Throne of Bet

[regulareader]

Spoiler: Henry Karn

It's been twenty-five chapters, and only now I realise that I never did give a good description of how Henry looks besides saying that he has short chestnut and brown eyes in chapter one. I'm very sorry about that.

 

[Vagabond]

I like how the story is going so far. Watched.

 

[regulareader]

Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the Grammar and using Word to write it.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////

This chapter was supposed to be two parts.

A small peek at what Coild and Pierre are doing and then return to Henry. But it Coil's part end up bigger than I expected.

I still liked how it came out.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Thomas Calver (Coil) POV:

Timeline A.

"Just one more time before I'm done for the night," I think wearily.

My eyes drift across the monitors filling the command room. Dozens of live feeds stare back at me through the cameras mounted on my men's gear.

Every available soldier is out there tonight. They are carrying enough tinker tech to outfit a small army.

Not that it will make any difference

"Captain, report," I said, drumming my fingers against the armrest.

"We're all in position, sir. Waiting for the target to arrive," the captain replies.

I hum in acknowledgment and lean back in my chair.

This time, the ambush is set in an empty parking lot in Downtown.

Four of my men are waiting in the open while the rest are concealed inside the surrounding buildings.

Now all that is left is to wait for her to pass through.

"We have eyes on the target," the captain said over the comms, his voice tight with tension.

My attention snaps back to the monitors.

And there she is.

Ushiwakamaru.

She moves from rooftop to rooftop at an unhurried pace, looking as though she's out for a leisurely stroll through the night.

I know better.

Her eyes constantly scan her surroundings. One hand rests on the hilt of her sword, ready to draw at a moment's notice. She never lets her guard down.

A shiver runs down my spine as memories resurface.

All the times I've watched her cut through my men without hesitation.

Without effort.

They never last more than a minute against her.

"Begin," I said.

My men spring into action.

Suddenly, a scream rings out throughout the night, loud enough to catch Ushiwakamaru's attention. She sharply turns toward the source of the sound and leaps in its direction.

Within seconds, she lands atop a rooftop and looks down at the parking lot, swiftly finding the source of the scream.

Three of my men surround a woman beneath the flickering glow of a lone streetlamp. The woman, another one of my mercenaries, clutches her purse tightly to her chest, but one of the men tears it from her grasp.

The woman opens her mouth to beg it back, but a sharp slap across her face silences her.

She crumbles to the ground, trembling and stunned, while the men loom over her like vultures.

Ushiwakamaru leaps from the building and lands in front of my men with her back turned to the woman. Before they can react, Ushiwakamaru slams her fist into the stomach of the one closest to her, launching him backwards. She follows with an elbow to another man's face, breaking his nose, then delivers a roundhouse kick to the head of the last one, sending him crashing to the ground.

And just like that, it is over in the blink of an eye.

I have seen this so many times, and I'm still surprised by how fluid all of her movements are.

Anyway, I'd better focus, since the next part is about to begin.

Ushiwakamaru checks on the woman, helps her to her feet, fetches the purse, and hands it back to her.

That is when another group of my men, disguised as civilians, arrives in the parking lot, shouting angrily at Ushiwakamaru and making threatening gestures.

Ushiwakamaru steps in front of the woman, shielding her from the apparent threat. One hand settles on the hilt of her sword as she lowers her center of gravity, prepared to spring into action at any moment. With her back turned, she doesn't see the woman reaching into her purse and drawing a tinker tech pistol.

The weapon rises silently, aimed squarely at Ushiwakamaru's back.

Just as the woman's finger tightens on the trigger, something streaks out of the darkness and slams into the pistol. The impact tears it from her grip. The weapon crashes onto the pavement with a deafening clang that echoes across the night.

Ushiwakamaru reacts instantly.

She whirls around and draws her blade in one seamless motion. The slash tears across the woman's chest. Blood pours from the wound she collapses to the ground.

Oh well.

She served her purpose.

Now, let's see what struck the tinker tech pistol.

"Zoom in on it," I order.

The image enlarges, revealing the answer immediately: an arrow. Its shaft has punched clean through the tinker tech pistol before burying itself in the pavement beneath, pinning the weapon in place.

Hm.

Looks like it's one of those times when someone is providing Ushiwakamaru with cover.

Not that she needs it.

Even alone, she would tear through all of my men without breaking stride. She has already done that several times over.

Seeing the woman being taken out, the group of men reaches inside their coats, draws tinker tech rifles, and unleashes a barrage of laser fire.

The beams race towards Ushiwakamaru.

And miss.

Not because she turned invisible. Not because she teleported.

She simply moves.

One moment, she is there. Next, she is gone, moving so fast that the camera loses track of her.

And if the cameras can't track her, neither can my men.

Ushiwakamaru reappears behind them in a lowered stance, calmly sheathing her sword.

A moment later, diagonal wounds open across each of their bodies, and blood bursts from the cuts. One by one, my men collapse to the ground, groaning in agony. Their tinker tech rifles slip from limp fingers and clatter against the ground.

In all my attempts, she hasn't killed any of my men, but I have a feeling that is because Magus ordered her not to. Otherwise, I doubt she would have hesitated.

After all, history paints her as a far more ruthless individual.

Then again, history also claims that Ushiwakamaru was a man. So who really knows the truth?

I'm certainly questioning a lot of things ever since Pierre told me about the moonlit world.

"I'm going to focus on that later. First. I need to finish this," I think, rubbing my temples in a futile attempt to ease the pounding headache.

"Captain, I want her surrounded," I said.

"I'm sorry, sir. Could you repeat that?" The captain asked, thinking he had heard wrong.

"I want everyone to surround Ushiwakamaru," I said flatly.

"That isn't a good idea, sir. We should split the men. We can use the windows as a cover-" I interrupt the captain.

"Don't bother. Taking cover by the windows makes no difference. Anyone placed there is still an easy target to whoever is assisting Ushiwakamaru," just as they were every previous time. "The best option is to confront her. She can't keep moving at speeds like that forever."

That is a lie.

I still haven't seen her get tired.

"And keep the comms open. I want to hear what is going to happen," I said.

"Understood. All units, move in!" The captain orders.

My men flood out of the surrounding buildings and form a ring around Ushiwakamaru. Tinker tech rifles come up in unison.

She doesn't flinch.

Her gaze sweeps across them before settling into something cold and dangerous. One hand tightens around her sword sheath.

The parking lot falls silent.

Ushiwakamaru breaks the silence with a subtle push of her thumb against the sword guard, her blade sliding forward a fraction.

"Open fi-GAH!" The captain begins to shout.

He never finishes.

Ushiwakamaru appears before him in a blur of motion, her blade flashing once. The caption collapses before anyone can react.

All hell breaks loose at that.

The remaining soldier opens fire, desperate to hit their target, but Ushiwakamaru is moving too fast for anyone to hit her. Laser fire crisscrosses the parking lot, striking allies as often as empty air. My men fall screaming as friendly fire tears through their ranks.

Meanwhile, Ushiwakamaru dances through the storm. She slips between beams, glides around the attacks, and cuts down anyone who crosses her path. Each stroke of her sword leaves another body behind, blood splashing across the concrete.

It is a massacre.

One that I have witnessed far too many times.

I mute the audio feed and sigh.

Well, time to talk with Pierre.

I dismiss this failed timeline.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Timeline B.

"Captain, the mission is canceled. I want everyone back to the base, pronto," I said.

"Understood," The captain said easily, already used to missions being canceled out of nowhere.

I lean back on my chair, grab my ninth cup of coffee of the night, and do my best to ignore how exhausted I am.

I really want to go to bed.

I drain the last of my coffee, grab a stack of papers, and begin writing a report on the latest attempt to ambush one of Magus' servants.

Over forty attempts and as much as I have learned about the servants, I can tell that it is still not even the tip of the iceberg of what they are capable of. And I'm not getting any new information with these last few attempts.

Cauldron isn't going to be pleased with this.

Fucking Magus.

Why the hell did he choose Brockton Bay of all places!?

Once I finish the report, I grab the stack and head over to Pierre's workshop.

A few minutes later, I stop at the door and knock.

"Come in," Pierre said.

I enter the room, and my eyes easily find him.

He has his back to me, inspecting the tools hanging on the wall, trying to decide which one he needs.

My eyes slide to what he's working on.

There, resting on a table in the middle of the room, is a robo-no, not a robot.

A golem.

Like the ones you see in novels or movies.

Apparently, not all of them are made of clay or stone.

It's over two meters tall, metallic gray from head to toe. A red visor serves as its eyes, and thick armor protects its arms, legs, and torso. Strange symbols are inscribed all over its body.

And it's not the only one.

I glance at the other three standing on the other side of the room. They look exactly like the one lying on the table. Motionless as statues, they wait for Pierre to issue an order.

How are these things any different from robots?

Pierre grabs a strange-looking screwdriver and turns around.

"Ah, monsieur Coil. Done for the night?" Pierre asked.

He walks back to the golem and taps its chest plate. The armor opens with a hydraulic hiss, revealing the intricate workings beneath. Pierre immediately sets to work.

I nod.

"Door," Pierre said, not looking away from what he's doing.

A small portal opens in front of me, I place the report inside, and the portal disappears.

"What exactly do you have to do to get access to the portals?" I asked.

Pierre chuckles, "Oh, I wish I knew that. They only gave me temporary access to the portals."

Shame.

"Has le jeune Trevor given any news of when his tech is going to be ready?" Pierre asked

"It should be ready before noon," I said.

Pierre hums before pausing, "What time is it?"

"Two in the morning," I said tiredly.

"Oh, it won't take much longer than. That's good," Pierre nods, pleased. "So, how did it go this time?" he asked about my latest attempt.

"Same as always. I tried to ambush Ushiwakamaru, and she destroyed my men," I said.

"You have such an interesting power. I would love to be able to run some experiments with my golems without having anyone find out," Pierre said with a chuckle.

I'm not even going to question what he would like to experiment with.

Some things are better left unsaid.

"Unfortunately, magic seems to interfere with my power, so you would have to be selective with what you use," I said with a shrug.

"Hm?" Pierre stops working on the golem, fully focusing his attention on me.

