The multi-storey apartment complex showed signs of combat. Doors and windows caved in. Mangled bodies along the walkways. Blunt force trauma and bite marks.
"Zombies," Mei muttered.
A few quick parkour moves up the stairwell led Mei to the fifth storey. She ran over to the door they had spotted earlier and opened it. A pistol greeted her face.
"Funny," Mei deadpanned as she brushed the weapon inside and entered the apartment.
Amarant holstered the weapon and closed the door. The two stood in a short entranceway.
"So what's the situation?"
"The civilians are inside taking a breather. Even with Raikiri the cold is getting to them."
"You seem rather toasty."
Amarant tapped the Blaze Destroyer in its underarm holster.
"These things keep me nice and warm. Thank your father when you get the chance." Amarant flicked eyes over her shoulder. "You were right to fume at Durandal. The girl isn't in a good way. I've tried to glean information but she's rather incoherent. Side-effects of the erosion. What of Durandal, by the way?"
"Busy playing Marco-Polo down the monorail line. It should keep her simple mind entertained for the next hour or so. Priority is escape with the boy. He's now as much a part of my plan as you are."
"If you say so."
"Personal feelings aside, how do we look?"
"In the time you spent kiting Durandal like a mythic plus tank I revised our route."
A haptic gesture brought up the Coral City hologram. 70% of the insect drones remained intact and able to transmit information. The new path pierced between two apartment complexes and the dividing wall.
"We buy Tatiana a beer after this. It's brilliant in its simplicity. We take this route and we'll be at escape point 7. Then it's a boat and flight away from this mess."
"Good. You've taken into account delivering the two civilians to Schicksal."
"For whatever your deranged reason, then yes. In the meantime, you should meet our host."
"Lead on," Mei said with a sigh.
The pair entered the apartment. The inside was modestly furnished. Kitchen-living room with photos on the walls. Two bedrooms leading off a corridor that ended in a bathroom / laundry. It felt cosy, well lived in and warm. Slumped on the couch was one of the owners. A dark-skinned woman with long black hair worn loose, wearing jeans, sleeveless tee and sneakers. Mei picked her for college age at most. What caught Mei's eye were the Honkai burns peeking out from the collar of her shirt as well as those running down her arms. They glowed an unhealthy magenta-pink in the half-light of the room.
"Testament to her will," Amarant whispered. "Should have been dead ages ago. I give her a few minutes tops."
Mei nodded and walked over to the woman.
"May I ask your name?"
The girl opened her eyes, dark irises rimed in magenta scarring, and stared at Mei slightly out of focus.
"I'm… uh… I'm just waiting for Gloria. You know Gloria, right? She rang. Was all in hysterics. Something about monsters."
"Honkai."
"Yes. That's it. She's up on the third level. A boutique café. I promised I'd wait her for her. Gloria can't do anything herself."
The woman tried to stand up before slumping back into the couch. Her manic mindscape did not reflect the physical enervation.
"I promised to wait for her. Then we'd flee together."
Mei nodded in understanding.
"And you've been protecting your apartment ever since."
"Yeah. They keep coming. Just an endless tide. I realised they don't feel pain. But they do feel five storeys of gravity."
"Very resourceful of you. How long do you think before Gloria gets here?"
"I… uh…" the woman appeared agitated and looked around. Mei could not be certain how much the woman saw or heard was grounded in reality. The Honkai was eroding her memories rapidly.
"Back to my first question. What was your name again?"
"Uhm… I think it's… I'll go looking for Gloria. I know she'll be back soon."
The woman stood up with sudden strength and conviction. The erosion still continued its slow, inevitable growth.
'Of course Durandal would leave a mortally wounded woman to die all on her own. The least she could do is give her a mercy killing. All about the mission with her. And the very people she is meant to save suffer a horrific and lonely death.'
"Miles!" Mei called out.
The boy appeared from one of the bedrooms. They had been together maybe an hour. Already Mei was learning to read the boy. His eyes said everything. Quick strides took her to the room. Everything inside was cutesy and girly. All flowers, fine china and soft colours. Lying on the bed was the corpse of a blonde girl. Mei tsked and closed the door.
"Not a word," she mouthed.
The sound of toilet flushing revealed where Tatiana had been.
"You have a real talent for finding trouble and horror," Mei observed.
Miles gave a curious sort of smile, awkward in a way that showed he was uncertain whether it was a compliment, an insult or a stark observation Mei made.
