"Hrea!", Tiki smashed her axe to the ground, narrowly missing the girl.

"Hmph!", the girl slashed with her scythe towards Tiki.

Tiki, using her remarkable reflexes, grabbed the joint between the scythe and the blade, barely managing to stop it on time, it's pointy end a mere inch from her eye...

"Tiki!", Terna stepped in. "Get away!"

Terna tried using her power to raise a massive earth spike on the girl's location.

"Get her!", Tiki tried to disengage.

The girl jolted as the spike was raised from the ground. She swiftly pulled her scythe off Tiki's grasp, taking her feet off the ground and pounding the flat surface of Tiki's axe with the flat end of her scythe, sending her a considerable distance to the side.

"Hah!", Tiki pushed herself up off the ground.

Tiki kicked the side of the spike, smashing it to bits and sending a huge chunk of rock onto the girls face. Her scythe able to barely block the oncoming projectile, she was briefly stunned from the rocks velocity. Not wasting any time, Tiki vaulted back on the ground and grabbed her axe, dashing to the girls position. The sound of clashing steel echoed once again, as she was barely able to protect herself by using her scythe. Tiki, seizing the opportunity, locked her scythe between her axe's blades and smacked her axe to the ground, pinning both it and the girl's scythe in it. After completely exposing her, she then swiftly landed a powerful punch on the girl's chest, sending her several meters backwards as she briefly tumbled down before stopping at a kneeling position.

"I cannot stray away from the fact that you're good, for an asshole with murderous intent, that is.", Tiki lift her axe up, grabbing the scythe in her other hand. "Now I'd suggest you tell us exactly where shorty is before I get really pissed off. As if I wasn't enough already, but I've gone worse.", she scoffed.

"Who is the shorty? Everyone here is dead.", the girl replied.

"The 'Goddess Of Life' Ikarisa. That shorty.", Tiki put the girl's scythe close to her throat.

The girl promptly repeated herself. "Everyone here...is dead."

Terna's eyes widened in surprise. "What...no. There's no way! She couldn't fall like that!"

"Show me the body then.", Tiki said with a straight face.

"What?", the girl replied in surprise.

"Like I said. Show me the corpse of the goddess. You killed her, did you not? Prove it.", Tiki kept leering at the girl.

"T-Tiki! What are you doing?!", Terna said.

"Pipe down, diva.", Tiki looked at Terna. "Hnn!"

In the split second that it took for Tiki, the girl took off the ground, grabbing back her scythe from Tiki's hand, and seemingly disappearing into the air.

"Dammit Terna! What the hell?!", Tiki yelled.

"I-I'm sorry...I just-", Terna whimpered.

"No just! Listen to me you tone yelling moron! Not everything can be solved with the 'power of music' and a 'dream of a better future'! I was bluffing her into spilling actual information! Was it really that hard for your pea brain to understand this?!"

"I was caught off guard-I didn't know you'd-", Terna began to cry.

"Bull-shit! Now she probably ran away for good! Good luck tracing her down without Ikarisa being on her to leave tracks behind! [REDACTED] beautiful!", Tiki went on a tantrum.

Terna yelled through her tears, "Look, I know I did a mistake! I never thought I'd hear those words, and despite the bluff, I still..."

Terna started running away towards the destroyed building's direction.

Tiki paused in an instant. "Damn it... I may have gone too far this time..."

A frown seemed to be forming in her face as she had realized her mistake. Not before long however, she shook it off and resumed her task.

Tiki scoffed. "Hmph. Whatever! It's not like she's not going to perk up after it anyway.",she reassured herself.

Another sudden pause came after her, as she froze on the spot, looking at her surroundings.

"There's no way in hell that she would remotely think of pulling something like this off..."

Despite Terna’s spell fading away, it looked as if the wind had once again stopped a blowing like Tiki's breath, as she held it in. And not before long it happened.

Tiki swiftly turned around her axe and placed it right behind her back. "You were actually stupid enough to do it."

The girl had appeared right behind her back with her huge scythe at both hands ,aiming directly for her neck. However, again, thanks to Tiki's impeccable reflexes, she was now suspended in midair, as she was held by her scythe and Tiki’s axe clashing together.

