The first group finding themselves in a pinch was Amelia's.

  Panicked by Senia's sudden frailness, she failed to notice, alongside Heto, the danger looming over them.

  "!"

  As she finally noticed the shadows, a hand stretched under her chin.

  Senia, who had recovered thanks to Orion's help, fired a water jet that cut off the arm of a reaching steam armor.

  Oil spilled everywhere as the silvery arm fell to the pavement.

  Breaking off from Amelia's embrace, she formed a thin layer of water around her and floated upward.

  Without giving it a second thought, Amelia stood up and grabbed a sphere of magic in her left hand.

  A wave of frigid cold devoured the ground, freezing solid the arm and the oil as it spread across the area.

  Particles of ice met Senia, turning into devastatingly sharp splinters of ice.

  Heto appeared unaffected, his feet stepping on layers of ice. Each step made the ice crack under his weight as he pulled a large hammer from thin air.

  "I don't have for customs to attack, but I know when an enemy is in front of me."

  His eyes grew darker.

  "And this feeling... I recognize it. Oh, I do recognize it clearly."

  Coming out of the machines swarming them, he could feel the energy of one particular being emanating from them.

  At the same time, Amelia and Senia quickly exchanged words.

  "We need to find a way out of here. Our energy is still in a depleted state, which means we have to lie low."

  "You're right. Thanks to him, we have a way to fight, but we can't do anything at this time."

  "Amelia, can you clear a path?"

  "I should be able to. I have enough magic to unleash one or two large-scale attacks."

  "Then..."

  From above, Senia looked around the ruined city briefly. A flash of light, faintly reflecting on one of the puddles not far from her, showed something that caught her attention.

  "!"

  Pointing her finger in the direction of the strange light, she urged Amelia and Heto.

  "Go this way! Fast!"

  Without hesitation, Heto removed himself from the darkness wrapped around his heart and lifted his hammer.

  "On it!"

  He ran past Amelia, who kept her eyes on the steam machines.

  Swinging his massive weapon, he smashed into the first armor, sending it flying.

  Then another one, and another.

  The sound of metal striking metal echoed in the lifeless streets of the city as Heto created a pathway into one of the darkest alleys.

  "Amelia!"

  Two massive beams of water ripped through the air and crashed around Amelia.

  The mist caused by Senia's attack made Amelia fade from the enemy's sight, but before completely leaving the place, she left a present.

  Dana's blades broke through the columns of water, sending shards of ice forward that pierced many steam armors.

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  Seeing her friend attempting to slow down the enemy's advance, Senia moved the pillars of water forward.

  With the water submerging a part of the street, they both attacked in combination.

  Crossing both water columns, a figure appeared within it.

  "Cryogene."

  Amelia's scythe sliced the arch of water. Cold air rapidly swallowed everything, encasing the entire water in ice.

  In a split instant, every enemy in sight was unable to move.

  And, as quickly as she appeared, Amelia vanished. Her figure, which reflected on every ice surface a moment ago, became clean and crystalline.

  She leaped into the air, moved by the Lorelei, and together, followed behind Heto, who was waiting for them.

  Leaving the street into a frozen realm, where steam itself stopped moving to the sky, the three intruders disappeared into the darkest parts of the mechanical city.

  ...

  Through pipes and questionable paths, they finally made their way to the spot Senia had seen previously.

  "It should be around here."

  While she looked around, Amelia glanced toward Heto.

  "Are you alright?"

  "..."

  "What? Is it surprising that I show interest in someone else?"

  He shook his head.

  "It's nothing of such."

  Her eyes retained the focus that she previously had. They were in enemy territory, where anything could happen. She couldn't allow herself to make a mistake.

  "I find it uncanny that I found myself in the realm of the one I want dead more than any other."

  Seeing the darkness in his eyes, she was reminded of Orion's gaze after leaving Auro.

  "Vengeance... Don't let it swallow you."

  "I'll try."

  Breathing in and out, Heto took her advice to heart, informed of their past.

  "While we're on the topic, would you explain whose domain this is? You have an idea, right?"

  Heto nodded firmly. Placing two fingers between his brows, he rubbed that spot to ease his feelings.

  "Have we ever talked about the names of the 'Devourers' before?"

  Amelia shook her head from side to side. Senia also shook her head, glancing in their direction.

  "That's our mistake. We should have talked to Orion before. Not that it actually matters right now."

  Looking apologetic, he took a more relaxed posture, dropping his tensed shoulders slightly.

  "I cannot speak for the others because I can't remember what we've discussed after that day. I was too focused on my duties as a Remnant and the responsibilities on my shoulders to care for them."

  "I'm not proud of it, but this was a selfish move at the time."

  Feeling a similar memory in the back of her mind resurface, Amelia smiled.

  At the same time, as Heto recalled the fated moment where his mother's last breath happened, his entire face tensed.

  A visible vein throbbed on his temple, and the sound of gnashing teeth escaped his mouth.

