Chapter 6 - Chapter 6: Takeover

Beta read by FabledLife, Shigiya, GamerCrusher55 and Paragon of Awesomeness

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-Demon Capital Tokyo-

The deeper sections of the Chaos Arena did not see much traffic. During active periods, most of the noises stayed above: crowds, matches, and the constant movement of staff and fighters. Down beneath it all, though, even the sound of a fly buzzing could be heard. The air felt heavier, the lighting dimmer, and every sound carried just a little farther than it should due to the lack of any windows.

In the eastern wing, a massive metal door stood shut, its surface marked with cuts and old dents that hadn't been repaired. Two guards were stationed on either side, both in full combat gear, rifles held low and ready.

The taller one shifted his weight, the plates of his vest giving a faint creak. "This is getting old," he muttered, adjusting the baton hanging at his side. "You ever feel like we always get stuck with the worst posts, Kenji?"

The other didn't look away from the corridor ahead. "Oi, don't say my name out loud like that. We're being monitored by the top brass, so conversations like these will get us in trouble." He paused, staring ahead into the empty surroundings, then gave a short exhale. "Actually... forget it. You're not going to stop, Arata, so why bother, and no, I don't. This is the job. It doesn't have to be interesting or exciting just because you want it to be. Not to mention the pay is good. So long as it helps balance out the spending my wife has been doing lately, I'm fine with it."

"Oh? Another new set of designer clothes?"

The other guard shook his head, "No, nothing like that. Her friend found this cafe near the red light district not long ago, and then out of nowhere, she became obsessed with that place. She goes there almost every day with her friends lately. Believe me when I say the spending adds up, and it's kind of ridiculous."

"Strange place for a cafe," Arata mentioned. "What's so special about some boiled bean soup? Are you sure she's not... doing something else behind your back?"

"Heh, don't let her hear you say that or she'll tear your ass a new one. But no, I'm pretty sure it's just a cafe, she wouldn't have been so pent up when she screwed me last night. Man, felt like she was trying to break my hips. She even brought me several things from there to eat and drink. It was pretty great, honestly, but nothing exceptional where one would spend that much. Still, it's what's trending these days...I dunno, maybe she's just bored or just really likes the food... In any case, let's just stop talking. We'll just earn ourselves a dressing down from our superiors at this rate. If we're lucky..."

A sigh escaped Arata's lips. "I know, I know. But why did they need to put us on guard duty in the least eventful part of this arena several days before the event? It's so boring with nothing going on here. At least during the events in the other places, we get to see what's going on through the TV."

"Those fights certainly are entertaining, and the women every time are all real beauties," Kenji offered with a slight hum of agreement.

After that, an awkward silence stretched between them for several minutes before Arata spoke again. "Heard any rumors lately on the streets? I've seen people who were more antsy around the arena today, one nearly shot me when I accidently snuck up on him."

Kenji's posture straightened slightly. "Oh, that's right, it was your day off, it's about that blue-haired Taimanin, right? Yeah, I've seen her, and I can definitely confirm that she was the one causing the issues around here."

Arata's head snapped toward his partner, surprised. "Seriously? I can't imagine anyone causing enough trouble here of all places. Not when there are so many top fighters. When did you see her?"

"Was on duty with a few other personnel five days ago. Alarms rang signaling an intrusion, so we were sent to resolve it." Kenji shook his head. "I was quite excited, thought it might be the first time I'd get to use my gun since getting this position, but I spoke too soon."

Arata raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"We found the intruder deeper in the building, but she was scary as hell. Had already killed several guards all by herself, without tripping the alarms early on, and was coming for my neck next before I could even aim it at her accurately."

"Are Taimanins really that fast and powerful?" Arata asked, his voice dropping.

"Whatever you have in mind, they're faster and stronger. It would be a lie to even call them humans anymore. Even with my gun and training, those bullets were practically treated as an afterthought. That girl was using her battle ax to block them with ease, without even feeling the force behind each shot. I knew running away wasn't an option due to that ridiculous speed alone."

The least burly guard glanced down the empty corridor. "How did it go? Given you're still in front of me, very much alive and with all your bits still attached."

Kenji shrugged. "The boss lady arrived in time to take care of her."

"Which boss lady? The crazy-bitch one or the hot-bossy one?"

"Bossy one. I'd heard she was a terrifying knight before she became a secretary but I really can't see it, given I've only seen her walking around in that tight-fitting office suit and ranting orders at everyone. She's such an uptight bitch all the damn time, probably because she hasn't gotten laid for years. But I finally got to see her in action, and she moved like a damn demon during the clash, along with that Taimanin girl." Kenji's hands clenched around his rifle. "They moved and fought with such speed and ferocity that both sides couldn't even see what was happening. I felt like a bug staring at two angry lions. What's the point of having guns if they can't even hit their fucking target!?"

Arata gave a quiet hum. "Better than trying to get in a fist fight with them."

Kenji let out a breath through his nose. "Didn't help Boss Lady much. The Taimanin girl still got taken down in the end. They've got her locked up somewhere below these past five days. She's tough, too. Every time in the past few days, we think we've got her, but the amount of security here makes it look like she'll break out."

"I see. So that's why security's gotten so much tighter overnight?" Arata asked, glancing around the hall.

"Yeah. At least I think so. Don't want her to barrel straight into the middle of a live event and cause problems. While the arena does welcome new fighters to come and join the fun, having too many would become troublesome and would turn this place unsafe for the customers." Kenji replied, folding his arms for a moment before letting them drop again.

This conversation kept going for the next few minutes, changing subjects on what was happening back home till they mostly focused on other work-related complaints they had mentioned a few moments prior: different expenses, schedule changes, and types of girls they liked. At some point near the far end, where the lights didn't quite reach, something shifted. A shadow stretched along the wall, moving just enough to be noticed if someone was looking for it.

Then came the sound.

Wam!

A metallic clang rang out from deeper within the corridor, loud enough to catch their attention and make both men raise their guard instantly.

"Who's there!?" Arata turned his head at once. "You hear that too, right?"

"Probably something falling," Kenji said, though his eyes stayed fixed in that direction, more alert now and rifle up. "But no one is allowed in this room, and I highly doubt it's just the wind. Let me check, either we have a stray cat problem, or someone is getting shot in the ass.."

Arata didn't answer right away. He reached back, pulling his rifle free and adjusting his grip. "No, I'll check it out instead. My legs feel cramped just standing here, so I want to stretch them out a bit. Stay here."

Without waiting for a reply, he started forward as his boots pressed lightly against the concrete floor again and again, the sound of his walking barely carrying as he moved toward the source while his partner waited.

Seconds passed.

The corridor remained silent except for the faint hum of overhead lights. Kenji shifted his weight, glancing at his watch. Arata had been gone too long.

"Arata? Find anything? What's taking you so long?" Kenji called out. No response came.

His hand moved to the handgun at his hip, drawing it from the holster. The weapon creaked ever so slightly in his tightened grip as he took it out of the holster. The man then proceeded forward and reached the end of the corridor, peering around the corner while bringing up his radio. "This is unit five, calling to inform you that we heard an unknown soun-uh?"

Whatever words that were about to come out of his mouth got stuck midway, and his eyes widened at the sight before him. A body lay split in two, guts and blood spilling across the floor. "Shit!" Recognizing the threat, he quickly scanned the area, finding nothing but shadows.

The small window of his focus wavering was enough for the killer to use it and close the distance.

Before his fingers could push the trigger, a shadow moved in at such speed his eyes failed to perceive it. A cold sensation crossed the side of his body, followed by the sound of a thump. "Ah..." Looking down, he found his own arm lying on the floor, cleanly severed. So much is happening at once that not even the pain has settled in yet.

No scream escaped his mouth as a katana slashed his back. Only bloody gurgles came out as the blade moved cleanly, separating his head from his body. The killer stood calmly behind him, cleaning off the blood with a single swipe in the air, blood splattering to the floor.

{Break}

"There is just no end to them," was what Asagi whispered after taking another life. Her gaze swept the corridor before turning to the two corpses behind her. Her eyes focused on the cuts themselves for a brief second before she looked away. "Still not as smooth as I used to be."

A sigh escaped her lips, but she quickly shook her head. "No, this is not the time for it." As she continued along the hallway, acknowledging that most of her skills as a Taimanin had rusted after so long being inactive and retired. It made sense why her moves weren't as clean as they used to be. 'Only for tonight... this is only for a bit,' she thought to herself, pushing away any and all waves of uncertainty into the very back of her mind.

Moving quietly down the hallway, she examined the place carefully. "Murasaki shouldn't be on this floor. Lower down is the holding cells, the entrance should be ahead."

Thankfully, the guards didn't force her to undergo torture on them to extract their information. Their prior words confirmed that Murasaki came here for some reason, but ended up getting captured. Pulling out her phone, she checked the time and a message sent to her by an elder about where Murasaki had gone.

