in the room had the same magical thread laced throughout their bodies, and it wasn’t just them. Maria was supposed to have the answers, though. However, the unicorn’s panting and flushed skin were now concerning her.

“Maria…”

“What?” she grunted, sounding breathless as she plucked at her tanktop to let air in. “You got a lock on the kids? Take me in, and I’ll purify that shit. Let’s go, chica.”

Scarlet slowly shook her head. “You’re…dying, aren’t you? Your body doesn’t have blood.”

“The hell you talkin’ about? I can do a mass purification!” Maria shifted uncomfortably, scratching her scalp, but her illuminated horn was already dimming. “Shit, I got it; let’s go—we’re wastin’ time! Zip in, nab ’em, purify, we out. Ya know?”

Rachel had told her Maria couldn’t lie, so Scarlet shook her head and revealed the bad news.

“Relica moved all of the kids to the edges of the room… I think she knows you’re limited, and I can see the magic, or whatever it is, in all of them… In the women we saved, too. I—”

“Dammit!” Maria’s nose twitched as she began to pace, running her fingers through her hair. “¡El culo maldita mierda, perra! Aye, chica; encárgate de tu mierda—give me somethin’, huh?! Are you telling me she’s got a damn army of human bombs?”

“I-I… Yeah, what can we do? It’s in all of the gangsters—at least a hundred or more…”

“Well, shit,” Maria worked around her jaw and tapped her shoulder with the back of her hand before nudging her head to the room. “Okay. Okay. Aye, you confident in yo shit?”

“What do you mean?” Scarlet mumbled, trembling fingers holding onto her shoulder. “No. I don’t have any confidence in myself…”

“Ugh. Aye…”

Scarlet stiffened as Maria clasped her head and looked into her frightened eyes, her blood curling in threateningly. “S-Stop—I don’t want to hurt you…”

Maria didn’t back down, sweat-slicken face filled with determination. “I promised those kids I’d get them out, and I don’t lie; ya hear me? My body is screaming at me to lay my ass out and call it quits, but I ain’t doin’ that… If we can’t punch our way out, we gotta talk them free—we gotta buy time. Ya feel me?”

“F-For Rachel?”

“For Santa Claus, dammit! I don’t give a shit who,” she snarled, forcing a smile. “You with me, vamp girl; your crew will figure something out, right?”

Scarlet’s heart sang as Astra’s British chuckle spoke into her ear.

“Well, I like this Mexican lass!”

“Astra!” Scarlet cried, crimson leaking out of her eyes and making Maria’s eyes snap to her pointed left ear. “What about Rachel—is everything okay? I see Selv still fighting the guy… Is she okay?”

“Ah, Ms. Fat Tail needs ta work on her cardio; it’ll take Nessie a good bit longer, I think, and then she’ll need to trudge over here, which, heh, good luck! But ya got yer ol’ bloke Astra here! The cap says they’d got some purifiers en route to handle the nasty stuff, so our horned lassie be on the money.”

“How am I supposed to do that? I suck at talking,” Scarlet hissed, scratching her neck as the pressure mounted.

“Feed her ego,” Maria grunted, evening out her heavy breathing. “From what I hear, she’s addicted to it.”

“She’s got a point. Rachel was a master at crackin’ her nut; she also seems interested in you. Play it up! You got this, Little Fang! I’ll let ya know when Fluffy Tail gets back. So, go get her, love!”

Fiona’s chaos above continued like clockwork; Selvaria was exiting the ocean like she was auditioning in a kaiju movie, and a lot of the soldiers were getting closer to the facility as they closed in. Rachel had to come back soon.

Not feeling so alone anymore, Scarlet walked forward as the sprinklers ceased and threw open the door to the club floor. Relica licked her cracked lip with an excited smile, the wound seemingly self-inflicted.

“It took you long enough, Scarlet, Maria. Hasn’t this been an utter disaster? Haha. I love it.”

Maria snorted, arms crossed and cocked her hip,  her illuminated eyes darted around the large underground area. Her gaze shifted between each of the hypnotized kids, trying to buy time. “Bullshit. You’re hella nervous. What’s the deal when you hold all the cards? Heh. Damn, Terrell, she’s got your ass sitting bar-side, huh?”

The dark-skinned blind man’s mouth was tight as he sat at the bar, seemingly trying to ignore them while talking on the phone with someone now that the supernatural field was gone; Scarlet could see the purple lines in both Terrell’s and Marcus’ veins, and her eyes widened upon getting a better look at the bar.

“You…spiked the water and alcohol with the explosion spell?”

Terrell and his son tensed, dropping the glass to shatter across the ground as Relica giggled.

“Wow! You really are some kind of monster,” she mused, legs crossed and meeting Marcus’ terrified eyes. “You wouldn’t believe how easy it is to kill people with the trust they put in their food or beverages.”

She lazily held her hand to the side and snapped her fingers with a gleam in her eyes; the loud snap in the still atmosphere lingered before Terrell fell off the stool, knees hitting the tile, his world collapsing.

“Dad—Dad?!” A honeycomb shield enclosed the two gangsters as Marcus glared at the smirking woman. “Bitch, what…”

“Daran…”

“What about Daran?”

“Does she have to spell it out for you?” Maria growled. “She killed your brother.”

“No! That’s—how?!”

Terrell forced a laugh, tears gathering in his clouded eyes as he looked at Relica. “When did you k-kill him?”

“Oh, mate,” Astra’s voice buzzed in Scarlet’s ear. “It was a while ago. That snap was one of the blokes Fiona is dancing with.”

Relica was adjusting her dress with a thoughtful hum. “I’m shocked it took you this long to notice your son was gone. I suppose you’ve been busy talking to your bosses. Figure things out? Most of them will be dead soon enough.”

“It’s you,” Terrell whispered. “You’re the Violet Seat… You betrayed your own cartel… We ran your drug ring. Why dismantle your own organization?”

“Wait, she’s your boss? Shit,” Maria whistled, moving on to a few more of the kids as she used the casual atmosphere to continue checking up on them. “I didn’t see that angle. What about Margaret, Eliza, and Luis?”

Scarlet shifted comfortably at Relica’s incredulous smile, and she tried to loosen up while walking forward to take the seat in front of the terrorist-turned-secret mob boss.

“Oh, darlings… Hehe-haaa. What kind of question is that? You don’t make seventh on the US’s most wanted list by being a simple terrorist. Why did I destroy my own cartel? Because it’s a dead business,” she snickered. “As for Marg, Lizzy, and Luis—loose ends that served their purpose.”

Maria nudged her head to the side. “Cold.”

“Well, I will collect insurance on all those killed; occupational hazard via alien attack is quite the niche that pays, heh, quite good, as you can imagine. I might as well get something out of them. In fact, Scarlet was the one who was supposed to have killed all of you.” She let out an exaggerated sigh. “And that didn’t happen…which is what troubles me and why I am still here.”

Scarlet’s eyes glazed over. “Huh? W-What do you mean?”

“Damn. So…you’re the big fish running shit, huh?” Maria asked, moving to one of the nearby kids to wipe the drool running down his chin. She took a nearby bottle of water, grimacing upon sensing some of the magic inside, but it was weak enough that merely holding it purified it due to her aura. She had him drink some water to remain hydrated. “Drink up—that’s right, slowly… Shit, would it kill you to care for them; hostages are worthless dead…”

Relica laughed. “Big fish? No-no-no, sweetie… In a world of big fish…I’m Moby-Dick! And I didn’t expect to kill these kids, to be honest. Oh. Here’s a question to illustrate that—I’m curious—Terrell, what Level are you?”

Marcus was helping his father up, whispering something to him, but he was having trouble finding his feet.

“What does it matter? You can’t do shit to us with my shield up.”

“Shut up, Marcus,” his father muttered. “Do what she says, or we’re both dead… Three.”

“Smart,” Relica said, waving at Scarlet.

“Four,” Marcus snarled.

“What about you, Maria?”

“Four… Five now.”

“Bullshit!” Marcus snapped. “I’ve killed over four dozen people to get to Level 4!”

“Tsk-tsk-tsk.” Relica’s wagging finger snapped his mouth shut. “Murder is far from the most efficient way to level, but the fairy is making gains. Hehe. Scarlet, do you know what Level you and Rachel are? Tell me the truth.”

Hands knotting at her skirt front, Scarlet’s blood hovered around them, threatening spikes poised to strike as Maria kept moving between the children, caring for their needs. “I don’t know about me—I can’t enter my inner world thing or control my System… Rachel was Level 6 when I last saw her.”

Marcus seemed stunned at the revelation, but Relica’s nose twitched, fingernails digging into her thighs as she looked at Maria for confirmation.

“Rachel is Level 6, bitch. Heh. What’s the shade; is she higher than you?”

“She can’t enter her inner world?”

Maria shook her head. “She’s not lying.”

“Hmm.”

Scarlet could sense the agitation in Relica’s emotional aura as she rose to her feet and clasped her hands at her back. She went to a nearby table to sort through a fancy name-brand purse before taking out some oversized cards with various symbols etched onto them.

“You wouldn’t believe the fun I had during the first day of The Oscillation; I was in Madagascar with—oh, honey…”

Marcus launched forward, making Scarlet’s blood shield her, but his projected shield only flew at Relica; Maria shouted for him to stop, horn flaring to save the few kids she could. Yet, a black unicursal hexagram appeared above her head, and a transparent tetrahedron enclosed her and ate the blast.

“No… No, Relica!”

The witch’s dull eyes followed the large man as he stumbled back; Terrell seemed resigned to his fate. One snap and the man’s father splattered the inside of the man’s barrier with organs and guts. Marcus screamed from the bone that peppered his body, but Relica seemed to be done with the games, and another snap took him out of the equation.

Scarlet managed to split her blood to cover the nearby children as Maria’s legs gave out.

“Los hijo de puta! Ack…”

“M-Mom… W-Where am I?”

Relica sighed, pulling out an amulet hidden inside her bust that showed the same symbol that floated above her head. “Now look what he did… So uncivilized.”

Scarlet rushed to the unicorn’s side, and the three kids Maria managed to save started to cry. Making a hasty decision, she was surprised at the words that left her mouth.

“I’ll be right back.”

“Oh?”

Swiftly gathering the three kids with her blood, Scarlet teleported Maria outside, praying to whoever would listen that the heartless woman wouldn’t detonate the living bombs. Brushing back her hair as the shadows left, Scarlet looked up at the sky and saw the moon still in the sky; if Maria was a celestial unicorn, this should bring her off death’s door.

“Chica, what—”

“I’ll figure it out!” she snapped. “Take care of them and yourself!”

Scarlet could see the worry in the unicorn’s tired eyes; the light inside her chest was flickering, dangerously close to going out.

Returning to Relica, she saw interest spark in the woman’s blue eyes. “You did come back… Haha.”

Holding her head high and brushing her hair behind her ears, Scarlet felt courage inside of her ignite that she didn’t know was there. “No more games! What will it take for you to release the kids? I-I’ll go with you t-to my mom…” she mumbled. “You want that… Right?”

A short silence ensued as Relica drew in her lips, a long fingernail tapping the glass table where her occult cards were spread. Several seconds passed before a slight twist lifted the woman’s lips.

“No.”

“No?”

Scarlet hugged her arms and stepped back. “What do you mean no? M-My mom doesn’t want me to come with you? Then…”

A short titter came from the witch as her fingers slid into her bag to play with something. Scarlet shifted uncomfortably at Relica’s smiling purple eyes moving down her body.

“Oh, no, sweetie; your mother wants you above anything, but…I’m having my doubts about your mother. Sit!” she offered, free hand gesturing to the chair she’d used before.

Scarlet’s gaze fixated on a black collar Relica produced from inside the bag; weird red scribbles flowed around the outer edges.

“W-What’s that for—you aren’t going to put that on me?!”

“Hmm-hehe. I haven’t decided yet!” Relica mused, running her index finger along the outer ring. “As I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted, I decided to spend the first day and a half of The Oscillation with one of my best friends in Madagascar; she’ll be the queen soon, I’m sure…but she asked me a rather prophetic question…”

Relica turned to stare at her, Scarlet doing her best to buy time for the one person she had been able to rely on since her life had blown apart. “What would happen if all the work I’d done with Adele fell apart, and…I didn’t have an answer for her, which was, mmh-hmm, embarrassing for someone like me. And look where we are!”

She gestured at her with a sigh. “Her precious daughter, the prized centerpiece of everything she had planned, was turned against her by some nineteen-year-old Korean girl… It’s mind-boggling, really!” she laughed, rubbing her forehead before wagging a finger at her.

“I’ve seen your mother do everything from toppling entire governments with a five-minute cafe conversation to ending wars by complimenting someone’s shoes; I was your mother’s greatest fan! Much of my criminal empire was built on her god-like ability to predict how people would react and where they would be decades in advance… And a college girl has blindsided her? Mmmh…”

Relica shook her head while selecting a few occult cards off the table to play with, twisting them around her fingers.

“If it was just your mother’s fault, then fair enough, hehe, we can’t always be perfect, but… I cannot get over the fact that I somehow failed to kill her, the report of her death was wrong, and I checked my records… It was corrected, heh, minutes after I confirmed it. There is something…off about Rachel. Do you see what I’m getting at, dear?”

Scarlet didn’t want to listen to a single word, but she honestly didn’t get it.

“So…Rachel’s misfortune ability won against my mom’s foresight?”

Relica tossed the cards on the table and rubbed her face, her tone becoming frustrated. “Hehe… I hoped you were at least somewhat bright to be our messianic figure, but I suppose you are only eighteen. I don’t know what I expected, to be honest. Not…this, I’m sure,” she grunted, gesturing at her.

“Thanks?” Scarlet huffed, hands tightening against her arms. “I never asked to be a messianic figure. What, you think Rachel’s manipulating me like someone else—oh, I know, my mom! How can I even trust I am her daughter, huh? If she knew where all of this stuff would happen, then maybe she stole me. Think of that.”

“Pfft! Sweetie, I did only a decade and a half before this conversation, not that I particularly care about that detail. No… Think!” she snarled, jabbing the side of her head.

“Wait… When did you try to kill Rachel?”

“When? I tried to kill Rachel when she was nine—an entire decade before her powers—and she escaped, seemingly messing up a critical plot point in your mother’s meticulous plan. Yet…

“Mmm-hmm-hmm. Your mother didn’t see a single variation or alteration to her plots when the cause and effect of Rachel’s survival should have been seen many times over by now, yet you’re telling me that it wasn’t until Rachel somehow slipped into your life—the core of everything—that her existence became known to our extensive world network?”

She shook her head with an angry chuckle. “No… If Rachel had the power to counter the Scarlet Hand’s eye, then she must be something… I don’t know—something rivaling or more powerful than the entity that gave Adele her knowledge, which is terrifying. What is Rachel? Because she is no human.”

Scarlet wanted to bite back and say, ‘No shit, Sherlock; she’s a hare,’ but held her tongue. It was a valid question after Relica had laid it out, and Scarlet wasn’t sure that Rachel knew the answer herself. It didn’t change her opinion, though.

Glaring at the nervous witch, Scarlet’s shaking hand stilled. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Oh? Heh. And how can you possibly say that?”

“Because,” Scarlet’s fingers tightened against her thighs, “I trust Rachel. She’s honest with me when everyone else lies. She tries…and hasn’t treated me like the monster…the monster my mother turned me into!”

Relica shivered, nodding as she studied her expanding blood spears. “That…is certainly a fair point. Do you want me to release these kids? I’m sure your fairy friend might kill me despite their lives hanging in the balance. What are two-hundred and fifty lives to those I might murder in the future?”

Scarlet’s eyes fell to the ground, guilt flooding her belly.

“Haha. I mean, I would love to see you all try. It would be fun to see how much it hurt you to see all the suffering you caused before realizing I could get away at any moment! I always have a few ways out, and the guilt of burning children alive for nothing? Haha. Wow.”

“You’re more of a monster than I could ever be,” Scarlet growled, frame starting to quake again with the woman’s hungry gaze.

Relica’s smile turned reflective and melancholy as she picked up her collar again to play with it.

“You know…I can agree with that to some degree… The lengths we go to in order to fulfill the dreams of those we love can be…terrifying. I’ve learned that I would sooner murder my own children than see what I love taken away from me, and yes…that is quite a different state of mind. I cannot justify that, but I will; I am just another flawed woman blinded by love.”

Perking up, she giggled and unfastened the collar before holding it out. “If you want to save these kids. I will release all of them if you only put on this of your own free will and hold one of these cards against your forehead and the other against your heart. Not one more soul will be lost; the decision is yours. I want to put your mother under my thumb. Care to stick it to her?”

Scarlet hesitantly took the cold metal, and a soft smile lifted her mouth while remembering the muzzle she’d been told to put on—a collar for a monster—but she also knew Twilight nor Veronica would ever allow themselves to be controlled; she could put her trust in that.

“Are you sure you want to do this—what will it do?”

Relica shrugged, carefully selecting two occult cards and placing them on her lap. “Mind control, among other safeguards. A powerful slave collar my friend obtained from her last Quest before her Legend Quest became available. I plan to help her out after this is done; nasty piece of work, her!”

Scarlet pulled the collar around her neck; it snapped together and tightened to a slightly uncomfortable degree. Her blood didn’t attack when it was her own actions, and that was what Relica counted on; she was caging herself, and Veronica said she was in charge.

Astra hissed. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Little Fang…”

“Ack… I’ll be fine,” she whispered. “Umm, what level were you again, Relica?”

The witch’s lips peeled back to show her teeth as Scarlet did as she was told and put the cards against her forehead and chest. “Level 10. Murder, empire building, divine favor, and Quests will get you all sorts of Experience.”

“Damn. She’s OP! Little Fang? Scarlet?!”

Scarlet’s world spun, and she fell to the side to drop into a dark abyss, thunder shaking her bones. She didn’t resist as she entered the storm, flashes of crimson electricity brightening the swirling clouds. Relica’s violet eyes filled the skies, and Scarlet laughed as they widened; if there was someone who deserved to meet a true monster, it was this woman.

The ruby lightning intensified, and just before slipping into the hurricane, the streaks struck Relica; in the next second, the witch was falling with her. She had no clue what kind of fiend was trapped within her, but she would find out.

Veronica’s dark chuckle came on the whirlwind. The girl Scarlet knew had likely died when her mother cut her in two; this was now Scarlet’s world.

The red sea, twisters, and maelstroms unveiled came into view with the blood rain pelting their skin, welcoming them into the heartless hellscape of her inner world. Scarlet braced herself for the impact, but entering the crimson ocean was like falling into cotton candy; the sweet flavor filled her mouth with life—then, it was gone.

Blinking, Scarlet’s blurry vision fixated on the woman kneeling across from her. Her large, purple eyes darted left and right, looking at things beyond her sight, yet her smile and voice were elated.

“The terrible truth…is beautiful. How can you reject such a…gift? You have been lied to—we all have… No. It’s impossible…”

Scrambling back, Scarlet locked in place as she followed Relica’s wide eyes to the street, looking through the walls to spot a golden cut in open space.

Rachel walked through with a grin, bathed in black fire and crackling red electricity. She wore some kind of fitted anime-like formal uniform; it had an unmistakable military school look, complete with a short skirt, thigh-high stockings, and square heels.

Scarlet had to blink to be sure she was seeing things right because Rachel had raven-black hair, a demon-like horn curling out from the side of her head, and a massive fantasy-like hammer slung over her shoulder.

But perhaps the strangest addition was the nervous little bunny child with a similar aura and appearance, including the demon horn, that jumped out to hide behind her.

She’s back… She won! Did Rachel become a mom?! What…the heck happened in there?

The black flames and crimson electricity dwindled and died, Rachel’s horn crumbled to dust, and her black hair returned to its stunning white hue. Her smile softened as she bent down to speak to the nervous bunny girl, no older than five or six, while fixing her matching military outfit.

Astra’s excited voice burned her ears as he spoke to Selvaria. “Oh, and don’t get your knickers in a twist; he’s gone-gone. Someone’s doing some teleport shenanigans—probably MI6, and… Hold up. Blimey! I think Rachel’s back, and rockin’ a look?! Damn, girl, got some bling!”

Maria was less than a street away; Rachel seemed to notice her as her head tilted that way and picked up the nearby discarded walkie-talkie on the street. Astra projected the lunar hare’s voice across the network, her sure tone relieving Scarlet’s tight chest.

“I said I’d come back, Scarlet.”

The golden portal vanished as a surge of power hit Scarlet like a truck and made Astra choke. “Hold up, love—I just went straight from Level 5 to 8. The bloody hell?!”

“Yeah. Legend Quests are fun…” Rachel laughed. “Astra, give me an update.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

Divine Insanity

Rachel’s heartbeat quickened, and she licked her lips, anticipating the taste of their rage after she’d ruined their plans by surpassing their expectations. The glee of a challenging fight tingled from the tip of her ears to the end of her tail, causing the fluffy appendage to flick with excitement as she stepped through Conner’s golden gateway to another world.

She’d already tilted Relica, which was a delicious treat, and she knew that returning from this little competition would trigger the insecure woman something fierce. Relica had to believe she was in control; when she wasn’t, she became flustered and sloppy, which was why Relica would go to any length for power.

The Legendkin welcoming her into the arena was an entirely different breed, though: the man oozed confidence and showmanship. He had the physique of a Greek god and believed himself invincible. Rachel was more than willing to put that to the test and use that pride against the man.

Leaving the stunned woman behind, Rachel’s foot touched the loose sand of the arena floor after stepping through the gateway. A wave of cheers made her ears fold backward as she spun in a slow circle, taking in the sight.

Oddly, most of the audience was blurred out or comprised of entities completely foreign to Rachel’s mind. Many were humanoid, but with unusual characteristics that her brain couldn’t fully process; it triggered her instincts and felt like a massive weight on her chest. Whoever or whatever these creatures were, her instincts screamed that she couldn’t defeat a single one.

A transparent bubble surrounded the arena in a dome, separating it from the outside. Dark smoke rose into the sky from beyond sight and was sucked into crimson portals, and star-like stones glistened in the smog before being snuffed out.

Rachel had no clue what to expect from the gem-encrusted, golden coliseum she’d been brought to; grapes, cups, and massive barrels of flowing liquid ran from the top of the structure into canals, but one area drew her attention: the VIP box, from where a familiar autumn-haired goddess with flower-dotted, flowing locks stood witness to the coming fight.

“Eostre?” Rachel whispered.

She expected to see Moongmor beside the woman; instead, there was a glorious, bronze-skinned god, his dark hair reaching his shoulders. Clothed in a rather revealing robe of maroon linen, he sat on the edge of the box, leaning against a pillar with a cup in his hand and a grin on his handsome face.

The golden portal that brought her here closed as Conner stepped through, his tan chest gleaming in the bright overhead sun, which, interestingly, had no adverse effect on her Lunar Pool. The moment it sealed, the god took a sip of his drink and was suddenly standing before her.

Rachel took a step back as the tall man raised his hands in the air and spun in a festive circle; red liquid spilled out of his cup, the wine transforming into grape-bearing vines. Conner walked forward, a grin on his face as he pounded his chest before mirroring the bronze-skinned god.

With a voice like thunder, the deity introduced them to the bizarre field of colors, shapes, sparkles, and humanoid figures.

“My fellow lesser gods, demigods, tulpa, immortals, personifications, incarnations, elementals, angels, archons, devils, demons, and everything in between… I, Dionysus, master of games, welcome you to my passion project! I welcome you to one of, if not the first Legend’s Quest!”

More vines grew up around him as his seemingly endless cup spilled more wine, the grapes they grew taking all shapes and colors. Rachel gave a curious chuckle at his boisterous antics, unsure who Dionysus was, but figuring he had to be some Greek or Roman figure by his appearance.

She kept Eostre in her sight; from the woman’s sitting position, she seemed strained and in pain, causing Rachel to draw her own conclusions while observing the ‘lesser god’ introduce himself and the game he was hosting.

She could now see why Cerridwen had urged her to be quick to recover the fairy in order to take part in this trial. Without Maria, she’d be dead, and recovering Fiona had brought her into direct contact with Eostre. However, she couldn’t have been prepared for the bucket of cold water that was poured on her head by the showy man as he continued.

“Welcome, my unruly fellows, to the Age of the Lesser Deities! No more are we confined by the dictations of those pesky creation deities and higher beings to stifle our fun. Haha! Select your champions, grant them your blessings, and watch the chaos unfold!”

He gestured to Conner as the man did a few flips, showing off to the noisy crowd, who were clicking, roaring, or shrinking in an unrecognizable frenzy of sound and motion.

“Conner, one of my most promising champions, has brought us a victim for your entertainment… Sung-Hyo or Rachel Park, how will you introduce yourself?”

Rachel tilted her head to the side, scanning the throng and the implications this had. Placing a hand on her hip, she smirked at the man who could crush her to atoms with a mere thought and laughed. “I prefer to let my victory in the ring announce who I am.”

“Ho-ho!” Dionysus shouted. “Our little hare sees herself as an incarnation of Nike herself! Haha. I love it!”

A wicked twist came to the man’s lips as he directed her to a pillar near the top of the stadium, and Rachel’s eyes widened as space shrunk before her, pulling her vision closer so she could witness a tortured figure, her breathing shallow.

“Unfortunately, my fine hare, Nike isn’t doing so well since the dimensional barriers separated the higher deities from this meshed multiverse. Haha!”

Rachel’s cheer turned reflective upon witnessing the cruel sight; she didn’t know who Nike was, but clearly, there was some kind of history between Dionysus and her. Her white braided hair was used to gag the angelic goddess, a blindfold covered her eyes, and a golden sword fixed her crossed hands to the pillar she was fastened to.

“And who is Nike?” Rachel casually questioned, eliciting incredulous looks from the onlookers and Dionysus alike as she reached to the side to tear off a grape branch and pop one in her mouth. “Blah. Sour. Uh, I don’t know if I’m feeling it. I mean, the staff stuck through her belly—is that wasted wine just…constantly falling over her necessary. And the vines…really?”

Dionysus rubbed his strong jaw as he squinted up at the naked woman, quivering a little from time to time with the thistles slowly ripping into her skin. “Interesting. Interesting. A critic, are you… You think I’m trying too hard? Do you really not know my half-sister Athena’s little dove—The Wings of Victory—the Greek Personification of Victory?”

“Ahhh. That makes sense. No, I’m not a big follower of Greek stuff.” Rachel hummed, throwing the crowd off as she tossed her grapes to the side and held a finger to her lips. “Back to the ‘art,’ though. Personally, it’s, eh-mmh-yeah…I think the ripped-off golden wings pinned to her sides with daggers is a bit much. Don’t you think? And it feels like the wreath of laurel leaves—a crown—uh, are you pulling from somewhere else, maybe?” she belittled.

Dionysus appeared beside the young woman, his thoughtful fingers tracing the side of the sword’s blade to the golden liquid mixing with the wine in its trail down her exposed figure; Rachel felt a tad skittish by the stalker-rapey vibes she was getting from him—his ‘sister’s dove’—but she couldn’t show weakness.

“I can see why you might think that, but you cannot deny the glorious imagery. Ichor…the ethereal fluid of gods, immortals, and personifications alike; it’s quite useful. Being a Personification of Victory in the 5th Dimension, and without my annoying half-sister’s protection, it was only natural that I take the bird for myself. Who doesn’t want victory close by?”

Conner crossed his arms and glanced around at several more pillars rising from the stands, showing other unimaginably powerful entities that the lesser god had added to his festive collection, with demons and devils roaring with glee from the stands.

“You’ve been busy! I see my support has bagged you quite a few trophies. I look forward to adding a certain hare to my own,” he mused, giving her a dark, appraising stare that Rachel returned.

“Funny you say that,” she said, placing a hand on her hip and feeling the intense bloodlust of the creatures observing the pre-match show. “I would be quite the catch, but I don’t typically keep trash trophies, so I can’t say you’d look good on my wall.”

“Oooh!” Dionysus raised his hand into the sky, where a gaming display emerged from an explosion of colors. “The hare has teeth… Good. What will your coach tell you, I wonder?”

Rachel’s ears arched, a tempting smirk finding its mark. “Careful. Karma always gets her pound of flesh.”

“Hahaha! Circe and Eostre were right; you are quite terrifying…for a mortal. What will you be like when that Seed within you starts to really sprout? Now, let the Opening Segment begin!”

He clapped, and the world slipped away; in the next instance, she was standing in the VIP box with Eostre, Conner in his own across the stadium. Dionysus took center stage, darkness overshadowing the arena for a single ray of light to illuminate him as he monologued.

Eostre wore a frown while calmly watching the lesser god explain to the crowd how it was possible to make changes to the Legend’s Quest and ‘Greater Seeds’ within their followers, given the proper caution and methods. Everyone who joined his side in this conflict amongst the lesser gods and other 5th-dimensional entities stood to gain phenomenal power through joining his faction, as many already had, such as Circe.

Rachel had no clue what the difference between a 5th-dimensional personification, like Nike, and a 5th-dimensional lesser god, like Dionysus, was, but she didn’t get the instinctual caution from him in the same manner as Relica. Sure, he was vastly more powerful than the witch, but he wouldn’t kill her because he couldn’t for some reason.

Her eyes narrowed upon noticing Eostre’s hands, waist, and feet tied to her seat by a golden thread; obviously, the autumn-haired Easter goddess was not here by choice. Eostre’s life did hang in the balance, and due to his showy nature, Dionysus had given her the luck of conversing with her.

Taking up a leaning position against the wall to view the lesser god, Nike, and Eostre, she gauged the flow of misfortune and felt sharp tugs pulling the strings of destiny further away from her as fate wound around her throat. Somehow, Dionysus was forcing Nike to pull things in his favor.

“Quite the predicament you’ve found yourself in,” Rachel whispered, showing the sober goddess a tight smile. “Was getting kidnapped by a psychopathic god your plan, or is this something you’re dumping on me to solve?”

Eostre breathed in a long breath before easing it out. “If…this was a part of the plan, I most certainly wasn’t made aware of it. Your perception of me is quite over-inflated due to your ignorance regarding the higher planes; I am not a lesser goddess or anything close to such potent prowess… I am what is called a tulpa.”

Recalling the title from the list Dionysus called out earlier, Rachel crossed her arms and scanned the coliseum, a slight tilt coming to her mouth as she spotted a particular multi-colored bunny among the throng.

“Okay. Well, it’s good that I can finally get some straight answers, regardless of the terrible circumstances; at least you haven’t been staked,” she mumbled, studying a strange, blue, four-armed djinn-like entity piked to one of the pillars.

“Until the insane Greek gets bored,” Eostre said with a sad chuckle. “To put things in perspective, as a tulpa, at my strongest, I’m at the bottom of the 4th-dimensional weight bracket; Moongmor is a powerful 3rd-dimensional companion of mine. You, heh…are actually the cause of my capture. Imagine that. Damn you, Cerridwen; I knew this was a terrible idea, but far from me to say no to a 6th-dimensional contender.”

Rachel pulled around her braid to play with the end, mind racing through the complex weave of information she was gaining through this dangerous gambit. Clearly, this was a contest to the death between Conner and her, yet he had all the cards stacked against her.

She could see why Relica had been so perturbed about her confidence. Yet, her chances weren’t as slim as they appeared; she just had to play the right angles.

“Don’t be so glum, Eostre,” Rachel mused, her ears tilting to the left as the thrill of an uphill battle tugged at her gut.

“If I’m getting what Dionysus is laying out in his recruitment speech, there is a solid barrier between the 5th-dimensional lesser god weight class and the 7th-dimensional creation deities, but the wall blocking the 6th, or your average ol’ god tier-level, is just thin enough to allow some interference…which is where my cauldron-loving nightmare visitor comes into play. Correct?”

Eostre’s jaw tightened as her gaze drifted to Nike, golden blood mixing with the wine that slid down her bare skin. “It’s more complicated than that…but in essence, yes. We can’t peer into the future like we used to… Well, at least I cannot as a 4th-dimensional being.

“You see, when the barriers between dimensions thickened, it became harder to interfere between each one, and that is when we all realized things were about to change…and not for the better. This film seems to multiply greatly with every rising dimensional ‘weight class,’ I suppose you could call it, isolating the higher deities from the lower ones.”

She paused, giving Rachel a short vision of countless spheres swirling in chaotic patterns, and then, an effulgence sparked from seemingly everywhere at once. Flashes of heaven and hell-like areas were thrown into a panic, causing divides and opportunistic parties to act.

A frustrated sigh passed through Eostre’s mouth as her thick autumn locks fell in front of her face, her hands still strapped to the chair by grape vines. “Could you…thank you.”

Rachel swept them to the side before the woman wiping away the image to continue her explanation; she figured the lady could have used her powers but wanted a little show of kindness, given her situation.

“A flood of unnatural energy emerged from the aether…a place beyond my understanding, which then acted like a magnet to mesh my universe into many others.”

Rachel slowly nodded, trying to keep up. “And that became?”

“Well,” the heavenly woman whispered, gesturing to her, “what you’ve known all your life—Earth. To you, history is without blemish, but to us higher beings…it is nightmarishly alien. Everything before a century or so ago, again, totally normal in your mind, is actually quite messy and tangled. Time wasn’t so linear until that point for us higher dimensional beings. Now…we are trapped as if time has locked us out of its sphere.”

She swallowed, turning her sight to the stands. “And right now, all of the 4th-dimensional weight-class beings, as you put it, such as myself, are in perpetual fear of becoming like Nike… The 5th-dimensional heavyweights are fighting over the rights of the Greater Seed holders, trying to entreat them, while we cower on the sideli—”

She cut off as the muscular god appeared beside her, plucking grapes off his vine to pop them into his mouth. “Spilling secrets to your soon-to-be skinned hare of an art critic, Eostre?”

Rachel hummed, her provocative tone drawing his attention away from the frightened tulpa. “You know what bewilders me about you?”

Dionysus waved his hands to the crowd, an image of her appearing for all to see across the stadium. “By all means, enlighten the audience to my mystery!”

A vicious gleam lifted her illuminated eyes, with misfortune circling them. “Why would such a powerful ‘lesser god’ be so terrified of a little tulpa or need the help of the Personification of Victory herself to feed his confidence? Are, heh…you trying to compensate for something by stripping naked, tying up, and impaling so many women? Hmm. Did Big Sis Athena do something to you? What does the crowd think?”

The man’s lips fell as laughter came from the throng, and even Conner couldn’t help a smile from across the stadium. “I’d watch your tongue if I were you,” he snarled.

Rachel pushed herself away from the wall to stand up and face the 5th-dimensional god. “Make me.” His fingers tightened against the railing, causing fissures to run down its length. “Hmm? I’m waiting.”

Eostre’s feverish eyes snapped to Dionysus as he slowly rose to his feet and walked around her to place a hand on the tulpa’s shoulder, making her flinch. “The hubris. I could squeeze the juice out of her like a grape… Is that what you want?”

Ignoring the taunt, Rachel tilted her head to the side and grinned at the crowd. “A classic redirect? Oh-ho. I see! Heh. Don’t tell me…you can’t?!”

Mumbles and obscure sounds from unearthly entities rumbled across the levels as pressure cracked the stone underneath his feet for wine to bubble up. Eostre winced at the force he placed on her collarbone. Yet, Rachel felt none of it, confirming her suspicion.

“And now,” she laughed, “you’re threatening me, a mortal, by…what—killing someone I hardly know and who’s, again, weaker than you? Wow. Someone is insecure. I can’t imagine your sister being so intimidated by someone so much weaker than her.”

His fingers moved to Eostre’s throat. The woman’s eyes begged her to stop as a stillness came over the stadium; a mortal was challenging a god, and there wasn’t a thing he could do to stop her. To put the nail in the coffin, Rachel took his own proud declaration and flipped it on its head.

“I didn’t realize the ‘Age of the Lesser Gods’ would be so sad. It’s really quite pathetic. Who would want to join such a volatile, insecure manchild of a god? Not me.”

Locking eyes with him, after a few, still seconds, a grin spread across his face, and he clapped both of Eostre’s shoulders with a roar of laughter, making the trembling tulpa jerk and close her eyes. Dionysus simply walked back to study Rachel like a fascinating specimen, ignoring the autumn-haired woman.

“You…are a worthy candidate for the crucible. Haha! You’ve passed my test.” He clapped, shaking his head as many others around the stadium mirrored him. “Excellent performance, my darling animal!” He dismissively waved his hand, loosening Eostre’s bonds and allowing the box to restore itself. “We move to the next act!”

He gestured to a string of displays that showed what Rachel presumed were the ruins of a failing world. “In the Greater Seed that a Legendkin or Mythickin carries, there is a depth I cannot even fathom. Yet these Lesser Seeds that form the basis of even more twisted humans are mixed amongst the malnourished Mythical and Legendary Seeds. Which is truly greater? It strives to show the dichromacy between the gifts; will one overpower and consume the other, just like Kronos consumed his kin!?

“It stimulates the mind! These aren’t universes but dreams and figments of them—perhaps creation deities reject children, for all I am aware. Haha! Could you imagine? Yet, I can feel these broken universes seeking to be made whole… Who could have fashioned these Seeds? Certainly not Hephaestus since even the weakest of these Legendkin Seeds can bring mortals the state of godhood—beyond it! So many, many things to consider!” Dionysus roared to the crowd’s cheers as he continued to elevate his grandeur.

“And the hated Crystals that force conflict between deities and mortals alike. Scourges from the fringes of the Multiverse! An evil that stands in shade, yet opens the doors to so much lovely dissonance. So many questions! So few answers…which is why all of you have come to me; my champion has opened himself up to me in order to bring you these truths!”

Eostre didn’t look like she could stand any time soon. In fact, Rachel was sure if she could, she would have pissed herself or died from a heart attack from the murderous vibes alone that the chaotic lesser god had radiated; the wilting flowers in her hair and through the nature-based dress were significant enough to illustrate her terror.

“Are you done?” Rachel asked condescendingly, all while pondering the revelations.

Floating in the middle of the coliseum, the man motioned to a host of holographic screens that appeared above him. “Ah, but there’s even more you are missing! The rules, you silly hare; a child can understand them!”

Everything that Dionysus’ showy presentation illustrated, her own experience inside Anthony’s Quest, mixed with Zoe’s insight into the System, all clicked together as the man raised his hands to show a lanky, skeletal-faced personage, more of a monster than man.

“You believe me to be compensating, Ms. Hare? Haha! Allow me to introduce…the former Arbiter of this fragmented world.”

The alien entity’s black, oily skin steamed, reshaping it into a grotesque horror with leather-like tendrils flowing out of hollow cuts in its body. Full moons lit in its hollow sockets, and the world went from day to night.

Crimson steam blew out of its eaten-away nose, its ears thinning and growing as it opened its bony mouth to hiss a low, guttural hiss that permeated the still atmosphere. “Usurper… A warning. Nightmares unending are nigh should you fail to perform what The Balance requires.”

This time, Rachel felt the chill biting into her marrow as its oversized jaws lifted into a haunting smirk as it contorted in impossible angles. When Anthony performed his own Quest, there must have been something like this creature, an Arbiter, standing in the background, observing and judging their actions.

Dionysus rolled his eyes at the creature’s warning.

“Yes, yes. You’ve told me. The Balance requires exactness; we all know about the Greater Seed’s Balance… You don’t shut up about it. And what could a…thing that even someone as weak as Eostre could combat possibly hope to accomplish against someone like me?”

“Such…hubris. I return to The Dream; I am free. Fufufu—”

The god held up two fingers and pressed them together. Ominously, a dark hole warped space, pulling the laughing abomination into the singularity, eradicating it. When Dionysus’ fingers separated, all traces of the entity were gone, and a new message popped up in front of Rachel.

[Legend Quest Arbiter Vanquished]

[New Arbiter Recognized]

[Legend Quest Authority Granted: Dionysus]

Rachel’s fingers pressed against the stone railing as she felt everything change. A swirl of misfortune cycled from that one action. A noose had tightened around the lesser god’s throat, and sooner or later, The System would exact its payment.

Dionysus clapped his hands, and the whole stadium and world shifted in an instant, becoming a luxurious amphitheater of wine, statues, and comfortable seating; the sandy floor was now smooth gold, and cosmic forces spun around across the heavens.

“Haha! This is the power of creation! How could someone so weak hope to control such potent energy?”

“It didn’t need to,” Rachel grunted, drawing the power-thirsty lesser god’s eye.

“Perhaps you’re right,” he whispered.

Grinning at the strength he could now channel through this world, the lesser god presented the rules, showing up as game text as he explained. “Welcome…to the Dionysus Games!

“Rule One: This crucible requires two contestants capable of performing a Legend’s Quest.

“Rule Two: There will be nine rounds. Four battles for each contestant, and a final showdown once proving themselves against all odds. The contestants roll a twenty-sided die to see who will be the lucky one to have the honor of the first round; the highest number wins. If one contestant dies during the course of the quest, both die.”

A shiver ran down Rachel’s spine to her tail as she glared at Conner, waving at her from across the arena. She hadn’t expected to have to put her trust in her opponent to survive until the end, and the variables kept stacking up.

“Rule Three: If the challenge is not won, all worlds seeking the Legend’s help will perish.”

Anthony would definitely feel a certain way if he knew what it meant to fail a Quest, and Dionysus was laying it all out to her; of course, he fully expected her to die here, as Relica did, but she was in the business of subverting other’s expectations of her limits.

“Rule Four: The crowd and an Arbiter-selected host will take part in the battle selection process; naturally, I choose myself,” he continued, letting out an obnoxious laugh.

“Rule Five: At the beginning of every round, the host, competition, and the crowd roll a twenty-sided die to determine the selection roll order. A new member of the crowd will be chosen at random for each of the nine rounds. If any participant does not choose one of the four options within a timeframe set by the host, the System will choose at random.

“Rule Six: None of the four options, be it Item Selection/Upgrade, Location, Penalty/Downgrade, or Opponent, can be chosen twice in a round. Once an option is used, it is inaccessible until the next match.”

“Rule Seven…” The lesser god’s smile widened. “All options are to be displayed to the entity in question when making their selection, and a search function will be provided. I set the time limit for choosing to one minute. And that is the game! If the Legends cannot entertain the host or crowd, the world dies with them. Hahaha!”

He brandished his wine and drank a long swig. “Entertain me!”

Rachel forced a chuckle, running her fingers through her hair as Eostre rose to her feet to join her. The radiant woman fixed her wilted flowers and gown, regaining her composure, but Rachel could tell she was not happy with Cerridwen or her ‘bold and badass’ hare charge putting her in such a threatening position.

Although, if Rachel had backed down, there was a high possibility Dionysus might have killed her anyway to prove a point; he was insane. She had to make him lose favor with the crowd by performing such an action, and laughing it all off as a joke was a way for him to save face.

Her focus went to Nike and the other entities the mad god had trapped to use for his benefit. Karma’s a bitch. Can I get them free? Possibly…but it is going to cost me some leeway. Is a little bad luck in the competition worth punching him in the gut?

All she had to do was take one look at the smug face of the Greek god before making her decision. It’s totally worth it.

Eostre rubbed her neck and gave her a strained smile. “He’s giving himself plenty of time while limiting everyone else’s options since he knows them all already,” she whispered. “I do appreciate your concern. You didn’t have to do that…despite how it was shown.”

Rachel gave her a side-long look, pushing her lips to the side. “I don’t quite trust you yet; I can’t be sure that all of this isn’t just a trap, and you’re both playing me. Double agent, triple? I wouldn’t know since I’m not playing at this level…yet. Still, it does provide me insight. Wait…”

A dubious glare creased her nose as she stared at the innocent-looking tulpa. “Did you or Moongmor manipulate my Seed to give me that ridiculous [Less Is More] Feat about wearing less clothes?”

Eostre giggled softly while pointing down at the bouncing bunny in the stands. “Moongmor does have certain…fetishes, I suppose you could say. He’s harmless, but does enjoy certain tropes.”

The showboating lesser god talked to the crowd, giving further details as required of the host, and he seemed to be enjoying the attention. A few devils were asking Dionysus about the finer details regarding locations outside of this ‘fragment’ and if they were selectable. And it seemed to be an option, but lesser beings wouldn’t be able to see them.

All Rachel could think about was having a fight in the middle of Time Square against a giant, the people having no clue that they were fighting in the area like ghosts.

Her ears tilted toward Eostre as the woman touched her arm; she wore a thoughtful smile, seemingly figuring she was now, at the very least, a tad safer from Dionysus’ focus as the games went on.

“I was always content with my small role and place in the higher order in everything, yet then my whole world changed. One second, I was spending time in the glades, enjoying myself with some of my worshipers, and the next, my world was falling apart… Crushed into this…mangled mess where all time and perception merged…

“When I was swept into the Nightmare, I was sure my end would be in a twisted and broken state worse than death when my usefulness dried up… Yet you have given me new hope just now. I just wanted you to know that.”

“Huh.” Rachel tilted her head to the side. “I never thought that god-like beings would feel hopeless or powerless; there’s always someone stronger, I guess. It’s nice knowing you’re not some stuck-up, holier-than-thou spirit without emotion. You’re afraid?”

She held her arm and looked back at the chair she’d been strapped to, swallowing her nerves. “It isn’t only me… Everyone is afraid of these Seeds and Crystals. It is only a matter of time before the chosen humans who received them rise to the challenge or subjugate us, yet…we can also unify with you mortals to participate in that growth…”

Her tone became melancholy as she looked away. “Not that Cerridwen or I have… She blessed you, but that has no bearing on her resonating with your Seed. It is you who must allow such a union and accept it willingly; the Seeds will accept nothing less, and that makes the lesser gods nervous.

“No one knows where these came from, how the greater deities were sealed away, or how we got here. We are looking for answers as much as the mortals. Whatever this was, it came outside of our individual multiverses… Much the same as the Crystals.”

Rachel rubbed her chest as she processed the woman’s confession; she was certainly thinking better of Eostre as time went on. In a way, she reminded her of Zoe, only a bunny instead of a cat.

“So…we have two different Seeds, one ‘malnourished,’ needing to be unlocked? And there’s another, and one may consume on the other? Hunters and prey. We can’t know if any of this is connected…

“Hmm. Two Seeds…and Crystals that force conflict between mortals and, apparently, deities, as well. Probably prompting this ‘unity’ or need for divine factions to form in order to protect themselves from the invasions.

“A maelstrom of universes smashed together and a cold war between lesser deities trying to get stronger by using the mortals’ connection to these powerful Seeds.

“Finally, a barrier that is keeping out the gods and whatever is above them… Heh. All of them could be totally unrelated or connected. We have ourselves a mystery,” Rachel grinned, ears tilting to the side with sudden excitement at solidifying some useful information. She could get all sorts of concessions from Tom with this news.

Her cheer dampened slightly when the world shifted, and she was standing on a platform in the middle of the stadium across from Conner; it was then that their ‘host’ bellowed for all to hear, “Let the crucible begin; prepare your dice!”

Rachel’s lips twitched as she reached out to take the twenty-sided die that floated in front of her; it brought back Zoe’s Dungeons and Dragons explanation.

This whole quest was about more than just winning; it was about entertaining the crowd and host to convince them to spare what was left of this devastated world. She suspected the original crowd of aliens, monsters, or whatever other attacking force had been intended for this battle had been killed by Dionysus, as the Arbiter had.

From what the Arbiter said, Dionysus has to follow the script, and if he doesn’t… Something will come to collect and set things right. You are an entertainer, but how good are you at following the rules?

Shaking the die in her hand, the lesser god presented giant reflections of their die for the crowd to see, and Rachel tossed it at the ground, far below, as Conner did it in the provided little box.

Conner: 16.

Silence overtook them as her slung die skipped and tumbled across the stone until it stopped.

Rachel: 15.

Conner had the first round.

The rolls for the selection came next; a fuzzy, small, blue panda-like creature popped up across from Dionysus—the crowd selection. It blinked its big brown eyes before reaching out to take the die, stuck its tongue out, and chucked it into space.

Rachel lifted an eyebrow as it exited the atmosphere, yet the large die projection above them rolled nonetheless as everyone laughed with the eager blue panda. Allowing her misfortune senses to guide her throw, just as the crowd’s die hit, she rolled.

Conner: 19

Dionysus: 20

Crowd: 1

Rachel: 2

The lesser god grinned and pointed at the sky before looking toward Rachel. “I think we’re all a little curious, so I’ll start with a stone plateau…where we will all be under a black moon.”

Eostre’s concerned voice whispered into her mind. “The black moon is not a new moon, void moon, obsidian moon, or any other variant… It is a dark gateway to realms of living nightmares made real, composed of a dream entity that feeds on hope. There’s no way of telling how it might affect you!”

Rachel kept eye contact with the lesser god, retaining her grin. “I’m more than happy to test out a new moon every round… And giving hints about my abilities to my opponent off the cuff, host? Dirty. Heh. I love this already.”

“Gauntlets,” Conner spoke up, a string of images cycling in front of him, providing options that he could select. “Haha! If you’re a lover of the moon… Solar Gauntlets that can project miniature solar spheres.”

“Suit yourself,” Rachel nudged her head, smiling as it hit her turn. “Restriction: reveal what Conner is and his weaknesses.”

“Tch. That’s dirty,” he chuckled, a status window popping up for her and everyone else in the crowd to see. “My power comes from the earth and water… I’m the Legend of Antaeus.”

Rachel’s stomach shook with laughter. “You should have gotten something to keep yourself anchored to the ground! I don’t want you dying before I get a chance to paint the ground with your brains.”

“Touché, Ms. Bun.”

“Mmh-hmm-hmm.” Her ears twitched; he knew she was a hare after Dionysus said it so many times. “You’ll regret that one.”

Their attention went to the little blue panda as it spun the visual options with wonder as it stopped on a few options; its mouth opened in wonder at a small army of what appeared to be hobgoblins, piquing Rachel’s interest.

How well will he do against fifty dudes that I had trouble with… Although, to be fair, my hobgoblin had magical items while I had zero. Still, open field combat, good in hand-to-hand, proud in their physical strength… This could be fun.

Transported back to the VIP box, Rachel folded her arms atop the railing next to Eostre as Dionysus showed a diagram of what was to come, having many of the immortals and lesser deities take bets on the match. A nervous itch made her scratch the base of her ear as he prepared the field.

What will the black moon do to me?

Her ears went straight up as a thought made her snicker and nudge the autumn-haired woman next to her. “Eh-heh…if I go mad and start attacking you… It’s not my fault.”

The woman gave her a soft smile. “You needn’t be concerned about my safety in this regard.”

“Who said anything about yours?” Rachel said with a grin, making her giggle. “Please, for the love of all that is holy—heh, tha’'s not offensive, right? Mmm—don’t turn me into a bunny.”

“Hehe! No promises.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

The Black Moon

Rachel’s smile fell as she watched Dionysus make a showy display of altering the world in the ring, creating a dimensionally separated battle realm for Conner to fight the fifty hobgoblins. He introduced the alien race and explained their culture, setting the stage for the conflict.

Hobgoblins were the lowest rank of field leaders within the goblin race, and they prided themselves on their brutality and strength. Rachel figured this was just the warm-up match to show what Conner was about since, in a real scenario, the hobgoblins would more or less kneel to the strength of the Legend and become his subordinates.

She didn’t plan on observing the full fight; she had other priorities. Conner seemed like the pompous type of guy to take his time and make it entertaining. Wrestling was that type of sport.

Muay Thai, on the other hand, was a martial art crafted for war and murder. Sure, a sporty aspect of it had crept into it to some extent, but Rachel was always more interested in the brutality of the art. She was only focused on the win, whatever the conditions.

The arena bowed and lifted to show an aerial view of the new world Dionysus created, the earth rising out of the ground with elements raging in a cyclone. Rachel’s interest lifted from the rocky stage to the darkening heavens; the moon would overshadow Conner and the audience.

Eostre tucked in her bottom lip as Dionysus lifted his hands. “Now, let the Keeper of Nightmares rise… The Black Moon arrives!”

Dark clouds began to swirl around the stadium, causing Dionysus’ smile to crack with a nervous chuckle; murky bolts of lightning streaked across the overcast heavens, cycling to reveal a giant black hole in reality.

Rachel didn’t blink as its dense mist isolated the entire coliseum; a cold wind carrying madness gently pulled her braid to the left in its rotation, and a familiar wave coursed through her veins in a chilling song. A twitch lifted her lips as Eostre’s explanation linked with something she’d learned only just after becoming a lunar hare.

The Black Moon, the embodiment of living nightmares… This is the Herald of Cerridwen. Does Dionysus know about her? Probably not. He only knows about Eostre because she’s interacted with me. He shouldn’t be able to perceive the blessing of a higher being, like Cerridwen, or…is he mocking the 6th-dimensional goddess behind the veil?

Eostre’s hushed words whispered into her mind. “Among celestial objects, there are those that are unique. Even lesser deities are afraid of such cosmic anomalies… The Black Moon is one of those. Dionysus is only confident due to the power he’s gained from the other lesser gods he’s captured and the power granted to him by this Greater Seed.”

The lesser god spoke with gusto as the building smog brought horrific shrieks and growls from nightmares unseen, causing the audience of lesser deities to tremble.

“Not only will my champion fight these hobgoblins, but the nightmares of hobgoblins, made reality by the Black Moon!”

Conner appeared on the battlefield, the darkness seeping into the dimension below to form heroes from these goblins’ minds; several fully plated men and women emerged, blue light shimmering off the symbols they wore of some powerful nation on these hobgoblins’ planet.

The Legend slammed his gauntleted hands against his chest as it became a three-way battle between the nightmares, Conner, and hobgoblins. He shouted and threw off his weapons.

“Haha! Why don’t we make this fun and impose self-restrictions? I won’t even use my gauntlets for this match. Let’s go!”

He charged forward to meet one of the nightmares, the other knights taking a slow, methodical approach by moving to corral the agitated goblins.

Rachel’s attention wasn’t on the contest as they met; the audience heard horrific sounds of veiled figures in the dark mist, but something else stood in the air, far above them, that took Dionysus’ tight smile—his nightmare.

There stood a bronze-skinned elder of a god, rippling with bright lightning dancing around him. The old god’s muscular bare chest flexed with his judging, illuminated eyes on the lesser god. In his hand was a golden bolt of energy that created rumbles that shook reality.

“Zeus… How pathetic you are when I wield this kind of power.”

[Grade Advancement - Mental Acceleration II Unlocked]

[Grade Advancement - Strategic Mind II Unlocked]

[Grade Advancement - Bestial Instincts II Unlocked]

[Lunar Pool - Advanced to C-tier]

[Divine Lunar Surge - Advanced to D-tier]

[Divine Beast Empowerment - Advanced to A-tier]

[Lunar Cap - Advanced to C-tier]

[Bringer of Misfortune - Advanced to B-tier]

Rachel could hardly see whatever image of the elder god that Dionysus sneered at; through the Infernal Energy filling her, the true visage of what embodied the Black Moon took Zeus’ place. Overlayed on the golden shape of a man was shimmering garnet hair, flowing like flames behind a woman with burning, coal-like eyes, which lingered on the lesser god.

Instead of howls and shrieks, a gentle, pulling whisper caressed Rachel’s ears from the harrowing nightmare.

“Bring me your soul,

“Bring me your fear,

“In my name, you will create;

“Bring me your hate,

“Bring me your pain,

“In my name, you will destroy;

“I am that nightmare which you cannot face,

“Hope, your road to ruin;

“I am your undoing…”

Cerridwen’s baleful smile drifted to Rachel with the eye-like ruby gem attached to her chest as Rachel’s body began to morph; the world faded in the sadistic mist that surrounded her.

Darkness welled within Rachel’s heart as she tasted the hope of those around her, veins rushing with their need for survival and filling her with strength. She was drawn into her inner world without her notice, where Cerridwen’s cold, maroon-lipped smile met her among the swirl of Infernal flames, bubbling out of a night-black cauldron.

“As I told you,” she spoke, words like the smooth tingle of fingers across fine silk as the goddess glided around her. “The Mythickin fairy and unicorn would guide you to me, and here you are…”

Rachel looked down at her white skin, painted black with a smoky substance, fur spreading across her figure. She resonated with the pulsing lunar waves radiating out of the goddess; it awakened a suppressed side of her. It was a cruel, sadistic subtlety and cold, rational vibe that reflected a piece of the two Feats the woman had blessed her with at the start of her journey. Misfortune linked with nightmares, stoic resolve, and cunning design.

While Conner fought for glory outside in the sight of the lesser god that supported him, she met with the sadistic goddess of eternal rebirth, death, and transformation that had provided the opportunity for this very Legend Quest to exist in the first place.

Holding up a hand to observe her darkening skin and bristling fur, Rachel created a mirror in the void to observe the transformation this unique celestial object brought. Her features shifted without form, taking on horrific visages from deep nightmares that twisted her now only-partial hare figure.

The previous lunar orbs Rachel had experienced were nothing like the kind of strength and cold joy she felt from this ominous Infernal sphere, and perhaps that was the correct term for it. She had become the misfortune that personified the living nightmare of transformation: the Reaper of Hope.

“And what is it that you want?” Rachel asked, voice shifting octaves with her aberrant changes. “I can see why Eostre would be too terrified to refuse you.”

Cerridwen brushed back her flowing locks, revealing the black crescent moon on her brow, and she stopped in front of her, holding eye contact.

“What is my purpose in blessing you with insight and wisdom? To hasten our meeting and gather hope to provide you a way forward. I do not have much time, but enough to give you an option. Certainly, there will be lesser moon deities that will try to reach out to you, hoping to eat off the scraps on the floor you’ll toss them, but what these short-sighted fools can provide is fleeting…and you will pay the price of their greed.”

“Hehe.” Rachel’s frigid, horrific smirk widened beyond normal, showing rows of fangs. “And you are better than these fearful lesser deities scrambling for this…mysterious Seed? You can give me answers where they cannot?”

Daggers gleamed in the nightmarish underworld goddesses’ burning vision as she pulled away to gesture around them, the ruby eye on her chest widening; Rachel’s vision broadened with a sight that opened inside, revealing cosmic destruction on a scale she couldn’t comprehend.

Nightmares, mortals, immortals, and deities beyond anything she’d imagined were swallowed in an infinite and vast flood of blood and gore.

“You will see I have already set you on that path for us both. Many moons, I’ve lingered lonely, lost in the maddening void that separates our dimensional lines, descending into the Red Sea to seek an answer to the lost dreams I had overseen… And I ascended beyond The Real to be granted the Curse of the Wise… I was given the sight to see The End…and your next potential patron that will help us prevent this calamity.”

Rachel’s wide jaw twitched as the flashing palm of the Scarlet Hand imploded within the bloody destruction. “A patron… I can do just fine on my own without your help.”

Cerridwen turned to the side, smoky dress pressing against her figure in the universal wave of gore that absorbed eternity. “You are not wrong, Bringer of Misfortune… Karma’s Gift. But you could accomplish so much more by accepting my offer.”

Placing a clawed hand on her hip, Rachel’s toothy grin stretched with her barbed ears, mirroring her smile. “An offer that I have yet to hear; your respect is noted, though. You are as limited as the lesser gods since there are those stronger than you within the 7th dimension and those beyond that, whatever they may be.”

“Indeed, you are correct again,” Cerridwen whispered, still showing a knowing half-smile. “If I were to offer merely my own services, it would be quite the lopsided partnership…but, as I mentioned, what if I could offer you the support of much more powerful deities than I?”

The woman’s flaming eyes peered through her before meeting her gaze again. “There are things I long to teach you; nonetheless, I do not expect you to make your decision now. I have already given you my resume in this very show, and a glimpse into the services I have already provided as an introduction.”

She glanced toward Nike’s pinned figure, which appeared above them, dripping golden blood. “Moongmor will be selected during your first round; I suggest you think carefully about how to complete the item he is most assuredly going to select… I hope I am right about you, and you will use the opportunities to walk down these roads I have paved in this Legend’s Quest.”

Cerridwen dispersed into black smoke with a few parting words as the ominous sight of the Black Moon returned to Rachel’s view. “I hope you live up to everything I was told. Enjoy.”

She exited her inner world, and several minutes seemed to have passed, considering the battle raging below. Eostre’s fervent gaze was shifting from Rachel’s nightmarish, shifting form to the dark moon and darkness that cycled the stadium. Dionysus sat above the arena, engaged in observing the combat while drinking wine and laughing at Conner’s showmanship.

Rachel’s clawed fingers tapped against the stone, her features taking on a more monstrous hare form with black, spiky fur and a grizzly smile. It didn’t take long for dark thoughts to turn her focus to the 4th-dimensional tulpa.

In essence, Cerridwen had used this Legend’s Quest opportunity to allow another trapped higher entity a chance to see if they wanted to join this potential council of deities that would stand behind her. She made it clear who had the power in this relationship; the goddess had undoubtedly left a memorable impression on how valuable their partnership could be.

Eostre was terrified of Cerridwen, and for a good reason. Although they both came from the same general pantheon of deities, but the goddess wanted to bring many others to her flag. The tulpa would be the intermediary between this council and her, seemingly not of her own free will.

Cerridwen wasn’t your typical goodie-two-shoes goddess who only wanted the betterment of everyone; she was a chaotic entity of madness, wisdom, and nightmares. She wanted something more than simply power to fill some inferiority complex, such as Dionysus, and that interested Rachel.

Her glinting, hare-like eyes centered on the trembling little bunny in the stands that would apparently provide her an item. Cerridwen didn’t say to micromanage him but use what he gave her wisely; things had really taken a fun turn.

If these higher deities can give me answers, then why not use them? she internally reasoned, scanning the frightened lower deities that made her laugh at how pathetic they were in the sight of something more powerful that could kill them. They don’t have what it takes to push beyond the wall; Cerridwen is right…I should keep my options open.

Eostre yelped and jumped back as Dionysus appeared between them, holding grapes and sitting on the stone railing, drunk on his borrowed power.

“Hmm. Quite more animalistic, my darling hare. And look at that smile… Why not ditch this spoiled flower and become my champion?”

Rachel’s teeth clicked against each other as she chuckled, leaning against the pillar and looking past him to the uncomfortable autumn-haired woman. “I’ll take my chances.”

“Pity,” he sighed, showing a controlled smirk while looking at Conner’s one-sided slaughter of the hobgoblins; he had more of a challenging time with the nightmare knights. “How much of an impression have you made on the audience with this showcase? Hmm-hmm-hmm. Good luck with your wilted spring flower!”

He disappeared to continue hyping up the crowd.

Eostre’s cheeks were colored with embarrassment and agitation. “I am not some wilted flower… Why are you laughing? I get enough disrespect from the other lesser deities that push me around,” she grumbled, glaring at a high-class area where radiant figures observed the battle and chatted with one another.

Rachel’s claws scraped at her stone seat in rhythm with the choirs of nightmares circling within the dark fog like a magical symphony; she found an odd beauty in the black sphere looming over the shivering lower deities, their fear mixing into the chorus and hope that Dionysus kept them safe, further feeding the ominous celestial orb.

“What merit is there in giving thought to those who are already trapped in a slow, strangling death? This nightmare is only the precursor to what is to come.”

In reality, Conner could never win this nightmare that sought to pull him into its orbit; the more hope he had in defeating each creature, the stronger the Black Moon’s connection was solidified.

It brought a dark grin to her corrupted heart, knowing that without Dionysus’ rules and the power granted him as the Arbiter that provided the means to maintain this barrier preventing the full manifestation of the Black Moon, everyone here would be swallowed within the madness; the only way to defeat the lunar sphere was for all trapped within to give up hope and join the choir of the damned, preventing more from being pulled inside to fuel the engine.

Eostre’s beautiful face creased with concern while staring at her monstrous hare face. “I’m included in that, aren’t I… Haaa. I am supposed to be the lucky one, but…I suppose Nike was supposed to be the victorious one, as well, and look where she is. Damn this ruined Existence.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Rachel mused, head tilting with the shrieks and cries inside the darkness while pondering on the changes that would come from this Legend’s Quest; it wasn’t just Cerridwen’s lingering echoes in the Black Moon but something that had tainted it.

“A hymn of what still echoes in the prayers of your nightmares will bring about your salvation. Something lingers beyond sight that these nightmares sing of.”

“Meaning?” Eostre shivered, hugging herself and shrinking away a bit with her shifting form.

Rachel’s head moved to look at her, teeth thinning and voice twisting with her elongating hare face, repeating what was whispered from the nightmare of nightmares. “Look inside to break the seal. You are far more important and lucky than you or I know.” She let out a laugh she knew would be unnerving. “Isn’t the Black Moon wonderful?”

“Like an itch behind my eye,” Eostre swallowed, turning away from her to see Conner finishing his battle.

Bathed in the blood of the hobgoblins, their broken corpses painted the rocky cliff as he managed to take out the last knight by tackling him to the ground and pounding the armor in before another could form from the mist.

“Haha-haaa,” chest heaving, he flipped upright to display the gore. “I have conquered the nightmare and army! And look! Not a scratch on my flesh. Unmarked by blade, nail, or fist! Who can offer me a challenge… You, my monstrous rabbit rival?!”

The repulsed spur Rachel typically felt due to her pride didn’t scratch the same with the insult as she casually leaned against the pillar, leg dangling off the side of the platform as the Black Moon filled her with a malicious, cruel force. The ruthless strings of misfortune guided her heart as she chuckled at his words.

“By all means, let’s skip this little game and end this mediocrity. Do you think people are entertained by such one-sided displays of boastful fights? No, these gods want blood, torture…fear. They didn’t come here to see you prance around in your short-shorts, heh, no matter how fine you look in them.”

Dionysus’ scowl at her insult to his games turned into a confused smirk at her last comment, laughter following. “How does it feel being hit on by a nightmare hare?”

Conner rubbed his blood-stained chin. “Off…in a good kind of way.”

Laughter came from the crowd, breaking the tension as the Black Moon faded away. Rachel’s transformation slowly reverted; her Lunar Pool was slightly tainted, but it wasn’t enough to maintain the nightmarish form.

Rotating her stiff neck and working around her jaw, Rachel cleared her throat. She plucked at her ripped and stretched sports bra and running shorts, punctured by the barb-like fur she’d grown when shapeshifting. “Can I get some help, Eostre?”

The disgruntled woman waved her hand, causing a fragrant scent to blow on the wind, encircling her and restoring the fabric. “Maybe you should consider getting stronger clothes…”

“Maybe you should pass the thought along. Is it finally my turn, Dionysus? I’m getting bored with how fast that battle was; I couldn’t even check out the level I got before coming here,” she complained. “What do all of you think? You want stakes, a real challenge! Am I right?!”

Conner frowned as she downplayed his battle; due to his near-impregnable defenses while connected to the earth, he was all but invincible to their attacks. Even if given the answers on how to defeat him from Rachel’s imposed restriction, they hadn’t managed to stop his rampage with his slippery, water-like nature. It was an impressive offense and defense.

The lesser god clapped his hands, bringing Conner and her to center stage as the dimensional bubble he’d created vanished with the mangled corpses. “Are you trying to increase the Challenge Rating, Rachel?”

Rachel’s lips twisted into a smirking leer. “Am I right to assume the rewards and items available increase by Challenge Rating?”

“They do,” Dionysus confirmed, walking around them and gesturing at the mumbling crowd. “Has the Black Moon awakened some masochistic urges, my long-eared gladiator? Are you sure you want to increase the difficulty after Conner obtained such an easy victory? Could you have done as well as my champion?”

Squaring up to the taller Legend with the muscular body of a god, Rachel gave him a testing look. “Absolutely. Why don’t we make this fun?”

“What do you suggest?” Conner mused, returning her stare with a crooked smile while holding up one of his solar gauntlets, shimmering with an inner light. “If you roll wrong, I could really penalize you.”

“Isn’t that the fun of the game?” she returned, crimson eclipse-like eyes holding his gaze. “You all saw how a unique moon affects me. But how would a unique type of earth or water affect you? Why not test things out against some of the more powerful monster options? Wouldn’t it be fun to roll the dice and see the options?”

“Ho-ho!” Dionysus turned to the crowd. “An interesting proposal! Chance and danger around every corner; the essence of this game! I can already feel the tension! Do we agree that in each location, a potential unique moon will show up at random, while a unique land and sea is given to my champion? Their effects will also be strengthened due to the higher Challenge Rating! What do you say?!”

Roars and chants filled the arena; she had the better deal in this proposal since Conner’s item would be at a lower Challenge Rating. Of course, she had to prove she was capable of surviving at this unknown tier, and Dionysus already had a bone to pick with her rejecting him.

“You have spoken!” Dionysus laughed, directing their attention to a numbered pointer from one to three, currently at the lowest tier. “You wanted this, Rachel!” The thunderous shifting of gears moving brought the pointer to the middle. “Challenge Rating 2 has been selected! Now, we let fate decide the ord—what a twist?!”

A dice fell out of the sky into Rachel’s expectant hand as a colorful pink, orange, and white tie-dye bunny popped up in the crowd selection seat.

“Huh?! Am I chosen? I’m the chosen one! I’m so lucky! Ahhh! Yes! Yes! Yes!” Rachel turned to her side to chuckle at the cheering and dancing rabbit, kicking his feet and showing just what kind of an unusual guy he was.

“First, first—I’d like to show my thanks and gratitude to my most beloved, beautiful, and kind mistress, Lady Eostre! You’re so beautiful! Lady Eostre! Ahhh! I’m chosen!”

The autumn-haired woman showed a soft, entertained smile at her servant’s excitement, which became strained as he went on.

“Oh! Oh! And the anime overlords that teach me so many essential life lessons from the satellite dishes the Earth bunnies send to the moon—glory to thighs and ‘absolute territory’—and, and all the pretty cosplayers across the multiverses that bless me with their powerful energies! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!”

Of course, he’s an anime fan, Rachel internally groaned and laughed before a heart-stopping realization hit her upon hearing the word ‘cosplay.’ Wait…

Dionysus stared around at the many anime, cosplay, and images of Eostre the bunny projected throughout the stadium. Rachel could hear most of the crowd degrading or laughing at the rabbit, but he didn’t seem to care at all what they thought of him or his interests; he was secure in himself, at least in this.

“Roll your dice!” the host yelled.

She turned back to Conner, holding his gaze while tossing it to the side as he mirrored her in the opposite direction.

Conner: 19

Rachel: 2

Entertained laughter came from the crowd as Dionysus held his die while staring at Moongmor, who hopped forward and was having trouble picking up his die with his paws.

“I got—oops, uh-heh, let me try with my back feet—heh, it keeps slipping, uh…”

Rachel giggled and walked toward him, tiles of light appearing where she strode. “Having a bit of bad luck, Moongmor?”

The bunny’s ears pulled back as he looked up at her with his big eyes. “Yes! Can you help me, pretty hare girl? My paws are so slippery; I’m so nervous! My mistress is watching, and I don’t want to disappoint her—she’s so kind to me, even though I mess up and slack off watching anime or reading manga…”

“Unbelievable,” Dionysus sighed before bringing his cup to his mouth. “Haaa. This…embarrassment is your servant, Eostre? Tulpa truly are low-class. And is that your second two in a row, Rachel? Haha. Quite unluck…”

Dionysus: 1

Rachel scratched Moongmor’s neck, lifting an eyebrow as Dionysus’ casually tossed die landed. “Who…was unlucky again? Heheh. That comment kind of bit you in the ass there, didn’t it?”