I crossed my arms, "I made only one attempt to attack the hotel that Chaldea owns. Once my men entered their force field-"

"Bounded field," Pierre corrects me.

"-Bounded field," I resist the urge to pinch my nose. "My power started to glitch. I ended the timeline immediately so as not to run the risk of being stuck with it."

"Did you get anything out of it?" Pierre asked.

"My men are reporting that the space around them is warping. They couldn't tell which way was up and down anymore," I said.

"Has this happened when you attacked other servants?" Pierre asked, rubbing his chin.

"Only when they used their more magical abilities. Otherwise, there was no problem," I said.

"Yeah, I know what this is. You see, it's unpredictable how Thinker powers and mystics might affect each other. I've seen some power fail completely, while others worked just fine. I thought that you were in the clear since you'd already used your power on Magus. Turns out, it's only to a certain degree," Pierre said with a thoughtful hum.

What!?

"You should have told me," I said coldly, glaring at him.

This could have ended in a disaster!

Pierre shrugs unapologetically,"If I had, you would've been more hesitant to use your power, which would've made gathering information a lot harder. Besides, everything worked out in the end, didn't it? So, don't worry about it."

I take a deep breath to calm my nerves and fight down the urge to find a weapon to kill him.

I'm going to remember this.

Pierre resumes working on the golem.

"Before I forget. It's magecraft, not magic," he said.

"What is the difference?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Basically, magic is miracles, while magecraft is the ability to bring what is possible through science with supernatural means. Also, magic is more commonly referred to as true magic," Pierre said.

That doesn't really explain anything and raises so many questions.

I'm far too tired for this crap.

"I haven't been able to gather new information in my last few attempts," I said bluntly.

"That was bound to happen sooner or later. After all, your men are normal humans," Pierre said.

"If I had more time, I could acquire stronger tinker tech and bring parahumans to help us," I said, scratching my head in annoyance.

"Ah, mon ami, time is the one thing we do not have," Pierre said with a humorless chuckle.

"When do you think Chaldea is going to make their move?" I asked with a grimace.

"I'd say soon. By now, they must have noticed the protective wards I placed on your base," Pierre said.

"And how effective are these...wards going to be against them?" I asked with an undertone of doubt about the effectiveness of these things.

"I'm not really sure. Best case scenario, we won't be caught with our pants down," Pierre said, grabbing another tool.

"Excuse me?" I asked with a frown.

Pierre stops working, "We're dealing with a situation that, even by my standards, is highly unusual. You aren't the only one who is flying blindly here."

"Aren't you supposed to be a specialist in this kind of thing?" I asked in disbelief.

"When it comes to magi, sure. Not when we're dealing with familiars that claim to be the most famous figures in history, or whatever the hell servants are supposed to be," Pierre said, stretching his arms before returning to work on the golem. "Hell, I even told Contessa this was outside my expertise, but she insisted I come anyway," He shrugs in a 'what can you do' way.

Oh god, I'm so screwed.

After one final inspection of the golem, Pierre nods to himself. He picks up a briefcase from the floor, opens it, and pulls out a purple orb roughly the size of a basketball.

"What in the world is that?" I asked, my gaze firmly on the strange orb.

I need to focus on something else, or I'm going to start tearing my hair in frustration.

"The core of my golem," Pierre said with a proud smile.

It's a power source, then.

I want to ask more questions, but according to the crash course Pierre gave about the moonlit world, you never question a magus about his craft.

Not unless you want to die or worse.

The occult side of the world is filled with psychopaths.

Pierre gingerly places the core into the golem's chest. The chestplate seals shut with a hydraulic hiss, and the red visor flickers to life. The golem rises from the table and turns toward him.

"Go stand with the others," Pierre orders.

The golem obeys, crossing the room to join the others.

"They are impressive," I said with a hum.

"You think so?" Pierre replies. "I find them adequate at best. I have something far better than these," an enigmatic smile spreads across his face. "These golems are merely a side project. Since I started working for Cauldron, I've had far more opportunities to experiment, and it's been quite exciting."

He crosses his arms, his gaze drifting into the distance as though recalling something only he can see.

...I'm not even going to bother.

"What is our next step?" I asked, bringing the conversation back on track.

Pierre coughs in his hand, returning his attention to the discussion.

"Right. So, we make the first move, or else Chaldea will steamroll us. How much explosives do you have at hand, Monsieur Coil?" Pierre asked.

I think for a moment.

"I have quite a bit of it," I said.

"Is it enough to destroy a city block?" Pierre asked.

I shake my head.

Pierre clicks his tongue, "Looks like I'm going to have to use some of my stock. Oh, well." He walks to the side and grabs a small briefcase. "Do you still have men inside the PRT HQ?"

"Not as many as before, but I still got a few," I said, curious to see where he's going with this.

Pierre walks back to my side.

"Is Lung still in containment?" Pierre asked.

"He is never going to help us," I said immediately.

"Whether he is willing or not is irrelevant," Pierre said with a cold smile. He opened the briefcase.

There is a syringe filled with an eerie green and purple substance.

"What is that?" I asked.

I can't explain, but just looking at it fills me with dread.

"Don't worry about it. Just have your men use this on him and watch the spectacle," Pierre said, handing me the briefcase. "Off you go. There is much to do and not much time," he said, pushing me out of his workshop.

I look at the briefcase in my hands and let out a tired sigh.

I really wanna go to bed.

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If you like my stories and wish to support me, you can find me over at pa-tre-on (slash) Regulareader.

Or at Ko-fi.com/regulareader.

 

[regulareader]

Spoiler: Golem

 

[Salfarc]

Spoiler: Golem

Click to shrink...

Wonder if he will ever give it to Coil

 

[silvergo96]

I'm kinda hoping that he has a servant with a dragon slaying weapon and it causes a bad reaction for lung

 

[Dragon Bob]

Oh Contessa always ready to make things worse.

 

[BlueSakura]

A bit of a generic character to use with Fate powers isn't he? Isn't Shirō and Ritsuka/Gudako enough in terms of heroic protagonists with crippling saviour complexes?

 

[regulareader]

A bit of a generic character to use with Fate powers isn't he? Isn't Shirō and Ritsuka/Gudako enough in terms of heroic protagonists with crippling saviour complexes?

Click to shrink...

I'm trying to change that about Henry. I did use Ritsuka as a base a little too much without realizing. The entire point of using an OC was to have more freedom, but haven't really done a good job here.
Also, I wouldn't say Ritsuka reached the same point as Shiro. But he isn't that far behind. He is just too nice sometimes.

 

[Salfarc]

I'm trying to change that about Henry. I did use Ritsuka as a base a little too much without realizing. The entire point of using an OC was to have more freedom, but haven't really done a good job here.
Also, I wouldn't say Ritsuka reached the same point as Shiro. But he isn't that far behind. He is just too nice sometimes.

Click to shrink...

Ritsuka have a lot of character that differs him from Shirou. Shirou is actually "nicer" than he is, Ritsuka however is more understanding and tolerating to his enemies and can make the enemies become friends.

Honestly you might as well retcon and use Guda if its easier.

 

[regulareader]

Ritsuka have a lot of character that differs him from Shirou. Shirou is actually "nicer" than he is, Ritsuka however is more understanding and tolerating to his enemies and can make the enemies become friends.

Honestly you might as well retcon and use Guda if its easier.

Click to shrink...

True. Shirou also has the whole heroe of justice thing going on and his suicidal tendencies when it comes to protecting others.
By the way, what do you mean use Guda?

 

[New game +]

By the way, what do you mean use Guda?

Click to shrink...

He's talking about Ritsuka like how the common nickname for the boy version is Gudao while the girl version is called Gudako (Guda for short).

 

[Seviriegnty]

I'm kinda hoping that he has a servant with a dragon slaying weapon and it causes a bad reaction for lung

Click to shrink...

Does Sigurd not count as an anti Dragon

 

[regulareader]

Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the Grammar and using Word to write it.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////

After returning from the Lord's Port, I went straight to Morgan's room to have tea with her. She had also invited Barghest and Mash.

We had a lovely time, though I could tell that Morgan wished Melusine, Baobhan Sith, Britomart, and Habetrot had been there as well.

Maybe next time the ruby has enough magical energy, I'll summon them. I also need to ask Da Vinci how much longer until Goredolf and everyone else can come to my world.

Da Vinci informed me that the acquisition of Medhall is almost complete. All that's left is for me to sign a few documents so that the company can be registered under my cape name.

I wonder how badly the PRT is going to react once they find out about that.

Anyway, our preparations for the Endbringer attack are basically finished. The tracking mystic code is complete as well, though only one was made. Given how different the moonlit world is around here, we decided to abandon the idea of giving one to the PRT. Instead, they'll simply be granted access to the tracker.

Of course, Da Vinci intends to use the access as leverage to negotiate a few things with the PRT/Protectorate.

She, Goredolf, Sion, and Holmes are still discussing exactly what they should ask for.

Mom and Dad were feeling cooped up in the hotel, so they decided to take a walk along the Boardwalk to stretch their legs. Bazett and Sasaki are keeping an eye on them.

Right now, I'm in the hotel's cafeteria with Daisy, grabbing something to eat.

/////////////////////////////////////////////

"You aren't going to stop, are you?" I said flatly.

"I… don't know what you're talking about," Daisy said, wiping the sweat from her brow as she struggled to catch her breath.

She stares intently at the plate in front of her as if it is the greatest challenge of her life, rather than a perfectly ordinary serving of spicy curry.

"You can grab something else, Daisy. You don't have to force yourself," I said, resting my chin on the back of my right hand.

"No! I can handle it," Daisy declares stubbornly, gripping her spoon.

Let's see how long this lasts.

She hesitates for a moment before gritting her teeth and taking another bite of the curry. The instant it touches her tongue, she lets out a muffled whimper that is equal parts pain and pleasure, and her eyes immediately begin to water.

I slide a glass of water towards her. She grabs it and drains it in one big gulp.

"Ah, senpai," Mash said as she set her tray down on the table.

"Yeah?" I asked, turning to her.

"Is she okay?" Mash asked, looking concerned at the sight of Daisy, whose face was flushed and drenched in sweat.