"Why did you come here?" Asagi asked aloud, still confused about this entire development. The girl had no reason to be here, let alone meddle with Nomad of all organizations. Not to mention, the Murasaki from her memory was always a cautious person when it came to such missions. Always planning out everything rather than just barging in headfirst. "Just what is going on..."

With all the dreams she'd been having lately, the death of her fiancé, demonic forces becoming more active, and prior enemies she believed were dead actually still being alive... so much had happened in such a short amount of time. All of it made her feel uneasy, as if there were signs trying to tell her something. But without any clues to give it context, she was left with nothing but the desire for revenge fueling her actions.

Asagi also didn't want someone else she considered close to die by the hands of these demons and those associated with them. Though she didn't have much time to prepare and polish her skills until they reached her prior level, at least they were close enough for regular guards like these to pose no real threat so far.

"Hang in there, Murasaki," she whispered to herself, hoping that by the time she got to her, it wouldn't be too late and that she'd leave this place with an old friend rather than find a defiled corpse instead. Even if the one she sought to rescue possessed a Taimanin Art that practically made her immortal... she just could not take the risk.

Asagi cut through the locks of the doors leading deeper within the underground facility. Quietly pushing the metallic frame open, she checked if there were any cameras on the other side. Thankfully, the one usually focused on the door had turned its attention somewhere else for less than a handful of seconds, giving her enough time to slip inside unseen.

The darkness enveloped Asagi as she squeezed her way through the narrow passage. Metal scraped against her latex-like suit with each forward movement, but overall, she managed to stay hidden.

'Strange, this place has more security than expected, but this is very different from the intel I was given,' she thought, pausing to catch her breath after sprinting across a large empty section of the room after the guards turned their attention away for just a handful of seconds. Just enough for her to sneak pass them.

Pulling out her phone, she activated the holographic projection of the Chaos Arena's inner layout. A handful of red dots appeared, showcasing areas where every camera and sentry robot should be positioned - the keyword being 'every', yet clearly that was not the case. Her gaze shifted to the space ahead of her, where, rather than a handful, at least half a dozen security devices filled one single area with three times the amount of reinforced walls and doors. Even canines walking around in the distance with their handlers. For such intense security, one would expect this to be a treasury or the residence of some VIP rather than a mere holding cell.

'Why would security be increased this drastically? Was it because of Murasaki and the upcoming event? But... that does not make sense since it's clear that all of this must have been prepared for a long time, and Murasaki was mentioned by the elder to be captured just the other day.' Not to mention, the information she received from the elder on the facility's layout was supposed to be very recent.

The more the woman thought about it, the more that something not being quite right started to take root within her mind.

The sound of footsteps hurriedly approaching her direction made her curse under her breath. Asagi scanned the area for another hiding spot, realizing there was nothing around her. Worse, the people approaching had a hound with them. Without hesitation, she jumped upward, finding a small airway vent and squeezing herself into it just as the group rounded the corner.

"Report."

"Unit five called in over the radio but were cut off half way through the report," one guard spoke loudly.

"Could be a connection issue," another responded.

"No, I tried to contact them again, but with no success, and no one answered. Cameras on the outside show no changes, and no one got in as far as we can tell."

"Then either we have a case of a faulty team or someone tampered with the surveillance. Let's go."

Asagi frowned from her hiding place, cursing herself for not being fast enough to kill the second guard... a mere second of hesitation already made things messy. As the group headed toward the corridor where she had left the bodies, she knew that if she stayed here, they would discover the corpses and put the entire area on alert. But if she killed them now, the same outcome would follow, given how open the area turned out to be with few opportunities for her to hide among the shadows and not enough spots to hide the bodies.

'I need to go deeper before they discover the corpses.'

With that thought, she slipped out from her hiding spot and moved deeper into the facility, keeping her body low as she crossed into the next corridor. The layout was worse than she expected, just too much surveillance and only so little blind spots, leaving discovery a likely thing.

"Tch."

Cameras were mounted across the ceiling in a pattern that left her very little room to work with. Their angles overlapped, covering nearly every section of the hall. There were no obvious blind spots, no convenient gaps to slip through unnoticed.

She studied the movement of the camera for half a second, then made her decision. "Fine. We're doing this the loud way,' then she pushed forward.

Where there was enough space, she timed her steps and passed through cleanly. When a camera covered the entire corridor with no opening, her hand moved without pause. A shuriken flew upward, embedding itself directly into the lens. Sparks burst from the impact, and the device went dark.

Another followed, then another, and so on. A pair of guards turned the corner just in time to catch a blur of movement.

"Hey, what was-"

They never finished.

Asagi was already on them. One clean slash cut across the first guard's neck. Before the second could even raise his weapon, she pivoted and struck again. Both bodies hit the ground a moment later.

"Hah..." She exhaled through her nose, barely sparing them a glance.

For a second, the corridor fell quiet again.

"-!"

Then the facility erupted.

A loud siren blared overhead. Red emergency lights flashed on across the walls and ceiling, washing the corridor in pulsing color; they found the corpses.

A mechanical voice echoed through the speakers.

"Intruder alert. Security breach detected. All personnel report to designated sectors."

She clicked her tongue, tightening her grip on her weapon. Without wasting another second, she broke into a sprint as footsteps and shouted orders began echoing from deeper within the facility.

"We have an intruder!" someone shouted behind her as they noticed the corpses she had left behind.

Ignoring those behind her, she made a straight dash ahead, jumping over obstacles and equipment as she tried to navigate through the Chaos Arena's underground facility. The place was enormous, with corridors branching off in multiple directions. Soon, she heard the whirring sound of drones beginning to follow her as they detected her presence. Without breaking stride, she threw several shuriken at them, disabling two before the others adjusted their flight patterns.

More guards appeared around corners as they started shooting at her.

Bang!

Rat-tat-tat!

Rat-tat-tat!

Sounds of bullets being fired came from all around her. She managed to dodge behind a metal crate as bullets ricocheted off the surface. Peeking around the edge, she used her katana to deflect several rounds back at their shooters before making another dash forward. The chase continued through maintenance corridors, storage rooms, and what appeared to be training facilities. Each area seemed more heavily fortified than the last.

Feeling more and more guards closing in on her, Asagi grabbed several pellets from her pouch and threw them to the ground. A thick cloud of smoke immediately filled the corridor. The guards surrounding her were ordered by their leader to shoot, and they all fired at once. Thousands of bullets entered the cloud of smoke until it finally died down, revealing nothing.

"She's gone!" someone shouted, now searching for the missing target.

Suddenly, a loud crack echoed through the corridor as the lights above began turning off one by one until all of them were thrown into darkness. Confusion spread through the guards as they tried to adjust to the sudden lack of visibility.

"Stay together! Watch your sectors!" the leader commanded.

Then came the first screams, followed by a thud as a body hit the floor.

"Who was that? Report!" the leader shouted.

Another scream came from a different direction, then another. The guards fired blindly into the darkness, their muzzle flashes briefly illuminating the corridor but revealing nothing.

"Night vision! Someone activate night vision!" the leader ordered, but it was too late. With each passing second, another guard fell to Asagi's blade in the darkness. She moved like a phantom, her movements barely audible over the panicked shouts and gunfire of the remaining guards.

"Flood lights! Get the goddamn emergency flood lights on now!"

After what seemed like an eternity, powerful lights flickered on, bathing the corridor in brilliant illumination. The remaining guards - now reduced to less than half their original number - found themselves standing among the bodies of their fallen comrades. Asagi was nowhere to be seen.

"Search every room! Every corner! She can't have gone far!" the leader commanded, though his voice betrayed his growing frustration and fear.

Meanwhile, as the guards continued their frantic search, the black-haired Taimanin had already slipped past their location, moving deeper within the Chaos Arena. Now that her presence was discovered, there was no point in taking it slow and risking Murasaki being transported away before she could reach her. The map on her phone guided her through the maintenance corridors, and within minutes, she reached the area marked as the prison block. It should have been a difficult situation, with guards stationed throughout, but the deeper she traveled, the more apparent it became that aside from one or two scattered personnel, the area was strangely empty.

'Something's not right.'

Pushing this thought to the back of her mind, she finally reached the entrance to the holding cells, only to frown at the sight before her. A thick metal door blocked the way, protected by a complex password system. Her katana would not cut through such a thick layer of metal.

'There should be a way in,' she muttered to herself. The more she looked around, the more evident it became that there was nothing for her to use. Even retracing her steps to examine the bodies of those she had killed, all while trying to avoid detection, proved useless. Her search led her back into a main corridor, where the sound of running footsteps alerted her to incoming guards. They spotted her immediately, opening fire. The Taimanin moved with practiced grace, her blade deflecting bullets back at their shooters as she retreated toward a larger area.

