Crowded in the small kitchen were people Bam hadn't expected to see again for a long, long time. Even though Khun had told him that Shibisu might be at the Workshop Battle, it hadn't sunk in. Now, though, seeing him in person… Bam took a half-step forward, then stopped.

Khun was still standing in the doorway, a cold and calculating look in his eyes. Bam recognized that look: that look was for negotiations, not for friends. Still, Khun didn't miss a beat as he stepped into the room, slid into a seat, and pushed Anaak's feet off the table. "Long time no see," he said blandly, his smile never faltering.

Bam stifled a sigh. Shibisu, Amigocharz, Lauroe, and Anaak… they were his friends from the Floor of Tests. Maybe in another life they could have climbed together, but in this reality they hadn't, so they weren't a team, not really, not anymore. Nothing would change their friendship, but after seven long years, something ugly and unsaid was lurking under the surface. Until he discovered what that was, he would follow Khun's lead.

"Ah, hi, everybody," he said. After offering them a bashful smile, he ducked his head and took a seat at the table. Anaak's needle twitched and Shibisu narrowed his eyes, but Bam pretended not to notice. It had been seven years, and maybe they believed the rumors about FUG's newest Slayer Candidate. Still, since he wasn't dangerous or unpredictable, it couldn't hurt to be a little more friendly. He turned to Shibisu and extended his hand. "It's good to see you all again."

Anaak's needle thudded to the ground.

Shibisu was frozen, staring at his hand. "A-Again? We've met before?"

Lauroe lifted his head from the table and squinted. "Wait… Bam?"

"Oh! I understand now." With a smile, Bam pushed the hair out of his eyes. "It's still me, the 25th Bam. Sorry, I know the ponytail makes it hard."

Shibisu took a half-step back. "So… there are two possibilities," he said, never looking away from Bam's face. "Either Bam is a body double for Viole… or…."

"They're the same person," Khun finished, leaning back in his chair and making a show of checking his nails. "Viole is Bam, and Bam is Viole. It's not that hard." His eyes darted around the room. "Anyways, did you lose your Princess of Jahad? I thought Endorsi would want to see him again."

Anaak snorted. "Then you were wrong." Glaring at Khun, she kicked her feet back on top of the table. "She's still sore about Bam up and leaving."

"Buuuttt…" Shibisu was closer now, his arm around Anaak as he grinned at Bam. "Her feelings don't reflect the feelings of the team. We still want to be friends like the Floor of Tests, y'know?" His grin widened. "By the way Bam, nice ponytail. I should've guessed that FUG would make you a Slayer Candidate… you always did have mad talents."

When he awkwardly patted Bam's shoulder, Bam almost replied. But then Khun subtly shook his head, and so an awkward silence crept into the kitchen.

Shibisu huffed, then walked over to Khun. "Quite a place you've got here," he said, waving his gun at the cracked plaster walls. "I never would've guessed that you'd be here."

Khun smirked. "Now that you mention it… how did you find us?" When Shibisu didn't answer, Khun sighed. "Let's cut to the chase. What do you want? If you were really just a friend, you would've waited until the test was over."

Holding up his hands in mock-surrender, Shibisu chuckled and said, "Alright, you caught us, buddy. You were always sharp—"

"—and annoying—" Anaak interjected.

"—but this isn't what you think." He smiled ruefully. "We want your help so we can all learn the truth behind Hatz's death."

Bam froze. "Wait… but… why? Wasn't it a Jahad assassin?"

"Well," Shibisu said grimly, "that's what we thought, too. But then Princess Repellista said there was more to the story… and she offered us a deal."

"Princess Repellista… the Information Dealer." Khun crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "So what does this have to do with us?"

Shibisu slid into a chair and regarded them over tented fingers. "Repellista will give us the information if we give her the prize of the Workshop Battle, so we were thinking that both our teams should try for it. If Bam is the Slayer Candidate, this plan will work especially well…" His voice trailed off; he must have noticed Khun's grim expression. "What? Is something wrong, Khun?"

But it was Bam who answered. "Mr. Shibisu, FUG will remove my team if I don't prove myself." He took a deep breath, then continued, "I won't lose Rachel, Khun, or anyone else, so… I can't let you win the Workshop Battle. I need to give the prize to FUG."

