(Curator Pov)

P-P-Pain... Stop- Make it stop!

Shock gripped my consciousness. Its mounting fangs tore into my mind spreading a numbing poison. Likened to being locked in the jaws of a beast as it gnawed unto both of us cores alike, leaving us paralyzed. Helpless to stop the pain bouncing between us, growing in intensity every second.

“Hnrggg! Hurry, break the loop!” Through the pain, I managed to eke out enough strength to stymie the flow of Dp fuelling our heated veil. No sooner did the storm subside a wave of powerlessness washed over me. At least that splitting headache is over.

Breaking what was left of the dissipating veil of crystal shavings and grains, the culprits behind our sudden seizure made themselves known. Hot on the heels of screwing us over, that sense of defencelessness was short-lived as karma hit one of them right in the face.

By that, I am referring to the purple dart of a woman named Sushila. Cutting through the tension like a hot Knife, Su dived bomb the eastern rebel, sending both of them flying into a nearby tunnel.

Unfazed by their comrade’s sudden assault and abduction, the iron titan shrugged it off along with whatever speech he had prepared. The whole movement acts like a symbolic unclasping of the leash.

Like a compressed spring, another of their numbers shimmered into a blur as she took off. A tall woman, about the size of Zhenya, veiled in exotic drapery, sporting equally exotic weapons, charged for our core. Before, thankfully getting intercepted by Antonia, thanks to the general’s honed reflexes.

The rest of Toni’s cohorts were quick to encircle their foe. They were well-traveled. They had sparred with each other from morning to night, yet nothing prepared them for this woman. Quickly finding themselves less as adversaries but toys that the unusually attired woman played with and discarded at a whim.

Light footwork was not far from their purview, but this level of mastery was beyond anything they encountered. Unable to land a clean strike on the woman’s fluttering clothes, let alone the target herself. Sway, sway, sway. Water would be envious of her flow.

The rebel read her opponents well. Poking their pride with a sharp tongue sheathed behind a smarmy grin, inciting them into making further mistakes.

...“Hey, Head. You thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Depends emotionally or logically?”

“Emotionally.”

“Then this is one of the rare moments we agree. Let’s even the odds.” The woman never knew what hit her. Or landed, in this case, as a salamander crashed down on her.

In no small feat, the heat of combat dropped to sub-artic temperatures the instant our scaly friend made his tactical debut. A thud heard across the world, if you will.

Thoroughly had, a feminine hand reached upwards, tearing the TBL (Tactical Ballistic Lizard) off her noggin. Making it a point to punctuate her oncoming vengeance with each rigid movement. Rest, young lad, your life was well spent.

Now with respect paid. Serves you right for... “Hey, Head. What exactly happened? How did three humans manage to disrupt our control over Dp?” It felt like a knife was slowly cleaving through the Dp links tethering us to the heat storm. “They just brute force severed our connection?”

That was my best guess in all of my very intricate knowledge of... You know I’m even going to finish that lie.

“Apt, but not entirely correct. As the analogy stands. Yes, those three did brute force their way into cutting our connection. Implying a rather disturbing fact.” Then again, maybe denial isn’t so horrible. Yep. “These three have certainly done their research. Though don’t get too twisted, their little trick only worked so well because there are two of us. Creating a positive feedback loop. Oh, but I am getting ahead of myself.

Usually, it would only cause a singular core to leak Dp. To that end, it didn’t matter to them when our construct ended, only that it did. One of their numbers, my guess is on the female, must be exceptionally mana sensitive and skilled to see and manipulate our threads.”

I am seriously not digging the fact that people can just... “Wait. Didn’t Tsukiko stare at my Dp eye at some point and wave even though it should be invis-.”

“Going by context, I suspect that girl is some manner of spell caster?” Head cut in expediting the whole process. A shrine maiden, I cleared. “That would make sense. Takes a person very adept at manipulating pure magic to see our Dp threads.”

“Hold on! Only the Emperor can do that.” I countered, remembering the few times I eavesdropped on Tsukiko's magic lessons.