"She's fine," I said, waving away Mash's concern. "She can't handle spicy food, but she's too stubborn to admit defeat and grab something else."

"I can handle it!" Daisy protests. She tries to glare at me, but with sweat pouring down her face and her ragged breathing, she isn't very convincing. She scoops up another bite of curry and lets out another whine.

"Why is it so good!?" she cries in despair.

Mash and I exchange helpless smiles at Daisy's stubbornness.

"Ara? What seems to be the matter, little one?" Skadi asked as she stopped by our table.

Daisy looks up at Skadi and freezes in the middle of wiping the sweat from her brow.

"Hi, Skaid," Mash said with a smile.

"Hey, Skaid. Want to eat with us?" I asked.

Skadi shakes her head. "Another time. I'm going to watch a soap opera with the Valkyries, and I thought some ice cream would go nicely with it. But then I noticed this little one in distress." She turns her attention back to Daisy.

"It's… um… spicy," Daisy said uncertainly.

Skadi tilts her head.

"She really can't handle spicy food," I explained.

"Ah, I see," Skadi said, raising her wand.

With a gentle wave of her wand, a glass of iced tea appears in front of Daisy.

Daisy stares at the drink, glances briefly at Skadi, then picks up the glass and takes a small sip. She freezes for a moment before quickly drinking the rest in several long gulps.

She lets out a long, relieved sigh.

Her eyes suddenly widen, and she hurriedly turns back to Skadi.

"Thank you," Daisy said politely, her shoulders still stiff with tension.

"You don't have to be so nervous, little one," Skaid said with a soft giggle. "But why did you choose spicy curry if you can't handle spicy food?" she asked curiously.

"She'd never had curry before and wanted to try it, but she accidentally grabbed the spicy one." I shrug. "Now she's too stubborn to get something else."

"But it's so good," Daisy mumbles, trying to defend herself.

"You're on the verge of crying," I point out, poking her cheek.

She bats my hand away, crosses her arms, and pouts.

"There is nothing wrong with wanting to try new things, but you shouldn't force yourself," Skadi said gently.

Daisy nods meekly.

"Also, you should try frozen treats instead. They are much better than spicy food," Skadi said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Okay?" Daisy replies, sounding slightly confused.

Skadi nods, pleased. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get some ice cream."

With that, she walks away from our table.

Daisy keeps her eyes on Skadi's retreating figure, a complicated expression on her face.

Huh?

"You okay?" I asked.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine, Henry," Daisy said, trying to sound as casual as possible.

I lean my elbow on her and give her a look that says, go on.

Daisy drums her finger against the table, her brow furrowing slightly.

"I know that Skadi is a kind woman and all, but at the same time, she's still a goddess. I don't really know how I'm supposed to act around her," Daisy admits.

Ah.

I should have seen this coming.

Even with how accepting my family has been of everything, they're still new to the moonlit world. They are still getting used to it.

I need to talk to Mom and Dad later and see how they're doing.

I reach over, place a hand on Daisy's head, and gently ruffle her hair in a gesture of comfort.

"Sorry, I didn't realize you were struggling with all of this," I said apologetically.

"I'm not struggling," Daisy said with a pout. "I have interacted with Skadi before, and she's been nice to me every single time. The thing is, I get nervous whenever I'm around her, and I probably end up acting all awkward. It's embarrassing," she said with a groan.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about, Daisy. You're still new to the moonlit world and everything that comes with it, but I'm sure that, given enough time, you'll fit right in with Chaldea," Mash said with a warm smile.

"Really?" Daisy asked in a small voice.

"Yes," Mash replies confidently.

Daisy's eyes light up, and a happy smile spreads across her face.

I can't help but smile too.

Yep, Mash always knows how to lift someone's spirits.

Daisy picks up her spoon and goes in for another bite of the spicy curry.

Seriously?

"No," I said firmly, catching her arm.

"Aww..." Daisy whines.

I roll my eyes, take her plate, and head over to swap it for the non-spicy curry.

"Here you go," I said, setting the new plate in front of her.

Daisy takes a cautious bite. Her eyes widen, and she immediately digs into the curry with renewed enthusiasm.

"Told you," I said with a smirk.

She pauses just long enough to stick her tongue out at me before returning to her meal.

The three of us eat in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Daisy sets down her spoon and turns to Mash.

"Oh, right! Mash, how does it feel to be a cape?" Daisy asked.

"Well, aside from the mask and the cape name, it doesn't feel any different from normal," Mash said, placing a finger against her chin.

"What's your cape name?" Daisy asked curiously.

"Shielder. It's the name of my class," Mash replies.

"What? You can't use that. It's already taken," Daisy raises an eyebrow.

"Really?" Mash blinks in surprise.

What?

Who does it belo—

Oh.

"Eric!" I exclaimed, slapping a hand against my forehead.

I can't believe I forgot about him!

"How do you forget that? You literally meet the guy," Daisy said before taking another bite of her curry.

"I've had a lot on my mind lately, okay?" I reply, rubbing my temples.

"It isn't Senpai's fault. I'm the one who suggested that name," Mash said.

"Mash, come on, this isn't a big deal. I'll talk to Eric later and sort it out. I'm sure he won't even care. When I met him at the hospital before, he didn't seem to care if I used his cape name or not," I pause for a moment. "Now that I think about it, Armsmaster didn't say anything either. Do you think he didn't notice?"

"Perhaps he didn't think it was important enough to point out. Given what he has learned recently," Mash suggests.

Yeah, that makes sense.

"So, what's your new cape name going to be?" Daisy asked.

Mash falls silent for a few moments as she thinks.

"How about Paladin?" she asked, tilting her head. "I was torn between that and Shielder."

"Oh, I like it! It gives off the vibe of a legendary warrior, which you are! Daisy said excitedly.

Mash blushes slightly at the compliment before turning to me.

"It suits you very well," I said with a smile.

Mash smiles and nods.

Well, time to head ba—

"Master, we've got a problem in the lobby," Hector said suddenly.

"What is it?" I asked, my expression turning serious.

"I just picked up the rest of the Undersiders, and one of their members isn't happy about it. He's arguing with Lisa, and it's getting heated," Hector reports.

"I'll be there in a moment," I said with a sigh.

I quickly finish the rest of my curry.

"Hm? What's wrong, Senpai?" Mash asked.

"Lisa is arguing with another member of the Undersiders," I said, setting my spoon down.

"Wait, who's Lisa?" Daisy asked, confused.

"She's Tattletale. She told us her real name the other day," I explained.

Well, even if she hadn't, it's only a matter of time before we learn her identity.

"Would you like me to come with you?" Mash asked.

"Ah, no. " I'd prefer if you stayed here and kept an eye on Daisy." I stand up and put on my mask.

"I will," Mash said with a serious nod.

"I don't need a babysitter, you know," Daisy said, puffing out her cheeks.

"I know. This is just for my peace of mind," I reply, amused by her reaction.

I leave the cafeteria and head for the lobby.

A few moments later, I arrive and find the commotion waiting for me.

"Goddammit, Brian! Stop being so hard-headed!" Lisa hisses.

"You sold us out! How could you do this?!" Brian shouts angrily.

Oh yeah, this is getting heated.

Lisa and Brian are in the middle of the lobby, arguing with each other. Off to one side, a young woman accompanied by three dogs—no doubt Hellhounds—and a young man watch as their teammates scream at each other.

Hector stands nearby, keeping a close eye on all of them.

"Hey," I said, stopping beside him.

"Hey, Master," Hector glances at me briefly before turning his attention back to the argument.

"So, who is he?" I ask.

"That's the leader of the Undersiders, Grue," Hector said.

"I take it the guy standing next to Hellhound is Regent?" I asked.

"Bitch," Hector replies.

"Excuse me?" I asked, turning to him.

"Her cape name isn't Hellhound. It's Bitch. Kids these days pick the strangest names. This old man really doesn't get it." Hector shakes his head.

Huh.

Okay, then.

"Alec! Rachel! Say something!" Brian said, turning to his teammates for support.

"We can't fight them. They're too strong," Rachel said quietly. Her dogs lower their heads and let out soft whines, as if agreeing with her.

Alec shrugs nonchalantly.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Brian. There's no way we can fight Chaldea. They'll curb-stomp us if we try," he said in a flat, almost bored tone, seemingly unconcerned by the situation.

Brian grits his teeth and lowers his head in frustration.

"But I find it hard to believe they'd waste their time on a bunch of thieves like us. So there has to be more to whatever deal Lisa made than just saving her own skinny ass," Alec continues in that same indifferent voice.

Oh?

He's pretty perceptive.

Brian snaps his head toward Alec in shock.

"What did you just say about my ass!?" Lisa asked, fixing Alec with a glare that could melt steel.

"That it's flat as a board. But is that really what you're focusing on?" Alec asked, shaking his head in disappointment. "How vain can you be?"

A vein bulges on Lisa's forehead as she glares at him even harder.

Alec meets her stare with a bored expression, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint, mocking smirk.

"Why, you little—!" Lisa growls through gritted teeth, raising her hands as if she's about to strangle him.

Brian quickly grabs her before she can make good on the threat.

"So, instead of wasting any more time, how about we ask the big man himself what's going to happen to us," Alec said, ignoring the furious Lisa as he glanced in my direction.

Brian and Lisa immediately turn the same way.

"Oh, thank God. Magus, help me out here," Lisa said as she pulled herself free from Brian's grip.

I walk over and stop beside her.

"We need to talk," I said, looking Brian in the eye.

His expression goes through various emotions before finally settling on resignation.

"Do I even have a choice?" Brian asked bitterly.

"To be honest? No. But it'd be in both your and your teammates' best interests to stay here until we deal with Coil," I said.

"What does Coil have to do with any of this?" Brian asked, confused.

I raise an eyebrow at his confusion.

"What exactly did you tell him?" I asked, turning to Lisa.

"Oh, I didn't get the chance to say anything! The moment he got here, he started yelling at me and calling me a fucking traitor. I couldn't get a single word in!" Lisa snaps, her voice dripping with frustration.

Brian winces at the venom in her tone but doesn't back down.