She vanished around a corner, watching as the guards arrived at a junction with several different paths leading in various directions. "The target is in the seventh section! We're pursuing her!" one of them shouted into his communication device. The heavy metal door slammed shut behind them, sealing the area. The leader turned to his men. "If you see anything unusual, shoot on sight instantly. Even if you don't know what it is or who it is, it does not matter." The firm nods were followed by each guard going their separate way down the different corridors.

The Taimanin focused on one of them, following silently through the shadows. Reaching him, she disarmed him quickly and pinned him against the wall. "The newly captured Taimanin's whereabouts, who came here recently. Now," she demanded, her blade practically slicing through several layers of his skin as she pressed it against his neck.

The guard struggled but managed to squeeze out an answer after she pressed her sword against his neck hard enough to draw blood. "Sh-She's two floors below at the holding facility. Murasaki was being overlooked by someone. That's all I know!"

With a nod, she ended his life swiftly by snapping his neck before cutting off his hand. Moving to the door, she used the severed hand to activate the biometric scanner, heading further inside until she finally reached the lower levels. Upon entering the floor, the first thing she noticed was the water level that reached her heels and the disgusting scent that filled the air. Her face twisted in disgust as she looked around at the filth. She made her way through the grimy corridor until she reached a particular room where a blue-haired woman could be seen, her hands bound by chains and dangling in the middle of the room, completely unconscious and fully naked. Fortunately, there were no wounds on her body.

Seeing her state, memories flashed through the Taimanin's mind of other terrible things that had happened to Murasaki in her dreams, making her feel even more afraid that the same thing must have happened to this woman. She immediately went to work, cutting through the door and reaching Murasaki's side. "Murasaki!" she called out.

The blue-haired woman stirred ever so slightly, then opened her eyes slowly. Looking at Asagi with hazy eyes, she tried to shake her head as if trying to answer, but Murasaki was barely conscious. The black-haired woman realized that she was not in her right mind and must have been injected with some substance to keep her asleep. Looking above, she cut through the chains before catching Murasaki's body. "I'll get you out of there," she promised.

Murasaki groaned as if trying to say something, but her words came out as a slurry mess. "As... gi... no... p..."

But the Taimanin did not understand through the complete daze that was evident in her voice. "Just save it and tell me later. The most important thing now is to get you out of there." Murasaki even tried to clench her wrist as if to get her attention, but it did not work as the black-haired woman lifted her up before walking out of the cell. Looking around with uncertainty, she watched for other guards but saw that the coast was clear. They were probably trying to find her on the upper floors, but it would only be a matter of time before they got here.

"There should be another exit point on this floor heading directly into the arena itself. Just hold on, Murasaki," she whispered.

Having no other choice but to take that path, she went ahead as fast as she could, but despite that, the strange feeling within her would not subside, making the woman feel more nervous. Soon, she finally made her way to the end of the floor, where she found a path that would lead her above onto the arena. She took that path and saw an elevator, but due to the security alarm, it wouldn't work. She grabbed the elevator doors and pulled.

At first, they didn't move.

"Come on...!" Her fingers dug into the narrow gap, metal biting into her skin as she forced it wider. The hinges groaned in protest. For a second, it felt like the doors would hold.

Then they gave.

With a harsh screech, the panels slid apart just enough for her to force an opening. She pushed them the rest of the way, breathing heavier as the gap widened.

Beyond them was an empty shaft. No elevator car, just a drop lined with cables, pipes, and maintenance brackets running along the walls.

"...Figures."

She glanced down. The elevator car sat far below, out of reach, and posed no danger by appearing from above.

"No time to wait." She shifted her grip, securing Murasaki against her before stepping onto the edge.

Then she jumped.

"Hn!" Her foot hit the first pipe jutting from the wall, bending it slightly under the impact before she pushed off again. Moving fast, zigzagging from one side of the shaft to the other, using whatever she could reach. A hand caught a metal brace, her arm tensing as she swung herself upward, then kicked off the wall to gain more height.

The space was tight. Every movement had to be exact and could not leave any room for error.

"Stay with me," she muttered under her breath.

Another jump carried her higher. Her foot slipped for a split second on a narrow ledge, but she caught herself, fingers clamping onto a cable before pulling herself up again. The strain showed in the way her movements slowed for just a moment, but she didn't stop.

One more push.

She reached the top, grabbing the edge with one hand and hauling herself up. Her body cleared the opening, boots landing against the closed door above.

"Move!"

She drove her leg forward.

The impact hit with a loud boom. The door buckled, then burst open, metal bending outward as she forced her way through and into the floor beyond.

"Hah... hah... hah... "

That took more effort than expected. Going out, she found herself facing a stairway that led her above, where she could see glimmers of the sky and realized this must be the arena. She rushed ahead swiftly, finally reaching the arena, only to hear something whizzing towards her direction, forcing her to momentarily drop Murasaki and take out her blade to block a kusarigama thrown at her. The weapon managed to wrap itself around her body and push her onto the ground as she stumbled several times.

Groaning as she fell to the ground, she rolled around before the lights of the arena came on full blast, illuminating the entire area and blinding her momentarily.

"-!"

As her vision adjusted, she saw dozens of large orcs surrounding her, along with armed men in the spectator area holding guns aimed at her. They were fully surrounding every part of the area with no way to leave. "What a wonderful display of your skills. Despite this being the first time you came out of retirement, your skills are still something to look out for." As she struggled to get out of the chains, she heard a laugh and realized it was Oboro, who stood in the middle surrounded by the orcs, a scowl on her face as she looked pissed.

"You have some nerve coming here," the traitorous former Taimanin said, practically gloating at her with a wide grin. "After barely escaping last time because of the sacrifice of your boyfriend."

The Taimanin got pissed as she glared at the woman with pure killing intent oozing from her eyes. "Oboro," she whispered before saying, "I'll... I'll kill you!"

This made Oboro laugh. "You haven't changed at all from our last meeting, Asagi." The traitorous Taimanin continued taunting her. "Still so predictable. Always rushing in without thinking, just like last time. Did you really think it would be that easy to rescue your little friend?"

The black-haired woman struggled against the chains, trying to break free. "Shut up!"

"Or what?" Oboro let out a small laugh. "You'll kill me?" Tilting her head slightly, clearly amused. "You're not really in a position to make threats after walking straight into my trap."

"You..." Asagi gritted her teeth and pulled against the chains again. This time, they shifted just enough, and that was all she needed. "Hah!" With a quick burst of force, the woman tore herself loose enough to move and rushed forward with her sword raised, aiming straight for Oboro's neck. Intending to end her life right then and there.

Bang!

"-!"

A gunshot rang out.

She reacted on instinct, twisting to the side as the bullet tore past her. The shot forced her to break her charge, boots scraping against the floor as she regained balance. Then, something large moved behind her, fast though not quick enough to escape her senses. An orc lunged, arms spreading wide to grab her, but the Taimanin spun around immediately. "Not happening again," she muttered and swung her blade-

Bang!

Another shot cracked through the air.

The bullet struck the sword itself, and the metal shattered her blade right before her eyes, fragments spinning away across the floor.

"Damn it!" The blade was gone, just like that. Asagi's eyes snapped to the shattered fragments for half a second before she pulled her focus back. Annoying. The snipers were a bigger problem than the orcs at this point-but they hadn't fired to kill. Every shot had been precise, controlled. They wanted her alive.

Fine. She could work with that.

Without breaking stride, she drove the broken half of her sword straight into the orc's neck.

"▃▄▄▅▅!"

The creature choked as the jagged steel punched through flesh. With still some room to move, she planted a foot against its chest and kicked off hard, sending herself backward before the body even finished falling.

Landing several meters away, she slid across the ground and reached for another weapon, pulling a shorter tanto free. "Phew... I'm not ending up like last time," she said under her breath, lowering her stance.

Even though one of the bigger demons got slain rather easily, Oboro didn't look concerned at all. The violet-haired woman simply folded her arms. "Funny," she replied. "I was about to say the same thing."

She snapped her fingers.

Asagi sensed movement behind her again and turned immediately, expecting another monster charging in. She was already moving to strike when another bullet was fired.

"Gah!" Pain exploded through her arm. The shot pierced clean through, blood spraying across the floor as her grip faltered.

She froze for a split second, a big enough window of opportunity for one of the individuals to rush in. Someone, much to her disbelief, did not end up being a demon.

"Mu... rasaki?" The blue-haired girl rushed in before Asagi could recover from both the pain and the shock. Grabbing her injured arm, twisted it behind her back and forced her down hard against the ground. "Agh-!"

Pain shot through her shoulder as she struggled beneath the hold. She turned her head, staring up at Murasaki in disbelief.

Something was wrong... The girl's movements felt mechanical, her eyes distant and unfocused, like she wasn't fully aware of what she was doing.

Realization hit immediately.

"You did this to her!" Her gaze snapped toward Oboro, anger replacing the shock almost instantly. "You!"