“Tch. That old buffoon, if he was the only one capable of such feats, the Kingdom would have crumbled ages ago. Although I won’t deny it, the idiot is probably the best I’ve seen from a human. The royal family only spins that story to keep face.

Archaic traditions. The truth is many can. They are simply inept, and any accidental usage is chalked up as a miracle by the sun goddess. Only those the imperial family knows can keep a secret are allowed to truly learn the art.

And considering there is such a person here... You can understand my bewilderment.”

A person who should not exist within the Dutchy yet does. All the facts would point towards the eastern archer being our culprit owing to his attire’s similarities to Tsukiko’s, albeit with a combative twist.

Donning thick white as snow cloth reminiscent of the religious garment the males in Tsukiko’s group donned. Customized with a tiger print chest guard hooked around his right shoulder with a second one wrapped around his waist.

Both were strapped on his person with intertwined red cords. Besides that, he shared facial features with the shrine maiden, not familial in any sense but enough to denote his region of birth.

Tan skin, short unkempt black hair, and sharp eyes as opposed to Tsukiko’s rounded ones. If there was anyone who could pull off the title of hawkeye, it was this man.

Or maybe it ‘was’ in this case. Guy’s not long for this world if he somehow earned Su’s ire. By the sounds of it, he’s still alive, for now.

But I digress. Obviously, my bet was wrong. And somehow the answer poses so many more questions... The woman had more in common with Fredrica or Antonia, hinting that her origins lay within Dutchy soil. But she also somehow knows top-secret Kingdom techniques?

And who thought Tsukiko was the best pick to keep this secret? All this and more...

Not the time me. “Right, so with the eastern operative being ranked down from enigma to being a- well.” I lean over to look into the tunnel Su had taken him, barely able to keep up with their movements. “A monster, I guess? Not like that’s any more or less. But onto our lady of the hour.”

“Mmm. Aside from the monstrous archer and the armored cheat, our magical subject almost seems normal. Operative word being almost.” There was a rare shake in Head's tone. One I was completely unused to. “I can’t perform an accurate reading! It’s as though she’s multiple people? No, that can’t be. Somehow her body is exuding no less than five different mana signatures!”

The lady in question wore exotic clothing, seemingly more at home in an arid environment than the more temperate climate the Dutchy presented. Though it would explain the furs lining her two-piece bikini rife with transparent silk that wavered behind her.

A strange mix between a coat and a bikini. Let’s leave it that.

Like Freddie and Antonia, the rebel dancer’s skin leaned on the fairer side with a healthy light tan, ending with an additional sprinkling of freckles gracing the ridge of her nose. A rather sadistic expression twisted those splendid ruby eyes into those of a crazed beast.

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“So, what now?” I asked my ever-so-combative partner.

“Haah.” If ever stress could be tangible enough to be weaponized, he would be a dragon. “Well, we are part of a massive three-way struggle, the weakest of, may I add. Oh, and should I even comment about how we essentially have a bomb strapped to us.

At the moment, I am seriously considering overclocking the spell and calling it a day.”

“No. We are not.” Seriously. Zhenya and the others are like seventy-five percent of my entertainment.

“Favouritism, of course. Everyone has one... And before you say something dumb, yes. Even I have a preferred group. It’s almost a necessity for our sedentary lifestyle.” With a huff, it seems Head has had enough ‘friendly’ interaction today. “Anyways, for now, we observe. We have absolutely nothing to lose now that madwoman has armed us.”

Sensing the other core’s presence wandering off towards the twin witches and Antonia, or madwoman as he called her.

Now then, I wonder what is up with Sushila.

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(Zhenya Pov)

“Fredrica!” The chains flashed before I could reach her. Tearing into the blond’s back with enough force to send the heavily wrapped girl flying.

Never letting the Imprisoned out of my sight, he didn’t move an inch, only waving his arm to retract his weapons.

“Freddie. Oh, come on! Don’t go dying on me now.” I turned her over and... “Goddammit! Freddie.”

“What’zat? Zennie?” Ugh. Course, this idiot didn’t take her armor off!