"How was I supposed to react? One of Magus' servants shows up at my house and says, " You told them our identities!" Brian said.

"How about giving me one minute to explain myself? After everything we've been through together, I think I've earned that much," Lisa pinches the bridge of her nose with a weary sigh.

Brian looks at her intently before rubbing his face in annoyance.

"Okay. I...I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions," he admits with a sigh. "All right. What's going on?"

"Coil is our mysterious boss, and he's leaving town, but not before getting rid of anything that can be traced back to him. Congratulations, Brian. You, Rachel, and Alec are loose ends," Lisa said with a humorless chuckle.

Brian blinks several times, trying to process what she just said.

"So I made a deal with Chaldea. I give them everything I have on Coil, and they protect us until they deal with him," Lisa continues casually, as though she's discussing the weather instead of a life-or-death situation.

Brian stares at her in stunned silence, Alec merely raises an eyebrow, while Rachel lets out a low growl.

"What?" Brian asks, dumbfounded.

He glances at me, as if expecting me to tell him Lisa is lying or exaggerating.

She isn't.

"Everything she says is true," I reply flatly.

Brian groans and covers his face with one hand.

"Well, that sucks," Alec said, looking completely unfazed by the fact that someone wants him dead. "What about you? You don't include yourself in that list."

"If I'm lucky, someone finds my body in a dumpster or a ditch. If I'm not..." Lisa pauses for a moment. "Coil straps me to a bed, drugs me out of my mind, and works me until I drop dead," she said emotionlessly.

Everyone turns to look at her.

"Is that one of Coil's threats?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

"Is it really a threat when I know he's just waiting for an excuse to do it?" Lisa asked, shivering in fear.

"He can't get to you here," I said, resting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

Lisa bites her lip and gives a hesitant nod.

"Well, there you have it. Anything else you'd like to ask?" I said.

Brian remains silent, still trying to process everything he's just heard. Then his eyes suddenly widened in alarm.

"Aisha... she's still out there!" Brian exclaims.

"Where is she?" I asked immediately.

Hector answers before Brian can.

"You don't have to worry about her. Leonidas went to fetch her," Hector says.

"You sent Leonidas?" I asked, turning to him.

"He offered to do it, and I didn't see anything wrong with that. This old man already has his hands full, after all," Hector replies with a lazy smile.

Oh.

Hector hums. "He should be here any moment—"

The front doors swing open, and Leonidas walks in, holding a teenage girl off the ground by the scruff of her shirt.

"—speak of the devil," Hector finishes with a small chuckle.

"Let go of me, you asshole!" Aisha yells, kicking and flailing as she struggles to break free.

Leonidas releases his grip.

She lands on her backside with an undignified thud.

"Good luck with this kid. She's got one hell of a foul mouth." Leonidas turns around and heads back outside to resume his patrol.

Aisha scrambles to her feet, flips off Leonidas's retreating back, then looks around the lobby.

Her eyes land on Brian.

"Brian! What the hell do you do?!" she shouts before noticing me. "Oh, fuck. That's Magus. This really is their hotel!" she said, fear creeping into her voice.

"It's not what-" Aisha cuts Brian off.

"Why the fuck did you mess with him!? He curb-stomped the Empire and the ABB!" She marches over and starts repeatedly punching his left arm.

Brian catches her wrists, "Listen to me! This isn't what it looks like."

"Then what is it?" Aisha asked after pulling free.

"Okay, before I explain anything, there's something I need to tell you." Brian takes a deep breath. "You see, I'm G—"

"I know you're Grue," Aisha said flatly.

Brian actually leans back in shock.

"Wha-how?!" he blurts out, eyes wide.

"Well, I was going through your stuff looking for your porn stash so I could blackmail you, and ,instead, I found your costume hidden behind a fake wall in your closet," Aisha shrugs as if that's the most normal thing in the world.

"...Aisha," Brian rubs his temples.

"What? I was bored," She shrugs again, completely unapologetic. "So, what's going on?"

Lisa speaks before Brian can answer.

"Someone wants to kill us, and Chaldea is protecting us," she said flatly.

"Shit, really?" Aisha asked.

"Yep," Lisa replies.

"Who wants you dead?" Aisha asked Brian.

"I'll explain later," he said wearily, already looking exhausted by the whole situation.

Let's wrap this up.

"So, any questions?" I asked.

"Where can I get some snacks? And do you have a game console?" Alec asked.

"You can grab snacks from the kitchen, and there's a game console in the common room," I said.

"Cool," Alec said.

"I got more dogs somewhere else," Rachel said.

"Where?" I asked.

"She's talking about an abandoned kennel she took over," Lisa explained. "It's packed with dogs she rescued from Hookwolf's dogfighting rings. I'll give him the address later."

Rachel gives a small nod of thanks.

"What happens to us after all this is over?" Brian asked suddenly, dreading the answer.

Silence falls over the lobby as every member of the Undersiders turns to look at me.

I hum thoughtfully.

The idea of turning them over to the PRT/Protectorate did cross my mind, but Moriarty proposed an alternative.

He needs minions, and the Undersiders are a promising option.

He's interested in Lisa. He believes she has potential and simply needs someone to guide her.

"I'm not handing you over to the PRT/Protectorate, if that's what you're worried about," I said.

"Why not?" Brian asked suspiciously.

"Because I believe people can learn from their mistakes and become better because of them," I said.

"Wait. Are you just letting us go? Just like that?" Brian asked, incredulous.

"I'm only willing to do this because of your track record. You avoid hurting innocent people whenever possible. Honestly, you're more thieves than supervillains. I think there's still a chance for all of you," I said.

The Undersiders exchange bewildered glances.

Okay, they don't have to look that shocked.

"Huh. I wasn't expecting you to be this... trusting," Lisa said, resting her hands on her hips.

Hector lets out a good-natured snort, drawing an inquisitive look from Lisa.

If only she knew.

"I've been told I'm a little too trusting," I said with a tired smile before my expression hardened.

Lisa immediately tenses.

"But let me be very clear about one thing," I said, looking Lisa straight in the eye. "If you choose to keep walking the path you're on, there will come a day when our paths cross again. Maybe not tomorrow. Maybe not the day after. But eventually, we'll come for you."

Lisa swallows.

A bead of sweat forms on her brow.

Then, all of a sudden, she turns toward her teammates and claps her hands together loudly.

"Good news, everyone! We're going to become heroes!" Lisa announces far too cheerfully.

"Lisa, you can't just-GAH!" Aisha drives an elbow into Brian's stomach.

"Brian! Shut up!" she hisses.

Brian grumbles as he rubs his stomach.

Rachel looks at Alec, who simply shrugs.

"Any objections? No? Good!" Lisa says before anyone else can speak.

Hm. This works in our favor.

"Henry, are you busy?" Da Vinci asked.

"I'm dealing with the Undersiders, but we're almost done. What's up?" I asked.

"There have been some new developments regarding our attack on Coil's base that I'd like to discuss with you," Da Vinci said. "Oh, and bring Lisa too."

"All right," I said.

I clear my throat to get everyone's attention.

"I think this is a good place to stop. You all need some time to process everything we've talked about. Hector, could you please show them to their rooms?" I asked.

"Ah, Master, you're really working this old man today," Hector said lazily. "Come on, kids. This way."

He leads the Undersiders down the corridor.

I catch Lisa by the arm before she can follow them.

"Not you," I said.

"Why?" Lisa asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Something's come up regarding Coil, and Da Vinci wants to talk to both of us," I said.

"Did he escape?" Lisa asked, her fists clenching.

I shake my head. "She would've said so if he had."

Lisa lets out a sigh of relief and nods.

It only takes us a few minutes to reach Da Vinci's workshop.

"We're here," I announce as I step inside.

Da Vinci sits at her workbench, reviewing a stack of documents with a furrowed brow.

Lisa and I stop in front of her.

"What's the problem?" Lisa asked.

"Coil isn't leaving anymore. He's preparing for a fight," Da Vinci said.

Lisa blinks in shock.

"That's impossible. He would never do something like that," she said immediately.

"See for yourself," Da Vinci hands her the report.

Lisa snatches the papers from her and begins reading them intently. I step beside her and read over her shoulder.

"...This doesn't make any sense." Lisa lowers the report, a confused frown on her face. "Coil doesn't make last stands. He makes other people do that for him. He values his own life far too much to do something like this."

"What would make him change his mind?" I ask.

Lisa falls silent for a moment.

"You'd have to put a gun to the back of his head or something," she said. "As I said, this doesn't make any sense."

"It makes more sense than you think," Da Vinci said thoughtfully.

"What?" Lisa asks.

"Keep reading," Da Vinci said.

Lisa and I turn our attention back to the report.

Oh.

This isn't good.

"Who the hell is this guy? And what are protective wards? What kind of tinker tech is that?" Lisa asked, tilting her head as she scanned the documents.

Da Vinci and I exchange a glance.

"What was that look?" Lisa asked, her gaze darting between us. Then her eyes widen in realization. "You two know what this is, but..." She trails off before narrowing her eyes. "You don't want to tell me. Why?"

"It's complicated." I rub the back of my neck.

"Make it simple," Lisa said firmly.

Da Vinci beats me to the answer.

"Are you sure you want to know?" she asked. "It's a pretty big secret, and if we tell you, you can't tell anyone else."

"Is this really a good idea?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You know Moriarty is going to recruit her sooner or later. She'll learn about the moonlit world eventually," Da Vinci said. She turns to Lisa with a mysterious smile. "Do you truly want to know, Lisa?"

"Did you forget who you're talking to?" Lisa asked with a smirk, her eyes practically burning with curiosity.

I hope you don't regret that decision.

"Very well. After all of this is over, I'll tell you everything," Da Vinci said with a nod.

Lisa frowns and opens her mouth to protest, but stops when Da Vinci raises a hand.

"It would take far too long to explain everything. What you need to know right now is that we can deal with both the wards and whoever this man is," she said.

Lisa's frown deepens, but after a moment, she nods.

"How did he get past Hassan?" I asked, rubbing my chin.