Probably all three.
Miles held the Raikiri blade, his mother the hilt. Upon leaving the bathroom, Tatiana was wordlessly directed toward the loungeroom. Mei followed close behind and wrapped a hand gently about the delirious woman's bicep.
"Did you leave your phone in your room?" Me asked. "Perhaps you could call Gloria?"
"Yes… yes… that's a good idea."
Mei gestured for Miles to hand over the blade. The boy did as instructed and stayed in the lounge.
"Watch them," Mei ordered Amarant.
The nameless woman strode into her room. By now her dark skin had turned an unhealthy grey tone. The Honkai burns burned bright as they consumed the last of her humanity. Mei shadowed the woman, walking in the room and softly shutting the door. Posters of K-pop stars plastered the walls, small plushies piled on the end of her bed, Light Novels in neat rows on wall shelves. Some gold medals for Taekwondo tournaments adorned a nightstand.
"I need to find my phone!" the girl cursed. "I need to call Gloria. We're here together in Coral to study engineering. We've been together forever. Our families were neighbours. I promised I'd always look out for her. I always watch over my best friend."
Mei disliked this. Someone else foisting off their duty on to her. She wasn't here to save people or kill them. She was here to take back what was hers and leave. This was all useless ephemera.
Yet…
Mei pushed that thought aside. The katana felt light in her hands. A quick thrust through the chest would end it in a moment. Probably less painful than what the woman was going through. Regardless, Mei was here and it was her responsibility. Unlike the other cowards, she saw things through. She didn't care to check the woman's names on any photographs or medals. Just one in a city millions that would soon be dead.
A pulse of dense Honkai energy washed over the apartment. Like a heavy gong in Mei's ears. Her whole body shuddered in response. Herrscher energy resonated with Herrscher. Something had just awoken. Yet there was a subtle difference. Something could perhaps be conveyed by taste. The first taste Mei had when the Eruption began was icy and sharp. This was earthy and dull. Dread prickled the hairs on the back of Mei's neck. It was impossible. Surely. There was only ever one eruption at a time.
Right?
'Two Herrscher. Two bloody Herrscher. What the hell are Schicksal thinking? How do they screw up so badly?'
A cry of pain echoed around the room. The woman was on her knees, arms crossed over her chest and quaking in pain. A sheen of sweat soaked her clothes.
"It hurts," the woman whispered, "It hurts."
Mei pitied the woman. Nobody was coming to save her. Her best friend was already dead. Everyone she ever knew in Coral was either undead or a gruesome corpse.
"I'm coming. I'll help you."
Those words brought Mei up short. The girl… no, the zombie, wasn't crying out for help. She was in agony and assumed her best friend was in agony too. She wished to help them. The transformation was rapid. Already the girl's pallor was corpse white. The light in her eyes faded. She collapsed to her side, body convulsing as the Honkai radiation eroded her humanity and robbed her of a future. The door to the room swung open. Amarant held her phone in one hand as it chirped angrily.
"We've no time to waste," Amarant warned.
Mei nodded and readied her blade. She had greater priorities given the change of events. The living took priority over the dead.
"Just wait… I'm coming…"
The voice arrested Mei's movements. Something didn't sit right. The least she could do was give one last mercy. Right? The girl was struggling. These were her last moments and still she would not give up. One arm after another she continued to drag herself across the floor. Her pain was clear. Her body all but broken. Still, she would not yield to all the cruelties of life. Mei admired that. She pressed the tip of her blade against the girl's throat. It would be a quick death. Would death always be the best option? Did that go down the path of Schicksal and World Serpent. Kill to achieve your goals because it was easy. Easier than the alternatives.
"Raiden!" Amarant called from the hallway.
The girl struggled across the floor. A futile crawl. Never did she yield. In heartbeats she would be yet another zombie in a city of thousands, likely hundreds of thousands. Yet in that yawning gap between seconds Mei considered the situation. She had been where the girl was. Fighting against all odds until the bitter end. Mei knew nothing of this girl.
"Honkai radiation count?" Mei call out to Amarant.
"3800 HW and rising."
Time dilated as Mei considered the situation.