"W-What?" Shibisu sputtered, knocking back his chair as he got to his feet. "But— But that's stupid! Why do you need to prove yourself? Can't you ask for a different task? Once we learn the identity of the assassin, we can avenge Hatz!"

Khun sighed again, then stood up. After tapping a few keys on his pocket, he said, "No, Shibisu. What's stupid is your blind faith in Repellista's deal. She has no reason to give you valid information, or any information at all!" Glaring now, he ground out, "Don't you get it? We're Regulars. She's a Ranker, a Princess of Jahad, and the owner of an Opera. No one will care if she honors her deal or not."

"Also, Mr. Shibisu," Bam added, getting to his feet like Khun, "Hatz wouldn't want this. Yes, maybe revenge would've followed his Way of the Swordsman, but I think Hatz would want us to save the people who can still be saved… not blindly seek revenge."

"Wow," Anaak drawled as she, too, stood up. "Bam. You're still so innocent, even after becoming a Slayer Candidate." She shook her head, then placed her needle on her shoulder. "I guess that nobody important to you has died, then. Because when that happens… you'll understand that revenge does save someone."

"And Khun," Shibisu said quietly, "we do have a reason to trust Repellista. The deal wasn't the only thing she gave us… but I don't think that matters to you." He glanced at Amigocharz, who scrambled to his feet. At this point, everyone except Lauroe was standing clustered around the wobbly table, and it might've been funny if not for the tense, charged atmosphere. "Well," Shibisu said, his eyes narrowing, "I guess we'll be resorting to Plan B." He snapped his fingers, and Anaak readied her weapon, Amigocharz lurched forward, and Lauroe raised his hand.

"Then," Khun said, shaking his head and strolling towards Bam, "I guess we'll have to—"

Without warning, he caught Bam's arm and, in one sharp mention, jerked him towards the door. They went crashing down to the ground in the process, and Bam didn't even have time to gasp before literal hellfire surged into the room. The flames curled and hissed, crackled and popped, but most importantly, they hovered just beyond them, just barely licking the tip of Bam's shoe. In fact, they kept a careful distance, forming a bubble of safety around them.

Bam turned. "Ms. Yeon…"

She stood in the doorway, her arms outstretched. A trickle of sweat rolled down her cheek, but an easy smile graced her lips. "Hey."

"Right on time," Khun muttered, getting up and brushing the dust off his suit. As he moved, the flames rippled, keeping a few centimeters away from him. "Okay, Bam. Freeze them."

Bam frowned. "What are you going to do to them?"

"Just freeze them, and we'll figure it out." Khun checked his pocket and grimaced. "If you don't hurry, Shibisu will be getting very crispy."

"And if you don't hurry, you'll be getting very crispy," Yeon bit out, her hands trembling. "I can only control it for so long, y'know."

Bam glanced from Khun to Yeon, then at the flames. I won't let him hurt Shibisu's team… but we need to hurry. Wangnan's waiting for us. He got to his feet, then took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The shinsu in this room… it was like a fiery whirlpool. The chaotic, swirling, surging flames were making it hard to locate Shibisu's team… and he needed to find them quickly. He frowned, remembering Khun's words. Shibisu could be getting very crispy right now.

Then, inside that maelstrom of fire, his shinsu splashed against something different, something alive. Four of them.

Bingo.

Reverse Flow Control.

"I've got them. You can stop the fire now, Ms. Yeon."

Yeon pursed her lips. After a few moments, the flame began subsiding and when they finally vanished, her arms dropped to her side and she hunched over, gasping to catch her breath. "I did it, Khun, just like you asked..."

Bam surveyed the room, a sinking feeling in his heart. After Yeon's hellfire, the room was unrecognizable: there were scorched walls, still-smouldering lights, and a pile of ash where the tables and chairs used to be. And in the middle of it all, a still-humming purple Observer floated above four frozen figures that were… fine?

"Hmmm…" Khun hummed, strolling over to the Observer. While running a hand over its smooth metal, his fingers caught on a slight gap. He pried it open, then let out a low whistle. "Well, that explains how you aren't barbecue," he muttered. He smiled at Shibisu, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "You really did your research. Flame resisting techniques aren't exactly common."

Shibisu didn't reply; unsurprising, since he couldn't move. "Khun, we're good," Bam called. "The Reverse Flow won't be breaking anytime soon. We should go."