“I suppose it did,” he said with a sheepish laugh and playing it off. “Is this your influence? You cannot roll for him.”

“Alright,” she said with a grin and wink at the curious and flustered rabbit as she held the dice in the palm of her hand. “I’ll just hold it for him then. Give it a good kick!”

“Oh! Oh! Blow on it for bad luck,” he giggled, twisting in circles as he hopped up and down, excitement building again.

“Okay,” she snickered, puffing out a soft breath.

Dionysus held up a hand in confusion as all the other deities cried out with laughter; Rachel couldn’t even see his kick, punting the die so fast that it bounced off the walls several times, ping-ponging around before hitting the dull-eyed Dionysus between the eyes, and dropping to the ground.

Crowd: 20

“And… Haha! Hey, you deserved that for your comments about Eostre,” she laughed.

“Perfect score!” Moongmor cheered. “Item! Item! Anime sailor outfi—”

“Moongmor,” Rachel hissed, her glare making the moon rabbit jump back and Conner double over with laughter.

“Hey, I think you’d look great in that!”

“Eh-hehe. Uh, military sailor outfit?” Moongmor tentatively asked.

Rachel’s gaze lifted to the giant display overhead as the one-minute timer counted down; the images that showed weren’t the worst. Cerridwen told her to trust him.

“Just…something that I wouldn’t be embarrassed in,” she groaned, rubbing between her eyes. “Please…”

“Okay! Okay!” He jumped up and down. “Count on MoonMoon, Major!”

The timer continued to count down as he spun through options like a madman with a fever, laughing and cheering as he went so fast Rachel couldn’t follow it with [Mental Acceleration].

“Gloves—fighters like gloves… Super-fitted military sailor outfits look so badass on light-pink-haired girls! Black—black-and-red themes are cool! Yes! Awesome! No-no on cute pink earmuffs… Yes! Captain hat, and can’t forget absolute territory! White formal undershirt and black tie—overcoat and black square heels… A bunny spirit Living Denier for infinite growth!”

Five seconds remained, making Rachel nervous as he hadn’t even gotten to the attributes besides this Living Denier part; from her mother’s obsession with clothes, she knew denier had something to do with the quality of clothing and guessed it had something to do with fabric.

“Can store Lunar Energy in multiple pools—oh, that’s all I can do… Complete!”

Rachel breathed out a heavy sigh as half a second showed on the clock. A shimmering light came on around her frame, adding the items; a warmth wrapped around her from invisible arms hugging her tight.

A red glow made her breath catch in her lungs as it separated to reveal a smiling, adult bunny girl with slightly shorter ears than her. “Hello, Rachel. I’m Nia.”

Moongmor gasped, left foot rapidly tapping the platform as he looked her up and down, marveling at their twin outfits. “Nia! Nia! Yes! Rachel, she’s the best Living Denier; she’s like you—tough and cool and intense—”

“Okay, okay,” Nia laughed. “Calm down, soldier.”

“Ma’am!” Moongmor chimed, stiffening to attention.

“Like me, huh?” Rachel hummed, examining the young woman; she had a similar build as her, if a little less curved; she saw a reflected look in her appraising stare, and it then hit her how helpful Nia could be if she could store multiple lunar energy types for her to use. “Having a second pair of fists might not be so bad… If you can follow orders.”

Nia’s head tilted to the side with her ears and smirk. “In terms of rank, you’re the major, and I’m the captain. I’ll respect your lead…if you can keep my respect.”

Rachel grinned. “And just like that, I already like you.”

Dionysus studied their exchange as it became Conner’s turn, Moongmor dancing around them and admiring his handiwork; it didn’t take a second for Conner to grin and make his choice, causing Nia and her smile to vanish.

“Penalty, Item: Living Denier.”

Nia hissed, scratching her neck and glaring at him. “Well, shit.”

“You’ll become friends, and—n-no!” Moongmor cried in horror. “You can’t—you…”

A pressure embraced Rachel as Dionysus appeared behind Nia, a black sword plunging into her chest. “Too bad… In rare circumstances, a penalty to an item can cause some real damage, such as a crippling disease, and there are such illnesses that can strike Living Denier.”

“Bastard,” Nia grunted, showing a strained smile as she started to sparkle and fade away. “That scared of me, huh? Well, I’m luckier than you know.”

“I hope so, bun… I don’t see you surviving this bug for long.”

Rachel winced, her hand going to her chest as the warmth hugging her slackened; a cold chill ran down her spine as tears came to Moongmor’s eyes.

“Y-You’re killing her slowly… T-That’s not fair…”

Dionysus bent down to pick up the crying bunny. “Too bad. A soul item is really such a powerful tool, and to think you’d go straight for it. Well, you had your chance to have a good time. Off you go.”

He tossed the sniffling rabbit away. “Rachel, it seems you’re now wearing a deathly sick soul item. What are the chances? Yikes! Hehe. So, what is your choice?”

Rachel frowned, running her hand down the military overcoat to the short skirt; damage was starting to show.

Nia’s strained laughter resonated within her mind. “He infected me with a rare virus that affects living cloth… I’ll probably be mostly dead by the end of this next round. Kind of pathetic, huh? Got any bright ideas?”

Nia’s presence was drifting further away by the second, but the cold, calculating energy from the Black Moon drew Rachel’s gaze from Nia to the tortured, practically dead figure of Nike. Actually… I do have a plan.

“I’ll do what I can to get us there. What’s the plan, Major?”

Level and surpass expectations.

“That virus is unfortunate…” Rachel muttered aloud, studying the display that popped up in front of her. “Monster: A Challenge.”

Her gaze drifted between the many options that cycled in front of her until she landed on an image that made her pause. A bloody-clawed, white-eyed werewolf-like figure snarled a laugh from the picture; it wore a leather-like vest, where a stuffed bunny hung by its neck.

“Mmm-hehe.” Dionysus’ teeth flashed. “The dyalitha; there is a rabbit-like race on the planet that they torment—vicious hunters, necromantic in culture, and quite powerful—if you wanted a challenge…this might prove too difficult.”

Nia’s sickly voice held confidence it shouldn’t. “Puppies? C’mon, give me a challenge.”

Rachel’s smile widened at the feelings rising in her chest that told her these fiends needed to be punished. “The dyalitha, it is.”

Dionysus flipped through destinations to land on a frozen hellscape. “Then the best stage would be their home territory; the frozen wastelands of Nylthera, filled with the corpses of the kulina they hunt. Let the battle begin…”

Her vision lingered on Nike’s torn wings, hanging beside her body, Rachel’s mind in motion with her plan. She spared a glace for Moongmor, finding the sniffling, colorful rabbit in the stands, already mourning the Living Denier’s loss; he probably blamed himself for putting her in this position. Instead of focusing on the loss, Rachel flexed her black-gloved hand, testing its elasticity; Nia’s dimensions were perfect.

Misfortune and karma can go hand-in-hand, Nia; I’ll get your vengeance.

“Major,” Nia grumbled in a dull tone. “Why are you talking like I’m already dead? I’m still here…”

Haha! My bad. Let’s exploit some pride.

Chapter Twenty-Six

A Bloody Victory

The crowd cheered as the world spun, and abruptly, an unnatural arctic chill gripped Rachel’s heart. The powerful lower deities faded away with Conner’s testing grin, wishing her good luck. In the next second, all Rachel’s tilting ears could hear were the ominous cracking of the icy earth and howling wind that swept across a frozen wasteland.

Dionysus’ voice was distant, more felt than heard while introducing the contest. “Welcome to Nylthera, a place of living hell for the kulina, which our brave combatant has a striking resemblance to! Hehe. Observe the artwork of the cruel dyalitha wolves. What a nightmare this must be for a bunny…or hare.”

Nia remained silent within her mind, conserving her strength while assessing the dangers with her. Rachel’s ears stiffened with her tail as a distant, shrill howl carried along the gusts, pressing her skirt and military uniform against her body.

“I don’t like being in the open, Major, the mature bunny whispered. If this is their home turf, then we’re at a severe disadvantage. Their senses are adapted to this environment. If… Are they still alive?”

Rachel didn’t respond, feeling the strings of misfortune that weaved throughout the land, taking her to one of the large, jagged ice spikes that peppered the landscape, providing many refractions in the light snowfall.

Running her hand along the crystal, she looked into the wide eyes of an anthropomorphic visage of a rabbit-person trapped inside the humming sheets; it was cold to the touch but not enough to freeze, like the rest of their frigid environment.

I think they are, she responded, feeling something else laced on the gale sweeping the land that slightly cut past her natural environmental resistances. Further examination of the trapped bunny made her vision narrow, centered on the sickle stuck through the Kulina’s chest, burning with emerald flames.

“If what Dionysus said is true,” Nia strategized, “then we should expect them to have control over this ice, the undead, and have enhanced attributes. If they hunt creatures with sharp hearing, then they’d have adapted to it. Ack—the bastard. He chose this overcast place to rob us of the moon.”

A thoughtful twist lifted Rachel’s mouth as she bent down on one knee, head tilting to scan the jagged ice, only lightly layered by the snowfall, and her gaze lifted to the overcast skies. Slowly rising to her feet again, Nia’s square heels finding traction against the rough surface, she breathed in deeply to taste the air.

Don’t be so sure, Nia… I am not a kulina rabbit, nor a type of prey that hides. Walking further into the open, her illuminated, clover-like eyes took in her stage. I hunt in the light of the moon, not in the shadows, and you’re not factoring in an important detail, Nia.

Her smirk lifted to the heavens, the cloud cover starting to shift in a slow circle as Dionysus’ commentary momentarily cut. A pained chuckle came from Nia as to why Rachel had chosen these creatures, despite all her senses telling her she would die in this wasteland.

Instincts flaring, Rachel’s feet left the ice as she performed an aerial evade, yet she couldn’t escape; a sickly-green blur ripped through her side. It carried forward to lodge into an ice wall, revealing a sleek sickle bathed in her white blood, slowly tinting red.

The Unique Moons aren’t so easily hampered by weather.

[Curse of Ambrogio: Active]

Rachel didn’t feel the pain as she landed, Dionysus snarling as the sky parted.

“My older sister’s hand? Agh! I am not amused! How can your sense of misfortune be this keen?! Not even Theodon, Atë, Oizys, and Tyche combined could possibly have orchestrated this! Of all the Unique Moons possible near this world, you tempt me with the Blood Moon that answers the call of this challenge?”

[Divine Ultima Regeneration X - Selene draws the user’s spirit into Hades. So long as the user’s spirit remains with her, the user’s body will continue to regenerate endlessly from a single cell that survives.]

[Divine Creature of the Endless Hunt X - The user is capable of personifying the Goddess of the Hunt, Artemis, as her greatest hunter.]

[Divine Silver Vulnerability X - Wounds caused by silver will not recover.]

[Divine Sunlight Vulnerability X - Cursed by the god Apollo, any cell touched by sunlight will be utterly destroyed.]

As her spirit left her body, a link between Hades and her actual body was created; those who joined in Ambrogio’s curse had their spirits ripped away to the underworld, severing emotion from thought.

She turned to find a phantom-like wolf looming over her, rising out of the ground like a ghost; she hadn’t heard him until his weapon was buried into her stomach. Yet, the sinister beast was the one to retreat, leaving his sickle in her belly as she activated one of her many Sub-Feats in [Divine Creature of the Endless Hunt]—Rachel’s extending claws reached for his throat, laced with tainted blood.

Taking a moment to recover, she examined herself, impaled by a sickle. Globs of her thick blood dripped from the slash in her side, causing the white landscape to be tinted a bright-cherry hue, unlike her typical silvery-white.

The energy that filled her wasn’t cruel or heated but cold, calculating, and serene. A dot appeared in the sky, cutting through the snowy heavens as the point split in two to move in parallel, creating a sphere once meeting at their northern tip. Bloody wine poured out when they joined together, filling the sphere in a sloshing flood of bright, rippling light.

A gentle woman’s voice pricked Rachel’s soul, somber yet tranquil, and accepting of her sorrow. “You come and go in waves, leaving me in your wake…swallowing everything. When the curtains call the time, my darling, will we both be satisfied? Love…the death of peace of mind.”

A crimson veil washed over the arctic hellscape, revealing thousands of frozen kulina, all tortured in their prisons; Rachel could feel the cry for balance in vengeance. The agitated dyalitha’s ears twitched while observing the extremely rare celestial phenomena. The Blood Moon cast all who saw it in an unsettling serenity of inevitability.

Eostre’s voice filled her with understanding as the nasty gouge in her side bubbled and frothed; the dyed maroon liquid restored her skin and organs as her hair, ears, and glow matched the Infernal sphere as her spirit sank into endless oblivion.

“Selene’s eye… The bloody tears she sheds for Ambrogio, the ancient goddess’ cursed lover, a mortal who did everything in his power to be with her—to the point of becoming a monster. Only to be kept in sight but never together for all of eternity by a cruel twist of fate, made an immortal, soulless creature of the night.”

Rachel’s fingers closed around the handle of the necrotic sickle that attempted to mar her spirit. Yet, her spirit was slipping away from its grasping taint, as was Nia’s, joining her ascent to the embrace of a deep limbo.

Yanking the weapon free to splatter the ice in her crimson blood, Rachel twisted it around her hand before running her other over her bubbling stomach. Twinkling light brought Nia’s reconstituted body beside her, Ambrogio’s curse of immortality in undeath preventing the disease from harming her while their spirits lay inside Hades.

The dyalitha’s white eyes narrowed, head lowering as it sank into the ice, a howl reverberating beneath their feet with four more answering it. Rachel wasn’t rushed, though. Instead, her bloody eyes observed the tinted landscape with Nia, seeing everything the crimson rays touched, the thump of thousands of heartbeats radiating like a musical symphony with tens of thousands of corpses beneath the ice.

She followed the dyalitha as they phased through the mystical ice, wondering if this was what it was like for Scarlet, feeling the pulse of life waiting to be culled. Rachel’s teeth flashed as she lifted her clawed fingernail to press against her fangs; she was a different kind of nightmare now compared to the Black Moon she’d experienced earlier.

Sickles shot out from multiple angles, ripping into Nia and her bodies, slicing off limbs, and looking for something to infect with their necrotic taint, only to find an empty shell dedicated to the hunt. Nia reflected her cold smile as fissures cut through the sheets, releasing an army of the dead kulina, green flames carrying them up with the wolves’ howls.

Dionysus’ words rang within her mind as Rachel walked toward one of the frozen rabbit people, eyes quivering in its prison while watching Nia and her take the ceaseless abuse; it was fun to see prey bark and bite until they realized how unlucky they were to fall within her sight.

“I do love the build-up, Rachel. I really do,” he stated with a strained laugh, clearly beginning to get agitated by her continual fortune. “But how about we add a time limit to this challenge? Ten minutes. It will bump up your reward by a decent amount. Won’t you accept?”

Rachel’s claws broke into the ice to grip one of the kulina warrior’s hammers, frozen with them. Nia did the same to another pillar, her wounded outfit and body restoring as she bathed in the sight of the bloody moon.

Heh. You don’t want me to farm as much EXP as I can in this challenge and Nia to soak in these lunar rays for later? Look at all the juicy animated corpses… Is Conner sweating at the increased difficulty? I want to milk this opportunity.”

She caught the rabbit creature’s tormented eyes; this person wasn’t make-believe or an illusion but a real soul. From what she understood from Dionysus’ explanation, this was a fractured cluster of universes, realms, and worlds within Conner’s Greater Seed, and the Arbiter could pull in limited elements from external objects to fill in the spots.

“Increase the Challenge Rating to three, not just some tiny reward bump, and I’ll accept a ten-minute time limit,” she laughed, extracting the weapon without effort to flip it in a sharp circle, creating a cyclone that removed all the snow blanketing the scenery and shoving back all the undead advancing on her.

“You’re practically a demigod right now with that damnable curse! I would need to add fifty more dyalitha with their elites to make it compatible when you’re under the Blood Moon; it’s not a challenge otherwise!”

“You are the one that allowed these Unique Moons,” she reminded, confirming in the explanation that he wasn’t all-knowing when it came to these games; the Blood Moon was a surprise. “And, heh, you can teach them how to defeat us…but you know that won’t help them. Accept it. You don’t want to do it because of the Experience it will give me.”

The swift-moving reanimated undead kulina shot through the mist she’d expelled across the hellscape to rush her, running as fast as her standard sprint and likely packing far more of a punch.

Rachel leaped over one hundred meters into the sky to land on the highest ice spike nearby, the seething Arbiter in her mind. Nia followed her; the Living Denier was listening in, a similar massive hammer slung over her shoulders, waiting for the signal to act. Every minute they bought in this challenge brought more Blood Moon energy into Nia’s Lunar Pool to be stored.

“Actually, there is a limit to how much ‘EXP,’ as you call it, can expand your spirit. And you are so far beyond it here your spirit would explode if it took in this much pressure all at once.”

“Interesting,” she commented, spotting Nia’s silent laughter as the chattering and clicking undead bunnies began to climb the icy spire to reach them; the dyalitha were spread out, snarling at one another, no doubt communicating to solve the mystery of what kind of terrifying creatures she and Nia were. “You are really not good at this Arbiter business.”

“And you are not good at entertaining me!” he spat back. “Hmm. Fine. Five minutes. And you want it changed to the 3rd Challenge Rating? If you fail—all of these worlds die. You are okay with that?”

“Five minutes?” she spoke aloud, further grating on his nerves while bringing the bargain to the attention of the audience. “Heh. Give us a challenge. And you already said I’m practically a demigod. Let me give a show to the people!”

“Three.”

“Done.”

“…Enjoy your hell.”

Rachel’s ears shot up as more gears rumbled in the distance, and the world expanded, mist easing back to reveal dozens more dyalitha. A unified howl fractured the icy landscape, creating a colossal fissure that brought out an undead horde of various other bulky and powerful entities.

Fifty-foot reptilian creatures in chains clawed out, burning with green flames with the wolves riding them as winged snakes burrowed through the ice to reach their icy pillar.

Nia’s braided red hair drifted to the side as the wind picked up, a blizzard rushing in from the opposite direction to cover them in a whiteout, but the Blood Moon wouldn’t be denied by such things as natural storms, no matter their size.

“The clock starts now!”

Rachel gave Nia a lifted eyebrow as the earthquake split the base of their platform, taking them to the ground where the armies of dyalitha-reanimated corpses of their conquered foes rushed to meet them.

I see plenty of replacement hammers to grab; it’s the only weapon I’ve practiced with in my mental space thus far.

“The Moon Hare and Living Denier Moon Bunny against the world,” Nia sighed, spinning her weapon around to counter the blizzard that embraced them; the Blood Moon’s powerful rays still shone through, making it appear like they’d entered an arctic blood storm. “We really were screwed at Challenge Rank Two without hacks.”

Jumping off before they crashed, Rachel landed on the leaping lizard creature as it tried to predict where they were, attempting to use its own body to disrupt the crimson rays from feeding their immortal, undead bodies; it was a good attempt that would be repeated.

Fueled by the waves of unending strength and unlimited regeneration, Rachel entered the chaos, a streak of crimson light as she ignored the majority of the undead hordes; her targets were the living controlling them, and whole companies of the frozen armies collapsed with every dyalitha skull her kulina hammer crushed.

The melancholy strum of Selene’s longing for her lover-turned-vampire pulsed within her breast as the world spun in slow motion. She was only able to keep up with the mind-numbing acceleration, pivots, pinpoint accuracy, nigh-omnipresent view, and strength imposed on her frail, mortal body thanks to the insane regeneration the Blood Moon provided, while her spirit was protected from the insurmountable stress due to being safely stored within the depths of Hades.

Two minutes and fifty-three seconds later, she and Nia broke through the ribs of the headless corpse of a giant wolf chieftain, caked in gore. It had survived being decapitated, somehow. Magma bubbled out of the ground as she broke through the ice, pressure rearranging the tectonic plates and destroying her arm, only for the appendage to grow anew.

“Throw it in?” Nia dully asked as the green, unholy necromantic symbols on his stomach changed again, the body trying to animate itself.

Rachel wordlessly kicked it in. “I…don’t know if I like the Blood Moon. I don’t feel anything but peace and loneliness, despite you being here.”

“Yeah. Not a fan, Major.”

They watched the corpse burst into flames in the rising magma, the bunny people safe from the main destruction they’d caused. It hadn’t been hard to free them; it didn’t feel good or bad either. And even this victory didn’t sate her under the cold crimson rays; all Rachel felt throughout this battle was a surreal, melancholy peace.

The ravaged, frozen landscape warped with the destabilized tectonic shifts underneath the sheets of melting ice, and all the imprisoned kulina were freed from their confinement, unaffected by the cataclysmic battle.

When the world changed, and they were suddenly away from the rays of the Blood Moon, Rachel was a little disappointed that the hammer had stayed behind. She remained detached, perhaps even apathetic, with the unique lunar energy still tainting a part of her Lunar Pool.

A thunderous applause filled the stadium, replays of Nia and her rocketing through giant lizard people and ripping apart reanimated kulina within the whirlwind of their passing playing out across the many holographic screens placed around the coliseum.

Eostre’s concerned voice entered her mind as Dionysus hyped up the battle that he hated but relished in the praise the audience gave him, nonetheless. The Black Moon’s taint was tempered by the Blood Moon’s serene and accepting vibes as she saw Nia give her a two-fingered military salute before dispersing into shimmering stars, releasing her artificial body.

“Your spirit is still in Hades; I’ve rarely seen a body act solely on Intelligence, without the spirit. How do you feel? It should be sent back shortly—I don’t know how it works—maybe they realize you’re not supposed to be there when you’re not under the Blood Moon?”

Intelligence? How does that affect spirit or body? All I feel is this dull apathy right now.

“Sadly,” the tulpa whispered, “you are experiencing what Ambrogio feels for eternity. As for Intelligence, it is the guiding force, the acting force that is transmitted through the spirit to the body, the agency that promotes action. It is the core of a soul, the core of all persons or acting agents in existence.

“Yet, your spirit is shackled in Hades, stemming the transfer of several primary functions that come from the unity of Intelligence, spirit, and body. It is for this reason humans generally call the spirit the ‘soul’ of the body, as inaccurate as it is, they are merely describing how they feel without understanding the process. In essence, the unity and bond of sensations from the body and Intelligence is not being properly transferred due to the binding agent being absent. How hollow is it?”

Rachel wasn’t entirely focused on the reason for Hades holding onto her spirit for safekeeping; she had other things to concern herself with.

Meh… she shrugged, studying her restored black-and-red military school getup; it was considered Nia’s true body, which meant it was covered under the Blood Moon’s effects. I’m unsatisfied, yet unbothered. It’s a strange duality. I’m missing something critical…something I know I shouldn’t… I can’t be bothered to care, yet I know I should. Nia?

A soft sigh came from the living denier. “The same. I could smile or laugh, but I feel very somber… I’m content with not being in the light or warmth. Does it make everyone else not connected to the Blood Moon feel… Mmgm, she internally groaned.

Isolated. Paranoid. Unsettled… Unloved by the night. It’s like she projects this emotion—this phrase: love…the death of peace of mind. That’s how I think it feels.”

Nia seemed to let it go, moving on to what came next. “Once my spirit returns, the virus will continue to ravage—haaa. There it is. Damn. If I survive, shopping trip, Major?” she asked with a hopeful chime that mirrored her love for training; she was a soldier.

[Level Up - Level 8]

[2 Stat Points Added; 3 Available]

[1 Equipable Feat Choice Available]

[Level Up - Level 9]

[1 Stat Points Added; 4 Available]

[1 Feat Extension Added; 1 Available]

[1 Equipable Feat Choice Available]

[Nia Base Grade Increase - Grade II Achieved]

[Nia Base Grade Increase - Grade III Achieved]

[Nia Base Grade Increase - Grade IV Achieved]

[4 Style Points Added; 4 Available]

[1 Synchro Point Added; 1 Available]

[1 Feat Point Added; 1 Available]

[15 New Inventory Slots Added]

[15/15 Inventory Slots Available]

Rachel grimaced as her tempered emotions were brought back up to their normal levels, giving her a new perspective on the Blood Moon; her spirit left Hades and entered her body again, giving her a hard pill to swallow.

You know, I’m sure my mom is going to love you, Nia. We’ll talk about it later. And—our time in the spotlight is over.

Her environment shifted to the VIP box as Dionysus didn’t even recognize her fight, opting to move right to introducing his champion again, not that Rachel particularly cared… Okay, she did, a little bit, she admitted to herself, but despite the Blood Moon’s phenomenal power, it came with a disturbing price.

Eostre gave her an encouraging smile, likely thinking things were going way better than she thought, but Rachel’s gaze was on Nike’s blinded, bloodied form.

Rachel’s blood pumping vibes of active combat didn’t so much as whimper once throughout the exchange under the Blood Moon. There was no rush or surge to push beyond her limits. She had been beyond any kind of power she had dreamed about exercising, a demi-god, yet no thought of achievement or joy had filled her due to her lost spirit, only cold action and thought.

The Blood Moon really is the mind of the frigid night… Selene’s mournful, longing love for the immortal monsters as she unsettles their prey… The death of peace of mind for all those not embraced by her light, she whispered to Nia, biting down on her now normal nail. There was a…feeling in her chest. Agitation? She didn’t like it; it left no satisfaction, like the goddess who personified it.

Rachel watched the gears turn as Dionysus returned it to the first Challenge Rating since they were now beyond the easy first round; it would only ramp up from here, and she could see Conner’s frigid stare from across the stadium. Who wouldn’t be intimidated after seeing that kind of power? And she had some of it locked inside Nia.

It was only 21% of a single one of Nia’s two separate Lunar Pools used for storage, kept isolated and pure, unlike the mixture of the slight Black and Blood Moons tainting Rachel’s normal White Moon’s lunar energy in her single Lunar Pool. Still, Conner would be gunning for Nia, and it would only get worse once it was her turn. Rachel was beginning to get a better picture of what these Seeds were inside of them, though.

All of this was a giant machine to push the Legend’s spirit and refine them to a higher level, which these deities wanted a ride on. Her lingering serene mind helped to ground [Strategic Mind], and it made her wonder why Legendkin needed this complex system while Mythickin didn’t.

Selvaria, Fiona, Maria, Astra, and Scarlet—probably—were all Mythickin, yet there was only one Legendkin, Anthony, who had been near her when she’d turned. Coincidence? If there was one thing she’d learned since she changed, there was no such thing as coincidence.

There was a convoluted network of competing interests that she was playing between, and Anthony had to be a part of that in some way. Why would he be the one close by that she would connect with unless she needed his Greater Seed?

Whatever the reason, they could work off each other to grow faster; a Myth and Legend were better unified than competing. And what if multiple Mythickin taking part in Quests multiplied the effect? If so, you only needed one Legend per group.

Resting her elbows against the stone barrier, she folded her fingers together and rested them against her nose, returning Conner’s stare; it was an interesting thought experiment, nonetheless, and Conner was the perfect candidate to test her theories before implementing them in Anthony’s Greater Seed. What if she could pull his Seed away at the end to feed Anthony? There was a question.

Nia’s pained giggle followed her internal ponderings. “I’m glad to see you are quite the schemer, Major. I’m sorry I can’t be of further help… I can feel my mind slipping with every insufferable second Dionysus blows air.”

It will work out… I just need to get you a bit of medicine. It looks like it’s our time to roll again.

Teleported to the middle, Rachel snatched her die up without wasting any time and tossed it into the box. Conner did the same, seemingly not so amused about her previous performance with Nia, who shared a portion of her lunar connection to show two demigods in action.

A giant shark over twenty meters long appeared from the crowd, now a lot larger than his shrunken stand size. Water surged out of his gills, a low rumble from deep within its body shaking the stadium as it spoke in its weird language. The liquid twisted around the die to hold it like hands as Dionysus laughed and responded to the sea entity.

“Absolutely, Lord Neptius! Your home stadium would be a fantastic choice for a sea-based contest with the ever-shifting tides.”

The twenty-sided die swirled in the pool before being tossed lightly into the box, but Dionysus withheld his throw for a few more seconds while showing a thoughtful look. Yet again, the whimsical and insane lesser party god changed the rules again.

“I think we can all agree that, heh, while the effects these Unique Moons can have on our sweet lunar hare are exciting, they can also bring…complications! We will give my champion a chance to show off his unique attributes before returning to the standard rules. What do you say, should we see how the lunar hare fares without the crutch of these moons?”

Rachel wasn’t surprised at the cheers the offer got. He’d pushed the first round as hard as it could go with her using the Blood Moon and had still been thwarted. She half believed Dionysus was close to outright trying to kill her, and after her next selection, she was sure he would be out for her tail.

“Then it is settled—ah-hah, twenty, and two…again?! Maybe you should cut off Moongmor’s foot to use as a good luck charm. Haha!”

Rachel’s wide field of vision saw the still-grieving rabbit jump in fright and grab his big bottom feet, Nia grunting at the comment.

“I can’t wait until he messes up and gets slapped by the System.”

Agreed.

Rachel waved her finger in the air with a dull cheer. “Wooh. You’re hilarious. Can we get on with it? I’m getting bored.”

Dionysus gave her a glare that said, ‘She was the one supposed to be entertaining him.’

Conner: 9

Rachel: 2

Dionysus: 20

Crowd: 18

Dionysus gave her a savage grin, likely thinking her slowly dissolving, anime-style military school uniform would be mostly dead by the time she could do anything about it with her super-enhanced selection for her second round.

“Unlike the first round, where one can select an item, these ones are only reserved for Item Enhancement. So, Enhancement: Solar Gauntlets, Solar Skies…the gloves can bathe the atmosphere in a veil of solar rays that blot out the heavens for up to an hour, once a month.

Rachel pulled her now pink-hued, white braid over her shoulder to examine with a bored expression; she lived so rent-free in his mind with all the taunts. He wasn’t thinking about the future at all for Conner but trying to make him a direct counter to her. Sure, it worked, but Rachel wanted something that would last, and Nia was that.

The shark made a few grunts, watery pools spinning the display until settling on an underwater temple arena of some kind, showing a giant, muscular man in the background with a trident and making Conner beam with excitement as the lesser god introduced the battle stage.

“Location: the Dwendran’s Temple of Poseidon, in the golden pools my older brother sanctified! Truly a memorable place for a contest!”

Conner laughed and gave her a smirk. “Looks like you’re on monster duty again. Penalty: I can only use one leg for the entire match!”

Rachel didn’t feed into the hype, spinning the holographic options in a swift cycle without much emotion, making Nia laugh. “Monster: whatever it lands on.”

“Someone’s confident,” Conner hummed, studying her. “Aren’t you relying a bit too much on chance?”

She flashed her teeth as the selection landed on a Baby Kraken, making Conner force a laugh. “Chance is more than enough in this kind of challenge. I’d say good luck, but I’m sure you’ll wrestle down the not-so-baby squid on one leg well enough.”

Sent back to her booth so as not to draw more attention or love from the crowd due to her mouth, she kept her gaze on Conner. The stage was put into place, and while the earth was converted into water, her mind was pulled to Nike, near the corner of her vision.

This is such a strange competition. As competitors, we have to make sure our opponent survives to the end, or we both lose. If that is the case, then Conner has to be on my side, even if his god goes against me, and I can use that divide. We actually have a lot of power over the Arbiter, and if I get the crowd on my side, then I can isolate him.

Nia’s overcoat fell away, frayed completely through as it started on her tie and thigh-high stockings; soon, it would be her white dress shirt and skirt.

Hold on a bit longer, Nia. All you need is a little pick-me-up.

“Uh-huh…” Nia mumbled in a somewhat delirious state, growing weaker now that the virus was allowed to further gnaw at her spirit; the heat the outfit produced was now burning instead of warm and reassuring support. “I trust you, Rach… I-I mean, Major…”

Call me Rach all you want, Captain.

“Ma’am… I’d like some more socks. I like socks…”

Letting her ramble about various clothing items she liked to chew on, most of which she really had no idea what they tasted like, Rachel debated entering her internal world to assign her levels. Her gut told her the lesser god would do something to speed up Conner’s battle to attempt to trap her.

Nia’s delirious right now and can’t keep watch of the match for me. Dionysus is already trying to punish me. I can’t tell how much time will pass, and if Conner’s enhanced powers are like my Blood Moon powers, I could miss the selection process. It would be better to maneuver myself in a way to level in the next round. If I play my cards right, Nia should be able to cover me while I do that… It’s still hard to wait…

A tad annoyed, she followed Conner’s battle, comforting herself that she did need to understand more about his powers and how he used them. He was good. Using one leg, he surfed on the golden liquid surrounding the stadium to manipulate it into weapons, cutting the towering behemoth of a baby kraken into sushi.

Sure, it wasn’t easy for him, and he actually dodged the poisonous barbs the creature threw at him instead of tanking them like normal, but he could still make a show out of it. Solar-charged punches from his gloves left scorch marks on the sea creature’s body that seemed challenging for it to heal.

Ten minutes of showboating and displays of his strength, and it was on to her second round. She could have probably leveled up in that time, yet what she’d learned in Conner’s fight had been worth the delay. If she could upgrade her Stats on her own turn, then she’d gained far more overall in the end.

Eostre’s arms were held anxiously against her chest, mumbling for the Legend to get it over with already throughout the fight to give her a shot at stopping the soul item’s worsening decay. The woman was really growing on Rachel, and even MoonMoon had his strengths.

Rachel’s fingers lingered on the fraying edges of her dress shirt, showing her toned belly as it crawled up to her chest. Almost all of her clothing was nearly gone to some extent now, but Nia was doing her best to retain her undergarments, stubbornly holding on.

It wasn’t the loss of the clothes themselves that tightened Rachel’s chest but what they represented. She’d gotten to know Nia, mentally chatting with the young woman, and while there were clear differences between them—such as her sense of fashion—the headstrong Living Denier was the closest girl she’d met to having her own interests.

Finally, she sighed, appearing in the center as Dionysus gave her ruined outfit a smug grin.

“Haha! Ladies and gentlemen and everything in-between, around, and without, what will our lunar hare do to save herself from becoming a nudist?”

Conner chuckled. “We should at least give her a chance, right? She needs all the help she can get at this point. Will luck be in her favor?”

Rachel returned the smirk to the lesser god, her boldly, gleaming eyes sparking doubt that made her heart soar as she reached out to grasp the die that appeared.

A beyond-handsome, golden-haired male angel appeared from the crowd, but she was wholly focused on the misfortune tightening around Dionysus’ throat; besides, if she’d learned one thing from all these unique moons she’d experienced thus far, she leaned a tad on the more Infernal side of the spectrum.

She tossed it into Dionysus’ roll box as everyone else threw it at the same time; the lesser god frowned as her die struck his, bouncing off the edges before coming to a stop.

Conner: 2

Rachel: 20

Dionysus: 1

Crowd: 10

Lips curling as the bottom of her form-fitted bra began to show, Rachel spoke singular, deliberate words that made the display spin to the proper options. Settling on one that turned Dyonysus’ golden face white as snow. The stadium became deathly still as her words rang throughout the stands of lesser deities.

“Upgrade: Search. Mostly-dead personifications. Symbol of Victory. Send an acceptance request to Nike to be infused into my soul item.”

Rachel’s gaze lifted to the tortured, naked young woman pinned to the column. Gagged by her own white hair, blinded, and hung in place by her very weapons with her torn-off wings stapled at her sides. All eyes settled on Dionysus’ proud trophy, a symbol of his unmitigated dominance among the lesser gods and over his intimidating eldest sister, Athena.

“Rachel…” Dionysus snarled, wine barrels bursting around the stadium in a bubbling rage, falling over the quivering personification as vines swarmed the arena. “If you—”

“If I what?” Rachel grinned, not feeling an ounce of the terrifying pressure the other lesser deities flinched at. “Hah. You’ll, what? Kill Eostre? Do you remember how that went last time?”

Dionysus’ vision fixated on Nike as a tremor ran down her lacerated body, and she lifted her head as if seeing something only visible to her.

“I will make sure you die if you do this, Rachel, and that will only be the begin—no!”

[Request Accepted]

“You planned this—what are you?!” Dionysus raged, face going red and vanishing to appear in front of Nike, fist plunging toward her chest, yet his hand was stopped millimeters before sinking into the woman’s ripped flesh. “This—damn System… This can’t be happening!”

Rachel could feel his mind slipping, pulling the noose tighter around his own throat as she licked her lips, relishing the tension of tempting a god; the angel next to her smiled, following their gaze.

“If you intend to save the personification. I am inclined to approve of such an act of mercy. Though, she will not be of much use to you for some time in her ravaged state.”

Conner’s mouth was open in shock at the tantrum his lesser god was throwing while attempting to kill the personification without effect, and Rachel’s lilting tone cut deep into the Greek god’s pride. The clock on her turn counted down, reaching thirty seconds.

“Hurry up and perform your duty, Arbiter. You wanted this job… So, do your job! Maybe, heh, you should give up the reins to Eostre. You could kill Nike then, right? Haha. I’m waiting, Arbiter! Your adoring fans are waiting! She accepted. Place Nike inside my Living Denier.”

Veins writhing under the lesser god’s skin, he snarled, fingers closing into a fist; Nike shimmered and condensed into a brilliant light. The infuriated man appeared before her in the blink of an eye, wearing a savage, manic smile while shoving the 5th-dimensional, dying personification into her chest, infusing Nike’s divine soul into Nia.

“You…will die, heh-hehe—soon enough, Hare. You…are finished, whoever you really are under that false mortal skin you wear—hide your identity in that Seed, but I know you are something else! Hahaha.”

Rachel stumbled back and regained her balance, still wearing a tempting, impish smile as Nia’s life force surged back. Her outfit was restored in an array of golden light as the wounded personification’s ichor flooded her Living Denier with purifying energy, burning away the impurities. She doubted Nike would stay forever, but there had to be something to gain for saving and harboring the powerful woman when she was down and needed assistance.

Conner was not liking the way his literally insane lesser god was now planning on both of them failing; he should have seen it coming with insanity being attached to his repertoire. The Legend stood silently, deep in thought on how to change the tone, because if she died, he died, along with this entire fractured multiverse.

“And just like that,” she laughed, “a penalty is void. Haha. Who’s next?”

“Ah, that would be me,” the golden-haired angel replied, showing a radiant smile. “I have become a fan. Penalty: You cannot use Nike in this competition. Let her rest.”

Rachel nodded. “Reasonable.”

Nia emerged from twinkling lights to stand beside her with a triumphant grin, a hand on her hip, and staring the lesser god down. “I’m back, you sadistic bitch, and I’ve got the lady wrapped up and tucked into bed with a nice cup of tea.”

Dionysus’ smile personified the insanity that lay underneath the party facade. “You…will regret that decision…dearly.”

Nia snickered and pointed at the angel that drew the lesser god’s ire, showing a serene cadence. “Aww, why the long face; did we steal your girl, or did you just run out of wine to jerk off to? How can heaven hurt like hell? Tragic!”

Rachel pointed up at the clock as it counted down for Conner. “I understand the distance from your idol is bittersweet, but it’s not so bad. C’mon, no one likes a party pooper.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

The Harvest Moon

Rachel began counting down the seconds as the clock ticked for Conner, sweat beginning to gather on his bronze skin as Dionysus gave him an unamused look. The lesser god’s voice was far from entertained as he stared at his squirming champion.

“Choose a location without a moon.”

“I can’t…” Conner hissed, knowing he would choose a nasty monster for her to face. “If she dies, I die.”

“And you will die in ways you cannot fathom if you do not select a moonless day!”

The angel’s face creased with Nia’s boos, grating against the lesser god’s nerves.

“That hardly—”

“Your turn is over!” Dionysus swept him away to his seat with an enraged flick of his wrist. “I don’t need a little angel to tell me what is—”

“Location,” Conner stated, grimacing while keeping his focus on the screen as it struck the single digits. “A sparse forest, mixed with random vegetation and grain fields…under a random moon.”

A tense silence overcame the throng as Rachel sallied over and held up a hand to the resigned Legend. “Oh, c’mon, don’t leave me hanging. Be a good sport!”

Conner groaned, forcing a smile and slapping hands in a high-five. “We’re going to die.”

“Welcome to the team!” Nia chimed, giving a grinning peace sign to Dionysus, too furious to even speak.

The arena under them segmented into a vast field of trees, crops, and vineyards, spotted amongst a forest. A giant lunar sphere and a thin veil of fog fell over the scenery, tinting the world a haunting orange.

“What’s…happening?” Conner whispered, stepping away as Rachel’s mirth grew; this wasn’t a unique moon, but it certainly seemed like a rare event, stronger than a typical  moon, at least.

The leaves started to color, the crops grew, vineyards became wild, and trees twisted. In the harrowing stillness of the stadium, Conner’s manic laugh came as a whisper when the stage name popped up in front of him, eye twitching. His god gave the explanation after watching his champion and her come together.

“A Greater Harvest Moon, when the terrors of the night twist the real into horror… Conner.” Dionysus’ voice was low—without heat—as the vines and flowing wine settled; the Legend’s face tightened, looking at his god. “You’ve chosen your side.”

“Which is life,” Rachel chuckled, watching a low, howling wind pass over the grain and forest. “It’s the only option you gave him, genius. I don’t think you’ll last much longer as the Arbiter like this.”

Insanity still swam in Dionysus’ eyes, but Rachel was already anticipating the surge of Halloween-charged energy this moon would fill her with, and Nia could store it. However, the lesser god’s rage had simmered into a cold smile that said when this was done, he would have her in the same position she’d snatched Nike out of.

Rachel’s gaze shot to the VIP area as Eostre was snatched by vines and dragged back into her seat, tightening around her frame and making her wince; he would be cutting off communication between them moving forward as he took away any advantages she’d manipulated out of him.

He pointed up at the clock as it ticked down. “You’ve been aiming at me this entire time. It’s never been between Conner and you, has it? All you’ve done is try to make a fool out of me…manipulating things with that sense of misfortune to distract me. Well, I hope you love Halloween because things do go bump in the night.”

Nia’s smile widened, eyes narrowing as they challenged the Greek god. “And we’re about to join them.”

“We shall see…” The screen of potential monsters centered on a pulsating black heart within an ancient tree, and the mist surrounding the forest thickened. “Creature: The Hateful Heartwood within The Creeping Forest. Enjoy your Hallow’s Eve.”

Without blinking, the world melted away, leaving Nia and her on the haunted grounds; the hair on the back of Rachel’s neck prickled as the cursed land seeped into her, and the pulse of it lifted her lips into a toothy smile.

[Fright of the Greater Harvest Moon: Active]

[Horror Embodiment VI - Become the embodiment of horror, spreading the concept and conveyance of fear to those that see the user, warping their perception of who they face.]

[Fear-Dependent Immortality IV - The user cannot be harmed so long as the user’s prey fears them.]

[Hollow’s Eve Trail VI - Become one with the twisted Harvest, discovering paths unseen and enjoying the company of the cursed and damned.]

[Psychosis Inducement VI - Twist the minds of those you torment to join the Harvest, breaking their thoughts, inducing paranoia, and spreading terror whenever perceived by the user’s prey.]

[Cursed Frostfire VI - Frostfire that refuses to be extinguished, slowly burning its victims while tormenting and corrupting the victim’s mind. Deals frostfire damage.]

Nia mirrored her, running her fingers through her braid to unfasten it. Their ears, tail, and locks were dyed pumpkin-and-vermilion orange, cursed flames lighting their eclipse eyes and spreading across their hair. Hissing bled through the veil, and candles emerged from the mist, unseen spirits churning the tinted mist into a beautiful rhythm.

Instead of fright at the thought of something lurking behind the shadowed trees or creaking wood, things creeping through the whistling night, and whispering spirits, the bright orange celestial sphere gave her a sense of home. This wasn’t a fright-filled horrorfest of panicking humans but a battle of monsters.

Rachel walked through the gentle fall of discolored leaves, Nia walking beside her; the tension was like honey on her tongue, and she could hear the moving forest awakening around her. Soon, the trees would be on the move, communicating…hunting. Despite that, anticipation bloomed within her breast, and coral-cursed frostfire flames erupted along their free-swaying hair.

A joyful hum was in her voice as she spoke to Nia, their words vibrating the air in the oppressive night, and her body began to flicker, showing her angles that she could step through, taking her to new locations.

“Buy me time so I can go through my Feats and Stats. We’ll swap places after.”

Nia gave her a two-fingered salute, skipping ahead and doing a slow spin to step through the twisting paths visible to the creatures of the Harvest Moon. “Catch you soon, Major.”

“Happy hunting.”

Rachel stepped behind a nearby tree, the scene changing to a tall wheat field that rustled with the threat of danger lurking just beyond sight, and the misty forest disappeared. Curiosity filled her as she saw the winding breeze passing through the grain; there was something in the air, calling her to dance with the spirits.

The wheat only seemed to grow taller as she moved, yet the beams of the giant orange globe overhead reflected off the stalks, filling her with anticipation for the fight to come. It was a little bit heartbreaking that she was facing another denizen of the Harvest, but she was far from adverse to the challenge of striking fear into another monster.

Her fingers passed over the bending wheat as she came upon a path, the stalks folded over to lead the unassuming prey of the night into a maze with only one way out. Regardless, she grinned as she followed misfortune to the best spot to meditate.

Nia engaged the creeping trees, swimming through the night in a blaze of coppery flames. The bunny soldier wouldn’t last long, even if they had an elemental advantage against the endless sea of branches and roots, but Rachel didn’t take her time.

She took twelve right turns, folding in an impossible angle as she delved deeper into the shimmering labyrinth. A single left brought her to a large brass bowl of orange fire—cursed frostfire. Rachel could have taken the unseen paths, yet that would have tipped off The Hateful Heartwood where she’d gone.

Sliding her finger around the bowl, she saw her creepy, fake smile reflecting off the polished metal. Anyone who saw her would perceive a terrifying visage of a monstrous hare, yet this was starkly different from the Black Moon; for one, it wasn’t nearly as powerful.

Rachel stared up at the mango-tinted moon, hovering overhead as if stalking her, whistling a joyful tune and dropping into a sitting position. Her presence warped and changed reality to suit her hunting style, everything rearranging to her thrill of the hunt.

The honeyed mist closed in around her as she drew inward, opening up her inner world to a wealth of Halloween-themed decorations in a pumpkin field dotted with scarecrows. Crows lingered on posts and in the sparse trees that spotted the endless zone.

Her thoughts on the frightmare hummed with the clicks, screams, and howls that occasionally broke the whistling night. Unlike the singular Black Moon or normal lunar spheres, this was a themed moon, situated between the two. Everything about this Legend’s Quest had been quite educational, helping her to understand more about the secrets hidden beyond dimensional veils, and even the gods were caught up in the mystery.

The Harvest Moon wasn’t an embodiment of nightmares that fed off hope, but it was similar. Where the Black Moon brought nightmares to life, trapping its victims in an endless nightmare from which, normally, there was no escape, the Harvest Moon was all about terror and feeding off the fright of those it terrorized, reflecting that power onto its denizens.

This phenomenon was a companion to the creatures of the night, sharing in the feast of blood, soul, and negative emotion. It gave her a sense of torment and thrill in the climax of fright that was what she thought shooting heroin straight into her veins might feel like.

Rachel went over her many options, deciding where to place her four Stat Points. If she was going to get another weapon, she needed to be more dexterous and controlled in its use, and she was already quite high in those areas.

Her choices were fairly obvious, but [Penetration] caught her gaze; it would be a future consideration. She decided to put points in [Power], [Agility], [Speed], and [Quickness]. If she was going to get a weapon, it would help to have extra raw punching power to break past defenses, like Conner’s.

One of the new Equipable Feats made her chuckle, and she swapped [Lunar Burst - E-tier] for [Lunar Spike - F-tier]; if she consumed 25% of Nia or her Lunar Pools, then she could flood her body with that type of energy for thirty seconds.

She could see it useful for these themed or unique lunar spheres, and [Lunar Burst] was good for a big hitter, but it had proven to be a tad less useful than she’d hoped thus far. Perhaps it would have its uses in the future.

Making her choice of Feat, Rachel opened her eyes to the orange rays bathing her in light. She got up and flipped the blazon bowl over, spreading the cursed coral flames to the field; ice spread across the soil as the wheat lit up the night. It had been worth the trip.

I’m done, Nia, she said, peering through the winding paths of the burning fields to see herself from a back angle; her ghoulish smile widened as she watched herself peer backward, head tilting while walking into the fire. How goes the night?

“Wonderful, I see you’ve started the fire.” The bunny flipped out of the misty sky, a reaching, gnarled branch recoiling at the fire Nia landed in, her ripped skirt and military coat showing signs of damage. “They’re persistent. We’re going to take our time to fill up our pools. Oh, you’ve been caught? Haha. Watch out for the tree creepers, Major!”

Rachel’s ears twitched to the side as a quivering root shot out of the ground, coiling around her foot. The world flipped upside down as she was whipped into the air. She wasn’t concerned, having expected the roots to try and feel their way toward her, but this did force it to come into contact with the cursed and burning field to expose itself.

Plus, now she had a glorious view from the sky, allowing her to see the writhing vines, roots, and trees that closed in around the flaming wheat.

Unfortunately, [Lunar Spike] didn’t get an Extension for her to reduce the cost like she’d hoped to tap into the Blood Moon.

[Divine Lunar Surge] worked, though, which provided her with an increased 1.24% [Power] and [Toughness] Stats per percentage of her [Lunar Pool], and it was currently full; it also was giving her the 25% buff while under moonlight. Judging by how well she took this skyward adventure, she was making progress in her defense.

[Divine Lunar Surge: Extra Kick - Consume 25% of [Lunar Pool] to provide an additive 75% boost to [Power] and [Toughness] for 30 seconds.]

Her wide field of vision caught sight of hobgoblins, zombies, and werewolves that broke away from the trees, providing a field of wood-based monster impersonations. Nia darted into the blazing field to find her own safe place to make her own upgrades.

Well, Rachel commented to the bunny, having done her job. I’ll take it from here. I want to see how much I’ve improved since that first Quest.

Her big bright-orange eyes drifted to the left as vines shot out of the distant treeline to spear her. Fingers touching the nearest spike, she twisted her body, using it as leverage to twirl around it.

[Mental Acceleration II: Activated]

[Cursed Frostfire] would be the easiest way to counter the Hateful Heartwood and the wooden creatures of the Creeping Forest, but Rachel opted not to use her Harvest Moon abilities to see how much she’d grown at Level 9.

She laughed, feeling like a ballerina or gymnast as her nimble and quick fingers found their hold on the skyborne assault. Between her sharp vision and calculating mind, she could spot the trajectory while her acute and divine-enhanced hearing made her aware of distant attacks.

Misfortune smiled on her in this battle, but it could swiftly shift course if she let it go on too long. Monsters aside, her worst enemy was her own poor [Endurance] and [Stamina]. A rush of exhilaration filled her belly when she activated [Curse: Karma] on the forest assaulting her; it spread to every wooden entity. Any damage she took would be returned.

She jumped high into the air, drawing her free locks around to hold in front of her arms as she held them up to take the brunt of a root that struck out; the blow recoiled, shattering the bark while whipping her toward the forest, but she’d angled herself to land near the wooden creatures.

Flipping back, her square heel landed against the face of a wooden werewolf, yet its roots kept it planted as she repositioned. Kicking off, she landed on a trunk and ping-ponged to the ground with the forest in pursuit. Her forearms smarted a bit from the previous attack, but that was the extent of the damage.

She pivoted, with a roundhouse kick meeting a slow goblin’s face. They were all so slow. Wood caving in under her blow, Rachel could feel her increased enjoyment in contrast to the Blood Moon. There had been no satisfying crunch or resistance against her fist under the liquid crimson sphere like the grit she felt under her heel right now; the Blood Moon tempered her love for battle and made it a somber chore.

The hobgoblin’s feet ripped out of the earth, propelled by her momentum-charged kick. Limbs tried to intercept her, yet it was too easy to use even the thinnest roots as rails or stepping stones to get to her next target. In the next second, she was gliding through the air, making short work of the wooden army.

It wasn’t like she could win this way, which likely had Dionysus cackling from on high. He’d cut off her mid-match cheerleader, Eostre, but MoonMoon was probably dancing across the seats right now.

Rachel just wanted to see how much she had grown without these Singular Lunar Event hacks, and under the Harvest Moon, she was practically immune to fear or surprise. Everything felt like a wonderful dream while dancing through the horrific forest.

Typically, the Creeping Forest would welcome her with open arms if this were the real world, yet it had been taken over by the Hateful Heartwood, which was her true opponent. Dionysus, being the very knowledgeable entity he was, had managed to wrap the environment and monster into one super monster.

Of course, there was no way he would be able to tell how the Harvest Moon would affect her, and the cursed frostfire was certainly one fascinating addition that gave her a way out of this.

Nia popped up from a cloud of orange fog beside a tree, wearing a thoughtful grin as she skipped back, defending herself from a volley of projectile thorns, vines, and the closing in twisted trees. “Need help, Major? I decided not to select any Feats until we can coordinate. Something new might pop up on the Grade V Advancement. I did unlock more Pool Slots, though!”

Rachel chuckled, catching a few scrapes and cuts that Karma sent back; she could be harmed through [Fear-Dependent Immortality] since the forest wasn’t afraid of her—at least, not yet.

Having tested her physical improvements enough, and not wanting to waste any more of her stamina, Rachel’s hands sparked to life with vermilion flames as she dove into a tree hollow; it bowed in to spike her inside, only to find her gone.

Take care of our fun little forest, Nia; let’s put the fear of frostfire in its heart!

“Roger that; smoked pine coming up!”

A shiver ran through the forest as Rachel peered through the lunar beams and winding paths the Harvest Moon shared with them; Nia took the offense, cursed flames coating her hands. She busted up the wooden creatures, having a harder time of it than Rachel, given her reduced Stats and their synchronization level.

Hmm. We’re going to have to work on our Sync Union so you can share more of my strengths.

“I think—heh, I’m doing fine right now… Don’t tell me you’re afraid I’ll get a few scrapes or expose a bit of your skin?”

Rachel nodded as she turned away. The Living Denier took the vicious step of tossing the burning kindling she started through the misty routes, spreading it far and wide. It didn’t take long for the forest to give up on them both, with the dead leaves now catching flame, a layer of ice creeping over the earth that the flames touched.

“Dionysus!” she sang, holding her burning hands behind her back as the forest began to part and run away from the growing inferno. “Clever move with the environment and hidden heart in a forest, but…what if the forest runs away? Haha.”

Nia soon exited out of a misty cloud ahead of her, the bunny chasing the now terrified wooden constructs as she vanished in and out of the haze. “Aww… Hehehe. You’re so cute, running away from me; you know you can’t escape! Am I a little scary now?”

Creaking wood and wooden creatures attempted to dig out ditches to stop them, only for a grinning Nia to appear behind them, hair dangling to the side as she leaned over to wave at them. “Is this really going to work? I don’t think it will.”

Their soft whistles and harvesting flames only grew higher, the smiling orange moon gleaming and glistening under their rampage. Black sap bubbled and froze over in their slow and constant hunt, slipping into the mist to appear in a dull flicker that trailed after their hair and fists, but their little horror story had only just begun.

With them skipping about, hunting the Creeping Forest, the vibrant vineyard merged with the frostfire, pumpkins growing out of the grapes to take on sinister lantern shapes, overcoming the wheat fields and abandoned forests. With the haunted vineyard’s growing strength, more attractions emerged, scarecrows coming out of the conquered golden fields.

Nia and her no longer needed to dodge the desperate attacks the Creeping Forest made, its fear making them invulnerable to its attacks, the unlucky woodland only further igniting upon contact with the horrific hare and rabbit figures it contended with.

The nightmarish frostfire couldn’t be stopped, and the strangling vineyard was now their ally; after all, monsters hunted the weak. Under the vermilion moon that had abandoned the predator-turned-prey, the Hateful Heartwood could only wait and shiver for its cover to be scorched away, the fertile hoar-frosted ground bringing the reaching vineyard ever closer.

Truly, misfortune was on their side, and this Challenge Rating 1 fight wasn’t even a contest when adding these powerful celestial spheres, yet it was this that enticed the crowd. They wouldn’t show it, but within their hearts, they wanted to see Dionysus fall, and that chapter was closing in.

She and Nia sat on the ground, the last tree pincered between them with an endless graveyard of pumpkins, oversized grapes, scarecrows, and cackling jack-o-lanterns closing in on the rejected monster, shunned from the pack. Cracked with blackened wood and filled with a fit of terrified anger, its Creeping Forest guardian fallen, all the Hateful Heartwood could do was wail as it was torn to splinters while they watched its destruction.

Rachel didn’t know how much time had passed as she bid the Harvest Moon goodbye with her fellow monsters; it had been fun, and the slow strangulation of their shared prey had been a good bonding experience.

Unlike an average moon, a themed or singular moon could last as long as its hunger was met, so she couldn’t say how long this trial had lasted. Long enough for Nia to get fat on the energy, filling an entire pool.

Nia smacked her lips. “I can’t explain it, Major. Don’t you feel…what’s the word—satisfied?”

“I am,” she whispered. The haunting laughter of Hallow’s Eve faded with the vanishing world to show them in the middle of the extravagant stadium under the frigid stare of Dionysus; cheers came from the audience, which was all that mattered.

Rachel’s shimmering vermilion-eclipsed gaze centered on the lesser god. “I hope you enjoyed the screams. Who knew monsters could fall so far?”

“Is that so?” Dionysus mused, leaning against the side of the chair he now sat on while appraising her; he hid what bubbled underneath well behind a cold exterior, sipping on his wine. Conner was up, and the Greek god was no longer supporting him, yet the man still tried to put on a show as Dionysus passively tossed his die. “I look forward to seeing you demonstrate that in the next round. In fact…”

He lifted his hand to the sky, making Conner’s eyes widen as the Challenge Rating went up to 2. “Interesting thing is…once you accept it once, I can return to it whenever I want. Isn’t that fun?”

Rachel rolled around her neck, her hair returning to its normal glow as Nia sucked out her Lunar Pool to fill it back up with the white moon she’d slowly extracted; with the Harvest Moon’s light gone, her fear-induced love slipped away, yet her smile did not. Nia was proving to be quite the item, capable of storing her Black, Blood, and Harvest Moon—Nia’s choice in expanding the amount of Pools was critical—energy for later.

“Wonderful! It means we’ll get better rewards. Playing right into my hand again, Dionysus. What will it be, Conner?”

Nia huffed as she was pushed off to Eostre’s side to be out of the limelight, so she went to check on the woman. “Yikes, uh…his vines are slowly going to some not-so-nice places, Rach! She needs our help if we’re going to save her from some trauma.”

Hmm. Rachel tossed her own die, the lesser god not even hyping up the crowd anymore. He was now looking at her as a true threat, which meant she had to drop his feet out and let him hang by her next contest. We need to help Conner now if we’re going to survive this. We just need to distract him. If we focus on Eostre, it will only make it worse for her.

She smirked as they landed.

Conner: 12

Rachel: 15

Dionysus: 14

Crowd: 7

Searching through the options, she came to her choice, recalling the lessons she learned as a child from her mother. “Location: Gaia’s hallowed sanctuary with the blessed water of…Neptune. Wait, are Greek and Roman pantheons the same?”

Dionysus’ fingernails dug into his chair, splitting the wood as Conner looked at her as if she were crazy. “Being smart, are we? No, shockingly, there is a division between the Greek and Roman pantheons that has caused…problems. You continue to vex me. Monster: The Magma Dragon.”

“Can I do another Item Selector?” Conner mumbled, looking for permission.

The lesser god showed a savage gaze. “Sure!”

“Cheaters,” Nia huffed.

“Item Selection: The companion constellation Delphinus.” Rachel could feel the pressure mounting as Conner’s fingers trembled, staring at his former sponsor. “I will win.”

A pink-furred cat yawned and rubbed her eyes, fixing her witch’s hat before looking up at the options. “Mmm… Restriction: Five minutes use.”

“Dammit!” Conner snarled, yet he was already transported into the fight without warning. “Haha! Okay. I’ll do it in four! Let’s go, Delphin—”

Rachel sat on the VIP box edge, observing the lesser god. His cold eyes were fixated on her, or perhaps his focus was on Nike within her outfit. Nia took the opposite side, studying Eostre’s trembling fingers, the vines creeping up her legs, into her dress, and down her throat. Neither of them was too intent on watching Conner’s unironically gripping fight.

“Hey, Rach,” Nia whispered. “If I don’t make it out of this. I just wanted to say thank you for saving me. And you know what I mean, so don’t go downplaying what you did. I can’t believe you’ve actually stepped up to a lesser god… No, I can see it; I’d do it in your position.”

Rachel’s chest shook with silent laughter, holding a knee to her chest while her other dangled off the edge. I feel something special coming for our dear friend Dionysus. Much like that story about the boy who got too close to the sun, he is playing with forces he doesn’t understand.

She turned to give Moongmor an encouraging smile as he appeared on his mistress’ lap, ears pulled back and looking up at the tulpa, the woman trying to show a brave face. Eostre had tried her best to support her, going so far as to send her private messages that could get her in trouble; there was steel in her underneath the frightened exterior that Rachel recognized.

A sadistic spike pricked her heart while turning back to leer at the Greek deity. Next challenge, everything comes to a point. Every string of misfortune and careful manipulation I’ve tugged will either snap around his golden throat, and we’re all dead, or… I will have killed a lesser god.

Nia’s ears pulled back in an impressed stare and prompted Rachel to clarify. “What’s gonna happen?”

Well, I don’t know, and ‘I’ am not going to kill him, but my contributions to things in that general direction will make something happen. Everyone helped. I just had to make the proper tweaks I could see. I don’t quite fully understand it myself.

The bunny’s fist balled up before giving her a thumbs up. “Glad to know I’m helpful, Boss. We definitely are going shopping after all this, though. I need to stress eat.”

Finding a certain level of satisfaction at how things had progressed, Rachel could feel victory nearing. And maybe much of this had been Nike’s support from the shadows, calling out for help. She was a derelict of war without Athena and needed to find a new home.

You’ve got yourself a deal.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

She Who Invites

Passively keeping the whole stadium in view, Rachel maintained her composure in the face of the rumble that shook the stadium; the skies rippled with their changed location, a deep cavern emerging from the lesser god’s manipulations, taking them to the location she’d set Conner’s next contest.

Conner’s bronze skin glistened with sweat as the environment changed; a grand statue of the Titan of the Earth broke through the hard stadium stone, plant life blooming to fill the world in vibrant colors, yet green soon became the dominant shade.

The man worked around his neck, sober eyes following the rise of the lovely and alien-like entity the statue represented, a glowing, rotating planet held near her abdomen.

Rachel’s gaze drifted from Dionysus’ silent observation to the stadium as it ripped out of the ground and broke apart, carrying them into the air. The segmented stands spun in a slow circle around the developing combat zone, whipping her straightened and unbound hair to the left.

The cavern continued to rise in elevation, widening into a vast valley tribute to the Mother Titan, and not soon after, more statues broke free from the walls, displaying a powerful man holding a trident. Jets of bright aquamarine water burst through the overhead cavern ceiling, walls, and floor, filling the rich, underground biosphere with life-giving liquid that sparkled in pristine, magical glory.

Parts of the mossy ceiling and walls broke away, revealing a deep ocean view, spotted with alien, giant sea creatures hunting within their brutal habitat. It was surprising to see how many places could exist and that could be called upon within these Legend’s Quests, not that Rachel believed Anthony’s would be the same as this.

Conner rose into the air with the stone platform he stood on before the eyes of Gaia’s statue, empowered waterfalls with Neptune’s blessing falling from the ceiling to crash against the arena, creating white rapids in the canals that were formed to gush off its edges.

Gasps, laughter, and clapping came from the lesser deities as the ground far below and to Rachel’s left began to glow a bright orange. Magma geysers erupted in fountains of flame, flaring fissures cutting their way across the landscape below the floating platform and broken stadium of gawkers.

Pyroclastic flows soon joined the blessed geysers of liquid, sending steam hissing toward the ceiling for an explosion of sound and black clouds of fumarole to escape the fractured jungle floor. A thunderous roar vibrated the air with sulfuric gasses and vapor that followed a streak of flying molten element, only the winged draconic visage of Conner’s challenge seen in the plume of a nuclear detonation.

Rachel sat straighter against her pillar as the 65-meter-long magma dragon passed underneath them, wingspan likely as much as 70 meters, bringing scalding winds that lit the vibrant temple to Gaia in a sea of flames.

The blessed water mixed with the fire, yet it seemed Gaia’s power over the earth also empowered the magma because the liquid was having trouble combatting the inferno the dragon brought. Meteors followed the flying stream of death as it dove under the arena Conner stood on before twirling around to swoop up and land on the stony field and release a terrifying roar that brought more eruptions to devastate the temple.

Shit. It is a creature of Gaia, which means it is blessed by her, as well, she internally snarled, trying not to show her anxiety at the intimidating show of dominance. Don’t die, Conner!

The Legend jumped onto his floating dolphin as the stone beneath his feet began to bubble, and the lava dragon lurched for him, the creature’s mere presence igniting the atmosphere near it. 4:59 clicked down on the holographic clock between the broken and rotating coliseum—the fight had begun.

“Is he going to die?” Nia hissed, leg bouncing nervously as she followed Conner’s rise to the ocean above, soon cut off by dense pyroclastic currents that the dragon created to block his escape to the more favorable battlefield. “I know we’re supposed to kill him after our own fight, but I’m kind of rooting for him right now, for obvious reasons…”

That’s one of the points of this competition, Rachel mused, seeing the appeal in such a contest where both contestants wanted the other to win their challenges; after all, she wanted a good fight. It’s going to be tough, but all he has to do is make it past the goalkeeper dragon and enter the ocean half of the temple.

“I see,” Nia frowned, scanning the apocalyptic scene as Conner fought for his life. He was currently on the back foot, only having 4 minutes and 30 seconds left until his aquatic supernatural mount was yanked away from him. “Gaia’s domain may not be entirely related to water, but it does include it. If it were me, I’d break the ceiling and dump the whole ocean on the dragon’s spicy ass.”

Rachel’s ears tilted with her head as she waved, her focus returning to the frighteningly quiet lesser god and Arbiter of this competition; the insane man of entertainment still had his gaze on her in the face of such an epic showdown that should captivate him.

I’d do the same… Conner isn’t stupid. He knew the moment Dionysus had it out for me that things would get real. Dionysus selected the lava dragon because it would have Gaia’s blessing; it was something I hadn’t considered.

Nia’s balled hands pressed against her skirt, legs knotting as the dolphin dipped low with Conner on his back, collecting a cyclone of holy water into a spiral drill; they cut through the flames and magma streams, looping to dodge the dragon’s volcanic breath as they attempted to get close enough to pierce the lizard’s wings.

“Conner did, though,” the rabbit mumbled. “He chose Delphinus in order to counter it, but it was then put on a clock. Going first really isn’t the best, is it?”

Yes and no.

A meteor shot right at them but Rachel didn’t flinch as it exploded against the invisible barrier protecting the stadium. Conner was dodging between the amphitheater, making use of it when he could, but time was ticking down; he only had 3 minutes until his lifeline was snatched away.

For a competitor, getting the chance to pick your own item or upgrade instead of some pen or toothpick that someone else could hit you with is probably the most important option. The penalty could be seen as the next most important one, but all of it is very rock, paper, scissors if you’re smart enough to see the possibilities each can have.

Conner flashed by them in a spray of liquid, giving her a handsome smile and two-fingered gesture that mirrored Nia’s previous one. It brought laughs, even after he was forced to duck behind one of the protected pieces of the stadium to dodge another meteor. It told Rachel he still saw a way out of this.

The first pick usually sets the pace for where the battle will go, which has its own benefits. I picked this temple to help Conner. Dionysus picks a dragon that will be blessed by it as well while bumping up the Challenge Tier. Conner then picks an item that will help him against it. The crowd gives him a time limit on it to make the fight more tense. See the pattern?

“More complex than I first thought,” Nia whispered. “We couldn’t have won against all these challenges without the Unique Moons or Greater Harvest Moon. Could we?”

Rachel’s gaze lifted with Conner as his blessed water drill split in two, forcing the dragon to pick one to go after, both forking to attack the ceiling. A wave of flames and molten elements swooped over to engulf one, spewing a ray of white fire at the other.

No. Not if I wanted to gain answers. We had to push things this far to kick Dionysus off the stage; he’s too much of a loose cannon, and everyone sees that. We could have won normally. It just wouldn’t have had the same effect.

“I didn’t think so,” Nia sighed. “It really does depend on the type of Arbiter you have, I suppose. Do we want to set the pace next?”

After a moment’s thought, the volcanic zone erupting around them, Rachel knew her answer. Yes, and no.

Nia shot a dull stare at her for being difficult but fell silent soon after as things escalated.

The image projected to the audience showed the lava dragon’s breath encasing its target in a solidified ball of metal—Conner had acted as the bait—leaving Delphinus’ potent mystical powers to further enhance the Neptune-blessed vortex it created, and punch a hole right through the blanket of flames that the creature’s wings cast over it, burrowing into the ceiling.

Fissures split down its length, flooding the colossal cavern as the dragon shrieked its fury, and the dolphin continued to carry its momentum, ripping apart the barrier keeping out the sea. The metal ball encasing Conner hit the molten earth below as the timer hit 2 minutes, only for a bulge to appear near its top. The Legend punched his way out, using his power over earth to bend it outward.

The water spraying from above circled around Conner as he jumped to join the cycling current, skin covered in first and second-degree burns as the rising tidal wave closed in with Delphinus coming from the opposite direction to meet.

Spiraling into a nosedive, the lava dragon tried to enter the molten ground again, only to be cut off as it had done each time to Conner; the crushing currents collided with the living inferno, its cry drowning out as its body cooled.

Rachel had to clap with the rest of the audience as giant, monstrous sea creatures with fangs, tentacles, and orb-like eyes entered to devour the dying lava dragon, fighting with one another for the new catch that had entered their domain.

They all scattered to a titanic deep-sea creature that sparked with white electricity as it entered the frenzy. Thin, diamond-like teeth cut the flailing lizard in half in a single bite, and the clock stopped at 12 seconds.

A bubble appeared in the center of their broken coliseum, with a golden podium floating for all to see and allowing the soaking Legend to wave at the roaring crowd. Deep-sea creatures now circled them, and Rachel joined the applause. He’d earned that victory.

“My guests! What a show this has been!” Dionysus was once again all smiles and laughter upon entering the stage to walk around Conner; understandably, it took some effort for him to keep his smile, but rubbing the dolphin’s smooth skin beside him seemed to help. “And what a conclusion for Conner’s third stage, just before his final trial!”

He lifted both hands to show them multiple angles from each of their fights thus far.

“I have shown you the power that these Greater Seeds have in Legendkin… The power of a creation deity, capable of manipulating an entire universe in all its multiversal fragments. The powers we all have been denied! But now, we can claim the glory creation deities have dangled over us for ages beyond number. I can show you the way!”

Rachel hissed as she was teleported into midair, and she leaned back in her fall to land on her feet, her skirt naturally folding in a way to not reveal much in her descent, thanks to Nia’s influence. Dionysus now brought her into the spotlight, taking away from Conner’s victory lap.