"That's a good question. One day he isn't there, and the next he is. Hassan is puzzled by it," Da Vinci said with a shrug.

"Parahuman powers?" I suggest.

"Possibly. It could also be some kind of tinker tech teleporter or something like that. Right now, Hassan is observing the base from a distance so she doesn't tip them off," Da Vinci said.

"Coil doesn't have any tinker tech like that. If he did, he'd already be gone." Lisa crosses her arms. "This man might be able to teleport on his own."

Highly unlikely.

Teleportation is an extraordinarily complex form of magecraft. So few magi can perform it that I can count them on my fingers. But if this man really can teleport,and hide himself from Hassan while doing it,then we're dealing with a truly dangerous magus.

Where did Coil find this man?

"I really don't like this," Lisa bites one of her nails in frustration. "None of it adds up. What is the point of staying and fighting?"

"We'll get our answers once we take both Coil and this man into custody," I said. "We also need to inform the PRT/Protectorate about this development. They're trying to capture Coil too."

"You'll have to tell them in person," Lisa says. "Otherwise, Coil will find out."

"I thought he got rid of all his backdoors into the PRT/Protectorate's systems." I raise an eyebrow.

"He got rid of the ones I know about." Lisa lets out an annoyed huff. "He'd never tell me every way he gathers information from them."

"Looks like I'm paying Dauntless a visit," I said with a sigh.

"Ah, don't worry about that." Da Vinci waves a hand dismissively. "I already spoke with Dragon and gave her all the information Lisa provides us."

"How did she take the news?" I ask.

"She freaked out," Da Vinci replies matter-of-factly.

Yeah, that sounds about right.

"Hopefully, she took care of any remaining backdoors Coil might have," I said.

Da Vinci hums in agreement.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

Lisa and I look around in confusion.

"Excuse me for a moment," Da Vinci said.

She walks over to another corner of the workshop and picks up a tablet.

"Oh my," she says in surprise.

She returns and turns the screen toward us.

"What?!" Lisa exclaims, her eyes widening in shock.

You've got to be kidding me.

///////////////////////////////////////

It's winter here in Brasil, and it's killing me!

I can't stop sneezing!

And it's not just in winter, every time there's a change in the temperature, my nose starts acting up. Some days, it's really bad.

It drives me up the wall.

Anyway, sorry for this rant and for taking so long. I was involved in something else while writing that chapter, and it left me tired most of the time, so I didn't get much writing done in these last few weeks.

I'm going to do some bragging now:

I GOT SPACE ERESHKIGAL!

LET'S FUCKING GOOOOO!

Sorry about that.

About this chapter:

Not much happened, more set up for future chapters.

Next chapter is the end of Coil. Then we move to Behemoth.

One thing that keeps surprising me is how long some scenes end up being. In my head, they aren't that long, but it's another story when I'm done writing.

I certainly didn't expect this chapter to be 17 pages long!

For anyone that doesn't remember about the whole tracking mystic code thing. I did write that there were supposed to be two, and one of them would be given to the PRT/Protectorate. But I changed my mind. Honestly, I don't remember why I wanted to do that. The best I can say is that this was an idea that made sense at the time, but not anymore.

///////////////////////////////////

If you like my stories and wish to support me, you can find me over at pa-tre-on (slash) Regulareader.

Or at Ko-fi.com/regulareader

 

[MasterOfDragonsGod]

Nice to see this updated. And congrats on space Ereshkigal

 

[BoughtBoy]

I GOT SPACE ERESHKIGAL!

LET'S FUCKING GOOOOO!

Click to shrink...

DUDE SAME AND I GOT HER ON MY FIRST TICKET WOOOOO

 

[Salfarc]

Will you ever make PHO chapter?

 

[regulareader]

Will you ever make PHO chapter?

Click to shrink...

God, I wish but I have no idea how to write that.

 

[MasterOfDragonsGod]

I also got SPACE ERESHKIGAL!

 

[Salfarc]

God, I wish but I have no idea how to write that.

Click to shrink...

I suggest you reading a lot of other worm fanfic with PHO too. And if you read Worm from the source I guess you can copy it too? But at any rate I still hope you do, would like to see your attempt!

 

[winternights]

Entertaining read just annoyed it's another power wank mc.
Only reason he struggles is cause he does not kill the actual problems.

Wish the power system in novels don't always go haywire op

 

[regulareader]

Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the Grammar and using Word to write it.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////

A new post on PHO fills the tablet's screen. Attached is a photograph of a mountain of explosives. Beneath it, a countdown timer flashes 1:00:00, the seconds slowly ticking away.

"How many explosives is that?" I asked, my voice low.

Da Vinci studies the image for a long moment before answering, "Just from the photo...I'd estimate seven to eight hundred kilos of C4."

I frown at the answer.

Lisa snatches the tablet from Da Vinci and brings it closer to her face.

"What do you think? Is this real or a distraction?" I asked.

Lisa talks before Da Vinci.

"It's real," she whispered, not taking her eyes away from the tablet.

"How can you tell that?" I asked.

Lisa tears her eyes away from the tablet, her face grim and confused, and points to numbers that are at the bottom of the post.

"See this? These are the coordinates to the entrance of Coil base," Lisa said.

"Where is that?" I asked.

"In the underground level of a parking garage in the middle of the Commercial District. He went to so much trouble to hide that place, and now...what is happening?" Lisa said, looking at the tablet with a troubled expression.

"I'd say by now it's safe to assume that Coil isn't calling the shots anymore," Da Vinci said with a hum.

"But he would never let-" I interrupt Lisa.

"Lisa, I know this is confusing and all that, but we aren't getting anywhere with this. We have to focus on the problem at hand," I said.

Lisa looks at the tablet one more time, lets out a sigh, and nods.

"What is the plan?" Lisa asked.

I stay quiet for a moment.

"Skadi, William, Okita Alter, Paladin, and I are going to invade the base. We're going to rush straight to the explosives. We don't have time to play it safe," I said, rubbing my chin. "How many entrances to the base did Hassan find?"

"There's only one, and it's the one that Lisa just said," Da Vinci said.

"Escape routes?" I asked.

"Only one. It's in the back of Coil's office and leads to the sewers," Da Vinci said.

Lisa snorted coldly, "Yep, that sounds about right. He only cares about himself, and everyone else can go to hell."

"I want eyes on that escape route," I said, turning to Lisa. "Anything we're missing?"

"Just that the entrance is heavily fortified. A meter-thick Tinker-tech vault door, with numerous laser turrets guarding it. Coil didn't spare any expense on that," Lisa said.

"It's easier to set up defenses when you know where you're being invaded from," Da Vinci said with a hum.

"Yeah. He took that very seriously," Lisa said with a frown.

"We can deal with that and the protective wards. We just have to be on the lookout for any other surprises Coil's company has set up," I said.

"You two really don't know this guy?" Lisa asked, looking at Da Vinci and me suspiciously.

"We don't know him, but we have an idea of what people like him are capable of," Da Vinci said.

"What does that mean?" Lisa asked, tilting her head.

"It will all be explained later," Da Vinci said.

"I'll hold you to that," Lisa said with a huff.

I checked the time and saw that four minutes had already passed.

All right. Time to go.

"I'll make a quick call to Dauntless, then put on my costume," I said.

"I'll be right back too," Lisa said, walking toward the workshop door.

"Where are you going?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Lisa stopped by the door and turned toward me, "To put on my costume. I'm going too. And before you say anything, no, it's not because I'm worried you won't catch Coil. I know you won't let him get away. I want to be there so I can look that son of a bitch in the eyes and tell him that I won!" she spits out, her voice full of resentment.

Well, spite is one of the strongest forces in the universe.

Lisa takes a deep breath, calming herself down, "Also, I have an idea of where Coil is keeping the explosives in the base," she adds.

I glance at Da Vinci, and she merely shrugs in response.

I turn back to Lisa. She's staring intensely at me, practically daring me to tell her no.

I pinch the bridge of my nose, "You stay next to me at all times, got it?"

Lisa gives me a thumbs-up, flashing a toothy smile.

"By the way, who's Paladin?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Shielder's new cape name," Da Vinci said.

"She's changing names, huh? I thought she was trying to steal that name from New Wave," Lisa said.

"That's not even close to what happened. It was an honest mistake," I said.

"If you say so." Lisa shrugs, clearly not caring about the reason for the name change.

"Go put on your costume. We'll be leaving soon," I said.

Lisa nods and leaves the workshop.

Suddenly, my cellphone starts ringing.

I pick it up and see that Dauntless is calling me.

That saves me some time.

"Hey," I said, answering the call.

"We've got a situation," Dauntless said in a grave voice.

"Yeah, I saw the PHO post. I wasn't expecting Coil to do something like that," I said.

"Tell me about it. We were still trying to find his base when this happened," Dauntless said with a sigh.

"Yeah, there was a good chance you would never find the place. His base is an underground bunker in the middle of the Commercial District," I said.

"What? How did he build something like that without anyone noticing? And how do you know?" Dauntless asked, clearly shocked.

"Tattletale told us everything. Turns out, she was forced to work for him at gunpoint and wanted to be free of Coil. So, she made a deal with us: information in exchange for protection," I explained.

"Hold on. Tattletale, from the Undersiders? The group of thieves?" Dauntless asked.

"The very same," I said

"Unbelievable," Dauntless muttered.

"She also informed us that you had an internal problem. Da Vinci told Dragon about it," I said.

"Ah... that. Yeah, Director Piggot called an emergency meeting, and, oh boy, I've never seen her that angry before. I thought she was going to have a stroke for a moment. Things have been hectic around here ever since," Dauntless said with a tired sigh.

I wasn't expecting him to be this open, but it sounds like they've either cleaned house or are close to it.

I'd like to ask more, but it's probably better not to push my luck.

"There's something else we need to talk about. Were you told about the... other side of the world?" I asked cautiously, wanting to hear his answer before continuing.

"You mean the fact that magic is real? Yeah, I was told about it," Dauntless said deadpan before pausing. "Why are you asking about that?" he asked, clearly dreading the answer.

"There's a magus helping Coil, and he's placed protective wards around the base," I said.