Khun nodded once, then pulled out a gun. "Well then, Shibisu. I guess we'll have to—"

Flicker. Khun's eyes widened and he half-turned, shock flooding his features. For a split-second, barely long enough to be recognized, Anaak flashed into existence. She was right next to Khun, her fist glowing with shinsu, already punching him across his face.

Flicker.

And then she was gone, leaving Khun crumpled on the ground.

Bam leapt forward, then forced himself to stop and think. Glancing back at the frozen Regulars, he found four of them — somehow, Anaak had punched Khun even though she was still under Reverse Flow control… and then he realized. That wasn't Anaak. That was an illusion. Wherever she was — he closed his eyes and grimaced — he couldn't sense her. With a sinking sense of despair, he turned to Yeon. She was shouting at him, but Bam wasn't listening. Shinsu invisibility was incredibly rare, but… maybe it didn't matter. He just smiled. Slicked Blood! Like spilled paint, his shinsu rolled over the floor. In less than a second, the entire kitchen was covered in shiny, slippery red shinsu.

THUD.

His ear twitched. Someone had definitely fallen, and it hadn't been Yeon. His hands flicked reflexively and the shinsu surged to that sound. If he was lucky, the Slicked Blood would slow her down, his bang would surround her, and then…

A movement by the door. An orange blur in the hallway. Before Bam could react, Yeon whirled, flames already sparking in her hands. The blur dashed into the kitchen, immediately slipped on the ground, and slid to Yeon's feet. As it came to a stop, it resolved into a Regular wearing a neon orange hoodie… who was raising a gun pointed at Yeon's chest.

"Watch out!" Bam shouted, but he could only watch. Three bangs were freezing Shibisu's team, two bangs were maintaining Slicked Blood across the apartment, and the final one was (hopefully) swirling around Anaak. Six bangs, which had always seemed overkill before, suddenly wasn't enough.

Yeon's eyes widened, and she began jumping aside.

Her foot slipped.

BANG.

The bullet whistled past her arm before burying itself in her shoulder. Before she had time to gasp, blue streaks of shinsu swirled around the Regular, and he began disappearing.

Flicker. The bang of shinsu surrounding Anaak burst apart.

Flicker. Anaak skidded towards him, her needle extended, but Bam was already skimming across the ground on the Blue Oar. After he scooped Khun off the ground, he flew to Yeon, who had fallen to her knees.

Something thudded against the wall. It was probably Anaak.

"Ms. Yeon!" Bam clambered off the Blue Oar, surreptitiously glancing at the door before walking over to her. "Are you okay?"

"I— I— My shoulder…" She shuddered, her hand clenched around her shoulder. Before Bam could help her to her feet, she waved him away. "J-Just leave me. I've already failed the test."

Bam hesitated, then nodded. I need to save those who can still be saved. "Alright." He almost jumped back onto his Blue Oar, but then he remembered Khun's unconscious body. I can't look after him in this fight, but I can't let him be disqualified. After gently placing him on the ground, Bam turned to Yeon. "Watch over him for me."

Yeon nodded, her face pale as she scooted closer to Khun. "Don't worry about us, Viole."

He smiled. "You know me too well." Releasing the Slicked Blood from the apartment floor, he took one of those bangs and created a shield around them. Now, they would have some warning if Anaak attacked.

Meanwhile, Bam would offer himself as the opponent.

After stepping onto his Blue Oar, he sent it up hovering near the ceiling. So… tactics. Right, tactics. Urek's Shinsu Strengthening was obviously out of the picture, since he couldn't afford to be half-dead. What else can I use? He rubbed the back of his neck and grimaced. While he had always provided the raw, physical power, it was no secret that Khun was the tactician, the trickster that lined up everything just right. Usually if Khun wasn't there he would just overwhelm his opponent, but this situation… it required more subtlety.

What would Khun do?

Well, Khun would look at him, shake his head in mock-dismay, and tell him to hurry up and make more space. His mobility was his advantage over Anaak, and if he didn't hurry, Anaak would sneak up and punch him, and then he'd be unconscious and useless. Which, Khun would add archly, was exactly why he'd insisted that Bam shoot for Blood Tamara.