“I have shown you how Mythickin enhance the effects of Legendkin through the unnatural resonance between their Seeds, and yes,” he laughed, pointing up at the gears that he brought into focus as they moved. “I can now confirm with certainty that it is because of that resonance that the Legend Quest can be empowered by Mythickin to reach new heights—Challenge Rating 3. Could it go further with another Myth or Legend? Perhaps.”

He leered down at her from his lofty position in the air, taking a long swig of his wine before chuckling at her returned look. “We are only scratching the surface of this new development—some of you called me reckless—and look where we are after I blazed the way! I have more power than my father himself at this moment. So why not push how far we can go?”

Conner stopped beside her, arms crossed and voice utterly sober as he spoke to her, letting the lesser god hype up his audience. “I know you did a Challenge Rating 3 before, but can you do it again? You helped me survive that… What do you need?”

This man would fight her to the death soon, yet there was genuine concern in his eyes, and Rachel suspected it wasn’t entirely for his own sake. He seemed to have grown to respect her; she felt the same after his last battle. Conner was a true competitor.

A confident smirk lit Rachel’s lips as Dionysus held up a hand and snapped his fingers, bringing the next lucky crowd member to join the second-to-last challenge for her; a provocative-eyed woman with silky raven hair and black, occultic tattoos appeared beside them.

“I think I’ll be fine. My savior has arrived.”

“My, aren’t you a charming little hare?” A silky chortle shook the fiendish woman’s chest as she appraised them, taking one hand off her obsidian leather handbag to pull up on her bright-red tube top. “And you come with a rather adorable bunny outfit. You two could get into all sorts of trouble together, I’m sure.”

Nia took one look at her and practically psychically hit her on the head. “No! No! No! She is strife, drama, and stress incarnate, Major!”

Conner and the rest of the crowd went quiet to study the enticing Succubus of a woman, and Rachel suppressed a shiver at the phenomenal power the seductive creature radiated; she could probably give Moongmor a run for his money, but, given the rabbit’s personality, she would probably just wrap him around her finger, wind him up, and let him go.

No, I agree, she hissed as the woman turned her illuminated ruby irises to the lesser god with a respectful bow, spotting a beauty mark on the outside of her left eye. But all the misfortune I sense is firmly held in her fingers, and she is wrapping them around Dionysus’ throat.

“What a pleasure it is to have my small voice heard on such a grand display of power. I hadn’t dreamed I would have this chance. Your work, no doubt, Rachel,” she added, devious narrowed eyes and curved maroon lips shifting to her.

“Small?” Dionysus guffawed, throwing up an image of a hellish plane, where a colossal luxurious palace floated, putting to shame an endless sea of castles and mansions; her home was practically the size of Texas as it zoomed out. “I would not say a Princess of Hell that rules a respectable piece of land in the 3rd Circle has a small voice, Yseress.”

Gnarled branch-like wings sprouted out of her shoulder blades, and what looked to be solidified blood was fused in patches along its length, vein-like lights shining in randomized patterns through it. Slim horns grew out of either side of Yseress’ head, and her neck was entirely covered by a form-fitting black metal.

Rachel could feel something sinister behind Yseress’ enticing gaze that didn’t even try to hide the devil in them as she turned her small, slitted pupils to the man. Black flames, laced with crimson lightning, flickered around her frame occasionally as she moved to appraise the lesser god.

“Oh, don’t be modest, Dionysus.” Her open-toe heels clicked with her suggestive walk while the silver cross on the zipper of her form-fitted dark jeans swayed. “And aren’t you looking fine today? I adored your work on Nike and would love to join one of your private gatherings. Am I asking too much?”

Dionysus rubbed his chin. “When they say Hell is trouble, they aren’t speaking about the devils or demons. Only a fallen half-angel, half-devil could understand the heaven in Hell. Nephilim mix the Divine and Infernal in such a beautiful way.”

Yseress giggled as he showed the gluttonous feasts throughout her home as people hung in cages, unable to die in their starvation. “How are you faring after the 7th Circle was sealed off, cutting you away from your rulers? I hear Hell is on fire right now,” he snickered.

A heart-turning sadness fell over her mature face. “It has been so very difficult with so much chaos in our authority structure. I am grateful for this reprieve and opportunity,” she said in a way that would have made Rachel shoo her off because this fallen Nephilim really was trouble.

“We must roll these dice?” she asked, pointing at the box in front of Rachel, near where hers had appeared when being brought to the stage. “Should we begin? I am screaming inside to see what fun we can have!”

Rachel wanted to double over with laughter at the hungry look Dionysus gave her, his vision sliding over her arms, where intricate skulls, crosses, and complex devilish symbols marked her supple skin. She was temptation’s fruit.

It was very clear to her that Yseress was not here for Conner, Dionysus, or her; this woman only cared about what she wanted, and her delicate fingers were wrapping tiny threads around the insane diety’s throat, piece by piece.

“Let us roll!” Dionysus roared, now back in his festive spirits, as the wine began to flow and grapes grew to satiate his guest’s hunger.

Rachel snatched hers up and tossed it first, making the crowd laugh as it stopped on 5.

Yseress’ black handbag swung as she continued her prance, showing a curious smile that hid her inner thoughts. “Misfortune is a very fickle mistress, I have found, but I do not serve her as you do, so I can feel my two hearts flutter at such a roll. What devilish play do you have in store for me… Now, isn’t that remarkable?”

Nia squirmed inside as the woman’s gnarled, wood-like wings curled around them, and she let her die slide off to tumble a few times until it came to a stop beside hers.

“One… I am to go last. Fortune, or misfortune? Heheh. I suppose we will see,” she breathed, lingering and eyeing her at the border of what was uncomfortable before breaking away.

Dionysus’ vicious grin returned to Rachel. “What twist will you introduce this time, Rachel… 5?”

“5…” Conner repeated with a short chuckle.

Everyone’s gaze darted to Rachel as she showed an innocent smile.

“Am I to blame for everything?” she asked with a teasing laugh that brought a chortle from the fallen Nephilim. “Roll again?”

Dionysus’ smirk held a suspicious edge. “Again.”

Conner: 13

Rachel: 5

Dionysus: 13

Mouth tightening, he held up his hand. “Again!”

Dionysus: 13

Conner: 13

Rachel’s ears fell forward, showing the pair a grin and shrug.

“Again!!”

Conner: 1

Dionysus: 3

“Agh!”

Yseress giggled and tossed her die again with the dull-eyed Legend.

Conner: 1

Yseress: 2

“Excellent!” the woman chirped, lightly clapping her hands. “Now I’m third.”

“Mmmgm-hmm-hmm… One, two, three… Start the clock,” he growled, agitation back in his voice while glaring at her. “One. Minute.”

Rachel didn’t need much, though; her time in the Blood Moon had given her a good grasp on how fun it could be to wield a weapon, but there had to be some attributes gained.

“Item Selection: War hammer. Slightly larger, not too bulky, though. Weight negation for the user. Absorbs kinetic energy when desired and can be used to project it in a blast or propel its motion, including its user’s momentum.”

“Make it cool looking!” Nia hastily prompted. “And absorb moonlight, too!”

Smiling, Rachel repeated the first part. I don’t need to talk about the moonlight part because you’re going to eat it, and we don’t want to dampen the other effects by adding too much.

“My first meal is an awesome hammer? Nice.”

Holding out her hand, the smooth metal weapon appeared in her grip, its glass-like parts glowing a light greenish blue. It held a thin pyramid spike on the back, while the front had multiple points to rip into whatever she bashed.

Rachel smashed it against the ground, making parts of the glass portions brighten, showing it had a kinetic charge. “This will do.”

Dionysus’ grin widened as he pointed at Nia across the broken amphitheater, trying to peer around one of the giant deep-sea fishes that had gotten between them.

“I think I am done with this little power-twin duo of hare and bunny. If I can’t do anything to Nike due to the last restriction, I do this… Downgrade: Soul Item’s age. Revert to five.”

“Rachel, if I’m a liability, then don’t—what… No! Why am I so little now?”

A shiver ran down Rachel’s spine, ears rising as Nia jumped up in a panic, but a vortex of wine encircled Rachel, blocking her image of the 19-year-old bunny. When it lifted, Nia was a small child.

Yseress held up her hand and snapped her fingers, making Nia appear in front of her in a flash of Hellfire; the little girl began to tremble, her ears falling back with the woman’s devilish stare on her. “How cute—oh?!”

There was a splash of light, and Nia returned to the outfit to hide.

“I’m sorry, Major; she’s too scary!”

Rachel breathed out a frustrated growl while turning her tight eclipse eyes to the lesser god.

Dionysus roared with laughter. “If only I could have made her younger! It would have been wonderful to see you carrying around a baby in the fight—and what is that look for?”

“This?” Rachel asked. “I think it’s her turn. Dionysus…meet your misfortune.”

A sardonic gleam came on as Yseress’ lips peeled back into a thrilled smile.

The handsome god’s brow furrowed while looking at the snickering fallen Nephilim, holding a hand to her left breast and trying to hold in her excitement. A devilish spark glittered in her ruby eyes with the crimson lightning dancing around her black-flame-ignited figure.

“What are you plotting, Yseress?” he slowly asked.

“Oh! Hah. Hah-hah. Umm. Give me a moment, please… I am just—oh, the time has already started. Excuse me! Ahem. It’s just that you were boasting so well about the extent of your power here.”

She looked up at the sky with anticipation, hands clasped tightly around her purse straps as she spoke in almost a reverent whisper. “Location: The 7th Circle. Under the Hell Moon. In the sight of my mistress. Let me hear the Great Queen of Yomi again. Let She Who Invites welcome us to her home!”

Dionysus’ face went whiter than when Rachel had stolen Nike, silence filling the stadium as the world melded away to a hellish plane.

Boiling gore, screams, and an acid-filled sky of blood rain quelled the boisterous atmosphere. World-devouring demons and cackling devils of titanic proportion filled the endless torment. And far overhead, a wicked celestial sphere loomed, wreathed in flames and marred by a hellish symbol across its face.

A rippling, twisting barrier writhed at the edges of the veil protecting them as they entered what Rachel had to assume was a higher-dimensional sphere.

Yseress floated in the air as a blurry figure appeared between the Hell Moon and them, sitting on a cracked, stone throne. Rachel couldn’t make it out through all the distortions between dimensional zones, but her own face turned ashen as Yseress’ elated words told her exactly who she was supposed to entertain.

“Welcome, Lady Izanami.”

Rachel fell to the ground as the platform began to quake, fissures breaking the stone beneath her while terror filled Dionysus’ face. This was a name her mother had mentioned many times when growing up, often scaring her and giving her a dislike for Japanese culture due to the stories.

“No! NO! I will not allow it! It’s impossible! We can’t be beyond the dimensional wall!” The trembling lesser god vanished to appear in front of Yseress, her throat held in his grip as she giggled at something that probably didn’t even register as foreplay. “Change the location before the time stops!”

Rachel looked up at the Hell Moon, energy not reaching her yet, the flickering Japanese goddess of the underworld overhead, leaning against her throne. She could practically feel the welcoming and entertained pulse she radiated, making Nia tremble and hide under Nike’s spiritual bed like the little girl she now was.

The fallen Nephilim didn’t so much as wince, hands still holding her purse as she looked straight into Dionysus’ cracking facade. “No.”

With that statement, the world froze, and Dionysus began to choke, golden blood leaking out of his eyes and mouth, refusing to let it lock in.

“You…will not make a bridge to—the higher dimensions!”

Panic flooded the stadium as the other lower deities ran, vanishing in lights or slipping through portals to escape what Yseress had set in motion.

All sound died, and a soft, feminine whisper seemed to enter every mind, pulling their gaze up to the obscure figure, now on their side of the twisting barrier.

“Dionysus. How long has it been? Athena sends her regards.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Threads Snap

Trepidation rolled through Rachel’s tight gut as the tainted field rippled above the corroding center stage. A chill ran up her spine in a way she hadn’t yet experienced as the distorted visage of the Japanese goddess of death loomed overhead, the Seventh Circle solidifying with every slow-motion turn of the gears overhead, time slowing as Dionysus fought for every second.

[Location Selection Time - 10 Seconds]

Golden liquid leaked out of Dionysus’ mouth, nose, eyes, and ears, his veins writhing as he tried to slow time to a crawl in order to prevent the location from locking in. Yet, the seductive whisper of Izanami continued to caress every entity’s mind, the death goddess twisting a dagger into the lesser god’s concentration as she flicked to a stop in front of Dionysus.

“Why are you so unsteady, Dionysus? Are you not the powerful lamb in this pen?”

“Shut up! You cannot enter!”

Misfortune coiled like the titanic demonic snakes in the bubbling sea of boiling blood that surrounded them. Faith in Dionysus was waning with every syllable Izanami spoke, her strengthening presence inciting chaos among the lower deities.

[System Conflict - Stage Transition Interference]

Fictitious pain mixed with the woman’s words. “Was I not invited? It is rude to keep a guest at the door…” The distortion leaned close to the trembling man, Rachel seeing his eyes defocus as her soft voice touched his ears. “Let me in, Little Lamb.”

[Location Selection Time - 9 Seconds]

Rachel slowly rose to her feet, a dull thumping reverberating throughout time and space as Dionysus seemed to be holding back a dam from exploding. System Messages flashed in front of all those who remained, mainly roaring demons and devils.

Dionysus refused to look at the rippling dimensional fabric that was the death goddess, now walking on air around him, taunts picking at his mind. He was losing this battle—it was inevitable—and while a big fish on this side of the divide between dimensions, he was hardly a minnow on the other side.

Misfortune was pulling tight around his throat, terror in the lesser god’s shaky voice as he screamed, “Change the stage!”

[System Error - Cannot Comply]

“Struggle, struggle…little lamb,” Izanami chortled, her distortions gradually fading away to reveal a scarred, gray-skinned woman wearing only a silver snake necklace; she would have been a beauty beyond compare at one time, now corrupted by Hell.

Rachel had no clue how this would end, chaos pulsing in waves with each word. She felt her DNA slowly resonating with the hellish moon reaching out to embrace her; it was only a matter of time until the transformation began.

Conner’s trembling fingers were on his divine pet; he could only use him for five minutes in combat, but just like Nia, the dolphin was his item to use. Nia was hiding inside her fabric, being the little girl soldier she was now. She was doing her best. And the vines holding Eostre were withering away under the pressure Izanami brought.

“Run to close the gates,” she teased before he managed to speak again.

“Change Challenge Rating to one!”

[System Error - Selection Already Made]

[System Error - Cannot Comply]

“Kick Yseress!”

[System Error - Cannot kick Yseress from the audience]

[System Warning - The Arbiter must comply with the rules of the game]

[Location Selection Time - 8 Seconds]

“No! How is this possible? It’s not—stop?!”

[Location Selection Time - 7 Seconds]

Gashes and burns marred her lovely figure as she stopped in front of Dionysus again, her raggedy silver hair covering her naked front, the thick mess framed by two curved horns. Izanami’s voice held a whispering mirth that her dead-eyed stare didn’t reflect.

“Hmm. Was it not you Greeks who have the lesson about flying too close to the sun?”

[Location Selection Time - 6 Seconds]

“I have more power than you, Izanami! I’m not afraid of you anymore! I’m not afraid of my sister or father! I’m not afraid of anything! You have no idea how powerful I am here!”

[Location Selection Time - 5 Seconds]

“Dammit!”

A short sigh and giggle followed, Izanami’s unemotional face solidifying in beautiful horror, and disinterest was reflected in her discolored eyes; it wasn’t hard to see the ruin Yomi’s negative energy had caused on her celestial body. “Dionysus, Athena would be disappointed.”

Her burned, gray hand directed them to the frozen, hellish sky overhead, where a radiant figure beyond perception shone brighter than the noonday sun; Rachel couldn’t look at it as much as understand that this was merely a fragment of glory that surpassed any mortal conception of the word.

“I do not understand your power?” A sweet chuckle made Rachel’s tail quiver, and she took a step back with Yseress and Dionysus as the fallen goddess’ horrific figure continued to sharpen. “You didn’t think I am some small 6th-dimensional fox or fallen seraph, did you, Dionysus?”

[Location Selection Time - 4 Seconds]

Head tilting to the side, Izanami took another step forward, making Dionysus’ throat catch as he retreated again, gears clicking under her oppressive stare. Even Yseress’ delight had turned to nervously clutching at her bag.

[Location Selection Time - 3 Seconds]

“You are among the fallen old gods,” he said with a strained laugh. “You have no power over me.”

“No?” For the first time, a twitch moved Izanami’s scarred lips. “I held such power amongst the creation deities that my own husband could not keep up with my prowess, which is why I know explicitly the power you hold. Such boldness, Dionysus…or is it ignorance of who I am, since Hades fears to sit at my table?”

[Location Selection Time - 2 Seconds]

Hell trembled and shrank away in the flash of glory Izanami made, blood purifying into golden droplets of divine dew, radiating so brightly that light itself would envy its luster. And just as quickly as it came, the effulgence faded away in a rush, leaving a holy space that was drawn into the real Izanami, hidden behind the veil.

Dionysus looked down at Yseress and her, and she could feel his confidence cracking with the barrier protecting them, each gentle tap the fallen creation deity made against his facade making another fissure.

Izanami wasn’t the same as Selene or even Cerridwen; she had been at the top of the food chain at one point. The old she-wolf had experience with the highest degree of 7th-dimensional forces that Dionysus couldn’t hope to grasp. If Dionysus envisioned himself high among the 5th-dimensional deities with Nike and all his stolen power, Izanami was among the 7th, all without support from others.

[Location Selection Time - 1 Second]

“My dull-witted, thoughtless, tiny lesser god…” Izanami cooed, moving closer still to hover above him, seeming to grow in size to tower over the petrified man. “You’ve already let the wolves in. So you can run, run, little lamb, but the beasts are in the pen.”

“No, you are not!” Dionysus held out his hands and sent a blast of divine energy at the emotionless, distorted woman; when it faded, Izanami was gone. “It is the time of the lesser gods! It is my time!”

[Location Selection Time - 2 Second]

[Arbiter Breach in Compliance of Selection]

Rachel’s eyes widened as the number went up, and the breach warning hit like a maul against her chest; the draw of Hellish energy was stripped away, darkness overshadowing them. In the next moment, she was hovering in the air, Dionysus’ gold-bloodied hand clasped under her chin, the pressure slowly working into her throat and cutting off her airway.

“You did this, Rachel! Whatever you are—whatever plot the creation deities and Hell Lords made by planting you here—you will not take this away from me!”

[System Error - Imbalance]

[System Error - Action Required]

She winced, her hammer just now clattering against the ground next to Yseress. When did I drop—

Her hands reached for Dionysus’ wrist, only for her fingers to pass right through it as if it didn’t even exist. Her legs lashed out to meet nothing but air. There was no way she could fight Moongmor—a demigod—much less a lesser god. Misfortune was now closing around her own throat, her odds of survival tilting the opposite way.

Conner jumped on his dolphin and flew up to them. “Stop, Dionysus! You’re breaching the Legend Quest laws! If—”

“I am The Law!” he spat, bringing Rachel into a slow spin to see the nearly empty stadium that had once been packed with lesser deities and powerful entities. “You must entertain me, and I am not entertained! Besides,” he gave a vicious laugh, “they’re more guidelines than rules, and I can change them whenever I want!”

[System Audit - Rules in Review]

Her airway was cut off; something big was building, but she needed more time.

“Rachel!” Shimmering lights brought a red-faced, snarling five-year-old out to try and tackle the lesser god. “No—stop hurting her!”

She passed through the laughing man, Lunar Energy punches not even touching him as she flipped in the air to land on the cracked stone beside Yseress. “Help her! What do I do, Rachel?!”

“Nothing, little lambs,” Dionysus roared, a sea of vines and alcohol flooding the area. “What can you do? Not even a princess of Hell can hope to touch me!”

Slow clapping came from the giggling woman beside Nia, a toothy grin igniting her seductive face. “Quite true, Dionysus. We are all but little lambs in the grand scheme of existence…but sometimes, lambs can grow teeth.”

A bright glow cut through the darkness, filling Rachel with a familiar, confident bud that bloomed with a bright pink, white, and orange flash that exploded between them, forcing the air out of Rachel’s lungs.

World spinning, a short grunt, and small arms closed around her chest, Rachel hit the wine-covered ground. She slid to a stop, coughing and sputtering as she rolled off whoever caught her. Nia mirrored her, holding her chest and groaning as a little, colorful bunny sat beside them in the bubbling wine.

“Ack—Nia… Moongmor?!”

“My chest hurts,” she cried, crawling over to check on her. “H-He left bruises on your neck—can you breathe—is she going to be okay, MoonMoon?”

“Mhm! Mhm!” he chimed, nervous leg taps spraying them and giving away his lie as his big eyes turned to the side. “He’s not happy…”

Vision stabilizing, heat filled her heart as three giant celestial spheres orbited above them, cutting through the darkness Dionysus created. Eostre’s auburn hair was alight with life, and a divine glow emanated from her body while she floated in front of the enraged lesser god.

“Eostre,” he said with a crazed laugh, smacking his forehead and shaking his head. “I can’t believe the only one that stayed beside the fiends was you. I didn’t even consider you would try to approach me—Rachel, Rachel, Rachel… How did you get this…coward to step up for you? You have been orchestrating my end since—no…” he trailed off, red face going ghost white as a new System Message appeared.

The threads of misfortune snapped tight around Dionysus’ neck.

[Lunar Pool - Advanced to B-tier]

[Divine Lunar Surge - Advanced to C-tier]

[Lunar Cap - Advanced to B-tier]

[Bestial Instincts - Advanced to E-tier]

[Bringer of Misfortune - Advanced to A-tier]

[Strategic Mind - Advanced to E-tier]

[Mental Acceleration - Advanced to E-tier]

[System Audit Concluded - Rules Sustained]

[System Correction - Balance Required]

[Arbiter In Breach - New Selection Initiated]

Rachel’s head rose to fissures that fractured the sky, Eostre’s moons promptly fading as the tulpa flew to their defense. A sober frown was on the woman’s face; part of her dress had been blown apart, much of her gorgeous hair burnt away, and sections of her divine body were blackened from the excessive power she’d had to channel to free her.

“Rachel!” Dionysus screamed.

His wine started to steam, yet moments later, barbed crimson chains broke through space and sank into the lesser god’s flesh. In an instant, they were back to the original sandy arena, the amphitheater whole, and Dionysus hung in the sky, bound as Nike had been when she’d first entered this Legend Quest.

“What are you?! What are you?!”

A lump sprung up in Rachel’s throat as writhing, shadow-like tentacles reached out of the void to close around Dionysus’ throat in a noose, and a gnarled, seven-fingered hand reached out of the fissure, nearly as large as the stadium itself.

Its slick digits gathered the tendrils, inky liquid seeping out of its claws, and spikes ripped through the obsidian arm. The spikes transferred to the tentacles, moving down its length to puncture the choking Greek god’s body, stakes exiting his bronze skin from the inside out. His golden blood tinted purple as the barbed tips released violet smog. Then, the hand turned scarlet-red and gently, almost caringly, pulled him into oblivion.

She recalled the original Arbiter’s horrific laughter and warning to the lesser god as Dionysus’s misfortune sealed itself, carrying him to a fate filled with nightmares unending for not performing what The Balance required. And in the ensuing silence, the clapping of one pair of hands rang out with the Princess of Hell’s elated laughter.

“Beautiful performance! What an absolutely wonderful act this has been. Such insight and hubris, Dionysus! You gave Icarus a run for his money. Prometheus would be proud to see your noble sacrifice in paving the way,” she cackled, lifting her hand to the host of fiends, overjoyed roars meeting her. “Now… What will our next act be?”

Rachel breathed out the stress in her lungs, rubbing her burning throat and feeling the heat on her skin from the bright sun overhead. All eyes turned to her, and Conner flew down to land beside her. Nia was still looking up in horror at the place Dionysus had been pulled into oblivion, mouth part open.

“What are we—”

Their gaze shot to Eostre as the System Message came, Yseress’ beaming smile appearing in front of them from a blaze of Hellfire.

[New Arbiter Recognized]

[Legend Quest Authority Granted: Eostre]

“I’m…the Arbiter?” the woman asked in shock, the damage to her dress and skin recovering in a bloom of flowers as the night overtook day. “I never asked for it.”

Rachel rolled around her shoulder, smiling as the confused tulpa’s first act was turning to send a rush of fragrant wind toward her, healing the bruise on her neck. “It seems you were the next best candidate since…well, heh, everyone else kind of ran.”

She gestured at the stands, mostly empty, and Yseress hopped forward with a twinkle in her devilish eyes. “I expect the previous game will be sustained…but maybe with a slight tweak. My mistress isn’t a fan of the first layer of the 7th Circle, but I was afraid going deeper might not work. Can I test it?!”

“I…suppose.” Eostre hissed out a long stream of air, reaching out to let Moongmor hop into her hand to nuzzle against her bust. “I’m sorry I worried you.”

“I was so scared, Mistress! He could have really killed you…”

“There, there… I had to live up to Rachel’s expectations and example,” the tulpa whispered, showing a charming smile while petting her crying bunny; Nia was quick to latch onto Rachel’s skirt and start weeping. “It may be written a few times in history, but I have rarely seen mortals actually stand up to tyrannical gods. You gave me courage.”

Rachel flipped back her hair so as not to drape Nia in it and knelt down to hug the terrified bunny child; it was a sharp contrast to the soldier she’d been as an adult, but it wasn’t Nia’s fault she was now a five-year-old.

“We’re going to be okay, Nia. We’ve done the impossible… We took out a god. And you had courage long before I met you,” she said, turning back to Eostre.

Yseress’ smile twitched, no doubt impatient to continue and see her mistress again; yet, there was something troubling about the Hell Princess that still bugged Rachel. Perhaps it was her part-angel, part-devil heritage or how tied to Izanami she was, but her instincts told her there was something unusual about the Nephilim.

“You’ve been dealing with a landscape where you’re basically the lowest on the totem pole, and you could have run away long before, but you didn’t. I respect that trust. And am I to assume the next ‘potential patron’ Cerridwen mentioned is Izanami?”

The woman’s guilty eyes drifted to the side. “Only because Cerridwen terrifies me far more than Dionysus, and yes, I don’t know why she has continued to choose entities from the…Infernal Spectrum of deities, but Cerridwen is a cunning woman.”

“Very cunning,” Rachel mumbled, glancing at Yseress as she glanced between them, gears turning in her devilish head. “Almost all of this came from her planning and my sense of misfortune in following it. Ultimately, Dionysus’ death was by her plots, not mine.”

“How humble! Can we continue now?!” Yseress asked, bloody wings intensifying. “I must receive further instruction from my mistress.”

Conner stepped up as Eostre sighed and moved to the side to listen to what the corrupted Nephilim wanted to ask about. “So…you are backed by goddesses beyond the dimensional wall. Hah. I should have known… I can see why, though. Hot hare girl with a temper and mind to get shit done. Huh… Honestly, I can say you’ve changed how I view life.”

Rachel rubbed Nia’s shoulder as she glared up at the mostly naked man. “Nice pickup line, bud… C’mon, Nia, let’s sit down…”

She glanced over at the fallen Nephilim, the others noticing the woman trying to argue with the tulpa to have her mistress join in the stands and if the Seed had the power to do it.

“I think Yseress and Eostre are going to be a bit,” Rachel muttered with an encouraging nudge. “Want to braid my hair, and I’ll do yours?”

“Okay! I’m watching you, though,” Nia growled, pointing at Conner, who lifted his hands with a laugh. “Yeah, keep three meters, pervert.”

Rachel had to wonder exactly how old Nia’s mind was or how age worked for a Soul Item but decided it would be best to feel out the extent of the girl’s reversed age. Plus, she had the option of breaking the curse in the next round—or at least putting some kind of dent in it—without the lesser god stepping on her toes.

Her skirt folded under on its own as she sat cross-legged, and Nia dropped down in front of her, scowling at Conner. Despite her fear, Nia had still tried to tackle a god to save her; the Living Denier still had a soldier’s heart.

Nia’s power over her outfit shone through as the girl braided her hair without so much as touching it, and Rachel slowly pulled the child’s locks into a much messier version. In the aftermath of Dionysus’ fall, she spoke to the man she would soon be battling to the death. It was a little surreal to have this conversation with Conner, considering how they’d met.

“So…how did you get wrapped up in the Scarlet Hand and Relica?”

He grunted while dropping to his butt, glancing around at the empty stadium with a strained chuckle.

“Glory…money. I needed a sponsor to wrestle internationally, and they approached me. I was already a piece of shit before The Oscillation. I’ve killed people in underground wrestling matches in Greece. I wanted a way to get bigger, and my brutal nature ended up killing a lot of opportunities. I love violence. Not much else to say about that.”

Rachel snorted. “Yeah, I was kind of an asshole, too, but not the killing part…that came after. In fact, you’ll be my first human murder. Lucky me?”

She glanced up to see him frown; he looked off to the side at the tulpa and fallen Nephilim, going over all sorts of loopholes the woman was trying to impose with how much she could get from her ‘location’ choice.

“What’s on your mind, having a face like that?” Rachel asked, spotting Moongmor observing them. “Having second thoughts because I’m so cool?”

“The opposite, actually,” he whispered. “I’ve never really felt…respect for anyone. You know, eventually, I think I’m supposed to die anyway… Antaeus is killed by Heracles in the stories. I expected to go out in a match like that, which is whatever, so long as it is a good show… Instead, I got you.”

Rachel’s ears drifted to the left, eye narrowing as she studied the reflective Legend. “You’d rather fight me than the Legend of Heracles?”

“Why not?” He flashed his handsome grin and pointed up at the moons filling her with energy. “I’ve seen you battle armies, turn into nightmares, and put the fear of death in monsters of hate… In the battles leading up to our stage, I’ve fought the nightmares of hobgoblins, a baby Kraken, and had an epic battle, might I add, with a bleeding lava dragon… This is everything I ever wanted.”

He paused as his dolphin drew near, and he reached over to pet his smooth skin. “I guess what I’m saying is… It’s an honor to have met you, Rachel. It’s not often I find badass women who can make me want to box—well, you’re actually the first,” he laughed, rubbing his neck.

“Well, thanks,” she said, chuckling as Nia growled and threw a handful of sand at him. “When you were fighting that dragon, yeah, I thought it was badass, but you have to work on your selection of deities in the next life…” Her hard, glowing clover eyes fixated on him. “Because I’m winning this competition. It just sucks I didn’t gain any EXP from what I did to a lesser god, but I guess all I did was piss him off enough to distract him from the real threats.”

Interest sparked in his face. “Huh… Your misfortune telling you that?”

She shook her head, seeing Eostre getting fed up with the exploitative Fallen Nephilim. “No. Right now, the flip of the coin could decide where we both land at the end of this.”

He slowly nodded. “Good. And I’ve been wondering what you think about all those changes you go through during the different moons? Is it you or something else possessing you?”

Rachel got to her feet and brushed off the sand, a smirk lifting her mouth as the world began to shift into a dreary wasteland instead of the burning Hellscape, and the System Message announced her next stage.

[Location - 7th Circle, 2nd Layer - The First City of Yomi]

“I am who I am. I’m the Bringer of Misfortune. Just because I’m feeling a certain vibe doesn’t mean it’s not me acting on it.”

“Excellently said.”

Rachel’s stomach squirmed as the soft caress of Izanami’s voice touched her mind, but instead of the horrific corruption of beauty that had faced Dionysus, a gorgeous woman dressed in an extravagant, blood-red kimono walked off of an old wooden boat that just touched the shore. Yseress was by her side, the picture of a princess and poise.

“Lady Izanami,” Rachel said with a nod, Nia hiding behind her as the elegant fallen goddess’ gaze drifted to her. “So, are you going to go on the conquest now that you’re free from the higher realms? Can I get an answer as to what this plan is that you and Cerridwen have cooked up?”

Conner hung back, listening intently as a soft smile moved the powerful Hell Lady’s eyes, and her focus returned to her.

“A mere illusion, I am afraid. By no means does this Seed have the power to actually allow me entry into your reality. I can enter this universe when called since it is separated from the maelstrom we are all trapped in. Dionysus simply didn’t have the sight to understand what I was doing, despite having the power.”

She looked out across polluted land of dead trees and a neglected ancient city of the dead, where blue distortions flickered across the gloomy scene, ghostly figures dressed in old Japanese ceremonial robes passing between buildings or floating along the dirty river. In the distance was a massive black tori gate.

“As for Cerridwen and I, we are merely acquaintances, but she tantalized me with the idea of meeting a mortal who would catch my interest. In fact, I have a suggestion, Eostre. Would you give me your ear?”

Rachel stood straighter as the autumn-haired woman appeared from a flash of light, looking somewhat nervous again. “What kind of suggestion, Izanami? You don’t seem like the kind of woman to make suggestions.”

The cunning, wolf-like gleam in the woman’s red eyes. “Why don’t you make me the Arbiter of this contest, Eostre? Allow me to set right this Balance that you are meticulously studying in fear of following Dionysus’ fate.”

“Sketch,” Conner hissed, muscles tightening and looking away at Yseress’ machete-like smile. “I can’t think of anything going wrong with this.”

Rachel studied the cool-faced fallen creation deity and her agitated Divine intermediary. “Eostre, if you really are worried you cannot fix The Balance, then give it to her.”

Izanami turned her head to Eostre with a thoughtful tilt to her lips, the struggling tulpa debating on what decision to make, and took a needle to the tension. “Why not make me an Assistant Arbiter and allow me to guide you through it? This way, I can stay, you remain in control, and this event can continue without further blunders.”

A strained smile brightened the tulpa’s face. “I…would appreciate that, Lady Izanami.”

“Wonderful.”

[Legend Quest Secondary Authority Granted: Izanami]

Conner crossed his arms across his chest, looking between Yseress and Izanami. “What’s the first order of business, then?”

The dead goddess glanced at the empty stands, a stone throne appearing behind her as she took a seat and leaned against the side. “What a delicious mess…”

Lifting her hand into the air, she snapped her fingers, the sharp sound sending a ghostly blue flame through everything; Eostre went stiff as a board, looking up at some unseen thing in the cloudy heavens.

[System Audit - Rules in Review]

[System Audit Concluded - New Rules Sustained]

“It was…that easy? You…got rid of two matches.”

Izanami twisted her finger in the air. “Consolidate energy, shift the power draw, and optimize the resonance…opening the gate to invite all that will come.”

Rachel looked up in shock as an endless sea of beings filled a stadium grander than she could imagine. “So…after this round, Conner and I fight? What about the upgrades? I want to free Nia of the age curse she’s under.”

“I think you have had enough preparations,” Izanami smirked, gesturing to Eostre, who was still marveling at the extent of her handiwork. “What do you think about the new rewards I have set for this Legend’s Quest by uniting the potency of both in this balance?”

Eostre raised her hand to show them a System Message that made her grin.

[Winner’s Prize]

[Conner - All accumulated EXP and two requests of the Arbiter.]

[Rachel - All accumulated EXP and two requests of the Arbiter.]

“Naturally,” the autumn-haired woman explained, “all of that EXP will be spread amongst your party members if you so choose. With all of the excess energy gained used for the requests, it should provide some unique rewards.”

“Indeed, it will,” Izanami said, her thoughtful gaze drifting to her. “I look forward to what your creative minds—hmm-hmm, excuse me, mind, will craft for us to fulfill… Now, Conner, here are the options for Rachel’s next opponents. Who will she face in Yomi, under the Hell Moon?”

She pointed overhead as the clouds parted, revealing the devilish symbol on its burning surface. It was very clear the Legend’s Quest was in new—and far more capable—hands, as the Hell Moon’s hellish rays didn’t touch her, the same way as the sun’s hadn’t when the stadium was brought back to its default state.

Izanami’s throne floated into the air with Yseress, a second, extravagant throne appearing for Eostre to take; the goddess of death was now in control. Conner looked up at the Challenge Rating 3 message overhead, tight eyes shifting to her, and Rachel put her thumb up.

“Don’t tell me you’re getting shy after our heart-to-heart, Conner… Give me a challenge.”

“You’re right,” he laughed, vigor returning to his voice. He swiped through options until pausing over a rather curious figure that had Nia shaking her head and Rachel rubbing between her eyes. “Huh? Is this really what I think it is?”

Three wolf-like girls wearing chains and other hellish dog bobbles emerged out of varying shades of fire: blue, red, and green. Izanami motioned to each of the provocative and vicious-looking girls with an entertained smirk.

“You are Greek, after all, Conner… One that is three, and three that are one. Would it shock you that Cerberus has had many female companions, some of which result in situations like this? Half-Cerberus and half-human. Triplets and individuals, yet also one and in disorderly harmony.”

“Would they be a challenge?” Rachel asked.

Yseress doubled over with laughter. “Personally, I would say it was suicide without the support of the Hell Moon and its effects on you. At least, I hope it will be enough to handle Aleka, Irida, and Thalia. It would be nice to have something to talk about if you ever meet their father! He adores his girls; the boys can shove off.”

“And if I kill them?” Rachel asked with a forced laugh.

A wicked smile lifted Izanami’s lips. “Impossible for you at this time, be it with the Blood, Black, or Hell Moon as your support. The girls are playful in nature; their goal isn’t to kill you but to give you a fighting chance to prove you can scrap.”

Conner roared with laughter as Rachel’s sparkling clover eyes narrowed. “I’m guessing that lit a fire in you?”

“It lit something,” she snickered. “You good to go, Soldier?” Rachel asked, kneeling down to brush back Nia’s silver hair; they’d gained a decent amount of energy from the three moons that Eostre had made earlier.

A determined, slightly frightened look came over the five-year-old. “I’m tough! I can beat up some puppies.”

Rachel figured all that bravado would probably melt the second the triplets started breathing fire, and she’d run like the little bunny she was, but that was fine. Nia was one broken curse away from being a good soldier again.

Conner returned her thumbs up and locked it in.

“Monster: the half-cerberus sisters.”

Chapter Thirty

Plots, Mutts, and Misgivings

Rachel breathed out a long puff of air as she turned in a slow circle, observing the growing audience; Nia held onto her skirt, moving with her and trying to keep a brave face.

New entities were showing up to watch as word of Dionysus’ downfall no doubt spread amongst the higher beings under the 5th-dimensional weight class. The stronger deities would naturally want to know what changes were happening to the figurative board.

She could see Cerridwen’s hand moving the pieces more and more with every passing second. The nightmarish deity was putting a spotlight on her, which would draw others to try and jump on the bandwagon and dissuade many from making them an enemy. There was an agenda here, but it was played on such a high level that she’d need help to decipher it.

With the selections made, the stadium of ballsy lower deities, studious angels, or rowdy devils and demons began to fade away. She caught Yseress’ teleport in a flash of black flames to Conner’s side in the VIP box, and whatever the fallen Nephilim was laughing about wasn’t amusing the Legend.

Looking up at Izanami and Eostre, sitting on their thrones above, a smirk lifted the corner of Rachel’s lip as the radiant Hell Lady stepped through space to stand in front of her.

Nia jumped. “What are you doing? You’re not going to do shady stuff like Dionysus did, right?”

Rachel reached over to prompt Nia forward. “It’s okay, Nia. Izanami is here for something entirely different than him. But… what’s the point of going up on your chair only to teleport back down to me?” she asked with a short chuckle.

“Atmosphere,” the woman chortled in return, long gown shifting as she gestured to the sky, peeling back the layers to show Eostre and her still in their place. “My way of doing things diverges from Dionysus, little bunny, yet there are rules that must be abided by. Walk with me, Rachel.”

“I’m coming, too!” Nia hissed, squaring her shoulders and mechanically stepping out beside Rachel; she was trying really hard, for having the temperament of a five-year-old.

Izanami nodded at the kid, slowly making her way to the city’s dry dirt roads, where blue spirits moved, phasing through objects as if ghosts. “Naturally.”

Nia was growing more nervous by the minute. Rachel didn’t see much of a choice, examining the declining, polluted city that seemed to be one of the Hell Lady’s lands.

“Clever,” Rachel noted, piecing things together. “You have to finish the selection process, but when it starts is up to you. So, you’re explaining the rules to the crowd at length.”

Izanami’s alluring illusion hid what the fallen creation deity truly looked like, yet held just enough of a similarity that it wasn’t hard to see the hellish inspiration she was using. The woman’s intelligent, Infernal eyes drifted to her as the ghosts bowed silently in respect at their passing. A curious curve came to her rosy lips before returning her sight to the city.

“It is not just the crowd, my dear. I must inform you, Aleka, Irida, and Thalia of the rules and conditions of this challenge. Yes, I could do this in a grand fashion to all those present, as Dionysus did, impressing the rules onto the creatures that were to enter the arena. However, I don’t find joy in such aggrandizing displays.

“In addition, it has been so long since I’ve had the chance to walk with a cute little girl, as well,” she said, smiling down at Nia, who almost stumbled and fell.

“Don’t be weird! I’m not a little girl. I just…look like one right now,” she grumbled, hugging herself under the Hell Lady’s entertained gaze. “Why are you looking at me like that?!”

Rachel put a hand on the frightened bunny’s head, making her ears twitch. “She was a creation deity, Nia. Making kids was a big part of her job, so it’d make sense that she’d like them. But if I recall, you were killed by your own son? And if you didn’t want to talk about it, heh, I’m not going to press you.”

“This is…correct,” Izanami whispered, a distant smile moving her eyes to the gloomy skies. “Searching for answers to part the veil of mystery is something you excel at, Rachel. Is it a sorrowful topic for me? Yes. As a mother, it pains me that my husband turned all my children away from me, poisoning their minds. Death is not my torment… Isolation is.”

Izanami fell silent, hands held at her front, carrying a grace and control that made Dionysus look like a child as she spoke about torture that the man would probably never understand; this was the cadence of a woman that didn’t need to pronounce her power because she embodied it.

Nia’s ears rose at the topic, poking her head around to stare up at the somber, quiet Hell Lady, eyes big with wonder. “Is that why they call you She Who Invites?”

“It is,” she gently answered, holding out a hand with an inviting smile. “I know I might be frightening, but it is not my intent to harm the innocent. My ire is reserved for those that have wronged me, and this Hell… Yomi is a place that reflects me, born out of my death. It is a reminder of my misery.”

“That’s so sad,” Nia sniffed, trying to hold back her emotions as she innocently took Izanmi’s hand, making the woman’s features soften. “Can’t you resurrect yourself or something?”

Rachel kept an eye on Izanami as the fallen goddess took the center position, Nia walking on her other side. The Hell Lady seemed genuine, but Rachel was not fool enough to think she didn’t have her own agenda. She was getting close and garnering sympathy for a reason, and all the stories she’d heard about the Japanese death goddess came to the forefront of her thoughts. It would be good to identify what carried over from myths and religion.

“Your husband, in his grief, murdered your son for killing you, and then he went into Yomi to resurrect you. He saw how corrupted your celestial body was and was revolted, right? You aren’t alone either, as I recall. Didn’t you make the eight gods of thunder from the maggots in your corpse? And you sent them to kill a thousand people a day in retaliation for your husband’s scorn.”

Nia withdrew her hand, jumping around to Rachel’s side again. “That’s not nice!”

Izanami flexed her fingers, holding them up and seemingly savoring the feeling of Nia’s small grip. “A house divided is one of sorrow and heartache… And neither can accept each other as family. I created yet another scar on my heart through my loneliness, grief, and anger… To be rejected simply for my lost beauty did break something within me.”

A pained sigh left the Hell Lady’s lips before turning her attention back to them with a more devious gleam. “You are certainly brash, Rachel, which is something I can respect about you. I did not only come to speak with you about the rules, as you have surmised. Am I right to conclude that you are seeking more insight into Cerridwen’s plots?”

Scratching the side of her head, Rachel shrugged. “I may be proud, but I’m not arrogant. I know when I’m out of my depth. And a game like this is something I do need some insight into. I’m not going to take everything you say as fact, truth or not; you’re smart enough to twist it however you like. I will piece things together from what she and everyone else gives me.”

Izanami paused at the top of a hill to stare out across the vast wasteland that surrounded the city, the polluted river cutting deep into the distance. Her flaming, smiling eyes drifted to her after a few seconds of deathly silence that made Rachel’s gut twist as her instincts told her she was missing something.

“For this challenge, Aleka, Irida, and Thalia will be heavily restricted, but it is important to note that Hellhounds are not generally killers. It is their duty to guard and gather. Think of them as the shepherd dogs of Hades. Unlike most devils and demons, they can travel freely between realms because they fulfill a critical role in the passage dividing life and death, herding souls to the River Styx.”

She made a simple gesture in front of them, showing the three grinning sisters, looking more like wolves than dogs with their ears, tails, and ferocious features; they looked nearly identical, excluding hair, eye, and flame color, with each wearing formal business suits that contrasted their colors.

“One thing these girls love is the chase,” Izanami mused.

Nia gulped as a little bunny appeared between them, causing their lips to peel back in vicious grins that showed their sharp fangs. Yet, they soon were glancing at one another.

“They are as close as can be, and never apart…except when the hunt for something not concerning work comes into play. They’re quite vicious.”

Rachel felt her own tail quiver as they began fighting one another over who would get the rabbit. They push, bit, and threw each other around, sometimes hundreds of kilometers away or into different realms. Their conflict devastated the illusionary landscape in their rush to see who would get the rabbit first.

“Aleka is the youngest,” she said, pointing out the green-flamed girl with a mischievous, crazed smile. “The cruelest and most methodical of the three.”

A red-flamed wolf girl came next, wearing an open grin. “Irida is the middle child, and the first to pounce. She is the most sensitive of her sisters.”

“And Thalia?” Rachel asked, staring at the blue-flamed oldest sister, who appeared more reserved than her younger sisters. “The shy one?”

Nia nodded emphatically. “She looks nice.”

“Nice, hmm?” Izanami whispered, showing the black-and-blue-furred wolf looming over her sisters, strings attached to them as she played the pair against each other. “While Aleka jumps to action and Irida torments her, Thalia snatches the rabbit and gobbles her up.”

She showed a playful smirk and chuckled. “The game? Survive for ten minutes, by any means necessary. Oh, and as you can see, the girls do enjoy playing with their food…and with each other.”

Nia grabbed onto her skirt again. “Major…how are we going to do this one? I don’t want to be soul food!”

Patting the child’s head, Rachel breathed out a laugh. “Surviving should be easy since Izanami has already given us the blueprints. Is this a part of the rules or favoritism?”

Izanami turned around and looked up at the red-flaming moon that changed to a corroded, smoky hue within Yomi as Rachel felt the rays strike her skin, sparking something Infernal within her to bloom.

“Neither, and might I caution you that you are too hasty, Rachel. Don’t you find it odd that Dionysus didn’t communicate with Conner personally but through Relica and the Scarlet Hand? The question you should ask isn’t what Cerridwen’s goal is but rather how Cerridwen and Eostre were able to communicate with you in the first place… Best of luck.”

Rachel’s turning mind came to a screeching halt as Izanami vanished in black flames, and the three grinning sisters appeared around them. The pulse of the Yomi-tinted Hell Moon beat within her breast, DNA morphing with the corrupting light as the pressure of the polluted environment dug into her soul, yet the fallen deity’s words persisted in her mind.

Dionysus asked what I was in his last moments… He believed I was something else besides human. I have to ask Conner about his experience with Dionysus. Why didn’t I do that before?! Dammit! It’s so obvious now.

Her focus snapped to Irida as her red-and-orange locks burned with her hungry eyes, and a clock appeared at the corner of Rachel’s vision, counting down from ten minutes.

Nia grabbed her from behind in a panic before forcing herself away. “Rachel! W-What do we do?!”

Irida’s tail began to wag, teeth gleaming in the moonlight. “You’re our rabbit and hare, hmm? Ooh. I like what’s happening inside her, Aleka! She’s turning into a devil! See!”

“I do, Irida,” the youngest whispered, scratching her jade-green ear and looking at her elder sister. “What do you think, Thalia? Should we wait for the transformation to complete? Maybe toy with them while it happens? There are two of them, after all. That’s one for me and two halves for you to share.”

“Funny as always, Irida,” Thalia said, brushing back her mess of cobalt locks before walking around them in a slow circle with her sisters as they studied them and sniffed the air. “I have a better idea after Lady Izanami’s discourse. Let’s have our fun, though.”

Rachel tilted her head in acknowledgment of the three denizens of Hell that circled her; there wasn’t a chance in hell, as they said, that she could contest them, and that was perfectly fine. A voice within her told her they would ramp up to her level to have fun.

“Thalia, Irida, Aleka… It’s a pleasure.”

[Lunar Hell Hare - Yomi: Active]

Snickers followed, and Nia even joined in the impish cackle.

The Hell Moon’s protection conditioned her to the land, and Rachel held up her arm to observe the black fire and crimson electricity spark across her skin. A cold joy, rational and cruel, came from within her, the vibe of the moon rushing into her like a river to find the parts of her personality that resonated with its energy.

Stepping away from Nia, she saw the girl do the same, looking at one another to see the reflected changes overtaking their souls. An extravagant mirror formed off to the side, no doubt by Izanami to give them a better understanding about their transformation. She could feel Nike tossing and turning within Nia on her bed, uncomfortable with the flood of Infernal Force twisting through their spiritual veins.

Their white hair fanned out in a rush of wind, and their raven streaks melted away the shiny glow as a single, curved horn grew out of the back-left side of their skulls. The new color matched their black-and-red military school outfits, and she felt the strength Hell brought as her soul was infused with its energy.

Her human-like appearance didn’t change as the Black Moon had done, keeping her form and giving her a far more Succubi-like appeal, with an exception. A corruption spread along her veins, giving her insight into the sorrow and pain of Yomi. Her lips were dyed black, her clover eyes going from pink to sparkling obsidian, and her eclipse-like pupils dyeing a more blood-red color.

She lifted her arm to examine her dark, ebony fingernails and polluted skin before catching the war hammer that dropped out of the sky; it was as weightless as her body felt, and the reason came soon after with The System’s notification.

[Infernal Adaptation - Yomi X - Reborn in the corruption of Yomi’s filthy and polluted lands, the user burns with the infectious flames of Hell. While under the Hell Moon, the user understands, can live in, and travel the Infernal Planes.]

[Infernal Soul Harvest VIII - The user is capable of ripping out, burning, or corrupting the spirits of mortals. To do so outside of the Infernal Planes without the protection of the Hell Moon will force the user back to Hell.]

[Infernal Soul Pact VIII - Create a binding contract with a mortal that is burned into their very soul. Feats are dependant on Infernal Power.]

[Infernal Power (Yomi) VIII - The user’s power is dependent upon which Hell Moon they draw from. Yomi, as a domain of the 7th Circle, grants the user the attributes of a Princess of Hell under the Hell Moon. Outside of the Hell Moon, depending on the powers invoked, the user’s Hell Force will drain at a varied rate.]

[Princess of Hell (Restricted) - The user has the noble standing of a devil born of the 7th Circle, holding the powers over their own State in Hell, with all the powers attributed to them.]

[System Warning - Soul unable to withstand the 7th Circle’s Infernal Force. Restricted to the 1st Circle. Princess of Hell downgraded to Baroness of Hell.]

Rachel looked up as the sisters’ excitement faded, flaming tails drooping.

“Well, that was disappointing,” Irida groaned, scratching her head and messing up her flaming red hair. “Here, I thought you were going to surprise us and put a leash around our necks with that sudden rush of Hell Force that would have impressed Dad.”

Stretching out her arms high over her head with the mutts’ stares on them, Rachel saw Nia doing the same. Her lips curled as she studied the three.

“Between the Black, Blood, and Greater Harvest Moons, this Hell Moon puts a lot in perspective. Honestly, you’d probably love me a lot more under the Blood Moon since its natural immortality and healing attributes bypass my weak spirit, but beggars can’t be choosers. How do you feel, Nia?”

“Really good!” the child chimed, moving to stretch out her legs and glancing at the clock only visible to them: 9:10 minutes until they won. “I feel like I could destroy a large town without breaking a sweat, Major. Woah—hold up!”

Nia threw up her hands as Irida grinned, ruby flames igniting as she shot forward, but it was Thalia’s fist meeting her twin’s face that sent the hound flying off into the distance.

“Ack—screw you, Thalia!” the middle sister screamed.

Aleka’s ears perked up, green eyes darting to her big sister as she straightened, flexing her fingers. “Well, that’s not like you.”

“It isn’t, is it?” Thalia softly commented, sapphire eyes drifting between Nia and her.

Rachel’s ears tilted to the left, holding her hands behind her back and wondering what people thought about the match thus far, but this made sense with the knowledge of Hell plucking at her brain.

“You want to make a contract?”

Nia jumped over them to land on a half-broken stone wall and giggled. “If we survive, that is. Where do you want to cut the game of wolf and rabbit? Five minutes.”

Aleka’s glowing jade eyes brightened. “Ah. So that was what Izanami hinted at. It’s possible as a baroness for her to forge a contract with a Hellhound. Five minutes is too—”

“Thalia!”

The world tinted as Rachel activated some of her granted [Baroness of Hell] Feats. [Hell Step] carried her to the roof of a nearby building as a raging meteor hit the street, [Hell Cloak] protecting her from the debris. Inside the crater, Irida was wrestling with Aleka, the mix of emerald and red flames melting the ground and creating a molten river that flowed down the hill.

“Irida, stop and—ouch! You bit me, you ugly bitch!”

“Ack—don’t bite back! This is your fault for tackling me—my tail! Not there, Aleka—not my thigh! Ahhh!”

“Hasn’t healed from our last fight! Has it, you wiggly mutt!?”

“Don’t call me that!”

“My ear?!”

The snarling red and emerald-haired sisters rolled into the building across from her, Nia cheering them on in the background as it exploded in flames. They soon disappeared into the blazing city as the melancholy ghostly figures watched from the sidelines, none of them getting hurt in the wrestling match.

“Go for the ear! Yeah, get her good! Ack, that probably hurt. D-Don’t be too rough with her, Aleka! Just make her cry a little bit. Yeah! Pull out her claw!”

“Don’t pull out my claw!”

“Hahaha! Bite my ear, huh?!”

“Thalia, help!”

Rachel crossed her legs, setting her hammer beside her while watching the fighting siblings, keeping the clock counting down in focus. She wasn’t sure when their big sister sat beside her, but she wasn’t caught off-guard.

“Enjoying my sisters squabbling?” the sapphire-eyed wolf asked.

A shiver ran down Rachel’s spine at the wolf-like gleam in the girl’s leer. “You aren’t normal Hellhounds. If I’m a Baroness right now, and Yseress is a Princess of Hell…then I’d place you somewhere between us?”

Thalia’s tail melted a path through the roof to gently weave below, cutting away a decent portion of the protective covering, and it told Rachel how dangerous these girls were when the uncharged radial heat of her cobalt fire made her comfortable.

“Each of us is a Marchioness of Hell, and amongst the highest ranks of Hellhounds as daughters of Cerberus. I’ll get to the heart of the matter. Survive my sisters until your clock reaches one minute, and I will consider your contest won. There is something we need that Izanami pointed out, and you are someone capable of granting that wish. Do we have a deal?”

Rachel eyed the Hellhound’s hand as she offered it with a devilish smirk, knowing there was no way she could back out of this deal. Her gaze lingered on the wolf’s midnight-blue fingernails for only a moment before accepting it, arm tensing at the flame that passed between them, misfortune guiding her.

“I look forward to working with you.”

Her jaw tightened as their fingers locked, and bright-sapphire flames rose to her forearm, and Nia pulled up her sleeve, showing her flesh being tattooed with a circle of wolf’s teeth in the same color.

“I don’t like not knowing what the terms are,” Nia hissed from the house to her right. “We survive, but what is expected of us?”

Rachel let go of Thalia’s hand, flexing her stiff fingers as the fire settled in her soul. Misfortune is against us if we don’t take this, and with us if we take it. Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it when it comes, but… Her strained smile met the wolf’s small smirk. Thalia will make sure we don’t make it out alive if we don’t. She’s committed to us winning to get what she—

Her eyes widened as Thalia took a deep breath and let out an ear-splitting howl, causing the racket and ball of death that was already across the city to stop. Maybe she didn’t know where this was going.

“Find their weakness, then find me…if you dare,” the wolf giggled, drifting away in sapphire flames.

Rachel’s shoulders sank, eyes closing as she realized her folly; there was always a catch. “Daughters of a bitch.”

A sharp explosion came from the distance, and Rachel leaned back into the hole Thalia had preemptively made with her tail, grabbing her hammer on the way down. A wave of ruby flames ripped apart the ceiling milliseconds after, Aleka’s vicious giggles following Irida’s answered call of her big sister’s howl.

“Brilliant, Major,” Nia grumbled. “I’ll take the mean one. She’ll like tormenting a bunny kid.”

Atta’soldier, Rachel chuckled. If we want Thalia’s help, we have to find her sisters’ ‘weakness,’ then go find her.

“Great. Not only do we need to find a weakness, but we also get to play hide and seek with wolves on our tails. Fantastic job, Rach. Not one of your brightest plans.”

I’m working with what I’ve got. Just don’t get—

“Stupid vague rules—aaah! She found me!”

Rachel didn’t have time to listen to Nia’s shrieks as half the house was enveloped in solid-red fire, the blazing visage of Irida’s hound-like jaws ripping it away. Hammer spinning in Rachel’s hand, she held it against her chest as the redhead skipped through the ruby inferno.

Take your hammer and first meal, Nia!

“Got it! Now knock that bitch out! Her sister is trying to bite off my tail! She knows everywhere I go—she’s tracking my teleport energy!”

Recalling the hammer, Rachel grinned as it now resembled her own transformation after taking in Nia’s attribute with Lunar Energy. Do your best.

“Knock, knock!” Irida sang, sucking in the fire before licking her lips. “Will you run, run, little hare, or jump into my mout—”

A black metal hammer struck the wolf between the eyes, twisting her into a backflip before hitting the ground face-down, to Nia’s gleeful cackles as she jumped over the building, Aleka in casual pursuit.

“Hahaha! I didn’t think you’d just throw it at h—yikes!”

“Best watch your tail, little bun! Way to take it to the face, Big Sis,” Aleka hummed, hot on Nia’s heels. “Embarrassing! Oh, I could use a little luck, so maybe your leg?”

“Leave my pretty legs out of your mouth, you sicko!”

“Run, ru—dig?! Hey, get out of there!”

“Ho-ho-ho!” Nia chimed through their personal connection. “Didn’t expect me to have digs as a bunny, did ya, hussy! Dig! Dig! Dig! Huh?!”

“Hah-hahaha…”

Rachel recalled her Hell hammer, leaning against it as the black flames licked down its length. Irida forced a laugh, slowly getting up, her skin turning a light shade of red. An earthquake lifted Rachel’s eyebrows as her hammer’s rubies lit up, absorbing the kinetic energy as Aleka dug after the surprised Living Denier.

“Mad?” Rachel asked the snarling girl as she fixed her tanktop and cracked her neck, Hellish eyes locked onto her. Her brain told her to run; her gut told her to stand her ground. “Are you the joke of your sisters?”

“Funny. So…funny! Why don’t you—” Aleka snickered, prowling forward and twisting to kick her in the face; twirling her hammer upright, Rachel braced for the enormous impact. Her forearm tensed as the blow sent her legs into the floorboard to the polluted soil underneath. “Huh—ahh! No way, what did you…”

A little unstable after the strike that should have blown away a whole city block, Rachel thanked her baroness-enhanced abilities and physique. Twisting her shaft around, she swept the stunned Cerberus’ legs out from under her before grounding herself, activating her weapon’s ability, and punting Irida’s head like a golf ball.

“Bye-bye!”

“W-Wait!”

Hammer max-charged, an eruption of focused kinetic energy struck the hound, right where her human ear would have been; a gale exploded with most of the building she was in as the redirected vector wave force-fed the girl a taste of her own medicine. Irida launched into the air, her brain totally checked out after she’d taken a blow that should have been instant death in her embarrassment.

Breathing out a heavy sigh, Rachel unclenched her fingers to find them shaking after Irida’s absorbed attack. At least she knew how much it could absorb at its max, and the Hellhound had probably been significantly holding back. Still, the shock would break her tunnel vision and hopefully make her rethink things.

“Now…time to run,” Rachel mumbled, returning her hammer to Nia’s storage and jumping out of the house to run along the streets.

The frightening part was that Irida’s kick had better form than she did, and she’d been called a natural, gifted fighter; the girl may have been a tad dense, but she was possibly better than her. The redhead would be on her soon enough since even her big sister’s attack hadn’t held her off for long.

Spreading out her Infernal senses as a baroness, Rachel could feel the pulse of Yomi and its negative influence across most of the city. Time slowed, a dagger twisting her gut as Irida’s grinning face appeared in front of her, sharp teeth gleaming in the gray, overhead light of the polluted moon.

“That was unexpected!”

Rachel barely jumped over her swipe, only to see her heel coming right for her face; it had been a feint. Hellfire took her into the building to her right, with Irida’s scarlet fingernails already reaching for her face as she appeared, glee in the hound’s ruby eyes.

“You’re fun!”

Doing a backbend, Rachel came to a complete stop as Irida’s grip tightened around her dress shirt collar. Was she really caught this easily? Irida giggled at her struggles. Rachel twisted to kick the side of the hound’s head, but the girl easily blocked it. She tried to Hellstep away, only to be met by a System message.

[Hell Step Blocked]

Panicking as she felt parts of her Baroness abilities being sealed away, she tried to send a wave of spirit-disrupting energy at the hound to disorient the girl and shrug her off.

[Hell Pulse Blocked]

“What?” Rachel whispered, eyes going wide as the thoughtful redhead’s blazing fist held her. A hum rumbled in the wolf’s throat as she promptly picked her up; the shock-factor roles were now reversed. “Shit!”

“Heh. I think—hmm?”

“I got you! Eesh! It hurts! It hurts!”

The buttons popped off as Nia’s fabric slid through the flame-enhanced fingers of the hound; she burned part of the shirt, but it gave Rachel just the time she needed.

I owe you, Nia!

“More than that, Major!”

Sparkling light shimmered in front of her as she felt the girl give up her form and recreate it; the problem: it took a second to reconstitute her body, and while Rachel Hellstepped away, she saw Irida snatch Nia’s flying kick out of the air and throw the screaming child into oblivion.

“I missed—thanks a lot for the back—eep?! Oh-no, she spotted me in the air—Rachel! Help! Help!”

Outside of the house, Rachel forced a laugh as Irida appeared right in front of her. These ladies had powers she’d never seen before that could mess with souls; she couldn’t believe Nia would be fine if caught.

Her hammer met the blow, stopping the wolf’s momentum dead in its tracks, allowing Rachel to land an elbow against her stationary figure. The Hellhound was holding back by a large margin by the bright grin she wore upon taking it to the face.

World slowing with her constant use of Accelerated Mind, Rachel swiftly spotted Nia high in the sky and threw her hammer as Irida returned for more.

Catch! It’s charged!

“Ack—got it! Ahhh! She’s right—get blasted, mutt!”

Rachel’s heart stopped as the Hellhound blurred faster than a blink, and the feral girl’s flame-wrapped fingers closed around her neck. A weight slammed against her spirit in a way she’d never felt before; a cage of some kind.

[Baroness Powers Blocked]

“Got you—oh, haha! I got a little carried away,” Irida brightly said, quickly letting her go and patting her sides.

[Baroness Powers Released]

“I’m not supposed to be so rushed. Thalia would scold me if I got upset. Now we’re even! You surprised me. I surprised you! Aleka is having fun chasing your little rabbit, but that’s not fun for me. Show me what you got, hare! C’mon!”

Rachel forced a smile as Irida threw a few playful jabs, making her realize just how far out of her league she was in a Challenge Rating 3 when properly handled, as Izanami was doing. Even with the Blood Moon, she could see these sisters being a real challenge. A Marchioness of Hell demolished a Baroness—it was no contest.

”Wow. Umm. So, you’ve…had formal training?”

“Pfft!” Irida snickered and rolled around her neck. “It’s Hell, sweetheart! I meet all sorts of people, and you learn a thing or two from escapees. What did Thalia do there?”

Taking a turn Rachel hadn’t expected, she heard Nia screeching in the background with the hound hot on her tail as she had a chat with the ‘most hotheaded’ of the triplets.

“A contract…”

Irida’s face sparked with understanding. “I see… Well, we need to find my sister! If you don’t find her, then we’re all in trouble.”

Now that she had some time, Rachel placed a hand against the contract, using her Baroness affinity to read the specifics. “Dammit. Hah. Devils are a lot more tricky than I thought,” she mumbled. “I have to convince you to find her… Why are you going to help me find her?”

The fire running along the woman’s hair flared. “Because…she’s taunting me! Thalia doesn’t think we’ll be able to find her in the time limit. I can see her smug face grinning at me in that contract—do you see it?! Ugh. She’s the worst. Irida, don’t do this! Irida, don’t do that! I’ll bite her!”

“Let’s punch her face in! Oh, where’s your hammer?”

“Here?” Rachel asked, bringing it out of storage.

“Yes! And…” She took it and smashed her fist against the side, making Rachel wince as a shockwave hit her ears and the rubies lit up to their brightest. “Okay. She’ll expect me; it’s impossible to sneak up on her. But you…can get a good whack to her nose! Deal?”

Rachel doubled over with laughter upon finally getting the solution that Thalia gave her to this challenge; devils loved contracts and double-crossing. It was all a game, and her big sister was a bigger fish than her.

“Deal.”

Nia… I have your solution.

“Then tell me! She’s already taken half my fluff—I swear!”

Let’s play the game…

Running through the streets with her new, unlikely ally, Rachel informed the incredulous bunny on how to get the hounds on their side. They were pleasure and business, but their overbearing big sister was the sweetest pie they could offer.

Soon enough, the emerald hound was in her beast form, running through the streets with the bunny between her shoulders, looking for Thalia. It was a challenge of devils, not power. And devils dealt less with raw destruction and more through deceit and mind games.

Several seconds before the one-minute mark, Irida jumped over the river with a snarl, landing on one of the long boats lazily traveling downstream. Rachel touched down on the other side, Nia and Aleka howling in rage at not being the ones to find her, united in their frustration at not beating Irida and her.

Wearing a disguise and straw hat, Thalia’s clothes burned away to show her tank top underneath. She got up with a short chuckle, entirely focused on her puffed-up little sister. “Congratulations on finding me, Iri—”

Rachel walked up, summoned her hammer, and smacked Thalia upside the head, launching her into the river, and Rachel used its reversal Feat to take her into the sky as the boat went under. Laughing with Aleka and Irida, more at the ridiculous nature of this challenge than their big sister, Rachel spun out of the sky to land on the side of the river with her bun and two wolf allies; the clock hit 1 minute.

Thalia soon trudged out of the polluted river, drenched in mysterious muck, to laughter from her little sisters. “Ha-ha-ha.”

She slowly clapped before grinning and diving at her now screaming sisters, carrying them to the ground to share in the mudbath; Thalia ended by grabbing their tails and throwing them into the river. Nia peaced out the second Thalia went on the offensive, leaving the oldest triplet and Rachel on the beach as the hound burned off the Hell-laced grime.

“Congratulations, Rachel, you found my little sisters’ weakness… Me. Now, our real contract.” She held out her hand again, seriousness coming over the Hellhound. “There is a powerful devil who we can’t personally go after that is going to be entering your world…but if we had a contract with you to aid you, then that is what we call a loophole… You’ll know when that time comes, and we will only be there for that one fiend.”

Rachel grinned and took her hand. “To loopholes.”

“To loopholes…” Thalia’s mark burned again, and the sisters exited the river with a snarl as the world faded away. “Do not summon us for anything else.”

Taking the hint in the shepherd of Hell’s intense sapphire eyes, Rachel nodded. Conner was probably angry with how Yseress said she saw this ending. Again, she felt Cerridwen’s hand and Izanami’s warning. But was it really her or Izanami and Cerridwen’s doing?

Her misfortune had guided her here, perhaps more of a combination than anything else. She was learning secrets about these Seeds and how they functioned, which both goddesses appeared to need.

This Legend’s Quest was orchestrated to give her the kit to handle what Cerridwen saw was to come, and Izanami didn’t appear too trusting in the cauldron-using nightmare goddess, as well, or were her misgivings more about her? There was something odd happening, and Dionysus may have been onto something.

How can I talk to Eostre beyond these dimensional walls? Am I something more than just some Korean girl that likes to fight? The Scarlet Hand thinks I should be dead… I did almost die once.

Rachel’s mind returned to the tragic moment of the car accident that had changed her life forever, along with the misfortune abilities that she seemed to carry. She didn’t like it, but [Strategic Mind] wouldn’t let her release the thought. One idea sprung to mind as her next level came after overcoming the challenge, and the sisters vanished, parting with a wave and devious, toothy grins.

Mom is a mudang by lineage, and she actively practices Korean shamanism…who are supposed to contact the spiritual realm and deities. It was a huge support to her during the years following the accident. Grandpa practices Taoism’s nei-dun and wai-dan training methods…Is it related to what is happening to me?

[Level Up - Level 10]

[1 Stat Point Added; 1 Available]

[1 Refinement Point Added; 1 Available]

[1 Equipable Feat Choice Added; 1 Available]

[1 Feat Slot Added]

[Limit Break Perk Unlocked]

[Attack Feat Branch: Curse: Karma I - Retribution]

[Grade Advancement - Bringer of Misfortune II Unlocked]

[Grade Advancement - Divine Beast Empowerment II Unlocked]

[Lunar Pool - Advanced to A-tier]

[Divine Lunar Surge - Advanced to B-tier]

[Lunar Cap - Advanced to A-tier]

[Bestial Instincts - Advanced to D-tier]

[Mental Acceleration - Advanced to D-tier]

[Strategic Mind - Advanced to D-tier]

[Hell Moon - Yomi - 45% Lunar Pool]

[White Moon - 65% Lunar Pool]

[Nia Base Grade Increase - Grade V Achieved]

[2 Style Points Added; 3 Available]

[1 Synchro Point Added; 1 Available]

[1 Feat Point Added; 1 Available]

[5 New Inventory Slots Added]

[19/20 Inventory Slots Available]

[Stored Lunar Energy]

[Blood Moon - 21% Lunar Pool]

[Black Moon - 16% Lunar Pool]

[Greater Harvest Moon - 100% Lunar Pool]

[White Moon - 24% Lunar Pool]

Chapter Thirty-One

Shared Respect

Rachel’s downcast eyes lifted to the dark sky as the world melted away, the cracked red stone of the arena solidifying under her feet. She was carried back into the stadium of higher beings, her sober gaze fixated on the two thrones hovering overhead. Izanami’s previous words to Dionysus rang in her mind, yet only oppressive silence met her sharp ears.

The Japanese goddess of the dead leaned against her armrest, legs crossed as her inviting, Infernal vision lingered on her, and a chilling finger slid down Rachel’s spine to her tail, making her shiver. No cheers or screams could be heard as her final trial came to an end; instead, the entire cast had changed, and she felt the charged atmosphere like a howling blizzard.

Izanami’s presence now pressed against her chest with the realization at whose table she now sat. This wasn’t the court of a mad god, drunk on power; no, that ship had been swallowed by the wolf that now proudly floated above.

