Eve brought Lilja, Viola, and Sundance to the stadium field of East Tokyo High. It was just recently emptied out after one of their more productive matches against a high school in Osaka. Popcorn bags and warm soda in plastic cups were flattened across the bleachers. The sky was faded to lavender, the shadow of a first-quarter moon across it. Although set for the scene of battle, it was something to admire for hours until it was gone.

Lilja popped open Viola's book but a spell didn't follow. Her eyebrows came together like the cross between roads. "I spot a camera."

Eve stopped for a second. The book in her hand was closed. "A camera? Wait, wait, I know what you're talking about. Those things haven't worked in years. I don't think the management here ever noticed."

"What's the need for cameras? Really, what is there to steal out of a stadium? The recycle bin, an extra soccer ball? People these days, idiots, the lot of them," Lilja said, frowning as if the demise of humanity were upon them.

"Tell me about it! It was something involving vandalism. Years back, a whole load of kids used to come along here and graffiti things that should never be said in public in the school hallways and locker rooms. Nobody was ever caught so there goes a brilliant waste of money, courtesy of a lovely high school." Eve advised, pointing at a blank-screened camera, its lens blocked off with clumps of pink gum. Lilja examined it with interest.

Sundance raised an eyebrow. "I thought we were supposed to battle."

Viola pointed him a glare. "Shhhh!"

"Well now, I feel like we forgot something," Lilja assumed, tapping her chin with her forefinger. "Oh, oh, oh, I remember! I believe we scheduled a fight to the death here."

Eve sighed. "Oh yeah, that. I forgot."

Sundance frowned. "Why can't I have a guy partner?"

"Upra!"

A spiraling blast of red paint shot toward Lilja and Viola, which both girls simply sidestepped and watched as it spilt across the grass, sizzling red and dissipating soon after. Viola charged toward Sundance, knocking him straight in the chin with her foot, he caught her ankle but she kneed him in the abdomen, bringing him to the floor, coughing, spitting. He reached for her leg but she kicked his hand away, two of his tiny fingers abnormally twisted.

Eve winced.

Lilja smiled. "Ezo."

Viola turned to Eve, a crossbow materialized in her arms, pointing the barrel at her, eye in the scope. Sundance flounced back to his feet, throwing himself into Viola without the aid of a spell. His arms wrapped around her neck while locked onto her back, trying to dislocate or break something. Amidst the scuffle, Viola growled and elbowed Sundance over her shoulder, collapsing the hold one arm had on her but losing the crossbow in her hand instead as she writhed like an insect in a spider web to pry him off her.

"A spell would be pretty nice, Eve!" Sundance yelled after her.

Eve nodded, broken free from her daze. "Damn, sorry! Upra!"

Sundance blasted Viola's back with red paint and promptly climbed off her before she could strike him again. She murmured an encouragement to herself, the drippy paint having seared through her shirt and blistered her skin with splotches of second-degree burns, dirtied with oddly-placed blisters. He skated back over to Eve, tripping on his shoelaces.

"I meant a strong spell."

"Seeing as all we have is a boomerang, a purple shield, and a red paint beam that does, excuse me, nothing. Cut me some slack here, I'm doing my best."

Lilja's smile twitched with laughter. "Three spells? That's unfortunate. Fortunately, I have more. Quarrelo Ezo, Quarrelo Ezo, Quarrelo Ezo!"

Viola retrieved her crossbow and pointed it at Sundance and Eve, teeth clenched behind a turned lip. The barrel of it shimmered and bubbled gold and three clusters of light rolled forward. Viola set into a run, between the globes of light, to strike them with her metal crossbow.

"Lebashi!" Eve shouted. Sundance's purple shield jumped to defend and the balls of light collapsed into it, stopping there and changing to orange, flickering like time-bombs that were seconds away from exploding.

Sundance ran into Eve and threw them both back, staying floored as the orbs of light burst into flames and dissolved, harming nothing.

"Quarrelo Ezo."

Viola ran over, crossbow rose like a sword, boiling with gold. Sundance caught it between his hands, trying to redirect it before it could injure him or Eve as she scrambled to her feet, backing away. He closed his eyes, enduring the blunt of the attack as light became fire, burning more than just clothes. Viola headbutted him, his sleeve in her grasp as she smashed the stock of her crossbow into his face, giving him a twist of whiplash as he collapsed.

When he touched his nose, the fingers came away dark with blood. Nothing like paint.

