Scrapper Scuttler emerged from the rubble in the middle of the street, rolling out his shoulders as he raised his oversized gun.

  "Well, shit. Y'all sure know how to make arance, don't cha? Y'all shoulda been actors! I see you're missin' squidhead and the fel with eyelihough," Scrapper Scuttler grunted as the armored ptes on his back opened up, firing another salvo of missiles at the two.

  Stel— Elysia rushed over to Ichigo, her hands glowing as she reach down at Cw Strawberry's mangled legs.

  "Watch our backs, Lux," Elysia muttered as her aura swirled, holding her hand over Cw Strawberry's wounds.

  Braveheart Kitsune, meanwhile, stepped up to Braveheart Gryphon.

  "Ready?" Gryphon grinned.

  "You know it," Kitsune smirked, dropping into a crouch.

  Kitsune suddenly uncorked a red gourd and chugged from it.

  The fox-boy suddenly lit up with green light, and the aura of wind that was ed around his body suddenly grew more violent. He smmed the stopper in pd then dashed forward, his body a green streak rag to fnk Scrapper Scuttler.

  Gryphon charged in head-on.

  His wings unfurled behind him and he burst forward with a ferocious gust of wind as he drew a bzing red sword out of thin air.

  Scrapper Scuttler turo them, raising his own sword as the two of them raced forward. Multiple partments in the suit of power armor opened up and began to fire, bullets spraying the ground and kig up dirt.

  Gryphon's golden aura swirled, creating a protective shell of light around him.

  Kitsune dashed forward on all fours like a fox, rag behind him. I saw him rear his head bad then spit out peared to be a stream of oil.

  The oil coated the ground around the merary, and Braveheart Gryphon swung his sword, sending an are that lit the ground abze.

  "Hah! Won't work ohis time!" Scrapper Scuttler shouted. "Been a minute since I had to fight yer little posse, but I've upgraded my kit!"

  A series of panels opened on his shoulder and back. Several small rockets shot out of the panels directly at Gryphon. They were smaller than the ohat had hit the sushi pce, but they still looked just as dangerous.

  "Let's dance, boys! Yeehaw!"

  The three cshed, a whirlwind of energy and a cacophony of sound rang out. I saw Scrapper Scuttler bullets and bursts of red energy from a gau, and Braveheart Gryphon's fming sword cshed against the merary's bde as it appeared in a fsh of purple and blue.

  Scrapper Scuttler's red eye began to glow as he raised the other arm. It fired several more missiles that Braveheart Kitsune dodged with incredible agility as they followed him around. Crackles of lightning and wind raced around him as he twisted and turned, before finally leaping forward with his hands crag with power.

  "Gryph!" Kitsune yelled, grabbing hold of the merary and unleashing a surge of electricity into the armor.

  Scrapper Scuttler grunted as sparks raced around the suit. He swung at Kitsune, who jumped bad nded on the ground.

  "Tch! I ain't gettin' paid near enough to fight these kids!"

  Braveheart Gryphon was right on time, however, as his own bzing sword met with the merary's.

  "I think you might o call for help," Kitsune said with a smirk, a pair of kamas materializing in his hand as he dashed around to the side. He was so quick I barely caught his movement, even with my aura sense.

  This was a fight on a different level.

  Kitsune wasn't all that much faster than Stel, but he was so fluid, and his movements so practiced and precise. Even as I tried to track his movements with my aura sight, he seemed to disappear, his aura cloaking in a way that reminded me of Stel's own ability as Eris.

  "That move..." Elysia's eyes widened in reition, pausing for a long moment before she turo finish her healing on Cw Strawberry. The girl's legs had stopped bleeding, but there was a lot of bruising, and they had some ugly wounds.

  "I walk now," Cw Strawberry growled. "Let me fight."

  "Hang in there, Ichi... Cw Strawberry," Elysia replied, focused on the healing. "I'm not doh you just yet."

  "Cw Strawberry," Bck Star muttered. "How are you holding up?"

  "I'll live, Enrico. Remind me. Who's the weird chi the silver dress?" Cw Strawberry asked half-jokingly. "She's not bad. Kind of pretty."

  Elysia chuckled, not answering, before narrowing her eyes in tration.

  "This is way above our pay grade. Except maybe Elysia," I ented as I turned back to Bck Star. "Are you okay?"

  Bck Star was looking off into space.

  "I think I'm in shock, Sparkle Princess," he replied, his voice ft. "My brain's not w. I'm kinda hungry too."

  "What?" I answered ftly.

  "Don't Fet. He didn't e alone. White Rose was fighting Arsenal, right? Where are they now?" Albert asked, gng back at the burning building. "And who the fuck would want to hire these psychos?"

  I gulped.

  That was right. I hadn't fotten, but... the fight was so overwhelming. I looked up to the rooftops and the street, but her of them was ao be seen.

  Cw Currant cursed, jumping back from the battle and rushing to us, shaking his head. "No use for any of us to get involved. Those two are basically fighting as one unit, and we'll only get in the way."