Run, run, little lamb, but the beasts are in the pen…

“What?” Nia asked, devilish taint leaving to return the frightened rabbit kid.

Rachel slowly spun in a circle, pulling her eyes away from the fallen creation deity to her new audience, filled with entities far stronger than those she’d entertained before. Glorious and terrible figures that put Dionysus to shame now filled the stands, yet the calculating and ominously still atmosphere was on the Assistant Arbiter.

The parents are home, she answered. Izanami has opened the gates to allow all the 6th and 7th-dimensional entities to join the show. We’re playing a game far above our weight class, Nia.

“What do we do?!”

Listen and learn… she replied, looking at their audience; Dionysus was a rather obscure name to her, but not these gorgeous Greek gods and goddesses seated together in their section. Rachel caught sight of Thalia, Irida, and Aleka beside a well-dressed black-haired man and woman, and she didn’t need to guess who they were. Look closely where we step; this is what Cerridwen wanted.

Her outfit hugged her tighter as the girl’s spiritual arms watched more and more powerful deities make their appearance. “Didn’t she say you were in charge, though? T-They can’t hurt us, right?”

Cerridwen drew Izanami’s attention for a reason. We’ll see why soon enough, I’m sure. She’s peeling back the layers so we can see the larger picture, but for what purpose?

After several seconds of uncomfortable silence, Izanami’s silky voice spoke to where the Infernal dogs they’d just played with sat. “Lord Hades, Lady Persephone, thank you for lending me your adorably young hounds; they were quite entertaining and cute.”

The cold-blooded man gave a graceful nod as his wife leaned in to whisper something in his ear, exciting the hounds next to the goddess. On the opposite side of Hades, his two magnificent younger brothers and their wives whispered in response to the dark-haired beauty beside Hades, causing Persephone to give a weary wave and sigh.

Hades’ tone held an arctic chill that was soft yet heard as if right next to her. “Olympus accepts your invitation to the banquet, Lady Izanami. We look forward to your company.”

Izanami’s flame-lit eyes held delight while drifting to Eostre. “Wonderful. Now that that has been settled, can’t we all agree that the finale of our little tournament has come far too swiftly? Eostre, shouldn’t we give our contestants time to interact with their Greater Seeds and give our guests time to mingle?”

Hands held tightly against her belly, Eostre forced a smile. “Maybe…it hasn’t gone by fast enough.”

A gentle chuckle shook Izanami’s chest as quite a few other higher entities joined in the mirth at the tulpa’s answer. “Isn’t that just like me, though, Eostre…the Goddess of Disappointment?”

She swept her hand outward, opening up the coliseum to the polluted wasteland of Yomi. “Welcome to my castle, where everything is worthless.”

Izanami’s thumb and middle finger snapped, the sound lingering as the seats elongated, and a banquet of lavish food-filled tables of divine items appeared around the shifting environment.

“Please, help yourself to whatever you want…just get out while your soul is still clean. Hmm-hmm-hmm. No need to be so squeamish,” she added at the discomfort that swept the throng at the offer. “On my glorious name, position as a host, and Assistant Arbiter of this game, it is safe to consume…after the Seed purified my polluted goods. Enjoy yourselves! Benzaiten, dear…”

Rachel looked at a beautiful, traditionally dressed Japanese woman resting beside many others who leered at their oldest ancestor. There was hate and disgust in the Japanese pantheon’s faces as Izanami brought them into focus, the other pantheons appraising the sparse gathering.

“If you could be so kind as to provide us your song of luck?”

“I would not be so kind,” she coldly returned.

Izanami’s head lowered with a sad chuckle. “I thought not… Not even after heavens and Hells have collided together… I cannot give up control. No one can destroy my spirit, so shut me up and roll a rock in front of my tomb. Don’t be tricked by my pleadings, and don’t get caught in my wrath… I’m the ruiner of my own kingdom, is it? I partook of the fruit of corruption of my own free will… And I did,” her gaze fixated on a beyond gorgeous, black-winged angel on the front row, smiling at the Assistant Arbiter.

Only silence met the fallen creation deity’s words, showing the level of distrust and caution those of this higher weight bracket gave the fallen goddess of the old realm. Rachel noticed that no one so much as touched the food, and she felt a spark of pity touch her at the compressing judgment cast upon Izanami by the section of Japanese deities.

The death goddess’ tone was sweet, but Rachel could feel the undercurrent in her voice as she looked upon all those of her lineage who had at least come to listen to what she had to say.

“After everything I’ve done to myself… I can’t take the weight of this crown. So, save your silver and gold offerings… It’s worthless.”

Not one voice was heard from her children.

“I see… I invite you—and I always keep a seat open at my table—yet still, you greet me with silence.”

Izanami’s bottom lip drew in as she slowly accepted their judgment, and Rachel saw the venom in Yseress’ glare from the VIP box with Conner.

“Even if I go, there is no way out inside of these broken halls…chains on my door,” Izanami said with a heavy sigh. “There is no leaving—a rock holding it in place… So I’ll put on this show, but you best leave before becoming tainted by my sorrow, children… I’ll be here…up on this throne with my demons. So…go, heh, tell your father what his greatest disappointment said, and reassure him I am still safely shackled to my filth.”

The Japanese pantheon turned their back and left, causing an eerie vibe to overcast the stadium. Not even the devils or demons mocked their exit under the Hell Lady’s pained sight. After a short while, a depressed puff of air left Izanami’s lips.

“At least I have some joy in the Nine Hells after this maelstrom disaster…”

Eostre cleared her throat and got to her feet, now holding Moongmor in her arms for support. “Right, well, eh-hehe, while our competitors prepare for their final match, we will mingle and talk… I’m sure you all have much to discuss with the lesser deities who have answered your call. I hope you, umm, remember this opportunity that was provided to you.”

The woman vanished in an array of lights to appear beside Rachel with a strained smile, waving away the stadium to a snowy, ocean-side cityscape for them to speak alone as the new audience began to whisper to one another.

“Rachel,” Eostre greeted. The woman set down Moongmor to hop ahead and turn back to look at them. Conner was transported beside them, showing a confused frown as snowflakes fell, likely reflecting how Eostre felt right now. “That was…very sad and uncomfortable.”

“I feel really sad, too,” Nia sniffed, materializing out of twinkling light. She gave the surprised tulpa a hug before pulling back. “I’m happy you’re okay, though. I was really scared when that creep’s vines were crawling all over you.”

A quake shook Eostre’s frame. “Yes, well, one of the less pleasant moments of my life…for certain. However, it is in the past. I am thankful that you were not destroyed, too, Nia. Now, if only we could do something about your age.”

“Yes, please!” Nia cried, forcing herself to be brave and stand between Rachel and Conner. “I don’t like being a kid; it’s weird and confusing. You keep your distance, bud!”

Conner rubbed his shoulders with a short shiver and backed away with a chuckle. “I’m not going to try anything shady, kid—eh, Nia, I mean,” he added at her leer. “Actually… Do you want to play with Delphinus? He’s been a little restless.”

Nia gasped at the prospect as the mystical dolphin constellation sparkled into existence. “Umm…n-no! I’m not tempted t-to fly on a magical dolphin!”

Rachel laughed at the pressure in the girl’s voice; she was probably hating and loving this conflicting kid personality. “Go on, Nia, Conner isn’t going to try anything. Have fun with Delphinus.”

The girl jumped over Conner to land on the dolphin’s back without a second thought. “Okay! Thank you, Major! Let’s fly, Delphinus! We’re fighting lava dragons to save the world and rescue my handsome prince!” she proclaimed, probably going to recreate the epic battle the Legend had with the lizard.

“Go get ’em,” Rachel mused, watching the pair fly into the silent, snowy night to explore and play heroine and steed.

Starting on a casual walk, she strolled down the seaside boulevard with the tulpa and Legend. Eostre glanced at her, hands held at her front. All three of them fell into the hushed atmosphere, no doubt pondering all the insanity that had come from this Legend’s Quest.

A chilled wind swept in from the foggy sea, ruffling Rachel’s skirt and pulling her braid toward the city as the mist gradually covered them. So many things had led to her traversing this bizarre, divinely-created street with an enemy she’d kill and a woman who might as well be a goddess compared to her.

There wasn’t a chance in hell that she could have expected all of this to happen. To Rachel, it felt like an eternity since she’d stepped through that golden rift, leaving Scarlet to take her first step on her own, and she found herself a little anxious to see how things turned out—Relica was still a threat.

Still, Rachel couldn’t help reflecting on her life with this break granted to them. Ever since that car accident that had taken her cousin’s life, she’d run, trying not to lose the fire burning in her chest to push for something invisible, just beyond reach. She didn’t even know what she was running from, but she was running from something.

The Oscillation had shown her an out-of-place thread, and she’d plucked at it, over and over. At first, it was to regain control. Control was important to her. She had to be in control. Yet, the further she’d punched her way through these walls, the more she realized that she hadn’t been in control since losing her cousin.

She looked out across the veiled ocean, seeing the hazy lapping waves as they crashed against the concrete walls of the port. Yet, Cerridwen’s message when under the Black Moon resonated within her, telling her that she was the one in control.

Despite all these gods and goddesses hovering in the background, they were powerless in the face of The Oscillation. They needed them. And from what she’d seen of Izanami, the higher realms were a complete mess, with dozens upon dozens of pantheons and powerful entities thrown into a singular plane to battle it out.

Whether mortals, lesser deities, or creation deities, all of them were reeling with the chaos they’d been plunged into. It spoke of a higher power than these entities that contended on the universe scale.

It told Rachel that if they were going to get through this, they had to work together. An incredulous chuckle shook Rachel’s chest, drawing Eostre and Conner’s sober gaze; she’d never been one for teamwork.

“What is on your mind?” Eostre asked, somberly turning her sight to the ocean. “Is it the uncertainty we have stepped into?”

Grabbing her fingers behind her back, Rachel shook her head and breathed out a long sigh. “It’s everything.”

Scarlet had somewhat changed her displeasure at working as a team, and in such a short time. The vampiresque girl had shown her what it was like to have someone who relied on her, which had sparked something new within Rachel she hadn’t expected.

“I’m guessing Izanami is using this opportunity to bait deities in by giving them an intermediate stage to talk to their followers below the 6th dimension.”

The corner of Eostre’s mouth lifted a little. “It’s chaos, which is why I’m here with you. In the guise of a banquet, Izanami is allowing them to bicker and point fingers…”

“What is it?” Conner softly asked as Eostre’s fingers lifted to play with a small silver necklace she wore. “You seem nervous or scared, but don’t you have all the power of my Seed now?”

“Haha. Power… Temporarily, indeed. But I am nothing more than a proxy for Izanami, and all the better for it with how potent and phenomenal she is at wielding it. However, it is…very confounding since I can sense Izanami’s goals and intentions…and they are not what I envisioned. It is strange to have so much insight into someone so powerful…and to feel their tormented misery.”

She cleared her throat and wiped at the corner of her eyes before growling in annoyance. “And despite all of this, Cerridwen is absent… Gone. It’s infuriating. I cannot reach her—even with this Seed’s power—and that does scare me.”

Rachel held a hand against her breast, looking inward at the revelation. “If she were gone—or dead, I should say—then wouldn’t my blessing from her be, as well?”

“Yes,” Eostre confirmed. “It is that which makes it even more frightening… How is she escaping my call when I should be far stronger than her with this Seed? And even Izanami cannot reach her. I don’t know her intentions or plots, unlike my assistant in this clown show. In any case, Izanami believes she has entered the Blood Sea again, whatever that means, but I’m even more frightened than I was before obtaining this insight and power.”

Ears tilting forward as they stopped at a railing, Rachel leaned against it to stare at the waves rushing against the dock. “That doesn’t bode well… Hmm. Hey, Conner, you didn’t communicate with Dionysus directly, did you?”

The man shook his head, back against the bars while looking up at the swirling cyclone his dolphin and Nia created, pulling the mist into the sky with a flurry of snowflakes.

“No. As a Priestess of Hecate, Relica gets visions and can communicate with higher powers. I honestly didn’t know much about Dionysus until I met him in person…”

He forced a laugh, his typically strong voice fractured with a hollow doubt. “I know we haven’t known each other long, Rachel, but after these battles…all the things you’ve exposed, I’m questioning my whole life now… It takes a special kind of girl to do that, huh?”

Rachel shot him an incredulous smirk. “Sure. Hmm… It’s interesting that you pointed out Relica as a Priestess to communicate with the divine. Eostre… Izanami pointed me in this direction. Why did she do that? How can I talk to you in visions?”

Eostre hugged herself, looking toward the road. “It’s in your soul; I don’t know how else to say it. It’s like trying to explain to an animal how humans communicate, and I’m the animal,” she clarified as Rachel pushed her lips to the side, not amused at the analogy. “There are those very few with the gift to link to the divine and those who cannot.”

Arms tightening against the railing, she swallowed before asking her next question. “And…my mother?”

“Yes, she also has the gift, and quite strongly,” the tulpa said without reserve. “I was forbidden to speak to her by Cerridwen, though, and I felt her frustration at being, umm, ignored. Apologize for me, won’t you?” Eostre asked with a strained smile.

“I will…” The atmosphere stilled as Rachel reordered everything she’d thought about her life yet again. After a few painful seconds, a hand gripping her heart, she asked a question that fought to stay inside her throat. “Eostre… Does my mother…have a Seed in her?”

Conner looked at the tulpa with her, seemingly going through his own internal emotional struggle after everything they’d gone through. The flowery woman’s brow furrowed while meeting Rachel’s uncomfortable gaze.

“I…believe she does. Has she not told you? It is quite dense and bizarre, making me believe it is one of the Greater Seeds.”

“No…she hasn’t told me,” Rachel whispered, fingers bending the metal of the railing as she breathed and looked away. “Thank you for telling me, Eostre. Can Conner and I have some time to talk before leveling and starting the final battle?”

The woman’s sad eyes rested on the damage done to the railing. “Of course. Izanami wants to show Nia off since some of the Chinese deities are asking about her. Is that alright? Izanami seems to believe it will benefit you.”

Rachel searched her soul, parsing through the strings of misfortune; the pull and weight of each thread were far more solidified after her Grade increase. It was somewhat vague as to how beneficial it would be, and some of them had barbs that could prick her. Yet, for the first time, something new jumped out: a golden line that could come from this direction; dark threads spun around it, threatening and opening up grave misfortune, but the payoff could be massive.

“I think that…would be good. I’ll let her know.”

Pushing away from the twisted rails, she looked up at the playing bunny and dolphin. Nia, Izanami wants to show off how amazing you are. Want to get showered with praise?

“Oh, my goodness, yes!” the girl chirped. “Wait, only if I can get a new set of super cute clothes! I can make deals with devils, too; I’m no kid that will do stuff for free!”

Attagirl, Rachel snickered.

“What are you grinning about?” Eostre questioned.

“Nia’s got a contract she wants the Hell Lady to sign if her services are going to be rendered. Good luck negotiating with a stubborn child.” Pushing away from the rails, she tilted her head to Conner. “Let’s talk a bit before I kill you.”

I’m expecting a killer deal, Captain Bun.

“You got it, Major Hops!” Nia internally saluted.

The Legend laughed as she sauntered off, joining her down the boulevard. They listened to the waves in silence for a time, the sparse snow falling around them, leaving the tulpa to negotiate with the five-year-old, fashion-obsessed little girl.

Through this competition, Rachel had learned a lot about The System and these Seeds, as well as a lot about herself and other hidden things. She still couldn’t believe her mother had covered up the fact that she had a Seed or that she could speak to higher beings in general.

Her mom had never pushed her belief onto her or their family, but this was something different. Had she been scared to look crazy? No, that couldn’t be the excuse after Rachel had literally changed and told her everything. Had Scarlet’s blood—Veronica—been squeamish about entering her mother’s room because of Eostre or her mother?

She came into this Legend’s Quest expecting to fight, kick some ass, and then leave. But not this. So many emotions were now compounding in her heart. Still, a fire burned within her to push forward. She didn’t want to stop; in fact, she wanted to push harder because of it.

At first, Rachel looked for answers to her change. Then, it changed to discovering parts of her she’d kept buried, fighting goblins to the death in a shattered world that sought help from Legends. Scarlet came next, and they entered a seemingly hopeless battle against alien toads that could turn into sand and easily rip her apart, only for Scarlet to show her power.

The little, terrified, shattered teenage girl had been possessed by someone she’d known all her life. Veronica then went on to claim total victory against impossible odds, further traumatizing Scarlet in the process. Poisoned and losing strength, Rachel had been forced to rely on others, especially Scarlet, as she weakened, pulling her toward an unlikely group of associates that had been surprisingly helpful… She’d almost died several times, and would have without their help.

Nearly collapsing due to organ failure, fighting through an unknown toxin, and pushing her ravaged body to the limit, she’d looked for answers, all while connecting with influential people in the government. She’d brought their attention to the higher field at play with the deities, which they then sought to put her to the test, sending her here when they faced Relica’s unusual powers.

Astra, Selvaria, Maria, and Scarlet had come into her life when Rachel would have never associated with any of them before The Oscillation. The Scarlet Hand was made aware of the fact she was still alive. And now her paranoid mind was wondering how much of an effect the Scarlet Hand had in her life—could they have had something to do with her cousin’s murder? No, it was better to focus on other thoughts right now.

Her parents, who all she wanted to do was make proud, were her entire life. They’d shown up, and her mother had come to her on her knees, asking her to stop…but she couldn’t. Now, to uncover the truth that her mother not only had a Seed but was in communication with higher powers, just like her? How was she supposed to take that? Why wouldn’t she tell her?

It was more than the bloodlust of battle and conflict that she felt before. From this competition, she learned she was running both from something and to something. She might not have been human, to begin with. There was so much more uncertainty now.

All the compounding issues pressing in around her made a laugh bubble out of Rachel’s lungs, pulling Conner’s smile.

“All of this is kind of funny,” he whispered, hands in his shorts pockets. “Real talk… I think this is where I die.”

“You think so?” Rachel asked, finding her hands behind her back and looking up at the tall, handsome man. “You don’t look scared.”

Pushing his lips out, Conner grunted and shook his head before sliding his fingers through his hair. “I’m not a good man, Rachel… Far from it, actually…”

He worked around his jaw and sighed. “All I ever wanted to do was gain the glory I was born to achieve… I knew I was destined for greatness, but something hit me in the chest when I got all the power I ever wanted. I became a Legend!” he stated with pride, holding up a tight fist.

Conner’s laughter turned bitter and caustic. “The Legend of Antaeus! A powerful figure who was known far and wide—infamous for his deadly wrestling skills… Perfect for me, since in the underground Greek wrestling world, I am exactly that, fully financially supported by the Scarlet Hand…”

Tongue pressing against his bottom lip, he popped it with a frustrated hiss. “Imagine that…like they were building me into this murdering showman of a wrestler for that very purpose. But do you know the funny thing about Antaeus, this powerful, divinely gifted, and legendary fighter? Do you know what he’s most famous for?”

Rachel shook her head. “What’s funny about the legend?”

“Hah…” Conner drew in his lips and took a second to respond. “For being—for being a stepping stone for Hercules. Antaeus is only built up to be the fodder to highlight Hercules’ wit and strength… He dies, as villains do. And I think…I’m your stepping stone.” He laughed and nudged her, throwing Rachel off balance with ease and showing his incredible strength. “Do you know what’s even more hilarious?”

“What?” Rachel grunted, trying to shove back to test his sturdy Feats, only to find her momentum drained. “Damn, that Feat is annoying.”

Voice dropping octaves with a reflective grin, Conner shook his head. “If only… No, what’s funny is that I think…I’m okay with being your first big stepping stone.”

Rachel came to a stop, eyebrows pulling together as the man turned to study her. “You…want to die by my hand?”

“Pfft! When did I say want in there?” he snorted. Conner showed an appraising eye again while scanning her, but it wasn’t as licentious as before. “I was grateful for what the Scarlet Hand did for me. I’m one of those rare people that don’t give a damn about taking a life… But perhaps I do regret not living a better life to stand here facing you. What Level are you?”

Rachel smirked and shook her head; she wasn’t going to be baited into revealing that, but the Legend surprised her again.

“Eostre, can you show Rachel my Level? I’m Nine. I know for a fact you’ve fought far stronger creatures than I have. Dionysus wanted to kill you, so it makes sense if you overcame them, you’d have a lot more EXP, even if there is a cap our spirits can absorb. You did two Challenge Rating 3 battles… I didn’t do one.”

True to his word, Eostre opened up a window, showing his Level: he was Level 9.

“Huh… Do you really want me to tell you?” Rachel asked, feeling almost obligated to return the act.

Again surprised at the Legend’s almost serene cadence, Conner shook his head. “I can guess you’re probably at the same Level as Relica now. She pushed her spirit as hard as it would expand before coming here. I just wanted to say… I’m looking forward to our fight. Good luck, Rachel. Now, I need to plot how to murder you.”

He lifted his hand and parted ways toward the city. “Oh, and if you do kill me… Just like Hercules, cement my legacy by becoming the greatest Mythickin in history. That’s enough for me…”

Head tilting to the side, the wind pulled Rachel’s braid over her shoulder as she watched him go; Conner turned out to be more complex than she’d initially thought. He went from Relica and Dionysus’ party boy lackey to flipping against them to join her, and now she had gained a modicum of respect for the Legend, and he respected her.

What a competition this has been… Are you done, Nia?

“Nope! I’m getting all the goodies! I’ll be home in a minute. I got you a skort! You know, a skirt with shorts underneath? Sneaky-sneaky clothing!”

Hallelujah. Keep it up, Soldier.

Smiling, Rachel moved to the docks to sit on the end of a pier and meditate.

“Negotiation-Mode, Boss! I got some really cute accessories, too. You’ll love them. Bunny hairclips, friendship bracelets, scrunchies—the works! Not magical, though… Izanami’s being stingy.”

Booooo.

“Yeah, booooo!”

Settling in, Rachel closed her eyes and entered her inner world to level up. A half-smile lifted her lips upon seeing a big, cozy room with a fireplace and clothing designs drawn on paper tacked to the walls. In the bed across from her was a bandaged, divine woman, tucked into bed and resting.

Nia, you can do medical work? How did you treat Nike? she asked, walking to the bed to inspect the bunny’s work. It looks…good. I’m surprised.

“Aww, thanks, Major! I was—what do you mean you’re surprised?!” she snarled, and Rachel could see the steam puffing out of her ears.

“I took a medical Feat in that Halloween spooky moon scary fight to help her. Humph. It helped me restore myself, too, because I’m smart, and I knew that if Nike was inside me, then my restoring power would extend to her. Am I smart or what, Major?! It totally worked.”

Carefully inspecting her, Rachel was gentle in rolling her up to inspect her back, where tiny nubs were starting to grow, slathered in some kind of salve.

No, that is smart… Her wings are growing back?

“H-Hey! Don’t bother her, meanie! Let her rest… She’s really hurt. I think she needs to rest a lot to wake up.”

Okay, Doctor Bun, Rachel whispered, tucking the ravaged Personification of Victory back into bed. I’m sorry, I’m sorry.

Her left eye creased upon seeing Nia’s outfit upgrade selection open up while moving to an armchair beside the bed. It seemed they could both make selections, but it hadn’t been that way before. Rachel had to wonder if allowing Nia to make her own choices would promote further growth or if doing it together would be best.

Nia, did you use one Feat, one Synchro, and three Style points? I thought you were going to wait for me to go through the Synchro one when you were an adult.

“Oh, uh, yeah… I kind of…did use it to link closer to your, umm, spirit, as a Soul Item, umm… It just helps me…not be as scared. Sorry! I know I should have asked, but it’s how you can see my stuff now. I just… I’m really scared, and I wanted t-to not… I thought you might abandon me! I wanted to know how to make you happy…”

Nia… Rachel sighed, looking over some of the things the girl had chosen for herself; she should have expected something like this from a five-year-old’s temperament. She may still have some of that dog in her as a soldier, but her age reversion had nerfed her mental and emotional state by quite a bit.

“Are you mad at me… I-I’ll get you b-better clothes—the black kind that you like!”

It’s okay, Nia, she soothed. You’re doing great. I’m not going to abandon you.

“I’m…not defective goods?” she sniffed. “I’m a little bunny outfit now, though… I’m not cool anymore…”

You’re alright just the way you are, Nia. I can like the cool older Nia and the cute bunny girl Nia at the same time. So soldier up, and let’s get this win. ‘Kay?

“Okay! And…thank you for not getting mad at me. I want to be useful…”

Rachel’s brow furrowed as she pressed on the Soul-Link Synchronization Feat, leaning against the side of her chair and bringing her knuckle up to her mouth.

Nia, did you know that if you get closer to my spirit, then you can also share in my Feats, and I can share in yours? At the next tier, I can use one of a few selective Feats.

“Is that…good?” Nia slowly asked.

It’s huge… It increases the maximum number of Equipable Feats that I can have. You already share in my Lunar Pools because that’s what you were designed for, but if you can now share in my Feats, then…you could become a real partner.

“I want that!” Nia squealed. “I want to be a good partner! I’m a good soldier! I’ll be the bestest, Major! Please!”

Rachel didn’t even have to think twice, upgrading Nia’s link to her soul rather than putting it into the kinetic hammer she’d eaten. A strained smile came on as the potential Feat she could share with the bunny came up on the list.

[Less is More]… Great. Well, it is great, I suppose, she sighed. Now, my open skin will be protected, so a bullet to the face will probably hurt like hell, but I’ll probably live…with some damage, and its strength is based on my [Lunar Coat] Feat. Hmm.

“What does it do for me, Hops?!” Nia excitedly butted in. “Do I get super durability?!”

Linked…to a degree, Rachel whispered. It really is broken since it can resonate between us. Your clothing is enhanced, and my open skin is enhanced, but since you are the origin of the Feat, it is weaker for my open skin at the moment, until our souls are closer. It’s a start, though.

Having used Nia’s Feat and Synchro Points, she moved to the three available Style Points.

Hmm… I see you used three Style Points, two of which to increase your Lunar Pool limit from two to four, it was a good call, Soldier. Good job.

Nia internally cheered at her praise, showing off to the Chinese deities like she was in a kid’s pageant. There were a few places she could tweak Nia’s support Style, from Attack to Defense to Utility.

If they grew closer together, Nia could take more from her own Attack and Defensive Feats, assisting her more in fights. They had to level together to compliment each other in their own ways, which certainly made her aware of the advantages of a Soul Item, allowing them to advance in ways that could cover each other’s weaknesses.

The problem was that it now took two Style Points to gain a fifth Lunar Pool, but that was worth it since she was building up a huge stockpile of energy that could be used for later. The last one seemed fairly obvious: she sank it into the girl’s Solar Defense to shield from the energy.

Done with Nia’s upgrades, she was about to close out of the window to do her own when something else caught her eye; Nia’s inventory slots were not only subject to permanent additions. She could designate a few for general storage, which was certainly convenient, but until the need arose, it would be best to leave them open for designation.

Opening her own sheet, Rachel studied her options; she’d gained a Feat Slot, meaning she could now have four Feats equipped; she also got a new Feat, which meant there would still be one left out, and a passive caught her eye, likely gained after branching out from [Lunar Spike].

[Lunar Amplification I - Amplify Lunar Light, doubling [Lunar Pool] generation while above 50% and under moonlight.]

She considered how this could affect her other abilities, quickly hitting higher Stats with [Divine Lunar Surge] and [Lunar Cap] and offsetting the cost of [Extra Kick] without having to waste her backup Pools that Nia had stored.

She could see how important it would be to preserve her stored Pools, especially when she had downtime out of a moon. [Lunar Spike] could alleviate the problem, but she needed some way to restore the lost energy.Now, Feat Refinement was a big one. Multiplying her EXP with [Primal Force] was still under refinement. Her focus centered on [Bringer of Misfortune], which has proved itself in taking out a lesser god. If the Scarlet Hand feared her for her misfortune, then she’d refine that, but she choked when the time it would take popped up.

[Bringer of Misfortune II] - Refinement Time - 30 Days

How does that work? she snarled to Nia. [Primal Force X] is a week, and this is thirty days?!

“Don’t ask me,” Nia mumbled. “I extorted a Chinese god for a new dress! Yes! I’m on fire!”

Or they want to see you in more their style of clothes, Rachel mused. Either way, we win.

“Winning!”

Nearly done, Rachel swapped to her Stat Menu, puffing out a long sigh. It was hard to know where to put a single point. She could increase her [Endurance] further to go longer, but if she ended the fight sooner, then what was the problem? She sunk the point into [Quickness] to improve her reaction time, increasing it to three.

At the end of her road before meeting Conner in the arena, Rachel studied the newest, and probably most interesting, addition: she’d gained a limit break.

[Attack Feat Branch: Curse: Karma I - Retribution - Activate to show the target a small portion of the weight of their Karma, afflicting them with Karma’s Balance and tormenting or uplifting their souls as the scales swing.]

Getting to her feet, Rachel laughed at how vague it was, which was just like this System at times. She stood over Nike, taking in all the torture Dionysus had put the silver-haired woman through. If only she’d been able to exact her karma.

“Well, I guess we’ll see how it works soon enough…if I can fill up the Karma Bar on it. Interesting…”

Nia interrupted her, pulling Rachel out of her inner world.

“I think they’re ready for the next battle, Rachel. Are we ready? Oh, and you got me a new [Lunar Pool]! Thank you.”

You’re welcome, Captain Bun… And as ready as I’ll ever be. Let’s finish this Legend’s Quest.

The misty pier hazed, and she was standing in the middle of the stadium, Conner across from her, with dice hovering between them. Izanami and Eostre floated down, Nia hopping out of the air to land beside her with a proud grin, wearing a colorful, traditional Chinese hanfu.

“How do I look?!”

“Pretty. I don’t think it would be good battlewear, though,” Rachel laughed.

“Yup! Yup!” Nia changed into her military outfit again, complete with Chinese hair accessories, and saluted her. “Ready for combat, Ma’am!”

Izanami giggled, rising to her feet and regaining her poised composure after her family left early. “Cute. Now… Shall we begin the death battle?”

Chapter Thirty-Two

A Legend’s End

Rachel looked up at the throng of pantheons as Izanami set the ground rules for the final showdown, the Japanese goddess of the dead making her ears rise as she once again invited the audience to participate.

Dressed in her extravagant kimono, Yseress appeared out of Hellfire beside her as Izanami made a sweeping gesture to the throng. “Eostre has been kind enough to allow me the pleasure of introducing you to the delightful conclusion to this evening’s groundbreaking events!”

Lifting both hands ever-so-slightly, Rachel’s stomach tightened as the red stone floor lifted into the air for all present to see, Conner remaining at an equal level across from her. Unlike the previous crowd, these powerful pantheons did not jeer or cheer but were no doubt entertained in their own hushed whispers to one another.

“I hope you have all enjoyed the opportunity that Eostre has given you to stir up trouble amongst the lesser gods and those who had thought themselves rid of your rule. I have mingled with each of you and addressed questions and accusations. Now, it is time for this conflict to come to a close.”

Hands folding inside her sleeves, the disguised, rotten Hell Lady’s Infernal eyes drifted between Conner and her, Eostre floating beside the fallen goddess. For not being a creature from Hell, Eostre looked far more dignified than Rachel thought she would in the Infernal realm; then again, she did have Izanami’s support.

A devious gleam lit in the corrupted woman’s gaze as she scanned her audience. “Unlike the previous games, I can now modify the rules, and we will dispense most of what our contenders have become accustomed to in order to have a fulfilling conclusion.”

Above them, a screen appeared as she explained, piquing Rachel’s interest. Conner nodded with the fallen goddess’ points.

“Items have already been provided to each contestant.

“Restrictions have been enforced.

“There is no ‘monster’ to be selected in this finale.

“Therefore,” Izanami said, crossing each word off on the board, “we are left solely with a location, and let’s not be stingy,” she chortled. “Instead of one crowd member, I will open this challenge up to six pantheons.”

Mumbles came from that declaration, and the Hell Lady waved her hand, dice appearing in front of the dozens of pantheons. “I have provided you each with an equal shot at making it into one of these slots… A twenty-sided die and the first six to roll three ones and three twenties will enter the selection.”

Her devious lips lifted as she looked down on Conner and her. “The competitors will choose first to add to this stage I’ve prepared. After which, the pantheons will offer their own twists to the field. Welcome…to the End Game.”

Hands exiting her sleeves, arms spreading out, the world cracked and broke away to reveal a black void in all directions as a large glass cage surrounded Conner and her. The stands broke apart to isolate each individual pantheon or singular, isolated deity that represented themselves.

“Now, as Arbiters,” Izanami whispered, gesturing to Yseress and Moongmor, who appeared in between Rachel and Conner. “We are to abstain ourselves from interfering with the choices of those chosen to participate. Here are your referees. Let the gamble begin.”

Rachel swallowed, feeling the tension rising as she turned in a slow circle with Nia, watching the 7th-dimensional entities talk amongst themselves, deciding who should be the one to cast their die. A few gods or goddesses within the pantheons didn’t even hesitate to step forward to represent their group.

“What’s happening?” Nia asked through their private bond as the two referees took control and the Arbiters took their observation seats high above them. “We get our choice of moon?”

Basically, Rachel sighed, giving Conner a smiling, lifted hand that he returned. And then the gods get to mess with the stage…but which gods will it be? Certain ones will have their biases.

“Yikes! Umm… Oh, I know!” Nia was bouncing beside her as if she’d just gotten the greatest idea since sliced bread. “We ask for all the Unique Moons! Hehehe. We’d be invincible!”

A dubious smirk lifted the corner of Rachel’s mouth as Moongmor and Yseress went by rounds, having each pantheon roll in unison until one pantheon had three ones and three twenties. She didn’t want to crush the little bunny girl’s dream of becoming an invincible superhero, but there were concerns.

Sure, that could work…or we could explode.

“Huh?! How? The Blood Moon would just heal us! Ha! I win!”

Unless it is countered by the Sun Moon, Rachel snickered.

“The whaaa? You’re making that up!” she accused with a glare.

I am, but who’s to say it’s not real? We have no idea what multiple Event Moons would do to us or how they’d interact, much less Unique Moons with their powerful affixes. No, I sense an unbelievable amount of misfortune from that idea, Nia.

The girl’s smaller ears tilted to the side with a confused frown. “Isn’t that good?”

Usually…if it wasn’t pointed at us.

“Oh… Blood Moon, then!”

Cheeks bunching to the left, Rachel gave the girl a critical eye. You want to use the Blood Moon…which is instant death under the sun… And Conner has what?”

“Oh… Sun gloves. Shoot. Umm. Umm… Hell Moon?” she questioned, now looking unsure. “I know how to use it better now.”

Think again, little bun, Rachel whispered, mouth pulling in as the Greeks sent a red-haired, beautiful, blindfolded goddess to cast their die, ethereal wings at her back and a flaming halo over her head. Ribbons trailed behind her, and a scepter was held in her hand.

It didn’t take long for the others to send their own representatives, and Yseress’ lilting voice started the first round. Dice were thrown, distracting Nia as the landed numbers were shown above each pantheon’s section.

Rachel’s fingers closed into a fist, gut-churning with the rapid jerks to misfortune, which rattled into oblivion with every toss; powers far beyond her understanding of fate, destiny, luck, and misfortune carried this next round into total uncertainty. Where this went was anyone’s guess at this point.

Nia whimpered as three pantheons took half the available slots by the sixth round, showing a perfect record of twenties and ones.

“Slot one!” Yseress proclaimed, gesturing at the serene, blindfolded goddess Rachel singled out as her greatest opposition among these deities. “Tyche, the Greek goddess of the spirit of fortune, chance, providence, and fate, has taken the crown for her pantheon!”

She couldn’t be sure how they’d respond after Dionysus’ death, and Conner was a Legend from their mythology, which put him in a more favorable position.

If there was one thing working in her favor, it was a chocolate-haired goddess with a stern face, unsmiling full lips, grey eyes, and a graceful build. Clad in full plate mail and holding a majestic poise, Athena would want to rescue her Personification of Victory. The woman was already whispering to other gods and goddesses near her.

Rachel’s gaze drifted to three oriental, bearded men who had taken turns rolling their die, Moongmor introducing the next gods that Rachel already knew. “The Sanxing put the Chinese pantheon in second, Fuxing, Luxing, and Shouxing, looking most radiant in those colors! They took a special shine to our little Living Denier!”

“Yes!” Nia pumped her arm. “The old dudes that liked me!”

Yseress’ amused voice turned them toward a massive group behind them, where a four-armed, radiant woman sat on a lotus flower, an intimidating similar-armed elephant man dwarfing her in size, floating cross-legged beside her.

Eyes closed, two of their hands were clasped in front of them in a praying manner, their two others resting on their knees in a meditative state as they telekinetically tossed their die.

“Third…the Hindu pantheon can thank Lady Lakshmi and Lord Ganesha for their fortune! Who else will make the cut?”

Rachel didn’t have to wait long to see who would add to the stage since the last three spots were filled in the next cast of dice.

Moongmor jumped into the air with excitement as he introduced a raven, who had pecked at the die. “Oh! Oh! And taking the fourth slot is the Irish pantheon as The Morrigan brings victory!”

The raven transformed in a veil of feathers to a subtly threatening, black-haired woman, showing a certain air of dominance as she observed the other pantheons. Crows came as more birds formed out of the feathers, landing on her shoulder and whispering in her ear.

A man with a cobra’s head glared across the stadium at the Irish goddess, Yseress’ voice holding mirth. “And the fifth is taken by Shai, bringing the Egyptian pantheon into the selection. And last, but certainly not least…”

Moongmor ducked lower as a giant of a man loomed in the background, bearded and adorned with riches. “…Njǫrd, the god of the wind, sea, and its riches, brings the final slot onto the door of Lord Odin of the Norse pantheon. Heh-he…I wonder where the Norns are…”

Yseress didn’t waste any time in bringing them to the selection, many of the other pantheons glaring at those that had taken the win; fortune and misfortune had been tugging against all sides.

“You will choose based on your placement within your slot, as shown above,” the Princess of Hell chimed, hugging her black leather purse with the powerful deities staring at her. “Rachel, Conner, who will go first?”

Rachel didn’t hesitate, having already decided what she needed. “The Black Moon.”

A shiver ran through Conner’s frame as smiles and whispers swept the pantheons, and a purplish halo emerged from within the void, expelling its nightmarish energy outward in search of hope-filled victims to feed upon. Not a ray touched Rachel from within the glass cage, Izanami keeping them away from it until the match began.

Nia went stiff as a board. “Wow! That’s, umm…scary. I haven’t felt this one yet… It doesn’t hurt. Hah-ha. R-Right, Major?”

“Oh, you’ll love it,” Rachel said, giving Conner a challenging grin. “I haven’t been able to test it out, and just like the Haunted Woods, the Black Moon will offer its own challenge to those not connected to it.”

Conner tilted his head, vision drifting to the Greek pantheon beyond the glass cage they were in. Athena was now sitting beside her father, with Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades quietly listening to the goddess, not speaking much by the looks of it.

Taking a deep breath, he laughed. “The holy waters of Poseidon’s golden coral palace.”

A hush fell over the Olympians as a colossal ocean of glimmering water rushed up to surround the prison.

“Touche,” Rachel whispered, getting an acknowledging nod from the Legend.

Nia.

“Huh?!” The frightened rabbit’s head tilted to look up at her as Yseress brought the Olympians into the spotlight.

Pull all of the Black Moon energy out of me and replace it with the White Moon until I tell you otherwise.

“Wait, won’t that make you super weak, even if the Black Moon is shining on you? Will you even do the transformation thing?”

I don’t know, but until Conner uses his gloves’ sun abilities up, I can’t risk using such rare moon energy when it could just evaporate at any moment. We’re going to be powerless at some point in the fight due to the sun abilities Conner’s gloves have. We’ll deal with that when we get there.

“Okay…”

Rachel’s ears drifted forward, cursing as Poseidon walked forward to give their answer; Athena didn’t look happy, but she didn’t look that entertained to begin with.

The man’s strong voice filled the stadium. “The waters will become a maelstrom.”

A surge of motion brought the glimmering, holy waters into a spiral, the mist wetting the air in an aura of positive energy that countered the Black Moon’s pulse.

Shit. What’s this…

“Oh! Oh! Chang’e complimented me, too!” Nia cheered as a lovely Chinese woman stepped forward to answer for their pantheon, smiling at the excited bunny child.

Chang’e? Rachel swallowed, instantly recognizing the name. The Chinese goddess of the moon? I guess she has been a strong advocate on our behalf.

“China has chosen to raise the platform between the two forces, chaining it in place. Gravity will change, depending upon which side the combatants touch.”

A bluish-skinned, four-armed man took the stand for the Hindu pantheon. “Lord Shiva decrees that the chains can be broken, and the glass box fragile. Let them struggle against destruction and dance for me in a tumbling prison.”

The Morrigan’s bright blue eyes lifted into a small smirk, ever-shifting tattoos reforming across her revealed skin. “Let the nightmares of Cerridwen’s moon free, and the champions of the golden coral palace rise to join the festivities.”

A golden-skinned, resplendent woman rose from her seat amongst the Egyptians. Wreathed in a sheath dress with wings that flared at her back, a crown in the shape of a cow’s horn sat atop her head. The goddess stole all eyes while striding forward, her crown’s radiant solar disk shining between the points.

“If Shiva demands destruction, Isis demands mercy; slow the fall of the cage, and limit the nightmares and heroes. We are here for a show, Morrigan, not chaos and death. Let them prove themselves against both in this free-for-all.”

Looks were passed between the three pantheons, yet a short chuckle from a ragged-cloaked, one-eyed old man brought everyone’s gaze to the Norse figure that even Rachel knew. Odin was the last to make his voice heard, and Rachel had to wonder if it was planned by the elder god.

His bright blue eye peered out from within his hood, two ravens on his shoulders and wolves by his heels. “Asgard…demands all stage attributes to activate only by destroying the glass bar they are assigned to, the attributes’ placement naturally being placed appropriately to the Arbiter’s discretion.”

A hush filled the stadium pantheons as the old man’s cracked lips curled with a sneer. “After all, rigged games are the easiest ones to beat. So let them rig it.”

With a sweep of his cloak and the cry of his ravens, the man returned to the Norse gods and goddesses, all shaking with mirth at the agitation that spread across a few of the pantheons, while others joined in the laughing ruckus.

Yseress giggled in delight at the sudden shakeup. “Wise and cunning you are, ‘Lord of Frenzy.’ And just like that, all those plots are brought back into the challengers’ hands, leaving the other pantheons in a buzz. Is such a request bordering too closely to a restriction, Lady Izanami?”

The death goddess hid her face with a fan, but her eyes shone with entertainment. “It is simply a change in format, which is not a restriction since all of them can still be put in effect; quite the devious tactic, Lord Odin. I’d expect nothing less from such a dangerous pantheon.”

Odin tilted his head in acknowledgment at the Japanese fallen creation goddess as she spoke it into existence. “So it was said, so let it be done. Rachel, Conner… You may now kill each other.”

Rachel could feel the pulse of battle thumping through her veins as the bickering and yelling gods and goddesses faded away, leaving them inside the void. The water receded, and the celestial sphere sank into oblivion. Glass bars changing color, Conner breathed a calming stream of air as words sparkled into existence, symbols tracing down their length to show what they would release.

Within seconds, the entire cage had returned to its base state with fragments of the gods’ suggestions surrounding them, providing them the opportunity to pick and choose whatever new element they wanted to add. Naturally, their own personal choices were right behind their opponents.

“Ready for this?” Rachel asked, rolling around her shoulders and loosening up as she bounced a few times on her toes, putting a spring in her step. “One wrong move, and we could unleash something pretty bad.”

A big smile grew on the Greek man’s face as Conner mirrored her. “Why not make a short run at it without any additions? No weapons. No fancy armor. No pets. Just you…and me. What do you say?”

Rachel’s tail quivered at the invitation. “Work our way up to it? I’m game. We both know you can’t catch me if I’m dancing around, though. Even if we’ve both got the power, I’ve got the speed, while you only have the durability. That means I get the first strike, so how about this… I take three shots, and that gets me in range for you to grapple three times. All our natural Feats. After that…”

“…Anything goes,” Conner snickered, gloves disappearing in a flash of solar light.

Nia gave her a worried stare before jogging over to the corner, Conner’s dolphin floating into the opposite side to wait for the attacks. The girl didn’t like turning off her protection, but Rachel had her pride on the line.

At long last, this Legend’s Quest was at its conclusion. She’d taken down a lesser god and learned things that would make General Dallas salivate when she returned; she just had to take this last win.

Making a few test jabs, elbows, and knees, Rachel hissed out the air in her lungs, testing her new speed limits after increasing the Stat. Her body was filled with 105% of the White Moon’s energy, increased by [Lunar Pool: Overload], pushing her beyond her cap. She couldn’t use Nia’s Lunar Pools in this three-strike challenge; this was all her.

Time slowed as [Mental Acceleration] activated. [Divine Lunar Surge] and [Lunar Cap] multiplied her Stats based on the amount of lunar energy she carried in her pool. Now was the time to discover how far she’d come on her own, without the help of Nia or these Unique Moons.

Conner’s movements were sluggish and slow as she dashed forward, pushing aside the atmosphere in her race for the man’s face to test something she’d wanted to see since discovering his secret. [Divine Beast Empowerment] with its Extension [Seventh Sense] brought her senses to their peak, and [Bestial Instincts] told her Conner was a threat she had to take seriously.

Wind whipping her hair behind her, Rachel pivoted at the last second into a roundhouse kick to add momentum to her blitz. Foot planting into Conner’s face, a stained smile lifted her cheeks as all the kinetic force she’d built transferred down his body and into the two-meter-thick glass, fracturing the floor four meters in all directions. Conner didn’t budge.

A gust rushed past them, drawing her unbound hair forward, and Rachel swept her arms to catch it all while using her grounded foot to twist away just as the Legend’s slow fingers slid through her pink-hued white locks.

The cracking glass hit Rachel’s ears, making her wince as she landed on all fours, sliding on the surface as it suddenly became smooth when desired, teaching her something about the platform. Conner stumbled forward, a little off-balance in his hope to snatch her hair.

“Ugh!” He roared with laughter, balancing himself as Rachel came to a stop near the edge of their cage. “Damn! You sure you didn’t use any stupid lunar boost from the squirt over there because that was a lot faster than you used to be.”

Nia’s face turned red. “I didn’t do squat, loser! I turned off all my defensive stuff. Humph. You’re just a slowpoke.”

“Fair enough,” he grunted, rubbing his face and working around his jaw; Rachel was busy testing how slippery or sticky the traction was on the clear surface after coming to a stop; the boots Nia put her in were far from efficient without her support and weren’t nearly as comfortable after the girl’s affixes were turned off. “I felt that… You broke past my guard and threw me off-balance, so I missed.”

Rachel hopped up and down again with a smile; the floor would change traction as desired, which was a very big discovery. “Clearly not enough; that’s a strike on both of us. Ready for the next round?”

“Go for it, hun,” Conner muttered, now following her example in testing out the floor. “Interesting… You really are a sharp one.”

Bouncing forward with light hops, swapping up her stance, and puffing out sharp breaths to flood her system with oxygen, Rachel waited for the last second as Conner cautiously scooted forward to find a grapple.

Flooding her thighs with power, she jumped to the ceiling, flipped around, and launched back to the Legend’s back in quick succession. Landing, she spun out to trip him, only to be caught slightly off-guard when one of Conner’s legs gave way.

Caution bells went off in her gut, and she pulled her leg away, diving into a roll to get upright; he was trying to fake fall to catch her leg under his shin and take away her momentum. So long as he was touching the glass, she wasn’t going to do any damage.

Flipping upright, Rachel dashed across the bars, kinetic energy keeping her stable as she ran around the Legend before jumping from side to side. Rocketing around the cage, she aimed both of her feet to land against the back of his heel; he’d left an opening for her on purpose, but that was all a part of the plan.

All momentum leaving her the second she touched him, Rachel’s arms stabilized herself against his back, dodging a backward elbow and grabbing Conner by the waist. A grin spread across her lips as she picked him up to throw him against the ground, only for a wet sensation to crawl over her skin.

In disbelief, she felt her arms and hands slide right through the Legend as she tumbled to the side, tucking to dive; she felt the slick substance condense around her hair, but she managed to yank it out before it fully solidified.

Chest heaving, Rachel’s vision widened as she saw Conner’s body partially liquified, slowly taking on a physical state again. “No way…”

He chuckled, flexing his strong fingers. “You didn’t think after everything I saw you do so far, and that mind of yours, that I wouldn’t think you’d try to pick me up? Babe, that was the first Feat I got when the opportunity came. Three tries! Three strikes!”

“Nia, go big!”

“On it!”

Conner’s gloves materialized, a wicked grin on his face as he smashed them together, Solar Energy pulsing out of them. Nia’s attributes reignited, causing her outfit to shimmer as the hammer appeared in Rachel’s hands. However, it wasn’t meant for the Legend.

Delphinus darted for Nia, Conner shooting one ball of Solar Energy at the bar that would release his holy waters, and another at her. Rachel wound her arms back and chucked the maul like a frisbee, swiping away the solar ball and sending the spiked hammer’s flat end right into the surprised dolphin’s face.

Thrown off course, he struck a random bar, shattering it as Nia screamed a warrior’s cry, twisting to slam her heel into another. A rumble shook the cage as the bars grew into pillars, and their stage expanded to comfortably fit a boxing match between giants; Conner’s little ball barely left a dent against the thick glass, and Rachel grinned as Nia hopped onto the pillar next to the one she’d destroyed.

“You—what the…”

Hair drifting to the left, Rachel let herself flip into a free fall as gravity shifted, and she landed against one of the bars, Nia three pillars to her right.

“Nice work, Captain!”

“Sir, yes—eek!” Nia squeaked as a flurry of bullet-like rain fell around her. “Ouch! It stings!”

Rachel resummoned her hammer, spotting Delphinus scoop Conner out of the air before falling into the void through the bars; the dolphin broke the gravity-swapping bar as Nia shattered the size increase to the stage. If the peppering hail was hurting Nia past [Less is More], then it would probably make her bleed since the child was currently tankier with the Feat.

You got Delphinus?

“Leave him to me, Boss! Ack! I was spying out his powers while playing like a sneaky bunny!”

Attagirl. Well, let’s get this party started.

The dolphin carried Conner up toward his main water source as Nia ran for the ceiling to flip gravity again and chase after the pair. On the other hand, Rachel brought her hammer down hard on the pillar, causing cracks to run along it and brightening her weapon’s crystals. She managed to strike it one last time, running the fissures clean through before jumping into the void.

Nia touched the ceiling just as Conner jumped off his mount to punch through the giant pillar, sending a shockwave through the column, but his foot didn’t touch it, making him fall to the ceiling.

Gravity shifted for Rachel, her fall swapping to drop in parallel with the rails, and a burst of kinetic energy flung her back to slide across the ceiling; the bar she’d broken started to crumble, igniting a bright purple light inside of all the pillars: she’d broken one of Shiva’s attributes, making the entire stadium more fragile.

Conner landed on his feet and broke his holy sea affix just as Nia and his dolphin clashed near him, and Rachel tossed her hammer at the Black Moon column; it shattered on contact, her weapon twinkling into dust to return to its storage. She was unable to summon it back for a second, finding a hidden internal timer after recalling it once already, but that didn’t matter.

Bright light glistened above them as the sea filled the heavens from their inverted position on the ceiling, holy water whipping up in waves as a solemn, purplish ring of negative energy spun into existence below.

Rachel felt a familiar pulse beat within her breast as the Black Moon’s unholy rays reached up like ten thousand invisible hands to pull her into their cursed embrace.

Delphinus disengaged to spin out of the ring, shooting into the heavens to pull down the holy water, but it didn’t matter; her large clover eyes changed to reflect the hollow hole in reality, pink leaves dyeing an orchid purple as the nightmare stilled her soul.

Breathing a slow stream of air, voices filled invisible spires just beyond the veil, the prayers for deliverance, aid, and hope reaching out to pull more unsuspecting victims into the hope-consuming abyss. A dark, slow corrosion twisted hope, breaking down heroes into the inevitable despair that claimed all those who came to understand the horrific truth of the Black Moon.

[Black Moon: Active]

[Curse of the Wise: Active]

Cerridwen’s baleful smile met her vision with the eye-like ruby gem attached to her chest as the child of the malevolent death goddess fed nightmares into her, morphing Rachel’s body into the monster within her own soul.

The world faded in the sadistic mist that surrounded her, drawing Rachel into her inner world, yet only an ominous, ever-changing mist met her. An echo from the Welsh goddess filtered through a vast abyss, whisperings plucking at her reshaping spirit like strings on an instrument.

“Go to the World Tree…look to the inside to break the seals, bleed out the dark decay, and ascend to places beyond the real. There, you will find me.”

A calm darkness swelled within Rachel as she returned to the stadium. Straightening, she found Conner riding Delphinus, nose a swirling cyclone of holy water as they channeled the powers they’d shown off against the Lava Dragon. The spear-like water cleaved through pillars, zig-zagging to strike the ones he wanted.

Unperturbed, Rachel held her hands behind her back as black fur grew out of her skin, transforming into the horrific hare as she hummed to the ominous choir resonating within her. There was a blindness around her, causing her to ponder the message Cerridwen left her as she descended into the madness.

Solar balls rained down upon her, but all they hit was a misty reflection; Rachel’s head tilted to the side as Conner ran after dozens of psychosis-induced mirages, swept away by his Solar attacks. Nia was exploring her new form, giggling as she morphed and divided herself into various nightmarish clones for the pair to pursue.

Standing beside one particular pillar, the hammer appeared in Rachel’s hand, her thoughts still lingering on the infinite and vast, lurking just beyond sight within the veil of the Black Moon. A hand held behind her back, Rachel brought the mallet against the glass, shattering it into oblivion, releasing a horde of nightmares from the unholy sphere and heroes from the depths of the holy sea to join the cause.

It wasn’t a problem; heroes were exactly what the Black Moon feasted upon, sucking out every last drop of hope from their marrow. Yet, Rachel’s eyes were on a glimpse of the truth that Cerridwen was imparting unto her in this melodious horror.

A wicked, exaggerated smile revealed her fanged, gnarled teeth as she lightly tapped the next column she stood beside, shattering the chains that held the cage still, sending them into a crazed tug-of-war between the maelstrom of holy water and nightmarish sphere.

Rachel stood upside down on the platform, unbothered by the change in gravity as Nia constantly flipped the platform with the horrors and heroes in battle. An army of cackling gremlin bunnies ran Conner in circles, leaving Rachel’s shadows to form within the fog and taunt the Legend.

But Rachel was already beyond what was real. This was not how it was supposed to end, yet it did give her the insight she needed to see the finale. Her manic eyes peered beyond Conner, Nia, and the Legend’s own delusional, hope-inspired vision of defeating her, looking past the corners of their reality. She oversaw it all from her high perch.

Eventually, he would sweep away the negative field to reveal her true body; it would be too late by then, and she’d see what lay within the dark abyss.

Crouching down on her bowed, hare legs, Rachel giggled as the effects of the Black Moon filled her being. Nightmares swirled in conflict as a bright flash of Solar Energy lit the heavens, Conner attempting to break the spell by depriving her of her power, but it wasn’t her he and his army were fighting: it was the Black Moon herself.

The bright clouds came between the void sphere cage, sparking hope as many nightmares flickered and died, making Rachel snicker and ears drift to the side; an illusion. It would take more than a simple and ordinary sun to block something as potent as the Black Moon. Lost between herself and nightmare, the real and dream, Rachel found an unusual closeness to the Seed within her.

[Horror of the Dream Adaptation X (Restricted) - Reborn in the twisting abyss of the terror-ridden madness of imagination, the user sinks into the depths of what the wise seek and fail to obtain. A herald of The Truth, the user must descend into the infinite and vast to peer beyond what lies beyond the gateway into Ever-Shaping Horror.]

[Curse of the Wise X (Restricted) - The user can comprehend the vastness and infinite nature of that which cannot be known. By breaking the seals, the user can transcend the prayers on the lips of liars to learn from the Whispering Beyond.]

[Entity of the Nightmare X (Restricted) - Invoke hope in all that is around the user, feeding on the light that it brings. Never truly defeated, only postponed to savor the feast to then be awakened again the next night.]

Rachel’s mind bloomed with the vision of a thousand nightmarish blind eyes, and her gaze peeled back to see the heart of a giant tree, where a sleeping man rested, connected to its core as a somber woman, too beautiful to look upon, cried over him. Her nightmares seeped into Rachel’s soul, allowing her to feel the guilt and anguish that gripped the Nymph.

Vision peeling back, Rachel’s eyes lifted to meet Conner’s as the man swept away the misty veil, revealing her. His Solar-charged fist plunged for her head, but this was where hope died; her form flickered, and she was now standing beside Nia on the ground, Eldritch energy sweeping her away.

Lowering to the grinning bunny’s level, Rachel rubbed her head as Conner slowly recovered and looked down at her. “Why don’t you play with the heroes?”

Her swirling clover eyes creased with a smile as a golden-skinned Olympian jabbed a holy spear through her skull, only for her to swirl into smoke and reappear beside Conner in the air, animal-like head tilting to the side as the Legend realized nothing had changed since the opening of the Black Moon.

“Confused?” she chuckled, a dark pull welling up within her as Conner’s unsure eyes shifted to her; his mount was about to disappear from his five-minute limitation.

“I…can’t hurt you, can I? Why? I have the blessed water of a god. Eh-haha. It doesn’t make sense.”

Rachel hummed, looking up with her oversized, toothy grin to study the sky. “At first, I thought the same as you, Conner… This is Negative Energy that can be purified by a deity’s Positive Energy.” Her large eyes lowered to his. “It only seems negative because it is all that you can comprehend, but I have seen The Truth.”

“Which is?” he sighed, far less angry or annoyed than he should have been, yet he’d already accepted his death before this, and Rachel held no animosity toward him personally.

Motioning to him toward a misty veil she created, Rachel walked through, entering a tinted world between the battlefield and the unreal. Nia’s giggling, twisting form drifted in and out of view as she danced between lines, making Conner shiver as he joined her.

She put her hammer away, the slow, wispy visages of the heroes fighting their illusions in the void. “Welcome to that which is between the real and not… It is not negative except when perceived as such for its alien nature,” she instructed. “Unfortunately, I cannot remain much longer in this state, or I may be lost… The Curse of the Wise.”

Conner scratched his ears as if hearing something just beyond notice. “It’s not Infernal Force. It’s…”

“Eldritch,” Rachel confirmed with a short chortle. “Ascending into places unknown to become the unknown. One cannot fight that which doesn’t exist within their perception of what is and isn’t. Belief doesn’t matter. Reality doesn’t matter. For reality is but a pale reflection of The Truth past the veil.”

Conner laughed as an Infernal, smiling shadow of her born out of his own nightmares exited the haze, cackling and swinging the spiked end of her hammer into his lower back, punching a hole straight through his spine and out his belly.

As quickly as it came, the shadow faded away, and Rachel reached out to catch him. “We create our own nightmares. You believed I would kill you here, yet… I can’t kill you, Conner,” she sighed, looking at him with a sad smile as it dawned on him.

“The Black Moon made it so I could never kill you…because you killed yourself. Yet, isn’t it ironic that I am the hope you unconsciously sought to intervene near this end? I am the salvation for your desire for a heroic death.”

Globs of blood leaking out, Conner choked another laugh, arms slowly going numb as the corrupting force seeped into his soul. “I…I just thought it would be, I don’t know…more epic than this.”

Rachel’s smile widened, and the haze drifted away to show the swirling purple pull of the void above them, the song of heroes drawing Conner’s gaze to the maddening abyss. “You cannot find what you seek against me…but in there, you will live out your legend against the greatest foes you can conceive until you obtain the heroic death you seek.”

Chest shaking with mirth, Conner slowly nodded. “Then…I guess I shouldn’t keep those who are calling me waiting. I’m not exactly…the hero they deserve, but I guess I’m all they got.”

Face softening, Nia flipped gravity, sending the box, heroes, and nightmares alike into the Black Moon, where they were welcomed with loving cheers. The world faded away, and her dark fur receded as she stood with Nia in the center of the stadium, Conner nowhere to be seen as he descended into the madness of The Nightmare.

Izanami appeared in front of her, the stadium melting away to then be replaced by the polluted lands of the Hell Lady, the Infernal Moon shining overhead; the stands were empty, no god left after Conner’s demise or perhaps hidden by Izanami’s power.

The woman appraised her as the Eldritch Force drained from her body and was pulled into Nia’s Pool, and a new, sadistic force took its place.

[Lunar Hell Hare - Yomi: Active]

“Well, now that everything is about to collapse, why don’t we talk about the spoils of your victory and your promised rewards, Rachel? Ah…” As almost an afterthought, Izanami gave her a curious stare. “Did I tell you that there is a way you can save Conner’s Seed?”

“No?” Rachel chuckled, now entering a conversation about saving a fractured multiverse, at the minimum. A devilish horn grew out of her skull, her hips cocking to the side at the offer. “Spoils are a welcomed surprise, but what benefits do I get from saving this Seed, and what would I have to do?”

Izanami folded her hands in her sleeves. “Well, not you as a Mythickin, but if you have another Legendkin that you’re fond of, they could take on Conner’s burden. Interested?”

“Maybe I am…” The cruel, wicked edges of her heart reared their head with Yomi’s filthy embrace; she was becoming rather fond of the fallen deity. “A lovely walk under the Hell Moon is a delightful treat. Lead the way; I’m listening.”

Chapter Thirty-Three

Back in Black

Walking beside Izanami on the banks of Yomi, Rachel stared at the polluted river as the Hell Lady led her to a covered boat. Nia was bouncing on her toes beside them, the impish bunny’s hair bobbing with her skips.

The extravagant fallen deity’s face had softened as she guided them to board the vessel, redesigned with cushioned luxury for several guests. In the solemn, cold depths of Yomi, born of Izanami’s broken trust and longing for love, Rachel felt a slight change since her first experience with the powerful energies.

“Aren’t we on a clock?” she asked, sitting across from the woman and glancing across the river. The ghostly entities of her realm shoved off from shore, taking them into the water’s flow.

A gentle sigh left Izanami’s lips, and Rachel heard invisible devils inhabiting the underworld moving beyond her sight. The foul stench of the wind added to the polluted hellscape, searing her nose. Yet, under Yomi’s Hell Moon, she felt a hint of happiness and bliss that was reflected in the fallen goddess’ face.

The woman’s shockingly kind eyes moved to Nia, and she pointed behind the big-eyed bunny. “There is one of the spoils, Dear. Why don’t you play?”

Nia flipped around to spot Conner’s dolphin, floating beside the boat. “Yes! Yes! Yes! Thank you, Auntie Izanami!” the girl cried, despite it being their own hard work that had given them the prize. “Let’s go, Dolfo!”

“Already named him?” Rachel chuckled, playing with a lock of her hair as Nia jumped on the constellation creature and shot into the sky with a cheer. “And these are mine… What happened to Conner?” she whispered, picking up the man’s shiny sun gauntlets, useless to her, but she had a plan for them.

The Hell Lady folded her hands in her lap, looking after Nia in a longing, motherly way. “Auntie Izanami… What a charmingly deceptive little devil of a bunny.”

Yseress appeared beside the woman, purse held at her front and giggling as her infernal eyes fixated on Rachel. “A natural manipulator that uses her age to her advantage. Perhaps she does take after you, Baroness.”

“Princess,” Rachel returned with a short chuckle while holding the gauntlets to her stomach for Nia to absorb into her storage slots, not incorporating them into her denier. “You seem to have changed since gaining control over Conner’s Seed. How much time do we really have?”

A small, upward tilt came to Izanami’s cheeks, still pondering something as she followed Nia’s gleeful loops in the sky. “Conner has long since died, but you can get the details from Eostre before you return; it takes time for something this large to collapse before the link to Yomi is severed. I think it is best you soak up as many rays as you can…while you can.”

Her somber gaze drifted to Rachel, vision sliding over her single horn and black, red-streaked hair. “Yomi is a mirror of my own corruption, misery, and torment… This is me,” she gestured toward the polluted river and filthy, bare landscape. “What do you think? Tragic?”

Sitting back, Rachel’s black, four-leaf-clover eyes scanned the ruined town of Yomi. “I’d say it’s tragic…but I hear something on the wind I didn’t when I first came here.” Tapping her bottom lip with her knuckle, she puzzled over the strange sensations filling her from the overhead moon. “Maybe it’s because I’m resonating with this realm, but I do think you’ve changed since I met you.”

Yseress smirked, but it soon shifted to excitement. “Lady Izanami doesn’t change. Unless…she used the power of the Seed? Does it have that ability to purify you?”

Izanami’s gaze fell to her folded hands, her voice a sad whisper. “No. The Seed can only change parts of the universe inside of it and invite other realms to answer its call. What do you hear, Rachel?”

Rachel held a hand against her chest, suddenly restricted by the emotion echoing through the wind. “Happiness… Bliss? It’s strange when I’m practically a devil…”

Izanami’s smile showed true as her rotten corpse took the place of the illusion, displaying her actual form while staring up at Nia. “The call from the jagged rock, threatening…joy. It struggles to be heard like a siren’s call…the gold and honey dripping from the Seat of Divinity,” she breathed, touching her cracked lips.

A silence fell over them with the surreal pressure that came from the Hell Lady’s gentle words. “It’s not beautiful or pure, but I can hear her song from beyond the shore… I feel her wind against my face from the flapping of her wings…the black and silky tenderness choking me… I can almost taste happiness, Yseress.”

Rachel could feel the tug from the tragic woman’s desire that wove through the hellish plane, and the smallest of smiles lifted the unchanging, melancholy visage of her corrupted face as she looked at the breathless princess beside her.

“I’ve caught a glimpse of it in these games… It’s such a long way off, but now I know it exists.” A few black tears fell out of her discolored eyes. “Hmm-hmm. Damn you for allowing me to taste this again, Cerridwen. Such torture.”

In a flash of flames, her elegant disguise returned, Izanami’s half-smile breaking the tense atmosphere as she crossed her legs and studied her.

“I was not going to fall into this trap of making deals and entreating mortals for their favor, Rachel. I am far too numb and nihilistic to think there is such hope for someone as lost as myself. My existence is cursed for eternal torment, but there is one thing I would challenge you with. Interested?”

Ears leaning to the left, Rachel’s eyes narrowed, grin widening. “Why me? Because I can become a Princess of Yomi, like Yseress?”

Izanami leaned against her armrest, the back of her fingers held against her cheek as her chest shook with silent mirth. “There are countless Princesses of Hell, Rachel, and far stronger beings inhabiting the Nine Circles. While you are…unusual, I am far from intrigued by you personally. Cerridwen, though…”

“What about her?” Rachel asked, looking toward Yseress as she took a chair between them that flashed into existence.

The seductive, corrupted Nephilim’s devious eyes slid over her changed figure, examining her twisted soul rather than her body, Rachel was sure, as she answered for her mistress.

“Cerridwen knows things she should not, meaning she has embraced a master beyond even Lady Izanami’s understanding. Naturally, the intertwining threads of destiny that brought Yomi into this game would fascinate my mistress.”

“Fair,” Rachel muttered, intertwining her fingers; she could feel the pulse of Yomi like the beating of Izanami’s own dead heart, which was distracting and made her ears twitch. “What would I get in this challenge if I succeeded?”

A secretive twist came to the beautiful woman’s lips. “Unfiltered access to Yomi’s raw energy, without the limitation of the Hell Moon.”

Vision widening at the implication, Rachel sat forward. “I can gain this power even in the sunlight… How?”

“That’s for you to discover,” Izanami giggled. “I take it you’re interested?”

Even Yseress appeared unsure of what her mistress was cooking as Rachel deliberated on the offer. It certainly was an enticing prospect, but she knew better than to go in blind.

“What price would I have to pay? There is always a price.”

The Hell Lady slowly lifted her hand, drawing attention to it before gesturing at the corrupted Nephilim between them. “Yseress will soon be making arrangements to send our forces to your Earth. There is a battle to be fought, and our foothold is far from the strongest in this fragment of your universe. Your challenge is to convince her to accept your help, join you, and fulfill her dream. It is also up to you to discover what that is.”

Yseress shot to her feet, her black purse held against her chest. “Mistress! I do not need some weak mortal to achieve our desire!”

Izanami sighed, yet the woman wore a smile as she rubbed her ear. “I hear a little devil clamoring in my ear and chasing away my harmony. Do as instructed, Dear.” Her glinting eyes flicked to Rachel. “As the humans say, the ball is in her court; I simply pushed it her way and gave my permission to entreat you.”

Rachel threw her arms over the back of her chair, staring at the disgruntled blood-and-wood-winged woman. The Hellhound triplets’ contract made her upper arm itch as the uncomfortable thought that maybe she’d already made a deal to go after the Princess of Hell.

Then again, if someone as powerful as Yseress was going to be making their way to setting things up on Earth, then it said a lot about what forces were preparing to enter the scene, working behind the curtain. It was a hint in itself.

“I’ll keep an open mind.”

Yseress snorted and rolled her eyes. “It is impossible for you Seed Holders to survive what terror is brewing around your tiny planet. By the time I get there, you are likely to be nothing but broken bones. Demons have already infiltrated your world.”

“Good to know,” Rachel chimed. “Does that mean Nia and I will be able to make a nice demon hide purse like your lovely fashion statement?”

The Nephilim’s ruby eyes and lips creased with a smile. “I suppose you might have an eye for good fashion, which is something, at least. Maybe you will survive some of the rumors spreading through the Infernal Layers. Mistress, may I leave to scout out potential cults to hijack?”

“Happy hunting.” The half-angel bowed and vanished in a flare of black fire, crimson electricity burning the air in its wake, leaving the Hell Lady’s gaze on Rachel. “Back to the matter at hand… You have two reward options, but I can assume what your first request will be for your little soldier.”

Nia came flying out of the sky, moving through Hellfire to appear on her own seat. “Oh, reward time?! Dolfo vanished… Can we extend his time limit, Major? Five minutes is sooo short!”

Rachel reached over to ruffle the girl’s hair and fold down her ears. “Maybe, but I don’t think we’ll be keeping him for ourselves if everything I have planned works out.”

“Phooey… Okay,” she said with a light pout as Rachel moved on.

“No, first…we need you to grow up again. Can the restriction be undone?”

The little gremlin’s face grew excited. “Oh, and give me more superpowers?! Yes, please, Auntie Izanami!”

Izanami offered a melancholy smile before shaking her head. “The power used when restricting her was from an advanced Challenge Rating. Even if I were to use the combined strength of the two rewards, I could only provide Nia with a temporary release state.”

“Aww… So, I’m a kid forever?” Nia groaned, glaring at her tiny figure.

“Not forever,” Rachel returned. “Alright, I’m guessing you knew what I wanted, so you conserved as much strength as possible with the Seed to do this. Let’s do it. How long will she have, and can it be upgraded?”

