For the first time, they had witnessed death.

  The massive crimson spear, a first mark of pushback against the Primeras, and the object that marked their first milestone as a witness to a demise. Though the concept itself was not alien, death was something none of them had ever seen, let alone inflicted on what seemed to be such a powerful being. A heavy feeling hung in the air, the crimson gleam of the weapon creating the illusion of something watching their movements. Izabel still remembered, not even a system day ago, she saw the now-dead Primeras on the stage, acting as a distraction, and now, the memory of projected perfection cshed with the hideous corpse lying on the ground.

  Her throat seized up. It was difficult to breathe, difficult to think, a fog clouding everything except repulsion, fear, and desire to–

  “Izabel! Take a deep breath! Steady yourself,”

  “Hunter, it’s just that–”

  “Finally, this sight… No, never mind. Izabel, you will see this show many times in our journey. The primal instinct of most living beings ensures they fear death, but I will stay by your side. I will be your protector, your shield and your bde. This is my vow to you, for our dreams. Please, listen to me, rejoice at the sight, for it means one less Primeras will walk on this wretched pce.”

  From the corner of her eyes, she saw Pestilence, shaken to the core. To any onlookers, it would be obvious that light has left Izabel’s eyes as well.

  In contrast to the two, Baskerville looked calm. Rather, she picked up the orb.

  “This is…”

  Her voice faded, but her concentration remained. It seems that she was conversing with her Mirror Avatar.

  For a moment, the world around her faded. Izabel felt warmth surrounding her in a facsimile of an embrace, Hunter’s partly transparent form overpping hers. Without judgement, rather, with boundless patience, Hunter hummed a tune, her voice reminiscent of a soothing breeze, uplifting a falling leaf and carrying her. In that short, precious few seconds, the edges of Hunter’s secrets became tangible, only for the sensation to disperse between Izabel’s fingers when she wanted to grasp it.

  It was a reminder, even though Hunter has promised to protect and aid her, Izabel has almost no knowledge about her Mirror Avatar partner.

  “Do you like it? Back then–” Hunter shook her head. “No, disregard that. I hope that made you feel better, but,” she smiled, her smile a sincere one, “we both know it’s a redundant question,”

  “You did, thank you for that,” Izabel said, sporting a small smile. She didn’t need to look, for their connection tells her that the sentiment was well-received.

  In that moment, the fact that they were in a potential battlefield almost slipped her mind. On cue, she received a harsh reminder.

  “Izabel, to the side!”

  As Izabel shifted her position, she felt the sting of a spear rushing past, to hit a target in the distance. A look at the direction revealed the presence of a canine beast standing almost as tall as she was, its long fur swaying in the wind as it dashed towards a target in the sky. As the three took their fighting stance, they saw a woman, possessing a pair of metallic white wings with bck spots patterned over its surface. Her fiery red hair and auburn eyes burn with fierce determination as she outstretched her hand, the two spears that once pierced the ground flying back to her grasp.

  “Can you still understand nguages, beast? Your master is dead. Return to the dome and live your life as an Inhabitant, and I’ll consider my job here done.”

  “Cut that shit out!” The beast roared, as its form twisted mid-air, into the form of the altered human Izabel remembered seeing the previous day. For a moment, an observant sort might have noticed that a hint of guilt fshed in the flying warrior’s eyes. “Even if I die, Lord Sucellus was–”

  “What was your name? They called you Silva, I think?”

  Silva’s attack was uncoordinated, wild, reminiscent of the beast form she had shed mere moments before. The fiery-haired woman in the sky only needed to shift a little to the side, dodging Silva’s cws before she pnted a hard kick on the beast’s stomach, sending her smming onto the ground.

  “Stubborn and loyal. Admirable, but directed towards the most unfortunate target.”

  With a mighty fp of her wings, the armored woman took flight. Energy gathered on her surroundings, shifting, and turning into a projection of a massive, holographic rifle. Even its presence radiated a heavy, suffocating aura. With a calm gaze, the armored woman directed the rifle towards Silva, who rushed forward in a desperate attempt to reach the opponent. From the ground, it looked as if the woman was surrounded by motes of multicolored lights, creating a mystical sight.

  One of her crimson spears entered the rifle, and then, power started swirling around it, strong enough to warp the space around her.