Oboro waved her off like the accusation was barely worth acknowledging. "Please. I would've loved to use the same parasite I put in your boyfriend, but I couldn't exactly afford another mess like that." A short pause, almost like she was genuinely put out by it. "And I didn't have the time to do it right. So yes, drugs. Not my finest work, but it got the job done."

Her smile widened slightly.

"And I knew you'd come rushing in the moment you heard about her." She looked down at the pinned Taimanin. "And just like that, you walked right where I wanted you. So predictable."

Oboro stepped closer.

Pa!

"Eugh!"

Then kicked her across the face. The impact snapped Asagi's head sideways, blood hitting the floor as the taste of iron filled her mouth.

"Do you know what your precious Kyousuke caused for me?" Oboro snarled, the amusement in her voice finally dropping. "Because of him, I had to stand in front of Black-sama and explain my failure!"

Her expression twisted with irritation as she continued with another kick.

"I had to stand there while Ingrid watched the whole thing with that fucking smug cunt face of hers! I know she enjoyed seeing me like that!" Oboro spat at Asagi in disgust and delivered a third kick and another, and another. "I've never been humiliated like that before twice! Never! Never! Never! NEVER!"

The beating continued for several seconds till her entire boot got covered in blood. Then, she grabbed the badly beaten and bloody Asagi by the chin, forcing her to look up.

"And I'm not letting it happen a second time." She leaned down closer to the injured Taimanin. "I swear I will break you both mentally and physically. I'll turn you and Murasaki into mindless sex slaves who cannot live without a dick shoved inside them!"

Her boot connected with Asagi's face this time, and she trampled her a couple more times until she managed to vent her anger. Taking a deep breath, Oboro walked away, muttering under her breath,

"This is a good opportunity. Ingrid was supposed to be the one responsible for looking after Murasaki and keeping up security, but that woman vanished somewhere. But it doesn't matter since it works in my favor. I can take credit and destroy that woman in Black-sama's eyes and destroy all her credibility." Then, her eyes turned to gaze at Asagi for a brief moment. "I still cannot fathom what could have pushed Kyousuke to break control of his parasite that easily."

Asagi glared at her. "Don't say his name!"

Oboro scoffed. "You really should be grateful. I had so many plans with Kyousuke, using him not only against you but also against that sister of yours. Now I have to change everything and come up with something new. But now that you're here, the upcoming event will be much more enjoyable. The audience will have a wonderful fight to witness between two Taimanins." She smirked as she whispered, "I'm certain that your little sister would be very shocked to be sent footage of both her sister and her friend being treated as toys by the orcs."

Asagi struggled against Murasaki's grip. "As long as I'm alive, I won't ever let this happen!" She turned towards the blue-haired woman, screaming at her. "Murasaki, come back to your senses! Please, fight it!" But Murasaki did not respond, her eyes remaining blank.

"Pft-hahaha! The effects won't be so easily ignored~! Unlike with Kyousuke, this is not a parasite and instead a newly manufactured drug from one of our brightest scientists that was personally tested on others to make sure it won't end up as a failure. It worked on her, and it will work on you."

Watching Oboro head towards one of the armed men who came back with a briefcase, Asagi saw her open it, revealing a syringe and a vial inside. At the same time, a sense of déjà vu washed over her. 'This again?' she thought, feeling like she was already in this situation before. For a brief moment, the scene in front of her switched to one of pure destruction and fire, where the city burned, with her being held exactly in this position. For a brief moment, she looked above and felt like she saw a figure standing there. Immediately, her mind screamed.

"-!?"

W-Was she hallucinating again? N-No... no... nonono... It was him...

"No, no, no, this can't be...!"

A very bad premonition washed over her, so intense that she tried to break free once again, looking towards Murasaki. "Please let me go! Something bad is about to happen! I don't want to see you die, Murasaki! We need to get out of here now!" she begged. But Murasaki did not listen, still looking at her with blank eyes.

"Hold her down," Oboro said flatly. Murasaki obeyed, shoving Asagi's head back against the ground hard enough to rattle her brain. Oboro crouched down in front of her, turning the syringe over once in her fingers. "Stop worrying about Murasaki and start worrying about yourself." Her voice was calm, almost bored. "I'm not going to kill you. Where's the fun in that?" She tilted her head slightly, eyes settling on Asagi's. "You're going to be here for a long, long time. Every bit of humiliation you've ever put me through; I intend to collect on that. Every last piece of it."

The feeling didn't fade.

It just grew worse.

Asagi slowly lifted her head again, but the white figure was no longer there. Even so, the pressure remained. It crawled through her body and settled deep in her chest, leaving her unable to shake the sense that something terrible was close by.

Not just close to her.

Close to everyone.

Her breathing became uneven. Sweat gathered along her skin despite the cold air of the arena, and her face lost color as the feeling tightened around her like invisible hands.

Oboro noticed immediately.

"Oh?" she said with a grin, mistaking the reaction entirely. "There it is." She crouched slightly in front of her, clearly pleased. "That's the face I wanted to see."

The syringe in her hand lowered toward Asagi's neck, the liquid inside catching the light. "You should've looked this scared earlie, would've made it more enjoyable for mer."

Asagi barely heard her.

The pressure in her head grew heavier by the second-

Then... the arena shook.

"Hm?"

Faint tremors at first that rolled through the floor hard enough to throw several people off balance. Dust drifted from above as metal groaned somewhere overhead.

Oboro paused. "What now?"

The guards looked around in confusion, weapons raised as shouting broke out across the arena floor. Even the demons started backing away, unsettled by whatever was happening.

Then came the sound.

Crack.

A long fracture split across the ceiling.

"Watch out!" one of the guards screamed, and the roof gave way almost immediately afterward.

Massive steel supports tore free and came crashing down into the arena. Each one was thick enough to flatten a person instantly. The impacts slammed through the floor with deafening force, shaking the entire structure.

"Move!" someone shouted.

Panic spread at once.

Demons and guards scattered in every direction as more pieces of the ceiling collapsed. One support dropped straight through a cluster of demons, crushing them beneath it before they could even react. Another struck the ground nearby and burst apart chunks of concrete, sending debris flying across the arena.

Oboro cursed and jumped back just before another beam slammed down where she had been standing.

Asagi looked up-

One of the falling supports was heading directly toward her. Her body moved before she fully thought it through. "Hn!" Ignoring the pain shooting through her arm and shoulders, she forced herself upward and lunged toward Murasaki instead. She drove her forehead into the blue-haired girl hard enough to knock both of them sideways.

The two rolled across the ground just as the steel pillar crashed down behind them.

The impact hit like an explosion.

Dust and broken concrete burst outward, filling the area so quickly that the arena vanished behind a gray haze.

"Cough! Cough!" The woman coughed violently, one hand pressed against the ground as her ears rang from the noise. Pain pulsed through her skull from the collision, but she forced herself to push up anyway.

"M-Murasaki...?" Her vision blurred for a second before clearing enough for her to start searching through the dust-filled arena again. "Murasaki-!"

She couldn't see her.

The haze made it hard to tell anything apart. Figures moved in the distance, shadows shifting through the cloud, but none of them were clear.

She took a step forward- "Kugh!"

Something caught her collar.

Before she could react, her body was yanked off the ground and thrown. "Waaaaaah!"

The force hit all at once. The arena vanished from view as she was sent flying, the air rushing past her hard enough to sting. Her body experienced immense pain due to the sudden force she was experiencing. The world spun around her for what felt like forever, and she couldn't get her bearings before hitting the ground with a loud thud. "Ugh!"

Her body crashed into concrete, the impact knocking the breath out of her. For a moment, everything blurred together.

"...gh..."

She stayed there for a second, then pushed herself up, one hand pressed to the ground as she steadied her breathing. The ringing in her ears hadn't faded, and her head still pounded, but she forced her eyes to focus.

The arena was no longer around her.

She looked up and saw it in the distance, as the massive structure known as the Chaos Arena was now several blocks away.

"What...?"

Her voice came out low, more confused than anything else.

Then she noticed her hands.

The restraints were gone, or rather destroyed, crumbling down from her limbs onto the ground. Yet any attempts to celebrate the moment of freedom went out the window, and she froze, for at that very moment... a particular someone was standing in front of her.

'N-No...'

Tall, still, completely covered in white. A cloak draped over an unknown figure, hiding any clear shape beneath it. Layers of cloth wrapped around the head and face, leaving nothing visible. No features, no expression - nothing to read.

Asagi didn't move.

A reaction hit her before she could think, her body going ice cold and erratic. "Hah... hah... hah..." Her chest tightened, her breath catching as something familiar crept up from the back of her mind. Not a clear memory at first; just a feeling. Then it came all at once.

Fire.

Collapsed buildings.

Humans and Demons screaming...

The same figure, always standing somewhere in the middle of it, looking down impassively at the carnage and destruction. "Ha-ah... hah..." Her breathing grew uneven as the images pushed forward, one after another. Her mind could almost hear it again, the screams, the chaos, the way everything had fallen apart in mere moments.