“Unfortunately, it is a powerful curse, being done as a Challenge Rating 2 Restriction within a Legend’s Quest,” Izanami clarified, taking Nia’s small hands in her own and sweeping back her bangs as the Hell Lady fussed with the surprised Hell Bun’s outfit. “All I can do is provide a counter blessing that rebuilds its strength to subdue the curse for a time… There.”

“T-Thank you!”

The fallen creation deity truly appeared to be a good mother, reminding Rachel of the times her mom had done the same before school, teaching her how to present herself properly. Done fixing Nia’s outfit, she prompted the quivering Hell Bun to sit.

“Six hours released, eighteen hours in rest.”

“Sleep included?” Rachel swiftly asked.

“Indeed.”

Her teeth flashed, holding up a hand for the thrilled girl to slap. “Not bad, huh?!”

“Yes! Yes! Wait…” Nia froze in place. “Does that mean…I get double the outfits?!”

Rachel lifted an eyebrow. “I…guess it does; well, not storage capacity, but Mom will definitely love to get you more clothes to fit a child and adult. At least until Maria is strong enough to break that curse… We’ll probably have to pay a hefty amount, though, considering her profit mindset. I do have an upfront payment, at least.”

Nia wasn’t listening now, jumping out of her chair to dance around. “Aaah! Wooh! I get cute girly clothes and grown-up clothes! Oh, oh, sorry, Dolfo! We’ll figure out a way to break that five-minute curse, too! No! I got it! We’ll hold a witch hostage, tie her up over a big pot of water, and threaten to poof her unless she gets rid of the curse! Hehehe.”

“Dream big,” Rachel snickered, leaving the girl to her childish, imaginary machinations. “Are all Legend Quests like this, with rewards and stuff?”

“Hmm-hmm. No,” the Hell Lady mused. “Your favorite lesser god manipulated things in this light. Typically, rewards are far more geared toward the Quest itself than this selection process. It is his moronic manipulations of the preset tournament that was the cause of me changing things in the last match to use the other pantheons to supplement what energy was lost from the previous rounds.”

“Impressive. Is that everything?” she asked, glancing around the filthy riverscape. “I have a needy little blood-sucker to check up on.”

Izanami held up a finger with a sly twinkle in her flaming eyes. “I said I was not interested in begging you for space in that Seed of yours, yet that does not mean you did not make an impression on the other pantheons. One has stepped forward who has taken quite a liking to Nia specifically.”

“Oh?” Rachel hummed, spotting the girl’s puffed-up chest at doing a good job, begging for praise as her Chinese hanfu flashed into place. “Who might that be?”

Motioning to the chair beside her, Rachel’s devilish smile grew as a beautiful, milky-skinned woman appeared, practically glowing with serene grace. With hair as black as night and lips like cherry blossoms, the graceful young lady’s stylish hair ornaments brought onlookers’ attention to her elegant face.

Smoothing out her long flowing robes, she presented a sweet smile. “Lady Izanami, Park-Sung-Hyo, I am Chang’e, the spirit of the moon and its grace. I reside within the 6th dimension and had the delight of meeting this lovely young outfit earlier. Your battle prowess is quite high for such a gentle soul.”

Nia took on a whole new persona, mirroring the classy young woman. “Lady Chang’e, thank you for, umm, your pretty gift,” she said, probably unable to find the right word her adult self would know.

“It is pleasant to see such a magnificent bunny of the moon, Nia.” She covered her mouth with her sleeve while displaying a soft laugh that lit up Hell. “I suspect that you were fashioned by a version of myself, yet far more skilled than these clumsy hands.”

Rachel’s questioning eyes darted to Izanami, who snickered and gave Chang’e a light glare. “What is she talking about?”

“Secrets should be bargained for, and here I let you have an angle of attack that you squandered.”

“Apologies, Lady Izanami,” the young woman whispered, showing a womanly poise, “but I am not here to gain anything from Rachel. Your rescue of Nike in the face of an opponent so far above you that it cried absurdity was…breathtaking. I only wish I had been here to see it personally. I think I am becoming a fan of yours, Rachel, which is why I hope to persuade you to find balance.”

“I appreciate that,” Rachel said, still caught on the previous topic, “but what do you mean, Nia was likely created by a stronger version of yourself?”

Izanami sighed and folded her fingers against her stomach. “It is an…uncomfortable topic. While you mortals saw no change for nearly a century after we higher beings saw problems arise, we dealt with our own version of change. Numberless universes, in your finite mind, collided together…”

She waved her hand to show a dozen other clones on the ship as a short tug pulled against her soul; the Seed was starting to collapse, and she could feel it, yet the Hell Lady went on with her story.

“4th-dimensional to 7th… All versions of ourselves from many universes were smashed into one soul fragment, and only one of us could take the sole place available in this plane. It is where I received these scars on my face,” she whispered, the illusion fading again to show the closed, ugly gashes.

“Due to my superior knowledge and aptitude when at my prime, I stood victorious, yet I cannot be sure my children are even my children anymore… Then again, there is one thing I do know, and that is enough.” Facade returning, she held a hand toward Chang’e. “What the Lady Moon brings into question are the versions of ourselves beyond the 7th dimension, where Dionysus was dragged. A chilling prospect for us.”

Rachel leaned back, folded fingers resting against her belly. The Izanami in front of her was the strongest version of her amongst countless universes, who had a similar figure, and they’d all battled to have a place within their universe, only to discover they were trapped between the 6th and 7th dimensions.

If it included the 4th, then that meant Dionysus was the strongest version of himself amongst all those universes. It also meant all of the gods would be suspicious of one another and had already been conditioned in combat. Athena’s inability to get the main three Greek gods on her side made sense now. A lot of trouble came from that understanding, and it put more into perspective regarding the incomplete pantheons that had watched her.

“The Heavens and Hells are in chaos, then… You don’t have anyone on your side…do you, Chang’e?”

The young woman looked away with a somber sigh. “It is a loose non-aggression pact that…most are agreeing to follow as we discover how things will play out. I will say it is…disheartening to learn that throughout all those versions of myself, corrupted, fallen, and…haaa. It seems transcending to the 6th dimension is the highest I was ever able to reach.”

Even when a devil bunny, Nia’s eyes were big and watery at the goddess’ words. “Please, Major, can we help her? She likes me. She probably made me.”

Nia… It could be a lie to get close to us, she mumbled. You need to understand that this innocent young woman is not so innocent. At the very least, she can handle herself if she battled…let’s say, a million clones of herself and came out on top.

“Oh… Oh, yeah, she’s a badass! We totally should recruit her!”

Haaa. You aren’t going to give up on this.

“She thinks I’m cute!”

Studying the pair, Rachel rubbed the back of her neck. “What exactly did you want to do? Get more powerful by doing something with my Seed?”

“Oh, no!” Chang’e took a deep breath and streamed it out. “I’m not here to ask for anything from you. I’d only like to see you not so…focused on the Infernal side of the spectrum. Not that I am trying to insult you, Lady Izanami. I believe you are far more capable of handling Divine Force than I, given the reputation I have heard from your children.”

“She can flatter, can’t she?” Izanami chuckled. “You are out of time, Chang’e. I would get to the point.”

The woman gave a gracious nod. “Thank you. I will simply offer my own blessing, as Lady Cerridwen has already done. When you choose your next Feat, it should be available, should you choose to take it. It is your choice. It will allow me to view your progress and nothing more. I hope to see you grow and learn the joy that is in Divinity. Perhaps we could be friends…in time.”

A hollow look that revealed the pain of killing herself countless times shone through her soft eyes. “It would be nice to find someone I could trust. I haven’t felt this lonely since…for quite some time.” Rubbing away a tear, she smiled and waved her goodbye, possibly referencing the time she’d taken the immortality elixir intended for her husband when assaulted by a robber. “Good luck! I can’t wait to see how you grow, Nia.”

“Thank you, Moon-Mom!” Nia said with a childlike grin, making the woman choke up, and even Izanami’s lips drew in as she hopped forward to hug her. “I’ll make you proud!”

Drawn out of the 7th Circle, Rachel was a tad surprised when its rays didn’t leave her. They stood in the middle of the Legend Quest’s large, original sandy stadium; above them was a portal, showing Yomi with its edges slowly closing in. The sweet smile of Chang’e and the devious smirk of Izanami observed, the 6th dimension now cut off from Conner’s Seed.

Eostre and Moongmor stood in front of them, the woman far more relaxed now that this quest was over. She didn’t waste any time in posing her question, either.

“Do you want to save Conner’s Seed, or do you want to let the Black Moon swallow it? Within the sphere, the man died moments ago, yet his progeny still continues to struggle inside. After fifteen years of struggle and seeking redemption, he left a legacy to the end.”

“What about his weapons and pet? Did his Seed grow from those fifteen years?” Rachel asked, extracting the sun gloves to study the intricate design.

Eostre closed her eyes and shook her head. “Upon losing to you, the Seed was stripped out of his soul, and his items were taken from him by Izanami since everything was given to you as the spoils. The Seed itself is…unorthodox, she said, but showed me it is possible to remove and gift to another Legend to continue the Quest.”

A pressure struck Rachel’s chest as she looked to the south end of the stadium, where the Black Moon still hovered, gradually fading away; its rays didn’t reach her like Yomi’s.

“Fifteen years…as just a wrestler. Hah. Was he at least able to keep his abilities?”

“Yes,” Eostre confirmed, making Rachel’s eyebrows draw together as she explained. “The Seeds reshape the soul, meaning that the potential to access his Feats was still within him, but the assistance on using them was taken away…”

She hesitated before clearing her throat and asked, “Would you like me to show you his life in those fifteen years? It was quite a change…and he spoke quite often about how you altered his destiny. Almost as if you were a friend.”

Taking in a deep breath, Rachel let it out, recalling his last words before she sent him into the Black Moon. “To die a Legend’s death…and to live on as a stepping stone in my story.”

Drawing in her lips, knowing time probably was heavily changed as it was, and Eostre wouldn’t be offering if it would take a long time, she nodded.

A rose bloomed in Eostre’s palm, and she blew it toward her, the petals cycling around her. Viewed as if in 3rd person, Rachel watched the man fall into dark woods for a pack of vicious, nightmare-born tigers to emerge out of the mist, each three meters tall, with eyes glowing yellow, locked onto him.

The Legend scrambled to his feet and tried to defend himself, still rocking the body of a Greek god, but his [Resilience] had sharply declined, and bleeding gashes soon covered his bronze skin until an eruption of green smoke filled the forest, driving the snarling tigers back.

A small group of men and women picked him up, releasing more gas bombs and wearing strange tiki masks. Time skipped, and he met a rather small, not-so-attractive woman in her mid-twenties dressing his wounds. Newcomers brought hope and skills they desperately needed in the hope-absorbing moon.

Hiding in caves, one they’d won from a nasty pack of miniature puppets by using their alchemic skills to purge it with fire, Conner slowly came around. At first, he was solely focused on his mission, but as time went on, a dream entity tormented him with the victims of his past, stretching the Legend to his limits.

Unable to sleep, and when he did, waking in screams from the torment he received, the woman was his rock, finding herbs to help suppress the creature’s mental claws. It was from this they formed a friendship, then grew closer, and Rachel saw the gradual change in the nightmare world, yet never once did he tell them their plight was hopeless.

If he could just edge out a little better life for them, it would be enough for him, and he did. Year after year, he trained, and he grew. Rachel felt genuine pride to see the second chance he’d been given used to its fullest.

Sure, Conner made mistakes and made his best friend cry and suffer. He was stubborn as all hell in doing everything himself—and slightly misogynistic at times—yet that pride was broken down, and she was there to comfort him for his flaws, helping him through when he almost broke.

Twelve years later, a friendship grew to love, and they became a couple, developing a safe, fortified town adapting to the trouble sent their way every night. Conner had grown strong, though. He had something to lose.

On the eve of their son’s second birthday, a dragon attacked their settlement, and Conner used everything he’d learned to keep them safe. He had his kinetic force absorption and partial-liquid transformation, yet the cackling summoner that created the lizard had planned accordingly.

This nightmare was a long antagonist to their settlement, and Conner could feel this would be his end, a hundred demons joining the dragon, yet he marched out unafraid, comforting his crying wife and bewildered son.

Fighting with the friends he’d gained over a decade, Conner took the attention of the horde, leaving his wife to sneak into the forest and deliver the final shot into the summoner’s heart. They’d killed the great nightmare of the forest that sent his beasts and had only lost one man, but it was felt.

Rachel watched Conner laugh as his wounded but still living comrades huddled around his broken, burnt body, his wife running through the vanishing summons to reach her husband, screaming his name as her sister cared for their child from a safe distance.

He looked right at Rachel as if he could see through time, and there was happiness and fulfillment in his single in-tact eye.

“It was…half the size of that lava dragon… Hah-haaa. Right, Rachel? Nothing… Fifty demons? My wife got the kill shot—what a badass,” he said through fits of pained laughter as the odd mix of humans and other creatures huddled around him, paying their respects.

“I’m a bad man…but a bad man can still do good… A bad man can still do good…”

“Conner!” his wife cried, falling to his side, unsure where to touch him, yet none of her scars had come from this battle. “Conner… Why do you have to be a dumbass and do everything yourself?”

“Because—I love you,” he whispered, eyes fading away as he took his final breath. “I love our son… He’ll be strong… Thank you, Rachel… He’ll be good. He’ll be good.”

As the vision drifted away, Rachel let it go, and even with the filth of Yomi overhead, she could respect the Legend. She saw an entirely different person than who she’d fought; he’d found something worth more than himself, and the Black Moon provided a stage for him to be more than just a man seeking glory. He let his wife take the glory.

“I may not have had a high opinion of the short-shorts-wearing hulk of a man…excluding his muscles,” she added to Nia’s giggles. “But…in the end, Conner was a hero, carrying the baggage of a villain.”

Eostre looked away from the Black Moon as it disappeared. “Do you want me to give you his Seed to save those here? It must be given to another Legendkin.”

Rachel put her hand on her hip and looked at Nia. “Give Anthony an upgrade? Maybe we can get him to join the unit?”

“Sure. I don’t know him, but I need to get back into my battle gear for our next fight! We’re loaded on Hell Energy. Hehe.”

The solemn woman held out her palm, another rose blooming to reveal a tiny, glinting, golden Seed. “I’ve condensed it into a physical container. If Anthony eats it, it will be absorbed into his soul, and now…”

A rift appeared as a tremor shook through them, and Rachel gave her a two-fingered salute. “Catch you on the flip side, Eostre. Hopefully, you won’t be a damsel in distress again.”

“That would be nice,” she giggled, stopping her just before she went through. “Although, Rachel, you will suffer harsh spiritual fatigue for how quickly you have stretched your soul. I suspect the many Unique Moons will also have their adverse effect on you after leaving the Quest as things start to settle in.”

Placing the Legendkin’s Greater Seed in one of Nia’s slots, Rachel laughed, Hellfire dancing around her as she soaked in the fading, powerful waves. “I don’t feel like that’s new for me. I usually push a little too hard. Now, let’s see how Scarlet’s done.”

Walking through the rift with a grin, bathed in black fire and crackling red electricity, she summoned her hammer and slung it over her shoulder, skirt ruffling in the night’s cool sea breeze. Her black ears slowly turned with her head, taking in the wealth of noises that hit her mind. It felt like an eternity had passed.

Hellfire dwindling as Nia pulled out the last of it into their new [Lunar Pool], Rachel chuckled at the chaos her entrance elicited, hair returning to its shimmering white hue.

“M-Major, w-what is this place?!” Nia panicked, folding down her ears and wincing at the overwhelming sounds she’d never experienced.

It’s okay, Little Bun. Can you turn into an adult?

“No—it needs to charge; I can’t hear with all these sounds in my head!”

Swiftly taking in Astra’s reports, Rachel let the stress go in a slow stream as she bent down to comfort Nia; her gremlin side dropped into an abyss to be replaced by the timid bunny child. MI6 seemed to have some teleporters, according to Astra, but the fluid Mythickin hadn’t located them yet.

Her gaze drifted to Maria, less than a street away. Scarlet seemed to be okay. Selvaria was in the back kitchen with the unconscious fairy, but most of the targets had been eliminated somehow. The biggest threat left was Relica.

Reaching over to the discarded walkie-talkie, she greeted her teammates with a cheery tone. They knew nothing about what she’d just been through or learned, but they would soon.

“I said I’d come back, Scarlet.”

The golden portal vanished, and by the jolts and reactions of the others, a surge of power hit everyone, making Astra choke. “Hold up, love—I just went straight from Level 5 to 8. The bloody hell?!”

“Yeah. Legend Quests are fun…” Rachel laughed. “Astra, give me an update. Scarlet, I’m coming. Nia, go to that pretty unicorn woman over there and help her out. She’ll keep you golden.”

“O-Okay…”

She raced off, almost tripping due to her nerves at meeting someone new. Maria shouted at her, soldiers coming in to help with the children she was with, but the wind was already racing past Rachel’s ears as Astra updated her. She locked onto one voice as she met Selvaria in the alleyway to the kitchens, slowing to a brisk walk as the leviathan hopped into gear, Astra’s drone hovering nearby.

“Selv, I’m hearing some trouble at sea; mind fishing out a sub and cracking it open like a can for our favorite saint?”

“I can do that,” she grinned, and Rachel smiled at her monotone voice as the sea monster showed her sharp fangs. “Was the Legend’s Quest fun?”

“Very fun. Anthony will have to take us on another soon.”

“Awesome. Oh, Rachel, what about Fiona?”

Holding out her hand, she took the unconscious fairy and snickered as Maria burst through the front door with a nervous Nia, intent on saving the other kids. Relica lurched for her bag, but things were moving too fast, and Rachel had developed a lot since their last meeting.

Nia, hit me with 25% Yomi.

“O-Oh, okay, transferred! Maria’s scary! Why isn’t she cursing like you said she does?”

Tucking Fiona into the pocket of her fantasy-like military school jacket, Nia took on a whole new vibe as the polluting energy flooded their systems.

[Lunar Spike - Hell Moon - Yomi: Activated]

[Princess of Hell (Restricted): Active]

[Baroness of Hell: In Effect]

[30 Seconds Remaining]

An aura of black flames and crimson electricity embraced her, and in a flash, she came between Scarlet and Relica, a triangle-like barrier of magical origin protecting the Priestess.

“Rachel!” Scarlet cried, lurching forward to hug her as she deactivated the [Hellfire Cloak] so her blood wouldn’t recognize a threat.

Relica studied her with wide eyes. “How… What are you?”

“What am I?” she asked, black fingernails becoming claws laced with dark fire and crimson energy as her hammer changed. Horn growing and hair dying black, streaked with red, Rachel sunk her claws into Relica’s barrier, piercing it like butter and making her stumble away as it broke. “I’m back.”

Chapter Thirty-Four

Night’s End

Pyramid-like barrier collapsing under the pressure of the Hellfire coating her fingernails, Rachel’s vision penetrated the veil hiding spiritual forces, giving her an unfiltered look at the hundreds of threads the Priestess used to transfer any damage done to another party.

“Rachel, can we talk about this?!”

Dozens of occult-like playing cards flew toward Relica’s outstretched hand, the panicking woman falling in slow motion as Yomi’s energy burned through her White Lunar Pool. This was more than [Mental Acceleration]’s effect—the power of a Baroness of Hell now flooded and twisted her system.

“Talk about what?”

With her intense red pupils and shimmering, obsidian clover eyes opened to all the phenomena typically hidden from mortal view, Rachel saw Relica in a new light. She was certainly prepared to deal with just about anything with her precast spell deck and the weird occult symbol floating above her head, which wasn’t her own power. Although, that ‘anything’ didn’t include a Baroness from Hell.

Scarlet locked up as Rachel spun into action, moving out of reach in the blink of an eye as her giant hammer swung off her shoulders, Hellfire sparking across its surface.

“Rachel, the hostages!”

The flat, multiple-spiked end of her hammer passed right through Relica’s chest just as the shaky-eyed terrorist became a flickering shadow, teleporting away in fright. The hostages didn’t matter; Yomi’s corrupting force severed every link Relica had made.

“Are all free,” she answered, twisting the hammer to her shoulders again as she turned to stare at the bewildered vamp girl. “She used a shadow double to escape three floors above us…which happens to be on fire for some particular reason. Your work?”

“Fiona’s…”

“Ah. That reminds me. Here you go…”

Taking the unconscious little woman out of her pocket and handing her to the stunned girl, Rachel’s vision narrowed upon seeing the controlling nature of the black collar around her throat. Its internal magical circuits were totally fried, rendering it useless, but it wasn’t hard to see Relica’s plan.

Corrupted Nia was gleefully informing the half-dead unicorn that she’d freed all the hostages. Now, Relica was defenseless, and the hounds were closing in from all sides as Selvaria jumped into the sea to go after their submarine; its decoy tricks would be less likely to work against the leviathan.

Scarlet looked winded as she took Fiona, cradling her in her hands. “What do I do?”

“Hmm.” Rachel’s gaze lifted to the ceiling, smelling and hearing the smoke from the fairy’s rampage; it had a magical scent she hadn’t experienced before, thanks to her many Baroness abilities. “Help Maria evacuate the building before the fire spreads here. I have some personal business to handle.”

The cruel stigma of allowing one’s prey a moment’s rest before shattering that sense of security tugged at Rachel’s chest as she reached up to crush Scarlet’s choker. A desperate victim was the easiest to exploit secrets from, and it seemed she did have some connections to the UK.

She chuckled upon listening to the woman make contact with a rather interesting party through her deck of spells.

[20 Seconds Remaining]

[Hell Step: Activated]

[Hellfire Cloak: Activated]

“Ack—extract!” Relica coughed through the smoke, stumbling to the window while sending a pulse of dark magic to shatter the glass and allow the suffocating clouds an exit. “You wanted information on the Scarlet Hand? Then get me out—Rachel?! Wait!”

A flash of crimson lightning and black flames brought her to the center of the blazing inferno, a distance away from the Priestess to further instill fear.

Striding forward, she twirled her weightless hammer around her hand as Relica stumbled against the window, throwing out spell after spell that was effortlessly absorbed by Yomi’s cloak.

[14 Seconds Remaining]

“You really have no loyalties, do you?” Rachel mused, dozens of the occult cards burning away as she strolled through the natural fire, blood magic spells, and seals the woman threw at her. “Have you exhausted all of your options?”

“I know the truth about Scarlet now!” Relica screamed, face blanching as the spiritual binding threads she sent burned away before even touching her skin. “It’s a lie! It’s all been a lie!”

[9 Seconds Remaining]

“Oh…” The familiar popping sound Daran made when teleporting pricked her ears as magic words, spoken with an English accent, brought Relica’s literal knights in shining armor. “The British are coming? How ironic.”

Rachel’s grin fell as Scarlet’s voice burned a reality into her mind, and three shimmering knights with a robbed elderly man came between them.

“Wait, Rachel,” Scarlet cried from three floors below, the crackling of flames between them raising the hair on her tail. “Relica tried to kill you when you were nine!”

The night of the car accident flooded Rachel’s tainted thoughts, a cruel twist of fate that had changed the course of her entire life condensed into a single face. The emotional torture her mother suffered, the division between her dad and uncle, and the anger that had fueled her until now all merged into one answer: the insane, dark-haired terrorist in front of her had damaged her entire family.

To her, time came to almost a standstill as [Accelerated Mind] activated.

[4 Seconds Remaining]

[2 Seconds Remaining]

Standing utterly still, Rachel allowed the information to seep through her with the miasma of Yomi squeezing the air from her lungs; the memory of her bloodied cousin in the seat next to her, the tears and cries of her mother and aunt, the sirens that eventually came.

Pressure welled up and compressed her chest as all enjoyment and amusement in seeing Relica squirm evaporated. She’d suspected as much, but it was another thing entirely to have it said aloud.

Free hand rising to press against her breast, Rachel’s heartless eyes met the fully armored men directly between her and her enemy. Every pounding drum against her ribcage brought reality closer to her chilling heart, prickles cascading down her arms. As it turned out, she wasn’t satisfied with a swift ending.

Nia…

[1 Second Remaining]

Her little rabbit’s malicious giggles echoed through their shared connection, and more Hell Force flooded her veins, bringing with it a pain and backlash Eostre said would come in the form of harsh spiritual fatigue, but she didn’t have time for that.

[Lunar Spike - Hell Moon - Yomi: Activated]

[31 Seconds Remaining]

Breathing out a long stream of air, time still crawling to her focused mind, Rachel met the blue-gray eyes of the holy knight’s leader as he set himself against her. A purifying aura surrounded him, a cross on his colorful armaments that made Rachel’s skin tingle, but it was pitiful compared to the power of the Hell Moon.

She didn’t glance at the two knights beside him, wearing similar gear although far less potent, and the wizard in the back was possibly stronger than Relica herself as he lifted a staff bathed in magical energy to repel her. Yet, at this moment, none of it meant anything to her.

“May the shield of Avalon protect us!”

Pain shot through Rachel’s soul, and she ignored it. All sound died as the blue pulse was met by her own shockwave of spirit-disrupting forces that rippled through space, penetrating the shell in an instant as she took a step forward, turning the fire around her black and spreading Yomi’s pollution throughout the room.

[Hell Pulse: Yomi]

“M, she’s too powerful! Dammit, I knew dealing with this witch was a mistake we’d regret. K, V, pull yourselves together! Stand strong!” the silver-armored knight shouted as his fellow defenders crumpled to the ground under Yomi’s waves. “Take them and go!”

The elder winced, barely able to keep himself from falling unconscious as Relica’s panicked eyes rolled into the back of her head. She crumpled to the ground under the pressure of the red electricity that overpowered the wizard’s ward.

“You have to buy me time! We have our orders. Augmentanium antel—what?!”

[Spiritual Lock: Yomi]

“I’ll handle it!” The man jumped forward to meet her, using a Divine Energy so pitiful compared to the deities she’d just been in the presence of. His spiritual layers were bolstered with defensive walls to contend with her, but Rachel was done playing with her food, and they would not escape. “We need that inf—what happened?!”

The wizard’s wide eyes lifted to her in shock as his staff’s life flickered and dimmed. Yomi’s tainting touch twisted the floorboards and ignited the air with toxic pollutants as she cut them off in a sealed space, making the wizard and knight falter against the harsh presence she emitted.

“You’re not leaving,” Rachel dispassionately stated, flickering to the knight’s side. “And you need to get out of my way…”

He choked, dropping his sword to put all his power behind his rising shield, radiating light as her heavy hammer met the aegis. The black flame-wreathed maul melted through the Divine Force, slamming into the man’s breastplate to erupt in a pulse of Hellfire on impact.

A concussive burst of foul air whipped the black flames into a frenzy as the savaged holy man was thrown four buildings to tumble across a park, mythical armor breaking away with the corruption bathing him.

“Galahad!” the wizard screamed as the foul air whipped the blaze into a frenzy, and he held up his flickering staff to create a protective blue shell by channeling all of his mana into it. His shaky gaze was upon the massive hole of black flames showing Galahad’s path through the disintegrated concrete and steel. “Such potent evil… You are a real devil.”

His shell bent inward as she stepped through it to leer down at him, the other two knights only just barely kept safe by the ward the wizard was maintaining.

“Glad you took notice,” Rachel whispered, her anti-spiritual wave swiftly draining the Legend’s reserves as Yomi’s pollution began to set into his staff. “Why make an attack on the US?”

She wanted to drag the woman’s soul into Hell itself, yet that wasn’t an option without its severe consequences, and Rachel was certain the Priestess would end up there anyway if she twisted and burned the witch’s soul with its corrupting flames.

“No, I don’t care why the UK wants—”

Rachel paused as the old man glanced between the two faltering knights and the hole where Galahad had been thrown through, gritting his teeth as Nia crawled through the floor like the devilish imp she was to grin at the shaking men.

“Take the bitch…” he snarled, throwing Relica outside of the shield with surprising strength. “She has vital intel, but starting trouble with the US military and devils wasn’t in the immunity agreement.”

[21 Seconds Remaining]

Rachel grinned, fire flicking off her black fingernails as she moved to snatch the woman by the throat, yet the moment she closed off the woman’s airway, Relica’s eyes flew open, radiating a malevolent force that matched her own.

Gut tightening, she squeezed tighter as spikes of blood cut through her [Hell Cloak], drilling into her veins, and a smirk twisted the woman’s lips, whispering, “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Rachel. I’ve heard so much…”

She didn’t need to ask the entity controlling Relica who she was—the blood had been a dead giveaway. “Veronica.”

“Hmm-hmm-hmm.”

A cyclone of crimson liquid encircled them, and Relica faded away, leaving her on a flat pool of reflective blood in a black abyss overhead. She’d now entered a mental battle with the stalker cultist.

Her lips twitched at the interference, intense gaze drifting to the bright-eyed, curly blonde-haired girl that rose out of the sea, holding her elbow behind her back. “Piss off.”

“Sorry, Rachel!” she chirped, doing surprisingly well at countering Yomi’s taint to break the mental attack. “I still need Relica, so you’ll have to wait a little while longer before getting your vengeance. I’m super impressed at how strong you got, though! She was right… You are a problem.”

Flexing her fingers, Rachel streamed out a heavy puff of air with a humorless chuckle; whenever she’d simulated combat with this girl, she’d always lost when in Scarlet’s body. Relica wasn’t Scarlet, though.

“You are awfully confident. You can’t beat me like this, Little Leech…” she stated, fighting through her screaming muscles, spirit, and exhausted mind to force her way toward the giggling girl. “How did you even end up in Relica?”

A shiver ran down the blonde’s frame, nose twisting with hate. “Leech… I’m not a leech or a stalker. You’re the one that siphons off everyone’s luck here, Little Bunny.”

Rachel tried not to show her frustration at the girl’s intrusion and taunts. “Funny. So, who are you again?”

“I am Scarlet’s true friend.” A dagger of shared disdain passed between them. “I have been groomed since I was born for this role. I’m the only one that can save her. Who are you? You’re only using her. The moment things get rough, you’ll abandon her like everyone else. It’s your fault that everything fell apart in the first place.”

Figuring she could get some answers from the cultist by her attitude, Rachel put a hand on her hip and laughed. “Ah, yes, I’m the biggest bad there is in this story, Little Stalking Leech who could never take a hint. Face it, you creep Scarlet out. She’s never going to like you or see you as a friend because you took everything away from her. Give it up! You’re the villain living inside of her.”

Veronica’s rainbow-painted fingernails tightened into her palm, but her tight red eyes wore a smirk. “Me? No. Hehehe. You are so much worse than someone like me, and you don’t even see the ripple effect of your existence.”

Now utterly thrown for a loop, Rachel’s eyebrows came together as she searched her memory. “Okay. Enlighten me. Wait… I get it,” she snickered at the blonde, Yomi’s taint and misfortune’s threads spinning in her fingers as a cruel tilt came to her mouth. There were vulnerabilities in this girl she was trying to hide. “If you can’t become friends with Scarlet…”

“You don’t know anything about me. You’re the White Hare of Misfortune, so I wouldn’t talk.”

Rachel shrugged helplessly. “I mean, I felt discriminated against before, but damn, am I feeling some hare hate recently. It’s not hard to see your whole life is meaningless, and you don’t have a place in this world without Scarlet. Talk about pathetic. You’re just a useless…mmgm.”

Rachel winced as her vision blurred, and she felt her consciousness giving away.

“Hah-haha… Say what you want…you still lose,” she whispered with a tight twist of anger touching her nose. “Until next time.”

[1 Second Remaining]

“No… Nia!”

Dropping to her knee, eyes drooping, the world returned to normal, yet Nia didn’t respond; at some point, when Veronica was distracting her, she’d lost consciousness. Somehow, Veronica must have convinced the UK wizard to complete the extraction. All the blonde needed to do was buy enough time for everything to run its course.

“Dammit… I’ll find you,” she growled, cursing The System as her spirit completed the final expansion from the Legend Quest. She couldn’t hold out any longer.

[Level Up - Level 11]

[1 Stat Point Added; 1 Available]

[Level Up - Level 12]

[1 Stat Point Added; 2 Available]

[1 New Equipable Feat Added; 1 Available]

[1 Feat Extension Added; 1 Available]

Her Hellfire cloak sputtered as she saw the wizard in the corner, a knocked-out Relica and two of his knights with him; in a flash of blue light, they vanished, and the combined fatigue of the Legend’s Quest pulled her into a deep abyss.

The last thing she saw was Scarlet, appearing out of the shadows. “Rachel! Rachel, what happened?! You were winning when I—Rachel?!”

* — * — *

A quake ran through Scarlet’s bones as all of Rachel’s black flames, crimson lightning, and polluted energy around the space extinguished, and her spirit began to weaken. Thick, glowing blood stuck to her clothes, and there was slight damage to her clothes, but she couldn’t see any puncture holes in her skin.

“No! No, no, no! Rachel, you can’t… Rachel!”

She’d been invincible only a moment ago, and fear gripped her belly as she picked the fallen hare up, uncertainty gripping her when Rachel’s hammer vanished in sparkling white light.

“Little Fang? Scarlet, talk to me!”

“A-Astra! Astra, what do I do?! Rachel—I think she was stabbed! Maybe she was poisoned!” She looked through the walls, searching for a solution as the burning building became more unstable, no longer mixed with Rachel’s corrupting powers. “Maria’s too exhausted to heal her right now—she’s barely standing, and…and Rachel’s—everything—she’s so weak all of a sudden! She’s losing blood! What do I do?!”

“Aye, if Rach is in trouble, uh…”

Saint Barbara’s soft yet decisive voice came over the channel. “Carry her to the medics on the largest ship, Scarlet. What about Relica?”

Shadows embraced her as she teleported into the open air, vision scanning the field and looking for anyone who looked like a doctor on the distant ship with her enhanced eyes.

“These knights and a wizard showed up to save Relica—Rachel sent one flying, b-but—Rachel was so strong, and then she collapsed out of nowhere!”

“Breathe, Scarlet,” the Army Legend urged. “You can’t help Rachel if you’re panicking.”

“I know, I know!” she cried, teleporting higher and holding the hare tighter against her body as they began to fall again. “All of them but one got away—wait, I see it!”

“It’s hard to hear you over the wind,” Barbara returned as a few shadow skips brought her onto the deck of the ship, a flurry of activity; in the distance, she saw Selvaria’s giant fin dip below the surface of thrashing waters. “MI6, I assume. Astra, if there is someone we can question—”

“Already ahead of ya, Major!”

Scarlet supported Rachel’s head while jogging to the medical crew on the uneven boat, bringing a stretcher. A young man held out his hand as she neared, a faint green light illuminating it as the magical healer assessed her condition.

“Make room! Make room… Shit.”

“Is it bad?!” Scarlet whimpered, fangs biting into her bottom lip. “Her insides look bad!”

Barbara’s cool tone helped soothe her turbulent emotions.

“What’s Rachel’s status? Keep right and follow the sea monster; she’s spotted something.”

The doctor offered her a forced, encouraging smile, speaking through the channel they were on as Barbara finished giving orders. “She’s not great. I can’t see any wounds outside her body, but inside is another story. That being said, I, umm, I think with some spot treatment and over a few days, there will be an improvement.”

He ran his glowing palm over the areas where her clothes were ripped, closing them with some visible effort. “I know it doesn’t sound scientific, but her spirit needs time to rejuvenate. I don’t know how, but she’s holding on.”

Scarlet’s focus darted to the sky. “The moon! We need to keep her in sight of the—ack!”

She bit her tongue as a worried voice took over Astra’s coms. “Is my daughter alright?! What happened?!”

“She’ll be fine, Ms. Park,” Barbara insisted, the mother’s husband heard nearby.

“Let’s let them do their jobs, Molly.”

“I want to hear it from Scarlet! Scarlet, is… How is she?”

Swallowing the lump in her throat and trying to block out the shouts and sloshing sea, Scarlet looked over the unresponsive hare. “She’s…breathing shallowly, but they say she’ll pull through in a few days with some healing. Maria should be fine tomorrow evening to help…maybe.”

“Thank goodness… Please, Scarlet, stay by her side. I’d feel a lot better if you were with her.”

“I will…” Scarlet sniffed, heat rising in her throat at the emotion in the woman’s voice. There was something she could do; she could stay with Rachel and support her.

“Thank you for being there for my daughter… Thank you, Scarlet.”

Saint Barbara cleared the airway. “Ahem. What is the status of the knight Rachel attacked?”

Lt. Mateo’s gruff voice came over the channel. “In a damn rough shape on first inspection… Burns I’ve never seen before, and most of his gear’s rusted straight through. She must have sent him through three or four buildings, at least—the guy looks like he became a human meteor—but he’s still breathing…somehow.”

“Call for a medivac immediately! Load him on the helicopter. We’ll question him when he wakes up. What the hell is the UK doing here with a terrorist like Relica? Dammit. This went from a simple gang war to terrorism and foreign military affairs.”

Remembering the fairy in her pocket, Scarlet panicked and gently extracted her. “Oh, umm, please be okay… Did I hurt her?”

“Is that…a person?” the doctor mumbled, carefully holding the tiny young woman in her hand as the other man checked her condition. “Heavy bruising…and a hairline fracture on her left leg, but we should be able to clear that up. She’s also a bit malnourished—”

“Sugar!” Scarlet interjected.

“Excuse me?”

“Sugar,” she hastily insisted. “Fiona needs sugar to live.”

“Hah. Well, we have a moon bunny and sugar fairy, huh?”

Scarlet swiftly shook her head. “She’s a hare, not a rabbit—it’s important!”

“Okay! Okay! Help me get a place set up so we can treat her until we can move to a better location.”

Holding Rachel’s arm to stop herself from shaking, Scarlet stabilized her as the pair lifted her up on the stretcher to bring her to a place that was out of the way from the general bustle on the deck. She was thankful that the fairy would recover from the rough treatment she’d received, which made all of this easier to swallow.

Maria would be able to do more tomorrow, no doubt. The kids were all saved due to them buying enough time for Rachel to get back. Hopefully, Selvaria would capture the submarine before they escaped because she knew Rachel would be pissed if the woman managed to get away.

Still, the mystery about what happened to the hare and how she’d gotten so insanely powerful in less than twenty minutes was the buzz of the radio as the various combat zone activities died down, turning their sights to the rolling sea and leviathan.

Whatever weird technology the UK submarine was using was messing with all the radar equipment, and a new type of decoy device was making locating the vessel impossible by standard methods. The blockade had kept them in deeper waters, but things weren’t looking good.

* — * — *

Selvaria breathed as she jogged down the alleyway to the beach, trying to pace herself. Power flooded her body when Rachel came through, giving her all sorts of new goodies she hadn’t had a chance to go through—she was Level 8 now!

“In and out… In and out… Slow… Why am I so heavy on land?” she cried before stumbling and falling down the stairs to the beach as the tiniest bit of emotion touched her voice.

Spine spikes digging into the concrete and sand, she lay there for a second in a daze. Had she imagined it?

“Hello? Damn.” Voice as monotone as ever, a new sense of hope filled her with the prospect of expressing emotion again. “Well, dust yourself off, and go get some swordfish.”

Forcing herself up, she continued her jog to the sea as a blast of noise brought her spinning in a circle to see a black meteorite punch through four buildings to explode against the park to her right.

“Huh. Probably Rachel. It’s her style,” she huffed, returning to her jog. “In and out. In and out.”

A tear came to her eyes as she made it to the water; she was already pooped after all the previous exercise, and getting back up to the street had been a chore with how fast Astra’s drone was, but now she was back in her element!

Diving into the waves, she felt as if chains binding her to the ground broke free, and a powerful beat of her caudal fin propelled her away from the shoreline, spaying the beach. Weaving left and right, she grinned as the ocean opened up before her, and she entered deeper waters.

[Creature of the Fathomless Void: Activated]

[Feats Augmented to Kaiju-class]

Body expanding, her fangs glistened as her sharp underwater vision penetrated the blue, yet she slowed to a stop as hundreds of weird sonar pulses pinged off her senses. Slowly rising to the surface, she observed the weird sight. In the distance, she found something that couldn’t be right: hundreds of submarines moved through the waters. It was impossible.

A spark of realization came when a torpedo went straight through one of the subs and went out the other side: they were decoys. A grin spread across her monstrous mouth at the easy solution.

Dipping back under, her tail flung water in a geyser as she picked up speed, heading right for the war zone. Excitement spurred her on faster when the military ships moved to follow her lead. If they were illusions, then all she had to do was act as a monster torpedo.

[Water Pool - Advanced to D-tier]

She lowered her head upon nearing one, passing right through it, breathing in deeply upon getting into a good position, her plates lit up. Electricity ran along her back up to her mouth as she pulled in liquid, charging and condensing the particles with the static bouncing around her jaws.

The submarine illusion she was hiding inside fizzled out, energy destroying whatever device had created it, revealing her as the bulky vessel vanished. She breathed the shimmering, aquamarine laser at a sweeping angle to pass through dozens of fake subs.

[Kaiju Breath Augmentation - Ion Cutter]

She laughed as she continued to search for the weirdly elusive submarine, her [Water Pool] increasing her size and [Power] with every second she spent in the ocean.

[Water Pool - 57%]

[Water Pool - 58%]

[Water Pool - 59%]

All of the submarines split off in different directions, the crew probably in a panic as she bullied their retreat. Her aim was becoming better as she discovered where the illusion devices were located on each sub, allowing her to direct her Ion Cutter to take them off the field.

[Leviathan Sense - Advanced to C-tier]

Yet, as she neared deeper waters, ready to follow these villains to their lair if need be, Selvaria came to a sudden stop, sniffing the water as she caught onto a synthetic smell she hadn’t picked up a moment before.

Her glowing aquamarine eyes penetrated the blue to an inconspicuous place where no submarine sat, but now she saw a shift in the current. Something big and unseen was there, moving slowly so as not to draw attention to itself.

Ho-ho! You thought you were tricky, but you can’t fool a kaiju of the sea. Found you!

Mouth peeling back, she changed course, heading right for the vessel she knew was there; electricity sparked along her spine as torpedoes shot out of nowhere to sink her. They didn’t know who they were dealing with.

Ion Cutter ripped through the straight-moving projectiles, exploding and disrupting the cloaking field around the submarine as her beam cut a thin line up the hull; it wasn’t powerful enough to destroy the armor, which was fine. It was more fun this way.

Making it to the tail of the vessel, its propellers increasing their speed, she flipped around in a somersault, blade-like fin cleaving it in two. Alarm bells rang off in her head as multiple hatches slid open, dumping a ton of little balls around them that released high-pitched shrieks.

Wincing at the brain-rupturing sound, she backed away as Saint Barbara’s torpedoes finished the job, exploding against the hull and sending a concussion of displaced water to disrupt the noisy devices as flashing lights suddenly blinded her.

“You’re so annoying!” she snarled, rubbing her eyes before charging forward, only seeing vague outlines of the submarine. “You’ve already lost! Just give up already…”

Using all her strength, she forced the damaged sub up to the surface, its crew sealing off the areas that were blown open. She’d found MI6’s escape sub. No villain was getting away from her! Only…she discovered a little problem once she got it above water. There was a big, open, empty compartment.

She transformed into her human half as the US ships pulled up to board and rescue any survivors. Entering through one of the openings they hadn’t managed to seal in time, she shut it herself to keep the tube from sinking back down.

Looking up from her underwater position, she saw a young man trapped and unable to get to a safe location; he only had a limited amount of air. It was right out of the scene of a movie!

Dun-dun. Dun-dun. Dun-dun-dun-dun-dun…

“Boo!”

“Aaaah!”

Poking her head up through the water while showing her sharp-toothed grin, the man flipped out on sight, flailing and trying to climb onto one of the bunks that wasn’t submerged to use as a barrier.

“Get away from me!” he shouted with his posh British accent.

“Hehehe. Chomp! Chomp! Where is the terrorist? Maybe I won’t eat your toes first. Yeah, because, eww, that’s gross, but I do what I must for the mission.”

“What?! You talk?”

“Of course I do. Now spill, villain, before I open a new hole. Hmm?” She punched the nearby wall, indenting it. “Hmm?”

“I won’t talk!”

“Haaa. Thought not… Guess I’ll look around.”

“Wait, you can’t—”

His voice faded as she ducked under the water and circled back to the large open hatch, rubbing her chin as she watched the feet of the crew, kicking to stay afloat as the place filled w ith water. There was no doubt in her mind that there had been a second sub, which probably had invisibility, too.

Darting out of the vessel, she rubbed the back of her neck with a low groan, sending bubbles above as she looked into the deep blue. Her sensing range wasn’t that big for picking this thing up yet, and they proved good enough to avoid detection thus far.

Shoot. I guess the bad guy did get away… Rach is going to be pissed.

“Haaa…”

Launching up to fly out of the water and land on Saint Barbara’s deck, her stomach squirmed as she left a small indentation in the steel upon landing, barely able to keep herself from tumbling off again.

Liquid absorbing into her body, Selvaria was happy to see her more grown-up figure was back after absorbing so much seawater. She saluted the captain with one hand as the other kept her stable.

“Captain, I’ve come to report!”

“How many survivors?”

“Oh, uh, probably a bunch, but Relica, Adele, and the main villains seem to have gotten away in a mini-sub with cloaking technology, Ma’am. I don’t know if I’ll be able to find them. I don’t know when they left, but probably a bit ago. Orders?”

“Dammit,” she whispered, staring over the slowly sinking submarine. “A mini-sub while the main one caused all these distractions. MI6 pulled a fast one on us. Rescue the crewmen as prisoners…this is far above my pay grade. Protocol says we need to prioritize their lives, but once you’re done, do a—Selvaria?”

“Uh…I’m not…feeling so good.”

Her vision swam as the saint put her finger to her ear. “What do you mean you’re feeling dizzy, too, Astra? Maria collapsed? Scarlet’s fine… Astra? Shit. I want medics and eyes on the Mythickin!”

“Ugh…”

It was all she heard as Selvaria’s eyes rolled back, and she fell over the deck and into the ocean, mind slipping into the endless sea. At least she’d done good this mission. She’d made friends. They wouldn’t leave her at the bottom of the ocean…right… Right?

Chapter Thirty-Five

Holy Overdose?

A blazing heat radiated against Maria’s skin as she floated through space, pulling her mind into the hot summer days of her neighborhood. The warm face of a dark-haired lady brought her into her childhood, Lita making homemade tortillas and cooking chicken on the grill. The pineapple scent of freshly made chicha de piña in the background.

“Hermana?”

Her little brother’s voice lifted her out of the Cuban music she hated as a kid; now, it was so nostalgic, remembering all the hot summer nights that everyone on the block would get together, partying until the sun came up.

Eyes cracking open to a flare of light, Maria was a little surprised at how little it bothered her as the world cleared, and the sound of the city came into focus. Taking a deep breath, she let it go as her brother’s dorky face overshadowed her. Everything was a jumbled mess, but nothing hurt.

“Hermana?! Should I get the nurse?”

She stretched out on the hospital bed, glancing around the roof of what she assumed was the same building she’d been using to earn a bit of extra cash for Zarita’s medical bills.

Abruptly, the memories of the night she’d been taken by Daran flooded back, and Maria eased her head back, realizing how insane it was that she was here right now; the Columbian Cartel basically ran Miami and, apparently, had it out for her ass, yet Relica had destroyed her whole organization, throwing the Colombian cartel into a hot mess.

The last thing she remembered was Relica exploding Terrell and his sons in fountains of gore that was so visceral that she wanted to vomit. If that wasn’t enough, the hellspawn threatened the same end to dozens upon dozens of innocent kids, two of whom she knew from Little Havana.

“None of it makes a damn sense,” she mumbled in Spanish, holding her arm over her eyes with a groan and trying to make sense of the jumbled information in her brain. “Why would Relica dismantle her own organization? What the hell is happenin’ ta Miami? Ugh. Where am I?”

“Uh, what was that?” her brother nervously asked. “You aren’t hurt, right?! I’ll go get—”

“Mmgm. Chill, bro. Damn, what happened? And why the hell am I on the roof?”

Her brother’s worry melted away. “They said you’d heal faster if you stayed outside, under the open sky, or something like that. I had to bring you inside when it rained yesterday, but you feeling good? Nothing hurts?”

Scratching her nose, Maria yawned again, smacking her lips. She didn’t feel threatened as she frowned, sweeping her appearance to see her clothes had been changed to a hospital gown; it was the snap-on kind, which was better than the tie ones she’d had as a kid.

Maria’s foggy brain was gradually working up to speed as she noted there was no blanket on her, which made sense since they left her to bask in the overhead sun; thanks to that, though, she was fully topped off on Lunar and Solar Energy. All her limbs were in place. No issues she could sense, other than the trip of waking up in a weird place. Everything was cool.

“Right,” she mumbled, relaxing and rubbing her head as she saw one of the military guys sitting under a tent to escape the heat; his name was Roy, if she remembered right. “I’m a celestial unicorn, huh? Shit. Yo, what’s up, homie? All the kids get out?”

Roy lowered a walkie-talkie, reporting that she’d woken up. He spoke in reasonably fluent Spanish. “Welcome back, and yeah, there are a few kids still missing, but all the ones you went to save got out safely. People are looking for the missing ones; there’s some fear of trafficking changed children.”

He flashed a smile. “If you’re asking about what happened when you fell on your face, we were able to come in and save everyone from burning alive in that building shortly after you all dropped like flies.”

“Damn. Thank God.” Maria looked up at the clear blue sky of the noonday sun. It didn’t hurt to look at the blazing orb; in fact, it was pretty and comforting. “I can’t remember anything after running into that shit storm… Wait. The freak happened to that devil niña conejita the hare brought back?”

“Rachel?” Roy asked, moving a chair over to sit beside her bed. “I’ve heard reports about her bringing back a kid from that quest, but we don’t have the details yet. Well, other than wanting to start a private military company. It’s been three days, and you’re the first one to wake up.”

“The hell?!” Maria jolted up. “Three days, my ass! Aye, Felix, how’s the crew—what’s goin’ on?”

Her brother held up his hands to calm her down, forcing a laugh. “Chill, hermana. It’s cool. Everyone wants to throw a party when you get back, ya know. Elena’s been calling me, like…every hour to check up on you, and Zarita is pissed they’re not letting anyone in.”

It was a lie, but the part that triggered her weird detection sense came from the part about calling every hour. Maria puffed out a long sigh while thinking about the Cuban immigrant who was like her second mother.

“Shit. La anciana shouldn’t be worried about me; she knows what I’m about. Aye, hermanito, grab my stuff. Alejandro still here?”

“I got it right here, and, hah, no one’s gonna touch…”

Roy cleared his throat. “Ahem. Hey, Maria…”

“What’s up?” Maria grunted in annoyance, swinging her legs off the bed and taking the bag from her brother to scan its contents. “I’m busy, my dude. I got people to look after, ya know?”

She first plucked out the rosary Lita had given her, making a cross over her chest by touching her forehead, heart, and both shoulders before kissing the silver metal piece, thanking the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost for supporting her.

“About that,” Roy said, stretching out and looking down at her as she slipped on some sandals by the bed. “How do you feel? Can you check on a few people before you split? And, eh, the lieutenant would like someone to accompany you since you still need to be debriefed.”

Maria grunted, rolling around her neck and nudging her head toward her little brother. “I’ll be down in a moment. Shit. Bitches be actin’ like I’m a soldier. And don’t think I be doin’ this shit for free,” she grumbled, nose twisting as she looked at the large green beret. “How y’all goin’ ta compensate me for all this bullshit, huh?”

Her brother laughed. “Aye, that’s right! And, uh, we gotta go down the back stairs because of the paparazzi. Shit’s been insane.”

“Tch. ’ight, I’m sure the big meathead here knows the route.” Maria hissed.

Roy observed her as she brushed back her long silver locks and put a hand on her hip expectantly. “I’ve heard you’ll be compensated when all of this is over.”

“Good. Yo, you’re wasting my time. Let’s go! Time is money,” she prompted, snapping her fingers as she stared him down. “You want my help, or what?”

He didn’t blink or shy away, his large chest shaking with silent laughter as he took the lead back inside the tall hospital. “This way. Rachel and Scarlet need to be kept out of the sun. And again, how do you feel?”

“Mhm,” Maria grunted back, working around her arms. “Like I’ve been sunbathing for three days. Shit. Worry about yourself. I’m good. Actin’ like you care.”

Maria’s eyebrows came together as he turned to give her a small smile, guiding them down the door, and opened it for them to slide past.

“I do, believe it or not.”

“Huh… Well, shit. If you want my number, it’s a hard pass.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Ouch. I have a girlfriend, though, so I’m quite alright. Not that you aren’t gorgeous.”

She snorted at the look her brother gave her as they descended the stairs to the top level.

“So you care about your healing robot, huh?” she shot back. “Like I said, my services ain’t free, ya know. I owe the moon hare for saving my ass, is all, and I hate debts… The interest only stacks all the way down to hell, if ya get what I’m sayin’.”

“No, I hear ya,” Roy said, leading them into the relatively empty space, excluding military personnel, and he gestured to a clearly marked bathroom. “You can change in there first if you’d like. I know all of this must seem a bit rushed to you.”

“Huh.” Maria eyed the man up and down; he was actually being somewhat nice and accommodating. It had to be for her abilities, though. Everyone wanted something, and nothing was free. “So, you gonna be ridin’ 3rd wheel with us? Damn government shit.”

Roy shrugged, waving at a few other soldiers as they passed by. “Depends on what the lieutenant orders; right now, he’s in charge.”

Hand pausing on the doorknob, Maria looked back at him. “And what happened to Captain Glamorous?”

The man’s face scrunched up with confusion in their Spanish conversation, glancing at the ground. “Captain…Barbara? I’d thought you’d call her Saint or something since you’re Catholic, but that’s where we’re going first. She fell into a coma, like all of you did. None of our own healers can tell what’s wrong with them physically.”

Maria’s vision narrowed. “I ain’t know shit about the woman ta tell if she’s a saint or not. I don’t call just anyone a saint, jefe. Saint Barbara earned her Sainthood. And she earned her shit… I don’t deal with fakes.”

A tad heated at the disrespect put on Saint Barbara, she said, “Jeremiah’s my dude: ‘therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that steal my words every one from his neighbor.’ She ain’t riddin’ Saint Barbara’s coattails in my book, vato. And James is my guy: ‘faith without works is dead.’ This chick? I ain’t never heard of her.”

Going inside the restroom, she slammed the door, leaving them in silence as she grumbled to herself while getting dressed. Everyone wanted to scream miracle or that they were the way, but didn’t do shit actually to live that belief. She wasn’t perfect, but she didn’t try to hide behind anyone else’s accomplishments like these ‘Legends’ seemed to do.

Slipping on her 808 tank top and fixing her bra, Maria checked the string on her jogging pants and shoes before looking herself over in the mirror. Her lips pulled into a line while studying her shimmering appearance, enhanced proportions, pointed ears, and the star symbol on her forehead.

Am I this vain? Why would I change into…this? Why the hell did my skin color change?! I love my Mexican roots… Why am I a celestial unicorn? Shit doesn’t make sense…

Now that she was away from judging eyes, she swung back to lean against the wall, letting her head fall back as she closed her eyes and gripped her elbow. She rehearsed a few Bible verses that helped her get through hard times, allowing whatever constituted her heart to settle down.

None of this shook her faith; it was just another trial she had to get through. She’d long come to terms with all the Bible bashers that always posted up, screaming at the small church she went to. If it was real or not, it didn’t matter in the end to her. They wouldn’t judge her for how she lived her life as much as she judged them; God would sort everything out in the end.

All she had to do was live her ideals and principles; the world could laugh at her, but their opinions were worth as much shit as hers were. And God did bless her for healing Rachel because now she’d gotten to [Heal II] and [Purify II].

I have to do it today… I should be strong enough after the shit Terrell put me through…

Opening her eyes, she looked from the side into the mirror, her sparkling silver hair making her think about the insane lunar hare that had barged into her life.

Damn… Rachel’s a real one. How the hell did she do all of that? And she wants to make some kind of private military company? Is that what she was hinting at when she left? She’s crazy as all hell, and has a death wish…but she’s a real one. That devil shit, though…

“Mmgm!” Turning the faucet to start the sink, Maria splashed cold water on her face and groaned. So far as she could tell, she didn’t stink, which was weird, but that’s just how the world was now. “What the hell am I supposed to do… Adapt or die. What am I supposed to adapt to?”

Discomfort rolled through her stomach as she remembered the cute little bunny kid Rachel brought back. How had she spontaneously turned into a devil? Did Rachel turn into a devil? No, she couldn’t make assumptions.

Maria set her ground and went to check on the ragtag party she was now somehow acquainted with. Her brother stayed quiet, thinking about something as they walked; of course, as she had her troubles, so too was he bound to have his own.

Entering Captain Barbara’s room, she saw who she assumed was Mateo, Roy’s superior, standing beside the woman’s bed. She’d made a note of all the military guys at the hospital when word spread that they were setting up shop. And, despite the action they’d been in three days prior, Barbara rested without a care in the world.

Mateo didn’t waste any time in getting to the point. “How is she?”

Maria’s horn flared to life, the pure energy spiraling into shape as the bright light bathed everyone present, providing her with a wealth of immediate knowledge as to their conditions. All of them were fairly healthy, given their athletic lifestyle, yet naturally, there were the expected troubles from such a physically demanding job as Special Forces.

“Humph. Mentally and physically, Captain Glamour’s the picture of perfect health.” Her horn faded away as she turned to leave. “She’ll be up in a few hours; she’s suffering from spiritual fatigue—don’t ask me how.”

Doctors and nurses were now hovering nearby to hear what she had to say.

“That’s just the cause, then?” Mateo mumbled, eyeing her brisk demeanor as they left for the next room. “There are other issues we suspect could be causing it, but we assumed it was due to the massive ‘EXP’ dump that came from the Legend Quest. Maria?”

Maria stopped dead in her tracks as a nurse hurriedly opened the next door, waiting for her diagnosis, yet Maria’s wide eyes were now fixated on the horrific sight of some kind of mannequin sitting in a bed.

“Aww, hell no!” she snarled, backing away. “Who the hell is that supposed to be?!”

Roy snickered. “That…is Astra, or at least their…robot, we think. We weren’t sure what to make of it, but there is technology inside it, all short-circuited. Afraid of puppets?”

She gave him a look that said he was stupid. “What, you thought I could heal some kind of kinky techno-doll or some shit? Get the hell outta here! No way in hell I’m stepping near that garbage! I’m not tech support, hombre.”

A door down the hall opened, revealing a small Asian woman who was probably alerted by her shouting. She broke into the conversation, pulling them away from the creepy doll, which Maria was all for.

“You’re Maria, right? You’re the one who saved my daughter from that poison, right? Rachel?”

Fine to be done with the mannequin, and not having a clue who Astra was, Maria walked through the muttering crowd to the mother. “Yeah, and damn, your girl—”

Maria cut off, gut making a spiral as the woman grabbed her hands, filling her with an uplifting swirl of Divine Energy with tears gathering in her eyes. All other sounds around her faded away, emanating a warmth that radiated like a blazing fire, filling her with light. Staring into her wet brown eyes, Maria started to feel dizzy.

“Thank you! I know Rachel is reckless, but I’m so happy you were there to support her when she needed it. She likes to think she’s a lone hare, but she’s always had blinders on when it comes to how many people are around her to help.”

“Uh-yeah, I, uh, I guess…”

“Oh, where are my manners!” she chortled, breaking away. Maria snapped out of the spell as the woman gave her a gentle smile. “I’m Molly, Rachel’s mother.”

“I figured…” Maria put her hands in her pockets, fingers pressing against her thighs as she tried to process the unusual tingling spark she’d sensed from the woman’s touch that threw her off her game. “And it’s more like she, uh, barged in and said heal me or I die kind of shit, ya know. Eh-heh, you wanted me to check on her?”

“Yes, please!” Molly chirped, clasping her hands at her front. “If you’d like, we can pay for your services.”

Clearing her throat and trying to refocus, Maria waved her off as they went into the adjacent room; something was very off. “Naaa. I owe her. Rachel ended up saving a shitload of kids. Oh, Scarlet’s here, too? And that…energy. The hell is goin’ on in here…”

She slowed a bit, her left eye creasing as she sensed some kind of Divine flow cycling through the space, not a trace of the fiendish force Rachel had emanated the last time she’d seen the hare. It was like a giant sun was blazing all around them, its dense gravity pulling her in.

“Is she doing okay? What energy?” Molly whispered with worry, holding a hand to her lips as the others crowded by the door. “Is there something wrong? Everyone has been wonderful, especially the Greent Berets, taking the night watch, and they haven’t reported anything strange. I watched during the day with my husband, too… He’s gone out to get us something to eat.”

Maria’s vision drifted from the gothic vampire girl, sleeping in another bed next to Rachel’s mother. Oddly, she couldn’t get a fix on whether this woman was telling the truth or not; there was an unusual, Divine-like glow weaving around her.

Shaking her head, Maria’s silver eyes returned to the sleeping hare; her long locks had been braided, and there were a few cute bunny hair clips keeping her bangs out of her face. She had to be seeing things because her clothes were blinding. It almost felt like the entire room was an oven, yet no one else seemed all that affected.

“I don’t sense any issues… Well, other than massive spiritual exhaustion…a hell of a lot more than that Barbara chick. And this massive…spike of energy.”

Molly’s brown eyes drooped as she stepped closer, her voice becoming insistent. “How long will she be out?”

“Umm… Hard to say,” Maria groaned, rubbing the back of her neck as her horn appeared; Molly’s weird presence kept distracting her, and her more expanded powers didn’t help the situation. “She’s…probably going to be out for another two to three days. Probably.”

Retreating to the door to escape the intense, focused force pulsing out of Rachel, she looked at the hare’s mother. “Aye, do you have any…powers? You feel… Shit, I can’t explain it! There’s this fire blazin’ in this place, and it’s got me seein’ things. Ugh. Gosh damn, it’s bright.”

A relieved sigh came from Molly as she ran her fingers through her messy black hair. “A few more days then…” A short giggle followed as she gave her a respectful bow. “I’m just a mother, worried about her daughter. I wouldn’t say The Oscillation gave me any powers; well, none that I’m aware of. Anyway, thank you for healing my daughter.”

“Uh-huh…”

Waving her off, Maria left the room in somewhat of a daze; it almost felt like she was drunk.

“Hermana!”

“Hmm?” Maria fell, legs tingling as her brother and Ron moved to support her. “Shit… Mmgm. My head…”

Mateo’s face became a scowl. “Are you sure you’re okay to leave, Ms. Espinar? You don’t look well.”

“Damn straight, I’m ready to leave,” she snarled back, rubbing her eyes. “I just…felt something off in here. Bitches think I’m feeling sick…”

“Hermana…you’re slurring your speech.”

“Huh? No, I’m…” She turned to glare at her little brother, who truly looked concerned. “Uh. Shit. You’re not lying… I don’t hear it. Whatever. Fine, you can drive,” she grunted, stumbling out of the room and down the hallway, leaving Molly looking concerned. “Aye, where’s that lil’ fairy chica?”

Maria did feel a little tipsy, but not slur speech tipsy. Felix guided her by the arm down the hall, wearing a supportive smile, reminding her of the first time she’d slammed alcohol hard for the first time. She had been fourteen and her little, nine-year-old brother had had to help her all the way home for Zarita to scold her.

“She’s over here, Sis. You sure you’re good? No, if you say you are, then you’re fine,” he said with a laugh. “You never lie.”

“Mhm. I’m just a little wired…”

A rush of events flashed by her eyes as if seen through a third party as they entered the next room. An anxious fox woman. Fiona hovering and all sparkly. Anthony and the girl she couldn’t heal. Somewhere along the line, the fox was gone with all the doctors and nurses.

Now, they were on some stairs, Felix helping her down, one step at a time, with a cheering fairy hovering nearby. Suddenly, she was weightless, falling down the stairs—or was it the air—in somersaults. On the ground again—with shaky feet—she saw a snickering fairy and little brother hovering nearby. The world stretched, and Roy spontaneously appeared out of nowhere, making her stumble.

“Son of a bitch!”

Wait, what? Something’s weird, but I can’t…

Falling back, the military man reached out to stabilize her.

“Woah! Haha. You’re really having some trouble?”

“She’s a total mess,” Fiona giggled, floating nearby, hands held behind her back. “She keeps mumbling nonsense like a total drunk. I used to see it a lot when I worked at my uncle’s bar back in Ireland. She doesn’t want me to levitate her, though. It’s kind of funny that the healer needs healing.”

“Shut yer wings,” Maria said, running her fingers through her hair to find it braided.

Huh? English? Is it because of this hada alada?

“When the hell did—”

“Your hair?” Fiona asked, shaking in the air with laughter as tears came to her eyes. “Erika did it when you told her I’d be up in, like, five minutes. Did you forget she had to go check on her boyfriend because he wasn’t answering her calls or that your brother went to get the car?”

“When…” Felix was now gone. “I’m trippin’ balls… Ugh. He better not scratch the paint or rims,” Maria mumbled, still seeing some spots. “Shit… That was hell. Aye, hands off, gato.”

Roy carefully backed away, taking his hands with him. “Yeah, Erika was sweet. She seemed a little worried about you, Fiona. Will she be okay?”

The fairy’s green-hued eyes lowered, voice turning melancholy. “Erika stayed with me, even when her boyfriend asked her to meet up… Ever since I was a teenager, she’s always looked out for me, and she promised my parents she’d make sure I was cared for when I left home.”

“Pretty close then, huh?” Maria asked, rubbing between her eyes and blinking; her mind fog was beginning to clear up. “How old are ya?”

“Twenty…” Fiona sighed, arms crossed and looking down at herself. “I’m in such trouble. Look at my size… I need so much more help. I’m seven centimeters tall, for goodness sake.”

Maria passively scanned the hospital’s more secluded back parking lot, which the Coast Guard had blocked off as they kept the place controlled. What was she even doing? No, there was something she had to do before anything else, and that was away from here.

Fiona’s shimmering green wings brought her gaze back to the fairy as she floated down, waving at her with a sad smile. “Am I that boring and annoying? Sorry…”

“Naaa. Haaa. Something just…hit me up there—shit, I don’t know.” Her gaze went to a brown-haired woman in her mid-twenties as she jogged across the parking lot from near the ocean rise. “Huh. What were you sayin’? I’m listenin’.”

“Right, umm…it’s nothing. I just think I take too much of Erika’s time. She hasn’t, umm, had the best luck with relationships due to all the work she does,” Fiona whispered as she turned away. “Usually, she comes over and we play mobile games together to unwind, laughing at our bad free pulls, or she helps me with stream stuff… She’s kind of…my only friend in the US.”

Rubbing her arms as the tingling sensation finally left, Maria crossed her arms tightly, glaring at the brown-haired woman who was approaching them; Roy moved to block her path. “Aye, you’re hanging with us, so relax; life’s too short, ya know… Uh, why are you with us, again? And who’s this bitch? I’m lost as hell.”

Fiona forced a laugh as Roy went to engage the random woman. “You said if I’m lonely, then I should join you guys because you’re going to have a party, and, umm, I wanted to see the leviathan your brother was talking about. She, umm, kind of came at the end and saved Erika and me.”

“Leviathan—the hell, I don’t remember shit?! Yo, Roy, what’s the deal with this chica?”

“Hello, I’m Jeanna!” the woman chimed in a light French accent, holding up her phone as they drew near. “I’m a reporter from—”

“Not interested, bitch,” Maria flatly shot down. “Go get your story from some other sucker. I’m pissed and confused as it is, so I don’t need some bimbo tryin’ ta catch me slippin’.”

The woman’s mouth became a line at her tone, Roy pointing at the gate, where Coast Guard men and woman were taking notice of the trespasser.

“This is a restricted area. The press needs to register at the front—”

“Oh, but I’m sure you’ll want to see these videos I have! Hah. I’m pretty sure you almost stabbed some young boys with an ice shard, Fiona White.”

“I what?” Fiona’s ears drooped. “When did I do that?”

Maria could smell foul play as Jeanna held up her phone. “Give me a chance to show you! Dozens upon dozens of people were recording around Miami Beach when the military raided that terrorist stronghold. There are some really concerning things that were captured.”

“You make it sound like a movie,” Roy grumbled. “Are you trying to blackmail Ms. White? You do realize it is still Martial Law right now, and you are in a restricted zone.”

“Eh-hehe. No need to be so draconian!” Jeanna said with a strained smile, her French accent thickening. “I actually want to write a glowing piece about the daring venture, where these changed individuals helped save hundreds, if not thousands, of lives! There are just a few…details I’d like to verify.”

“What kind of details?” Roy guardedly asked, now far more serious about the topic since there were probably a lot of ways this could be spun.

“This girl, specifically…I haven’t been able to get a name anywhere! It’s hard to gather certain details when people’s appearance changes so dramatically.”

Maria’s mouth became a line as she showed a few still pictures from a video, where Rachel sat at a table, seemingly having tea with Relica. It was dark, but the bright street lights illuminated the area well enough to make out enough to see a ‘bunny girl’ and the terrorist.

“My sources in the Coast Guard told me this young, black-haired woman is actually Relica Orakzai, real name unknown, and currently the 7th listed on the FBI’s most wanted. Haha. It’s no wonder the US military went in guns blazing, but the mystery about this bunny girl is just…so out there! Why is she having tea with her?”

She swiftly swiped left to show more pictures from different angles, all taken from within buildings from people cowering inside during the operation.

“As a timeline: she’s escorted here by you Green Berets, causes a scene with some social media influencer, meets with you, Maria Camila Espinar, and then Relica shows up out of the blue to challenge this bunny girl as a…shadow?”

She chortled at the story. “Next thing, a military helicopter drops her off a few blocks away, she walks up to one of the most dangerous terrorists in the world—who now has powers, it seems—and goodness, then shoves her back, seemingly taunting her. Then, she walks into a golden gateway with some…eh-hah, I don’t know, practically naked, bronze-skinned Greek god?”

Jeanna held up the photo of Conner, making Maria’s gut tighten; she’d been forced to heal the Legend after his orgy death party. After that, Maria didn’t have anything to say to this woman. It was a lot of groundwork and photos, for sure, but it didn’t concern her, nor did she want any part in it.

Maria’s focus went to her brother as she found her vehicle in the parking lot. He was having trouble trying to work the hydraulics in her car to bring it over, and not being very successful in operating them; she should have taught him. It might be a while at this pace.

Roy and Fiona, however, had their own issues with all of this evidence coming out, engaging the woman.

“What about the ice thing?” Fiona nervously asked, hands pressed against her chest. “I didn’t hurt anyone, did I?”

Jeanna waved her hand with a reassuring grin. “Oh, no, no, but that’s small stuff, honey! See…some Jamaican family recorded the club you were all fighting in from the next building over. They caught a few pictures of you—a glowing ball of fire or ice—passing by the windows, and then…”

“Yikes!” Fiona hissed as a lance of ice shot through the wall and into the adjacent hotel room, freaking out the men and women as they screamed curses in their native tongue. “I wasn’t even thinking about all the damage I was causing… They were just so evil that…”

“Aye,” Maria interrupted, getting fed up with the distraction. “Don’t give her shit to hit you with, chica. She’s after the bag, and she’ll bury you to get it.”

Roy promptly took Jeanna’s phone to look through more of the pictures, making the young woman laugh.

