The metal spiders are called temblors. They fire infrared lasers that can briefly paralyze humans and scan a mamodo's body for weaknesses before transforming themselves into a weapon to annihilate their opponent. Scientists programmed them to protect but they became disobedient. The scientists isolated them in their labs, locking them in cages, handling them like sewer rats. After realizing the gift they had, they broke out of their cages and killed their constructors. The blueprints were burned and the temblors were never to be seen again.

It's said that they followed the mamodo to the human world. But without knowing where they lie, it's impossible to go after them and terminate them all at once.

There has only been one known method in destroying them. One of the leading scientists wrote it down once. It's simple but battling a temblor is not. If not killed quickly, they can wreak incredible havoc to the lives of humans and demons. To hide, they burrow underground and come together to attack at once, like wolves. They're able to cause natural disasters when all together. The temblors have bodies of soldiers but minds of scholars.

Resh sighed after her explanation. "Do you understand now?"

Phil nodded. He said nothing for a few minutes. "Wow. I mean, wow. We're talking about the death of humanity here."

She sighed again and closed her eyes. "Yes. When we discussed them with Amera and Kyo, it looked like they were hesitant in believing me, which is understandable. But that earthquake wasn't natural. It would've have happened like that."

Journalists, reporters, and newspaper columnists have been discussing the collapse of the Yoshimura Museum's left wing. Rubble crumbled into dust and spoiled the air with smoke. Three people were injured by flying glass. Weather forecasters called it an earthquake despite nothing else being damaged or out of the ordinary, seismic patterns remaining the same.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Phil asked, holding out his hands like he could hold an option.

"Not at the moment. If it were to excel, I'm sure we'd be compelled to step in…" Resh turned away and sighed at the sky. "Right this minute, our main focuses are the battle, our lives, and my book being safe, selfish as that may sound. The temblors aren't a main priority to anyone, the humans or us."

Phil lifted an eyebrow.

Resh sighed like she was hurt. It was nice out but their moods didn't fall under the same category. "That sounded better in my thoughts."

"Word vomit."

"Accurate."

"Every dog has its day. Come on, let's take a walk."

Resh didn't move. She remained sitting on the sidewalk, frowning grumpily. Her voice was intimidating, a snarl.

"I am not a dog."

"You–I–that's not what I–sorry. Word vomit."

"To your left, Amera! Gadyuu Sorusen!"

Amera turned away, a beam of black fire catching her arm and her dress. It singed her skin but she fought against it, moving into a run, holding her sword like a baseball bat. The sword burned with a ring of orange flames, sparkling red. Orange and black fire clashed, shooting embers across the dirt ground. They wisped into the air, vanishing, smoke and dust merging.

Amera swung her sword at Joshua, getting through to skin. Dark blood soaked through the shoulder of his shirt. He grunted and sent out a punch. His hand was slow and she effortlessly dodged it. He caught Amera's fist and threw her into the air, leaping a few feet back.

"Gadyuu Sorusen!"

Amidst the air, Amera turned her blade down, fingers crossed over the hilt. Her eyes burned with devotion.

"Joshua, what are you doing just standing there? Get a move on!" Joshua's book-owner, Vincent screamed. His book glowed bright, stressing the gray splotches under his eyes. His smile was discerning. "Rakuda!"

Joshua took to the air and teleported, disappearing into nothing. The fire in Amera's sword died out. It was silver again.

"Where did he–"

"Fermenta!"

Amera was too slow. She watched as Joshua materialized in her face, handling a spinning orb of fire. He launched it into her stomach and it exploded into her, kicking up smoke and dirt.

"Amera!" Kyo screamed, turning pages faster in her yellow book, needing a good spell.

"I'm fine!" she called out, moving a hand over the welt on her stomach. It was painful but not serious "Just give me a spell!"

"Sorusen!"

Joshua was running through the dust, a hand over his nose. Amera broke out her sword, white with power, a light in the mist. She held her ground and threw herself back into battle, screaming like a warrior. Joshua swept a leg under her feet but she caught herself. She dropped her sword and pushed back on her heel, kicking him in the jaw. She took a breath and kicked again before he could react. Bone cracked under her foot.

He groaned through the pain, grabbing her ankle. "You–"

"Fermenta!"

It was clearer. Kyo and Vincent could watch her be pummeled and return to the mamodo world like a disgrace. She tried to reach her sword but Joshua's foot came down over her fingers, breaking them. She gasped. They would heal but the surprise made it hurt.

"Amera, move! Move!" Kyo was looking at the book, looking for a spell. His eyes were jagged with fear. "Get out of there!"

She didn't. So suddenly, Amera felt cold in and out of her body. "Please be quick."

There was another increase of dust as Joshua released the ball of fire. Amera vaguely heard Kyo call her name and Vincent call out Joshua's. There was a crater beside her head and smoke was breathing out of it. He missed intentionally.

He moved to her face, whispering. A cracked voice, webbed with weariness. "Burn my book."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"You heard me. Burn it, destroy it. Fast."

Vincent's voice rang in the smoke. "What are you doing, Josh? Get back here now!"

Joshua stared at her impatiently. He clambered to his feet and ran back to his partner. Amera remained where she was, staring around like she didn't know where to go. What would cause his partner to be like that? There were said to be selfish humans in this world but this one was bizarre. A skeleton of someone else like Caleb when he laughed and spat insults at them.

"The book's…glowing. We have a new spell."

Amera turned around. She didn't see much of Kyo but she did catch the yellow light of her book in the gray. Her voice was soft. "Say it, Kyo."

"Boru Sarusen!"

The dust was cleared and she ran through it, faster than she's ever been. Sword clutched in shaking fingers. Joshua accidentally jerked his body into Vincent's, waiting, and he relaxed his hand on the book. She took her sword and sawed through the book, knocking it out of Vincent's hand.

Joshua was instantly translucent like a ghost. The halves of his book were enflamed green.

"No!" Vincent said in retribution, the gray half-rings under his eyes turning blue, an ocean color. He batted his hand across the book, burning his fingers red. "This can't be happening! No, no, no, it can't be! Josh!"

Amera placed away her sword. Joshua's eyes were closed in peace.

"Who did this to you?" she asked. He was a ghost, an illusion before death.

He opened his eyes. The light in his eyes was calm. "Ophelia, she–" He looked at his partner, sobbing over the ashes of his book, begging him to stay. "I wouldn't have won anyway."

"Josh–"

"Take care." Joshua said, smiling, vanishing like sugar dissolving into water.

Amera frowned, looking away. "I'm sorry."

I enjoyed writing this chapter and not writing Sundance + Eve into it for once. I just couldn't get it right with them in it and I was constantly rewriting the whole thing. I had some severe writers' block. The next update should be sooner, swear on my laptop. R&R!