Both hands started to shake and sweat with trepidation. She clenched them into fists just to stop them from shaking too much, trying to steady herself, but the reaction didn't fade. It pressed in from all sides, heavy enough to make it too hard to think straight.

Still, Asagi kept her eyes fixed on the figure in front of her, forcing herself not to look away.

Then she noticed where he was facing. The arena itself was in the distance, and immediately her stomach tightened.

"No!" she shouted, panic breaking through before she could stop it. Murasaki was still over there.

If he were about to attack the arena, she wouldn't survive. Pushing herself forward despite the pain running through her body, she tried to rush past him.

The figure turned, and she barely saw the movement.

A heavy impact slammed into her stomach.

"Oof-!"

The kick launched her backward hard enough that her body crashed into the wall behind her with a loud crack... having happened fast enough for even her mind to be unable to keep up. Concrete split from the impact, fragments falling around her as she collapsed onto the ground.

For a few seconds, she couldn't breathe.

Blood spilled from her mouth as she coughed violently, one arm wrapping around her stomach while she tried to force herself upright again.

"Ghh..."

Pain shot through her entire body the moment she moved.

That wasn't normal human strength. Was he a Taimanin as well? No, a high-level demon, maybe?

The kick alone had nearly knocked her unconscious. Even through the pain clouding her head, she understood that much immediately. No ordinary human could have sent her flying like that. Still gasping for air, she glared at him. "Don't destroy it..." she forced out between breaths. "Don't kill Murasaki... d-don't... please..."

She tried to stand again and rush past him.

Whoosh!

The figure moved before she could get halfway up; a hand grabbed her by the side of her face. The next instant, her head was smashed into the concrete floor with a loud bang!

The ground cracked beneath her with a heavy impact. Half her face sank into the broken surface as pain exploded through her skull. Her body twitched, but she couldn't push herself back up this time.

For a moment, all she could hear was the ringing in her ears.

Then came a sigh above her.

"Ha, you really have a talent for getting yourself captured in the most annoying of ways. No matter what I try, or how well things go at first," the man said, sounding more irritated than angry. His voice came through muffled by the cloth covering his face, making it hard to hear clearly. "It's honestly ridiculous to the point I wonder if you're not actually cursed somehow to keep getting in my way."

Asagi's fingers twitched against the broken concrete.

"Going back there," he continued, "would just end with you falling into the same trap again. You know it, yet you still persist."

She frowned slightly despite the pain.

The words didn't fit.

Why was he saying that?

For a brief second, a thought crossed her mind that sounded ludicrous.

Was he helping her?

The idea disappeared almost immediately. The memories came rushing back again. Every nightmare. Every vision of burning streets and collapsing buildings. Every time this same figure appeared, hundreds of people died around him.

A monster wearing human skin.

That was what she had convinced herself he was.

For the longest time, part of her wanted to believe he wasn't real. Just a terrible nightmare after everything she's been through.

But now he was standing right beside her.

Real.

And the fear she felt now was worse than anything from those dreams. Her arms trembled slightly against the ground. Her breathing stayed uneven no matter how hard she tried to steady it. She hated it, hated the fact her body was reacting this way, but she couldn't stop it.

Even so, she clenched her jaw and forced herself not to show more weakness than she already had. Still, she had enough courage to face her fears and whispered, "I-I cannot... cannot abandon Murasaki. I... I would rather die than have-cough! Have someone else close to me die because of my inability to save them...not again."

Despite her words, the man chuckled. "You're in no condition to help yourself, let alone help someone else. Even if this little mission of yours were to succeed, they would just come after you the very next day."

Asagi gritted her teeth, telling herself that she wouldn't allow that. She would take Murasaki and Sakura away from Tokyo and back to the village. She whispered, "You know nothing."

"Perhaps, but I know that you will fail regardless of whatever plans you have in mind."

"Who-Who are you?" Asagi asked, unable to stop herself from asking that long-existing question burning inside her heart.

"..."

Rather than giving her an immediate answer, he let her go, and she felt a sense of relief as the enormous pressure threatened to flatten her head, receding. The relief was short-lived. Watching him in confusion as he walked away, his hidden gaze fixed on the arena in the distance. She tried to push herself up, her arms trembling with the effort, but his voice stopped her.

"Stay there. You still have a chance to save your friend." This confused the black-haired Taimanin, who looked at him with wide eyes, unsure what he meant. He did not look at her as he continued, "During the day of the battle in the arena, you'll have the chance to not only save your friend but have the chance to kill Oboro as well. For now, you need to rest and recuperate. Come up with a plan rather than going in with just a blade and luck. Stop falling for obvious traps. Being angry is no excuse for being reckless."

He was helping her after all... the same man who she saw burn down everything. But his actions don't match those from her nightmare, confusing her even further.

"Who are you? Why do you keep appearing in my dreams? Why do you keep causing so much destruction? Just what is going on!?" she screamed at the end, feeling like she was going insane.

That got a reaction from him, as he turned to face her, surprise evident in his posture.

Even if covered by the cloth, she could feel his gaze focusing upon her. He... definitely knew something about it. But the man did not answer her and just continued to remain calmly standing there in silence, taking her in before finally speaking to her, "Be ready on the day of the event. I will leave you a gift that will help you in your little mission, and hopefully, it will not lead you down the same path like in the previous ones. And if you try something like this again, I won't be so kind and go out of my way to save you like now. I will clean up the mess as I usually do before everything starts all over."

Previous ones? Starting over?

This confused the prodigal Taimanin further as she tried to ask him more questions, but the man disappeared right before her eyes.

"..."

Her hands were extended towards him, trying to grab onto his cape, but all she managed to grab onto were motes of light. She stood there in silence, seeing that the commotion in the arena in the distance was getting more and more louder with drones flying in the air and several security forces coming to reinforce the place. It was clear that even if she tried to go there right now in her current state, with a bullet wound and a sore body, her chances of success were basically a single digit, if not less.

Thus, she turned around and limped away, all the time unable to forget about the man who had just saved her but also terrified her. She felt so uncertain and afraid, given that the same figure in her dreams turned out to be not only real but 'also' one whose motives she could not understand.

"Urgh!"

Each step sent pain shooting through her body, but she pushed forward, her mind racing with questions. The encounter with the white-cloaked figure left her more confused than ever, his words echoing in her mind. A chance to save Murasaki and kill Oboro during the arena event? A gift he would leave her? None of it made sense, but the power he had displayed was undeniable, and she couldn't do anything against him even if she tried. After finding a secluded alley to rest in, she couldn't shake the feeling that her life had just become infinitely more complicated, and that the path ahead would be far more dangerous than she had ever imagined.

{Break}

(The next day)

"Mmmmm..."

Ingrid slowly woke up, a groggy haze clouding her senses. The pounding in her head matched the pace of her pulse, a clear indication of the hangover from whatever she had consumed last night. She groaned as she pushed herself up from the bed, the thin sheet covering her chest sliding away to reveal her naked form.

Her large breasts were capped with pink nipples that stood out against her skin. The sheet pooled around her waist, exposing her toned abdomen and the curve of her hips. Her long, powerful legs stretched out before her, the muscles defined even in relaxation. The dim morning light cast shadows across her body, highlighting the contours of her physique.

"Urgh..." The feeling hit her all at once. Her stomach turned, and she pressed a hand against her mouth as her eyes darted around the room until they landed on a door across from her. "Bathroom..."

She pushed herself up with unsteady legs and stumbled toward it. Her shoulder clipped the frame as she forced the door open and barely made it to the toilet before everything came up. For the next few minutes, she stayed there, one hand braced against the seat as her body shook with each heave. The smell of alcohol clung to the air and made it worse. Her head throbbed with every movement, a dull pressure that didn't ease.

"...damn it..."

When it finally settled, she stayed where she was, sitting on the cold floor, breathing through her mouth as she tried to steady herself. Her hands trembled slightly, and it took her a moment before she even tried to stand.

She pushed herself up using the sink, gripping the edge until her balance returned enough to keep her upright. Turning on the tap, she cupped some water and splashed it over her face. The cold helped a little. Droplets clung to her lashes and ran down her cheeks as she leaned forward, letting out a slow breath.

She lifted her head and looked into the mirror.

"...I look like shit."

Her reflection stared back at her, pale and worn. Her hair was a mess, her eyes dull, like she hadn't slept properly in days. It reminded her of the way she looked after long training sessions, except this time there were no bruises, no cuts despite all her years of battle... just the same drained look without any clear reason.

She stared for another second, then turned away and stepped out of the bathroom.

The room greeted her in silence.

She stood there, frowning slightly as she took it in. "Where am I...?" It didn't take long for the answer to settle in. "This isn't my room."

Her place at Nomad was hard to mistake. Spacious, clean, built for comfort. Even without caring much for luxury, she knew it well enough-the lounge area, the pool, the balcony, the oversized bed. None of that was here.

This place felt... empty.