"You've got to be kidding me," Dauntless said with a groan before quickly regaining his composure. "Okay. Who are we dealing with? And what are protective wards?" he asked seriously.

"We don't know who he is. He appeared out of nowhere. As for the wards, think of them as a magical security system. Depending on who set them up, they can be vicious," I said, my voice heavy. "The important thing is that you can't let anyone enter the base until we deal with them."

"Okay, I'll talk to Director Piggot. Hm? Hold on a second," Dauntless said.

I hear him talking to someone, but the voices are too muffled for me to make out anything.

A moment later, Dauntless returns to the call.

"We've got another problem. Mass panic is starting to set in across the Commercial District. Everyone is trying to leave at the same time, and things are getting messy very quickly," he said grimly.

I lower the phone and turn to Da Vinci.

"Send the Valkyries, Cu Chulainn, and Ushiwakamaru to help with the evacuations. And tell Avicebron to send some of his golems too," I said.

She nods and grabs her tablet, quickly getting in contact with the Servants.

"I'm sending some of my Servants to help with the evacuations," I said as I returned to the call.

"Thanks. The more people helping, the better," Dauntless said gratefully.

"Meet you at those coordinates?" I asked.

"See you there," Dauntless said before ending the call.

"See you later," I said to Da Vinci.

"Be careful," she said.

"When am I not?" I asked with a smirk.

The last thing I see before leaving the workshop is Da Vinci crossing her arms and giving me a dry look.

Yeah, fair enough.

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

We reach the Commercial District in less than five minutes, leaping from building to building as we head straight for the parking garage.

From above, the situation looks bad.

The closer we get, the more the panic takes hold. People are desperately trying to escape the area, clogging the streets with cars as traffic grinds to a standstill. Others simply run, pushing past anyone who gets in their way. Shouts echo through the streets as people stumble, collide, and fall, causing injuries in their wake.

Avicebron's golems are already working among the crowds, directing people toward safer routes and helping those who have been injured. Above them, the Valkyries patrol the streets, keeping an eye out for anyone trying to exploit the chaos. Ushiwakamaru and Cu Chulainn are moving through the crowd as well, helping wherever they're needed.

New Wave is working alongside the police, trying to keep the evacuation organized. It's helping, but there are simply too many people and too much fear for everything to go smoothly.

Members of the Protectorate and the Wards are doing what they can, filling gaps wherever they're needed.

We land in front of a three-story parking garage.

PRT troopers have already surrounded the building, forming a perimeter and keeping civilians away from the entrance. Dauntless and Armsmaster stand among them, both watching the garage with grim expressions.

The moment our feet touch the ground, they notice us.

They quickly make their way over.

"How are the evacuations going?" I asked.

"Far too slowly. There are too many people. We aren't going to be able to clear the area in under an hour," Dauntless said grimly.

"How much time do we have?" I asked.

"Forty-nine minutes," Tattletale said, checking her phone.

More than enough time.

"Why is she here?" Armsmaster asked, fixing Lisa with a heavy frown.

"Not the time, tin can. There are more important things to worry about than little old me," Tattletale said.

She moved toward the parking garage, but Armsmaster stepped in front of her.

"You aren't going with us. There is much you have to answer for," Armsmaster said.

"There's a bomb underneath all of us, and you want to do this now!?" Tattletale cries out in outrage.

She shoots Armsmaster a venomous glare before blinking slowly and looking him over more closely.

"Oh, but this isn't about that, now, is it?" Tattletale asked, a fox-like smile spreading across her face. "No, no, no. This is about a bruised ego. You've been trying to clean up Brockton Bay for years, and Coil has been running circles around you without you ever realizing it! Oh, how embarrassing! And now, here you are, trying to save face and prove that-"

I cover her mouth with my left hand.

"That's enough," I whisper to her before turning toward Armsmaster.

He stares coldly at Tattletale, doing his best to act as though her words haven't affected him. The tight grip around his halberd tells a different story.

"We don't have time for this. You can question her later," I said.

"Gladly," Armsmaster replied with chilling calm.

Tattletale's eyes widen in alarm. She quickly pulls my hand away from her mouth.

"Hey! I'm a victim too! I was forced to work for him at gunpoint!" she said.

"Was she?" Dauntless asked, clearly skeptical.

"We verified it. She's telling the truth," Mash said.

Dauntless and Armsmaster glanced at each other.

"Make sure you put that in your report!" Tattletale said, planting her hands on her hips. "It ain't my fault Coil made fools of the PRT and Protectorate."

"You know, you aren't making things any easier for yourself," Rengoku said.

"Excuse me for not wanting to be blamed for things I didn't do!" Tattletale huffs before blinking in confusion. "Who said that?" she asked, looking around.

"That was my partner, Rengoku," Okita Alter says, holding up her sword.

"What?" Dauntless and Tattletale ask at the same time, both staring at Okita Alter as though she's suddenly grown another head.

Armsmaster, meanwhile, simply stares intently at her.

Okita Alter was about to explain, but I placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

"You can explain to them later. We have a bomb to deal with," I said. "Lead the way, Tattletale."

She nods and rushes into the parking garage, heading down toward the underground level. She leads us to a wall in the far corner.

"Behind this wall is a path that leads to the entrance. Give me a second to-what are you doing?" Tattletale asked, looking at Okita Alter as she approached the wall.

Okita Alter stops in front of it, draws her sword, and slashes.

Once.

Twice.

Then again and again, so quickly that my eyes struggle to keep track of the blade.

She sheathes her sword.

The wall immediately falls apart, revealing a tunnel behind it.

The passage slopes downward, stretching roughly two hundred meters in length.

"...That works too," Tattletale said breathlessly before shaking her head.

She's about to take a step into the tunnel when Skadi raises her wand.

Tattletale suddenly yelps as she's lifted off the ground and deposited beside me.

She opens her mouth to complain, but I shake my head. She closes it with a reluctant huff.

"What's the matter?" I ask, narrowing my eyes as I look down the tunnel.

"There is an illusion here," Skadi said with a thoughtful hum.

She raised her wand and traced several runes through the air. The symbols glow faintly before shooting down the tunnel.

For several seconds, nothing happens.

Then the runes strike something.

A sharp crack echoes through the passage.

The air in front of us fractures, cracks spreading across the illusion like broken glass. A moment later, it shatters completely, revealing a robot standing at the far end of the tunnel.

It's armed with a bulky, futuristic-looking weapon.

Armsmaster immediately stiffens.

"That is a plasma cannon! Everyone, move!" he roars.

The robot raises the weapon.

A flash of light fills the tunnel.

The plasma bolt tears toward us, illuminating the entire passage with its intense light.

Armsmaster, Dauntless, and Tattletale dive to either side, scrambling out of its path.

We don't move.

There's no need.

Mash steps forward and raises her shield.

The plasma bolt strikes it dead center.

The impact shakes the tunnel.

A thunderous boom rolls through the parking garage as dust and debris fall from the ceiling. The light from the plasma washes over Mash, briefly obscuring her from view.

Then it fades.

Mash is still standing.

Not a scratch.

The robot begins advancing, its cannon firing again.

Another plasma bolt slams into Mash's shield.

Then another.

And another.

Each impact shakes the tunnel, but Mash remains firmly planted in place. Her shield absorbs every shot without allowing even a single bolt to reach us.

Tattlatle stares at her in disbelief, "What the hell? She's tanking all of that, and it looks like she doesn't even feel it!"

Of course she doesn't.

She's Chaldea's strongest shield.

I keep my eyes on the robot.

"William," I said.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Don't damage the plasma cannon," I said.

William looks toward the weapon.

I gesture toward it, "Let's see if we can bring that back to Da Vinci."

William nods, "Got it."

He raises his crossbow and fires a dozen bolts at the golem.

The bolts cut through the air in a tight spread, closing the distance in seconds.

Then they stop.

Every bolt hangs motionless a few centimeters from the golem, suspended in midair by an unseen force. They remain there, perfectly still, as though an invisible hand has caught them.

"Oh?" William raises an eyebrow. "Now, that is an interesting trick."

Dauntless briefly looks around the corner, his attention drawn to the weapon in the golem's hands.

"Is it just me, or is that cannon glowing really brightly?!" he said, worried.

Armsmaster's expression tightens.

"It's overheating! At this rate, it will explode in the next sixty seconds!" He grits his teeth. "And that robot will reach us before then!"

Can't let that happen.

"Skadi, freeze it," I order.

Skadi raises her wand.

Runes form in the air around her, one after another, glowing with cold blue light. The temperature drops almost immediately.

Then the storm comes.

A powerful blast of freezing wind tears down the tunnel, carrying snow and ice with it. Within moments, the passage disappears beneath a raging blizzard.

The cold is intense enough to make my skin sting.

Then, just as quickly, it ends.

Snow settles onto the ground.

The tunnel has been transformed.

Ice coats the walls, ceiling, and floor, turning the passage into a frozen corridor. At the far end, the robot stands completely encased in ice, its cannon frozen alongside it.

For several seconds, nothing moves.

Then a crack appears across its chest.

Another follows.

The fractures spread across its body, branching outward until the entire robot is covered in them.

With a sharp crack, the robot breaks apart.

Pieces of ice and metal tumble across the floor, leaving the tunnel silent once again.

I look at the remains.

Well, there goes my chance of bringing that cannon back to Da Vinci.

"Well, that was effective," Dauntless said, his breath condensing into a cloud of white mist as he looked down the tunnel.

Armsmaster remains silent, staring at the remains with a faint frown.

Tattletale, meanwhile, is having a much harder time with the sudden drop in temperature.

"W-w-what the fuck?" she stammers, rubbing her arms as she shivers.

Skadi looks over at her.

"Oh. My apologies," she said.

She waves her wand.

The ice begins to disappear, melting away from the walls and floor. Another rune forms, releasing a wave of warmth that quickly restores the temperature to normal.

"Better?" Skadi asked.

"Yeah, thanks," Tattletale said with a relieved hum.

She looked toward the remains of the robot and scowled.

"Freaking robot," Tattletale said.

Skadi pauses, "That isn't a robot."

Tattletale looks at her.

"It's a golem," Skadi said simply.

Armsmaster's head snaps toward Skadi.