“Give me back my tears!” Getting up in a huff, I threw my sword upwards, blocking the incoming chain descending with the force of a hammer.

“Wait, wait, wait. You’re angry? Why? I’m alive!” Fredrica pushed us out of the way of a bisecting whip.

“Doesn’t mean- Hey, Freddie. Why is sand coming out of his holes?” Soft grains of finely powdered sand trickled from the man’s eye holes and mouthpiece. Disconcerting is the single solitary word used to describe this event. This body horror would go unanswered. Leaving us disturbed as the implications mounted in tandem with the stream of unceasing sand.

“Alright.” Deflecting a chain. “Any ideas? I’m pretty open to any right now.” We ducked as the same piece whipped behind us.

“I don’t know! My back still feels like a bull rammed into it... We need to get closer somehow. Those chains should be less effective at.-”

“Heads up!” Who? From out of our peripheral vision came a potion. Rudi!

“What are you doing! Get back behind Antonia and the rest!” But nothing. From his eyes, I could tell that there was no discouraging him. Determined to make sure we all escape from here in one piece.

His gift was unceremoniously shot down midair. Revealing a very green liquid that we were familiar with.

“Now, run!” I declared as Freddie followed by my side without a hint of fear.

The imprisoned, once again, reaped his chains in a wide-arcing motion to zone us out. But by this point, Freddie had slipped out of her bulky clothes. Wrapping them around her shield to absorb impact. The Imprisoned found his attack lacking as it dully thudded against his target.

Ending in more of a wet slap than the metal rending reaper he expected it to be.

Keeping his cool even as we approached, his attempts at recalling his chain were found wanting. Stubbornly stuck to Freddie’s clothes-draped aegis.

“Hrag!” Ducking in and out between his other chain Freddie and I pushed the attack. There was no chance of us damaging the armor itself, so Freddie aimed for his mouthpiece. The hole represents the only vulnerability for us to feasibly exploit.

Stupid Freddie, who the hell makes an honest-to-goddess armor for an inmate?

The armored shorty lunged ahead, hefting her heavyset form in the air, her sword poised for a lethal blow. On my end, I opted for a more indirect approach. Some things are better done solo. Also, I don’t think there’s enough clearance for both swords.

Crushing an ice crystal. Razor-thin ice shards rained down on the Imprisoned and Freddie. They were extraordinarily brittle, I made sure of much. Not enough to pierce steel, but if they happened to worm themselves into somewhere soft and squishy, the amount of damage those splinters would cause...

Generally, I have a good eye for these things. Knowing when our quarry is cornered. There was no way he was slipping out of this.

Being this close rendered his chains ineffective. He arched backward out of reflex, seeing a sword shoved into his face. And the piece de resistance. At this angle my spell would have no trouble slipping into one of his eye holes.

And yet none of that came to be. Chills ran up and down my arms due to firing off an advanced spell, for myself, notwithstanding.

Suddenly a deluge of sand burst from his eye and mouth holes, completely stunning poor Fredrica with literal pocket sand to the face. And judging by her screams, they definitely got into the places we were hoping to hit him in a case of karma.

In the same breath, with a blur of motion too fast for me to track, he caught Freddie, tugged her in line with me, and kicked.

A simple kick that sounded like an explosion as Freddie was launched into me. Say what you will. But seeing the hulking mass that was Freddie in armor. Launched. Off her feet and careening towards me like a cannonball shorted my brain out for a moment before the impact brought me back.

Never trusting Antonia ever again. It’s supposed to ‘blunt his skills’ she said. What the fuck was that lie?

“Ugh.” Freddie groaned, still reeling. If I wasn’t crossed-eyed, I would have sworn there was a footprint etched into her chest.

I was instantly brought out of my delirium as I noticed the man walking towards us. No doubt readying the final blow. Struggling to get out from under Freddie’s fat ass, it was no use. She was completely out of it.

Crushing more ice crystals in a panic, I noticed he was slower than when we began this fight. Actually, flinching as one of my ice shards threaded the needle.

At least I got a hit in...