Her eyes moved across the walls, the furniture, if it could even be called that. Everything looked plain, almost neglected, like it hadn't been used repeatedly. There was nothing personal, nothing that stood out.

"How did I end up here...?"

She took a few steps forward, her balance still off, then sat down on the bed. The mattress dipped under her weight, and she leaned back, one hand pressing against her temple as the room seemed to tilt slightly.

"Not even a hotel..." She had ended up in worse places after a night of drinking, but even those had something to them. This didn't. It was bare, quiet, and lacking anything that made it feel lived in. For a moment, the thought crossed her mind. "This feels like a cell."

She lay back fully, staring at the ceiling as the dizziness slowly settled, though the unease stayed.

She sat there in silence for a moment before sighing and saying to herself, "I have a problem. I need to cut down on the alcohol." No memories of what happened last night came back; her mind was blank when she tried to retrace her steps.

She only remembered one painful memory of Black saying those harsh words to her before she went out to have some comfort in her favorite cafe, and then things started to get blurry right then and there. "Did I leave and go to a nearby bar?"

It made sense, and it certainly would not be the first time this happened. Given the kind of room she found herself in, it also wouldn't shock her that such places could only be found in such areas. But that also didn't make sense, and worst of all, her entire body was naked with no clothes in sight - in fact, all of it was spread around the room as if hastily thrown to the side.

Then the door opened with Emiya walking in while yawning. "Oh, you woke up early," he said, looking at her. "I made you some coffee downstairs and a small breakfast. I'll join you in a bit, and I'm gonna take a shower." He said this so casually before going into the bathroom and locking the door. A few seconds later, the sound of a shower and water running could be heard.

Ingrid remained there, stunned, completely speechless. "What just happened?" she thought. She stayed like that for several minutes until Emiya walked out of the bathroom wearing pants and without his shirt on, a towel draped over his hair as he looked at her with a confused expression.

He waved his hand in front of her face. "Are you okay?"

This made Ingrid finally snap back to reality, the headache grew into a migraine, and she whispered with what sounded like a moan, "Did... did anything happen?"

.

.

.

The smell of coffee and something frying drifted up from downstairs. A minute later, Emiya set a full plate in front of her - eggs, toast, beans, the works - along with a glass of orange juice. He leaned against the counter with his own coffee and nodded at it. "Eat. You barely touched anything yesterday, and before you ask, no, I'm not giving you usual coffee. Your liver's been through enough."

He said it so casually while Ingrid, unable to even look him in the eyes, quietly whispered the same question, "What did I do last night?"

Emiya looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "You can't remember?" The former hell knight nodded timidly, still not looking him in the eyes. How could she? Even staying here for breakfast felt like a monumental task. "A lot happened last night. Honestly, I also need a bit of time to process it."

He said so while looking a bit uncomfortable, which made Ingrid become stunned. "Did I... harm you in any way because of my drunkenness?" She asked with a shaky voice, hoping she didn't make a bigger fool of herself.

Emiya repeated, "Harm me? Well, if you want to look at it that way, then kind of?" Her face went pale with mortification, only for him to wave his hand, "Just joking. You were quite loud, yes, and I tried to bring you back to my room to have you rest in a bed so you could sober up, and... well, I'd prefer not to speak any more about what happened next. We all do things we wouldn't normally do under the influence."

Ingrid studied him in silence. She had spent enough time reading people under pressure to know where to look - the jaw, the hands, the feet. He scratched the back of his head once, a small thing, but she caught it. His weight shifted. Still, he held her gaze better than most did, and she gave him that much. It didn't mean she was convinced, but it meant something.

"I appreciate your words and everything you've done, but it's not something I can let slide so easily. I don't usually have such holes in my memories. I really must have drunk a lot yesterday, not to mention that in a town like this, I have to take measures to ensure... certain precautions. Cough... Well, you understand how there could be a few that feel entitled to take advantage of a drunken maiden."

"Yeah, I mean, you drank enough to empty my stock. I'm amazed how you drank all of that without throwing up or going to the bathroom once... wait, what was that last part?"

Mostly because of her demonic nature and how she was not a human to begin with, she could tell that she was making him instinctively uncomfortable... Unlike her kind, who could easily stomach far more than an average person, he did not need to know that.

"Wait, that's not what I mean. Hah, well, just so you don't think I'm hiding anything from you, I'll come clean about last night... and save us the awkwardness of finding it out later. But I did have my first kiss last night. Kind of embarrassing since coming here, but it's the truth."

Though the revelation was given to her briefly, as if it were just him talking about the weather, it struck like a hammer to Ingrid's mind.

"Huh?" She paused, scrutinizing him further. Truthfully, had he even revealed that it had gone into something more, then blades would have been drawn in the end.

Still, Ingrid went slack-jawed at the mention of that discovery. Emiya continued with an almost bittersweet chuckle, saying, "I usually am used to dealing with drunk customers, but this kiss was definitely a first in all my time in this place. I did not expect it to ever turn out this way or from such a beautiful woman. You are surprisingly bold when drunk." Ingrid tried to say something but found herself unable to find the words as Emiya continued, "And you just tried to get more and more passionate, and at some point, you ended up removing your clothes and then... Well, thankfully, you passed out and I was able to get things under control at the end before things went a bit too far."

Ingrid stared at him in a daze, her head tilting at him in curiosity at the person in front of her. Again, hard to trust those words when she was keenly aware of her own strength and in a state where she had no control, making it dangerous for those around her. Still, he looked fine, and the room itself, aside from her messy clothes, did not appear trashed and the bed seemed intact. "Hah, truly what a mess."

"Still having doubts?"

His steel gray eyes held hers... calm, clear, utterly still. No wavering. It was something she couldn't even find in her own reflection most days. And it wasn't a mask of someone hiding their true motives behind a construct.

She shook her head, "No, no, I don't. Part of me is just naturally paranoid with such things." Trying to turn this conversation into an interrogation based on some uncertainty would just muddy what little of their relationship she wanted to salvage. Her memories of the night would return, that much she knew of, and if something did actually happen then...

'I'll figure it out then.'

For now, she just wanted to go back to her post and focus on something else. Examine her body later on in her spare time, as well, just to be safe that there aren't any... left over traces.

Unable to hear this anymore, she got up suddenly before going around the table and walking to his side and bowed apologetically. "I... I wasn't in the right state of mind, Emiya. I did not mean to do this, nor was it my intention to make things difficult for you! I feel ashamed of my actions and can only hope for forgiveness."

"Again, it's fine. I won't hold that against you."

"You are... hah, being too kind in this matter. Um... Did I hurt you at all? Did I leave any cuts or bruises on you?" she asked while looking over his body cautiously.

"Bruises, don't think, but even if there were, thankfully, I recovered fast, and my body is not that weak. You don't have to feel ashamed; this part of town is dangerous. And yeah, no cuts, thankfully enough. Why do you ask that? Don't tell me you have a tendency to cut people?"

It sounded like a joke, sure, but it still made it hard to just let it go so easily and pretend nothing happened.

"Tch, what a horrible way to start the day." She turned away, her heart still beating like a drum with shame, anger, and disappointment raging within her mind. Whether it was due to the remnants of the alcohol in her system or something else - she couldn't tell. "If you decide to ban me forever from walking into this cafe, then I would understand. I will make sure to send you an ample amount of monetary compensation for my actions, and I will make sure to never reappear in your life and make things difficult."

But before she was able to leave, his voice reached her ears.

"If you feel uncomfortable, then I won't force you. But I believe that we should at least have a small conversation in order to air out any misunderstanding." That froze her in her step, for she knew he was right. She looked back with confusion as he calmly drank his coffee, "I do not exactly blame you. It was a bit uncomfortable, given how sudden everything was, but I managed to handle things somewhat."

Ingrid asked hesitantly, "Is that really true? I can be... unpredictable when drunk."

Only for him to shrug his shoulders. "Aside from that, I did not really have any other choice. Your strength was a bit ridiculous. It felt like trying to move an entire wall with little to no success at first."

This made her groan out loud, and she found herself unable to stop herself. "That sounds worse!"

Emiya just drank his coffee and then said, "Is that so? Well, you can't change the past. But I really am not mad at you, nor do I hold any grudge. In a certain way, it was actually a nice memory. I know that you are a kind woman and did not do anything like that with malicious intent, and thus I forgive you."

This surprised her as she looked at him with disbelief. "If we did do anything to what you are suggesting, then this is a serious matter. You would forgive me so easily?" she asked.

"Yes."Looking at her in her bright eyes, and telling her, "You looked quite sad yesterday, and I was also partly to blame for indulging you rather than stopping you."

Ingrid tried to remember everything, but only fragments surfaced-faint sensations, a masculine figure pressed against the bed. All that came was Black's face. She froze as Emiya quietly added, "The entire time, you kept calling me Black. You were probably mistaking me for someone else." He paused. "You were venting a lot. Verbally and physically."

