"Eradicate...the city?" I echoed, not believing what I just heard.

"Indeed! The Midnight Syndicate...we shall destroy Shenzhen, and rebuild it from scratch!" Plague declared confidently.

I glared at him. "What's your purpose in doing so? Don't tell me it's some stupid cliche like world domination."

Plague laughed. "World domination, eh? That is in fact our end goal, yes."

"Are you kidding me..." I muttered quietly.

"However," Plague continued. "What the Midnight Syndicate truly seeks is to bring out the full potential of Dark Magic, going to places no one has every gone before in the world of mages."

"And you're going to force everyone else on this planet to go along with the Midnight Syndicate's whims?"

"Precisely. Dark Magic is discriminated against everywhere, by humans and other races alike," Plague explained. "But I believe - once everyone sees the true power of Dark Magic, a new practice will begin, a new world will be born - one under the reign of the Midnight Syndicate."

"Heh..." I snickered. "What a farce."

Plague tilted his head at me. "Are you mocking our dream, boy?"

"And so what if I am?" I said condescendingly. "You all talk about discrimination against Dark Magic, acting all righteous and shit. As if that could justify you killing thousands, destroying entire cities..."

Plague clenched his fists, and I sensed a distinct killing intent coming from him. However, even so, I didn't back down. "You do realize...the reason people hate Dark Magic, is precisely because of the Midnight Syndicate."

"...What?"

I sighed. "There's nothing wrong with the three elements themselves, collectively known as Dark Magic. What is wrong, is the people who use them for evil purposes - people like you, like the Midnight Syndicate."

"...Boy, I originally didn't want to kill you," Plague said in a low and dangerous tone. "Just a few moments ago, I had only wanted to run a few experiments on you."

I snorted. "A few experiments at the hands of a Midnight Syndicate member? I would rather die, thanks."

"But for insulting the Midnight Syndicate and its glorious virtues-"

Plague took out multiple vials of unknown liquid from his cloak.

"-You must die here today."

I wasn't scared at all, however. I had a firm resolve in mind right now...one that sprouted from the desire for revenge. "Hey, Plague..."

"Oh? Last words? Very well, I shall hear them."

I shook my head. "Nah, they aren't last words...just a mere question."

"What is it? I will answer you as a token of apology for killing you."

You serious? Token of apology for killing me? The Midnight Syndicate...everyone's out of their minds.

"One year ago...the assassins sent to kill my father and mother. They belonged to the Midnight Syndicate, didn't they?"

Plague looked at me silently for a while, then broke out into laughter. "What, here I was thinking you were going to ask something that wasn't as obvious as that. Indeed, it was us who murdered your parents. You only realized just now?"

"...Nah, I just wanted to confirm," I replied, drawing my katana. "Because now, I have a good reason to kill you."

"Oho...interesting. Shouldn't saving this city be enough of a reason to kill me? Not that it would help - even if I died, the invasion will still happen."

"Tch...I don't care about this city," I scoffed. "I am not some hero of justice - if anything, I am just as bad as the Midnight Syndicate. I can't claim to be righteous after slaughtering an entire family just now. However - there's one thing I have that you do not. And that, is what separates me from the likes of you."

"Oh? Enlighten me, boy."

"That thing, is something called human morals. Despite how it may seem, I do not indiscriminately kill, unlike you," I replied. "I only do what I have to do - and right now, I have to erase you from this world."

"Hmph...erase me from this world, you say?" Plague echoed. "Big talk, coming from a mere 14 year old. Just because you killed Xuan Yang, don't go thinking I will be as easy to defeat as him!"

Saying this, he threw the vials in his hands onto the ground, where they shattered into pieces immediately as a deadly poisonous gas begin creeping up around me.

As a devious smile crept up my face, I chuckled. "Try me."

My arm's still not completely healed from the fight with Xuan Yang...and now, more poison? ...How troublesome.

The first thing I did was try flying out using the Level One Sky Magic, Flight. However, I ended up hitting an invisible barrier at the top, and inwardly cursed as I fell back to the ground gently, rubbing my head from the pain. I made a mental note to use my hand as a guide next time so I don't ram into something with my head.