Bam sighed, then glanced at the ceiling only a few centimeters away. His Khun impersonation wasn't any good at all.

With a rueful smile, he sent a Breaking Ball at the ceiling. It immediately crumpled in a shower of dust, and Bam rode the Blue Oar through the hole. He repeated this process on the remaining three floors; on his fourth punch, he broke through the roof and into the velvet night. Climbing higher into the sky, he finally slowed around twenty meters above the hotel. He was nearing the limit of his shinsu control: too much further, and the Reverse Flow Control on Shibisu, Amigocharz, and Lauroe would fade.

He looked around, then sighed again. The situation was slightly better, but Anaak could still take him out without warning. Five of his bangs were in use, and one bang alone would not be enough to fight her.

Slowly, a plan coalesced in his mind. It was his best chance, but if it didn't work… he shook his head and grimly recalled the bang from Khun and Yeon. It was a gamble, but if Anaak shot Khun then she would leave her teammates behind, just like that orange hoodie guy. And Anaak never backed down or played it safe. She would come for him.

He would need the final bang if he was going to stand a chance.

He exhaled slowly, allowing the tension to leave his body. Anaak was a top five E-class Regular and a powerful fisherman. If she attacked and he was even a split-second too slow, he would be destroyed. In one fluid motion, he shaped a bang into a crude sphere around him, a barrier halfway between mist and water. Now, he would wait on his Blue Oar, the final bang held at the ready in the palm of his hand.

The surrounding noise faded to a dull murmur as he focused. If he didn't notice her… if she managed to beat him with this new power… then the Workshop Battle would be over before it had even begun.

And he would have failed to protect the people important to him, again.

Scanning the sphere, waiting for the tell-tale ripples in the mist, he tried to clear his mind. He was a weapon, a finely-honed weapon. Weapons were reliable; weapons didn't freeze or second-guess themselves. His friends could rely on him and his training. Inside his sphere, each droplet of shinsu shivered slightly, fighting his control, but Bam forced them to remain still. This was the only way he would find Anaak before she struck the killing blow.

Behind his head, droplets scattered.

Bam spun to see something flying towards him — a wickedly sharp needle. It was aimed just below his heart... In a smooth motion, he swivelled and raised his gun, then fired. The needle barely skimmed his chest, drawing the smallest bead of blood… but there was no one holding it.

His angel bullet whizzed uselessly through the empty space.

Behind him, a voice muttered, "Gotcha."

Shoot.

Without turning, without looking, he could suddenly sense her. She was close behind him, and she was smiling.

His eyes flicked to the side. The angel bullet was spinning away, so he sent his final bang after it.

Flicker. She appeared suddenly, her fist inches from his face and shining with shinsu enhancement and the sheer power of Jahad's blood.

Dodge. He couldn't afford to be hit.

In one sharp motion, he grabbed the bang from the Blue Oar and let gravity claim him. As he plunged towards the roof, Anaak's fist skimmed the top of his head. Her eyes widened.

He had three seconds until he crashed. The wind whistled past his ears and he plunged ever nearer the concrete, but he had to take advantage of the situation. Anaak could disappear again at any moment.

Without looking back, he collapsed the mist bang around her, converting it to Reverse Flow Control and forcing her to freeze. Then, with a flick of his fingers, he propelled the angel bullet at her. Although she struggled, it was futile; the shinsu held her in a cruelly tight vice, and as the bullet struck her forehead, Bam smiled. "I'll see you on the Archimedes," he said, turning midair to face her.

Under his back, the Blue Oar appeared.

As the angel wings appeared above her head and teleported her to Archimedes, the last thing Bam saw was the absolute fury in her eyes. Well, that's unsurprising. She was seeking revenge for Hatz, but Anaak lived for her pride. Now that he had humiliated her… He shook his head, then got to his feet and drifted back down to the kitchen. Focus on the people who can still be saved.

The building was a complete mess now; it looked like a White Steel Eel had been on a rampage. Nevertheless, the apartment was how Bam remembered it: everything was charred and melted, Shibisu, Lauroe, and Amigocharz were still frozen, and Yeon was sitting against the doorframe, a messy bandage wrapped around her shoulder. And Khun… Bam grimaced. He had hoped…

Khun was lying on the ground, his head resting on the improvised pillow of Yeon's jacket. The only sign of life was the slight rise and fall of his chest, but at least he wasn't bleeding. "Has he shown any signs of waking up?" Bam asked as he landed next to Yeon.