  But more than terrifying, his expression was one of pure suffering.

  "Levirosrepta."

  "That's the name of the creature that took my mother's life."

  Turning his face away, he tried to hide the pain.

  "Because of my inability to follow her teaching and my weaknesses, I failed her. I failed to be the man she wanted me to be."

  The two women could hear the pride in his voice, drowned out by his sorrows.

  "She was a good mother to you, wasn't it?"

  Surprised for a brief instant, he froze. His eyes softened, and his pain subsided.

  Facing Amelia, he smiled gently.

  "I'm glad Henrietta experienced being a mother, too. Look at you, caring for such a relic's feelings."

  "Should I call you 'uncle' or something?"

  "If we get out of here alive, I'll allow it."

  Seeing Senia pulling a wide metal door open effortlessly, they stopped talking. Both she and Amelia entered the building, letting Heto in shock for just a second.

  "You girls are stronger than any man can. What's the point of having me around?"

  In a mocking tone toward himself, Heto shrugged while entering behind them.

  "I mean, can you blame us? I've grown past the limits of what humans can do."

  "And I'm not human to begin with."

  Waiting for him, the two smiled back as they answered his comment.

  "Well, it doesn't change the reality that you two are strong."

  Amelia faced forward, observing the various corners of the building she walked into.

  "I never wanted to be a frail woman. That's why I followed Orion."

  "Only by being strong could I get the chance to stay by his side."

  A dark aura covered her body for just a fraction of a second as she spoke.

  "And if I had stayed in Auro, eight women would be having their way with him while I would be left behind."

  She smiled at Senia.

  "Right?"

  Senia felt slightly attacked, but she shrugged it away.

  "It's a matter of 'if'. There's no place for that right now."

  Surprised, Amelia opened her mouth.

  "That's some backbone you've gotten. I still remember the shy siren from not too long ago."

  "If you mean one year ago, then yes. It's partially thanks to you that I'm like this today."

  Doubly shocked, Amelia couldn't help but smile.

  "I always liked your shy parts, but I also like how frank you've become."

  They stared at each other for a moment before smiling warmly at each other without speaking another word.

  Rapidly, their smiles vanished and an air of seriousness took over.

  Cracking her neck, Amelia took a step forward.

  "What are we looking for, Senia?"

  "You don't have to look that far."

  Confused, Amelia glanced over her shoulder and looked at the Lorelei.

  "Really?"

  "All I can see is broken-down machinery and tapped covers. She walked in front of a dusty and rusty machine that she had no idea what it was for."

  "I bet Stella would be interested in this."

  "Most likely. But what you're looking for is this."

  Senia pointed out toward a human-like robot.

  "..."

  Looking at the weirdly shaped puppet, she smiled.

  "Aah~ I see what you mean."

  Amelia reached for a physical dagger attached to her right thigh that she always kept on herself.

  "Here, catch."

  She threw the dagger with such proficiency that it stuck to the wall, less than a centimeter from the 'head' of the robot.

  "Disappointing..."

  Both looked rather bummed and looked away, thinking that something would have happened.

  But as they turned around, they heard a clicking sound coming out of the place the dagger was stuck into.

  As they turned around, they saw the robot slide along the wall and sit on the ground with teary eyes.

  Putting its hands in front of its head, the machine begged for its life.

  "P-Please don't kill me!"

  Senia made a fist to acknowledge her victory. Her eyes did not betray her, as she noticed that machine entering the building from afar.

  Taking a few steps forward, the three overworlders approached the resident of this world, making it the first contact between species.

  "Actually, I'm sorry about that."

  Amelia removed her dagger from the wall and placed it back into its holster with an apologetic smile.

  Confused, Heto looked at Amelia.

  "Wait a second. Why can't we even converse?"

  "Orion's power. I assume the Remnant source of that spider guy is to thank for that."

  With his question shortly answered, Heto replied with a nod.

  "I see. Silka's power makes more sense than being able to understand their language spontaneously."

  As he nodded to himself, Senia dropped lower and looked at the robot protecting itself in fear.

  "Can you understand us? I know we've been a little mean, but we're not here to hurt anyone. At least not to those who aren't against us."

  "Would you be willing to speak with us?"

  Removing its hands from its face, the robot took a peak at the people in front of it.

  "Will you not harm me?"

  "We have no reason to. At least right now."

  Amelia nodded while crossing her arms.

  "..."

  Placing its hands on the walls behind it, the being defensively stood up. Its shiny eyes were anchored on them in case anything were to happen.

  Its cryptic voice made it impossible to understand if it was a male or a female, but its gestures made it appear as a male.

  "What... are you?"

  Asking a question first, the robot was prepared to be attacked in return.

  "That's a good question. How do we describe ourselves?"

  "Can't we just be straight?"

  Amelia asked Senia, who looked perplexed.

  "We're here to kill your leader."

  With a nonchalant expression, Amelia went straight to the point.