Tiki scoffed. "If I had a single Merit for every time somebody tried to do a backstab attack at me, I wouldn't be able to do shit, considering you're one of the only three people in my 500-year long life that attempted this.", she shook her axe and launched the girl backwards. " The only thing differentiating you from the other two, is that you're still alive. Emphasis on the 'still'.”

The girl stared at Tiki for a long while before gazing back at her scythe.

"Don't even think about it. Up until now I've only been going easy because I wanted to squeeze out what little I could that resembled information to seek out shorty. But I'm warning you...get back up again and I will give you more pain than what you've ever experienced and are capable of handling." Tiki looked down at the girl.

The girl, ignoring Tikis threat, got back up with her scythe at hand and menacingly glared back at her.

The girl opened her lips. "I can't die yet."

She then proceeded to flex the arm that was holding her scythe forward before bringing it back to its original position. In doing so it looked like she had changed in an instant, both her eyes lightening up and a sort of dark, menacing aura engulfed her body and her weapon.

Tiki's eyes widened. "You can't be serious...there's no way. I had my suspicion for this before, but now you've really pissed me off. I don't know how the hell you've got the abilities and aura of a demon... but this ends here."

Tiki grinded her axe against the ground for bringing it back in front of her chest, holding it with both her hands. Now the both of them had engulfed themselves with a menacing looking dark aura and were taking layers at each other...

"You're clearly not a demon, judging off appearance alone...so what really are you? Tell me now, before I'm forced to kill you."

The girl glared back. "I'm only what you think of me to be. And death is nothing I'm phased by...bring it."

Tiki lift her axe up with both arms. "You asked for it, bitch!"

Slamming her axe down with maximum force, she raised all hell as cracks lifted the land itself upwards, knocking the girl away and with her, the pedals of the blooming flowers.

The girl found her footing, "Heep! Hya!", she tossed her scythe at Tiki.

Tiki blocked the flying scythe, "Tsk!"

As the scythe flew upwards, so did the girl, grabbing it back and landing with her full might, crushing the ground even further down and, this time, knocking Tiki back.

Tiki regained her balance, "Ha...you should be honored. Not even against Izuko himself, did I have to use this...", she got up. "Granted, I did have more help than what I needed. Now...let's go!", Tiki dashed at the girl. "Haah!", she slashed at her.

"Heh!", the girl deflected Tiki's slash.

Using the backside of her scythe to deflect the slash, the girl used the full force of the momentum gained to launch herself forward, landing a massive and severe slash on Tiki's chest.

Tiki started to bleed from her wound, "I-Impossible...strength..."

As she started to fade away, Tiki looked back to see the backside of the girl as she walked away, shaking the blood of her weapon. At that moment, something snapped inside Tiki. A familiar scenario appearing amidst the endless white of her eyesight, she tightened her loose grip on her weapon. She wasn't about to give in yet, forcing herself back into full consciousness...

"You think it'd be over this easily?!", Tiki jumped up, "Hrea!"

Tiki slashed the entire backside of the girl, landing lethal damage on her before getting herself back up, as the girl kneeled down. The dark aura seemed to have dispelled itself from Tiki, as her wounds did the same, remaining however on the girl, despite her fatal wound.

"You're no demon are you? You'd have ended your Ascended state already in favor of healing. Hmph.", Tiki scoffed. "I didn't know what you were, or how you got what you've had. But oh well...couldn't even get the info offa ya.", she started walking away. "Better not shit yourself when you gaze the gates of hell for the first time. You'll be there shortly."

The girl, now painting an expression on her face, angrily raised herself off the ground, completely ignoring her wound in the process.

"I'll send you there first. You ain't hurting anyone, filthy demon!", the girl lodged at Tiki.

Tiki turned around in surprise, "What the [REDACTED]?!"

Barely and loosely catching up in her movement, Tiki managed to put her axe between herself and a mighty strike from the girls scythe.

"Die!", the girl slashed at Tiki.

Tiki stepped back, "Gyah!"

With the end of her slash, Tiki was sent flying and crashing down on the ground, barely hanging on.

Tiki struggled. "How the hell did you...ahah!"