'Schicksal's first mandate is to evacuate civilians from Honkai emergence sites. The more civilians that die, the more that reanimate as the undead or evolved undead. More enemies to deal with. More PR hassles. Next is the containment of Honkai beasts. After that they conduct sweeping waves of extermination. Clear out the infestation. The Immortal Blades have been deployed so they should be simultaneously hunting for the Herrscher. Nothing is happening. I can feel the Herrscher energy, though fading slowly, radiating from somewhere near the Space Elevator. Yet Schicksal is doing nothing but containment. Bianca could deal with the creature if she put some effort in. Instead, she focusses on hunting me, the one person that isn't obliterating this city.
Now what to make of World Serpent. They are no friend of Humanity. The numbers I laid at Kevin's feet prove that. They wanted me to join. They want a Herrscher. Do they seek to recruit this new Herrscher? Does the girl retain anything of her humanity? Perhaps they can shackle her, make her a pet or worse? There are too many variables. Not enough information.
Otto wants Kiana for whatever means. To be precise, he wants K-423, the reborn Herrscher of the Void, for his own reasons. He needs a way to control a Herrscher effectively and with their powers unfettered. World Serpent likely possesses such knowledge. Schicksal has extensive resources. They have the goodwill of nations and NGO's. World Serpent can tap into that to achieve their delusion of Project STIGMA. Logical dictates the two have an arrangement of sorts. Schicksal will be the face, appearing to the world as the protectors of Coral City. They evacuate civilians as necessary. World Serpent has a free hand within the city to locate, capture or kill the newly awoken Herrscher.
Let us change the scenario.'
The two Imaginary constructs flew forward, moving to flank Mei. The original arrived first, looming over Mei, greatsword flying down in slow motion. Mei rolled out the way before kipping onto to her feet. With her 360 degree vision she deftly dodged between the attacks. Neither greatsword nor limb found any chink in Mei's defences. Blades swung in from either direction, Mei jumping and turning her body horizontal to slip between the gap. Landing on her feet Mei rushed forward and attacked the echo. She moved faster that the construct, Raikiri tearing into its body, glassy fragments disintegrating upon contact. The original tried a pincer, Mei pulling herself up electromagnetically and landing a safe distance away.
Another pulse of Honkai and Herrscher power drew Mei's attention away for a split second. To her augmented senses Benares was swimming with unfamiliar power. Kiana leant against the Dragon, her concentration fixed upon the beast. In that moment Mei realised what the girl was doing. The shiver of surprise was all the two Imaginary constructs needed. The echo was upon Mei, greatsword smashing her into the ground. The original stood over Mei, knowing this time she had no time to escape. The blade swung do—
…
….
…..
Raiden stepped out from rubble created where Benares had crashed onto the tiled floor. She looked around. The memory was frozen. Held in the infinite yawning gap between seconds. A useful gift left to Raiden by her Herrscher Twin. The shadowy figure strode past the violent tableau between the two Imaginary constructs and the girl once called 'Mei.' She paced over to where Kiana knelt, face beaded with sweat as she stared at the Dragon with unshakeable purpose. Raiden circled around the Dragon and the K-423 several times. Then rewound the memory eight seconds. Though 'Mei' had been absorbed in the fight with the Imaginary Constructs, her hyper-aware senses and borderline eidetic memory had still recorded all manner of information. The constant hum of background sounds, smells that tickled her nose, fragments of visual information pieced together via reflections and eyes flickering about to watch terrain and opponent. Most important was her twinned ability to sense Honkai and Herrscher energy.
Completing one final revolution, Raiden rolled the memory further back still. K-423 stirred on the ground. Rolled over. Crawled frustratingly slowly toward Benares. Reached out with a hand and touched the Honkai beast. Took her time to do what came next. Raiden tapped foot and sighed. Then 'it.' IT.
'Ahhh. So that's all.'
It was simple. Child's play. Irritating that Raiden hadn't understood. Visualise the image of your outcome. Fix it in place. Tap into the Honkai and Herrscher energy from the core. Extend a bridge into the target. Coalesce and compress the energy into a stable crystalline matrix. A pseudo-Herrscher that forms the beast's own connection to the original. A gestalt Honkai/Herrscher Core. Tie off the connection and allow it to bond with the host body. Either success or rejection.