"-!"

That made her stop completely.

Her mind blanked. Then the embarrassment hit hard enough that she genuinely considered never returning to this part of town again. Her face burned as every second of what she probably did replayed itself in her head. At this point, even thinking about walking past this café another time felt impossible.

"How am I supposed to show my face here again..." she muttered under her breath.

Before she could sink further into that thought, Emiya's voice called out from behind her.

"You didn't finish your breakfast."

She froze again.

"And," he continued casually, "I'm kind of curious about this boyfriend that left you in this state. Or maybe your ex-boyfriend now?"

The woman stiffened immediately before slowly turning back toward him. "...Black isn't my boyfriend," she said quietly. Her eyes drifted away from him almost at once, guilt written plainly across her face now that the panic had settled. Looking far less aggressive than before, almost uncomfortable standing there.

"Didn't seem like it. I am just curious why all of that happened. You never brought up this Black before, but clearly, there is a lot going on between you and this Black."

This made her go quiet as she then told him, "Black is actually my boss," before looking at him and asking, "Do you know the corporation, Nomad?"

He replied, "Who doesn't know of Nomad? It's like the biggest corporation in the world, or at least one of the biggest. I only know about it through name alone, but its influence is far bigger in this place compared to where I'm from."

Ingrid nodded her head. "Black is actually the CEO of said corporation, and I actually work for him quite closely. You can think of me as his right hand, acting in his stead if he's unavailable. Honestly, I am a bit surprised you never recognized me."

This made Emiya smile in wonder and an amazed look, "Well, I usually don't meddle with such matters, but you did seem familiar at first, like I'd seen you on TV. Though I tend to find many faces familiar, I just never put too much thought into it. Kinda blurs when you see so many faces in my line of work. So he's a big deal. Is this the stereotypical story of a secretary having a secret love affair with her boss, then?"

This made her go fully red with embarrassment as she tried to come up with an argument against that, but was unable to come up with anything and just said, "It's more complicated than that. I am more than just a secretary to him. But still, I knew our relationship could never be more than what it came to be. Still, I hoped it could, especially after a certain someone told me it was okay."

"My bad. Still, at least you tried, right? That's something. A step in the right direction. At least now you've made him aware."

At the same time, scenes of her past with Black flashed through her mind. Every time they spent together side by side, she protected him at every chance and fulfilled her duty as his Hell knight, even if she was technically just a former one. All the enemies they dealt with, all the adventures they went on together in their younger years. But then all of that shattered as soon as she remembered his words last night. She sadly continued, "At least, that's what I thought. But clearly, I truly was nothing more than a secretary to him."

Emiya then said, "He must be something else if a girl like you is head over heels over him?" which made her nod her head. "If you're willing to tell me what's going on in detail, what happened, and more about your life, you might as well treat this as repayment for what happened last night."

Ingrid chuckled, "This barely counts as repayment."

"It's fine. You still have to show me the event at the Chaos Arena, so I'll be counting on you for that."

The Chaos Arena... as soon as she remembered that matter, a look of frustration passed across her face. If he were to witness that, there was no doubt that any sense of goodwill would be gone for good. She hoped to show him other, more beautiful aspects of Nomad, but the Arena just was not one. 'But I can't keep it hidden from him forever.'

At the end of the day, one could not bury their secrets forever. The more she fought back, the more he would get suspicious. He forgave her, and the least she could do was repay him with honesty. "I will help you, Emiya. But be warned, you... may not like what will happen there. If you feel uncomfortable, then please let me know. I will get you out in an instant without anyone noticing your presence. I'd rather not want others to find out or suspect that you are someone who frequents such a place."

'Much less if it's you who is not fond of such things.'

It would be the last favour for her to grant him. Ingrid knew that after that, he might not even want to see her face again. But that was a reality she accepted and would face without hiding away.

A particular glint flashed across the white-haired man's eyes.

"Thanks, sorry in advance for any trouble I may cause."

.

.

.

After leaving the café, Ingrid first returned to her penthouse apartment to put on a new suit in order not to draw any suspicions from certain people before heading to Nomad and heading straight for her office. The moment she stepped inside, her assistant stood up from beside the desk. "Your coffee is ready, ma'am."

"Mm."

The cup had already been prepared exactly how she liked it. Ingrid moved to her desk, ready to grab her favorite bottle of whiskey, and ready to pour it--

Then stopped.

For some reason, Emiya's voice crossed her mind again. 'Take better care of yourself. Reduce the amount you drink.' A small piece of advice that should have been ignored, yet she found herself unable to do so.

"...Tch."

Without really thinking about it, she put the whiskey bottle back on her desk and drank the coffee straight down.

Only after sitting down did she realize what she had just done. Ingrid leaned back in her chair and rubbed a hand across her face. "What the hell am I even doing with my life lately...?"

The question lingered in the quiet office for a moment before she noticed movement outside the glass walls.

Several employees were standing nearby, pretending to work while very obviously glancing in her direction with nervous expressions.

She frowned immediately.

"...What happened?" she asked sharply, glaring at everyone. "Why is everyone acting as if someone died?"

The workers visibly stiffened.

One of them hurried inside carrying a file against his chest. "M-Ma'am," he said nervously, "something happened at the arena last night."

At the arena? She didn't notice anything from the outside, but then again, it wasn't easy to see the inside from beyond the perimeter, as the walls were just too high for that. Given that the same subject was brought up at the cafe, her mind instantly zeroed in on business mode as the workers had successfully gotten her attention. Taking the file from him and opening it while still seated.

At first, her expression stayed neutral as she read through it.

Then her eyes widened.

The chair scraped loudly against the floor as she stood up so suddenly that the employee nearly jumped.

"Where is she!?" Ingrid shouted.

The man flinched hard enough to almost drop the remaining papers in his hands. "T-The Taimanin is currently detained-"

"I'm not talking about the Taimanin!" she snapped, just 'this close' from just taking out her sword and cutting everything in the office. The sheer force in her voice silenced the entire office outside. "I'm asking about that stupid bitch, Oboro!"

The employee stared at her for a second before hurriedly answering. "S-She's in the med bay right now, but-"

Ingrid was already moving.

She pushed past him without waiting for the rest of the explanation and stormed out of the office at a pace that forced everyone in the hallway to quickly get out of her way. The sound of her heels striking the floor echoed through the corridor as she headed straight toward the medical wing, her expression darker than anyone there had seen on her for a long time.

She arrived at the medical wing only a short time later.

The moment the woman stepped inside the infirmary, she spotted Oboro lying on one of the beds near the back of the room. Several bandages had already been removed from her arms while a doctor worked on the remaining ones around her shoulder and side.

"It's nothing critical," the Doctor said while checking the injuries. The former stopped mid-sentence after noticing Ingrid standing at the entrance.

The atmosphere in the room shifted immediately.

"Out!"

The doctor straightened himself at once at her command and bowed his head slightly. "Lady Ingrid." Without waiting for a response, he quietly excused himself and hurried out of the room, clearly not wanting to stay between the two women any longer.

The door closed behind him, and silence settled over the infirmary before she finally opened her mouth, bringing up the one matter that irked her the most.

"You let Asagi escape again? This time with severe collateral damage!"

The reaction was immediate. Oboro's fist flew toward her face without warning. Yet the attack did not reach her, and it got caught effortlessly with one hand. The impact made a dull sound against her palm, but she barely reacted beyond narrowing her eyes slightly.

Oboro glared back at her from the bed. "You don't get to lecture me about failure!"

Ingrid's expression remained flat.

Ingrid twisted Oboro's wrist brutally, the crack of bone audible even in the sterile room. The former's scream tore through the infirmary, her face contorting in agony as she tried to pull away.

"How did you manage to fuck this up?" Ingrid hissed, maintaining her grip on the broken wrist. "You had Asagi right were we wanted her. She was right there. We finally had her, and you let her slip away again; with half our security detail dead and the arena damaged!"

Oboro's eyes blazed with hatred despite the pain. "You don't get to judge me, you bitch! Where the hell were you last night? While I was dealing with that Taimanin, you were nowhere to be found!"

That question immediately brought back fragmented memories Ingrid would rather not revisit.

The café.

The alcohol.

Waking up in that lonely room.

And Emiya.

A brief wave of embarrassment crossed her face before she suppressed it almost immediately. "T-That's none of your business," Ingrid replied coldly. "I was handling a task Black assigned to me if you must know."

Oboro stared at her for a second before letting out a mocking laugh.

"Please. Not even the dumbest demon would believe something that obvious." Her eyes narrowed, doing her best to ignore the pain in her wrist. "While you were gone, abandoning your duties, I stayed at the arena and prepared a proper trap for Asagi to finally put that bitch in her place. I was following my orders, while you, the poster child of obedience and perfection, were gone, so I don't want to hear any lip from you."

"I'll admit my absence was a mistake, and I should have overseen the project myself. Even so, that should not have affected your ability to complete the mission. And remember, Black ordered you to capture her, not chase a personal vendetta that nearly let her escape."