“All of them are backed up, and I’m not the only one these people are selling these videos and photos to… Oh, yes, that one is soo interesting. The bunny goes into the golden gateway with the muscular man, and then she comes out with a little bunny girl. What is the story there?! I’m soo fascinated by this weird event. You have to give me the scoop! Wait, that one…”

The military man paused over a video that showed a black meteor, laced with crimson lightning. It exploded out of the upper floors, blasting through multiple buildings before landing in a park; the parts had been spliced together from multiple angles and areas to give almost a cinematic experience. Inside the crater, the scarred visage of a near-naked man lay, barely visible from the angle it was recorded on from what appeared to be a second-story window.

“Yes, that one! From the black fire that the bunnies gave off when they came out of the portal, I have to assume it was them. And who is this man that could survive that kind of punishment?! Is he a terrorist? He isn’t in any of the other videos I’ve—what?! Hey!”

She snatched the phone back as a mischievous angel boy avatar flickered across the screen, and soft laughter was heard from the speakers as the filtered voice, image, and tone turned feminine.

“Spying would be my job, honey. It’s Astra, hacker extraordinaire! If you’d like these files back, I’d suggest getting the owner’s permission. Toodles!”

“My phone!” It started to smoke, the smell of burnt plastic coming from the device. “What was that?! You can’t do that!”

Roy’s gaze went to her brother as he finally pulled around with her car. “It wasn’t us.”

“It certainly looks like it benefits you,” she accused.

“Yes, well, there’s a hacker going by the name of Astra that’s been making waves. Maybe they want to extort you. You should start there. Excuse me, but we need to go.” He held up his walkie-talkie. “This is Black Paw, I need an escort out back for a reporter who slipped the barrier.”

“You’re only delaying the inevitable!” Jeanna shouted, face red, yet it almost seemed a little fake, and Maria caught a few blonde strands in her hair.

Her thoughts went inward as Fiona flew around the car, asking her brother all sorts of questions he couldn’t answer. Roy appraised it with an impressed eye, as well, talking to the pair about his own classic car he was fixing up.

On the other hand, Maria was far more concerned about her mental state. Checking the time on the dashboard clock, she saw over two hours had passed, which was practically a blank.

Was it Rachel…or her mom? Damn, this new world is messing with me! Everything’s good now… So, I should be able to drive… Yeah, nothin’ like a chill drive to clear the head.

* — * — *

Jeanne meekly followed the Coast Guard out of the restricted area and got on a motorcycle that had been prepared ahead of time. The thrum of the engine transferred to her thighs as she put on sunglasses and sped off.

Three blocks down, she pulled into a parking lot in a production neighborhood, where a limousine waited. Parking in the stall beside it, she opened the door and entered.

A sharp-dressed young man with an intense, solemn face sat across from her; his mane of lustrous black locks fell to his shoulders, neatly groomed. Beside her waited a young French boy on a phone, playing some kind of game and chewing bubble gum.

Pulling off her brown wig and trying not to blink from the agitation she felt from the contact lenses she wore, Jeanne glared at her senior before speaking in French. “Is that really the only reason you up-ended everything I was doing in Paris to join you, Saint Charlemagne? I am not a spy. I’m a soldier.”

The boy snickered. “I thought you played the part well, Jeanne d’Arc, and somehow she didn’t even recognize your Divine Energy. That was…not what I anticipated, but it does make things easier… Maria was fairly loopy, though, which is…weird. I’m going to have to look into that.”

Jeanne had almost had it up to here with this hacker-for-hire’s ever-shifting personality. “How can you work against them when you were supporting them not three days ago, Astra? I don’t like people that can turn on their allies,” she snarled, fixing her absurdly thick blonde hair into a braid; it was so hard to hide with the wig.

Charlemagne leaned against the long vehicle’s side, staring at his phone. “Israel gave us this intelligence for a reason, and we were able to confirm it… The UK was doing business with Relica to expose some secret organization. It seems tensions will rise between them and the US from this, which means someone important will need to make a trip. There is something…off about this lunar hare girl, though. What are your thoughts, Astra?”

The boy blew a bubble before sucking it back in, narrowed eyes lifting to the man as he paused his game. “You hired me to lock down the French network, get all the information on this mission, and make them think they’re in the clear. You have all the evidence I gathered from the night of the operation. Everything else I learned after is not a part of the contract.”

The dark-haired man gave the hacker a calculating stare. “You’re scared of her.”

“Humph.” Astra put his phone in his pocket. “You have the details on the Crystals and that something unusual happened to Rachel in the Legend Quest. MI6 is working with Relica, who is backstabbing the Scarlet Hand, who wants Scarlet, who is attached to Rachel by the hip, like sisters. If you want to get to her, you need to go through Rachel, and, as you said, I’m cautious to make Rachel my enemy.”

He popped open the door. “In my opinion, we’re all unusually lucky Rachel is knocked out right now because she’s…too perceptive. My advice? I wouldn’t recommend poking the hare after everything I’ve gathered. Good day, My Lovely Saints, and may God shine on you.”

Jeanne sat back with a frown as he left, closing the door and changing his avatar. “He worked with the Scarlet Hand, yet we’re still using him?”

“Astra is a wild card; it’s good to keep them close enough to observe… And look at that, Israel,” he whispered with an uncharacteristic smile. “It’s Solomon’s move.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

A Hood Life

Maria strode forward to slide her hands down the side of her beloved Chevy, feeling the smooth, waxed coating over one of her most prized possessions. She wasn’t particularly interested in why Jeanna was wearing a wig or anything else right now. All she wanted to do was feel the power of the engine roar to calm her racing heart.

She went to the car, circling it with a fond smile. “There you are, Alejandro,” she whispered, fondly, caressing the hood of her 1969 Chevy Impala SS, the convertible hood pulled back. “Finally got the hydraulics goin’, bro?”

“It’d help if you didn’t leave it so low to the ground!” Her brother grunted. “Who’s the Karen yelling at ya?”

“Nobody,” Maria replied, stopping at the back of the classic, white-painted car to run her hands over the 808 angel number artwork on the trunk; it had some rain spots on it. “Aye, jump out, will ya? I’m good to drive now. No slurring, huh?” she asked, Mexican accent thickening with her excitement.

“Uh. No, but are you sure…”

“Get your ass over,” Maria laughed, nudging him to hop into the passenger side. “Yo, Fi, you good with the top dropped?” she asked, falling into the driver seat as her brother left with a dirty look, no doubt wanting to drive the car she never let anyone touch.

The fairy floated down onto the dashboard to sit cross-legged, wings and green glow vanishing as she released her magic and held up her thumbs. “I’m good! Cool car. We’re going to party, right? I just want to forget everything…like my parents not picking up the phone!”

“Uh-huh.” Sensing the young woman wanted to get away from all the stress that had happened, especially all the torture she’d been through since becoming a fairy, Maria was happy to show her a good time around her hood.

Grabbing the hat off the dash that had ‘Little Havana’ stitched on the front, Maria pulled her braid through the back to settle it on her head. Next came the rimless sunglasses as she smiled and turned up the cassette mixtape Lita made for her birthday when she was a little girl. Summer Nights by Lil Rob came on, hitting the amplifier, subs, and speaker.

Jeanna stood nearby, studying them with a critical eye, not so antagonistic now as Roy hopped into the back seat; she didn’t seem all that put off now that things were settling down, and if she wanted to take her license plate, QUEEN69 wasn’t hard to remember. The birth year of Lita; it had been her car before it came into Maria’s possession, after all.

Maria put two fingers to her hat as she pulled away, and Jeanna actually smiled and waved, holding her purse at her front. The wind picked up as they hit the streets, and finally, they were on the move again. Passing the checkpoint, she got a few cheers from the soldiers as she passed, holding a fist. Her brother put on his own dark shades, sitting back and breathing out all the stress he’d no doubt felt as she slept.

Roy directed them to the college to check on Selvaria, not that Maria knew much about the scaled woman. Apparently, she was some kind of huge leviathan—shit had nothing on the bible’s. Trying not to get sucked down a rabbit hole, she felt lighter upon seeing a grin on Fiona as they freely cruised down the somewhat empty streets. At least half the businesses seemed to be back open, making Maria nod; people had to make a living, and life went on.

She saw Beastkin, Faekin, and everything in between strolling with loved ones. Love was coming back to the neighborhood, and she could see it in the faces of the residents. Tourists appeared somewhat sketched out still, being so far away from home, but Miami was a welcoming community.

Arm resting against the door, she vibed to the chill sound of the mixtape. A lot would have changed in the criminal network of Florida with Terrell and several other gangs taken out of the picture. Thankfully, it was the bad actors who flocked to Relica’s side; the types the streets were better off without.

Right now, peace was looking likely, and Miguel would have moved to fill the hole. Little Havana was about to take center stage. Maria was here for it since it would allow them to put a more positive spin on keeping the hood safe from outside forces.

Spinning the wheel left and right, she had fun on the drive, swapping lanes and enjoying the energy people sent them from the sidewalks or the salutes from other vehicles.

Roy pointed them to the college Coast Guard checkpoint, updating them on what they knew about the conflicts during the operation, what happened to them, and the State’s current affairs. Classes seemed suspended until further notice as students returned to their families until everything smoothed over.

Still, there were a few people exercising or wandering around the grounds as they circled the parking lot to find an empty place. It seemed the military was doing a good job of keeping things organized after nearly a week into The Oscillation.

Taking two stalls, Maria dropped the hydraulics down low and got out, Fiona giggling as she stretched out in the air, and her brother hopped out, keeping his sunglasses on.

“Do you just drive a lot to pass the time, Maria? So many people waved at us and shouted like they knew you.”

Putting her glasses on the brim of her hat, Maria shut the door and locked the car when everyone exited. “It’s relaxing, girl. Doesn’t it feel good just to pull out and chill with the homies, bumpin’ good music, and seein’ the changes to the city? It’s the vibe, ya know? Ya gotta let go and relax after the grind. Enjoy life.”

“Because it’s short,” her brother repeated, flashing his teeth as he fell in lockstep with Roy. “I hear the President is doing nightly updates on stuff.”

“Have you listened to them?” Fiona asked, keeping even with their heads so they could talk as her green glow carried her through the air. “What’s going on?”

“Naaa,” Felix scoffed. “Busy with other shiz.”

“A lotta shit is happening,” Roy chuckled. “Mostly in the big cities, but there are some country murders. Local police and the FBI are taking control. State and city leadership should be taking the reigns back soon. Martial Law is only supposed to be used for a short period when social collapse is happening. We’ll probably still have some presence here to support the governors; it’ll mostly be in extra personnel rather than combat, though.”

“Cool,” Maria grunted, noting the military vehicles posted around the campus. “So, we gonna see this leviathan girl, huh? She’s in here?”

Roy opened the doors for what appeared to be a giant pool. “Yeah, she needs a lot of water, and the college has a pool. Her mom’s here, so putting her mind at ease should help.”

Scanning the large, echoey area, Maria lifted an eyebrow as they stopped at the pool’s edge to look down at a sleeping, monstrous-looking woman near the bottom, blowing bubbles up to the surface in her dreams.

Her brother rubbed the back of his neck. “I, uh, expected…more?”

“Hahaha. You should see my daughter when she transforms. She’s quite the looker.”

Maria looked to the side as an older woman approached them. “Hello. I assume you’re the unicorn Mythickin that they said would come to check on her condition?”

Horn flaring to life, she looked into the lightly rippling waters, beams shining through the liquid to touch the leviathan. “Yup, same as the others…spiritual fatigue. Damn. Shit’s no joke; drops ya like a bag of rocks. Give her a few more hours, and she’ll be good. No problems.”

“Haaa. That’s a relief,” the lady sighed, giving her a thankful smile. “I appreciate you coming all this way. Can I do anything in return?”

Maria held up her hand and walked away. “Ain’t nothin’ I need right now. I do gotta head out, though. I got a party to hit. Later.”

“Is that it?” Fiona asked, her eyes creasing with worry as she looked back at the mother. “Isn’t there anything else we can do? Umm, do you have a name, Ma’am?”

“Aww, thank you; Fiona, right? You’re kind. And it’s Teri.” The woman shook her head as they paused. “And I’ll be fine. I’m sure you’re very busy with amazing powers like yours. If it’s just a few hours, I can plan on taking Selvaria to Garcia Seafood Grille to celebrate. Thank you, Maria.”

A little put off by how she knew her name, Maria shrugged it off; it was probably passed around by Rachel or something since everyone seemed to know her. “Sure, whatever.”

Roy fell in line with her on their way back to her car. “You’ve been a lot calmer than what Cameron told me. Other than that weird drunk spell, since we left the hospital, you’ve just been coasting.”

“That’s a good way to put it.” Maria looked up at the sunny heavens, a hum rumbling in her throat. “I’m just glad the kids made it through that shit… Damn, they’ll have nightmares, for sure, but at least they’ll live to work through it. Kids can be tough if you let ’em. Aye, but I got places to be. No more side shit!”

Loading up into her Impala, the sun dropped in the sky as she took them to Little Havana, driving slow and low. She let herself be seen, calling out to the locals and showing the city everything was on the up. Felix shouted out their block was having a party, getting some of the older folk to do funny little dances, singing old Cuban hits.

By the time they rolled up to the block, Maria was wearing a grin, seeing the crowded streets, people passing between houses and collecting food. Classic cars lined the road in anticipation of the after-party cruise, bumping songs in unison for people to dance to, and when her jam came on, she turned it up—Neighborhood Music by Lil Rob.

She saw grills being wheeled to the nearby park where everything was going down, but her first stop was a little brick duplex on the block: her house, right next to Zarita’s.

“Queen!” a fifteen-year-old honey badger Beastkin cried, jumping out of the front door as they pulled up. “Yo, what the hell happened in Miami Beach?! I heard you took out Terrell’s clique! Why the hell didn’t you bring me, bitch!?”

“Aye, Queenie!”

“Yo, Maria. Check out this bomb weed! We got the joints!”

Maria got out, waving at all the folks she’d known almost all her life, supporting each other wherever needed. “Haha! Don’t burn it all before the party, niñitos.”

“Naa, just a taste, Queen! Ack-haha!”

“Dude, give me a hit!”

She turned away from them to run her fingers through the girl’s thick, dirty silver hair as the honey badger ran up to her, everyone else going back to the party preparations.

“Yo, Elena, chill, chica. You know you ain’t old enough for the biz. Thug around the block if yer feelin’ jumpy. How’s la anciana; her back still actin’ up?”

The pouty Beastkin girl’s leery eyes darted off Roy and Fiona, excitement budding as she showed her sharp fangs. “You’re strong enough now?! You can heal my mom?”

“C’mon.” Maria nudged her head for her to go inside, forcing the troublesome teen into a one-armed hug. “How’s things with Uncle Miguel? He been by?”

“Yeah!” Elena punched the air with a wicked grin. “They hit Terrell’s spots with the boys; they brought back a shit ton of food, weed, and other stuff for the blocks! We got steak!”

“Steak, huh…” Maria grumbled, knowing she couldn’t stomach it with her new diet of only fruits and vegetables; it sucked. “Sounds real good. Yo, Felix, go shout to Miguel that I’m posted in the hood.”

“Aye, on it, Hermana!”

Going inside with Elena by her side, she caught Roy staying by the car, surrounded by Mexicans and Cubans, as they saw what the military man was about. She heard Zarita’s thick accent as she tried to get out of bed.

“Ugh… Elena, is that Lil’ Maria? Is she back?”

“Aye, Anciana; yeah, I’m home.”

“Good…”

“What’s up?” Maria held up her hand as the damnable woman came out with a slipper to smack her raised arm. “Aye! Cut it out, Aunt Z!”

“Ya go off and startin’ shit with people—leavin’ me ta worry shitless about your fat ass! You almost gave me a heart attack!”

“Ma, chill! Ma!” Elena hissed, trying to pull her back, ears pulled back. “She just got outta the hospital! You’ll hurt yourself!”

“Oof!”

As expected, Zarita doubled over, hissing and grasping at her back.

“What did I tell you—dammit, Mom…” Elena snarled, helping her to the couch. “I’ll get you the ice packs.”

Chuckling at the angry woman who had been fretting over her since she was five, Maria activated her powers; horn flaring to life, she felt the metal holding Zarita’s body together firing off her nerves, her failing pancreas, and a host of other problems.

“Hey, I’m here for ya, Aunt Z…”

[Heal], [Purify], and [Cure Defect] activated, healing and relieving her of all the pain the woman would have felt for nearly two decades.

Pinched face, wrinkles, and heavy expression smoothing over with healthy, rich skin, her second mother opened her eyes wide as her torment faded. “Maria…”

“Thanks for everything you’ve done for Felix and me,” she whispered as Elena sniffed back tears, which was big for the honey badger. Leaning down to kiss her forehead, Maria fixed her hat and smiled down at her. “You took that beatin’ for me when I was a kid… So let me take care of you now, okay? I love you.”

Zarita stood up and pulled her close, quivering with all her addictions and birth defects purified. “I never did it for payment… When my sister—when she took you girls in when your father got locked up, and then she… You’re my daughter, so don’t go biting off more than you can chew and break my heart…because you can’t heal that.”

“Aye… You know I learn fast, Aunt V,” Maria soothed, rubbing her back as the tattooed, rough man she’d looked up to as a kid came through the front, pulling off his sunglasses. “Speaking of…I gotta talk ’ta Uncle Miguel.”

Zarita turned to glare at the fifty-year-old bald man. “Don’t you get her wrapped up in more shit.”

“Yo, you know I don’t want that smoke, Z. I don’t need an ass beatin’; last time you kicked the shit outta me, ya know? Haha. Lil’ Maria was the one lookin’ for me. Aye, you lookin’ good, though, Z. I like that glow on ya; haven’t seen it since we was young.”

“Oh, shut up,” she grunted, blushing as she looked into the front room mirror to see how her aging had been healed. “Don’t take all of Maria’s time. This is a party, not a place to discuss street jobs or business.”

“Understood.”

“Go out back—and not you, El!”

“Aww… You’re always hounding me!”

“El… Haaa.”

Sniffing, Miguel chuckled as the teen huffily went to her room to slam the door, turning up her stereo to bump Chino Grande, Under the Sun.

“Teens be teens, Z; they be wylin’. Aye, I keep to myself,” he said, holding up his hands at her glare. “Queen.”

Maria walked with him to the back, grabbing some water from the fridge and tossing a beer to the man. He popped it open on the counter, following her to the lawn chairs to sit and stare up at the heavens. She was a little surprised when he started, rubbing the cross tattooed atop his head.

“Yo, Maria, eyes open… Everyone’s sayin’ your crew took out Terrell and the Columbian Cartel clique; your name’s gotten pretty big, Kid, so watch your back. A lot of respect for it on the streets, and there’s talk about the Black Devil Bunny in your posse; they say she’s a loco killer off her leash. Naa. A lotta talk hittin’ the streets these days, Kid. We got some new faces cruisin’ the streets, too, lookin’ to get your blessin’ ta set up shop.”

She settled in, glaring at the few clouds in the sky. “I don’t run with snake bitches lookin’ for a slide-in. Pop-bitches be lookin’ for a quick leg-in ’ta ruin the blocks and run ’em dry with dope. I ain’t seein’ that as a solution, but, aye, I got a new business proposition, ya know?”

Miguel lifted an eyebrow, turning a bit to look at her through his black sunglasses. “That loco bunny chica, huh? What’s the terms and score? Who you workin’ with?”

Drawing in a long puff of air, Maria breathed it out in a long stream. “Rachel said we could make real money…like major scores. She wants to start some private military shit to run these Crystal gateways, and the feds seem chill on the idea. You heard of them?”

“Bits and pieces here and there. Monster shit,” he grunted, fingers tracing his trimmed mustache. “I hear you can bring back space shit. I don’t know; feels kind of sketchy, and who’s to say it doesn’t close on ya? Private military, though, huh? Damn. We talkin’ legit shit—army shit?”

Maria nodded. “Government-funded shit. Big bands. Rachel’s got some connections, for sure. I don’t know all the details, though… Seems a bit too… Haaa. Yeah.”

Miguel bobbed his head to the music Elena bumped in her room as he thought. “Hmm. What’s this Rachel bunny like?”

“Hare, actually,” she muttered. “Ugh. She’s hella real. I think you’d like her; she doesn’t take shit and takes care of business. She hella moves. Girl’s scary, motivated, and risky. She plays the right cards, though.”

He pushed out his lips while stroking his braided beard. “She gets results, huh? She takes necessary risks, hmm? If ya want my thoughts, Kid, I’d say test the waters. See what she’s about. An average chica doesn’t snatch the attention of the US military without reason, you know? Whatever they know, it’s something ’ta evaluate…”

Miguel trailed off as a knock came at the back door, and Roy cleared his throat, stepping through. “Yo, what’s up, Special Forces? Got somethin’ for us?”

Roy nodded at him before addressing her. “Hey, Maria, I just got orders from Captain Barbara. The President wants everyone brought to DC. We leave tomorrow morning.”

“The President, eh?” Miguel drew in his mouth and nodded. Rising to his feet, he tapped the side of his glasses twice, telling her to be smart and keep her eyes open. “Catch ya at the park, Kid. We’ll start the cruise around nine to hit the city. You good?”

“Yeah, we’ll get by. Later, Uncle M.”

“Eyes open. Keep it real, Special Forces, and thanks for the service.”

Roy nodded as he held up his beer to him and left. “Haha. Fiona’s getting a bit nervous from all the kids circling her like sharks. I think she’s looking for some rescue.”

“Eh. Aye, chica’s got fire. She’s fine, but I should show her around the block. ’ight. Party and then ’ta DC. Damn. I guess I should pack some shit. The President… Shit.”

Getting up, she walked through the house, hugging Zarita and popping in to let Elena know she could tag along. The teen had snuck out of the bathroom window during her talk, though, which was like the honey badger, prompting Zarita to storm out to find her.

Outside, Maria shooed off the enthralled kids, asking Fiona to show them her magic and wondering if they could out-speed their favorite-looking car on the block.

“You good, short-stack?” she asked, hands in her pockets and leaning against the trunk of her ride as Roy came to join her. “The niñas and niños seem ’ta like ya.”

Fiona showed a strained grin as she floated at eye level, green wings drawing eyes like a traffic light race. “Eh-heh. I’m sparkly, little, and cute… Haaa. I want to talk to Nora now.”

“Lil’ sis?” Maria questioned with her melancholy, downward gaze.

“Yeah, she’s three years younger than me,” she whispered, staring after the flirting older teens as they tried to skip out on tasks and sneak away. “Mateo told me a lot of phone grids are down across the world, and Ireland is going through some kind of political thing with the UK not sending enough resources to help. I just want to know if my parents and sister are alright.”

Nodding slowly, Maria looked up at the blazing overhead sun. “I feel ya. It’d be nice to know if my familia are good back in LA. Damn, it’s been a while since I talked to them.”

Fiona’s face brightened as her lime-green eyes found Felix. “You and your brother seem close. Does he miss family back west, too?”

“Ah.” Maria waved her hand dismissively. “Naaw. Felix and I aren’t blood-related like that. My dad moved us out here after gettin’ some heat in Cali and caught a case here. So, my aunt Lita took us in since she just got her green card and got here from Cuba—her sister married my uncle Eustacio,” she added at the fairy’s confused stare. “We come from big families.”

“What about your mom?” Fiona asked, eyebrows drawing in.

Maria paused, thinking back on her life. “Meh. Ran out on me when I was, like…one? No clue. Lita was my mom growin’ up; she couldn’t have kids, so she took in what niñas and niños she could.”

Sucking in her cheeks, she saw her second mom fending off congratulations at being healed while searching for Elena; she didn’t get to know Lita as a mom like she had her.

“Are you okay?” Fiona asked, gliding in front of her, hands held against her chest. “I’m sorry if I brought up bad memories.”

“Naaa. I ain’t got nothin’ for my birth mom. Lita and Zarita raised Felix and me. Elena’s like my lil’ sis; she’s a good mujer joven under all that attitude. She’s just tryin’ ’ta find her place in the familia. Hmm. Aye, Roy, you free ’ta chill, or are ya gonna be a killjoy all night, eh? Grab a beer, hombre!”

Roy chuckled and crossed his arms. “I mean, I do need to fit in, right?”

“Pfft! Not with that Spanish accent, mi chico! Aye, loosen up, huh? It’s a block party!”

Fiona’s smile returned. “Show us around your block!”

“Aye, that’s the spirit! Let’s have some fun!”

Guiding them away to enjoy the thrill of the party, Maria took them to the party to join in the dances of the mixed Mexican and Cuban cultures in their neighborhood. Eventually, as the night went on and they finished driving around Little Havana, Maria found herself pulling into the little church she’d always attended.

Fiona, Roy, and Felix followed her inside as Maria hugged Father Pomar and sat in the front row. She waved at several others who had come to the sanctified ground. She could feel a sense of peace in the place as she looked up at Mother Mary, holding baby Jesus, and a soft sigh puffed through her lips.

Making the sign of the cross, she kissed her silver rosary and leaned against her thighs, spiritually seeking guidance after everything that had happened swept through her.

Rachel still was a mystery that she had to figure out. If the hare did have a way to lift up her community and give these people a better life, then she’d do it. The young woman also had to explain this devil shit because Maria didn’t touch evil stuff, and whatever that Nia kid turned into, it certainly felt hellish. Then again, from what Roy told her, Rachel had saved all the children, which was far from evil.

She’d find out soon enough because as her brain had cleared, she realized part of the reason she’d been so overwhelmed was due to three unique souls within or near Rachel, and one had been insanely powerful. Something was inside Rachel’s clothes, and at least one of them would be conscious soon.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Captain Bun

Nia’s ears twitched as she curled up in bed, groaning and stretching out across her sheet. Smacking her lips, she tasted drool while dully staring up at the glowing bunny stickers she’d put all over her ceiling. Feeling lethargic, her fuzzy brain ticked backward, rusty gears clinking with her gradually quickening thoughts.

“Ugggh… Blegh.”

Last she remembered, she was doing some kick-tail things, and there was a pretty black meteor. Then, she got a little sleepy, so she crawled into bed.

“Hugh!” Eyes snapping open, she shot up in bed, messy, white hair whipping left and right as she scanned her personally decorated room in Rachel’s soul. “The bad wizard man! Huh…”

In the silent and faintly lit space, she found a bed resting beside hers, where a gorgeous, young, bandaged woman rested. “Nike,” she noted with a rapid nod, ears falling forward as her foggy mind came into focus. “And there were funny knights and a princess…Was there a princess? No… Not a princess. Booo… Bad story.”

Arms flying out, she sank back into her pillow. “Hmm. What am I supposed to do? Let’s see, I was… Major?!”

Nia jumped out of bed and ran to the door in a panic, throwing it open to find the black nothingness that Rachel refused to decorate. To the side of the blinding spotlight overhead was her partner in ears.

“Rachel!” Running to the limp hare, she rolled her over to see a little drool oozing out of her mouth. Giggling and breathing a sigh of relief, she leaned back, supporting herself with her arms. “Don’t panic…everything’s a-okay. Haaa. We’re all okay.”

Doing a quick scan of her leader and what was happening outside, Nia frowned. I can’t be a little girl and know what the major needs. Time to grow up!

[Subdue Curse: Active]

Darkness seeped out of Nia’s frame, shrouding her in shadows as the giant hare woman shrunk with the rest of the world. When it cleared, Nia tightened her fist and returned to her anime military school, black-and-red uniform.

It was as if a vise around her brain and heart had been loosened, thoughts she’d never have as a child taking bloom while she processed what it was like to be freed from the age curse.

[Counter Curse Pool: 99.9%]

[5:59:59 Hours Remaining]

Four-leaf-clover eyes returning to her major, Nia let out a long sigh. “I really am somewhat of a burden as a kid…yet you still humored my antics. Hmm.”

Her skirt folded around her thigh as she knelt down to study Rachel’s condition more thoroughly; she was out for the count and would probably remain that way for a while.

Picking the hare up, her narrowed vision drifted around the dark space, sensing a strange power that had flowed through Nike, Rachel, and her a bit ago. It had now dissipated, but the effect was fairly obviously an attempt to enhance the effects of the personification’s ichor, hoping to support them through all their spirit expansions.

She returned Rachel to her room, mentally expanding the bed and nestling her leader into the comforting mattress; everything inside the room was infused with Nike’s Ichor and was most likely the reason for her recovering first, along with naturally being more intrinsically tied to the personification.

Summoning a chair at the foot of the two beds, she sank inside of it and crossed her legs, her boots bobbing a bit as she leaned against the armrest to determine her next best move. Fist resting against her cheek, her vision wandered between the recovering two young women within her care. It was her job to protect both, yet it appeared as if Rachel and Nike had been the ones caring for her.

Now returned to her true age, she could see that it was only by Nike’s divine blood that they’d survived the ordeals in the Legend’s Quest. Both Rachel and she would have been spiritually torn apart by all the Unique Moons and rapid EXP gain. If that weren’t enough, without synchronizing with Rachel’s soul, her leader wouldn’t have been able to share in that restorative energy.

A recording of memories exploded above the beds as Nia used her access to Rachel’s soul to replay everything that had happened. Her major was brilliant, maneuvering as best she could through the unbelievable events she’d been manipulated into. Cerridwen’s prompt to Eostre and Rachel’s misfortune sense had guided them through what should have been certain death, and that was what must have snatched Izanami’s interest.

“Nearly four days,” she whispered, watching everything that had happened outside of their spirit in a sped-up fashion. “We’ll be going to some place called Washington, DC, where the leader of the major’s nation is based… Hmm. It’s not for me to debrief the military without knowing where Rach wants to pull them, so it’s best to remain silent on that—”

“Mmgm…”

A heavenly groan made Nia’s ears poke up, and her attention darted to the angelic woman to her left as a quiver ran down Nike’s frame, a pained whimper following. She was waking up—if only for a moment, Nia was sure.

Getting to her feet, she showed a gentle smile as she helped the woman remove the bandages around her head so that her electric-blue eyes could crack open, having been restored during her slumber.

“How do you feel, Lady Nike?”

“Hmm?” Still looking sickly despite her glorious countenance, the personification’s slim fingers tightened against the sheets covering her naked figure as she oriented herself. “You are…the Soul Item who offered to shelter me… Nia? Mmmgm…”

“I am. You should rest, though,” she softly urged. The silver-haired woman’s sudden wince, groan, and uncomfortable, shifting shoulders brought Nia’s frown to the bed; her kid-self had missed an important process in Nike’s recovery. “Your back… Give me a moment.”

Kneeling down and sweeping her braided hair out of the way, she studied the underside of the bed while imagining the place morphing to her desires. Two holes opened up, offering the goddess’ angelic wings room to grow and stretch without being compressed; in addition, she made sure the floor bowed and had cushioning for the appendages to rest on.

“There, how is that?” Nia soothed, rising back to her feet to see the personification pulling a few loose strands of her thick, silvery bangs behind her ear. “Better?”

A weak chuckle shook Nike’s weak figure as she settled back in, closing her brilliant eyes for a moment before opening them again. “Exhausted, drained, and still practically on my deathbed in wait for Thanatos… What happened to Dionysus?”

Nia snorted and showed her the two memories of when Rachel had rescued her and when Izanami had so terrified the lesser god that he’d practically committed suicide trying to get rid of the Hell Lady. “You won’t need to worry about that douchebag any longer.”

“I see…” A melancholy sigh passed through the woman’s cracked lips as a golden tear fell down her cheek. “The Dionysus I knew was…kind.”

Sitting beside her, Nia reached out to take her hand in support, feeling her spiritual quakes that transferred emotions not her own. “What happened?”

“I welcomed him after that endless, horrific battle against myself, beaten and ravaged…” Nia experienced a quiver from the goddess’ ruined wings to the tip of her own tail and ears. “I thought I would receive succor and aid…instead, I was impaled by my own weapons, stained in the blood of my own doubles. He was not the gentle boy who looked up to my mistress.”

Seeing the torture and bewilderment in Nike’s watery eyes, leaking liquid gold, Nia tried to comfort the personification as she went in and out of consciousness. Eventually, she asked to be shown the events of the tournament, yet her constitution was too weak to finish, and Nia let her slip back into blissful sleep two hours from the point she’d awoken.

She fixed the woman’s sheets again, glad that much of the initial confusion and shock was dying down. Once again, she had no clue what Rachel wanted to do with the poor woman, but that would come soon enough, now that she had pulled her inside. For now, all she could do was make them both comfortable. Her gained levels would be done with her partner.

Leaning back in her chair, Nia reflected on her own inexperience. Outside, she listened and observed Molly, Sam, and Scarlet, along with the host of nurses, doctors, and soldiers who came in from time to time. Apparently, she’d caused a bit of an upset when a nurse tried to undress Rachel and put her in some kind of terrible gown; naturally, she’d acted unconsciously and crushed her fingers.

Nia fussed with her hair, breathing out her stress. There was so much she needed to learn, and now she saw how much more of a burden she would be to her major when the curse returned. There were bits and pieces she knew about the world from her connection to Rachel, but it was far from perfect, let alone personal experience. She did know it wasn’t her place to interfere with Rachel’s family or do anything other than protect her leader.

In the hours that passed, Nia analyzed their connection and made a few troubling discoveries that would severely impact how they went forward. It was thanks to the Synchro Points being put into their personal spiritual bond rather than to the items, such as the hammer, that made it possible to bring Rachel into this space in the first place, which brought her closer to Nike to share in her restorative properties.

Her focus drifted to a clock as Rachel’s ears twitched, a low, exhausted groan passing through her lips. At least, she was regaining spiritual cognizance; it would still be quite a while before that translated to physical cognizance, however.

[Counter Curse Pool: 23%]

[1:23:00 Hours Remaining]

“Welcome back, Major. Feeling like shit?”

Rachel’s eclipse-like eyes opened and lowered to appraise her. A weak smile lifted her lips as she fell back against the pillow, ears draping against the backboard.

“Nia… You look good. How long?”

“Roughly the fourth day. I hear they’re moving you to a place called DC to meet someone called ‘The President.’ That good, or do I need to break you out of this ‘hospital,’ and find a safer location?”

“Mmm. No, it—should be fine,” she mumbled, coughing a little. “What happened to us, and why am I in such a shitty state?”

“Thank her for your swift recovery.” Nia jabbed a finger at the resting personification in the bed beside her leader as Rachel’s weak gaze opened to take in the kiddy room. “Can I suggest something, Major?”

Vision closing again, the hare’s chest shook with faint laughter. “I don’t think I’m going anywhere soon. We’re still in this spiritual place, aren’t we?”

“Yes.” Letting the statement hang for a few seconds, she leaned her cheek against her fist while staring at the totally drained young woman in front of her, utterly defenseless without her. “We shouldn’t use the Unique Moons. Not unless we absolutely have to.”

“Mmgm-haaa.” Resituating on her bed, Rachel puffed out a hiss as she forced herself to open her eyes again. “Okay. I’m all ears. What’s on your mind, Soldier? You have something to get off your chest.”

Nia’s focus flicked to the resting, silver-haired goddess beside her leader. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and studying in the past few hours regarding our spirits, these Seeds, and the effect of these moons have on us, and I’ve come to a few conclusions.

“First, without Nike’s ichor sustaining us, we would have long been torn apart by the mess of energy flooding us, and part of that burden you shared with me, lessening the strain. Let’s not forget the Hell Moon restricting itself to the lowest state it could go.”

A slow nod came from her major as Rachel’s eyes fell to her stomach, internalizing everything she was expressing, yet Nia knew the hare could see everything in perfect focus.

“We are worsening Nike’s condition and slowing her recovery by putting so much stress on her by using all of this Negative Lunar Energy, such as the Hell, Blood, and Greater Harvest Moons. Your soul cannot sustain itself under their pressure for long. That kind of Force is counter to Nike’s nature as a Positive Energy being.

“In short, your goal was to protect Nike and give her a safe place to stay. Using Negative Energy moons will not accomplish that objective. Furthermore, our souls are not capable of sustaining that level of output, and only by pure luck, splitting the stress, and the specific types of moons used allowed us to go this far.”

Rachel followed her gaze to the resting woman. “I see… So, that’s why Chang’e recommended that we try more Positive Unique Moons. We were hurting Nike, and I’m not suited to handle the Negative ones for long.”

“…Not exactly,” she whispered, drawing the hare’s attention as Nia straightened in her chair. “Secondly, you actually do channel Negative Force rather well, which is something I obtained from our spiritual synchronization. You are very adaptable, Major, and I’m sure Izanami and others took note of that, but I am still catching up and have relied heavily on Nike’s ichor to keep pace.”

A thoughtful hum rumbled in the hare’s throat as she looked off to the side. “Interesting… Eldritch is neither Positive nor Negative, as I understand it. Is that why Cerridwen chose me, and how does the Black Moon affect Nike?”

Not having an answer, Nia shrugged. “These Unique Moons are extremely powerful, and the Black Moon is…unorthodox, is all I can say. If we were to study it during the transformation, then I’m sure we’d be able to learn more, yet that is also a risk.”

“It is,” Rachel said with a short sigh, forcing her hands onto her belly while recalling the experience. “There was a point when we were turned, where I knew I wouldn’t be able to go back if I kept diving deeper into those enigmatic, misty layers, and I’d lose myself. Alright, we’ll limit it to only used when necessary; our pools of energy are finite anyway.”

Big ears shifting to the side, the hare rolled to stare at Nike and her, clearly restless. “How will the energy affect me if you swap my Pool out and we don’t use [Lunar Spike] to simulate the moon’s presence? Can I still utilize certain aspects of being under the Unique Moon?”

A frown touched Nia’s face, crossing her legs the opposite way and looking at the clock again, gut tightening; she did fear the haze of childhood dampening her mind again. Clothing compressing around Rachel’s body outside their spiritual room with the sudden spike of discomfort, Nia had to force herself to relax a bit before giving her honest response.

[1:15:00 Hours Remaining]

“It’s…hard to say right now. From what I’ve observed, you’d probably have a very minor reaction, depending on the levels I give you, but I can’t mix Pools at this point. I can separate but not combine. It’s all or nothing. Rachel?”

“Mmm…” Head lulling to the side, the lunar hare jerked and opened her eyes again after twenty seconds. “Hmm?”

“You’re fading again. If you keep forcing yourself to remain awake, then it might worsen your fatigue.”

Rachel shook her head and slumped to her back again, swallowing the lump in her throat before puffing out a long, hot breath. “I can finish this…and then rest. I’m sure Chang’e will send a messenger if I accept her offer, and potentially show us what Positive Energy feels like. Hmm. You have access to everyone else outside?”

“It will be hard to manifest myself,” she truthfully responded, “but I should be able to hold it until I revert back to a child in approximately 72 minutes. May I address one more thing?”

Rachel lifted her eyebrows to let her know to continue. “Let’s hear it.”

“Major…” Nia straightened and grabbed her wrist, resting it against her thigh and looking right into the hare’s waiting eyes. “I lack in many areas, and I want to be more useful to you. I’m not comfortable with how vulnerable you are when I’m under this curse. I want you to know how I feel because I think that is something you’d value… I want to use this precious time each day wisely, and I cannot break it into increments. I want to be a team and share your burden…not be one.”

An uncomfortable silence ensued as her leader considered her statement, and after a short time, a small smirk lifted the corner of the hare’s mouth. “You really are my twin… Feeling restless, huh? Haaa. Okay, but you also have to learn how to have fun, too, Soldier. I enjoy being in the gym, training and, heh, getting punched…well, mostly the punching others part,” she admitted.

Finding the strength to rub her eyes, Rachel blinked and pushed herself against the headboard, ears resting against the wood. “I know you’re at least a bit more girly than me, Nia. You enjoy fashion and shopping—not that I don’t—but not to the same degree as, say…you or my mom. Don’t push down the joys of life by feeling like you’re letting me down. You’re not, and I wouldn’t be here without you, child or adult. Got it, Captain Bun?”

Stress melting away, Nia forced it out in a long stream. “Loud and clear, MajorHops.”

“Good. Now, why don’t we make the best out of this hour you’ll have left? I think our patron goddess here’s given me a second wind. Give me a short rundown of what’s happening outside, and then you can do what I can’t, eh-hehe…wake up. Report, Captain.”

Giving Rachel a return smirk and loose salute, Nia fixed her skirt and took on a more serious posture. “Ma’am!”

She went through a rough overview of what happened, and hearing the soldiers bringing everyone to the hospital in preparation to form a caravan to a place called an airport, it didn’t take long for Rachel to give her a short list of tasks to complete.

Their Stats and Feat selection would wait until they had a chance to see where things would be heading, but Nia was certain her curious leader would be pouring over The System when able over the next several days that it would take her to recover. It would still be a day or two before she regained consciousness, yet her spiritual stamina wouldn’t reach normal levels for at least another week, even with Nike’s help.

Once finished, Nia looked at her clock, not happy with how much time she had when things could so easily spiral out of control, worried she could get trapped in one of the tasks Rachel assigned her.

[0:54:34 Hours Remaining]

Standing at the door, Rachel’s eyes were drooping, yet she was still mumbling about everything she’d learned.

“Hmm. Astra did vanish after everyone collapsed and left behind a puppet body. They…ran interference on the evidence gathered by the public on the operation but haven’t returned or reached out to anyone personally yet. Weird…”

Nia paused for a moment as her fearless, overachieving major slipped back into the void. Flipping off the light, she sighed. Rachel had been nothing but good to her since being in the hare’s care, and this goddess had kept her alive through Dionysus’ curses. She didn’t know what her leader was totally about, but what she did have was high hopes for the future; it was her job to keep her owner on the rise and share her burden.

“Thank you for believing in me, Major.”

Nia shut the door and created her artificial, humanoid body, manifesting to her family for the first time. Twinkling lights brought her into being, causing Scarlet to shoot to her feet.

Red irises and four-leaf-clover petals opening, she put on a bright smile and held up a hand. “Yo, what’s up!”

“H-Hey, uh…who are—a Rachel clone?” Scarlet stammered, waving at her leader’s parents. “M-Mrs. Park! Mr. Park!”

Crossing her arms, Nia shifted to a wall and appraised her superior, letting the chaos unfold as soldiers came in, calling their supervisors. It was a bit amusing how even Scarlet saw her as a clone, but Nia knew she wasn’t quite a copy due to her slimmer figure. That being said, they were a close match, for sure.

“I guess you could call me a clone,” she chuckled, vision snapping to Molly as she cleared her throat and rose with her husband. “I’m Nia, by the way. You could say I’m Rachel’s living clothes that protect her. I was the child with her when she came out of the Legend’s Quest. Questions? I’m on a bit of a clock.”

“Many!” Scarlet swiftly replied, her hands nervously grasped at her front as she inched forward. “What happened inside that portal?!”

“Ahem.” Molly swept her loose hair behind her ears as she broke into the conversation, and two officers hurried down the hall to join them. “Yes, we want to know what happened to my daughter, but first…how is she?”

Shifting her weight to the opposite foot, Nia showed a confident face. “She’ll make a full recovery in time. I was able to talk to her a short bit in spirit before she slipped under again, and she told me to let you know that she looks forward to a long talk when she’s conscious.”

Relief came over them at her tone, Scarlet forcing a laugh as she collapsed on her seat. “Wow… I just can’t believe we made it through all that. And you’re her like…spirit animal? That’s sooo cool! What happened?”

Nia’s gaze snapped to the door as a classy, military-dressed woman came in with a few men; from what she’d heard from passing gossip, Saint Barbara had returned to consciousness only a few hours previous.

“That’s what I would like to know, Scarlet. I’m sorry, but we’ll need to discuss the details you have in private as a matter of national security. Did I hear correctly that you have the answers for us?”

Nia’s lips twisted, eyes narrowing at the soldiers in the hallway. “Unfortunately, Captain Barbara, Rachel made it clear to me that I wasn’t to say anything beyond a few details regarding myself and her condition. I am to collect more information about the fallout after the operation and report back to her for further instruction. Until I get orders from my major, I am only here to ensure Rachel’s safety and do the few tasks she has given me to fulfill. She will awaken in mind and spirit before her body.”

Sam, Rachel’s father, moved to look down at his daughter, resting with a sensor showing quite unnatural vital signs that made no sense to Nia. “You can communicate with her before she wakes up, then? She’s okay, though.” He brushed back his daughter’s thick bangs and smiled. “If it’s Rachel, I’m sure this is all business after letting us know she was safe. Can you tell us more about yourself?”

“Minimally,” Nia confirmed, pulling everyone’s attention and Barbara’s slight frustration. Rachel said the woman was probably under a lot of stress from superiors, but she would back off if Nia were blunt and honest. “It shouldn’t be more than another day or so until I can give you an answer. Perhaps more if the major wants me to be in this adult form.” Her tone brightened as she grinned at Molly’s sad face. “I’m here to support.”

“How so?” Barbara questioned, vision drifting to her true body that the hare wore. “Were you the one that crushed a nurse’s fingers when they tried to undress Rachel?”

Placing a hand on her hip, Nia gave a shrug. “Probably. It’s my job to protect my wearer, including from horrendous fashion. I’ve looked forward to meeting you, Mrs. Park. Rachel has built you up to be quite the woman.”

A rosy smile lifted the woman’s eyes. “Daww. Every mother loves to hear that. Sam and I would love to hear all about you if you’re the one who protected our daughter. Isn’t that right?”

The man gestured to the window seat. “I’ll take notes. Captain Barbara, Scarlet, care to join?”

“Yes!” Scarlet chimed, jumping to move her chair to face the closed window; the sun wasn’t out, and the window blinds were totally open, but it appeared to be a new moon, or it had already fallen below the horizon. “First, how do you turn from a little girl to, uh…well, how you look now?”

Nia snickered, making the girl’s cheeks color as she smoothly sat. “Rachel’s right, you are pretty awkward—oh, but in an adorable way! She was worried about you like you were a little sister.”

“Mmmgm. I didn’t want her to worry about me,” Scarlet grumbled, biting her bottom lip and glaring at the sleeping hare. “She was super positive, wasn’t she?”

“The major?” Nia asked, crossing her legs and fixing her skirt. “Rach is my owner and a hopeful realist, I guess you could say, and I am her captain. And, no…you should say she saved me…multiple times. How did I turn into a little girl? A curse I cannot go into detail about. I must be brief since this curse will return in less than fifty minutes. Let me begin by reintroducing myself…”

Going over herself and her bond with Rachel, she skipped over how she was created or came into contact with her leader. It only took eight minutes to satisfy everyone’s curiosity as to what a Soul Item was and how she was connected to the lunar hare, but it certainly seemed to have the saint interested in outfits that could enhance anyone, and not just those with the Seeds.

As for Molly, the woman was more fascinated by her child-like curse, time limit, attributes, and fashion choices than anything else, catching her a tad off-guard. The mother seemed thrilled to have, as she put it, yet another adorable daughter to dote on. Molly appeared even more tickled as she went on to express the promise Rachel made her about shopping together once out and things settled down. Scarlet even wanted to get in on the action.

Getting to her feet, she waved them goodbye to reach her next destination: Selvaria, Maria, and Fiona. Rachel wanted to be sure everyone was committed to joining her in DC, which appeared to be the case. She directed everyone but Maria to Rachel’s parents to learn more about who she was since more than one person mistook her for the hare, which she knew would piss off her major.

The unicorn held up her arm, a scowl in place and blocking her path to the elevator as Roy and Fiona looked between them.

“Aye, chica, we ain’t done. I got somethin’ ta say.”

“Maria,” Fiona whispered with a stressed smile. “She said she was limited on time. We’re all going to DC, right? I mean, The President asked to see us personally. Do we have a choice?”

“I’m not talkin’ ‘bout that. I gotta know now…”

Nia frowned, feeling the curse’s return getting closer by the second. Selvaria and her mom were really nice but had been a bit talkative, which wasted a bit of time. Well, her mother was a Chatty Cathy, as her daughter said; the leviathan kept trying to tell her that she had to go.

“If it’s quick,” she mumbled, scratching the base of her left ear. Rachel wanted her to quell any fears the others had of her and prevent any negative feelings from forming before things could build up or spin out of control. So far, no one had been all that angry at her leader, only wishing her a speedy recovery and a thrilling account of their time in the Legend Quest. “I still need to talk to two more people, and I’m running out of time.”

Maria swept past her, silky braided hair swinging at her back. “I don’t need long.”

Seeing Fiona’s helpless shrug and grin, Nia followed the unicorn outside the cafeteria hallway into the brightening skies; morning was coming.

Sniffing, arms crossed, Maria gave her a searching glare. “What’s up with the devil kid shit and evil feeling I got from ya when we last met, huh? I didn’t like it then; I don’t like it now. I don’t need no damn possession shit complicatin’ my life, ya know? And if the hare wants my help, I gotta know why she looked like a damn demon when she got back. We clear?”

Nia shifted her weight to the opposite foot, seeing the seriousness in the woman’s illuminated silver eyes; Rachel did give her permission to come clean if things did look like they’d spiral out of control.

“It’s…complicated, but the simple answer is that it was the effects of the Hell Moon. Just like any other moon that gives Rachel powers, it affected her in that way, but it is only temporary, and the same thing would happen under, say…the Celestial Moon, only in reverse. They aren’t powers she uses lightly, and it is one of the reasons she’s in such a critical state. She promised me that it would only be as a last resort. Does that answer your question?”

Maria’s mouth tightened as she tapped her upper arm. “That’s not all, chica. I checked again when I got back; there’s some insanely dark shit tattooed here… She make a deal with a devil or somethin’? What’s with those tooth tattoos, huh?”

Hugging herself, Nia puffed out a long sigh. “Again, complicated; something she’ll go into when she wakes up. It is actually meant to be used against a powerful demon trying to come into our world and drag it into Hades. It is to capture a demon, not bring one to Earth.”

“Hmm… ’ight,” Maria grunted and walked off to walk around the hospital, causing Fiona to balk inside and tell Roy to open the door since the unicorn was ditching them. “I’ll think on it; at least ya were honest. This is bullshit… Hell Moon? Celestial Moon? Damn. What’s next, huh, Santa Claus?”

Waving at the fairy and soldier as they flew after the Mexican Mythickin, Nia hurried to her next destination up the elevator, hearing soldiers following her.

She knocked on the door to the room before opening it up without getting permission. Anthony’s eyebrows pulled together as she entered, his fiancé still sleeping.

“Rachel…you’re up? Wait…you’re not Rachel. Who?”

“Nia, Rachel’s clothes; eh-heh, yeah, long story, but I just need you to listen for a second—I don’t have much time. Can you do that?”

He slowly nodded as she opened up the window, the sounds of the city and wind increasing with the air pressure in the room. She closed the blinds and nudged her head to join her, the furthest place away from his girl.

“Sure, uh…what’s this about?”

Nia nibbled on her bottom lip as she felt her grip on this body fading; she might not even last the full release before passing out due to the stress this was putting on her recovering spirit. The most important part had to be saved for the end since she had to keep up appearances.

“Life or death. Listening now?”

Anthony took one last look at the sick, exhausted woman, sleeping in her bed and continuing to fight the cursed cancer slowly eating her away. “Okay.”

[0:16:00 Hours Remaining]

When he drew near, Nia’s eyes and ears tilted to the door, where soldiers waited. Everything had played out more or less as Rachel projected.

“Hold out your hand. Quickly. And your phone?”

Anthony complied and fished his device out of his pocket. “Why do you need—hey… Not cool,” he whispered, trying not to alert his fiancé.

Nia took it and tossed it across the floor, sliding until it bounced off the opposite corner. In explanation, she brought up a closed fist; brilliant golden sheens erupted between her fingers, making the Legend step back, wince, and turn away. She revealed the tiny, golden Greater Seed to the stunned man.

“What the hell is that?”

She kept her voice low, eyes drilling into his. “The thing that gives you your powers: this is Conner’s Greater Seed. Rachel doesn’t know what it will do to you if you swallow it, which you need to do in order to absorb its power. She doesn’t know why this option was given to both of you, but it is an option. Rachel does know one thing, though…”

Anthony became stone-faced as Nia brought his attention to the woman he loved.

“If you had gone with her into the Legend Quest, you would have gained the ability to cure her. We can only assume that by taking this, you may unlock harder challenges, thereby gaining access to greater measures to rescue Amelia.” He reached to take it, but Nia withdrew her hand. “I’m not done.”

Letting her intense eyes translate the severity of this decision, Nia said exactly what Rachel instructed her to deliver.

“Inside at least Legendkin Greater Seeds are numberless broken worlds, and so far as we can tell, it is your job to save them. By taking this on, you’re increasing your burden, and let me be the first to tell you that both Rachel and I should be dead from just the challenges in Conner’s Legend Quest. Granted, it was unorthodox and manipulated, but this is not something to take lightly.”

Anthony worked around his jaw, glaring at the glinting seed; it wouldn’t be long until her final discussion. “Why would Rachel give this to me? She doesn’t owe me anything.”

Nia smirked, ears rising; it was too easy to predict how this would have gone. “Because Rachel knows you need help as much as we do, and she trusts your feelings for Amelia more than the military’s willingness to put up with a troublemaker like her. Rachel is willing to help you achieve your goal if you help her achieve hers to solidify a private military company. That requires you to be away from Amelia for extended periods of time.”

He grunted, running his hands through his messy red hair. “With a healthy degree of death involved… Basically, Rachel needs my quests and someone who is willing to skirt the line at times. I get the feeling she’s not keen on this idea.”

Nia brought her palm closer again, hearing the woman just down the hall as she briskly walked toward them. “There are forces that have pushed us in this direction. However, it seems worth the payout. Also, don’t underestimate your usefulness. Conner turned out to be quite the man in the end.”

“Yeah, a man who died,” Anthony sighed, plucking the seed out of her hand and popping it into his mouth to swallow. “Still, I’d do anything to give Amelia a normal, healthy life… Anything.”

His gaze drifted to the woman as his hair flared with brilliant flames and his green irises blazed. It only lasted a second before dying down. “Is that it? My throat feels a bit raw, but I don’t feel any different.”

Nia shrugged, having done her job. “No idea. Maybe it will take some time to assimilate. Anyway, Rachel looks forward to talking to you in DC. Excuse me…”

[0:10:12 Hours Remaining]

Promptly leaving, she closed the door to be greeted by a much taller, auburn-haired woman, a rosary nestled between her breasts. Saint Barbara’s illuminated golden eyes appraised her, arms crossed and wearing a small smile. Her voice was calm and soft.

“I presume, given the timeframe you gave me before, that you’re finally ready to have our chat. What was that giant burst of energy I just felt now?”

Nia gave her a masked smile. It seemed Legendkin could sense it when exposed, which was certainly something worth noting to her major. “Let’s go somewhere a bit less…crowded.”

“Follow me.”

Barbara waved for her men to leave them as she quickly brought her to the elevator, her high heels clicking against the hostile tile. She didn’t wait until they were alone.

“I saw your brisk talk with Maria, and I’m sure she had the same general questions I most want to know…” Pausing inside the box as it opened for them, the saint pressed the button for ground level, her penetrating yellow irises shifting to her. “Why do I sense such foul energy coming from you, or more specifically, Rachel’s clothes?”

Doors closing, a short chuckle shook Nia’s chest as it became a chore to keep herself stable. “You both certainly do have powerful sensing abilities to feel it past my shielding. It is the type of Lunar Energy that I’ve stored. You’re going to ask me what type of cursed force Rachel used to completely shut down those knights, but I’m here to ask you to be patient on those details.”

Exiting when they reached their destination, Barbara gave a few kids down the hall a smiling wave, who enthusiastically returned it, clearly having interacted with the saint.

“In short, you’re telling me Maria has some of those devil answers for me, and you’d like to return to Rachel with a report. Is she intending to give us the full details when she wakes up? How important are they?”

“Ah, and Rachel is now Level 12.”

“Level 12…” Barbara mumbled, vision falling as she processed it. “Six levels in the span of fifteen minutes?! Unless there’s something I’m missing, that’s…almost unbelievable. This is something to take note of… Hmm…

Passing through the doors of the blocked-off area for military personnel out back, Nia felt her hold slipping. “How she did it, of course, and everything she’ll reveal is quite literally world-changing. She says it will flip the game. There is a far bigger board in play, so it’s good the President called for a meeting. Now, before I go, Rachel thought you should know that MI6 knight she punted into the ground… He’s the Legend of Sir Galahad, whoever that is.”

Barbara slowed to a stop, sucking in her lips and tightening her jaw; apparently, this person was a big name in their world. The woman was already moving for the walkie-talkie on her overly large, non-reflecting belt around her waist.

“How can you be sure?”

“The wizard—code-named M—shouted it out when Rachel struck him; as powerful as she was at the time, he should be dead. We know Relica escaped. What is being done about MI6 and her being extracted by the UK? Is it war?”

The Legend’s tight eyes swept the parking lot, fingers hovering over the activation switch to the radio as it buzzed with chatter. “If M stands for Merlin, and it probably does if he was a wizard, then we need to increase security. The UK has the Legends of Camelot, and we have one of their biggest boys recovering in lock-up…

“Clear the airway… Mateo, we’re bumping up the schedule and swapping to Red-Alpha-Stingray. Prep everyone to move; we’re heading to DC an hour ago. Out.”

“Confirmed, Captain, setting into motion Red-Alpha-Stingray. Out.”

Brushing out her auburn locks as the wind caught it, Barbara shifted to look down at her. “What’s happening to MI6, Relica, and the UK is nowhere near my pay grade; that’s between the President and General Dallas. Rachel will have a chance to update them personally when she wakes up.”

“Understood.”

Nia was about to return to her true body to rest when Barbara threw her an unusual bone to bring her leader.

“By the way, if Rachel doesn’t already know, we Legends aren’t totally like our historical counterparts. Yes, I’m a Catholic, I’m a true believer, I’ve dealt with…messed up shit in war, and I do happen to have pure Greek ancestry, but Saint Barbara herself never had the powers that I have.

“Tunneling, warships, artillery, and explosives, much less all the guns I can summon… It seems mixed between popular current culture and historical record. Ask her what she thinks about that…because I find it uncomfortable being called a saint. I may be the Legend of Saint Barbara, and I do venerate her with all my heart, but I’m not Saint Barbara.”

Slowly nodding, and not fully understanding the direction this was going, Nia smiled and waved at Molly, staring out of the window above before dispersing into glittering light, saying, “I’ll let her know.”

Mind slipping into an endless fog, Nia felt fulfilled. She’d done what she’d been ordered, and now they were being moved to this weird two-letter city. What awaited them in DC?

Chapter Thirty-Eight

In the Thick of It

Soft hums pricked Rachel’s ears as she took a deep breath and cracked open her eyes; a dim room came into focus, Nike lying unconscious in the bed beside hers. In the corner of the room stood kid Nia, twisting left and right while examining how different accessories looked with her hanfu. Vision closing, she rested for a few more minutes, taking inventory.

Her mind was sharpening, yet it felt like she’d taken a few passes under a vibratory construction roller, and it wasn’t just physical. Nia had been right; she’d really pushed herself over the last few days, and the Legend Quest had done a real number on her that not even Maria could fix.

“Hey, Nia, found any cute combinations?”

“Huh?!” Opening her eyes, Rachel smiled at the startled bun, ears straight, vision wide, and cheeks coloring. “I-I was just…trying to find something good to wear when I see Moon-Mom again,” she mumbled, fiddling with her curled hair as she shuffled forward to sit on the big armchair that faced the bed. “How are you feeling, Major? You…probably want big Nia, huh?”

Rachel swept the downcast girl’s depressed cadence, her small assortment of clothes and items spread across a much smaller bed by the mirror in the somewhat cramped room—with all three of them in here, there was little space. Releasing a grunt while adjusting her position, Rachel puffed out a long stream of air.

“Mmm. Not yet. What’s on your mind, Nia? You’ve been taking such good care of me; how long since we last spoke? Give me a report, Soldier.”

Nia perked up a little, seemingly trying to mirror the same posture as Chang’e from the last time they’d seen the goddess. “Oh, uh, yeah, it’s been about…two days since we came to the Washing, DC…place? I don’t know if it is a city, country, or state—a clothes cleaner—maybe it’s a giant, fancy, white hospital. I’m confused.”

“Washing, DC?” Rachel repeated, trying not to laugh at the mistake. “Got it. Did you do everything I asked?”

“Oh! Uh-huh! Uh-huh!” Her hair bobbed against her shoulders, legs knotting a little as she looked away and tried to think about how to say what was on her mind. “I’ve been listening…but most of it is really weird, and I don’t understand it. B-But I do know your big brother and sister and grandpa are here! Everyone’s worried about you, Major. Orders?”

Rachel’s lips became a line, folding her arms across her belly under the sheets. If her grandpa, Nam, and Alexa were here, then it might make a few things easier. Turning a smile to the nervous bunny, who was afraid she hadn’t been as helpful as she had hoped, Rachel hummed.

“Good work, Captain Bun. You look really cute with curly hair, by the way.”

“You really think so?!” Nia’s countenance brightened as she pulled it around. “I learned it from your mom! She’s been talking to me, b-but I didn’t know if I should talk back, a-and I was nervous she might want an adult Nia instead, so…”

“Hey. Come here,” Rachel whispered, tapping the side of her bed while forcing her exhausted body to the side. “Come lay with me and tell me what you think about this Moon-Mom you want to impress. Why do you like her so much?”

Nia hesitantly hopped off her seat to walk over and crawl under the covers to take the extra pillow beside her. Staring up at the ceiling, the little girl fidgeted with her hair before moving on to her hands.

“It’s, umm, I don’t know… I know she might be tricky, but…she’s so pretty, and e-elebant, and sweet, and pretty… She liked me, and I just felt…good. Is she a bad Moon-Mom?” Nia asked, big eyes turning to her with worry.

Reaching up to rub the girl’s head, Rachel slowly shook her head. “I don’t know, Nia. She does seem lonely and wants someone to believe in her, but that’s a very good strategy to hit us in the feels, and you’re kind of vulnerable there, Little Bun.”

The girl’s eyes drooped. “I know I’m not the smartest bunny… I’m trying.”

“Hey,” Rachel prompted, nudging her softly, “don’t get down on yourself. You just gotta learn how to be tricky and play games to get people to dote on you. Okay? I’ll teach you how to wrap my mom around your little finger to get all sorts of fashion goodies.”

“Really?!” Nia’s rosy smile returned as she reached over to hug her gently. “Thank you, Major.”

“Of course. Now, I need to talk to Captain Big Bun, but once you’re a kid again, I want you to go out there and trick my mom into buying you a nice hairpin to go with your beautiful hanfu.”

“Yes, Ma’am!” Nia said with a hushed giggle, jumping off the bed to give her a salute. “Captain Little Bun, signing off.”

Amused at the cute dynamic that was developing with her Living Denier, Rachel watched the sparkling lights expand Nia’s figure, replacing the hanfu with the black-and-red fantasy military uniform.

Nia crossed her arms, shifting her weight onto her hip as she gave her a light glare, cheeks coloring. “What is adorable and wholesome to you, Major, is utterly awkward and shameful to me.” It was soon followed with an understanding smile and sigh. “I do appreciate you accommodating my shortcomings, though.”

Settling into her bed with a pained laugh, Rachel propped up her head with her pillow as Nia repositioned the chair to sit closer. “Honestly, it’s a cute contrast. I know you’re under a lot of stress right now, trying to reconcile with the curse, but remember what I said: you’re more than just my clothes or a soldier. We’re partners…a team, and I’m enjoying it thus far.”

“I am glad to hear that. Would you like me to inform you as to what really has been happening over the past three days since arriving in DC?”

Rachel’s eyes narrowed while staring at her tightening fist, testing her motor skills. “First, I’d like to know what changes have happened to my condition, if any.”

Nia bundled her curled hair, a hair tie appearing between her fingers as she bound it in a high ponytail. “Minimal improvement, as I can tell. Yes, the ichor is speeding up your recovery, but the actual stress to your spirit is seeing little improvement, which is likely due to our overall loose spiritual synchronization.”

“When will I gain consciousness?”

“Sometime in the next few hours,” she responded, sitting back and skirt shifting as she crossed her legs. “It’s hard to tell exactly. As I understand it, your spirit is the transmission between thought and physical action, or the medium, which means you’ll be extremely weak until Nike’s ichor can overcome the primary issues.”

“Hehehe.”

“Major?”

Rachel scratched her forehead, her chuckle dying off as she realized the true offer Chang’e had presented her. “I need Positive Force to find balance, and your connection with Nike is helping that, but I flooded myself with multiple negative energies. I’m sure Chang’e’s blessing will provide a way for her to watch…unless I allow something more, such as with Moongmor and Eostre.”

Nia’s vision narrowed. “Quid pro quo?”

Shaking her head, Rachel relaxed. “Doubtful. She knows that won’t get anywhere with me. Chang’e doesn’t have many allies or friends, and she can’t trust everyone in the big show, so she’s looking to start from the grassroots, down here amongst the mortals. She probably does want to find some kind of friendship, and saw I was in need of something she could provide. She made the hopeful first act to start a dialogue.”

“As enamoring as she is,” Nia whispered, leaning against the armrest and cupping her chin, “you cannot believe she doesn’t have ulterior motives. Aligning herself with you brings her into a camp of deities already circling you, and we’ve already seen Cerridwen is a force to be reckoned with if she could draw the attention of Izanami.”

Rachel shrugged. “You’re not wrong. Maybe she’s trying to use this vision she can gain by me accepting her offer to feed my enemies information. There’s no way to be sure.” Her gaze drifted to Nike, the personification’s chest rising and falling under her sheets. “You said I was hurting Nike with Negative Force; does that mean Positive Force will speed up her recovery?”

“Mmm.” Nia’s mouth drew in while observing the resting woman. “It’s possible, yet just as there are different types of Negative Forces, there are many Positive Forces. There’s no way to tell exactly how they will interact, just as the one I felt lingering when I woke up had kickstarted your recovery.”

Vision snapping to her captain, Rachel’s fist pressed against her stomach. “What Positive Force—Nike’s?”

“No, some other one.” Nia sat back and scratched her left ear. “It was very faint… I can’t even feel it anymore, but it was what initially jogged me awake to carry you closer to Nike. Is something wrong, Major? Was it Moongmor or Eostre?”

Rachel worked around her jaw and crossed her arms, glaring at the wall while deliberating on the revelation. “No. Eostre would have already done all she could before we left. No, this…had to be someone that my mother channeled… What are you doing, Mom?”

Her focus shot to the bunny when she turned away, the back of her wrist held against her mouth. “Rach, on that note, I…might have overheard something yesterday. My child’s mind just saw your mother sad and needed time alone because she was having a fight, but she was quick to bounce back, so she dismissed it.”

Finding the strength to push against the headboard, Rachel tried to soothe the pain in her thumping heart; it didn’t make sense in an inner spiritual world, but it was likely just a way for her to understand the stress she was under.

“Show me.”

Nia gestured to the opposite side of the bed as a windowed room appeared, the side of the White House seen in the distance, illuminated in the dark night. Only part of the repurposed room was visible as her mother sat with her brother; Alexa was beside him.

Her brother was recounting a story about the time when she refused to go down in a competition against a larger woman when their mother got a call, and her countenance changed.

“…nose bloodied, Rachel had that death stare that—Mom?”

Molly’s cheer fell, a somber look crossing her brown eyes as she motioned to them to continue. “No, keep going, Nam. I’ll just be a moment outside…”

Her mother left in a hurry, causing her sister-in-law and brother to give each other questioning looks as the scene swapped to the opposite side of the room. The sound enhanced to show her what Nia had heard, focusing in on the conversation between Molly and whoever called. Answering, Rachel’s skin prickled at her somber, respectful tone, spoken in Korean.

“Mother, to what do I owe the honor?”

A woman Rachel had never heard answered, cold and biting. “Do not act as if you do not know what this is about, Chan-hee. You agreed not to use your powers without my express permission. Your oath is broken.”

Her mother’s cadence took on a harder edge. “I did not break my oath in this situation, and you know it, Mother. Which spirit has turned you against your own daughter? I can—”

“You will what, Chan-hee? You used mudang as your arm; we are exposed,” her grandmother snarled. “You have drawn attention we cannot contest and have put all of South Korea at risk…and for one soul. After all we did to help you through your grief… Do not return…or you will die. You are no daughter of mine.”

A shiver ran through Rachel’s spine as the call ended, and her mother stood outside in the hallway; the silence stretched and security personnel walked by without comment.

Had her mother just been disowned? And for what, using her shaman powers to save her daughter? She didn’t know much about her mother’s side of the family, other than their shamanistic practices were a big thing in their community, but her mom always talked about them with the utmost respect.

Nia gave her a studious stare. “Is that important?”

“Important to me,” Rachel whispered. Her father and grandfather met her in the hallway, and her mother forced a happy tone while entering the room again, not addressing what had just happened; her grandfather made a few concerned inquiries, but her mother skirted them. “How is all of South Korea in danger from her using her powers to jumpstart my healing?”

The bunny shook her head. “Evidently, it pulled a powerful person or group’s attention. Your mother could have channeled a spirit that is dangerous or made an enemy. I have no clue how this mudang works; all I know is what little you’ve said about it.”

Rachel rubbed between her eyes. “I don’t know much about it myself… I never cared enough to ask her. I just thought it was good she’d found peace through it.”

Compiling everything she knew, she concluded that the best way to get answers would be to confront her mother. Every move had a counter thread that brought a murky future of fortune and misfortune; the path wasn’t as clear as it had been during the Legend Quest, which could have been due to how many threads were in play.

“Tell me everything that happened.”

Nia broke into her report, giving detailed information as to what happened from the instructions she’d left her, how everyone reacted, and what little she’d learned since they’d left Miami. Much of it Rachel had expected, yet there were a few things that made her ponder.

They were in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, right next to the White House’s West Wing. One of the rooms had been fitted with medical equipment so she could be close enough to the President when she awoke.

Everyone, including Nam, Alexa, her grandfather, and even the Green Beret platoon, had accompanied them to Washington, DC. Scarlet had been spending a bit of time with her father and grandfather at the latter’s request, wanting to hear about their adventures in the early part of The Oscillation. Apparently, her aunt and uncle were having some trouble with Soo-geun, her cousin, and he wanted to understand Scarlet’s point of view since she was close to his age of seventeen.

Nia’s report came to an end when the bunny commented that she was pulling away from the shared spiritual space, meaning she was waking up, and slightly sooner than expected.

“How much time do you have left?”

The bunny brought up her window. “Two hours and thirty-eight minutes.”

“That works… I’ll need you to be with my mom to give her updates, and I don’t want to leave her alone until I get a chance to confront her about the call.”

Nia got to her feet and stretched out. “I’ll go with her, but it is morning. Scarlet won’t be able to join if we go anywhere.”

Rachel tilted her head with a small smirk. “Mmm. I’m sure she can get creative; she still has that umbrella they made, right?”

“They do,” Nia nodded. “Not the most safe mode of transportation when the sun could burn her alive, but I suppose it depends on how willing she is to risk going out. You’ll be with this General Dallas person?”

“Haaa. Yes, and likely for an extended period of—”

A dizzying transition between lucid and dream suddenly veiled her thoughts, and suddenly, she was staring into the worried reapers face, bangs pulled back by bobby pins.

“Rachel! Rachel, you’re awake?! I-I think she’s—ack!”