  "You've got a point," Albert admitted, looking at the two Bravehearts critically as they swarmed Scrapper Scuttler.

  "So," Cw Currant turo us, looking down. "The hell is going on? Strawberry sent some weird texts about being attacked. And then she didn't respond after telling me everything was fine and that the sushi was good. What happened?"

  He looked at us, his gaze intense. His aura was sharp and dangerous, like a sword, but tightly ed and tained around his own body.

  "We were ambushed," Albert expined. "Someone cursed us or something without anyone here notig, making us think nothing was wrong. Nobody even knew what was wrong until Elysia sed us."

  Cw Currant narrowed his eyes. "That shouldn't be happen to a knight, even to low level cadets like us."

  Elysia nodded. "Yeah, it's weird. But Lux figured it out and dispelled the effe all of us. It was some plicated work, like a ttice around our ins."

  Cw Currant raised an eyebrow at me in surprise. "You don't say?"

  "What's up, Currant?" I asked.

  He shook his head looked up to the fight, where Scrapper Scuttler and Braveheart Gryphon were engaged in an intense bad forth, exging blows as they danced around each other across the street.

  Gryphon was definitely faster, but every time Scrapper Scuttler nded a strike on him, Braveheart Gryphon ushed back.

  "We were at the indoor training facility, and then I got Strawberry's messages. They came off as weird to me so we came to che her and saw the explosions. These two were showihe ropes so they insisted on helpi here faster," Cw Currant expined. "Strawberry and I have a location sharing app, so I knew she'd be here."

  "Thank fug god for siblings, huh?" Cw Strawberry ughed weakly, getting to her feet.

  " you move?" Albert asked, in her eyes.

  "I , but... holy hell, look at them go."

  Kitsune dashed around the merary and Braveheart Gryphon. His aura fred and he began to move even faster.

  Kitsune suddenly disappeared into thin air. Braveheart Gryphon grunted as he swung his fming bde, parrying arike from the merary's own glowing sword, before jumping backwards and spreading his wings.

  A bst of wind was unleashed as he fpped his wings once, sending the merary tumbling back through the air.

  Braveheart Gryphon nded in a crouch, and then a burst of wind unched him bato the air, his bde raised high as his own red aura fred, ing around him and densing into fmes. He flew forward like a bzing et, smming into the merary's sword.

  Scrapper Scuttler ushed backwards, his bde sparking against the burning aura.

  "Fuck, that's cool," Cw Strawberry said. "That might hit even harder than my meteor dive."

  "Gryphon is really good," Albert agreed. "But Scrapper Scuttler's power armor seems to be keeping him ahead."

  "Yeah, I guess you're right," she nodded, flexing her hands. "But Gryphon's got this. I'd say that suit is a problem, but the kid's way above our level with Kitsune supp him."

  "No," Elysia interjected, her voice calm and serious as she stood o us. "It may look so, but Scuttler's adapting and he's used to this kind of fighting."

  "Are you sure?"

  Elysia narrowed her eyes.

  "Look closer," she pointed.

  I turned my attention to the two.

  Braveheart Gryphon had been pushed back by Scrapper Scuttler and he anting heavily.

  "You ain't got the birength needed without the rest of your posse, boy!" Scrapper Scuttler taunted.

  Gryphon grinned with bravado.

  "'Tis not a matter of strength, but of teique! For a knight must hone his skill with a bde to fight through eveoughest of trials! We shall prevail!"

  Braveheart Gryphon spread out his wings and raised his sword high above his head.

  "Now!"

  Kitsune reappeared in a fsh of light and smmed into Scrapper Scuttler with the force of aeen wheeler truck. Lightning crackled over the merary's armor as he pnted his legs and cocked his arm back.

  "Aerale Strike!" he yelled, a bst of wind swirling around his body as he bsted the merary point-bnk with a magically enhanced palm strike.

  But he failed to even stagger the merary.

  "What?!"

  "ry," Scrapper Scuttler growled.

  His red eye began to glow and he fired several missiles from his shoulders at point bnk range. Kitsune barely reacted fast enough, jumping ba a fsh of green, but not fast enough to escape the explosioirely.

  Kitsune flew backwards and nded on the ground hard, groaning. His left arm was covered in scrapes and mild burns, while his legs had more severe injuries.

  "Dammit," Braveheart Kitsune groaned, struggling to stand.

  Gryphon dashed towards his injured rade.

  Kitsune gritted his teeth and stood up straight, his entire body crag with greericity.

  "That move. Do y?" I turo Elysia who was staring at the fight with a quiet iy.

  "Lightning Overdrive. That was Storm Vixen's personal trademark teique," Elysia whispered in my ear.

  My eyes widened in shock as I turo Elysia. "That's... isn't that?"

  "Yeah. I used it, remember? When we fought the first time, I used it kinda drop kick you," Elysia replied with a slight nod. "It isn't plicated in theory, but it takes a lot of fine mana trol. It also takes a toll on the user and depends a lot on their physical ditioning, and Kitsune's been slowing down every passing minute. I don't think he's mastered it yet, not to the extent Storm Vixen had, and not for sustained bat like this."