Tiki tried to tighten her grip around her weapon, immediately letting go off it from the sheer pain of her hand.

Tiki stuttered. "Shit! How did you even...", she grabbed her hand to the side.

"I'll end you!"

Tiki gazed on the girl as she dashed, aiming straight for her neck, paralyzed out of the fear in her situation...

"This can't...", Tiki froze.

"Watch it!", Anya screamed at the top of her lungs.

"What the-", the girl gazed at Anya.

"The furry?!", Tiki screamed.

Anya, being inside the car, collided with the girl during her dash, sending her flying and saving Tiki. She then quickly pulled the brakes.

Anya got out of the car, "O-Oh my god! Oh my god, oh my god! I'm so sorry! Holy hell-I-I didn't, I wasn't drunk driving, I was just looking at the...", Anya looked around. "GPS...? What...happened? Tiki, why are you...injured?"

"Why do you think?!", Tiki yelled.

Anya looked at the girl on the ground. "Oh! Oh...I see what's going on here. Say, can I turn this into a flex where I saved you, or is it too late?"

"Dumbass furry, I'm glad you saved me, but you could've killed me instead! Are you drunk again?!"

"Uh, no. I was just woken up with everyone missing, a thrashed mall and so I decided to follow the "Find My Device" app to track you down. Big guy is currently handling the issues you guys left behind. Luckily, he's got my credit card and Niki with him, so he should be able to control the situation. Or buy the entire complex. Tomato, tomàto."

"You are as unnecessarily crazy as they come...gah.", Tiki squeezed her hand.

"Your hand...is it ok?", Anya approached Tiki.

"If I were to guess...it's broken.", Tiki muffled. "What about...that?", she looked at the girl.

Anya looked at the girl. "I uh...technically...yeah, technically speaking this was self defense?"

"What kind of self defense incites slamming the offending party with a car is eligible?", Tiki said.

"Hey, anything goes so long as the threat is neutralized.", Anya smugged.

"You weren't even the one being attacked!", Tiki angrily said.

"Look, would you rather that thing being railed by the car, or you meeting up with Makaro and Kikaro sooner than you should?"

"Whatever...at least we can go back to looking for shorty. Hnn.", Tiki grunted.

"Hang on, I also grabbed essentials this time.", Anya took a pack from the trunk, "Hold still...", she took out a manual from the bandage box.

"Hell...", Tiki grit her teeth. "That bitch got me good..."

"How did she manage to get you in a rough spot like that?"

"I don't even know...we exchanged deadly blows with each other, but I was never expecting her to be that big a trouble. I was planning to squeeze some info out of her, but it was looking like killing her was the only way out."

"So you were planning to kill her before I slammed her with the car?"

"Yes.", Tiki nodded.

"And that's more justified than me 'accidentally' ramming her with a car?"

"In every conceivable way.", Tiki yelled as Anya grabbed her hand. "Gah! Watch it!"

"Your logic can be more or less described by your hand..."

"Powerful?", Tiki asked.

"Broken.", Anya said with a straight face.

"Go [REDACTED] yourself, dog looking asshole.", Tiki tried to punch Anya. "Aaaah!"

"Don't look at me, I told you not to move.", Anya shrugged.

Tiki glared at Anya with a death stare, only to scoff and look away while extending her arm back at her.

"Fine. Get it over with!", Tiki angrily said.

"Alright, alright. Give me an extra second here...", Anya clipped the bandage together. "And done. Basic stuff, but it should last for now. So long as we can get Risa to fix it later, it shouldn't be much of an issue anyways.", she got up.

"That's if we find her. And plus, it's not like it matters. Whatever healing you try to pull off with Obsulyte, it's completely oblivious to demons of any class or subbranch."

"So the rumors weren't rumors after all, huh? We will go with the old faithful medical treatment once we get the chance then. And if you don't mind me asking...how did you break it in the first place? I recall that you have bone structure more or less similar to a Diru?"

"Yes, we have 'similar' strengths to dragons, but that's not to mean we are invincible. Just honed from history.", Tiki turned around. "However, those strengths get canceled out when facing a kin. This...thing right here...I swear to everything I've got left, I saw her do an Ascend."