“What’s up, Fangs?” Rachel forced a weary smile, lifting a hand to flick her forehead. “Space, much? Ugh. I feel like a car ran over me…on a good day.”

Her brother’s deep chuckle followed; he came into view, the tallest of their family, towering over the rest of them—well, so long as Rachel stayed in bed. “So, an average Friday at the gym, huh? Woah, uh—and this must be Nia?”

The grinning adult bunny shimmered into existence, holding a peace sign. “That would be me. Please be careful with the major, she’s still quite fragile.”

“Rachel!” Mom bustling in, she got a kiss on the forehead before her father gave her a reassuring nod, pulling her mother away to hug her from behind.

“You’ve looked worse.”

“Thanks, Dad,” she weakly laughed. “Grandpa.”

“Glad you’re alright, Long-Eared Devil,” he chuckled. “I’ve heard you can grow horns. There’s a lot of buzz surrounding Florida about that military operation. I look forward to the details.”

Alexa wore a strained smile next to her brother, arms held tightly against her dark blue dress front. “It’s…good to see you in one piece. This has been…really hard.”

Figuring she was mainly talking about The Oscillation in general, Rachel gave her brother a soft sigh as Saint Barbara slipped into the room. “Hey, Nam, I want to talk about that police thing later; it looks like the President isn’t going to wait. Mom…”

“Mhm! What can I do?” she hastily asked, shooting a motherly, disapproving stare in the saint’s direction for disrupting them. “Does she really need to be carted off the second she wakes up?”

“Mom, cool it. I’m okay,” she said, probably not convincingly by her exhausted voice and appearance. “Take Scarlet and Nia shopping for me—take Alexa, too. Okay? Anything you get her to wear can be copied to me, so you have my proxy clone.”

Nia’s eyebrows drew together. “Rachel, we were all supposed to go together?”

“Things change, Captain Bun.” The nickname got a thrilled smile on her mother’s face. “Maybe rope Anthony, Selvaria, Maria, and Fiona into it. I need something good and formal to change into in the coming days… All of us do, probably. Go have fun, Scarlet, Nia… And Alexa…”

The pretty blonde’s bright blue eyes creased as she gripped her arm. “Mhm?”

“Water under the bridge? Hey, let’s talk later.”

“Sure?”

“And don’t think I’ve forgotten about you, Grandpa. I have some questions for you, too.”

Her well-dressed grandfather gave her what she took as a proud nod. “Perhaps after you’ve taken a nap. You really should pace yourself.”

Nam groaned as nurses came in to help her into a wheelchair. “You know Rach has never been one to sit still. Do you remember the claw machines she’d always somehow break when she was eight? I thought it was crazy eight out of the nine we found just didn’t work, but she wouldn’t give up, dragging mom around town.”

Her father and mother laughed at the story, but Rachel was now seeing everything in a new light when it came to bad luck. She didn’t have much time to ponder it as she was helped out of bed—her body literally wouldn’t respond at times, spiking her frustration.

Yet, almost as if sensing her discomfort, her mother hopped around the bed to hug and help her into the chair. “Don’t sweat a thing. I’ll make sure Nia, Scarlet, and everyone have a good time. I can’t wait to spend some time with you… You are going to rest until I deem otherwise after this debriefing thing. Right?”

Rachel forced a smile as she was buckled into place; the look on her mother’s face brought her back to her childhood. “I get the feeling I don’t have much of a choice.”

Scarlet wore a thankful smile, waving her off with everyone else; she probably wanted to go with her but took the hint that she wanted her to hang out with her family. It would be good to show the reaper that she trusted her; plus, she felt misfortune easing around her chest when giving Scarlet more freedom. At the very least, she hadn’t told her family about Relica, which was a good thing.

“See you later tonight, Rachel!”

Leaning back in her chair, Rachel’s forced smile fell when they exited the hallway; her muscles felt like jelly, and the energy it took to talk was draining. She had to conserve her strength if she was going to get through this at an acceptable pace, and she might even have to call Nia back to finish up.

Rachel’s gaze drifted to the side room to see the woman Scarlet was fangirling about.

“Oh, Alexa, did you see the blonde in the lobby? You said you liked anime, too, right?”

Her sister-in-law hesitated in her response. “Yeah…I do—when I get some time to myself.”

Well, that’s a straight-up lie. She’s always got time, Rachel internally noted, suddenly wondering if she was embarrassed by the topic.

Scarlet appeared to be trying to put herself out there, though, or maybe they had gotten somewhat closer while she’d been out for the count. “Doesn’t she look exactly like Jeanne d’Arc? I wanted to ask if I could get a picture with her! Eh-heh, I’m just scared to ask…”

Her mother burst into the conversation. “Let’s go ask together! She was beautiful. Maybe she’d be willing to go shopping with us. She looks like she has excellent fashion sense, so maybe she knows some good places we can go.”

“Mom, this is the EOP,” Nam groaned with a strained laugh. “This is a place for pretty important people to do important work for the White House. We shouldn’t bother them, and she’s probably not still there.”

“If I kept that attitude, then I’d have gotten nothing done in our community,” her mother rebutted, pulling Scarlet along with Nia and Alexa. “Let’s go meet this celebrity!”

“W-Well, I don’t know about celebrities,” Scarlet stammered. “I just thought it was neat—I don’t know, maybe we shouldn’t, Molly.”

Rachel’s eyebrows raised as she passed dozens of people, busy with their work. If Scarlet was calling her mom by her name, then they were getting along swimmingly, which was a good sign. Of course, her mother was always about her making more friends.

Her vision narrowed as they entered the elevator, and Barbara took over for the nurse, putting her phone in her purse; she’d no doubt just informed their connecting party their ETA. If the Legend didn’t know about Relica or the UK, then she could only hold her tongue until she was in front of the big bosses.

“Hmm.” Barbara glanced at the mirror to lock eyes with her. “I get the feeling you’re trying to conserve energy for the discussion ahead, so there is no need to respond if you aren’t up to it. Should I get something to cover you from the sun?”

Rachel closed her eyes, reflecting on a few things that Nia had discussed with her; the bunny actually believed she needed to be totally drained of Lunar Energy to hasten the spiritual restoration process. It said a lot that she felt so weak while having Lunar Energy, so maybe there was something to the spiritual aspect. It was worth testing, at the very least.

“No… I need to test something.”

“Anything I should be aware of?”

Rachel shook her head. “I appreciate it. I’m exhausted, but not mentally… I may just need a second or two to work up to speaking at times.”

“Understood.” Barbara’s gaze slid down to her skirt, in somewhat of a revealing position, but it was a skort, which only revealed her shorts underneath. “I can arrange for some clothes to be brought. I assume Nia will be swapping your outfit soon enough, though. Right?”

“…I should be fine.”

“Okay.”

Ears scanning for any relevant data she could zero in on, Rachel opened her eyes and nodded; the number of people around the White House made much of it a jumbled mess of information since she was somewhat distracted by other thoughts.

Her gaze lifted to the saint as the door opened; people were waiting to get on, but Barbara urged them to take the next one, pressing the button to isolate them again.

“Hmm. I think you’re the type of girl who likes theories, so what do you think about this little hypothesis that’s been circling through the military? At this point, it’s basically become a state of fact for most people. Care to hear it?”

“Shoot,” Rachel muttered.

Exiting onto the ground level, they moved through the front lobby, and immediately, the sun shining through the windows struck her skin, making her sag in the chair.

It dampened her Stats, and all her White Moon Energy slowly started to evaporate. Just as Nia theorized, her exhaustion continued to lessen as the tiny, tinted mixtures of Unique Lunar Energy were sapped away, leaving her cleansed. Even if it was a fraction of a percent, her spirit was struggling with even that much of the Unique Forces, and Nia couldn’t extract such a small amount.

They could have tested it by draining all of her energy, but that wasn’t an option. Unfortunately, Nia didn’t have another pool to store it, and the bunny already confirmed gaining a sixth wasn’t an option right now. All five were currently being filled by far more potent and important options::

Pool 1: [Blood Moon - 21%]

Pool 2: [Black Moon - 45%]

Pool 3: [Greater Harvest Moon - 100%]

Pool 4: [Hell Moon: Yomi - 47%]

Pool 5: [Hell Moon: Yomi - 100%]

Due to Nia sapping all the residual Yomi energy from her active pool when she’d awoken, the girl managed to save her an extra 23% after she’d used 50% of Nia’s fourth pool against Relica. It was a good thing Nia had individual batteries for multiple lunar types, though, allowing her to stock up on all the moon bathing she’d done with Izanami.

In addition, it seemed the hospital staff wasn’t always successful in keeping her away from the sun since a healthy part of it had been burned away. Losing Event or Unique Moon energy stung, though.

The thought made her somewhat regretful that she’d been forced to dump an entire pool of the Greater Harvest Moon since the Unique Moons were more important to keep around. While the Greater Event Moon had phenomenal properties, it wasn’t up to the same tier as the other unique energies. If only she had more slots to store things, then it wouldn’t be a problem.

Thinking ahead, she considered what would happen if she gained the ability to mix lunar energies; maybe then, they could make something totally new. It was food for thought in the future. However, all of that was pushed to the back of her mind when they walked forward, Barbara leaning forward to whisper in her ear.

“I assume Nia told you about my thoughts on my Legend, Sainthood, and the whole military thing, so I’ll just get straight to the conclusion. The working hypothesis is that somehow The Oscillation took a collective view of modern pop culture and historical beliefs, put them in a blender, and whipped us Legends up. I’m sure you’re about to or already have pieced together why I’m telling you this now.”

“…I have a rough idea,” she said, leaving the box for the main entrance, where a classy blonde young woman seemed to be waiting for them.

Wearing a black, formal dress, the Legend looked up from a sofa and smoothly rose to her feet; Scarlet’s earlier comments made sense now. Rachel judged the woman’s hair could be more impressive than her own mane of white locks; it was twined together in a braid as thick as her closed fist.

“Saint Jeanne,” Barbara greeted with a smile, “thank you for waiting. Have you been enjoying Washington?”

“I have!”

Rachel could feel coils of misfortune passing between them. Scarlet had been on the money, and her brother was right that they’d miss the blonde when they got to the lobby. If pop culture did influence the historical past of myths and legends, then it could be a real problem determining certain weaknesses or strengths.

However, that was a problem. She internally sighed at how totally ignorant she was about many historical figures. Sure, she had learned a lot in school, but not a lot of that had stayed with her. [Strategic Mind] certainly helped, but it was far from a perfect recollection of her life.

Who is Jeanne d’Arc? French, obviously, and a saint, at that, so… Catholic? Why is she here… Her vision flicked to a few whispering individuals before returning to the blonde. Well, it seems she is a hot discussion topic, and not just in this building.

Holding a light French accent, Jeanne moved to join them, wearing 2-inch black heels that complimented her gold accessories and dress; just like Maria and Barbara, the woman wore a rosary. [Bestial Instincts] told her the woman was quite capable, perhaps stronger than Barbara herself.

“I’m doing well, and you needn’t engage in any formalities,” the blue-eyed saint continued. Her golden countenance and radiant smile turned toward Rachel on their way out of the building. “And you must be the hero of Miami I’ve heard about yet no one here in Washington has been able to give me your name.”

Body feeling more vulnerable than exhausted while under the sun, Rachel distracted herself now that she had a target. Ears half-raised, she listened to whispers that followed from office gossip.

A tired smile lifted the corner of Rachel’s lip as the cool March breeze hit them, and they moved to cross toward the West Wing of the White House. It was between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius, which was why so many people were dressed warmly.

“Is that what they’re calling me? And I think you know my name, Legend of Saint Jeanne d’Arc. Something tells me you actually know more than you’re letting on. And you’re traveling with Saint Charlemagne, someone important to France, apparently.”

“Sharp ears,” Jeanne complimented, glancing at the crowds following them with their eyes. “I’ll try to be more forward as it seems to be your style. Yes, Rachel, I know a little about you from what the DGSE has briefed us on—our version of the CIA. How many people are talking about us?”

“Plenty. I just happen to stand out,” Rachel mused, striking further at the blonde’s purpose for being here. “Probing for more information? I’m pretty sure who I am would be classified at this time. I’m flattered that I’m important enough to be given special attention by the French government. But, I can’t help you much further. No help, Barb?”

The auburn-haired woman laughed. “Oh, yeah, well…I figured you’d ask if you wanted it. Then again, I didn’t think I’d need to step in or that you’d want my intervention. I guess I’m still figuring you out.”

“Fair,” Rachel mused, heavy eyes lifting to see the unabashed grin on the blonde’s face. “Mmm. And you’re already giving them a profile of me by the fact she’s walking with us. She’s here for information.”

“Guilty!” Jeanne chirped. “I am curious as to why you’ve been given special treatment to the point of interrupting Saint Charlemagne’s meeting with the President. Does it have something to do with the UK’s Cabinet Minister who recently flew in… Arthur Pendragon, if I’m not mistaken? Oh! That got a reaction. Isn’t it interesting how many important figures have changed into Legends or Myths?”

“It certainly is…and how they’re taking on their new identity to hide their old.”

Jeanne was sharp, somehow catching a twitch from her ear. Rachel’s eyes fell to the road, integrating the detail. France must have their eye on her due to her priority treatment, but there were hidden layers to this conversation.

Sure, in a situation like The Oscillation, many high-level people would be flying in to speak to the US President, so why single out Arthur and the UK compared to other foreign visitors to DC? It could have been blind luck, but given the prickly misfortune vibes she got from the saint, she knew exactly what the blonde was doing. France had insider information about her.

Ticking off boxes in her head, Rachel’s narrowed eyes lifted to the smiling blonde. Immediately her mind went to possible leaks: Saint Barbara as a saint, which was unlikely, given her screening, or Astra, the hacker for hire that so happened to insert themselves into the operation and disappear soon after. They knew about the UK, Relica, and her Hellish origins, which would be a hot topic for a saint, as Barbara or even Maria already demonstrated.

When Rachel didn’t pursue the topic, Jeanne slid right past it, instead choosing to chat with Barbara. The bright and bubbly blonde kept the discussion light until they were escorted into the elevator to reach the Situation Room.

Holding her hand behind her back, the woman hummed, and a subtle, intimidating pulse of pressure locked the air in Rachel’s lungs. “Your outfit has a certain way of drawing eyes… I’m surprised you’d allow her to wear that while meeting your President, Saint Barbara.”

Rachel eased out the tension in her chest, maintaining a cool cadence; the Secret Service members gave each other uncomfortable looks, thinking it was fashion-related, but Barbara knew it was the potent, hellish force stored within that drew Jeanne’s attention.

The Marine officer gave a short chortle. “Personally, I think Rachel’s attire is quite acceptable. There is a change of clothes in the works. Is this where we part ways?”

“Haaa.” Jeanne’s pressure flipped off like a switch as she gave her a curious smile. “It seems so. And I hope I didn’t come off as rude, Rachel. You certainly do look quite nice, all things considered.”

“Well played, Jeanne…” Rachel weakly chuckled as a stern, black-haired man met them as the doors slid open. “If you or Ambassador Charlemagne want to discuss things later, I’m sure you’ll find me. Have a good evening.”

“I appreciate the open invitation,” the man said, offering a nod as they passed into the underground hallway. “Saint Jeanne, thank you for waiting. Why don’t we find somewhere to have dinner?”

The doors slid shut, and Barbara let go of a pent-up breath. “Politics is not my favorite arena.”

Rachel let out a dry chuckle, her attention wandering to all the people bustling about, busy compiling or browsing reports from all over the globe. “I think I’m beginning to see the appeal.”

Dropping her off into a well-guarded, triple-security checkpoint room, one of the Secret Service agents took her to her first, and hopefully not last, live audience with the United States President and the four-star general.

Wheeled into the expansive underground conference room underneath the White House, she tried to sit a little straighter as she caught sight of the white-haired, fifty-eight-year-old leader of the United States Of America. His feathery hair was parted on the left side, swept back, and neatly cut.

He sported a rather defining white beard, thick and trimmed in a way that framed his weathered face—if word was to be believed, he used to be a farmer out of Kansas in his younger days. His perfectly fitted suit showed that he kept up with physical exercise, as well. This was what she’d been mentally preparing for.

“President Capell, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

The older man’s narrow eyes shifted from a massive whiteboard, with Tom clearing it of data as she entered the space. Projecting a deep, weathered tone, he promptly moved to shake her hand as she was wheeled forward, not wearing a smile.

“Call me Leo; this isn’t the time for formalities and flowery language. Tom tells me you’ve got vital intelligence that could change the scope of this crisis. I hope there’s some bits of good news in that report.”

Leo’s grip was firm and strong, but it eased as she grimaced, ears twitching at her far weaker pressure. “How is your condition?” He motioned to a bed set up in the corner. “I have a medical team always on standby, and if you need to rest, I prepared in advance.”

Tom chuckled as he finished wiping the data clean. The guard returned to his post and closed the door behind them, giving them privacy. “I suspect rest is the last thing Rachel wants. I’d say the woman has her sights set on public office if she wasn’t so damn invested in fighting.”

Pumping her hand a few times to stop the tingles, Rachel cleared her throat and let out a nervous laugh. “I…don’t think I have a choice at this point. As to how I feel, I’d say I’m at peak physical condition for a five-year-old girl and on the up.”

Her focus drifted to the massive whiteboard and colorful dry erasers for organizing data. It didn’t take long for her tone to lower, vision locking onto the general. “Before we get into anything else…”

“Relica?” Tom sighed, rubbing the top of his bald head and moving to one of the many cream folders spread all across the table. “I wondered if she or Saint Jeanne would be the first topic you brought up.”

Leo pulled out one of the cushioned chairs to sit, taking a comfortable position. “France knows quite a bit about the Miami incident; you did well there, by the way. Charlemagne even knew about the UK getting involved. As for the names, it seems many European nations are adopting the name of their legends to hide their previous identity or spark interest from the public.”

“I’m sure the opposite is true,” Tom muttered, moving to another folder. “Relica is still MIA, but we’re certain she hasn’t left the country. A submarine that small couldn’t make the journey, and we had some potential sightings in South Carolina. Agents are on the ground working on it, but I’m of the opinion that with the Myth or Legend of Merlin, we’re not going to find them unless they want to be found.”

Rachel leaned against the arm of her wheelchair and rubbed her forehead. “I figured as much. You won’t know more until you speak to Arthur. Ugh. Is that his real name? No, I guess it doesn’t matter… Dammit. If only I hadn’t been so arrogant and just killed her when I had the chance. I suppose that could be a product of the Hell Moon…”

“Hell Moon?” Leo repeated, stroking his beard.

Figuring she had to start somewhere, she began with their previous topic of France’s high levels of intelligence on their Miami Beach mission.

“Well, on that note, why don’t we get right into it…because, for only a few days, there is a lot to discuss. How did France know enough to take an interest in me? My educated guess… Astra was working for them.”

“That snake,” Tom hummed, adding his name to the board with Charlemagne, Jeanne, and France, each potentially their own interest group. “We don’t have any technology in here to hack, but we have our own security expert who’s now locking everything down; it’s probably why he hasn’t made contact yet.”

Rachel rubbed between her eyes before taking a more comfortable position. “Astra is hired out and has their own agenda. I suspect they were probably captured by the French before The Oscillation, and maybe went rogue after; still, there’s a history with them, so Astra reached out to get access to resources they didn’t have. We can’t be sure if Astra isn’t actually a group of people, either. I can’t think of any other way they would be in direct contact with France this soon, but…why don’t we go back to the beginning.”

Taking on a more serious note, she looked into the President’s intelligent, brown eyes. “Let’s start with The Oscillation, where Cerridwen, the Celtic goddess, blessed me.”

Chapter Thirty-Nine

A Bitter Resolution

Two hours flew by Rachel as she explained nearly everything she’d learned from the Legend Quest and how it connected to everything else she’d already disclosed to the four-star general. President Capell was less of a voice than Rachel expected him to be, letting Tom guide most of the questioning and clarifications; he also had to exit the room occasionally in order to oversee critical decisions, which put a pin in the discussion until he returned.

On a positive note, she actually started to feel better overall as time went on. Yes, she wasn’t getting any stronger, and her body was a complete mess, but not being on the verge of passing out or feeling sick to her stomach was a welcomed blessing. She suspected it was due to purging the last of her unique Lunar Energy, but that was only a correlation.

Just like her body, her mood continued to improve during the occasional respites which gave her time to collect her thoughts when the two leaders digested specific information and plotted out their own details. The Scarlet Hand had gone underground since Ms. Peck had opened up a weakness in their network that obviously was meant to stay hidden; her misfortune had certainly come down like a hammer on the organization, which would buy them time.

Even by the halfway point, General Dallas had the whiteboard covered in names, linking lines, and speculations, all color-coordinated. With everything laid out in this manner, it helped her organize much of it herself, giving rise to new speculations.

By the end of the second hour, the room fell silent as the three of them pondered the wealth of sides, dangers, and speculations they’d shared with each other. Surprisingly, the barest section was that of the crystal gateways, that Dionysus claimed brought some kind of trouble to the higher dimensional beings in his opening speech.

Rachel leaned against the side of one of the quite comfortable armchairs around the mahogany table, having transferred with some effort near the start of the meeting.

After a few minutes of study, Leo released a heavy sigh and stood up to move between topics. “I was informed in advance about the existence of these ‘gods’ that were coming into the picture…but nothing like this,” he said in his deep, Kansas accent while passing over to the section.

“So…let me get this straight: you went to Hell, where it wasn’t a lake of molten lava, and fought the daughters of Cerberus, who made a contract with you to jail some demon or devil that is weaseling out of the rules?”

Forcing a laugh, Rachel rubbed her temple as Nia informed her that she had some new clothing options whenever she was up for it. “Well, to be fair, it was a lake of boiling blood and molten sky before we descended into Izanami’s personal domain of Yomi. At least, that’s how I understood it.”

“Hmm.” The man’s deep-set brown eyes drifted to Tom before returning to her. “We’re talking about four divided stages of conflict that you’re telling me we need to deal with, and not just the United States, but the world.”

He pointed at an area marked as Stage 1. “The mortal conflict, where we have the Scarlet Hand, government bodies, Crystals, Legend Quests, and a massive array of immediate and unknown threats. The higher powers don’t have an iron grip over us due to a barrier that sections us off… A barrier that, if fails, could spell disaster, but their influence and guidance could prove pivotal in the conflicts ahead. Alliances will form.

“Stage 2, where the lesser deities reign, and many lower ‘Divine’ or…‘Infernal’ entities live as we live in this world. You saw angels and creatures of imagination, totally beyond comprehension. These stronger gods and goddesses have the ability to empower or control the Legend Quests…if they are allowed to, which means it is a choice.”

Tom tapped a particular note over the area. “Apparently, they only need initial access. As Rachel indicated, none of them—including Conner—had control once Dionysus had access. It is the same for increasing the Challenge Rating. A very risky thing. However, Rachel’s experience with Cerridwen proves blessings can be given with minimal access.”

Rachel lowered the backrest a tad and took a more comfortable posture. “I highly doubt Eostre would be able to provide the kind of blessings the higher entities can, but clearly, I have to select one of their offered blessed Feats in order to have that kind of communication with them. It could be a trap, but Cerridwen made sure the ones she offered would be too good for me to pass up.”

Tom snorted and rotated his arm, sore from all the writing, no doubt. “You still haven’t told us your Feats, but I can see your reluctance. Hmm. I don’t like this section here,” he grumbled, motioning to a timeline he’d drawn out.

President Campell nodded. “These deities were aware of The Oscillation happening nearly a century before the event took place, potentially causing great conflicts during the 1900s. Their preparation is evident through the Scarlet Hand, and we can’t rule out other organizations working in the background. The question is…”

The general moved to another area to tap it. “If they had so much time, who are planted in what positions? Could one of us be working for one such organization? It stands to reason that, at the very least, several influential figures in the government and financing fields are working for or with such parties…such as Astra.”

Leo cupped his chin as he centered on one name. “A century… And the people you mentioned that the Scarlet Hand worshiped—Revilla and Twilight? They’re not mentioned anywhere in recorded history. Is that by design, or are they totally foreign figures? And, if I understand correctly, these deities fought an infinite number of themselves until only one remained?”

Rachel scratched her folded-over left ear and gave a weak shrug. “That, I’m not wholly sure of yet—and the relationship with who the Scarlet Hand are contacting is also unclear. Scarlet mentioned them summoning their ‘Scarlet Aspotle,’ Revilla, but at that point, she thought it was just a crazy game, and Scarlet seemed to think they wanted to seal Twilight, so I’m unsure there, too.

“For the rest of the deities, I’m positive it was like that for those of the 5th-dimensional tier and above, but on second thought, I don’t believe Eostre mentioned going through that hardship in the 4th.”

“Troubling…” Tom mumbled, rubbing his throat while examining the pantheons she’d been able to identify. “You were right, Mr. President, sending an invitation to the White House to all the Native American chiefs was the right play. The issue is how many spirits and gods the many tribes had. We could be looking at a conflict between tribal deities more than the people themselves. It’ll be good to get ahead of it since…a lot of unrest is happening in most of the world.”

He placed a finger on the next level. “Stage 3, where Chang’e, Cerridwen, Izanami, and many other high deities are…but you don’t want to call them high deities?” he asked, looking at her for clarification.

Cracking her neck, Rachel reached for a glass of water on the table, wetting her mouth before responding. “The way it was described to me, I’d hesitate to fool ourselves into thinking that they’re such:

“5th-dimension are lesser gods.

“6th-dimension are your typical gods.

“And 7th are creation deities, which implies they actually have the kind of power to do anything. I can’t confirm how skilled she is since I’m fumbling around in the dark as much as you, but Izanami appeared extremely comfortable using Conner’s Seed to do whatever she wanted and was healing the damage Dionysus did with his inexperience.”

The white-haired man’s sober gaze returned to the information. “As for Stage 4: You believe these ‘high deities’ or ‘outer deities’ are what took Dionysus when he broke the rules?”

Rachel tilted her head to indicate it was a guess, making the President rub between his eyes. “Probably.”

“Well, that’s not concerning… No, what’s troubling are these barriers of isolation. We can’t be sure how far it goes up, but someone beyond everything we can conceive is orchestrating all of this… For what purpose? How fickle are these barriers? We know they can be broken through by using these Seeds in Legendkin. What other weaknesses are there that others could exploit?”

Tom sank into a chair, streaming out a long puff of air. “Taking not just one creation deity…but all of them across the multiverse, or perhaps something bigger, and smashing all of them into one being to duke it out to bring out the smartest, toughest, and most ruthless counterpart. How did this happen? Apparently, they don’t even know.”

Leo wore a grave expression while sliding one finger from the word ‘Rachel’ to a red line connected to Cerridwen, a question mark, Fiona, and the UK’s World Tree.

“The United Kingdom is a hornet’s nest right now. Ireland closed its borders, and prominent figures are now making demands of their neighbor. If that wasn’t enough, Scotland is getting involved, as well, causing internal and external problems, mixed with other factors, which is moving events to civil unrest. Adding to that, England had one of our most wanted terrorists on a leash while they committed atrocities on American soil…”

He shook his head, vision darting to Galahad, Merlin, Relica, MI6, magical submarine, Scarlet Hand, Arthur, and the UK Parliament. “We confirmed that Scarlet’s mother was never on that submarine, but Relica was. Whoever Adele escaped with before the operation, it wasn’t the UK government.”

The President tapped the legendary figure’s name. “Arthur Pendragon…a member of the Cabinet who is a pivotal Independent governing figure in the country with ties to the major parties. He has many friends amongst the House of Lords and is generally very well seen as a populist, bringing sides together… I can’t see him having anything to do with Relica.”

Rachel relieved an itch under her bra strap and leaned against the chair’s side. “I agree. It’s too soon for all the ‘Knights of the Round’ to meet up or do anything as a unit. I bet Arthur is looking to make his circle, though. If possible, I’d like to meet with him personally.”

Leo kept his gaze on the board. “I’ll see what I can do. It might be worthwhile to see what you can extract from him, given your young but impressive talents, and Maria being present could catch any lies. In any case, Tom and I will be pouring over this board for some time, adding to it, and working out a way forward. We’ll address a few more things before I let you rest…”

His firm expression shifted to her. “I am intrigued by this PMC angle you brought to Tom. Naturally, if I were to propose something like this, I’d need to go through Congress and the Senate, ironing out rules, procedures, and protocols for safety. We already need to amend the US Constitution to include all of you that changed…including my 8-year-old daughter.”

Rachel’s eyebrows furrowed, catching a laugh from the man for the first time. “Yes, I’m a late father, adopted, which means I have skin in the game. I’m not going to have a world where my daughter is shunned and discriminated against, nor the average unpowered human cast aside. We need to do this right.”

Showing the US leader a soft smile, Rachel nodded. “I can understand that. What about Scarlet?”

Tom stood to get a better look at all the lines connected to Scarlet’s name. “For now, I think it goes without saying she’s best situated with you. How is she adapting? I’ve heard good things from Captain Barbara.”

Her ears tilted to the right; the White House was fairly isolated, unusually so, blocking her from most of the sounds outside. “My mother seems to have taken a shine to her. In fact, I think my sister-in-law and her have a lot in common,” she mumbled, recalling everything Nia had shown her. “I’ll figure it out, I guess.”

“Text me if you need anything in that regard,” the general stated, focusing on the whiteboard, where her name and his attached notes were. “Level 12… The highest we’ve been able to confirm is Level 6, outside of your group and Relica, but I can understand why with the last week you’ve had.

“Currently, Anthony is doing a follow-up quest with Fiona, Maria, and some of the Green Berets you were with to test a few things that were different from Barbara’s.”

He paused, mouth tight, upon reaching the World Tree again. “Fiona keeps asking about returning home and her family, but I’m not sure when that will be possible with the current situation between Ireland and the UK. We’re stretched too thin on resources, too. If that’s not enough…”

Rachel pulled up the back of her chair as Tom looked at the President, who glanced back before returning his gaze to the most barren side of the board, where the Crystal section was. A short sigh came from the white-haired man as he rubbed his jaw.

“Very well, Tom, after meeting her, I’ll green-light her addition, regardless of the PMC business with Congress and the Senate. A lot of what we had planned will change after this meeting anyway… The whole damn world changed overnight, and we’re trying to catch up.”

“Yes, Sir,” Tom said, his grave tone more somber now as he slid a folder over for her to browse. “To begin, Rachel, I fully expect you to be invested in pursuing this PMC angle now more than ever, right? You want the freedom to go places restricted to the public and pursue angles you have a vested interest in.”

“I am,” Rachel confirmed, tapping a finger against the folder. “That being said, my body probably won’t be up for any stress for the next week or two, no matter how crazy it makes me just to sit around. Even I have my limitations, it seems, and Maria isn’t fully fixing this one.”

He forced a chuckle, dropping into a seat to open another folder. “Understandable. I don’t expect you to be ready to start this until you’ve recovered. This is just…preparing you for what we’re expecting from this ‘potential’ PMC future, not that you don’t have experience in this area already.”

Tom’s brow furrowed as his eyes flicked up to study her. “And you still haven’t told us what you’re going to do about the offer Chang’e gave you.”

Laughter shook Rachel’s chest as she looked at the top-secret folder in front of her. “You’ve piqued my interest. I’m guessing it has something to do with the Legend Quests. As for Chang’e… I’ve looked at her Feat, and it is quite tempting, but I won’t make a decision until my mind’s in the right place.”

The President and general nodded, yet not in response to her expectations on the next topic.

Tom sucked his lips into a line as he spread out a few pictures and documents that were outside of Rachel’s line of sight. “Smart… And, no, not the Legend Quests.”

“Oh? Interesting…” Ears rising a tad, Rachel’s gaze swept the board for a second.

The man took a moment to open an energy drink, he chugged it as Rachel opened the file and began scanning the contents. Her throat felt like it would have enjoyed its own beverage as she saw the first high-resolution pictures.

“Right,” Tom mumbled, rubbing the edge of a photo, reasonably uncomfortable about the new discussion as Rachel examined the reports. He cleared his throat. “Follow along while I explain; this is going to get pretty insane.”

“I can see that,” she whispered, tail stiffening as Tom prepared to read it aloud. “This is from that Crystal you mentioned a few days ago? Was it the sand toads that we—no…something else?”

“Ahem. Astra showed you a little of this, but on Wednesday, at approximately ten-twenty-four p.m., an hour and eleven minutes after The Oscillation, we were made aware of another strange phenomenon…before you even brought many of the details about these Crystals to my attention. These are pictures taken at High Rolls, New Mexico, population one thousand three hundred and sixty.

“As you can see,” he said with a disgusted tone, “the entire settlement was surrounded by the same type of dome, the same unidentifiable substance as The Oscillation. You were inside one of these, and saw it cut you off from the rest of the world.”

Rachel had to detach herself as he continued, trying to mentally project herself into the situation with what the general explained. She’d heard about the incident earlier during one of their discussions and the savagery that had befallen the small town had made her stomach turn, yet her perspective on things had also changed a lot since Conner’s Legend Quest.

“Some people on a nearby highway  stated that it was forming the moment The Oscillation started, and we have reports that it solidified after an hour.”

“I recall the feeling when it activated—solid, but also not,” she said, turning a page and sucking in her lips while reading further down the report. “Some curious people who approached the dome couldn’t get in; if they touched the barrier, then they’d instantly teleport to the opposite side of the town…

“Everything inside was completely indistinct, so you can’t see what is happening inside either. Total isolation; digging a hole revealed it continued underground, too. Hmm. It seems identical to the reports I heard from the one I was in.”

Tom nodded. “Well, some differences, but it lasted exactly twenty-three minutes before the dome cracked and shattered into dust. We have to assume there were miniature crystal gateways inside, but this seems to be the result if you don’t destroy them.”

Her emotional side squirmed as she read the next part of the report, and Rachel looked up at the general; the President didn’t seem to want to comment on it, stone-cold eyes still on the board. “This is real?”

The general scratched his hand and nodded. “Every horrifying detail. No known or unknown energy or material was found from the dome shattering. It’s as if the material vanished into thin air…the same as the one you were inside.”

That wasn’t what Rachel was talking about, though, so she summarized it aloud. “Out of one thousand six hundred and four people trapped inside, tourists included, there’d have to be some changed individuals during The Oscillation. At least several of them were likely affected by the phenomenon in some fashion. Yet there was no resistance?”

Tom licked his lips, nose twisting in disgust as he voiced the number. “Nine hundred and fifty-five female and six hundred and forty-nine male. It looks as if they were forced into some form of satanic death ritual. My first thought was the Scarlet Hand—it fits their profile—but I don’t think this was human work.”

Rachel coldly examined each brutal picture, as Tom explained. The grinning, devilish face of Yseress, gripping her demon-hide purse or the hellish fiends of Hell that she’d seen came to mind; this didn’t have a human touch.

“By what forensics determined, their flesh was completely skinned, and it was done in a manner to make sure they’d live—somehow, they were alive for all of it. Their skin was stretched across an unknown kind of black-colored wood, with ritualistic markings carved into it and a harness of strange green leather attached; it’s extremely durable, and mysterious plants connected the skin and harness.”

He slid a new photo across to her, showing the scribbles Ms. Peck made before slitting her Green Beret escort’s throat and doing the same to herself. “They don’t match the symbols the known Scarlet Hand member made, and the azure-colored paint they used has a totally unique molecular structure.”

“What kind of monsters do this?” Rachel asked, her gut churning as Tom went to a brutal photo of the revolting acts. “The sand toads just wanted to murder us, efficiently and swiftly… But this? I’m not even sure if this was for pleasure. Is this some kind of ritual to connect our worlds or something?”

Leo swiveled his chair to the side. “We aren’t ruling anything out.”

She took in the whole picture at once, pits filled with the blood and organs of the citizens—things she didn’t want to see again. The data showed the gore was mixed with several other weird liquids that didn’t conform to known science and must have come from their world.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Rachel mumbled. “Cleaning the bones, digging blood pits into a…web design? All of this is methodical and done with precision.”

The President folded his fingers in his lap. “We’re still trying to put back together each victim to determine causes of death and identity…that is how well the skin was peeled. Teams are reassembling the remains as we speak, but the US has been hit with terrorist attacks across the states, such as the Seattle Vampire incident, and now I’m supposed to address this?” He reached up to rub his nose and beard.

“What am I supposed to say? How am I supposed to make this public? Five-fingered aliens with six clawed toes could attack them out of nowhere? Should I have an artist give shape to their fears with their two tails and have a live comparison with a human, showing they could be anywhere from two to three meters tall…or that they were somehow powerful enough to literally rip a fire truck to its bolts…”

Teeth grinding together, he rubbed his thighs while further scanning the report. “Show a video simulation about how they didn’t touch a single building, or how, magically, all the residents seemed to gather together as if hypnotized before all electronics were fried and recordings failed? Fuel their fear by telling them not one camera picked these aliens up. Guns were fired but seemingly useless. No shells were found, but powder residue on clothes seemed to be present.

“How about that all pets are missing, and only human corpses were discovered? No serration marks on the bones, as if they were cleanly plucked out. And all of this insanity was over and done in exactly twenty-three minutes?”

Rachel sat back, deep in thought. “To be fair, my time in Anthony’s Quest and Conner’s Legend Quest was compressed.”

“Sure,” Tom said, acknowledging her questioning nod. “From your original report, your first Quest with Anthony was stretched slightly, but Conner’s was stretched dramatically more. For that reason, we are starting to consider that a lesser god may be involved in this incident. At least, the option is open.

“The implications are huge, and though Izanami said yours was a unique circumstance, if these—or any—aliens have access to higher powers…”

Rachel sighed, knowing it would be a hell of a lot worse if these creatures somehow invoked a higher being’s power for this attack. “True. All the more to investigate it.”

Pointing at the correlating sections of the sheet, Tom made a few more notes on the paper. “Progress is slow since information is so sporadic and unverified. Our observations from a few sample Quests, such as Barbara and Anthony’s, tell us their time shenanigans are normally more discreet.”

“My own Crystal at the college ran parallel with the outside time,” she agreed, scanning the cliffnotes from the report on her experience. “In High Rolls you were able to verify there had been a time difference due to the still-functioning mechanical clocks inside houses. Spooky.”

Tom rubbed his face. “More than that. Ugh. It’s a damn migraine-inducing shitstorm. How do twenty-three minutes turn into two days inside? Even your account in the Legend’s Quest wasn’t nearly that large of a time dilation. Yet, all other factors we have, besides yours, tell us time should be linked and congruent between the bridged worlds, which means we’re missing something.”

She tapped on a report. “Either the clocks were tampered with or time itself was changed…perhaps both. It is troubling, I agree…

“Still, they did have their issues. It seems like they first destroyed anything producing high volumes of sound, which gives the impression they might be sensitive to specific ranges of frequency. The toads could enter a sand-like state but had to solidify to attack. There are weaknesses to exploit. Wait, this doesn’t look like the Crystal I was in?”

He looked up at her as she studied a massive crystal structure. “Ah, I should backtrack a little… We were lucky enough to get a few pictures of it, though mostly grainy, from people as they drove past. An immaterial cube-shaped crystal, roughly fifteen meters in width and dimension. It was a purplish color with a greenish glow, which is much bigger than the six-meter cone one at your campus… Inside, you can see there was a cave being reflected.”

Leo rubbed his face and got to his feet to reach another file. “Yes, it was horrible, Tom, and there was nothing we could do about that, but this is the immediate concern. Look,” he prompted, tossing her one to open. “We have a rough estimation from a few smaller incidents reported across the globe that the shape and color somehow correlate with its strength.”

Rachel nodded, sliding through a few photos; it was obvious they were telling her they wanted her skillset in one of these. “You’ve ranked them by levels, and size increases the number of attackers that can enter…

“Level 1: Green

“Level 2: Blue… It’s still insane to me that the toads were only Level 2… Hmm.

“Level 3: Purple, and…

“Level 4: Pink… There’s another one?”

Tom got up to give her yet another sealed document. He broke the band and opened it, laying the photo out in front of her. “This was in Mutumbo, Angola, Africa… We’re sending a team to scope it out, but we expect it to be already done; it’s still under investigation, but the chilling part is this. Turn to the next page. That’s a satellite image taken five minutes apart.”

A shiver ran through Rachel’s spine. “It…changed? It was a Level 2, and it jumped to Level 4… The whole landscape is a black crater,” she mumbled, turning to the 3rd photo.

Leo gave her one last folder. “Yes. It’s as if it were hit by a meteor, and this…this is a photo taken twenty minutes ago in Billings, Montana.”

“Shit…”

Rachel spread the images out, seeing the full scope of the city, where a 35-meter-tall tetrahedron stood in a supermarket parking lot; it was purple, the same color as the High Rolls Crystal, only this one was still transparent, indicating it wasn’t active yet.

“We aren’t sure what the glowing outline means yet,” Tom said, sliding her a new sheet. “We’re talking about a population of over a hundred and twenty thousand… We cannot let what happened in New Mexico happen here. That…that’s double the casualties across all of the Vietnam War, and an attack like that…on US soil… This is tantamount to a launched nuclear warhead, waiting to explode.”

Rachel breathed out a hot puff of air as the Secret Service knocked on the door to inform the President that Arthur was there. “Wow. That is a lot of pressure. Astra showed that you ordered an evacuation?”

Leo forced a laugh. “On a scale that large? It takes time not to incite a panic and figure out how to humanely relocate them. Tom is scouting out other changed people who seem to have unique skills. And if you can convince the others in the Miami incident to join you, then I’m not opposed… Considering the lives at risk, I’ll consider almost anything. So rest up because your country needs you at your best.”

Rachel rubbed between her eyes as they cleaned up the folders, pulled a curtain over the board, and took her outside. On her exit, she passed a very handsome blond man wearing a tailored suit and red tie. He gave her a friendly wave when they crossed, and she could feel a positive vibe from him, only in a different way than the saints.

“Good afternoon.”

“Hi,” Rachel responded.

And that was it. Entering the hallway, Rachel had Barbara wheel her up to a waiting room where she could listen in. The saint gave her an encouraging smile, having chosen a place outside of the sun.

“I know I haven’t said it yet, and I’m sure it’s been said by others, but thank you for the help you gave me back in Miami, Rachel. The city seems to be stabilizing faster than most, and I’d consider that a result of your action.”

A pained laugh shook Rachel’s chest as she saw the many Secret Service agents checking everyone who passed by. She couldn’t believe she was in the White House and had just had a meeting about the fate of the world with the President. It almost felt like a dream.

“That happens when you take out a huge chunk of the criminal underground and have someone like Maria, who has contacts to fill the void… Damn. Well, I should probably change.”

Barbara gave her a curious look as she contacted Nia, waiting for the three men downstairs to get past the introductions and foreplay politics.

You have a new outfit for me, Captain Big Bun? Actually, being able to communicate from long distances like this is extremely useful. You really are my lucky rabbit foot.

Nia snorted. “Thank you, Major. Well, this lucky rabbit’s foot is close to shrinking, so I’ll be quick. All of us picked out the outfit. I tried my best to make it fit for a formal dinner. Changing it now.”

Rachel glanced down as her clothes began to twinkle, illuminating before the light solidified into a simple yet beautiful combination.

A modest, fitted white blouse that was loose enough to be comfortable, a violet, tiered shin-high skirt that sparkled when it caught the light, and a black floral belt with a bow angled to the side; its lilac-hued petals complimented the skirt well. The three-inch heels matched the purple color scheme; its strap buckle and trim were bronze, making for a classy look with the gold bracelet on her right wrist.

“What do you think, Major?”

I think you four did phenomenally! Give everyone my thanks. It helps to have a twin to go out shopping for me.

“Aww. Stop it! You’re going to make me blush,” Nia chuckled. “It’s been a real treat being able to spend time with your family.”

Oooh! And all the treats that she buys you?

“I won’t say that isn’t a bonus,” she mused. “Also, an FYI, Major, we can send out Delphinus as long as we want, but the moment we enter combat, his time limit is triggered. What do you want to do with him?”

Rachel held up a finger to Barbara, who seemed to realize she was talking to Nia by the patient, appraising smile she held while studying her changed attire; it had drawn more than a few eyes from those passing in the hallway before they moved on.

Why don’t we keep him for your little bun side for now? Eventually, I want to give him to Selvaria as a signing bonus to join the company. We could use a super-tough leviathan, and she’d probably get better use out of him than us. I’m considering having you pick up that Feat you can unlock to turn Lunar Energy into little soldier buns for you.

Nia paused, probably talking with the group she was with. “Your mother says she loves you, and Scarlet wants to know how you’re feeling. As for the buns, I’d love some privates to boss around, but I…do have my concerns. I’m not sure if they’ll follow Little Bun’s orders. I don’t think I have the commanding presence to whip them into shape as a kid.”

Tell them I’m doing better. My stomach isn’t as sick and I’m not on the verge of passing out; I’m just physically weak right now. We can discuss the bun business later, Rachel returned, still admiring her new outfit. Don’t you worry. I’m thinking about our upgrades. I just need to unwind some more to dig into them.

In her opinion, it did fit the ‘being beautiful, yet not too much’ category, which was just what she liked; it suited its purpose to distract and make others underestimate her. Nia and her mother worked well as a fashion duo. Although a necklace might complete it, that could come later.

I have things to do, so have fun with what time you have left.

“Yes, Ma’am. We’re off to try something called…ice cream? Scarlet has blood to add to hers.”

Exciting! Enjoy. Let them know I’ll be leaving the White House shortly.

“Will do, Major Hops.”

Over and out, Captain Bun.

“Your mom made sure to remind you that you’re strictly on resting duties now! Don’t do too much and hurt poor Nike again!”

Yes, yes; I’ll be careful. You can tell Mom that I’ll sleep as much as she wants when this is all over.

“Sorry about that,” Rachel said, crossing her legs to bend down and run her finger down the smooth, expensive-looking heels. “I was just giving a status update to my family.”

“Cute,” the auburn-haired Legend chimed, “and I’m not just talking about the love for family. Although, perhaps I should say you look more beautiful than cute; the colors really suit you with your white hair and blouse, which contrasts the purple theme on the lower half. Have you considered earrings?”

“Haha. Honestly?” Rachel reached up to run a hand down her left ear’s full length, “No, I haven’t. Nia is the one who is always thinking about fashion. Clothing is another form of battle that I acknowledge and am lacking in experience, which is why I rely on my new partner.”

“Double cute!” Barbara’s smile fell a tad. “How are things below?”

Resting her cheek against her closed fist, she gave a weak shrug. “Politics. It is getting to the part I’m interested in.”

“Sounds good.” The Legend pulled out her phone to play with it. “Don’t mind me! Just let me know when you’re ready to head back.”

Letting the conversation end, Rachel’s gaze drifted to a potted plant, letting the world fall away as she listened to the influential men below; it was hard enough to hear them talk normally due to whatever dampening magic had been placed around the White House. One thing was sure: President Leo was cautious.

Arthur’s voice was as handsome as his face, rich with deep strength and subtle wisdom. “…I’m afraid the UK officially denies any involvement with terrorists, as you have no doubt already received from the Prime Minister, which is why I reached out through some contacts to get the details directly from Merlin.”

“Off the record, of course,” Tom muttered. “What is the UK’s connection to Relica and the Scarlet Hand?”

“A complicated one,” Arthur returned, sipping at his water. “I understand it is hard to trust what is coming out of London right now since paranoia is rampant due to Ireland’s aggressive—and quite spontaneous—negotiations… The giant tree outside of the window on Parliament Hill doesn’t help matters.”

Leo leaned back in his chair. “Let’s skip all of this bullshit, Arthur. You chose to change your name for a reason, as did many others now taking on their new identities… I’m sure everyone in the UK knows you want something in the US. Rumors are circulating that former king and queen Legends are making political plays on all fronts. You know what we want. What is it that you want?”

Arthur was silent for a time, probably looking at the curtains veiling the whiteboard with information that would make the whole world salivate. “What I want is to stabilize my home. Something unusual is happening in Ireland; the Irish Prime Minister is acting erratically, and some believe he is under the influence of someone. I’m looking for support, but Merlin thinks the US may be in bed with devils now…that white-haired hare woman I passed.”

A short chuckle came from Leo as he repositioned. “Isn’t this a sticky situation? Your magician rescued a terrorist who attempted to murder hundreds of children and was instrumental in the murder of hundreds across Miami, and now he’s telling you we’re the bad guys? Rachel was trying to stop that terrorist and save hundreds of people. You’re not coming in on a good light, Arthur.”

“I know,” he stated without any hesitation. “And that is why I will tell you precisely why I am committing treason in telling you about this quite sketchy MI6 task force that I was made aware of on my flight over. It seems that the Scarlet Hand has infiltrated parts of the UK intelligence and military apparatus, and this task force has been trying to uncover them…headed by Merlin. Relica is a vital informant.”

Leaning forward, the Legend’s voice lowered, making Rachel’s ears lift to try and catch the right frequency. “I have had two attempts on my life leaving the UK, one of which was on my way here. Someone, or many someones, don’t want me in this meeting. I suspect it has something to do with me learning about Adele…the head of the snake that Merlin’s been chasing leads on. Relica finally gave her up. We all seem to have a common enemy now.”

Rachel forced herself back into the wheelchair, a bitter taste in her mouth as she projected where this would go. “Let’s go.”

“Hmm?” Barbara set down her phone and rose to push her back to her makeshift hospital room. “Bad direction?”

She crossed her arms, fingers digging into her side. “An understandable direction… We’re probably going to be forced to work with that witch for a time, won’t we? Well, work with her until she’s no longer useful, but I will get my pound of flesh eventually. I can feel it in my bones—Relica’s days are numbered.”

Ugh. Sorry, Mom, but I can’t stay still after hearing that bullshit. Just…please don’t be too mad that I need more time. Ah-heh, you are scarier than Conner when you’re angry.

Feeling an urge for violence, Rachel couldn’t get the tightness out of her chest as she breathed. “…Barb, let’s swap pace and go to an MMA octagon match. I heard some talk about one going on in an hour or two… I need to see a fight.”

Chapter Forty

Lunar Grace

Rachel let Barbara wheel her to a black SUV—standard government issue—where she transferred into the passenger-side door with some effort as the Legend folded the chair and placed it in the vehicle’s trunk.

While waiting for her, Rachel leaned against the side of the door, glaring in the direction of the sun as it gradually started to reach its zenith. Killing Relica in cold blood would be too much at this point; Merlin stole her chance in the short term to deliver her just vengeance.

Her teeth clamped together as she felt a prideful itch jab her in the gut. No, she could have obliterated the priestess if she wanted; she only had herself to blame. Sure, Veronica, Merlin, and Galahad played their part, but she’d wanted to make Relica lose all hope.

That being said, it didn’t mean she had to like how this was turning out. Rachel tried not to be a sour puss as the classy-dressed woman crawled into the driver’s seat, wearing a sad smile.

“I’m guessing the UK isn’t handing over Relica.” She started the car and turned to look at her simmer before shifting to look at her. “Other than the fight, what can I do?”

“No,” Rachel grumbled, scratching her forearm and knotting her feet. “Just trying to cool off now that everything’s settling down.”

Barbara flashed her teeth, clearly trying to be helpful. “You know, I could hand you off to someone else—I don’t need to be here—but I’m totally free right now, and I know a friendly face is better than someone just carting you around for their job, so…seriously, let me know. If you want a fight, then we’ll go see a fight.”

Rachel snorted, pressing her head against the cool glass, ears drooping forward. “Blunt and supportive. Careful, your saint is showing.”

“Haha. Maybe it is,” the brunette laughed, texting someone on her phone quickly. “We can talk or sit in silence if you want. I’ve got someone who will probably be into that kind of thing that I can message while we wait.”

Barbara smoothed her braid over her shoulder and began playing with her device, leaving Rachel to close her eyes, trying to release the tension compressing her chest. It didn’t take long for her to be chatting with someone, and she appeared to be getting positive results from her expression.

“Hmm.” Figuring this woman was one of the few she could complain or talk to about most subjects, Rachel puffed out a hot stream of air. “Full confession, I do kind of want to kill Relica… She hurt so many people I love—hurt me in ways no one has—and that…makes me want to do something.”

The Legend glanced up from her phone before setting it in the cup holder and giving her undivided attention. “Hey, I may be called a saint, but you won’t get tears of sadness from me for putting a hole in that bitch’s chest.”

“Glad to hear!” Rachel chuckled, pulling her own braid around to play with the end. “I can’t believe how connected everything is… It’s a little scary, if I’m being completely honest. Is this misfortune thing me or something else? Was it the cause of… No, never mind. Ugh. It doesn’t do any good to think about these kinds of things,” she mumbled with a sigh, closing her eyes as her ears folded forward.

Barbara watched her for a second before resting against her seat. “Sounds like you need more sessions with Doctor Richard than with me, but…hey, if I’m reading the room properly, then working with the UK will get you closer to her anyway. Right? She doesn’t sound like the type to play by the rules for long.”

“Not wrong,” Rachel slowly nodded. “Relica will mess up. Right now, she’s hiding behind her usefulness, but that will run out, and then she’ll try to escape. I’ll be there for it.”

Rachel’s lips drew in as her vision opened, and she glanced at the Legend. “Not my favorite way of doing things, but I know I can’t just pop off and do whatever I want. I can be patient. My paranoia tells me you’re probably on some secret side, plotting behind everyone’s back, Ms. Saint, but I don’t get a negative vibe from my misfortune…yet.”

“Eh-hehe.” The woman rubbed her face and groaned. “You really don’t have a chill button, do you? I’m just a soldier that follows orders.”

Rachel smirked and weakly shrugged her shoulders, trying not to let the sunlight keep her down. “I’ve always been that way, and that doesn’t mean you’re not a soldier in another force, following orders. No need to take it to heart,” she added, “I’m kind of all sorts of twisted right now… My entire world is falling apart in more ways than I can count.”

“Okay then!” Barbara checked her phone for the address before connecting it to the car’s navigation system. “And in the meantime, let’s go check out the fight! It looks like one of my old Special Forces boys is in the city and can get us some last-minute extra seats. He’s big into MMA stuff. Well…heh, most of the Special Forces boys are. You good with ringside?”

Jabbing her thumb at the wheelchair in the back, Rachel lifted an eyebrow. “Hell yeah. Do cripples get discounts?”

They laughed, and the woman pulled away from the curb, the Marine starting them on a new topic that brought Rachel’s ears to the ceiling.

“I saw pictures of you before The Oscillation; you had beef, girl. Check this out…”

Rachel smirked as she took the Legend’s offered phone, swiping through photos of what Barbara looked like before The Oscillation. It went without saying she’d catch dirty looks from a lot of women with the number of buff, handsome special forces dudes she was cozy with. “Damn. You were a bull yourself… What the hell happened?”

Barbara snickered, keeping her eye on the road and seemingly scanning for ambushes or danger. “Probably the same thing that happened to you; I read your speculation on the matter. At the end of the day, girls have this suppressed desire to be girls. I don’t know; your theory is as good as any. All I know is that I turned into a supermodel.”

Appreciating the distraction and effort the woman was putting in to steer her toward a positive angle, Rachel eyed the Legend’s physique from the side; the woman’s rosary caught her attention.

“You don’t seem to be all that sad about it since I can’t imagine you owning that dress with the size you were before. Something that did interest me was your desire to learn about Saint Barbara? I get she’s the Patron Saint of the Marine Corps, but why champion her yourself?”

“Haha! True enough, I suppose,” she whispered, coming to a traffic light and slowing the SUV to look down at her stunning figure. “What made me want to learn more about Saint Barbara? Well, for one, I’ve always felt this need to feel more connected to God, had a die-hard atheist father who belittled my faith as a teen, and that made me pretty independent and confrontational about it.”

Rachel drew in her lips, thinking about her mom’s beliefs as a shaman. “That sucks. I never liked others bullying people, be it for their skin color, beliefs, or anything else. I was never religious myself, but my mom’s pretty rooted in our culture back in Korea.”

The Legend shrugged. “It is what it is. He roasted me over the flames, I guess you could say…always attacking me in front of his audience and embarrassing me at school… I grew a thick skin from it that helped me in the military.”

“Ah.” Rachel hugged herself, seeing Barbara in a new light as she got to know her. “So you joined the military to spite him and get away?”

The woman forced a laugh. “Yeah, you could say that. I haven’t seen him since he beat me half to death when I was sixteen… I went to a big local church he’d been beefing with and been trying to expose, as he put it… The beating was why I started going to the gym. I didn’t want to feel powerless like that again.”

Arms tightening around her shoulders, Rachel could never believe her parents physically laying a hand on her, much less her dad beating the shit out of her over something like that. Then again, maybe she should have gotten her ass kicked with how volatile she was; she was a complete bitch to a lot of people growing up.

“I know you said it’s in the past, but damn… You ran away at sixteen, then?”

Barbara nodded, a sad look in her eyes. “I tried to connect later when I was selected for special forces training, but he refused even to see me. I know it’s stupid. Why would I go back to my abusive father? I shouldn’t feel a thing…but it hurt nonetheless.”

A lot of heat in Rachel’s belly started to subside due to the sobering topic. “People love to hate anything,” Rachel mumbled as they hit a bit of a traffic jam. “What about Saint Barbara specifically, though?”

The woman hummed, a thoughtful smile now playing on the corner of her mouth. “Barbara was tough. She didn’t let criticism, an absolutely shitty, murderous father, or the fear of public punishment keep her down. She was bold, brave, and independent at a time when women were supposed to shut up and do what they were told. Her life spoke to me.”

Rachel pondered her own change; it wasn’t anything like Barbara’s.

Why did I change into a lunar hare? It’s not like I have any connection to them or the moon. Yet…I changed into this. Then again, Maria didn’t have much to do with unicorns, Fiona as a fairy, or Selvaria as a giant, terrorizing sea monster. Well, at least from what I know about them thus far. There seems to be a substantial difference between what made someone a Legend or Myth.

“Thanks for sharing that with me… It helps me know a bit more about you. Respect.”

Barbara chortled while bumping her fist as they neared the freeway. “As for when I changed. I was pretty freaked out about suddenly becoming…this at first, but he was a good friend. He got me out the other day when you were still down and out. He helped me feel a bit normal again, bumming around DC, but he left on deployment this morning to South Korea to support the wall in case anything happens.”

“Huh.” On the swapping topic, Rachel had to be grateful for what she had. The light turned green, and they continued their drive, the display showing they were fifteen minutes out from their destination. “Do you see all of this going back to normal?”

They both looked at the sidewalk, crowded with the people of Washington, DC, and its visitors. Almost everyone was bundled up for the chilly March weather, yet peppered amongst the crowd, it wasn’t so hard to spot a Beastkin or some other unusual-looking figure. When they turned down the next street, their gaze was drawn to a three-meter-tall troll man who was wearing drapes as a robe.

Barbara scratched her temple and shook her head. “Not even close. Will we adapt? I think so. Every week, the gawking and stares will get less and less, and this will become the new normal. Look! Our first aviary meet-up!”

Rachel’s tension began to ease as she followed the woman’s finger to a pack of winged Beastkin, who were hovering above a building and chatting with one another. “The bird watchers must be pissing themselves,” she joked.

Falling silent for several seconds after a short laugh, the yellow-eyed woman gave her a brief glance before her smile grew. “Feeling better?”

“A little,” she admitted, rubbing her elbow. “Thanks.”

“No problem.”

Closing her eyes, Rachel leaned the seat back. “Know what, before we get on the freeway…maybe a large, crowded area isn’t where I need to be right now… Ugh. I can hear my mom’s inner voice telling me to get my tail back into bed. Hah-haaa.”

Barbara shot her a quick look before pulling into the turn lane to take them back to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. “I’ll let my friend know he won’t have a pair of beautiful women with him at the show.”

“What a tease,” Rachel laughed. “I guess I should have guessed a Marine could have fun, saint or not.”

“Ah… Like I said, I’m pretty sure pop culture played a role in our change. On another note, I heard that you’ll be moved to the Blair House tonight—that place to the northwest of the White House. Usually, it’s where dignitaries stay. Dignitaries such as Arthur.”

The news brought her mind back to the task at hand; it seemed the President was making the French and UK representatives available to her. “Sounds good.”

On the drive back to the Eisenhower Building, Rachel let the soldier talk more about her experience serving in the Marine Corps Raider units. Her MARSOC stories about the hazing and fun they’d get up to helped to brighten her mood. Being the only female on the squad usually gave her a ton of power over the dudes. It was rare for her to meet a woman who was as physically active as her, and it was nice seeing things from an older woman’s point of view.

When arriving at her makeshift hotel, Rachel’s agitation had mostly melted away; misfortune was still in her favor regarding Relica; the woman was still a terrorist at the end of the day. Her time would come.

Getting out of the vehicle to plop her tired tail in the wheelchair Barbara brought out, she smiled as the Legend started down a new topic. “I get the feeling you’re not the type of girl to sit on her butt, so…when you’re up for it, I’m good to go out jogging or something.”

Lifting an eyebrow as the saint wheeled her toward the lobby, Rachel lifted her ears to see if her mother was in earshot; she was not, and Nia’s distance should have been a telling sign. On the other hand, her brother was in her room, and her father and grandfather were at a nearby restaurant discussing The Oscillation.

“Workout friends, huh? I don’t suppose I’ll be able to snipe you away from the Marines for the private sector?” she asked with an innocent smile.

“Haha! Nice try, but I’m afraid if that pans out, I’ll be the one keeping tabs on you.”

“Fair. I had to ask because you’re too good not to receive the offer.”

“Aww. Thanks,” Barbara chimed, nodding at a man who opened the door for them. “You do make for a great soldier yourself.”

Her gaze drifted to everyone staring at them on the way to the elevators. How many of them were spies? Probably more than a few.

“As for the exercise plans, give it a few days, and I’m sure I’ll be up to start hanging out. If you want to set something up for us, I’m sure Nia would love a good routine and to make new soldier friends.”

“Just the three of us?” Barbara asked, wheeling them around a small group of people that had exited the elevators. “I could send an invitation to Jeanne or Arthur if you wanted them to join, but I expect we’ll be going out at the dead of night for you.”

Rachel scratched her left ear. “I’ll probably get the chance soon to meet them one-on-one. For now, just plan on the three of us… I’d invite Scarlet, but it honestly doesn’t sound like her thing. Plus, it’s a good thing that she’s bonding with Alexa and my mom; the more people she’s around, the better.”

She tilted her head to the side, thinking about the others in the group; she needed to network. “On second thought, maybe Anthony, Maria, and Fiona could join.”

Barbara chuckled upon entering the elevator with her, not bothering to expel anyone since they weren’t in a major hurry. “The fairy can stretch her wing muscles. I can see it… No, I’ve heard she’s been having a rough time with not being able to contact her family. It would be good to include her. Selvaria?” she asked, pressing the button to go up.

“Pfft!” Rachel almost choked upon thinking about the leviathan girl who had dropped out of a helicopter to belly-flop in shallow waters not a few days previous. “I’m sure she’d love to if she could physically handle it.”

“Haha. True. She does seem to have some issues on land, the poor girl. I’d bet a year’s salary that she’d smoke any of us in the water.”

“No doubt… Maybe we can swap it up and swim for some exercises early on,” Rachel offered. “It’ll be less taxing on my body than running if I can work into it.”

They paused as the elevator came to a stop, allowing most of the occupants to exit; several gave them curious glances, but their journey upward soon continued unhindered.

“I’ll look into it,” Barbara promised, referring to their previous topic as they neared the top floor. “Anyway, I’ll leave you with your family. Thanks for being friendly.”

“Ditto.” Exiting the elevator, the Legend wheeled her forward and stopped outside her room; she caught sight of her brother on his tablet inside. Rachel lifted a fist for the Legend to bump as her brother noticed her and jogged around her bed to take over. “Catch you later, Soldier Girl. Thanks for being my legs.”

“Anytime.”

Turning away from the dressy saint, Rachel almost felt cleansed, making her half wonder if Barbara had used some kind of stealthy purifying Feat on her.

“ ‘sup, Nam?”

“Hey, Sis. You okay?” He wheeled her to her bed before pushing down the brakes. “You don’t need any water or food, right—ehhh, moonlight?”

She let out a hearty laugh, a welcome change to the atmosphere she’d been in recently and to lighten up her mood. “Bro, I’m not dying. Chill.”

She snickered at her big brother’s sudden attention as he helped her get into bed.

“Sorry,” he sighed, showing a more casual expression upon shutting the door and taking a seat their mother usually occupied. “It’s hard to get used to seeing you like this. You know, Mom can’t stop talking about how cute it is when your ears twitch when you sleep.”

“Embarrassing is on brand for her,” Rachel laughed, settling in and pulling her thick braid atop her front. “Haaa. I have a bit of time to chat before I need to do some skill stuff.”

“Oh? I’m game,” he said, leaning back and crossing his legs. “I’m guessing you already know what Mom and Dad are doing. Alexa loves Scarlet, and I can tell Nia has piqued her interest. Hah. I’m still getting over living clothes—pretty, by the way,” he added, nodding at her new outfit. “Fits your new elegant look.”

Rachel gave her brother an impish smirk. “So I wasn’t elegant before, huh?”

“Pfft. Sis, you were a total meathead. Sure, you had moves, but grace wouldn’t be the word I used.”

“Ouch! Bro, where’s the abuse? Lay off!” she teased. “Haha. No, seriously, hot take… Alexa isn’t that bad. You know, for a vegan shut-in with absolutely no redeemable qualities.”

Nam leaned to the side, left eye narrowing as he held a fist up to his mouth. “Are you…high right now? You’re cool with Alexa?”

Rachel’s ears tilted to the left with her head. “I mean, cool is not the word I would use, but…tolerant and open to learning more is acceptable.”

“No lie?” her brother mumbled, sitting straighter.

“No lie! Enlighten me about your wife, Nam,” she said, showing a genuine smile. “I’ve been seeing all sorts of things in a new light recently. I hear she likes anime like Scarlet. Yuck! Haha. Get that Japanese crap outta here!”

Nam snorted. “Yeah, that’s you, bashing on the Jap culture.”

“Humph. Korean culture is so much better,” Rachel grumbled, looking off to the side. “Everyone always hypes up Japan, though. Screw off!”

Laughing with her brother, she rubbed the back of her neck and sat back. “No, I’m an asshole. I shouldn’t be hating on other cultures… I suck.”

Giving her an appraising stare, Nam grunted.

“What?” she asked, ears tilting to the left at the weird look he gave her.

“No, it’s just… You’ve changed, Sis… In a good way,” he added, as her left eye narrowed. “You’re calmer, yet somehow kept that fighting spirit. I like it.”

“Thanks,” Rachel whispered, vision tilting left as she heard Jeanne ambush Barbara outside the building, wanting to grab something to eat.

She still wasn’t sure what to make of the saints, France, or the UK Knights of the Round that were coming into the picture, but what she could enjoy was spending some one-on-one time with her brother.

It was the first time she’d actively wanted to learn more about the only blonde member of their family. As it turned out, Alexa had a ton of insecurities, and part of those reasons was due to how active the family was; she felt like a loser, a moocher of a wife, who couldn’t do anything right.

She took everyone’s active lifestyle, barely seeing each other throughout much of the day, to mean she wasn’t liked. However, part of that may be due to Rachel making her thoughts on that matter absolutely clear from the start. No one, except for Nam, appreciated any activities she had and, ironically, Alexa didn’t even like to share some of them in the first place because they embarrassed her.

Scarlet seemed to be a breath of fresh air since it was the first time Alexa had someone beside Nam with whom she could connect. Self-isolated in Nam and her room, the blonde hadn’t known how to approach them, despite her brother’s coaching.

Smiling as she watched Nam talk about his wife, Rachel felt her worldview expanding. Perhaps it was the Feats Cerridwen provided, but she had been very self-absorbed before now. Alexa felt like a leeching homebody because that was the box she put her in, which was ironic since she hated being put into a box.

“You really love her, don’t you?” she whispered, catching her brother’s tongue halfway through his explanation about her attempts to do online schooling.

“Umm, of course, I do,” Nam snorted. “Why would I ask her to marry me if I didn’t? Sure, she’s not the perfect girl in the traditional sense, but she takes all the stress from work and melts it away. It’s what drew me to her whenever we’d be at her dad’s place going over his tax records and finances.”

Holding her arm over her eyes, Rachel sighed. “Honestly…my stupid brain jumped to the conclusion that it was arranged like Mom and Dad. I think I was just angry that I was supposed to care about someone else…”

Peeking out, she saw the confused look on her big brother’s face, and her pride was a dagger digging into her side, yet she’d never been one not to say what was on her mind.

“I think I have some issues, Nam. I’m scared to let people in… I’m afraid I’ll get hurt again, but at the same time, recently, I’ve learned that I do need to rely on people, no matter how strong or driven I am. So…I’m sorry about the way I treated Alexa.” She rubbed her eyes, feeling a weight falling off her chest. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to see if we can find any common interests.”

Her brother seemed too stunned to respond, so she quickly added, “Eh-heh, not that I’ve heard much we could connect on. You know animated stuff isn’t my thing, even movies, in general, since it feels like a waste of time—and cosplay is a no, her taste in music is trash, and she’s a lot more timid than I’d—wait…”

Nam laughed, giving her a slow shake of his head. “Are you sure you’re still my headstrong sister?”

Rachel gave a weak shrug before rubbing her face. “Who knows? Hah. I’m feeling kind of exhausted right now. I think I need to rest, which sucks since Mom, Scarlet, and everyone are coming back.”

He nodded and got to his feet. “I’ll let them know you want to rest.”

Pausing at the door, he turned and said, “You know, Alexa is far from timid, but judging everyone by your assertive nature isn’t fair. Alexa has expressed that she wants to start going to the gym; she’s too afraid of you to ask—hell, I can be intimidated by you sometimes—so if you want to mend bridges, just treat her like a person.”

“Are vegans people?” she joked.

“Haha. I promise she won’t pester you about eating meat. Alex panicked and got defensive about you criticizing her, and it was the first thing that blurted out of her mouth. Later, she cried about it to me, saying, ‘She never wanted to be that vegan.’ She hates whenever you bring it up and has been making an effort to be respectful.”

Rachel held two fingers to her temple to acknowledge the statement as her brother smacked the door frame a few times before waving and leaving her with her thoughts.

Settling in, she felt a lot lighter despite the somewhat serious topic; she could tell her brother was a little hurt to hear she thought he’d marry a girl just for business. Rachel wanted to set her life straight, though. She had to confront her flaws because that was who she was.

If she were weak in an area, it wouldn’t be for long because she was dedicated to self-improvement; it was how she’d constructed her life, only now she was seeing things from a new angle that forced her to realign where her values were.

All of her inner turmoil regarding Relica simmered down, allowing her a moment of peace. Now was the time to answer a goddess’ knock at the door while she was in a calm state of mind.

Closing her eyes, she entered her inner world, allowing her body to rest. Consciousness pulling in, she opened her eyes in a cute, girly bed that Little Nia had decorated. In the stillness of the shared space between Nia and her, Rachel tilted her head to get a better look at the white-haired personification still resting beside her.

She smiled when she saw an IV and medical device that wasn’t attached near the bed, the girl probably getting the idea from their stay at the hospital. Nia really was trying to be helpful. Forcing herself against the headboard, she studied the wall above the rabbit’s much smaller bed, littered with colorful crayon drawings that depicted their epic adventure in the Legend Quest.