"A golem, you say? Aren't they supposed to-" I cough loudly, cutting him off.

He glances at me.

I give him a pointed look, then briefly glance toward Tattletale.

Armsmaster follows my gaze. After a moment, he gives a quiet hum and decides not to continue.

Tattletale looks between the two of us, clearly curious, but wisely keeps her mouth shut.

"Skadi, can you sense the protective wards?" Mash asked.

"Yes. There are multiple layers of them. Give me a moment. I will deal with them," she said.

Skadi raised her wand and began scribing runes into the air.

One after another, the symbols appear, each glowing with an ethereal light. As she continues, the air around us grows heavier, saturated with magical energy.

A few seconds later, she finishes the sequence.

With a final motion of her wand, the runes flare brightly.

A wave of magic surges through the tunnel.

The entire parking garage trembles under the force.

Then the magic fades.

"We can proceed now," Skadi said.

"Tattletale? What's wrong?" Mash asked, concern creeping into her voice.

I turn toward her.

She's clutching her head, her face twisted in pain.

"Nothing. It's just a little headache," she said through gritted teeth.

"What's wrong with her?" William asked.

"She's suffering from a Thinker headache," Armsmaster said matter-of-factly.

Ah.

She must have tried to analyse the runes.

"Maybe it would be better if you-" Tattletale interrupts me.

"Finish that sentence, and I'll kick you in the nuts!" she said, glaring at me.

"No need for threats. I'm just looking out for you," I raise my hands in mock surrender.

Tattletale huffs, but the expression quickly turns into a wince. She places a hand against her temple.

"Skadi, give her a little help," I say.

Skadi nods and casts a healing spell over Tattletale.

The tension in Tattletale's face gradually eases.

"Better?" Skadi asks.

"Yeah. Thanks," Tattletale says with a relieved sigh.

"All right," I look down the tunnel. "Let's go."

We raced through the narrow tunnel without slowing, emerging into an enormous vault chamber.

At its center stood a colossal vault door.

We barely managed more than two steps inside before the ceiling came alive.

Panels snap open with mechanical precision, revealing rows upon rows of laser turrets that descend in unison, their crimson targeting beams locking onto us.

Huh, this brings back memories.

The air screams as the first volley erupts.

"Paladin!" I shout.

"I've got you, senpai!" Mash said.

Without the slightest hesitation, Mash leaps in front of Lisa and me, her massive shield meeting the storm head-on. A rain of laser fire engulfed her position, each blast exploding harmlessly against her unyielding defense. The torrent was overwhelming, but Mash never takes a single step back.

Tattletale cries out in panic, crouching low with her hands over her head.

Skadi, with a graceful motion of her wand, summons a translucent wall of ice that spreads around herself, Dauntless, and Armsmaster. The lasers crash into the barrier only to vanish, their destructive energy swallowed without leaving so much as a crack.

On the opposite flank, Okita Alter becomes a whirlwind of steel. Her blade flashes faster than the eye can follow, carving through every laser aimed at her and William, each strike splitting the deadly beams apart before they can reach their targets.

With the pressure lifted, William levels his crossbow.

A storm of bolts erupts from the weapon.

Each shot finds its mark with impeccable precision. One turret explodes. Then another. And another. In mere seconds, every last turret is reduced to smoking wreckage, their shattered remains crashing to the floor as silence settles over the chamber once more.

"Nice work," I said, giving Okita Alter and William a thumbs-up.

Okita Alter thumbs up in return with a big smile.

"This was a nice warm-up," William said.

I turn to Tattletale, "You okay?"

"My ears are still ringing, but I'm alive. So, yes!" Tattletale said, rubbing her ears as she got back to her feet. She looked around at the destroyed turrets. "You guys make this look so easy."

"It's not that big of a deal, kid," William said.

"Yeah. We've dealt with far worse than this," Okita Alter added.

"Like what?" Tattletale asked, curiosity getting the better of her.

"That's a secret," Okita Alter says flatly.

"Of course it is." Tattletale sighs.

"How are you two doing?" I asked, turning toward Dauntless and Armsmaster.

"We're fine. Skadi protected us. Thank you for that," Dauntless said gratefully.

"It was nothing," Skadi replied.

Dauntless looked around the facility, his expression growing more serious.

"Seriously, how the hell did Coil build all of this without anyone noticing?" he asked, a hint of shock in his voice.

"It's already concerning enough that he had access to our systems. And now we find all of this," Armsmaster said with a grunt.

"How much time do we have?" Mash asked.

"Thirty-seven minutes," Armsmaster replied with a frown.

More than enough time.

I turn my attention toward the massive vault door and let out a thoughtful hum.

"How much do you want to bet Coil's men are waiting on the other side to ambush us?" I asked, placing my hands on my hips.

Tattletale snorts, "That is a fool's bet."

"Well, no reason to keep them waiting," I glance at Skadi with a smirk. "Let's go say hello."

Skadi approaches the vault door without a word.

She places one hand against the metal.

Ice quickly begins spreading from her palm.

It races across the door in branching patterns, quickly covering the entire surface. Within seconds, the massive vault door is completely encased in ice.

A large rune slowly forms in the center.

Skadi lifts her other hand.

She snaps her fingers.

The rune flares with brilliant light.

A sharp crack runs through the frozen door.

Then another.

The entire vault door fractures.

With a deafening crash, it shatters into countless pieces of ice, revealing the chamber beyond.

Rows of mercenaries are waiting for us, rifles already raised and aimed directly at us.

I stare at them.

Called it.

Before they could open fire, Skadi reacted immediately.

She raises her wand.

The fragments of ice scattered across the floor suddenly lift into the air.

They swirl around her, gathering into a dense white cloud before surging through the doorway.

The mist spreads across the chamber, flowing between the mercenaries and swallowing them from view.

For a brief moment, all I can see is white.

Then the mist stops moving.

It hardens.

Ice rapidly forms around the mercenaries, encasing them where they stand. Within seconds, the entire room is filled with frozen figures, their rifles trapped alongside them.

The only sound is the faint cracking of ice as some of the mercenaries struggle against their restraints.

"That takes care of them," Skadi said calmly.

Lisa lets out a low whistle.

"Damn. That wasn't even a fight," she said.

Armsmaster steps closer, studying the frozen mercenaries.

"How long will the ice last?" he asked.

"As long as I want," Skadi replied.

Dauntless looks over the frozen soldiers, his expression thoughtful. "I have to ask. Are they going to get frostbite or something like that?"

"It's a possibility," Skadi said.

Dauntless nods, "Got it," he said, then suddenly pauses. "Hm? Hold on."

He raises a finger to the side of his helmet.

Armsmaster does the same a moment later.

"Excuse us for a second," Armsmaster said.

The two of them move a short distance away before speaking in hushed voices.

I watch them for a moment.

What is that about?

"Henry, Lung broke out of confinement," Da Vinci said suddenly.

I tense up at the news.

My Servants and Tattletale notice immediately.

"What's wrong, Master?" Okita Alter asked, tilting her head.

"What?!" Dauntless and Armsmaster shouted at the same time.

Okita Alter, Skadi, William, Mash, and Tattletale glance toward them before turning their attention back to me.

"Okay. What the hell is going on?" Tattletale asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Lung escaped from PRT headquarters," I said grimly.

"What?!" Tattletale exclaimed, her alarm obvious.

"How did he escape?" Mash asks.

"Give me a second," I said. "How did Lung escape?" I asked, still surprised.

"Not sure yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if Coil had a hand in it," Da Vinci said.

"Yeah. Of all times for that to happen," I muttered, furrowing my brow.

"There's more. Something isn't right about him," Da Vinci adds.

"What do you mean?" I asked

"Lung seems more interested in causing havoc than escaping. And while I can't confirm it yet, he appears to be in considerable pain," Da Vinci said.

Pain?

"Where is he?" I asked.

"About three blocks from PRT headquarters. He's already covered in scales, reached four meters tall, and his transformation is accelerating rapidly," Da Vinci said.

I frown.

At this rate, Lung will keep ramping up and cause even more damage.

"Is Sigurd at the hotel?" I asked.

"No. He's at Lord's Port. He's serving as one of Sherrel's bodyguards today," Da Vinci said.

"All right. I'll contact him. Send Asclepius as well. It would be nearly impossible for all of this to happen without anyone getting hurt," I said.

"Got it," Da Vinci said.

"Sigurd," I said.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Lung escaped from PRT headquarters. I need you to deal with him." I said.

"Understood," Sigurd said.

I turned back toward my Servants and Tattletale.

"Da Vinci doesn't know how he got out. We can focus on that later," I said.

"This has Coil's name written all over it!" Tattletale hisses. "He did this."

Before I can respond, Armsmaster and Dauntless walk back toward us.

"You guys staying?" Okita Alter asked.

"Yes. The bombs are the priority. Everyone else can handle Lung," Armsmaster said.

"I sent one of my Servants to deal with him," I said.

"Only one?" Armsmaster asked.

"He's the most qualified to deal with Lung," I said seriously.

"I see," Armsmaster gives a small nod.

"Let's pick up the pace. Tattletale, lead the way," I said.

"Right!" she said.

Tattletale immediately breaks into a run.

We follow, moving deeper into the base and heading straight for the explosives.

Along the way, we encounter more mercenaries. They do their best to stop us, firing their weapons and throwing everything they have at us.

It doesn't matter.

Okita Alter and William make short work of them, clearing the way as we continue farther into the base.

Deeper.

And deeper.

"How big is this place?" Armsmaster asked, glancing around as he ran.

"I'd say it's about the same size as an Endbringer shelter," Tattletale said, already starting to pant from the constant running.

"How much farther?" Dauntless asked from above us, flying through the corridor.

"Won't be much longer! We just need to turn left here and it-Whoa!" Tattletale abruptly stops as she turns the corner.

We come to a halt behind her.

Three golems stand at the end of the corridor.

They remain completely still for a moment.

Then their bodies glow.

And they disappear.

Oh.

That can't be good.

Before anyone can react, two of them suddenly reappear in the middle of our group.

The third appears right beside me.

The first golem immediately lunges at Armsmaster.