Magenta Honkai burns were rising up Mei's arms and face. She let go of the Raikiri katana and dropped to knees. The latent memory of Kiana's actions flooded her mind. Mei's clothes burnt away as incandescent light seared the room. Paint flaked from the walls. The plushies hissed and melted, others catching fire before turning to pungent ash. The medals melted and puddled. In place of Mei's civilian clothing manifested an expression of her Herrscher will. A black, long-sleeved top with a high collar and open panel above her bust. About either wrist and hand were armoured yugake gloves. Beneath her bust was wrapped a white corset, a black fundoshi attached to its bottom. A black long-coat spread out from the red belt about her waist and fell to just above the ankles. Over her legs she wore white stockings, red and black ankle high boots worn over top.
Mei clapped her hands together, Herrscher and Honkai energy crackling up her arms. She slammed the palm of her left hand down upon the woman's chest. The will of the unbreakable was injected into the girl. It would only find purchase upon someone possessed of similar unshakeable will. That was Mei's conceit. The pseudo-Herrscher core manifested within the woman; mind, body and soul. Crimson lighting licked over her. Mei smiled. It was good to have her assessment reaffirmed. Incalculable power surged forth into the girl's body.
Amarant watched the queer ceremony with an inscrutable expression. A sigh laden with time. The guide began tapping out commands on her phone. Someone in her position needed to be able to anticipate the needs of their client and act accordingly.
"We're going loud," Mei declared. "World Serpent have somehow emasculated Schicksal. If I allow this to continue then the entire region will suffer. I need manufacturing facilities across south east Asia intact if my own plans are to proceed at pace."
"I should remind you, dear Customer, that if we go hunting the Herrscher then we'll run afoul of Schicksal AND World Serpent. That's two enemies you'll be facing head-on."
Mei nodded.
"I'm aware. Bianca and Magpie are the only ones that constitute an immediate threat."
"That you are aware of. Neither faction play fair nor honest."
A dark smile lit up Mei's face. One that Amarant hadn't seen in several weeks.
"Neither do I."
"And her?"
Mei looked down at the woman. It had been something close to whim that had convinced her to save them. A brief glance into the mirror. Kiana had extended a hand. It was only right that when given the opportunity Mei should do the same. The mantle of lightning abated. Mei sat back on her calves and rested the girl's head on her lap. Her deathly white complexion had returned to its healthy dark tones. The woman's long black hair was bound up in a ponytail, bangs hanging down the side of her face. Her original clothing had been burnt away by the crimson lightning. In its place she wore something similar to Mei but simpler. A black sleeveless dress covered her from a red collar to mid-thigh, a red corset beneath her bust. Down her right arm was a black sleeve ending at a fingerless glove, her left arm bare bar a crimson agemaki tassel around the bicep. Her legs were wrapped in black tights with plain ankle-high black boots.
The corona of crimson lightning finally settled. The woman slowly opened her eyes. Crimson pupils filled Mei's vision. Time dilated. Years of memories flooded Mei's mind. A tsunami of feelings, emotions, frustration, pain, suffering and loss. Mei burst out laughing. Genuine black mirth that sent tears running down her cheeks. Surprise, joy and pain carried down those crystalline streaks. Amarant couldn't quite make sense of it all.
"Uhhhhhhhh. Is everything alright, Raiden?"
Mei ran gloved fingers over the girl's cheeks. There was a sibling affection to that gesture that wasn't lost on Amarant.
"Just stay there and rest," Mei whispered to the girl. "You'll be weak for a minute or two."
"Who is this woman to you?" Amarant questioned.
"A reminder of someone I once knew. Not that it matters. She's something akin to Benares now, if you want specifics. I don't know how much of the original is left. After the partial zombification her mind is certainly gone. But the core of who she is, the soul, that persists. I saw someone who would not yield, who thought of their friend and was drawn to them without any doubt. That dedication and conviction remain."
"And the rest of her? I don't want a dedicated vegetable on our side."
"Oh, she'll have a personality. And knowledge of how to live and survive. Trust me. This one is about as tenacious as you can imagine."
"Why is that?"
"Call it intuition."
Mei leant down and pressed lips gently on the girl's forehead.
"It's not like we ever gave up," she whispered.
The girl's gaze finally came into focus. She gingerly sat up, eyes taking in the scenery. Walls cracked and peeling, belongings scorched, and memories burnt away. The room was the girl's past. Faint outlines remained. Little else. Her wide eyes drunk it all in. Then her attention was upon Mei where she sat on her calves.
"Am I… well?" the woman asked.
"Better than almost anyone in this city."