"Ascend to what, exactly?", Anya asked.

"Demon Ascend. It's when we build enough power during battle that we get a burst after a set amount gained. There's two ways to go about this. One, you go berserk and slaughter everything in your quake, or two, cancel it out and instead use all that energy to instantly heal yourself by basically overcharging your metabolism. It's the only possible way to heal a demon in battle or otherwise in a way resembling Obsulyte."

"I know you're not compatible with it, but it sounds pretty damn similar to Obsulyte if you ask me."

"It is, yes, but unlike most, we don't get the luxury of Obsulyte usage. Such the curse that narrows down history."

"Many more people don't get the luxury, Tiki. Don't narrow it down to demons. Obsulyte is a minority in the grand scheme of things. And besides, why is your hand broken then? Shouldn't you have healed yourself after canceling out that Ascend thing?"

"Yes, I did. The first time...she landed a lethal strike extremely early in battle, I barely mustered my strength to escape going to hell. After that, her outburst continued, and even though I thought I had her...well, this happened."

"So you were just cocky enough to get your ass kicked when you turned away, huh?", Anya folded her arms.

"Listen here you little shit, gnn!", Tiki tried to clench her fist. "[REDACTED] arm, god dammit..."

"Ok, I'll stop, I'll stop. For now, try to relax. Let's get you outta here...wait, where's Terna? Wasn't she with you? I recall seeing her post a picture and tagging you on her Semori! page with this flower field while driving here..."

"Of course she would do that...", Tiki facepalmed with her other hand. "I may...have snapped on her. No reason of beating around the bush, I basically told her she was utterly useless when it came to the field."

"Tiki! Are you serious?! That's actually such a low blow!", Anya yelled.

"Look, I realized it immediately and tried to tell her sorry but she ran away! And besides...she screwed over our chances of interrogating this.", she pointed at the girl. "Now we're back to square one!"

"Oh, were you really planning on apologizing though? You do realize she played a massive role in saving your 'home' right?!"

"My ass, it was already destroyed. And what did she do anyway, just caved in the enemy to one direction so that we could finish them off, not like the were targeting her anyway, since they were coming for me and shorty!"

"She helped nonetheless!"

Tiki scoffed. "I did snap, but it was justified. What does she think life is? Some sort of anime where she gets to play 'Magical Pop Star Idol' and sing her way to victory?! It was either me telling her bluntly that she [REDACTED] up, or her getting a bullet between her eyes at some point. Admit it, her powers might have a 'wow' factor by being an Elementalist, but what has she been using by now huh? Just measly earth. Hence why she can't fight for shit! What is she gonna do when it gets real, huh?!"

"T-That's...you could at least encourage her to assist you further! Her powers have a boosting effect, much like Risa has healing, so-"

"Look at me!", Tiki showed her hand, "That's the absolute definition of a best case scenario! Moments ago I was about to fade away for good...it isn't a cookie cutter, bullshit, story of legends, furry. The battle field will scar you with victory or defeat...and for the ultimatum to happen, it only takes a single slash, or a single bullet. Sure, we are built different, we can take hits, but when that runs it's course...what do you think will happen? She's fragile, best admit it while there's time. Otherwise...", Tiki paused.

Anya paused herself. "Y'know, Tiki. You just joined the group, and you have your fair share of points to lend across. But in all honesty...start shutting that foul mouth of yours a little more."

"Is that supposed to be a threat or an insult?"

"I'm not insulting you, I'm describing you."

"Describing what exactly?"

"An asshole.", Anya turned away and started walking the other direction.

Tiki, pausing again, could only stare in awe at Anya's words as she walked away, further engraving regret in her memory for her actions.

"I gave the big guy our location via MultiMaps. He and Yuno will be arriving at the front of that building there. I'm going to get them...and don't worry, I won't say a word about this...mess. I'm not like that.", Anya kept walking away.

Almost starting to tear up unexpectedly, Tiki yelled out loud back at Anya.

"I was only trying to help her!"

Anya paused and looked at Tiki over the shoulder, before speaking her final words for the argument.

"So was she."

With that, she left to get back to Dante and Yuno, leaving Tiki alone with her thoughts.