It tackles him straight through the wall, sending both of them crashing into the room beyond.

"Armsmaster!" Dauntless shouts, immediately flying after them.

The other golem lunges toward the Servants, but Okita Alter intercepts it.

Her blade flashes.

The golem is cut apart in an instant, its body falling to pieces.

But that brief distraction is enough.

The golem beside me moves.

A blade extends from its right forearm with a sharp metallic sound.

It swings immediately, the weapon cutting through the air in a wide arc aimed straight at my neck.

I duck beneath it.

The blade passes above my head, cutting a few strands of my hair.

I reinforce my arms and drive my fists upward, striking the golem's arm with enough force to knock it off course.

I follow immediately.

One punch.

Then another.

Then another.

My fists hammer into its chest, each blow forcing the golem farther backward.

I finish with a powerful elbow to its chest.

CRACK!

The chest plate shatters beneath the impact.

The force of the blow sends the golem crashing into the wall, spiderweb cracks spreading through the surface around it. Sparks begin to spit from its damaged chest as its body twitches against the wall.

It tries to push itself forward.

It manages one step before a dozen arrows tear through its body.

Before it can recover, Mash charges in and slams her shield into its side.

BOOM!

The golem is sent flying down the corridor, crashing hard into the opposite wall.

Its body twitches violently.

Then it goes limp.

"Senpai! Are you all right?" Mash asked, concern clear in her voice.

"I'm fine! What about you guys?" I asked.

"We're fine," Skadi said.

I turned toward the hole in the wall, intending to go inside.

Before I can take a step, something suddenly comes flying through it.

Armsmaster.

He crashes into the opposite wall.

His armor has a few dents and scratches. He turns his head to the side and spits out a small amount of blood.

"Hey, you," Armsmaster interrupts me.

"What are you waiting for?!" he said. "Go! We'll catch up later!"

He pushes himself away from the wall and runs back through the hole.

I swiftly turn to Mash, "Let's go."

We rejoin the others and follow Tattletale deeper into the base.

She leads us through another corridor before stopping at a set of heavy double doors.

She pushes them open.

A massive storage room stretches out before us. Crates and equipment are stacked along the walls, but my attention immediately settles on the center of the room.

The explosives.

There they are.

We barely have a chance to take another step.

The room suddenly shifts.

The walls ripple as though the entire structure has become liquid.

Then black lines begin appearing across the surfaces around us.

They twist and writhe.

Moving.

Alive.

Before I can react, they suddenly lash out.

Skadi moves first.

She raises her wand and rapidly inscribes a series of glowing runes through the air.

A pulse of magical energy erupts from her.

The black lines recoil violently before dissolving into nothing.

The room falls still.

"Was that a curse?" I asked.

"Seems like it," Mash said, looking around cautiously. "Thankfully, it wasn't anything serious."

"Good," I said.

I turned toward Skadi.

"Deal with the bombs," I said.

Skadi approaches the explosives and raises her wand.

Runes appear around them, forming a precise circle.

The symbols flare.

The explosives vanish.

There is no explosion.

No smoke.

Not even a sound.

They're completely vaporized, leaving nothing behind, not even dust.

One problem down.

"Hey. You okay, kid?" William asked.

I look toward Tattletale.

Mash does the same.

Tattletale has gone pale.

Her hands tremble slightly, and she looks like she's struggling to steady herself.

She suddenly jolts and looks toward William.

"I... I guess so?" Tattletale swallows hard. "For a second, I felt like I was going to vomit my heart out. What the hell was that?" her voice is noticeably shaken.

"Something vile," Skadi says gently. "But you do not need to worry, child. I have dealt with it."

Tattletale looks at Skadi, then at me.

She lets out a tired sigh.

"You know, Armsmaster seemed to know what those 'golem' things were. And I heard you mention a 'curse'." she folds her arms. "But you aren't going to explain any of that, are you?"

"Not yet. Da Vinci will explain everything later," I said.

"God. I hate being the only one in the dark," she said bitterly.

Tattletale shakes her head, as though trying to clear away the lingering discomfort.

Then she straightens.

"Now that the explosives are dealt with, we can go after Coil," Tattletale said.

"Wait a second," William looked toward me. "Shouldn't we wait for Armsmaster and Dauntless, Master?"

"Do they even need help?" Okita Alter asked.

"Let me check," Skadi said.

She raised her wand and inscribed several runes in the air. A soft glow fills her eyes as she focuses on something beyond our immediate surroundings.

"Hmm. They have it handled. I'd say the fight will be over in less than five minutes," Skadi said.

"Great. Then let's get moving. The longer we wait, the greater the chance Coil gets away," Tattletale said immediately, though there's an anxious edge to her voice.

"That assumes he hasn't already escaped," Mash points out.

Tattletale's expression darkens.

Hassan hasn't reported anything about Coil taking the escape route.

He could still be here.

"We'll find out soon enough. Skadi, leave something behind so Armsmaster and Dauntless can find us," I said.

Skadi waves her wand.

A small fish made of ice takes shape before us. It circles her once before floating toward the doorway.

Tattletale watches it go, "What is that?"

"A simple construct. It will guide them to our location," Skadi explained.

"Lead the way," I said.

Tattletale nods and takes off down another section of the base.

It takes us about five minutes to reach Coil's office.

William kicks the door open and steps inside, with Okita Alter following close behind.

A moment later, William calls out.

"You can come in," he said.

Tattletale, Mash, Skadi, and I enter the room.

William and Okita Alter are both staring toward one side of the office.

I follow their gaze.

Ah.

Coil is slumped against the wall.

His throat has been cut open, and a pool of blood has spread across the floor beneath him.

Tattletale sucks in a sharp breath.

She stares at his corpse without blinking.

"How long has he been dead?" Mash asks.

William kneels beside the body and examines the wound closely.

"He's still very warm, and there's still some blood coming from the wound. I'd say… about five to ten minutes, give or take," he said, getting to his feet.

"What about the man who was helping him? Any sign of how he escaped?" I asked, looking around the room.

The place was a mess. A table had been flipped onto its side, broken monitors littered the floor, and bullet holes pocked one of the walls. A gun lay on the ground, surrounded by scattered shell casings.

Hm. Had this been some kind of disagreement between them, or was it something else?

William shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine. If he'd tried to use the escape route or the front door, Hassan would've warned us."

I let out a thoughtful hum.

"Let me check," Skadi waved her wand, sending a small pulse of magical energy through the room. "Oh? This is interesting. Some kind of spatial fluctuation happened here."

"He opened a portal? Or teleported?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Can't say. The trace is too faint to tell. What I can say is that it's not something we're familiar with," Skadi said seriously.

Tinker tech or a parahuman's power, then.

"Um, senpai," Mash whispered.

I turn to her, and she motions toward Tattletale.

She's still staring at Coil's corpse, having barely moved since we arrived.

"I'll talk to her," I whispered.

I walk over to her side.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey," Tattletale replied quietly.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"I'm more than happy to see him dead, but I'm also frustrated for some reason," Tattletale said, rubbing her arm.

"About what?" I asked.

"I'm not sure. He's finally gone, but this doesn't feel as satisfying as I expected it to," she admitted.

"Well, you wanted him to suffer. To rot away in prison while you went on with the rest of your life. Coil being dead takes that away from you." I said, rubbing the back of my neck.

Tattletale remains silent for a moment before slowly nodding.

"Yeah, that sounds about right." She tilts her head, then looks back at the corpse. "Give me a second."

She walks closer to it.

"I won," Tattletale said before kicking the corpse hard. "Burn in hell, asshole."

She turns back to me with a satisfied smile.

The ice fish Skadi created floats into the room, with Armsmaster and Dauntless following closely behind. They're both breathing heavily, their costumes sporting a few more dents and scratches than before, but otherwise they seem fine.

They look around the room before their eyes settle on Coil's corpse.

"Are you two all right?" Mash asked.

"A little banged up, but nothing serious," Dauntless said.

Armsmaster opens his mouth, but I speak before he can.

"We didn't do this, if that's what you're wondering," I say flatly.

"I see," Armsmaster nods. "What of the man who was helping him?"

"Gone," I said with a sigh.

Armsmaster hums, a small frown appearing on his face.

"I'm so glad this is over," Tattletale said with a tired sigh, rubbing her temples.

"It's over here, but Lung is still out there rampaging," Mash points out.

Tattletale freezes for a second before muttering a few curses under her breath.

Let's check how things are going.

"Sigurd, what's the situation?" I asked.

"Master, I've taken care of Lung," Sigurd replied.

"Good job. Keep an eye on him. I still have a few things to take care of here," I said.

"Understood," Sigurd said.

"Lung is down," I announced.

Tattletale, Armsmaster, and Dauntless all visibly relax at the news.

"Tiring day, huh?" William said, sounding amused.

"It's certainly been something," Dauntless said with a shake of his head.

"Well, it's not over yet. We still have to check the rest of the base." I rub my chin.

I want to see what else is hidden in this place. There's no telling what Coil might have been keeping down here.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////

So, it's been a while, huh?

Well, a few things have happened over the last few weeks. Some good, some bad, but mostly just normal stuff.

One thing that really caught me by surprise was my graphics card giving up on me. I honestly didn't see it coming since I had been playing games normally without any problems. I managed to get a better one for a good price, but it still caught me completely off guard.

About this chapter:

I have some mixed feelings about it.

When it came to Coil's base, I kept rewriting entire sections. I have no idea how many times I rewrote them.

I would write something, then come back to it some time later and think of a different way it could go. Then, I would rewrite the whole thing.

I did that multiple times throughout the chapter.

Anyway, I'm going to be changing how much time I spend focusing on each story.

While I do enjoy focusing on one story for a while, it also takes a long time. Also, at some point, I start thinking about the other story, which ends up taking away some of my focus from the chapter I'm writing.

So, from now on, I'll switch between stories every three chapters.

Hopefully, this will mean the chapters won't take quite so long to write.

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If you like my stories and wish to support me, you can find me over at pa-tre-on (slash) Regulareader.

Or at Ko-fi.com/regulareader

 

[MasterOfDragonsGod]

Great to see this updated!