Viola saw what she inflicted to his face. A fractured or if lucky, a severely bruised nose, a chipped tooth that apparently scraped his mouth. Dark blood like black feathers gushed out of his nostrils and through his shaking fingers. For a moment, she felt guilty for what she caused so she was temporarily dazed with remorse. A face that looked so delicate and unbreakable-looking could have the density of steel but what she had seen could scar a conscience.

Remorse made her open to attack.

The remorse that claimed her gave Sundance that exact chance.

"Lomas Bleez! Honestly Sundance, can't you have one normal-sounding spell?"

Sundance's arm became a boomerang and he released it, glittering like a rainbow. Viola dodged its first swing but wasn't quick enough to evade it as it came back around. She turned her face but it collided with the back of her cranium, flying back over to Sundance and reconnecting as a normal half of his arm. Dirt stormed across the field, covering their feet.

"Did we win?" Eve asked.

Sundance panted, holding his nose tighter. "No…"

With a wordless shriek of vengeance, Viola raced back to her feet, looking bemused. Lilja appeared emotionless, slightly amused while her crossbow was rested along the stands.

"Would you like a spell, Viola?"

"No!"

"Have it your way."

Viola went after Sundance full-force, apology dead and gone. She tackled him to the ground, spreading grass stains across his white shirt. Sundance blocked most of her punches but took a good number of them to his face, kicking, squirming. Eve watched in a panic, clutching his book to her chest, biting her fingernails in a way to help her strategize their next move. But she had nothing.

Lilja had Viola's book closed, not exactly paying attention to the face-off but not ignoring it either. An idea that could work swam through Eve's head.

Fingers crossed. If this doesn't work, I'm done for. Eve thought.

"This isn't normal! What are these things?" Resh asked anyone. She knew she wouldn't receive an answer but it was worth a shot. The satellite bug sprayed red lasers across the playground. Everyone except for her and Phil deserted the park already, screaming until their voices cracked, phoning the police station and fire department but receiving static instead of support on the line. "Definitely not a mamodo. Phil, what do you say?"

He laughed but it appeared sour. "Nothing for once, let's just destroy this thing before it can cause further havoc."

Resh nodded. "Good idea."

"Mirar!"

Phil watched as Resh brought forward a mirror that launched a blinding beam of light at the metallic insect. It distracted the thing from creating disaster and focused what eyes it had on the pair, choosing them as its next target. Resh moved to strike their opponent but Phil caught her shoulder in time, his grip like his eyes were cautious.

"I don't know about that thing, Resh. We don't know what those lasers could do if they hit us." he reminded, keeping a reluctant glance on their opponent.

"We have to take a risk. It's us versus that thing. Obviously, we won't have any help from the city. I can't even hear the closest siren from here. It can't be possible unless sometime happened with the phone lines." Resh said, frowning at her declaration.

Their opponent blasted lasers at them and Resh ducked out of their range with ease while maneuvering Phil out of danger's path. One laser cut through Phil's sleeve and had no further effect. Resh raced toward the monster with the dedication of an athlete.

"Give me a spell, Phil!"

"Gotcha, Gigano Mirar!"

A larger, more focused version of her previous spell blew forward and as it discharged, their enemy accepted the burst of light without a countering defense. The metal shell chipped and red wires streamed out, ragged like torn silk and hanging like a bell from a tower. Other than that, the attack did nothing to permanently damage anything and Resh froze.

Phil glanced over. "You okay?"

She said nothing but started into a sprint that could rival an Olympian's. Their enemy seemed to figure out what she realized and took several paces back, no longer shooting lasers. A fragment of iron cracked off its back as it escaped the area with Resh stomping after it. Phil followed, reluctant, uncertain.

"Resh?"

"Stop!" she yelled after the enemy. "Phil, give me a spell, hurry!"

Phil scrambled to find the right page for an attack spell. "Hold up, hold up–"

Just as suddenly as it arrived, the satellite monster disappeared into the ground. It closed its body up like a startled turtle and slowly drilled itself into the dirt until it was gone. Resh's expression deflated and she stamped a foot.

"I couldn't be any more lost. Explain, Resh?" Phil asked, approaching her.

"There's nothing to explain," Resh whispered as an explanation. "All I know is that something bad is going to happen and soon."