  “Farewell, Silva. When we meet again, you can enact your vengeance.”

  Cecilia seemed unperturbed even as Silva was getting closer.

  “I invoke my authority granted by the Linnurata system. I am Cecilia Ru?a, the Spear of the Frontline, the crux to tear open even the most formidable fortress.”

  The swirling power around the spear intensified, bringing with it a constant hum of disturbed air that hurts the ears.

  “Strike true, ‘Piciforma Rupture’.”

  With the push of the rifle’s trigger, the spear unched towards the unfettered Silva, the grief-stricken hound taking the full force of the bst without mercy. A flood of light consumed the area for the briefest of moments, and then, without a fanfare to celebrate her loyalty, Silva descended out of the bst, her form tattered, her eyes were wide open, tears streaming down her cheek. None could truly be sure whether the tears were one of heartbreak or one of anger, and the one who could answer could no longer do so.

  Though Izabel found the altered nature of Silva a repulsive prospect, she found herself wondering, would it be a comfort to her, knowing she nded not too far from her beloved master?

  Regardless, the three knew they had witnessed another death.

  Cecilia descended from the sky. There was no fir, no pride in her movements, only a solemn silence. Her eyes focused on her dead opponent, and then, she spoke, her tone not one of pride, but of a grave promise, as she closed Silva's eyes.

  “If we meet again, I’ll welcome your challenge.”

  She pulled out her spears, and then, with a wave of her hand, both spears disappeared into the ether. It was then that she finally turned to look at the three.

  “You are…?”

  Subconsciously, Izabel stepped forward, hand touching the device strapped to her wrist, her position hiding the other two as best as she could. “I’m Hunter. You are?”

  “Izabel, I think she’s also one of the Heart Mirror users,” Hunter said. “But rather than that, Linnurata, huh…?”

  “What of it?” Izabel asked.

  “Nothing. On your guard, Izabel.”

  “You’ve heard me, Cecilia Ru?a, or if you prefer, Ru?a is fine,” Cecilia replied. “Considering your stance, I assume you’re one of the groups. Congratutions on discovering this pce.”

  “You say your real name so easily, aren’t you afraid that I might just report you to the Primeras?” Baskerville asked from behind. “What is your objective here?”

  “Try it,” Cecilia replied, materializing one of her crimson spears, “But I think considering how things are,” she looked at the three of them, then continued. “We don’t have a conflict of interest here. We don’t have to fight.”

  Cecilia looked at the skeletal tree in the distance, her gaze serious.

  “Rather, I’m here to check something.”

  “Wait,” Pestilence spoke up, “Then, are you one of the Heart Mirror users?”

  “You can say that.”

  “Just tell me what that thing is,” Pestilence looked in the same direction. Something about the lonely, skeletal tree in the distance felt wrong, mencholic, the red mist acting as a transparent curtain, giving a subtle illusion of lifeblood seeping out of it in the form of a poisonous mist. It was the only trace of life that belonged to this pce, and yet, in this lonely wastend, it has perished. A pitiful sight.

  “Good luck with the mission. I’ll see you around.”

  Pestilence opened her mouth to say something, but Cecilia has already soared, to the skies and disappearing into the darkness.

  “Dammit!” Pestilence cursed, “There was something–”

  “No, we can deal with it ter. We have a problem,” Baskerville warned.

  There was no need for expnation, as the ground started to bubble all around them, forming the dark blob creatures. They were familiar, of course, after all, it was the start of their journey, and the moment which they met their Mirror Avatars. For a moment, Izabel remembered the time she has to hide, out of fear and apprehension, but now, she was stronger. She could feel Hunter hold her hand, as the weapon in her hand started brimming with power.

  It was, once again, time to fight.

  The three stood in a circle, their back facing each other. Pestilence has materialized her cubes, forming a swarm ready to strike, and Baskerville’s hounds were snarling, teeth bared towards the sudden onsught of enemies.

  “On the count of three,” Izabel gripped her gun. “Three, two, one…”

  A pause, one that felt like an eternity. As heat gathered in her weapon, she raised it, then pulled the trigger, creating a massive beam of high-temperature ser. For a moment, the fmes shone blue, carving a path amidst the endless horde.

  “Now!”

  Evinoran