"What took you so long…?" Yeon glanced up at him, her eyes lingering on his exhausted expression. "Well…" She bit her lip. "I haven't seen anything yet. He's just lying here…" Carefully, she smoothed back some of Khun's hair to reveal a large purple bruise. "I guess he's not invincible after all."

Bam was almost surprised that Khun didn't catch her hand or hold an ice spear to her throat for daring to touch him. Instead, he just lay there, almost like— no. Khun was alive, because Khun would never die from anything so minor— he hadn't even faced his father yet. Soon enough, Khun would be sitting up and walking around like nothing had ever happened. After all, he'd said he wanted the White Heavenly Mirror.

Bam crouched down. "Please move your hands, Ms. Yeon. I'll need to focus the bangs on Khun." After she did, Bam leaned over, hovering his hands above the bruise and conjuring his three available bangs. They hovered over the injury, casting an unnatural blue glow.

"Is it working?" Yeon asked, looking over his shoulder and cocking her head.

"Well..." Bam released his bangs, then slumped a little. "The bangs aren't moving." He stood, not taking his eyes off Khun. "It can't be healed by Skin Knitting or Blood Replacement."

Yeon frowned. "That's not good, but Viole…" Pulling out her pocket, she showed him the constantly whirring number. "What're you going to do? There's about 160 tickets left."

Bam slowly blew out a breath. "Hmm… I still need to rescue Mr. Wangnan. And…" His eyes flicked to Khun's hand, which still held the gun. "Mr. Khun wanted an item. It must be important, so I'll try to get White Heavenly Mirror. And… I still need to take care of Shibisu's team." After tapping a seemingly-random fifteen digit password into Khun's lighthouse, he grabbed Khun's stockpile of bullets.

Then he approached Shibisu.

Shibisu's eyes darted to Bam, then flicked to the barrel of the gun pointing straight at his face. There was no panic in his eyes. Only confidence.

"Uh… Viole?" Yeon stood up carefully, then called, "What are you doing?"

Bam ignored her and stared at his gun. This might be the wrong move; Khun would almost certainly disapprove. But Khun wasn't the one making this decision. He met Shibisu's eyes and smiled. "Shibisu… I'll see you in a higher place." In three quick bangs, Shibisu, Lauroe, and Amigocharz were sent up to Archimedes.

"W-Wait! Are you an idiot? What did you just do?" Yeon cried, stumbling over to him. "Those guys are just going to try to kill you again!"

"I know," Bam said softly, looking down at his gun. "But I don't think Shibisu is wrong. He should have a chance… and if he manages to beat us, maybe that's for the best. Maybe the truth about Hatz really is more important." In slow, steady steps, he walked over to Khun and knelt by his side. "Hang on, Mr. Khun," he said. "I'll be with you on Archimedes soon enough."

Yeon eyed him, then shuffled over. "Do you think… do you think he'll be okay?"

"He's Ten Families… and there should be a hospital on Archimedes." Bam raised his gun, pressed it against Khun's palm, then shot him point blank. "He should be alright." The Blue Oar appeared beneath Bam's feet, lifting him a few centimeters off the ground. "Yeon, can I have a favor?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm going to save Wangnan now," he said, extending a hand. "I could use your help."

"Well..." she huffed, turning away. "I… I can't. My shoulder is badly fractured, so I can't really move." She looked up at him, then pasted a smile on her face. "I… I probably won't see you guys for a while, but make sure to come back for me once you win." She sighed before adding, "Not that I want you to or anything, Viole. It's just that I still owe you a lot of debt and—"

"No, I get it." Bam floated to the ceiling, then faked his own smile. "I- I can't wait to see you again, Ms. Yeon. I'll win this quickly, so we can all be together again." As he soared away, he forced himself not to glance back. Yeon might have a tough time waiting, and she might be lonely, but… he had to focus. He had other people to save.

Hopefully Wangnan was still okay.

"THIS IS NOT OKAY! CHANG?! IS IN THE BUILDING? ONE OF THE FIVE STRONGEST E-CLASS REGULARS?"

"Emily says not to forget Quaetro!"

"..."

"So we're screwed."

"Yep."