A small time window passed where Tiki was just blankly staring at the horizon of the flowery meadow. Despite the scarring received from their battle, it still managed to captivate the eyes of anyone lucky enough to come across it. Grabbing both the girls scythe from the ground and her axe, Tiki snapped out of the daze.

"Aaargh! Every god damn time, is the exact same shit! Why does it always boil down to this!", Tiki screamed.

Stomping her way onto the car, she sat at the hood and looked back at the girl. She then softly turned her around to where her face looked up at the sky.

"Here! Here's your precious god damn scythe. Kill me with it if you want. Don't even care...", Tiki muffled her words.

Surprisingly to the world, but not Tiki, the girl answered back.

"You...knew I was still alive?"

"I smacked you full force with several blows on all your body, and you didn't die. I doubt a half drunk furry and a fancy electric car would do.", Tiki folded her legs as she pinned her axe in front of the car's hood.

"So I guess...you're not one of them?"

"'By one of them' I suppose you're referring to the 'bad guys'. No, I'm just trying to get hold of a very goody-two-shoes shorty that, apparently, always gets herself into more trouble that she can handle. Also we may or may not need her to...you know. Save the world I suppose."

"Ah...so you're the friends Hikari was talking about?"

Tiki wondered. "Hikari who?"

"Hikari. Your...friend?"

"Are you sure we're talking about the same person here?"

The girl slowly got up and shook the dust off her body. "About this tall, brunette, kind smile, clumsy movement and healing abilities?", the girl described her.

"Uh...yeah?"

"She's back in the orphanage with my little sister. We were bombed from the side of a building with some sort of projectile, and I came outside, looking at you only made me think you were the culprits. My apologies for the unseeded assault.”

"Hmph. My apologies as well for...you know. Trying to kill you...and to and extend my friend ramming you with her car.", Tiki rubbed her head as she whispered. "God bless I tell her the projectile was that god damn water bottle..."

"In any case, I doubt that your lack of guts to kill me could make you a Phantom Assassin."

"Wait, you're wanted by the Phantom Assassins? What the hell?"

"It is a lot to go over, so let's first get the formals out of the way before proceeding. My name is Luna. Luna Falana."

Tiki nodded. “Tiki Dremona. And…you said something about Risa being in the…orphanage? Is that what that building is-err, was?”

“Yes. We should fall back to it. I do not wish to disturb their silence any longer.”

“You mean…”

“Yes.”, Luna gazed at the graves around the fields.

“I can understand when it comes to a grieving person. That much I have first hand experience of…”

The two of them got up and started moving towards the collapsed orphanage. Throughout it all, Luna’s expression stayed the same, without much of any emotion being shown, despite the circumstances. Tiki, now irritated by the fact, began to feel uncomfortable besides her.

“You know…for someone grieving, you sure as hell don’t show much of…well, anything.”

“It is…unfortunate. However, I should return to a form of resembling normality after maintenance.”

“Maintenance? What are you, a robot?”, Tiki folded her arms.

“God Chaser, serial number 007, model E, Luna Falana. That’s who I am.”

“I did not understand a single thing besides your name.”

Luna kept moving. “I will elaborate later.”

Tiki, not feeling any hostility anymore, agreed to keep following Luna until they both ended up back inside the main hall of the orphanage. Both corridors to the left and the right broken now, only the top floor remained. Not before long, small taps could be heard running across the floor, as a small figure jumped behind Luna.

“Big sis!”, the little girl hugged Luna.

“Hello Lina. I hope you were good with Hikari?”

“Hikari is the best big sis! Even after so long she still remembers the games we played! You should look at her too, she’s so incredibly pretty!”

“Don’t worry Lina, I already have.”, Luna looked at Tiki. “This is Lina, my little sister.”

“Hello, are you big sis’s friend as well?”

“I, uh. Yeah, sur. Happy to meet you, kid.”, Tiki waved back.

Behind Lina followed Ikarisa, calmly stepping down the stairs step by step.

“Hey Tiki. You got introduced to everyone yet?”, Ikarisa softly said.

“Oh, believe me, I have. ‘Hikari’.”, Tiki said in a blunt manner.