Eve glanced behind her and started biting her nails again, accidentally catching skin. Sundance fended off Viola but not without hassle. Lilja closed the book finally and Sundance took an elbow to the chest, stealing the wind out of him.

"I'm sorry, Sundance," Eve said, biting her pinkie nail until it reached its shortest.

He made a confused sound. "Huh?"

Sundance and Viola watched as Eve set off in a mad-dash, running behind the bleachers until the squeak-squeak of her sneakers in grass was unheard of. The three remaining on the field were confused.

Lilja hmm'd. "Hvað gat hún verið að skipuleggja? Stúlkan er í raun að nota fleygt gáfur hennar."

As much as he could, Sundance used his voice. "What'd she say?"

Viola shrugged, straightening her elbow on his collarbone.

Sundance admitted a sigh of exhaustion. He pressed his head in the grass and heard footsteps. Focusing on the sound, he looked from his residence on the ground. Viola comprehended the sound next and jumped off Sundance but he seized her ankles, leaving her immobile. Her eyes were terrified but not for her benefit.

"Lilja, behind you!"

Eve threw her body into Lilja's before she could look in the sense that her weight could initiate a downfall. It did take off Lilja's balance but didn't do much else. Eve took a risky move and reached for the book in Lilja's hand and even felt her fingers scrape its corner, a thing that made her so thrilled she froze. Emotionless, Lilja captured Eve's wrist, bending it so quick and easy that her scream wasn't timed right. Sundance called out her name and while Eve was distracted, she shoved her to the ground, pointing her the glare her father would present Sindri when he preferred to watch the news channel over sports. Soulless eyes, cold mouth.

Sundance looked ashamed.

Lilja turned away.

Eve rose quietly, stumbling to remain on balance. Her wrist wasn't looking right, it wouldn't move. If she looked at it, she would scream again so she ignored it. If you can't see it, it's not there.

She reached for Lilja's shoulder, anything to damage, but her opponent stooped out of way and pushed Eve back down. The chartreuse book held in the hand furthest from her, the back of her sandal on Eve's knee. She exhaled against the acrid smell of grass shavings.

"You're finished, no?"

Sundance was humiliated. His book was a few feet away from both of them. The pages splayed across the ground, crinkling in the air.

Viola freed her ankles from his feeble hands and combed through her pockets, a wrinkled gray handkerchief came to her hand and she opened it in Sundance's lap. She didn't smile but her eyes were soft.

He pressed it to his nose and did nothing else.

"What happened to your big talk? I thought you to be a fighter. The battle sure was amusing, a good workout." Lilja said, icy smile back on. "Isn't there something you want to say, dollface? Not hearing your resentment brings me anxiety."

"If you're going to burn it, let me know."

"Burn what?"

Eve moved her head, breathing out through her nose. "Please stop acting stupid. I mean, Sundance's book. If you're going to burn it, let me know or knock me out or do whatever you please. Just…just let me know so I can leave here, I really rather not watch."

Lilja laughed, loud. There was something so phony about her, it had no label. It felt like part of a plan, like she wanted her opponents to think of her as an introverted, bizarrely-dressed girl. Artificial face, artificial personality.

"Sundance and you have beautiful potential and the most astounding will I've ever seen," she said, falling back a few steps. "As of the moment, your spells are…moderate and if worked right, you could've kept up with us. But what you two are lacking is something great, something that made your loss so much more enjoyable."

Sundance raged to his feet, shouting. "What is that exactly?"

"Teamwork," Viola chirped, turning to her book-owner. "Isn't that right?"

Lilja nodded before Sundance or Eve could protest. "Not once did either of you consult one another during the battle and instead of using the book to assist your mamodo–" She smiled at Eve and degraded her. "You attempted to steal my book without a strategy, ditching your own like garbage. I understand your motives but what you did was dangerous and blatantly foolish."

Eve crawled to Sundance's book like an energized mouse, sliding it into her lap. It wasn't a dream. Her wrist still wouldn't move. She had scratches between the bandages on her fingers and the throbbing feeling of bruises before they come. There goes another defeat, another humiliation.

"But we won't burn your book," Lilja admitted, calling over Viola with a whistle. "Make use of that potential and don't bash heads so much, your opponents next time around won't be so kind. Oh, before I forget, Caleb and his mamodo are in Lithuania if you're still curious. Ticket booked for Vilnius, a short drive away from Trakai Island Castle, barred from common people due to monster sightings. Connect the dots."