  I remembered back to the photo I'd found on Emberline's desk. Storm Vixen was a legendary magical girl who'd been the sole member of Arcadia Vox's inal team to stay with her until the end. She was remembered fondly for her hyperactive nature and tough, uplifting spirit, and for being the fastest woman alive.

  I turned back to the fight. Braveheart Gryphon had reached Kitsune's side and the two had backed away from Scrapper Scuttler. They stood shoulder to shoulder as Scrapper Scuttler stalked forward.

  "Well, this has certainly been fun, but I got a bounty to collect," he said, his armored hand g as he turned his head briefly toward our dire. "You kids put up a heck of a fight."

  Bck Star took a step back as if to run, but he hesitated when Albert grabbed his arm.

  "White Rose is out there. And who knows if he's got even more help waiting in the wings," Albert whispered. "If you run off, we'll be right back to where we were when this whole shitshow started. Except with a different VIP this time."

  "Shitshow's right," Cw Strawberry muttered, looking around. Her tail and cat ears twitched as she looked around, but her expression was grim.

  Kitsune and Gryphon o each ryphon held his sword out and it burst into fme as the wind began to gather around him. Kitsune's legs a arm sparked with electricity as he braced himself.

  "Strawberry. you fight?" Currant asked.

  Strawberry grinned, her eyes sparkling with iy. "You betcha. I'm a bit banged up, but I move and that's all I need."

  "We would only get in the way now, but without Kraken and Sphinx, the Bravehearts will lose if they get worn down. We have reinforts on the way," Currant expined.

  Albert nodded. "We just o hold out."

  I turo Scrapper Scuttler, who was still stalking towards them. His red eye was glowing and a partment on his wrist opeo reveal a rge missile.

  Braveheart Gryphon spread his wings, and then, without warning, he unched himself into the air like a bolt of lightning, the wind whipping around him as he raced forward. He swung his sword and a massive bst of fme shot out towards Scrapper Scuttler, who raised his gaued hand to fire the missile.

  There was an explosion as the two attacks collided.

  Kitsune disappeared from sight, his body shimmering in the light.

  Scrapper Scuttler took a step forward and raised his arm again, firing several shots at Gryphon. He blocked one and two with his bde and then raised his sword to deflect the third. The first wave of missiles exploded behind him, unleashing a cluster of smaller missiles that looped around him, before arg bad homing in.

  Gryphon was surrounded in a whirlwind of fmes that protected him from the missiles. He then burst through the inferno, flying straight for the armored merary with his sword held high above his head.

  Scuttler cracked his neontly, before raising his hand and shooting a missile from his palm directly at Gryphon.

  "Gryph!" Kitsune shouted as he reappeared on the merary's other side. A series of glowing wind spears formed and then shot forward at Scrapper Scuttler, before he turned and blocked the attack with a simple wave of his gau.

  A panel on his back opened, releasing several more missiles at Gryphon.

  Braveheart Gryphon fpped his wings and soared higher, dodging the ining missiles. He spiraled around the barrage and charged forward with a bst of fire and wind surrounding him.

  The two cshed again and the air around us seemed to shake from the impact. Their swords cshed in a shower of sparks.

  "Shit," Cw Currant cursed. "They won't win at this rate."

  "Should we...?" Strawberry asked.

  "Best we do is relieve them if they need a breather. If he starts to get serious we're toast."

  "The Bravehearts are strong, but..." I muttered.

  Scrapper Scuttler ughed, throwing his head back as he blocked arike from Braveheart Gryphon. He swung his fist and a bde extended from his wrist, which he swung at Gryphon. The knight barely blocked the swing, but was forced back as Scrapper Scuttler pressed forward, smming the muscled boy with his shoulder.

  Gryphon's golden aura ed around him protectively as the armored man struck him, but the impact owerful, and he was ko the side. Scrapper Scuttler then grabbed him by the throat with a gaued fist and raised his other fist, which was charged with a bst of crimson and purple energy, and swung down hard at his face.

  "Brother!" Braveheart Kitsune reappeared, grabbing Gryphon by the waist and rolling with the momentum just as the blow ected, barely avoiding a blow that would have knocked his head off. Both boys skid and bounced across the street as Kitsune's winds fanned out, breaking the momentum and nding in a heap several blocks away in a deafening crash.

  Scrapper Scuttler looked over at me, his gaze intense, and my blood ran cold. I could feel the heat of his red eye and the iy of his gaze as he focused on us.

  "Well, shit," he said, turning to look at the dust cloud where the two had gone flying. "Looks like I got a little too into it. 't let those kids have all the fun, huh?"

  Scrapper Scuttler cracked his neck again before stalking towards us.

  "I was hired t the kid in alive. But the tract didn't mention the rest of you, and you're in the way of me getting paid, so I guess it's time for me to take this a little more seriously."

  My heart sank into the pit of my stomach as the merary stopped, standing before us. He looked down at me and grinned.

  "I'm gonna enjoy this," he growled, his single eye fshing red.