Yoku didn't lower his guard, even as Osore circled him with the unhurried patience of a man who already knew how the fight would end.
"Why are you doing this?" Yoku demanded.
"I'm just doing my job." Osore's smile was thin, almost bored. "But you? You're a bonus. I'm going to enjoy killing you slowly."
"My luck." Yoku's hands dropped to the holsters at his hips, twin pistols spinning up into firing position. "**GUN WHEEL: DUAL PISTOLS!!**"
"Aww." Osore tilted his head, unimpressed. "How cute. Those wittle pistols — what exactly are they supposed to do?"
*I can't use my heavier guns,* Yoku thought, jaw tight. *Too many civilians still in range. This is going to suck if I can't put him down fast.* "**RICOCHET BULLETS!!**"
The shots screamed off the walls in a tightening spiral, converging from six directions at once — and Osore laughed through every single one of them.
"Hahahaha. Did you forget I have clones in this realm?"
"No." Yoku's grin was sharp. "Did *you* forget I can control my bullets mid-flight? **VANTAGE POINT!!**"
The ricochets bent impossibly, curving back on themselves to slam through the clone from behind.
"*What?!*"
"**CLUSTER GRENADE!!**"
"*Agh—*"
"Hm." Yoku exhaled. "Serves you right."
Osore vanished.
"Did you really think I'd fall for the same trick twice?" His voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere at once.
"Where are you?"
"Everywhere. And nowhere. At the same time."
A new voice tore through the alley — high, terrified. "Help me!!"
Yoku's blood went cold. A girl, no older than twelve, dangled from Osore's grip, suspended a foot off the ground.
"Put her down, Osore!!"
"Aww." Osore's grin widened, delighted by the panic in Yoku's voice. "Is little Yoku worried I might take a personal hostage?"
"Leave her out of this. This is between *me* and *you*."
"Hm. Nah." Osore's eyes glittered with something far past simple cruelty now. "You bore me. I want to see you suffer — properly — for what you did to me back there."
"*Why you—*"
"Ah, ah, ah." Osore's grip tightened, and the girl's whimper cut through Yoku's fury like a blade. "Move one more step and I kill her." A slow, terrible smile. "Hahaha. Clones — attack him. Beat him to the edge of his life. But leave him alive. He's *mine*."
---
**Two minutes later…**
Shinkei skidded to a stop in front of a wall of distorted air, easily eight feet tall and humming with violet static.
"I see a huge force field over there." He leveled both hands. "**SCORCH LASER!!**" The beam splashed harmlessly across the barrier's surface. "Darn it — it's no use. **SCORCH LAUNCHER!!**" Same result. "This is pissing me off!!"
"Whoa, calm down, Fido." A voice from behind made him jump. "It's only a force field. You just gotta know where to hit it."
He spun around. "Aren't you — Diane?"
"Why, yes I am." She was already studying the barrier with narrowed eyes, hands on her hips.
"Why aren't you with your school?"
"I'll tell you later. First, let's get this open." She pointed without looking at him. "When I say, hit your strongest attack to the left of where we're standing."
"Okay!"
"**GALE TORNADO WAVE!!** Now, Fido!"
"*My name is Shinkei.*" He raised both hands anyway. "**SCORCH LASER!!**"
Wind and fire met mid-air and didn't so much combine as *detonate* together.
"**COMBO MOVE: HEATWAVE!!**" Gale and Pyrus roared in unison.
The barrier cracked, split, and finally gave way entirely.
"*Yes!* Finally got through!" Shinkei's relief lasted exactly as long as it took him to see what was on the other side. "Oh my god — *Yoku!!!*"
"**TORNADO SLASH!!**" Diane was already moving, blade of wind tearing through the nearest clone.
"Yoku, are you okay?!" Shinkei dropped to his knees beside the battered figure.
"*Cough — cough—*" Yoku waved weakly. "Stop screaming. My whole body hurts."
"Dude, you're seriously beaten up. What happened?"
"Osore's doing—"
"*Osore?*" Shinkei's head snapped up, scanning the clearing. "Oh, thank god — he's just asleep."
"*Osore!*" Diane's voice cracked like a whip. "Come out!"
"And why," Osore's voice drawled from somewhere unseen, "would I do that, pretty lady?"
"So I can knock some sense into you. You and the rest of them."
"Others?" Shinkei's brow furrowed.
"Yeah." Diane didn't take her eyes off the empty air. "Him and a handful of other Guardians from rival schools. Apparently they've all teamed up."
"For *what*?"
"That, I don't know yet. Might have something to do with nearly all seven of us ending up in the same place at the same time."
"Close," Osore's voice purred, "but no cigar."
"Then *what* is it?"
"Confidential." A pause, almost playful. "But since you're one of the seven yourself — why not join us? I'll tell you all the secrets you like."
Diane snorted. "Hm. No thanks. I like a good investigation."
"Suit yourself, then." The amusement in his voice curdled instantly. "*Kill them.*"
"I'll take the clones," Shinkei said, already moving. "You find the real one! **PYRO BULLETS!!**"
"On it!" Diane spun into motion. "**WHIRLWIND!!**"
"My goodness, these guys don't stop coming!"
"Just give me a little more time!"
"You'll never find me!" Osore's laughter scattered across every wall at once. "I'm *everywhere!*"
Diane went still. Closed her eyes. Listened to something underneath the noise.
"Ermmm…" A slow smile. "*Found you.*"
"*What?*"
"**TORNADO SLASH!!**"
"*Ahhh!!*" Osore staggered, fury replacing his earlier amusement entirely. "Fine. I'll kill you all *myself.*"
"Whoa." Shinkei blinked as the last of the clones simply dissolved. "They all disappeared."