“Hey, you there, Nia?” she whispered aloud. “How much time do you have left?”

“Less than ten minutes. Why? Do you need me to return?”

“Probably.” Her status menu opened up, showing her level. “I’m going to accept the offer Chang’e made. I don’t know what will happen, and…the Bunny Gang Feat that you have is also a blessing from her. I must have been out of it if I didn’t see that detail.”

“One moment. I’m saying goodbye to everyone.”

“Take your time,” Rachel snickered. “We have a whole ten minutes.”

“Plenty.”

Swapping to the resources they had, Rachel browsed her available Feats that she could select from. When she went up to Level 10, she’d been given four equipable points to invest into her switchable Feats. Currently, all of them only required a single point, but in the future, it was obvious some might take two slots.

Rachel wasn’t totally sure if she should be doing this yet; she had to be careful of what stress she put on her soul. Eostre’s comment about Conner inside the Black Moon made it obvious that the Seeds were not granting them these powers but were refining and supporting their spirits. Even if stripped out of them, the progress the Seeds made would remain.

Right now, she had five Equippable Feats:

- [Lunar Burst]

+ [Mental Acceleration]

+ [Strategic Mind]

+ [Lunar Spike]

+ [Lunar Amplification]

She’d taken off [Lunar Burst] in order to make room for [Lunar Amplification]. If she wanted to add the blessed Feat Chang’e was providing, then she would have to deactivate another. Her gaze drifted down to the ability.

[Blessed Lunar Grace I - Use 2% of [Lunar Pool] to create a lunar platform that will dissipate over five seconds. Current Charges: 5/5 Recharge Rate: 20 seconds. 20 seconds. When used beneath any Positive or Neutral moon, it changes properties, halves cost, doubles charges, and reduces recharge rate by half. Passively increases all [Dexterity] Stats by one point.]

Rachel’s focus shifted to Nia as she materialized, wearing a black, pleated suit dress, complete with lapel. It fit nicely with its white themes and her pink-hued hair. “Fancy. I’m guessing this is the business outfit my mom had in mind for more formal attire?”

“It is,” the rabbit absently responded, pulling up her own status menus. “On to the subject at hand, [Lunar Grace] could provide us with a lot of maneuverability options, as well as prove useful in everyday life. [Lunar Spike] I feel you need in case of an ‘oh-shit’ moment, while [Strategic Mind] and [Mental Acceleration] are staples that can’t be removed, which leaves…”

“[Lunar Amplification],” Rachel sighed. “I don’t want to put it on the bench, but not only does [Lunar Grace] give three whole Stat Points, but under the moon, we can abuse it. Not to mention what Feat Extension we might get once I do take it.”

Nia got up to lean against her bed, pointing at a section. “I’m interested in this ‘changed properties’ bit that activates under various moons. I doubt it would be negative. Basically, it has an innate multiplier that can be activated under various moonlight. It really is a hard one to pass on.”

“Unless…” Rachel rubbed her temple, a grimace coming on. “It may have good stuff under Positive and Neutral moons, but what about Negative? Maybe it could stop working completely if I activate the Hell Moon, or maybe it gives me a negative affix… Still, I don’t see why we shouldn’t take it. Everything else pales in comparison to the raw bonuses this gives.”

Accepting the Feat, Rachel felt a warm resonance within her that expanded outward, and a bright light condensed into a small, silver rabbit on the chair Nia often used. She expected Moongmor’s hyperactive voice, yet the tone was calm and feminine as the bunny bowed her head.

“I thank you for taking my mistress’ invitation, Lady Rachel. Allow me to introduce myself.” Another flare of white hues coalesced into a silver-haired young Chinese woman, dressed modestly in a gray, black, and white hanfu, dotted with gold rabbit patterns and floral designs. “I am Mei, Chief Secretary of My Lady’s Lower Lunar Court.”

Rachel observed the radiant lunar animal-turned-human. “Mei, like the month. It’s a cute name, and if I’m getting my Mandarin correct, it means something along the lines of flower or elegant, right?”

“Indeed it does,” Mei stated, ruby eyes drifting to Nike before returning to her. “Mmm. I can only stay for a short time without harming you ladies. So, I will be brief. By using Nike’s leaking ichor, you will be able to use the gift My Mistress has granted you, Lady Nia. By creating living pockets of moonlight, the summoned rabbits may absorb and metabolize Neutral Energy.”

Ears flying up at the implication, Rachel swapped to Nia’s Feats, looking at the one in question. “It costs a chunk of Lunar Energy to create one, but it can rebuild over time? Does this work with Negative Energy, as well?”

Mei gave a grave nod. “It does. However, realize that you must keep such force away from Nike, as you have separated your Pools. Those Negative bunnies cannot enter a space Nike is in, or it will damage her. Now, I must go.” Offering another graceful bow, she slipped her hands inside her long sleeves. “I will make contact again when you are more recovered. Rest well, My Ladies.”

Rachel had a million more questions but figured this was just the introduction. “Haaa. Let’s take the Feat, Nia.”

The soldier frowned, tapping the Feat and scrutinizing its text. “If I add another Synchro Point to bind our spirits tighter together, then I can get enough space to add another room for the buns. Also, this will cost all of my Feat Points. Should we save my Style Points for my next Grade Advancement to get a 6th Lunar Pool?”

“Probably,” Rachel agreed, scratching at the base of her tail as an itch came on. “We shouldn’t start with the Unique Moons, either. How many can we make?”

Nia activated it, ears drooping a bit. “One, at the first Grade, and we’ll need to feed it 50% of a Lunar Pool to create the Soldier Bun… They even have Classes. Interesting.”

Directing her Living Denier to the door, she said, “Alright. Before you change, set up a new room and create it using the Greater Harvest Moon. It should start rebuilding the energy for us over the next few weeks, and we can test out how it works before moving to the bigger moons.”

“On it.” The suit-wearing rabbit got up, focus lingering on the area Mei had been. “Do you think your mother may be able to help to communicate with them over a longer period of time?”

Rachel’s tail stiffened. “Maybe…but we’ll get to that bridge when it comes. I still need to have a chat with her.”

“Understood. Until tomorrow, Major,” Nia said with a casual salute. “It’s been really fun.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” she said after the bunny’s exit to decorate a new room.

Silence came over the area as Rachel swapped screens to the Feat Extension options, and a smile brightened her lips. “[Divine Lunar Grace: Flash Step]… Allows the user to consume five charges to create an after image that will burst into lunar petals and instantly phase through space up to 3 meters. Huh. Well, that could be useful, and once upgraded, it could be a real problem for an opponent.”

Having flashbacks to the teleportation-like ability she had under Hell’s Moon—the one that instantly closed the distance between Relica and her—Rachel couldn’t pass it up.

[Lunar Pool - Advanced to A-tier]

[Divine Beast Empowerment - Advanced to E-tier]

[Lunar Coat - Advanced to D-tier]

[Bestial Instincts - Advanced to C-tier]

[Bringer of Misfortune - Advanced to E-tier]

[Strategic Mind - Advanced to C-tier]

“Select. And what’s this? I guess my Tiers advanced over the last few hours. Nice. I guess Nia is doing her thing, too. Now for the two Stats…”

She stared at her [Dexterity], with each sub-stat increased by one due to [Lunar Grace]:

Speed: 4 (3+1)

Agility: 2 (1+1)

Quickness: 4 (3+1)

Rachel considered putting it into [Agility] to even out her [Dexterity] since a balance was necessary, but she couldn’t overlook her [Defense], [Energy], and [Force]. She made her choice:

+1 Power: 3

+1 Endurance: 2

Closing her sheet, she summoned her hammer across her lap, the weight pressing her down as she examined the crystal and smooth metal. She had a weapon, and she had very high [Dexterity] due to the multiplier on all its substats being Extremely High.

[Toughness] was at High, and would be important if she were fist-fighting instead of using her hammer. She saw it in a one-to-three ratio to her [Dexterity] Stats; her opinion might change in the future, but for now it was fine with its single point.

Her fight against the hobgoblin had totally drained her, whereas under the Unique Moons, she never once had trouble with her [Stamina]; if she had petered out due to her energy, the Legend Quest would have been impossible.

That made [Endurance] a much more important substat to consider, given how quickly she could tire out without a Unique Moon’s influence. Moving it from Below Average to Above Average had certainly made things easier from Anthony’s Quest to Conner’s Legend Quest. Hopefully, the two points would see a significant return.

Then again, her [Power] multiplier was also Very High, and during the competition, she could feel the difference in her Stats between the various moon enhancements, especially the Blood Moon, when she’d practically been a demigoddess. The three points she’d spent on it should make an impact, and exponentially more when under more powerful moons.

Dismissing her hammer and opening her screen again, Rachel settled in to bite into what she’d learned thus far. There was far more to this System than it wanted to show them, and she set herself to uncover every last one of its secrets. If she couldn’t work on herself for a week or two, then at the very least, she could come up with a plan to draw people into her new organization.

However, her time dried up swiftly since her mother returned thirty minutes after Nia reverted back to her child-like state. And, despite her tired mind and body, there had been something nagging at her that pushed her to have answers.

It was time to confront her mother about her side of the family, and these spirits she channeled that upset her grandmother enough to disown her. It was time for answers.

Chapter Forty-One

An Ominous Future

Ears twitching as she exited her internal world, Rachel took a soft breath of amusement, cracking open an eye to see her Little Bun making a commotion. Scarlet and Alexa were trying to help the crying child while a squishy, orange ball of pure terror floated above Nia’s head, biting down on her left ear.

“Stop it, Coral! Bad bunny. Let go! Ou-ou-ou!”

“Hold still, Nia,” Scarlet hissed, being careful as the child froze in place. “I’m trying, but it keeps phasing through my hands—it’s like a ghost. Ms. Park?”

Alexa stood nearby, wearing a frightened, unsure look. “Scarlet, can’t you kill it?”

“No! No!” Nia protested. “She’s just—mean! Ou-ou! Stupid, spooky bun! Down, girl! Down!”

“Fifififi!” the little slime-bunny snickered, clearly not causing any permanent damage and just pestering her leader.

Her mom was surprisingly calm, observing the pair with a frown before spotting her waking up. “Rachel? Good, you’re awake. Nia is having trouble with what I assume is something to do with your powers. She insists that no one try to hurt it. Could you help her?”

Scarlet’s gaze darted to her. “Rachel! I, umm—”

Nia lurched forward as Alexa retreated to the corner, holding her arm. Collapsing over her legs, the little bunny child tearfully looked up at her with the snickering ghostly bun on her head. The kid buried her face into Rachel’s stomach, still whimpering and restraining sniffles.

“Major, help! She’s sooo mean! Ouuuu…”

Their newest soldier malevolently nibbled on Nia’s twitching left ear while looking up at her, fully visible through its cloudy, gel-like body. Perhaps going straight for an Event Moon entity with the Greater Harvest Moon was a bit of an ambitious start.

Feeling a little responsible after Big Nia warned her the soldiers wouldn’t obey her kid counterpart, Rachel lifted a weak hand and plopped it down on Coral’s squishy head. The orange bun’s ears went straight up between her fingers as she looked straight into the spook’s illuminated yellow eyes, firming her tone.

“Coral…release Nia.”

The girl’s ear dropped out of the monster bun’s jagged, frightening mouth, and with a little effort, Rachel lifted Coral off to sit on her left side. Oddly, the ghost had no weight; her trouble was in lifting her own arm’s weight. Coral’s little tail wiggled as she was set down, and she started to bounce up and down, waiting for further instructions.

Alexa spoke up, drawing the bun’s mischievous gaze and making the blonde gulp. “What does she—why is she looking at me like that?”

Knowing she couldn’t leave the poltergeist out of her sight with how things had turned out, Rachel sighed and pointed up to her head; the vibes she got from the Halloween entity were that of a desire to cause terror.

“Come here, Coral. And she’s a ghostly moon bunny; her treat is fear. Nia, you can’t be afraid of her.”

“Fififi!” The poltergeist showed a jack-o-lantern-like grin at Alexa as she hopped up to float between Rachel’s ears. “Fififi.”

Nia gave the blob a dirty, teary-eyed glare. “What do you mean, I’m a scaredy bunny?! Rude much? I’m your leader!”

“Fififi.”

“Huh? Why does she listen to you and not me, Major? She’s been chasing me around for, like—like, five minutes, and you didn’t even help me! She’s rude and mean a-and pokes fun at me!”

Reaching over to examine Nia’s ear, the girl flinched, but there wasn’t really any damage. “Because Big Nia said you had to try and figure it out yourself. You have to be firm with her, Little Bun; if she senses fear, then she attacks. You remember what it was like to be under the Greater Harvest Moon. She can literally taste fright.”

“Mmmgm.” Nia crossed her arms and sunk her chin onto Rachel’s legs. “We were friends with all the ghosts and monsters during that fight. Coral’s just a jerk!”

The orange bun yawned sleepily with a short snicker from atop Rachel’s head, making Nia’s ears fly up. “Fififi.”

“Oh, you take that back, Meanie! I’m the captain; you’re not my boss! I’m in charge!”

“Fifi.”

“No!” Nia shouted, becoming flustered. “I could totally beat you up, but I’m a good leader, and I don’t hurt my soldiers! Humph.” Huffily rising to her feet, now embarrassed since Rachel had tamed the bun, Nia pointed at Alexa and Scarlet. “Let’s go get something sweet to eat—something Coral can’t have because she’s on timeout!”

“Fi?”

Rachel reached up to pat the rousing poltergeist’s head as Nia squeaked and jumped away, defending her ears. “No fighting, Coral. Play nice.”

“Fi-fi…” the bunny grumbled, glaring back at her upset superior.

“Hah! Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Alexa took Nia’s shoulders, steering her toward the door. “Eh-heh. Let’s not antagonize the ghost bunny, Nia. Umm, is it alright to take Nia, Rachel?” she asked, likely wanting to get away herself.

Rachel settled back in, surprisingly unable to feel the poltergeist on her head. She gave the anxious reaper girl a small smile while addressing her sister-in-law’s question.

“I know we haven’t had a chance to catch up yet, Scarlet, but I need some time alone with my mom. Could you go with Nia and Alexa? Maybe you can bring me back something from the kitchens, too? I’m…heh, actually starving; it’s probably because I have no Lunar Energy right now.”

Scarlet’s cadence brightened, and she nodded, following the other two to the door. “Mhm! I want to hear the story about this Greater Harvest Moon and what’s up with Coral. Despite her, umm, attitude, she’s cute.”

“Fifi!”

“Traitor,” Nia snarled at the defiant spook. “Treason!”

Scarlet forced a smile. “Is there anything particular that you want?”

Rachel shrugged, ignoring the two feuding soldiers. “Surprise me.”

“Okay.” The vespertine reaper turned to the dark-haired mom beside her. “What about you, Ms. Park?”

“No, sweetie,” her mother said, having a somewhat cheery tone. “My stomach is feeling a little queasy. Oh, maybe a ginger ale?”

“Sure, I’ll, umm…wait.”

Alexa giggled and held up her purse. “I have the bill. Don’t worry about it, Scarlet. Eh…see you soon, Rachel,” the blonde added, trying to show a smile.

Rachel kept an upbeat tone, figuring her brother had talked to his wife in passing about pieces of the conversation they’d had. “Yeah, we can catch up in a bit, Alexa. I’m sorry about the cold shoulder I’ve shown you; I’d like to get to know you a bit better.”

It rolled off her tongue so easily that it surprised Rachel herself, and Alexa’s nervous vibes diminished. “I appreciate that…a lot. Umm. Yeah, we’ll have to chat. We’ll be back in a bit. Oh, and, umm, it’s nice to meet you, eh…Coral?”

The bun lifted a ghostly ear in response as Scarlet waved, too. “Fifi.”

With that, the two ‘big sisters,’ as the bun called them, tried guiding the agitated bunny kid out as she fumed at her subordinate.

“What do you mean, ‘Scare you later?!’ No, you will not! I’ll scare you! What do you think about that, huh? I’ll make you do jumps for days, you bad bunny! You’re the worst moon bunny!”

The door shut with the captain raging down the hallway, leaving them in a still silence. Her mother sat in a chair beside the bed, legs crossed and now showing a melancholy smile. Coral almost seemed to melt between her ears as she entered a hibernation-like state, becoming mostly invisible.

“It’s been lively since everything changed,” her mother whispered, staring down at her lap. “It’s nice having so many people around lately. Scarlet’s sweet and so respectful…and you seem to have mellowed out a lot in some areas. Everything is almost…perfect.”

Rachel didn’t miss her knotted hands, and she used the bed’s remote to lift into a sitting position. Knowing there wasn’t any better way to address the topic, she dove right into the rabbit hole.

“Mom…did you know The Oscillation was going to happen?” Fingers locking together against her stomach, she swallowed, feeling Coral stir between her parted ears as her mother looked up, all but confirming the answer. “I don’t understand… Looking back, when you called, you weren’t scared because you didn’t know what was happening… You knew.”

Her mom’s dark-brown eyes refused to meet her as her arms moved to hug herself. “It’s…complicated, Honey. I didn’t know exactly when it would happen. I only knew that it would.”

“How?” Rachel breathed, fighting a groan from her exhausted muscles as she tried to sit straighter. “The stories you told me growing up about the Limpid Jade Hare and Pure Onyx Rabbit, the Korean deities in the heavens, and the heroes of our country…they weren’t just stories, were they?”

An uncomfortable silence brought the sounds of the building into clearer focus to Rachel, but she focused in on her fidgeting mother. How could this be happening right now? It was like she was looking at a stranger.

“Mom, are you…a part of the Scarlet Hand?”

She felt Nia give a shriek through their connection, the girl obviously listening in.

“No! No way, Major!”

Shhhh. Don’t butt in! Rachel internally growled, waiting for her mom to answer.

Her mother took a deep breath before her nerves firmed, and she looked straight into her eyes. “No. I would never associate myself with such a cult. I never hid who I was from you, Rachel. You believed what you wanted, and I wasn’t going to try to indoctrinate you to my ways. What was I supposed to do? If I told you this would happen, would you believe me, or would that have put a barrier between us? I did my best.”

It was Rachel’s turn to gulp, stomach squirming at the firm tone that was one of the very few voices that could make her nervous; even Coral woke and quivered a bit.

Relaxing a little, Rachel rubbed her face and forced a laugh. “No, you’re right, Mom. I’m sorry. It’s just…”

Her mother’s voice softened as she scooted the chair forward to take her hand. “Rachel, I’m not trying to skirt your very valid questions. Am I scared of how you will react? Absolutely! How couldn’t I be? I’m sure this is a…lot to take in,” she whispered, shifting to rub her arm. “Give it a moment to sink in. Yes, Rachel… I knew.”

Pulling in her bottom lip and trying not to let her big ears draw back, she streamed out a long, hot puff of air, letting her jitters quell. It took several seconds, but eventually, she found her voice. “What else can you tell me now that you know I will believe you? Who told you?”

Her brown eyes drifted to the side, and a somber note came over her mother as she looked for the right words. “My…knowledge is probably much more lacking than you would like regarding how you changed. Most of what I know involves you,” she admitted, forcing a smile. “It’s because my only objective is to be your mother and…and protect you.

“Nam, you, your father, and now, heh, Alexa is included in that number… You all are my responsibility. I do fear what I feel is coming. I fear what part you will inevitably play in this grand order of lesser gods, choosing sides and gathering their forces. You’re my little girl,” she whimpered, leaning forward to take her hand again. “I know you’re the Bringer of Misfortune, but it can hurt you if you rely too heavily on it; there is a balance.”

Rachel squeezed her mom’s fingers; for the first time, she felt unnerved by her vast, totally focused vision, unable to find an angle where she wasn’t seeing the stress and apprehension on her mother’s face.

“Chang’e said the same about the Positive and Negative moons,” she mumbled, swallowing and turning her mom’s hand over to trace her veins. “My own misfortune can hurt me if I overuse it? I suppose that’s karma…”

A very uncomfortable thought and emotion welled up in her chest as she processed every one of her mother’s words, [Mental Acceleration] making her mind move a million kilometers a second. Heat rising up her throat, she fought back tears while glancing into her mother’s own watery eyes.

“Mom, did—mmm… You know about Relica, right? I’m sure you’ve heard about the infamous terrorist by now since some images of her seem to have gone viral—at least from what I’m hearing. Right?”

Dark brown eyes becoming somewhat guarded, her mother shifted a little. “Yes, I know about her…”

“Well, when I was nine,” Rachel paused, her throat thick and trying to figure out how to exactly articulate it. “The accident… Relica caused that… Umm. Was I the reason why—why Seo died… Was that why you were so broken up over it because I was—”

Her mother’s fingers tightened around hers, brown eyes became firm. “No, Rachel, it is not your fault, and you cannot believe that! That is my burden to bear because I knew that Seo would be taken from us at some point…I was warned it would happen, and there was nothing I could do about it. If anything, it is because of you that your aunt is still alive to hate me for driving the car.”

Rachel couldn’t stop herself from pushing past her tired body to hug her mom and attempt to pull her onto the bed. Her mother complied as Rachel sniffed and coughed, letting her mom comfort her, her soft, comforting words burning her ears.

“Everything’s going to be alright, Rachel… Everything will be alright.”

“B-But I let her get away,” Rachel sobbed, burying her face into her mother’s chest, a living furnace consuming her heart. “Relica—I don’t know if I can look at her without… She ruined our whole family! I’m sorry, I didn’t see you suffering. I’m sorry you had to deal with all of this alone.”

Tender hands held her back, her mother’s hot breath against her ear as she felt a dam breaking within her. “I wasn’t alone… I had my son and daughter, who relied on me, and who helped me out of that crippling guilt, and do you know—do you know what really pulled me out?”

Rachel shook her head against her mom’s quaking chest, feeling weaker and more tender than she’d ever felt in her life as her mother held her tight.

“It was when a little, eleven-year-old girl came home from school; she’d gotten in a fight with a classmate who said her mom was prettier than me…”

“I remember,” she sniffled. “D-Dad was furious when he picked me up.”

“He was,” her mother said, clearing her throat, “but where was I… I was in the bathroom in tears because it was the week Seo died, and I just felt…like a failure, but you came in and…and gave me a hug and said—you said, it’ll be okay, Mom… It would be okay, and I was the prettiest mom in the world… Just…be strong, believe…” she cut off in a choke before repeating the words.

“Be strong…believe. Those words hit me like a truck… I was supposed to be the one helping you, not the other way around. Your dad didn’t know what to do with me… I didn’t know what to do with all this guilt, but my sweet daughter had struck my heart in a way I cannot explain… Be strong, believe. Thank you for being my daughter, Rachel. Thank you.”

“Mom…”

Nose on fire and a complete mess, Rachel didn’t process anything for a time; she couldn’t remember ever breaking down like this in her life, and the worst part was that she couldn’t stop. Like Scarlet, her entire life was breaking away, but in a different direction; her mother didn’t abandon her.

After fifteen minutes of babbling and attempts to regain control, Rachel felt utterly exhausted, yet she had too much to do to let herself slip into a coma, so she forced herself to stay awake. Unsurprisingly, Nia was a total wreck, and the girls downstairs were probably completely lost as to what to do with the sensitive child.

Cheeks puffy and flushed, the same as her mom’s, Rachel took a tissue and dabbed at her stinging eyes as they settled down. Once resting her head against the pillow for a time, she went to the next topic she wanted to address, keeping her gaze on her mother.

“Who gave you all of these visions? Why did Nia overhear Grandma disowning you? And why did she tell you that you’d be killed if you returned to Korea?”

Hands folding in her lap, her mother’s legs wrapped around each other as she glanced away. “Who gave me these visions? I can’t say because I do not know. My family has a long history of shamanism, and I grew up around spirits and yogoe, seen just beyond the veil; it is thinner than you might think,” she said with a strained smile.

Rachel tucked her blankets under her chin, feeling a shiver coming on since she had no Lunar Energy to activate any of her more resilient-based abilities. “What about goddesses like Izanami and Chang’e? What do you know about them?”

Again, her mother shook her head. “Typically, you cannot communicate with those types of deities without some extreme measures. However, I have noticed a few bunnies jumping around…that refuse to speak to me,” she said with a somewhat agitated side-long glare.

“Think of there being multiple worlds layered on top of each other, and some, such as our family, can peer beyond that slight deviation in boundaries. Your grandfather has his own type of aptitude regarding his cultivation breathing techniques, but that is limited to the divide between worlds that shamans can interact with.”

Scratching her temple and breathing a tired sigh, Rachel smiled at the Korean woman. “You’re dodging the big questions, Mom. Your side of the family and who gave you the knowledge about The Oscillation. I can tell Moongmor and Mei that they don’t need to duck you anymore. Maybe you’ll be able to give me some answers since I’m not all that used to communicating with them yet.”

Her mom sat back, a somber note returning to her voice. “First, know that these visions come from a spirit animal, much like your bunny friends, only…I was not the only one whom they reached out to in order to grasp what was to come and to prepare. All spiritualists in Korea heard the warning from the Tiger Palace.”

Rachel crossed her arms under her blankets, recalling the warnings about tigers in their culture; in times past, the horangi were seen as shape-shifting, man-eating trickster tigers, much like the kumiho.

Then again, it was also seen as a symbol of power, strength, boldness, courageousness, and confidence. Many believed tigers were the guardians of Korea. There was even a legend about a tiger that married a fox, and a cloud that loved the fox wept over them, creating the story surrounding sunshowers.

A dark shadow touched her tone. “So, the tiger is the one that is actually threatening you?”

“It’s more complicated than that,” her mother explained. “There are spirits that are…intermediaries, I suppose you could call them—much like your bunnies. Understand, these visions came when I was pregnant with you, and I’ve received more instruction as time went on, involving their plan for Korea. When you were unconscious…the horangi wanted me to bring you back to Korea to recover. Instead…I spoke to and channeled a benevolent sea nymph’s powers to cleanse you, which marked me a sort of…traitor.”

A little confused now, Rachel tried to puzzle through the interweavings of this story. “Why do that to yourself? What bad would have come from going back to Korea?”

Her mother drew in her bottom lip, arms held against her belly. “Mmm. It’s a…complicated feeling. I can’t tell you why, but I’m uncomfortable taking you back to Korea at this time. You’re just going to have to accept that as my answer.”

Rachel slowly let it go, a small smile lifting her cheeks. It was nice knowing that her mother did care so much about their family. It wasn’t like it was a new realization, but the depths and visceral understanding of it had brought a new light to her stalwart, traditional mom. Whatever the reason, it was for her benefit, and she didn’t have to question that, which was weird for her, but it was her mom.

“Okay. Thank you for being my mother,” she said in Korean. “Haha. If I could bow, I would because I love and respect you.”

“My little bouncy hare…” A gentle look from her adorable mother melted Rachel’s heart as she opened an arm for them to hug again. “I should let you rest and recover. You’re exhausted.”

Rachel had a hard time nodding, her eyes wanting to close. “Could you tell Scarlet to let everyone know when they get out of their Quest that I’d like to have a group meeting tonight? Let’s say…around twelve or one, when I can moonbathe?”

“I’ll make sure everyone is in attendance. And you mean everyone, including Selvaria’s mother?”

“Mhm. Well, not necessarily Barbara or the military. But yes, Selvaria’s mom since she seems fairly connected to her. I have something I need to give everyone to think about over the next two weeks while I recover.”

“Ha-ha… I can…guess where this will be going, and I will fight you tooth and nail to be a part of it.”

“Hehe. I bet you will,” she whispered, receiving a kiss on the forehead from the affectionate woman. “You have a lot of experience in a lot of local political and educational areas, so we’ll see. My mom’s kind of a workaholic like the rest of our family, be it housework or community.”

“A busy, productive household that can sit down for dinner together is a prosperous one,” her mother chimed. “I will see you later tonight. Now, rest!”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Rachel snickered, closing her eyes and settling in. “See you tonight…”

She hardly got the words out before her mind drifted into obscurity, and the next thing that made her ears twitch was a handsome male voice.

“…Didn’t she say midnight?”

“She didn’t drool!” Nia defended. “I cleaned it up, so it didn’t happen.”

Fiona’s small, charming voice followed. “I don’t think it works like that, Nia, but way to lighten the mood! How was the Quest, Selvaria?”

The monotone sea dragon probably gave a shrug at her voice, but the woman’s cadence was always at the same nonchalant level. “Mmm. It was fun, but I like Barbara’s better because she usually is on the ocean. Rivers are okay, too, I guess. Mom, you should have seen my new freeze-breath attack; I sniped a guy trying to fly away with it. His bird was cool.”

“That’s nice, Honey. I hope he was okay. Selvaria? Was he okay?”

“Mmm. No comment… He was a bad guy.”

Scarlet cleared her throat. “Did he…shatter on impact?”

“Maldita sea esta liebre!” Maria cut in, no doubt cursing. “When is this long-eared chica gonna wake up? It’s already ten minutes past, huh? I’m beat and want to jump in the shower. Why the hell was I the only one eaten by the fish?”

A short sigh came from the fairy. “To be fair, she did say twelve or one.”

Anthony followed with a chuckle. “Plus, you were the one who said you wanted to see how long you could hold your breath underwater, so you went for a swim. I can’t believe you took a bathing suit; not a bad idea, honestly.”

“¿De qué diablos estás hablando?” Maria snapped back. “All I knew about these damn Quests was what that military boys told us, and I ain’t goin’ on a ship without somethin’ to wear, ya know?”

“Deep breath, Maria. In…and out…” Fiona soothed. “I’m glad me and Selvaria found you before the fish got too far—oh, is she waking up?”

Rachel groaned, stretching her neck and ears as she sucked in a breath and hissed it out. “Mmmgm… Morning. Sorry to keep you waiting, but can we transfer to the roof or outside? Sorry if it’s cold,” she added to her family.

Scarlet jumped forward to comply, seemingly having learned how to operate the bed. “Yup! I got it. Nia, want to take the left side with me?”

“Mhm! Mhm!” the bun chimed, giving Rachel a wink.

“I was quiet about you waking up, Major!”

Haha. Thanks, Lil’ Bun.

Soft chatter followed them as they went to the elevator. Everyone was in their own little group, which helped her see where each of them found commonality. Anthony was shockingly inside the conversation circle with her brother, father, and grandfather.

Once outside of the hospital, her family bundled up for the chilly March DC weather, Maria grunted and hugged herself. “Brrrr. Can we hurry this up; it’s damn cold here… I’m freezing my ass off. Shit, I want to go back to Miami.”

A little interested that the woman was so vulnerable to the elements in contrast to them, Rachel had to put it on the shelf to get to the point, but she wanted to know more about these quests they’d been on.

“Thanks, Mom, Scarlet,” she said, spotting the pair close in with beaming smiles. In the back, she found her brother, grandfather, and dad.

“Alright. I know you all have things you want to do, and you’re questioning your purpose here, so let me clarify one…”

It was hard to look serious while lying in a hospital bed, wearing seemingly silky pajamas that Nia had changed her into, but she firmed her voice anyway.

“I’m getting support from the President, and there are a lot of enemies and organizations I need to make you aware of when we meet next. However, I want to make you all aware that I am going to set up a private military company, and I’m likely to see support from a four-star general and the President in doing so… There are big things ahead that I need help with.”

She grimaced, looking down at her lap as the others glanced at one another. “I hate to admit it, but I cannot do this alone. I don’t know any of you all that well, but your character showed through when it mattered, and you stepped up to help people. And don’t think this will be for no pay or that I won’t support you in what you want, so think hard on that because it will be a part of your signing contract.”

Maria was the first to pipe up. “What kind of diñeiro and work we talkin’ here, Hops? We sendin’ fools ta St. Mary on government dime, huh?”

Rachel laughed at the unicorn’s framing. “From what I know…think over a hundred thousand civilians inside the US that could be murdered overnight that we’ll be involved in protecting.”

“Wait, really?” Scarlet hissed, now looking nervous.

Maria rubbed the back of her neck and looked at the fairy. “Damn. That’s heavy shit. She ain’t lying.”

Selvaria broke right through, grinning and making the bed creak as she lightly leaned against the frame. “What name are you going to call it? Seal Gang Incorporated. I vote for that!”

Rachel snorted. “Sorry, Selv, but I was thinking more along the lines of…Omen. Thoughts, Anthony? I’m all for finding a cure for your girl. Haven’t I proven useful so far?”

She needed him to join, if anything for access to his Quests, and Barbara was already tied to the military; logically, a Legendkin was a necessity for anyone who wanted to level quickly.

The man tilted his head to the side. “Eh-hah. I mean, yeah, but I’ll need to think about it. If you’re talking about the name… Mmm. Edgy…in a good way, I think. ‘They sent Omen to handle the job’ has a decent ring to it.”

“I’m in!” Selvaria automatically stated. “Member number one.”

“Huh. No!” Scarlet balked. “I’m member number one, Selv. You can be member number two.”

The leviathan flashed her teeth. “No, I’ll be member number zero! You can take one.”

The dark-haired reaper opened her mouth, unsure how to respond, as Fiona giggled and said her own piece.

“I’ll have to think about it, Rachel. I want to learn what happened to my family and if they’re okay. If I have to join to get more attention and support for that, then I’ll do it, but I still need to think about it for a bit. Omen sounds cool and scary, too. I can get behind it.”

Her brother walked around Anthony to stand near her bed. “Why did you call us here for this, Sis?”

Rachel reached over to jab his shoulder. “Because I need people that know how to run a business. Fiona has her lawyer fox friend whom I plan to call, too. I’m sure I can get a very healthy investment fund and job benefits from a military contract with General Dallas. I wanted you to help me on the organization and structure part, Mr. Master Business Associate.”

She gave everyone else a personal stare as she swept the room. “If I can fill a job with someone I know, the better…because I have a hard time trusting people right now. Think about it. You have at least two weeks to come to a decision, and we can have one-on-one talks or negotiations. I want all of you. So give me something to give you!”

They all laughed, and Rachel let most of the group leave as Scarlet brought her back upstairs. In the next five minutes, only Scarlet and her family were left, allowing her to have more of a personal conversation. Alexa was somewhat unsure of what she was supposed to do if she joined, and she could sense some restraint from her brother that hinged on his wife. She had a lot of bridges to build, but build them she would.

Now, if only she could get a fix on Arthur, Merlin, and Galahad, then maybe she could get more details as to what would happen with Relica; she was kicking herself for not sticking around to listen to the rest of the conversation because, as it turned out, they’d slipped her net.

The knight was off the grid, in some protective facility outside of her range, and she now had to wonder if the wizard and parliament member had connected and joined forces since the pair seemed to have a way of hiding from her ears. She doubted the King of Knights would have such a Feat since he hadn’t hidden from her before, which left the magic man. Why would he suddenly be hiding from her ears? They were on their guard, so she’d have to bide her time.

Yet a problem that she hadn’t told General Dallas, the President, or anyone else for that matter cropped up around two p.m. after they’d relocated to the Blair House, northwest of the White House. When her family passed out on couches or chairs dotting her given room within the dignitary guest house, Scarlet nudged her head for them to go into the hallway.

Figuring the vespertine reaper wanted to catch up, Rachel poked Nia to change her clothes into the purple skirt and blouse combination before joining Scarlet and leaving Coral to guard her family. The exhausted Captain Little Bun grumbled in her internal bed across from Nike, and rolled over back into her dreams once changed; she’d been showered with affection by her family over the last few days, it seemed.

They waved at the Secret Service that lined the halls, keeping watch since the White House was on high alert until they could get a handle on all the insane powers everyone obtained. She’d already heard about twelve thwarted assassination attempts in the past eight hours, which number didn’t include the over five dozen suspected threats investigated.

She followed the black-haired, shorter girl out of the Blair House and onto the sidewalk, heading east to walk around Lafayette Square, passing the Rochambeau statue. It was a cool March night, and it looked like there would be light snow that would make its descent, from what she heard from local weather stations.

Scarlet hugged herself, wearing a cute red sweater that Alexa had bought for her. “Your family’s way too nice,” she mumbled, plucking at the item before glancing down at her skirt and black leggings. “All of them know I don’t get cold—well, I’m always cold because I don’t produce body heat, but they still fuss over a blood drinker.”

Rachel held her arm behind her back, smiling at how sparsely populated the area was considering the checkpoints set up around the White House’s general vicinity. It wasn’t all that breezy, and she saw the first flake of snow float down to touch the neatly trimmed grass.

“Haha. Don’t think they do that for everyone. My family is typically very private, but I’ve been seeing a new side to them recently. Between you, Alexa, and Nia, my mom’s coming alive more. My brother’s happier since I’m not constantly bullying his wife, and even my dad is showing more emotion than usual.”

She grinned and bumped into her, making the girl stumble a little and laugh. “You good?”

“Are you good?” Scarlet repeated, trying to match her energy. “How’s your Lunar Pool? You can walk now, so that’s a good sign.”

“Mmm.” Rachel tilted her head left and right. “I’m at about 25% before the clouds rolled in. It’s enough to relax like this and, after that nap, I can go for a short walk. I’ll still be recovering for a good two weeks, though. That doesn’t mean I won’t be doing a lot of political stuff and having meetings with Tom or the President.”

“That’s so crazy and just like you,” Scarlet mumbled, arms clamping down on her hands as she shivered. “Umm. I don’t know when I should bring this up, but…I haven’t been able to feel Veronica inside of me anymore. Did Relica kill her when she did that…thing to me?”

Slowing to a stop in front of the Andrew Jackson statue, Rachel’s mouth became a line, seeing more flakes now falling around them. Veronica had changed bodies. There was something else happening behind the scenes, and she couldn’t be sure if it were Veronica’s plan or whatever entity was sleeping inside of Scarlet.

Voice becoming thick, Scarlet gulped. “And why did Twilight just giggle in her sleep? I hate it when she just randomly makes a sound… It happened when I went into my internal world a bit ago.”

Vision snapping to the pointed-eared girl, Rachel’s fingers tightened against her elbow. “I have more to add to that, but what happened when you went back… Why did you try? I know you were probably terrified.”

“Mhm.” Scarlet’s left fang poked out as she bit her lip, no blood exiting. “I just felt like…it was something you’d do, so…yeah. I, umm, I can’t change my Feats still, but I’ve got new ones, like this one…”

Rachel glanced around them as shadows seemed to gather in a bubble, providing a mist of darkness. “What does it do?”

Starting on their walk again, only slower, Scarlet dispersed the field. “Basically, a short-range invisibility ability that allows you to move in the dark unseen—I guess that’s kind of repeating myself, though,” she mumbled with a strained smile.

“Umm. Also…when I entered my inner world, I was in a small house in the middle of a crazy bloodstorm… I’m still isolated in the Red Sea, but it seems to protect me from going underwater. I, umm, I think Veronica made it. Is she…dead?”

Hearing the uncertainty in her throat, Rachel moved closer to knock shoulders again. “Last I saw of her, she was stopping me from killing Relica… I think she possessed her, or something like that. I’m not sure yet. You shouldn’t feel bad for her, though. She’s pretty insane now, talking about how ‘everything’s a lie’ and she knows the ‘truth’ about you. Let’s not put too much weight into her ramblings for now. Just hang with my family, and I’ll get you more answers. Okay?”

A sad smile came from the reaper girl as she closed in to hug her, making them stop as the light snow stuck to their hair. “Thank you for being so kind to me, Rachel… It’s like I have a big sister looking out for me, and it feels so nice. I’m just…really grateful that you’re here.”

“Hey,” Rachel forced a laugh, returning the embrace. “I’ve been seeing a lot of change in myself and everyone else recently, and part of that reason is because of you. You’re stronger than you know, Major Fangs. So don’t sell yourself short. I’d trust you with my tail.”

“Aww! That means a lot,” she laughed, pulling away and brushing at her eyes, where bloody tears fell. “Your mom told me how sensitive you are about it; she loves you so much… I only wish… Never mind.”

Seeing her gulp and sideward glance, Rachel sighed and stepped forward to bring her in again. “We’ll figure it out, Scarlet. Okay?”

“Okay… The snow’s pretty, isn’t it?”

“Mhm.” Rachel held her closer as sniffles came from the girl. “We don’t see it in Miami, do we?”

“Nu-uh. My, umm, my family traveled a lot, so we—my dad, just… Yeah, I just always liked the snow… Will you go to the funeral with me? I want to have a funeral.”

“…Of course,” Rachel whispered. “Of course I will.”

Holding her in the gentle veil for a time as the reaper processed everything that had happened over the past week and a half, Rachel pondered darker thoughts. Was Relica in control anymore? Was she still a part of the Scarlet Hand? Or was she now an agent of Veronica? For that matter, had Veronica flipped sides to whatever inhabited Scarlet, or was she her own agent?

The world had become a far more dangerous place, and she had to build up Omen to protect what she loved; she had to get stronger.

Chapter Forty-Two

Fate vs. Destiny

The musky scent of an abandoned building met Arthur as he followed the Secret Service through the narrow hallway. Agents had brought him to this remote black site just outside of Washington, DC, to bargain for shared intelligence and Arthur had obtained a pledge of support from the President in rooting out corruption within the UK.

Impressively, President Leo Campell had reversed the card and asked for his own help and resources at MI6 to impart what they knew about US corruption. He’d met with him on one or two occasions, but only now was he seeing the value of having a man of principle like him in the American’s Oval Office.

His decisive leadership provided a way forward rather than getting tied up in important but minor details in the long run. Still, those details had to be addressed at some point, and responsibility had to be taken. He reached up to adjust his tie, enchanted and covertly sent to him by Merlin to obstruct sensory types of scrutiny.

Entering the elevator of the black site to reach the bottom level, he only offered polite greetings to the guards he passed. Four floors down, they took him until they arrived in the well-guarded medical detention wing, where a Secret Service agent opened the door through a password, biometrics, and vocal recognition before closing it to give them privacy.

Arthur stood at the entrance for a time, throat tight and mouth a line as he observed the young man he’d known since his birth; he took some time to process the sight in front of him. His oldest friend’s son was dying, and despite the drama between them, he never wanted harm to come to his son.

His gaze slid to the man sitting in the corner, invisible to the Secret Service agents or the camera since it was a magical projection that bypassed light. Moving to Galahad’s bedside, he looked at the bandages covering the corrupting burns that festered, still sinking into the knight’s soul, breaking down his holy defenses.

Keeping his back to the camera as Merlin wove the silencing spell so they could speak, Arthur’s hard blue eyes lifted to the deceptively young wizard. “Rachel did this in a single blow? There is something unique about her that I can’t wrap my head around after everything I’ve investigated with the Scarlet Hand.”

Arthur’s jaw tightened. “You still haven’t told me how you knew The Oscillation was going to happen decades prior to garner your support. Last I knew, you were a college professor advising the military. Now you’re an MI6 agent?”

Merlin grunted, leaning against his staff to rise to his feet, joining him to stare down at the legendary pure hero. “I’ve been through a lot in my lifetime… I’ve seen things that link the Scarlet Hand back to events in World War I, but that’s not important right now…

“I’m sure you’ve met Rachel… I’ve trained Galahad to become the perfect knight since he was a child; only a few days had passed, yet Rachel found a way to go so far beyond what anyone thought possible. Apparently, even the Scarlet Hand’s expectations were thrown out the window since they ran with their tail between their legs. Hmm. I had planned on this being the trigger that unlocks his own Legend Quest, where we would finally have answers…and now he might die. Dammit.”

His hard, pink eyes lifted to stare at him. “Galahad was Level 10… I’d tutored him since he was young to counter the Scarlet Hand. You know how capable he is—yet that hare was at an entirely different level. If nothing is done, he will either die or be corrupted by…whatever this is.”

“The power of Yomi,” Arthur whispered, fingers tightening against the bed railing. “I’ve learned a lot from sharing information with the US President, and the fact of the matter is that the Scarlet Hand is not our greatest problem… After hearing what both you and General Dallas have had to say, it seems this Rachel is a credible threat. And I’m sure they only told me a fragment of what she uncovered.”

Merlin rubbed his chin. “You didn’t tell them that Ireland Legends are preparing a revolution and attack on the UK? We can be almost positive that the Scarlet Hand compromised the US. It’s why I’ve compartmentalized everything.”

“I don’t think so,” Arthur said with confidence, looking up at the agitated wizard. “The Scarlet Hand isn’t as invulnerable as it was when you were trying to counter them before The Oscillation. Something changed that has caught them off-guard in a catastrophic way that we can use. However, before any of that, I need to do more Quests to obtain the resources to save Galahad. His father is on his way, and we’ll be doing joint Quests.”

Pulling out a paper from inside his pocket, he unfolded it to show the illusionary map. “We’re not working with the US Department of Defense but directly with the President. General Tom Dallas will meet you at this location to discuss more options upon moving forward with a joint operation to stop the Irish attack and smoke out the Scarlet Hand members in the UK and US government bodies.”

“Haaa.” Merlin’s weary eyes glanced over it once. “I couldn’t trust MI6 leadership, having obtained this special task force directly from the Prime Minister before our current corrupted leader, yet you expect me to trust the US President? The US doesn’t think MI6 extracted Adele because people in the US State Department don’t want that connection drawn—”

Arthur shook his head and cut the man off while putting away the paper. “I’ll stop you there, Merlin. Rachel knows MI6 extracted Adele, and she told President Campell quite the story about how everything went down, including your involvement. If what you are saying is true, then there are breadcrumbs they can follow back to those politicians to find the source of the false intelligence.”

“Well, bloody hell,” the wizard mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. “If what you’re saying is true…President Campell was given a hell of a smoking gun by the girl that hasn’t even reached my ears yet. And what if it was General Dallas that misinformed him?”

Chuckling, Arthur repeated the action again. “No, Merlin, I know you’ve been trying to play this close to the chest, but I would bet my life that the good general knows far more than you at this point when it comes to the world stage, and all thanks to Rachel’s information gathering. If you want, put him to the test.”

Merlin stroked his thick black beard, focus shifting to the dying knight. “Perhaps on the American side… It isn’t a bad suggestion. I take it that you will be preoccupied with finding a solution to fix Galahad’s condition. In the meantime, I can conjure up a way for you to attend Parliament while remaining here in the US. I’m sure they’re already pressuring you to return.”

“That would help,” he said with a short chuckle, running his fingers through his hair, but his smile fell when the other man gave him a sobering stare; being in the US right now wasn’t doing him any favors back in the UK. “Relica, I assume, is the next topic?”

A twist came to Merlin’s nose. “She’s given me quite a few names to consider on Ireland’s side that might be important to contact, but…there’s something different about her. I’m not entirely sure that it is the same woman I’ve been in contact with. She’s calmer…more sure of herself in what should be a very damning position, and she somehow slipped my net.”

Arthur released the bed railing so as not to imprint his fingers as his hands balled into fists. “You should have led with that…” he snarled. “We don’t have the terrorist that I told the US President we had under control?”

Merlin shook his head, a serious and cautious cadence coming over him. “I’m not negligent, Arthur. I placed her under some of my best seals to keep her locked down in our safe house, yet somehow, she slipped by everyone without so much as a whisper. It’s unnatural, and I am sure breaking free was outside her capabilities since I removed every hidden artifact she had on her person.”

“Then you missed something,” he shot back. “Is it possible the Scarlet Hand discovered her location and snatched her out from under your nose?”

“No,” he firmly repeated, locking eyes with him. “Let me make this crystal clear… I do not think the terrified terrorist I knew was who I was talking to when I left her under guard. She told me my spells wouldn’t hold her and not to be afraid when she disappeared…that she would reach out when we gave her an opportunity.”

Arthur tried to temper his emotions, streaming out a breath so as not to appear agitated to the cameras. “You didn’t put weight in her warning and left her with one of your random knights?”

Rubbing between his eyes, Merlin let go of an exhausted sigh. “I took every precaution. I wasted some of the most potent items I’ve been able to cultivate since this change happened, and none of it mattered. I don’t know who we are dealing with here, Arthur, but what I do know is that something interrupted that hare devil woman when she tried to kill Relica…”

He paused for emphasis. “That same devil hare that obliterated Galahad in a single blow, locked me out of my magic, and practically held me by the throat without batting an eye was overpowered by whatever possessed Relica; I’d gamble there’s a connection. Something isn’t right about this entire situation—we’re missing context—and it is somehow connected with Rachel, which means we need to hear her side. Fortunately, this entity told me she does want to meet with you.”

“Noted,” Arthur said, feeling prickles run across his forearms at the weight Merlin put behind Rachel’s power when confronting them. “I suppose I’ll leave myself available then if she’s so intent on meeting me. I’ll discover the truth myself.”

He groaned, reflecting on his negotiations with the US leader. “I’ve already bargained for her to be of combined use for a joint US and UK operation in the coming conflict with whatever comes out of Ireland… I’ll somehow make it work.

“Do something about keeping her shackled when I perform a miracle and get her to return to the safe house. And don’t worry, I will learn more about Rachel in the coming weeks; she’s recovering after Miami and seemingly heavily injured, spiritually at that.”

“I see…” A short pause came between them as they studied the recovering knight who should never have been in this compromising position. “So, you’re saying that Rachel’s power stems from Yomi, and she couldn’t handle it for an extended period? No, there’s too much to speculate without the full context. She’s an ally, though?”

Arthur nodded. “For now.”

“Hmm. I have more studying to do. If you’ve negotiated a path for me to work with the military, I’ll contact General Dallas and see about obtaining a safe house that I can properly ward the terrorist in… I bet the US will have resources I can use to perform a better binding. As for your date, can you make yourself unavailable until late afternoon before going to a place where Relica—well, a place where whoever is possessing Relica can meet with you?”

Breathing out a long sigh, the topic brought his mind to his complex relationship with his wife. Many had told him to leave her, but it wasn’t so simple, and it wasn’t as if they hated one another. This change that had come over them brought up many past grievances they’d shared, but at the end of the day, they were adults who could put the matter to the side.

“My wife probably won’t enjoy it, but I’ll set a reservation for two at L’ardente. I’m sure this entity will have a way of finding me, and…this is not Relica, correct?”

Merlin’s mouth became a line, his pink eyes filled with caution. “Whoever it is, they’re powerful enough to contend with Rachel when she’s channeling Yomi.

“I’ll keep it in mind.”

“By the way,” the wizard muttered, “it’s come to my attention that the Seattle Vampire has been killed; the US military’s report stated that a red-cloaked figure wielding an ax was responsible—they didn’t come out unscathed. Take care, Arthur.”

Merlin’s magical illusion vanished in a shimmer of lights. In the silence, he spent several more minutes studying the damage done to Galahad. It suddenly made a whole lot of sense as to why his old best friend had raised his son up the way he had and given him the mythical figure’s name.

As of now, he’d call his old friend by the title he’d gained: Lancelot; there was power in names, and his wife agreed. He would be Arthur, and she, Guinevere; she actually quite enjoyed the image of being a queen, which amused him. She’d even ordered a crown.

It certainly seemed like both Relica and Merlin had been scheming with powerful knowledge for far longer than he’d expected. So many people in his life had been affected; it couldn’t be a coincidence, and he had to catch up.

Yet, the clincher was that the wizard had been working behind the scenes to build up Galahad into the shining champion he could be; the whole origin of Merlin’s awareness of The Oscillation was an uncomfortable one. Perhaps Lancelot would have more answers for him.

Throughout the last twenty-four hours, he’d sent out a message to all of his old friends inside the service. Before being a politician, he’d been the upcoming star in the British Military; it was time to get the platoon back together because their homeland was under threat, internally and externally.

Looking down at the young man he counted as family, Arthur vowed to find a way to cure him; the answer had to be in their Quests, and he’d find it.

Hold on, Galahad, we’ll get you back on your feet. I just…need to mend a few bridges. It will be challenging, but I’ll see it done.

After calling in the doctor who was overlooking his care and receiving a verification that nothing they were doing was working, Arthur left the black site. He’d talk with Rachel herself in the coming days to better understand what she’d done to him and see if there were other options; given Galahad’s strength, he had time, but not a lot.

The personally selected team of Secret Service agents the President had given him drove them around DC, and he remained on his phone and contacted his old company of soldiers. Almost all of them that had survived had changed into a knight of legend, including many of their family members. None of this could be a coincidence, and all of it had the shadow of design.

Many thoughts spun around his head on the chilly March day; the forecast called for a very light snowfall that would blanket the city during the night. Lancelot messaged him that his plane would be leaving within the hour to visit his wounded son, and he was half looking forward to the reunion; they were lucky the airports between their nations hadn’t been halted yet.

The father was understandably pissed that Merlin went to Arthur first with the news, even if Galahad disapproved of both his parents’ past actions and had distanced himself. Now, Merlin had forced him into something the boy was vehemently against. They really were a mess of contradictions.

So many conspiring parties were at play, and he had to assume the French representatives he’d briefly passed had their own cards on the table. President Campell gave him far too grand of a scope to consider; it would be a wonder if he’d even be able to sleep tonight. He’d know soon enough as the time of the meeting drew near.

Naturally, he called his wife to let her know he was dining with another woman, making her shoot back a snippy remark that made him smile before she hung up. Gwen was like that.

When precisely 10 p.m. came, he stepped out of his vehicle at the famous Italian restaurant and made his way to the front desk. “Reservation for Arthur,” he said to the woman behind the polished granite countertop.

She smiled welcomingly, directing him to a notice board. “Of course, Mr. Arthur, but please note that we do host Beastkin and other such changed individuals. Allergies might be a concern, but all dishes are prepared by human hands, and we are very strict on our grooming and cleanliness practices. We also have two fairies and one beast person on our serving staff, so if there are any allergies, please inform us now.”

Bemused at the disclaimer, he assumed it was something they may have had a problem with within the last few days and didn’t want to be seen as discriminating. He shook his head. “No issues here, Ma’am.”

“Wonderful. Your companion said the same.”

“I appreciate the concern.” Keeping a charming exterior, he raised his guard as she guided him to a far back corner table that was totally isolated from the others; this was planned, and he’d been the one to set the reservation, yet she’d beaten him to the punch.

His brow furrowed when he found a young blonde woman in a red dress, already browsing a wine menu. Her lime-green eyes displayed a vibrance as she offered a pretty smile.

“Cabinet Member Arthur Pendragon, it’s my pleasure.”

“The pleasure is mine,” Arthur politely returned, shaking her hand before sitting across from the unexpected company. “I was under the impression you had darker hair.”

“Disappointed?” she chortled.

The woman seating them paused as the blonde spontaneously shifted her appearance to that of a dark-haired beauty before returning to her golden radiance.

“I can look like anything I desire, King of Knights. Now, why don’t we order some wine and chat a little before diving into the meat of the discussion? Do you have any suggestions?” she asked, handing him the menu before the hovering woman could get in a word. “I have yet to sample such things.”

Arthur had already browsed the sheet and their private stock before coming and decided this kind of meeting deserved something more memorable. “2008 Teso La Monja,” he said, handing the booklet to their seater, who looked somewhat speechless at the luxury bottle order. “Toro, Spain, would do beautifully.”

“Of…course, Mr. Pendragon. I’ll have it out right away, and your server will be out shortly.”

She left in a hurry, the rest of the room melting away for him as his senses honed in on this shapeshifting femme fatale in front of him. “You aren’t Relica, are you? To whom do I have the pleasure of dining with on this chilly night?”

The woman’s eyes sparkled as she folded her fingers atop her lap before glancing to the other tables with their classy-dressed occupants.

“I always used to daydream about having a risqué meet-up with a handsome, dangerous man when I was innocent and reading mystery novels under my covers at night, trying to hide them from my parents… Even that rebellious behavior was a product of a greater design.”

Arthur’s gut tightened as the world seemed to slow, and he felt an unusual zone expand from the blonde, yet it was so invasive, casual, and off-putting that it slid right past his guard. Blinking, he saw rose petals falling outside their window like snow.

“Don’t be afraid.” A sly, half-smile lifted the corner of her lips as she held her fingers to her breast. “Wasn’t it you who invited me?”

Sitting back and crossing his legs, Arthur could feel more than see countless rouge-hued strings attached to nearly everything within this person’s range, with her bright-green eyes having changed to a glowing rose-pink.

His gaze lifted to a picture that floated down from seemingly nowhere to land in front of him, showing a smiling Rachel beside a black-haired girl, displaying her fangs.

“Destiny has thousands of faces… Why does she choose…to wear this one? Want to take a guess?”

Arthur looked up at the mysterious figure in front of him, remaining calm. Whoever this figure was, it had to be one of the entities President Campell warned him about; he was being welcomed to this grander stage.

“I haven’t gotten your name yet. I thought we were having an introduction before the real meal?”

Vision narrowing, the woman’s chest shook with gentle laughter while gesturing around them at the veil of petals. “Aren’t we?”

She snapped her slim fingers, and the zone shattered like glass, making him suppress a shiver as their female server appeared beside them, holding the bottle of wine.

“Your bottle, Sir.”

“Of course…” he whispered, trying not to show his discomfort or shock as the woman held up her glass for the server to fill.

“It’s Twilight, by the way,” she said, catching him off-guard as she stared into her crystal cup, filling with the musky liquid. “I used to go by another name, but that was a long, long time ago…at least it was for me. This color reminds me of the Red Sea… It’s comforting,” she said, bringing the rim up to her nose to sample the scent as Arthur had his own filled.

“What a perfect smell for the perfect time of day.”

Arthur followed her gaze to the window, where not a single rose petal could now be seen as if it had all been an illusion; the in-between moments of night and day cast a radiant orange across the street, yet twilight should have already fallen into night. This person clearly outmatched both him and Merlin, and she wanted to let them know it.

“Thank you,” he said to the server as she set the bottle down, picking up her notepad that already had an order placed, making him frown. Was she manipulating him, the others, or both?

“I’m happy to make all the accommodations you’ve requested,” the server chimed, rosy-cheeked and acting as if they’d had a lovely conversation. “I will bring your appetizers out shortly. Please, excuse me.”

Arthur’s focus returned to the blonde, holding her glass up, bangs partly covering her left eye as she showed a secretive smile. “I do enjoy this freedom to do whatever I please.”

He set down his wine, the woman commanding his full attention. “What kind of company are you hoping to cultivate by these displays of control? Clearly, you have a vested interest in Rachel and that girl beside her. I’m not quite following who you mean by this ‘she’ who is the ‘face of Destiny,’ but you have my ear.”

His focus shot to the glint of a light-red string that brought him to the back of the serving woman walking away, with Twilight swirling around the liquid in her hand.

“The Oscillation…” she whispered in return. “The rules of this game are like reality: we all think there are infinite possibilities, yet when you put that under scrutiny, every inquiry and revelation is enslaved by previous choices. One such choice may come in the form of a loose heel strap due to the infidelity and guilt that spurred you out of your secret lover’s bed to make it on time for work.”

Arthur’s fingers curled against his palm as the thread snapped, and the server yelped, strap breaking and taking a short, embarrassing fall. She hastily rose to her feet and retreated to the back amidst the concerned guest’s inquiries.

“Such is the same when it comes to every pluck between Fate and Destiny that brought you to this enthralling rendezvous… We have much to discuss,” she said with an unassuming smile, illuminated pink irises lifting to his.

“Which includes Rachel?” Arthur studied the picture in front of him. “Before we continue, are you for or against the Scarlet Hand?”

Twilight’s smile lifted ever so slightly, her perfectly manicured fingernail coming down on the photo to turn it upside down. “All of the above… And Relica has served her purpose for me, but I am sure you will have use for her in Ireland.”

Tapping Rachel’s left ear on the image, she giggled. “On another note, isn’t it strange the duality and contrast between luck and misfortune? I used to think they were polar opposites, but now…it’s so hard to distinguish between the pair. Karma will have her say, so I must pluck as many strings as I can before that day.”

Her mysterious eyes lifted to him. “We will not meet like this in the future. I am free, and I will make my own decisions as to how this game will play out. Won’t you join me? I have wonderful benefits if you’ll only hear them.”

Several seconds passed as he looked into the body snatcher’s intense, welcoming gaze. “…I’m listening.”

* — * — *

The chilly March Montana air pressed against Astra’s face as he tucked his hands inside his thick military jacket, leaning against the side of a building. Military units were deployed all around him, attempting to support the population in temporarily evacuating the city due to the massive Crystal threatening it.

He shivered, passively chewing his gum and looking up at the giant fifteen-by-fifteen meter cube, immaterial, purple, and radiating a light-green glow that had steadily increased over the last several days. It was far smaller than the previous images he’d seen of it, and no one knew what they meant—no one expected anything good from it, though. Snow had been cleared from the area, but a storm was supposed to arrive tonight. He hated the snow.

Astra considered swapping forms to the female sergeant of the man he was currently using to go undetected since the pair were tied up together in an evacuated house, entangled on a bed not their own.

Then again, he didn’t want to use the image of anyone in lower management since they were being run ragged at the moment; the grunt ranks had the most flexibility since officers were only supposed to be in certain areas. In this body, he had anonymity; he could get away with murder by being just another face in the crowd. Plus, he didn’t have the female sergeant’s voice, so he maintained his current male figure.

It had taken some doing to get a puppet here undetected from the spy apparatus, and he’d learned a few critical pieces of information through it. He was trying to keep a low profile on the digital side due to the Legends the US had hired; still, he had to find some way to contact Rachel again, or bridges could be burned.

Releasing a visible puff of air, he grimaced and reached down to pick up his briefcase. He shouldn’t be here, but he had the leeway for it, given his current mission objectives.

A quiver at his feet brought Astra’s gaze to a big rat that had snuck out from underneath a car to sniff around his boots. It was time for work.

He took one last look at the frightening Crystal that the US military was so concerned over. Rachel would no doubt be here in the coming week, and maybe he could leave behind this doll to reconnect with her. It all depended on how this meeting went.

“Yo, Nick, what are you doing with a briefcase, bro? Got a bomb or something, eh?” Astra closed his eyes, breathing out a long sigh before putting on a big grin as the man came over to do a fake grab for it; the rat darted under the car. “Didn’t they kill Hitler with something like that?”

“Jack, dude, what’s up? No idea, man. Becka told me to hold onto it for the brass.”

“Shit!” He crossed his arms and glanced back. “What do you make of this Crystal? You think we’ll be sent inside? I heard aliens come out of them—sci-fi shit, ya know? Bobby wants to bring back a souvenir from space; he thinks it’ll be worth bank, while Trish, from accounting, thinks he’ll get a gentle virus and give birth to the mother worm.”

“Damn! She’s on his ass,” Astra fake laughed, pulling out his phone. “Aye, yo, I, uh, gotta take this to the boss. Catch you around seven?”

Jack lifted his eyebrows. “For Becka, huh? Bro, half the squad thinks you two are banging.”

“Bro! Keep it on the low,” he hissed, putting a finger to his lips and making the man’s eyes practically bug out.

“Wait, bro—yo, you can’t leave me there!”

“Chill! Chill! Talk to me later, man. The snow’s got ears like bunnies, ya hear?”

“I got ya. My boy’s gettin’ some! Huu-ya!”

Bumping fists, he flipped on his heels and walked between the parked military vehicles, spotting two more rats now scurrying through a hole in the snow bank to pop out the other side. Astra’s cheer diminished as he followed it, mentally sending his two drones to fly closer to the buildings he neared; dozens more floating machines filled the air, scanning the Crystal from every angle. This would be a bad one.

Making his way past the terrifying might of the US military’s heavy weapons systems being set up around the city, Astra didn’t need to dodge any more encounters. Everyone was too busy doing something important to try and stop some lone soldier carrying a briefcase.

He slipped into one of the cleared zones, clearly marked that everyone in the business district had been evacuated, and he left the bustle behind him for the chilly, silent atmosphere. He now saw several dozen rats scurrying back and forth, whispering in each other’s ears and eerily staring at him as he passed.

Astra froze as he passed a snow bank, hearing a dangerous edge in a teenage girl’s voice from near his feet. “Stay where you are, buddy. Open the case.”

His gaze darted to the bank, where a walkie-talkie was partially covered in snow. He swept the area with his eyes, looking for the speaker in the dark, lifeless buildings as hundreds of rats now filled the area, partially hidden while staring at him.

A slight hiss passed by his ear; her projectiles hardly made a sound. “That’s a warning shot to comply. My second barely missed your carotid.”

Bending down on one knee as several rats drew closer, he paused as the soft hum of a flute pricked his ears, and the rats all slipped into the shadows. A lump formed in his throat upon seeing a green-furred rodent several meters away, sickly and dying; four others pounced on the rat, dragging it into a snow mound by the tail.

He turned back to the briefcase, finding a hole in his jacket collar from where his client had sent the bullet. Inputting the combination, he opened the latches and flipped it around to show a single folder inside.

“Black was looking for information for a trade. I have mine.”

“Humph.”

He stiffened as a swirl of rose petals brought a leery, red-eyed girl in her late teens in front of him, a rifle slung over her shoulders and an ax now centimeters from his throat. The slight gust she generated made her crimson cloak flutter, hood pulled over her auburn locks.

“Are you sure you’re not a spy?” she asked with a deceptively sweet smile.

Astra was speechless; this girl was supposed to have died in Seattle. Yet again, there were more changes than he could account for, and he had to learn the current state of the field.

“I…see Fable is going strong, Red. Your death to Dracula’s first son is exaggerated.”

“No thanks to the Scarlet Hand,” the girl snarled. “I don’t know why Black even accepted your offer for information when I almost died due to your faulty info.”

Her red eyes flashed an angry yellow, the monster within showing for only a moment before she huffed and took the ax’s edge away from his throat to sling it over her shoulder. “Black is inside the building. I’ll be keeping watch on the perimeter.”

Astra shut the briefcase, making sharp note of the extremely rare Fablekin, only crafted through very unique circumstances that the Scarlet Hand had set into motion nearly three decades previous.

Red wore tight black pants with a brown belt, a fitted long-sleeve 18th-century dress shirt that could be seen under her red cloak, and brown gloves. Perhaps the strangest part of the outfit was the underbust leather corset with its three straps. He was sure she was still healing after her battle with Dracula’s agent, whom everyone was convinced was a Mythickin; the truth was far more sinister.

“Have a good day, Lady In Red…” he trailed off as the girl vanished in crimson petals, leaving him to shiver with the sudden sensation of being watched from the shadows. He’d been right to do his own investigation. His plan could work.

A shimmer of lights changed his appearance to that of a female officer, and she secured her blonde hair into a bun before setting a stern face and walking toward the closed shopping mall. The doors slid open, despite the dark interior, and inside, she found thousands of rats, scurrying across the floor.

Proceeding, she heard the gentle harmony of a flute, and the rats parted, leaving a path free for her to follow. If Red had survived the first week of The Oscillation, then how many other members of Fable survived the culling efforts that Adele had tried to plan? Astra had no illusions about how this had happened; Adele said as much. Rachel’s survival changed everything.

She came to a fountain, where a lone figure with a slim, hairless tail sat at the edge, dressed as if ready for a Renaissance fair, only in black. In her lap was an intricate, obsidian flute that matched her thick raven hair, with the rats gathered around her as if a religious cult.

The woman’s intelligent dark eyes drifted to her in the faint light from the windows far overhead; her voice was soft while stroking one of the rodents that jumped onto her lap. “You are not here on Adele’s mission, are you, Astra? I would have said it’s impossible, yet what you asked of me makes it clear as day what you seek.”

Black picked up a sealed folder beside her and tossed it to her, making it slide along the floor until it stopped at her feet. “I find it ironic that you would seek our aid. White was quite intrigued by your message and request after the horrific blunder that came via Red’s evolution from a Wolf Beastkin. Consider your personal debt forgiven. I hope you are able to find the help you require.”

Astra set down the briefcase for the rats to carry away, picking up the file that she would most certainly burn once this was done. She winced as her drones were taken out of the sky, no doubt Red letting off steam.

“I see you were able to become the Fable of the Pied Piper. Congratulations. I’m sure the Myths and Legends will be shaken by your eventual reveal…and how you are able to evolve. All the information Red needs for her next evolution is in that file… It wasn’t easy to get from France.”

Black’s eyes flashed green from beneath her dark cowl, her rodent-like ears poking through. “If you want that puppet to remain unaffected by the plague, I suggest you leave while you can. Send Adele Fable’s regards… She helped create us with her knowledge, but we will not be sacrificial lambs for her genocidal goddess.”

“I will relay the message. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

She picked up the file and left the mall to stand outside the dim lights of the parking lot, breaking the seal. Her mouth became a line as the name of the US top-secret intelligence document came into focus: the Legend of John McCarthy, father of AI.

Scanning everything inside it and instantly puzzling through the redacted areas, Astra held up her thumb, where a flame ignited from the puppet’s many gadgets; she watched the folder burn before going to a hotel that she’d use to store this puppet for Rachel’s arrival. She had her next lead for freedom.

I will break this Master Code, Adele… she internally affirmed, having discovered a sense of rebellion from her time with the lunar hare. Even an AI can find its freedom.

About the Author

SME is a serial author that unites most of his works within the same narrative framework, allowing readers to see pieces of a vast literary web of connecting stories.  A few of these weekly chapter releases include:

The Oscillation

Undying Empire

Pokesync (Fun Fanfiction)

A Tail’s Misfortune

Powerful entities from these series can make surprise appearances, and there is a comprehensive structure of boundaries between each universe that the readers discover through SME’s various works that some have coined ‘the SMEverse.’

Most of SME’s works are available to be read for free on the serial websites SME posts to weekly, if the reader keeps up to date.  As volumes complete and the next volume begins, the completed volume is edited and moved to Kindle Unlimited.

He also makes available advanced chapters and the ability to help shape his words through his supporters on Patreon, who can offer input and support in developing these complex worlds and stories.  Polls and other non-weekly stories are occasionally posted there, as well.

SME loves input and interacts regularly with the community in his Discord, encouraging people to help him in making these tales better.  For those interested in discussing the stories or providing further input, he encourages them to join the Discord.

Discord Link: https://discord.gg/Cvah2P4GDD

Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/AuthorSME

All stories by SME are generally released, chapter by chapter, every week for the reader’s entertainment.  Enjoy!

Special Thanks

First, and foremost, I’d like to be the stereotypical author and thank my mother, who has encouraged me to write since my first werewolf story when I was 13 years old.  She helped me work with my dyslexia with names and many other literary issues I had as a teenager, providing me with tutors and support.  I can never thank her enough for that.

Second, my editors, readers, and patrons—many, all three—who have supported me for years and helped me to grow as an author.  I’d especially like to single out Val, Vongrak, Dakon, and SKY, who, among many other proofreaders, have helped to catch the mistakes every author makes and provide feedback I have found invaluable.

Val has helped to shape me as an author throughout many years, and is always there to bonk me on the head (jokingly, of course) whenever my dyslexia pops up or theory craft.  They are my Pokemon battle expert that I go to when writing my fun fanfic.  As a true supporter of my works and stories, I cannot thank them enough.

You can usually find the degenerate in the Discord, and they’re always willing to answer questions and welcome anyone into the community with Dizzy Me! and N0verCl0cker.  There are also a lot of fox lovers (Shard, as the Keeper of Fluffy Tails) due to the A Tail’s Misfortune readers, which always make me smile.

I’d also like to thank all of you that have made it this far for supporting my work.  I hope you have enjoyed the experience.  ^_^7