Ikarisa sighed. “‘No matter how long, all shadows come to light.’. I will explain everything tonight. I don’t feel like procrastinating things anymore anyway. But…please, before Gardel. Call me Ikarisa. I know I can’t ask much of you, but I just need this…for Senpai’s sake.”

“Don’t worry, I will. Besides…I owe you two. This will be one of them.”

Hikari looked down as she smiled. “You figured that out too?”

“Yeah, but question is: Do I owe one and one, or two at once?”

“Easy to answer…one and one.”, Hikari frowned.

“Big sis, what are the talking about?”

“It’s grown up stuff, Lina. You will know when you get older.”

“But I never do!”, Lina frowned.

“Then I’ll tell you later, alright? Now go check the supplies I gathered. You might find a…surprise.”

“Wait, really! Thank you big sis!”

The little girl hurried up the stairs again, passing them two by two as she ran back up one of the rooms.

“How long have you even been here for Luna?”, Hikari asked.

“Ever since the Burnout. After Dosil left…I will explain later, alongside with you. For now it is imperative that I go maintain myself.”

“Please, do wait a moment. I have to introduce you to some of my other…friends. They will arrive shortly. Is Terna doing alright up in Lina’s room?”

“They will be fine. Lina told me that Terna has a beautiful voice, so they will probably be stuck with some verses for awhile.”

“Ah, so that’s where the diva went. I suppose you learned about the fight as well?”

“Yeah, Anya told me when she passed by here to get Senpai and Yuno. You really shouldn’t have-“, Hikari was interrupted by Tiki.

“Don’t. I said I’ll fix this. So I will…eventually. For now, focus on telling me exactly what you didn’t before…to all of us.”

“I can’t…say it to all of you. So far, it’d only make sense to enlighten you and Luna on the matter…rest won’t be in the dark for long, I’ve already talked with Magi and she set things up in Gardel.”

“Oh you’re gonna wanna tell that to the furry as well.”, Tiki folded her arms.

“Hmm? Anya? What does she…”

“Yeah, besides what I know about this now, we bought found out about Dante’s identity in the records of the Corosta royal library.”

“W-What?! You…you know?!”, Hikari said in surprise. “Please, don’t tell me you said anything about this to him…”

“I know I haven’t, but I’m sure Anya hasn’t either. I mean, if she did, it wouldn’t take Dante another moment before he had a breakdown. I mean, an assassination hit by the then leading force of Riza on a child, that’s gotta do some damage. Not to mention, there’s also the fact that he is, in fact, from Dirunon. Presumably, unless I missed something when reading the files…though it does make some sense that many would want the son of Cecilia dead on birth, given the circumstances at the time.”

Hikari could only blankly stare at both Luna and Tiki as she realized the amount of information that had been discovered about a part of her dark past. The fear getting into her heart, it was only a silent “keep going” that her heart pounded back, edging her to complete the puzzle she left for others to discover.

Hikari recollected herself. “I admit to the lies told. All of it…and wether or not you consider me an ally after my saying…I’ll keep being one for you.”, she turned to the front door. “Ah…I guess they’re here.”

A faint conversation could be heard coming from the other side of the door.

“So you’re telling me it was pre planned to go by that mall?”, Dante’s voice was heard.

“Yes, what wasn’t pre planned, was us getting poised.”, Anya said.

“I can live with this, it looks like a good phone.”, Yuno tinkered with a device.

“Watch not to press self destruct on it, they’re tailor made after all.”

“It’s rigged with explosives?!”

“You’re should’ve been.”, Anya folded her arms.

Hikari looked at Tiki and Luna, nodding at them.

“Let’s get everyone up to speed…and tell Anya to meet me upstairs at the main office when everyone is asleep. I’ll do my best to remain silent since…I can’t hold most of what I have to say inside me anymore…”, Hikari said.

“Alright then. I’ll see it worth…”, Tiki said.

“I will be with you as soon as I’m done.”, Luna started heading upstairs.

The night was soon to fall, as did the curtains of confusion around the mist that engulfed them to this point. At last, a long, well earned fragment of truth was about to debut itself to the puzzle that quickly became their adventure…