Mizu Shield.

Once I was back within Plague's gas, using the same spell my mother had once used to protect me, I surrounded myself in a sphere of water, protecting me from the poison all around. I chose this spell since it was very quick to cast, as it was one of the few spells out there that had different incantations than the norm. You didn't need to specify the element and tier when casting this spell...though to me, this was all trivial matters as I could cast any spell in an instant, to be honest, as long as I knew the name and incantation.

[Master, can you hear me?]

[Yeah, I can. Where are you?]

[I'm not sure...but nevermind that for now, are you safe, Master?]

[Yeah...I cast a barrier around myself, so I should be fine from the poison for now...but I can't see anything in this gas, and Plague could be coming at me from anywhere.]

Mei Gui remained silent for a moment, then began sending telepathic messages once more. [Master, let's share our senses.]

[Share...our senses?] I echoed, confused on what she was talking about.

[Yes - this is something only Master and I can do after breaking the second seal, which you have. I did not see a need to teach you about this, so I held off on it until now...]

[I see...so how does it work, exactly?] I said, constantly staying aware of my surroundings.

[The name of this process is called Sense Linking. It allows for us to have the strength of two - in other words, Master will have my senses added on to your own, while I will have Master's senses added on to mine, thus heightening both of our spatial awareness abilities.]

So it basically doubles the senses of two people...that certainly is useful in this situation.

[Hm...alright, how do we do it?]

[Exert some Chaos energy - I will follow it and come find you, Master.]

[Got it,] I replied, and did as told. I let some Chaos energy slip out of my hands, and soon enough, Mei Gui appeared in front of me, in a water barrier sphere similar to mine.

Ah...there she is. That was quick...almost a little too quick. Oh well, whatever. Still...it's kind of strange how Plague hasn't made a move yet...it's already been a full minute since I was enveloped in his gas...

Anyway, since talking wouldn't work across our respective 'bubbles', we just continued using telepathic communication. Just as I was about to send a telepathic message, however, Mei Gui made a little beckoning gesture with her hand, as if telling me to come closer. Thinking this was just part of the linking process, I complied, my guard completely down towards this scarlet-haired girl.

Once I was directly in front of her, she made a couple of gestures that hinted at me to get rid of my shield and enter hers instead. I frowned slightly in confusion, but didn't think too much of it. Carefully, I entered her barrier, leaving my own behind.

However, the moment I set one foot within her barrier, the Mei Gui before me began muttering something inaudible from this distance, and I stopped in my tracks. "Mei Gui...?" I murmured out loud.

The girl in front of me then let out an unmistakably male laughter, and shot out a deep purple orb of raw energy that looked suspiciously like Void Magic.

Oh, shit.

[Master, careful!] a voice shouted inside my head, and I instinctively dodged backwards...straight into the poisonous gas, since I had already dispersed my Mizu Shield. I later realized I could've just absorbed the Void Magic, but I didn't have enough time to think things through, and merely dodged out of instinct.

M-Mizu Shield!

I hurriedly cast another barrier on myself, but unfortunately some of the toxic gas had already entered my lungs. I coughed up some blood, and just barely managed to stand up...only to collapse again. What the hell...why is this poison so strong?! I only inhaled a little bit, and yet I can barely move now, not to mention the pain in my chest...

I struggled to get up once more, as remaining lying down, completely defenseless, would not be a wise move when within enemy territory. But alas, I was too weak, and my knees gave out once more from under me. However...this time, I didn't fall to the ground, but was supported by a certain red-haired girl who had entered my barrier.

"Mei...Gui?" I mustered out. It seemed that since she too possessed the power of Chaos, she could pass through any barriers I put up, which were all imbued with Chaos energy thanks to the Chaos within me.

"Master...are you alright?" she asked, not bothering to use telepathic communication anymore.

"W-Wait...if you're here, then who's that...?" I pointed at the place where the other Mei Gui had been standing moments ago - and she still is. She hadn't moved at all from her original spot, and was merely looking at us with deadpan eyes. They weren't like the expressionless eyes of normal Mei Gui - instead, they seemed...lifeless.

Mei Gui looked at where I was pointing, and grimaced. "That...is a fake."