The woman nodded slowly. It appeared that her mind was still piecing itself back together. Mei stood and offered a hand. The woman took her hand and was gently drawn to her feet.
"Thank you."
"Certainly."
The woman looked down at her hands, her clothes and finally the scorched room around her.
"Does anything look familiar?"
"No," the woman said with certainty. Those words lacked any sadness. "No, it doesn't."
The woman turned back to Mei and 'saw' her for the first time. She dropped to one knee in genuflection.
"I am sorry for not recognising you sooner, my Lady."
It was brief. A flicker of honest emotion on Mei's face. Something drawn up from the bleak memories of her past. Of pain, loss, regret and family split apart. She looked uncertain around the woman. Then the vulnerability passed.
"You are going to surprise me. I can tell. If you know who I am then you know what I am and what my plans are. Will you serve me still?"
"With all I have, my Lady."
Mei's smile was faint and shadowy. Another chess piece for the gameboard.
"Your name?"
"I have none that I can recall, my Lady."
Inspiration was kindled.
"I sat upon the Throne of Fudo-myo," Mei reminisced. "Upon that throne someone I valued was taken from me. If you serve me then stand in her stead. Be the unsheathed dragon, the instrument of my will and a chance to claim vengeance for both of us."
Mei knelt, cupped the woman's hands in her own and coaxed her to her feet.
"You are Kurikara, my divine blade and will made manifest. Serve me and we will end the war with the Honkai."
Kurikara bowed her head solemnly.
"As your command, my Lady."
Mei retrieved Raikiri and gave it to Tatiana to sheath. All five left the apartment and looked out. They stood in the chilly afternoon light. Though the sun shone bright none of its warmth reached the ground. Their breath misted in the air. Ice had burst from the water mains, water pooling in the corners of streets and alleys before quickly freezing solid. A flurry of snow passed over the group, raining down from the upper level. Amarant pulled her jacket tighter about her chest. She checked her phone. The numbers were not promising.
"I'd say they just woke another Herrscher up."
"The odds of its defeat?" Mei asked.
"If it's just World Serpent then I doubt they could…"
Amarant went quiet. Mei was forever frustrated with how the woman would not shut up. Ever. Her silence was caution enough. Mei turned her attention to the guide.
"Speak."
Amarant tapped phone against thigh. The creased brow did not look promising.
"They don't need to defeat the Herrscher. Just kite it away and then drain it of all energy. Seal the beast if you will. You wouldn't need an all-powerful soldier like Durandal. Only someone capable and cunning enough to weaken the beast just enough. That would explain Magpie."
"You're going to need to elaborate."
"Old rumours about technology and secrets the World Serpent hold. Relics of the Previous Era. Something called the Sceptres of UWAS. Able to seal away a Herrscher's powers. Or at least for long enough to allow Kevin to deal with them. A bit like you trying to replicate the Throne. If they can lure the Herrscher into a trap, then it's all over."
"And why would a Herrscher fall for something so obvious?"
"You're assuming that the creature out there is sentient or self-aware. Not every Herrscher begins its existence the way you did."
"What shall we do, my Lady?"
'Oto-sama's information was on mark. These Sceptres exist. Schicksal have their own bioweapons. All of us can twist the connection. I'll need to pass on the information to Kiana somehow.'
It was faint but Mei could feel it. The Herrscher energy signature picked up again. It was withdrawing, heading towards the docks and artificial islands of Coral City's western side. From there it would have free access to the Pacific and then south east Asia.
"The Sceptre's failed," Mei noted. "If there is a second Herrscher."
A side-long glance indicated that Amarant did not agree entirely with that assessment.
"Your orders, dear Customer?"
"Return Miles and Tatiana to Schicksal—"
Mei paused and let out a wicked snicker.
"Find Rita for me. I've a gift she will no doubt enjoy. I think we might be able to do a trade."
Twenty seconds later Amarant had located the Vice-Captain of the Immortal Blades via drone camera and plotted the path.
"And how pray-tell do we negotiate with Schicksal?" Amarant inquired acerbically. "Actually, let us go back a step. How do we get to Schicksal in any reasonable time frame?"
Mei's command was wordless. Kurikara mounted the railing and jumped off. Tatiana and Miles both shouted in horror. The air flashed crimson, the smell of ozone washing over the pair. Amarant whistled at the sight before her.
"Alright, dear Customer, you got me. That is nothing if not stylish."