"You don't get how that woman's mind works! Breaking her is the same as capturing her. If you don't have the guts to do it yourself, then don't question how I go about it."

"I can when you keep failing. Black-sama gave you a second chance, which you just failed. I admit my faults, and so should you. Don't try to put the blame on me alone." Ingrid finally let go of Oboro's fist before crossing her arms. "There will most likely not be a third time, so I will advise you to stay quiet on this matter for now till further judgment from Black-sama is rendered."

Oboro's expression darkened instantly, for she knew a third chance was very unlikely, and what awaited her would be a punishment that made her skin crawl. Tortured and violated by those... things until both her mind and body gave out. "I will not accept this."

"You must," Ingrid continued with a higher tone, getting frustrated by the woman's constant need to dominate others instead of just doing her damn job, "At this rate, you are making it easier for Asagi to get away. Try anything absurd and out of order, and it could end up with a third or fourth failure, too. For your own sake, step out of this matter."

The veins near Oboro's forehead visibly twitched.

"You talk too much for someone who disappeared the entire night," she hissed. "Don't get all high and mighty with me, bitch."

Ingrid glared back at her, "and you talk too much for someone lying in intensive care. Don't believe just because I serve Black-sama does not mean I have to put up with this tantrum."

For a moment, it genuinely looked like Oboro might try punching her again despite her injuries and what had happened moments ago. The tension in the room rose almost immediately, neither woman willing to back down even slightly as they glared at each other across the infirmary.

Till finally, one broke.

That comment had finally pushed Oboro over the edge. Her expression twisted with anger as she grabbed the claw-like wrist blades resting beside the bed with her good hand and lunged forward without caring about the injuries across her body. The metal flashed toward Ingrid's face in a fast diagonal strike meant to tear straight through her.

Ingrid moved first.

"Hah!" Her hand shot out and caught Oboro by the throat before the blades could even reach her. A second later, Oboro was slammed hard against the wall beside the bed. The impact rattled the nearby equipment and forced a strained grunt out of her as the back of her head struck the surface.

The taller woman held her there effortlessly with one hand.

"You've been getting far too arrogant lately," Ingrid said coldly, her eyes fixed on Oboro without the slightest trace of emotion. "Just because Black-sama allowed you to go after Igawa Asagi instead of me doesn't suddenly make you above me as a warrior. In your current state, you are merely particularly useful for this one job. Fail that, and he will have no more use for you."

Oboro tried to pry her hand away while glaring at her with such open hatred and vitriol that it twisted her face into a hideous grimace.

But Ingrid barely reacted, having seen it too many times and had seen far worse. The difference in strength between them was obvious. Even injured, she was dangerous, but Ingrid held her in place like it meant nothing.

"You should remember who his actual right hand is," she continued. "No matter how much favor you think you've gained, you are still not irreplaceable or the only one who can be given this task. If you wish to be worthy of the station you have been given, then prove it. A rebellious tool is a liability that needs to be purged, not kept."

Her grip tightened slightly around the violet-haired woman's throat, enough to make her tense and suffocate.

The other wrist came next.

Ingrid's free hand shot out and seized Oboro's remaining good wrist before twisting it sharply in the opposite direction. The snap of bone echoed through the infirmary, louder than the first. Oboro's mouth opened wide in a scream that never came - the grip around her throat had tightened enough to cut off any sound beyond a strangled wheeze. Her body convulsed against the wall, legs kicking uselessly as tears of rage and pain streamed down her face.

The struggle lasted only a few more seconds.

When Oboro finally went limp, Ingrid released her without ceremony. The violet-haired woman slid down the wall and collapsed onto the bed, both wrists hanging at unnatural angles as she gasped for air. Her face had gone pale, and sweat dripped from her brow and gasping for air.

Ingrid didn't spare her another glance.

She turned away and straightened her suit, already mentally cataloging what needed to be done. The structural damage to the arena would require immediate attention if they intended to proceed with the upcoming event. Several support beams had collapsed, and the surveillance system needed a complete overhaul. Personnel losses would also need to be addressed-replacements found, training expedited.

"I'll oversee the repairs personally," she said, more to herself than to the woman behind her. "The event will proceed as scheduled."

Her heels clicked against the floor as she walked toward the door.

"Don't think you'll stay by his side for long."

The words came out hoarse, barely above a whisper, but they carried enough venom to fill the entire room.

Ingrid paused with her hand on the door handle.

"I'll climb up and tear you down from that perch soon," Oboro continued, her voice trembling with barely contained fury. "No matter how long it takes. I'll make you regret every second of this humiliation."

She turned a cold glare on the former Taimanin, looking at her as if she were nothing more than a bug. Instead of leaving as planned, to let the woman heal from her fresh wounds, Oboro's final remark pulled her into a final taunt, despite a quiet awareness that it already pushed the limits of a knight's conduct.

"If I wanted to. I could kill you right now, throw your body in the trash and have someone else replace you before this afternoon ends."

The claws in Oboro's hands trembled faintly with anger.

"And Black wouldn't care," Ingrid added, her tone steady and hollow. "There are countless people who can take your place, and probably do a better job. But know this: there is only one of me." And she would prove that to anyone who came her way.

The room fell silent after that. Oboro's killing intent poured out so heavily that even the air in the infirmary seemed tense. Staring directly into Ingrid's eyes without backing down for even a second, her expression making it obvious she wanted nothing more than to tear her apart right there, her glare never leaving the hell knight for even a moment.

Ingrid remained completely unmoved and after several seconds...

The pink-haired woman turned around and started walking toward the exit as if nothing had happened.

"I'll be reporting to Black-sama on the current situation. Including your second failure."

Oboro's jaw clenched visibly.

"And from now on, I'll be handling Murasaki personally, including her interrogation," she continued while approaching the door. "I'm not interested in watching this become another embarrassment because you failed to secure all parties properly or because you want to indulge in your little power plays. Nomad's reputation and 'his' are on the line, and I will not have it be tainted."

"You bitch..." Oboro hissed through clenched teeth, nearly cracking them.

Ingrid glanced back at her from the doorway with a faint smirk on her face.

"If you disagree with my decision, then bring it up with Black-sama yourself. Let's see if he can trust you on this matter again."

With that, she stepped out of the infirmary and shut the door behind her, leaving Oboro alone in the room, the injured woman trembling with rage.

"WRRRRAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"

Crash!

A loud scream of anger echoed inside the room for several seconds as the entire bed frame was thrown against the wall before it was destroyed by the sheer impact. Oboro's temper tantrum raged, insulting Ingrid in the worst ways possible, she could think of. "That fucking bitch! That goddamn, prideful, smart-mouth whore! Who does she think she is? I'll rip her fucking throat out and feed it to the orcs! That stuck-up cunt thinks she's so special just because she's Black's little fuck pet, Hell Knight!? I'll show her what a real monster is! I'll peel the skin from her bones and wear it as a fucking coat! That arrogant slut needs to be put in her place, and I'll be the one to do it! I'll make her beg for death before I'm done with her! Mark my fucking words!"

Smash!

Smash!

Smash!

Smash!

Her rant and destruction of the room continued for a while, venting her frustration despite being unable to use her hands. No one dared enter it or get close, knowing that they would be killed merely for being there in the first place.

By the end, as she managed to calm down somewhat from her blood rage, the entire room had been trashed into oblivion, with her hair a mess and everything in complete disorder.

"Kaliya! I know you're out there! Get in here!" Oboro called out the name with a boom. Soon after, a platinum-haired woman with red eyes and a curvaceous body similar to that of her own master entered the room with hesitation, it being clear that the person in front was not exactly in her best mood. Oboro did not waste any time, asking, "What was Ingrid doing? Why was she missing from her post last night!?"

Kaliya couldn't help but shiver at first at Oboro's killing intent and bloodlust, though whether that was in fear or anticipation was anyone's guess. Keeping her composure, she answered swiftly. "Her car has often been spotted heading into the same area downtown. The cafe from earlier, including her leave just yesterday. If I may add, she seemed pretty depressed last night before then."

Oboro repeated, "The cafe? Depressed?" Starting to connect the dots, she began chuckling.

"The bitch has been a little too emotional lately, I can tell ever so slightly. She was a fucking mess yesterday, but today she looked somewhat better. It must be whatever or whoever is inside that cafe making her like that. The bitch must have got herself a fuck toy and is playing all high and mighty when she's actually just having fun out there while I myself was handling all the important stuff!" Oboro gritted her teeth, "I'll make sure that Ingrid will find herself stuck in the same prison cell as Murasaki, and no one will come to save her."

Then she walked out, telling the others, "Put me in contact with Kiryuu and give me the address of that cafe. I'll check out that place myself and deal with her walking dildo. It's high time for Ingrid to understand that she shouldn't fuck with me!"

------------

The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Taimanin with 3, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.