Lilja went to leave, passing Viola and Sundance, her mamodo dogging after her like a companion animal. Sundance tried to give Viola her handkerchief back but she declined it.

"Viola, Lilja, wait, wait!" Sundance called out, shaking an arm.

"Yes?"

"You should…I think you guys should join our alliance."

Lilja glared. "We work alone."

"It's not exactly a mamodo presence but…it's something different." Amera shared with Resh, following the exact steps of Resh's path. "I understand what you mean now by feeling so mind-boggled. You said it disappeared here, right?"

Resh watched as Amera dropped to the ground, putting her ear on the dirt to listen for an alien sound. There was anything she couldn't hear but it was as if listening to a television on mute. She wasn't skeptical over Resh's claims since the same thing was reported over the news. Phone lines were all static in the mêlée at the playground, no sign of police detectives or fire trucks. There was yellow tape blocking off the playground as of now but the city officials chose to begin a search the next day for no real reason.

"It did, a satellite with legs." Phil laughed in the background and she couldn't not crack a smile at the humor in the situation. "Just started shooting at people and when we fought back, it fled after a while. You haven't seen anything like it?"

Amera turned to Kyo in a silent way of asking him the same. "Not that I know of."

"Me neither," Kyo shrugged.

Phil stared into the sky. It was already dark. The moon was a lustrous crater in the sky. "Why don't we save this for tomorrow? Get around to telling the others. We really have no evidence right now."

Amera and Kyo agreed with immediate okays.

Resh sighed. She didn't want to agree.

After an hour in the hospital, Eve having to get her wrist X-rayed, diagnosed a fracture, and fixed into a splint, she bribed Sundance with ice-cream after he threw a fit and got herself a Diet Coke from the corner-store. They were on their way back to the apartment complex when they ran into someone, tired and confused.

Seiku smiled over them, swapping glances with Eve and Sundance. Itosagi was not with him and he wore a white shirt, jeans, and a green jacket. Anyone looked better than her as of today. She didn't mind seeing him but looking like trash wasn't how she wanted to see anyone. Her sweater closed over her shirt and shorts. The air was warm but her hands were cold, shaking since Lilja and Viola left them to live.

"What are you doing out so late? Partying after the big game?" Eve asked, entertaining herself with him. Sundance watched them, confused, like he was stuck on a pop quiz question.

Seiku looked at her from a different angle. "Unfortunately since today is Thursday, the answer is no. I was just hanging out at Ishimaru's. What caused the wrist injury?"

Eve flinched, remembering Lilja catching her wrist and turning it like a wheel. "Mamodo battle we just couldn't win."

"You should've called someone, one of your friends or us." he proposed, lifting an eyebrow.

"It's just my wrist. Casualty on the battleground, uglier things have happened."

Seiku tilted his head back at her, smiling again. "You're really stubborn, you know that."

Eve's face was less poised than it was before, her eyes wide like rings. "I am not stubborn, I am practical."

"Practical, yeah, we'll go with that."

"I am! You're such a–"

He stooped his height to be closer to her face. She stumbled back a couple of steps and caught herself, almost laughing at herself for becoming so crazed over her emotions. "What were you saying?"

"I…I don't k–"

Underneath their feet, the pavement rumbled as if they were standing outside during a hurricane, watching neighboring houses get ripped out of the ground and float in the wind. It stopped in about a second but she staggered into Seiku, the expansion of space between them shattered, and they connected with a kiss. Their eyes were opened wide, a peace in the air.

It was nice.

"Are you guys done? It's been over a minute." Sundance asked, pouting to the irony.

Eve pushed herself away from Seiku, holding her face to hide her blush and looking down.

Seiku laughed. "Wow."

The pavement shook, cracking, rattling the buildings on the block threateningly. One of them collapsed, luckily abandoned a long time ago, spitting plumes of black smoke and dust and rubble everywhere. In the night, hundreds of red eyes watched, like thousands of parasites initiating an attack sequence.

That finishes another chapter, my longest yet for this story. 3,318 words! I had so much trouble with that last paragraph for some reason. I'll do my best to battle writers' block next time, promise. R&R!

Before I forget, here's the transalation for the Icelandic phrase that Lilja said. I can't speak Icelandic, thank Google Translate.

Hvað gat hún verið að skipuleggja? Stúlkan er í raun að nota fleygt gáfur hennar. - What could she be planning? The girl is actually using her discarded intelligence.