CHAPTER TWENTY THREE: NONE LEFT ALIVE

"How… am I… doing, Joanne?" Erica gasped as she used her right arm to execute the rotator technique. She had been training for a week now. Pearlyn was leaning against a tree, watching. "How much has…my rotator sword…approached yours?

"Um…" Joanne did not know what to say. She did not want to sound mean.

"The truth is, your rotator sword won't even last one minute against her. Right now, both your strength and speed are barely one-tenth of hers. And we already know that Joanne is just a weak number 9…"

"Thanks a lot, Pearlyn."

You're welcome," Pearlyn munched at her apple. "What?" she asked when Merissa glanced at her.

"Pearlyn! You're being rude again! That's something you don't say out loud, even if you think it!"

Pearlyn shrugged. "Sorry, but that's just how I roll. Besides, this is none of your business. I'm just insulting Joanne, and we're old friends."

Merissa looked up in exasperation. "How undignified." Then she spotted the warriors walking towards them. "Ylene! Serafiel! You're back!"

"Hey, how's it going?" Pearlyn asked.

"I helped reunite Samantha and Deanna with Janell and Jarell," Ylene said.

"I did a favour for Ruby and Sapphire," Serafiel said.

"What's that?" Felicia asked curiously.

Serafiel shrugged and refused to answer. What happened between us was secret.

"So what have you guys been up to?" Serafiel asked.

"Not much. Erica's here had been taking lessons from Joanne. The rest of us had been suppressing our youki while training too. And Galatea wants us to be on the move once you got back."

"Where are we going?" Ylene asked.

"To where we've been hiding since fifteen yeas ago," Miria said.

"They are not coming back, Ermita! I don't know why you won't let me go after them," a short haired warrior was fuming to a man in black.

"You better keep your temper in check, Mikaela. Last I heard, we were the ones giving orders. I'll send someone else after them."

"Who? They killed the fused twins, and spirited away another pair of twins right under our noses yesterday! There's nobody outside the single digits range who could kill them!"

"Don't worry your pretty head about this, you just focus on sensing their youki as usual." Ermita left.

A warrior with hair in two plaits walked casually down the corridor to gather at a nearby street of Gonal. Two identical looking warriors with two plaits each are also there. An irate looking warrior in ponytails was pacing around.

"Crystal! You're late!" The warrior said through gritted teeth.

"Relax, Carine. Good job on bringing the twins. I'm looking forward to working with you already!" Crystal smiled sweetly. "Just like old times, when we're numbers 3 and 4, huh?"

"Shut up." Grr, that annoying Crystal. Just because she's number 10 now she thinks she can boss me around. "So what, this mission's got you as the leader? What, they couldn't afford a single digit?"

"I see you're a little behind on news, Carine. Numbers 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 9 had

betrayed the organization. Numbers 4, 7 and 8 had died. So that left us. The organization is hoping that the remaining twins could help us."

"Are you insane, Crystal? Us, against numbers 1, 2 and 3? Do you have any idea how the fuck we're supposed to do that? I'm not doing this," Carine said in disgust.

"If you're thinking of leaving, don't. I'll just find you and kill you." Crystal's smile was still in place.

"I sense someone approaching," Galatea said.

"Are you sure? I don't sense anything," Pearlyn said.

"She's not called 'God Eye Galatea' for nothing. Besides, her twenty plus years of experience sure beats yours. Do you even have a nickname?" Miria asked. Pearlyn looked away. "That's what I thought."

"Anyway, as I was saying, I sense a team approaching. Looks like they're here to kill you," Galatea said.

"Is Mikaela there?" Erica asked eagerly.

"Are they strong?" Serafiel asked calmly.

"No. Appears to be in the tens. It is likely they are not here to kill you per se, but just to deal some collateral damage," Galatea said.

"What does that mean?" Felicia asked.

"It means that they're here to kill as many of us as possible. Well, especially the weak ones." Pearlyn nodded at Erica.

"I suggest we move to the mountains as soon as possible," Miria said.

"Won't it be better to just kill them?" Pearlyn asked. "We know they'll just keep on coming at us. Won't want them to be strong! Won't make another mistake like Teresa did."

"No." Everyone turned to look at Galatea. "We're let them come. And try to convert them. They're probably sent, as weak as they are, because the organization wants to get rid of them."

"What?" Serafiel asked. "Look, I know them. It's probably Carine and her cronies. Point is, they hate us. They won't join us!"

"We've got to try! Galatea's right, we should just try to help them," Felicia said.

Serafiel rolled her eyes. God, what an optimist.

Step by step, the execution team drew nearer. They were now on the outskirts of the forests near Teo Lake. Galatea and Miria had agreed earlier to hide nearby. With their youki suppressed, there's no chance warriors like Carine could possibly sense them.

"Everyone, we're here!" Crystal chirped cheerily.

Carine rolled her eyes. "Duh. So, they're all there? Idiots. You sure we just charge in?"

"No, Carine. We'll activate the twins."

Up until now, Amy and Nancy had just been following Crystal and Carine, expressionless and quiet. When Crystal said, "Nancy, attack!" Nancy awakened. A gust of blue wind blew around them.

"What the hell?" Lenore asked, down by the lake. "They're here! And they have the twins! One of them's awakened!"

Just then, Crystal, Carine and Nancy charged out of the forest. They surrounded the rebels, who were ready for them. Merissa, Pearlyn, Serafiel, Felicia, Ylene, Joanne, Lenore and Erica stared around for Amy, but she was not there.

"Looking for her?" Carine sneered. They had hidden Amy somewhere to prevent them from trying to harm her to get at Nancy, like how Riful had tried with

Beth. "Sorry, but I think you have bigger problems to worry about."

"Like you?" Pearlyn sneered.

"I'll go find her," Serafiel said.

"I'll go with you! You need someone to help you sense her!" Erica shouted.

"Um, Pearlyn?" Serafiel asked.

"What? One single digit is enough to find Amy. I'll stay here."

Shrugging, they went.