"Ew." Diane's nose wrinkled. "What is going—"
Osore began to grow.
It wasn't gradual. One second he was a man; the next he was something closer to a building, looming over the both of them with a grin stretched far too wide for the new proportions of his face.
"...Why is he so big now?" Shinkei stared, momentarily forgetting to be afraid.
"None of you can stop me now," Osore boomed, voice rattling loose tile from nearby rooftops. "I can be whatever I want in this realm!!"
"**SCORCH LAUNCHER!!**"
"Bwahaha — was I supposed to *feel* something?"
"**TORNADO WAVE!!**"
"Thanks for the breeze." Osore stretched, unbothered. "It was getting a little hot in here."
"Damn it — nothing's working." Diane's knuckles whitened.
"Of course it isn't." Osore spread his arms wide, delighted. "I'm *invincible.*"
"Let's try that move again," Diane said through gritted teeth. "The one from earlier, Shinkei."
"Right — **SCORCH LAUNCHER!!**"
"**GALE TORNADO WAVE!!**"
"**COMBO MOVE: HEATWAVE!!**" Gale and Pyrus roared together.
"*Haaaaaa!!!!*" Diane and Shinkei's combined cry tore the air itself open.
"*Oh!! It burns!!!*" For the first time, real pain cracked through Osore's mocking tone.
"Keep up the pressure!!" Shinkei shouted.
"*Haaaa!!!*" Diane's scream cut off into a strangled gasp. "...Huh—"
She dropped.
"*Diane!!*" Shinkei's stomach lurched. "*Crap—*"
"You almost had me there." Osore loomed closer, grin returning in full. "Too bad for you."
"**CLUSTER GRENADE!!**"
"*Ahhhh!!*"
From the ground, battered and barely conscious, Yoku forced himself up onto one knee. "I'm not out of this one just yet." A grimace. "*Errr—*"
"Yoku?" Shinkei stared, half-relieved, half-horrified. "Why are you *up?*"
"Couldn't… couldn't leave you two to fight this guy alone." His jaw tightened. "Especially after what he did to me."
"*That hurt!!!*" Osore's voice had lost all trace of amusement now. "I'll kill *all* of you!!"
"Shinkei!" Yoku's eyes were sharp despite the blood running down his temple.
"Yeah?"
"Remember that formation we practiced?"
"Which one?"
"Explosive Rounds!!"
"Gotcha." Shinkei planted his feet. "**SCORCH LAUNCHER!!**"
"**RICOCHET BULLETS!!**"
"You really think *that* will work on me a second time?" Osore's laughter boomed across the clearing. "Don't make me laugh!"
"*Shit—* here he comes!" Yoku's voice cracked with alarm.
"Yoku, watch out!!"
"*Die, Yoku!!!*"
"I— I can't *move!*"
"*Sayonara.*"
"*Haaaaaa!!!!*"
The fist that should have ended everything stopped dead, inches from Yoku's face, locked against something that hadn't been there a half-second before.
"*Huh?*" For the first time, real confusion broke through Osore's mask. "*What?* How did you stop my punch?"
Shinkei stood between them, shaking, glowing faintly along every line of his body. "I— I won't let any of my friends die!"
"Shi… Shinkei—" Yoku's eyes went wide. "You're *glowing.*"
"I'm tired of being the one who's always protected." His voice had gone steady, certain in a way it hadn't been all fight. "It's time I finally protect *someone.*"
A second presence stirred at the edge of his senses. *I'll combine with you. Just this once.*
"Thank you." Shinkei closed his eyes. "*Haaaaaa!!!!* **WRAITH FORM: FIRE!!**"
Flame rolled off him in sheets, and Osore actually staggered back. "Whoa — what's *going on?!*"
"We aren't losing anymore." Shinkei's voice had dropped an octave, steady and burning. "**BLAZING FISTS!!**"
"*Ahh—* stop it, it *hurts!!* No!!!"
"*OraOraOraOraOraOra!!!!*"
The barrage didn't let up until Osore's massive frame finally buckled, smoke pouring off scorched skin.
"Whoa." Yoku stared, jaw slack. "Shinkei, that was *awesome.* How'd you do that?"
Shinkei swayed on his feet, the glow already fading. "We don't know."
"Shinkei!" Yoku caught him before he could collapse outright. "Take a breather, buddy."
"...Thanks."
"Wait." Yoku's eyes narrowed, scanning the smoking giant. "Why hasn't the force field fallen?"
"Because he's not out yet," Diane said, forcing herself back to her feet, voice rough.
"But Shinkei did all *that* damage—"
"*Ahh!!*" Osore's roar shook loose more rooftop tile. "*I will succeed in my mission!!*"
"Not on my watch." Diane's eyes blazed. "Yoku — use your strongest move, and we end this. **GALE TORNADO SLASH!!!**"
"**SULFUR CLUSTER GRENADE!!**"
"**COMBO MOVE: AIR RAID!!**" Sulfur and Gale screamed together, twin forces folding into one annihilating gale.
"*Ahhhh!!!!*"
The force field shattered into nothing.
For a long moment, nobody moved.
"Finally," Yoku breathed, sinking onto the cracked pavement. "Man, he was stubborn. I think I can sit down for a sec."
"Huh." Diane lowered herself down beside him, every muscle trembling with exhaustion. "Tell me about it."
A burst of static crackled from the earpiece still clipped to Osore's torn collar, the device somehow surviving where its owner barely had.
*"...I need backup,"* Ruisu's voice crackled through, distant and pained.
Osore, barely conscious, managed one final, breathless laugh. "*You too?*"
Another voice cut in over the same channel, sharp with alarm. *"Where's Jeremi??"*
Three battles. Three signals, calling out across the same broken city — and not one of them carrying good news.