(Grimwald)

"Hey Grim, how long until we reach a town?" The now irritating voice asked for about the hundredth time as the five of us traveled down the road heading northeast.

My brow twitched in annoyance as my impatient subordinate rattled on as I gave out a sigh. "Ceris, for the last time, shut up." I grumbled at him. "It might be days before we find any town whatsoever." The fool should've realized the risks when he joined Spider's Web.

Our team consisted of myself, Ceris, Alice, Renju, and La'Feya.

"Oh come now, Grimwald. You don't need to be so harsh on him. I think we're all getting pretty restless by now. The boss has us hunting for a literal thousand year old legend and all we have to go on are rumors and old stories." Alice retorted from behind me. "Frankly, I think an impossible mission myself." She snorted with a tired sigh.

A few of us gave Alice an annoyed glare at her remarks. It was...troublesome to doubt our leader's motives. We were the Spider's Bite, the elite squad that Malik sent for results, and we had no place to question the Black Hand. Hell, if it weren't for him and Kiseki, we'd all still be out in the streets and gutters of the Capital with nothing but the clothes on our backs and without the Teigu that we now wield.

"It isn't wise to be doubting Master Dekras and Kiseki, Alice." La'Feya, the youngest member of our squad, hissed at her with a venom drenched tone. The violet haired girl rarely ever talked, but when she did have something to say, every one of us listens. La'Feya worships Malik in every sense of the word. The shadowy black raven on her shoulder cawed in response to it's master's annoyance, it's form giving off ripples throughout the bird's body. "If Master Dekras believes that the Forge is out there, then it's out there. After all, if Master Dekras didn't believe that we weren't up to the mission, then he wouldn't have given it to us." She continued with a hint of pride and praise in her voice.

La'Feya did had a point. If the boss didn't think we could get him closer to discovering the Teigu Forge, then he wouldn't have sent us. Malik saved us from poverty, gave us a second chance at life and made us into instruments of change. For that, I would gladly follow him to the ends of the earth.

-xXx-

(Kiseki)

(Grand Canal, aboard the Dragon Ship)

If the Boss' intel was correct, Night Raid is on this ship. The Ice Bitch's three pets decided to slander Night Raid as a means to draw them out. And just as we predicted, Night Raid responded and are somewhere among the passengers of this vessel. The boss isn't sure just how many of members are here, but he is certain that they are here.

Blending in with the crowd, I searched for members of Night Raid, until I heard a haunting melody that seemed to drift in the air.

...Scream

I quickly attempted to block the music out with earplugs that I received from the Boss before I could feel my body grow weaker as passengers around me began to utter depressing comments about their situation, before dropping to the floor.

I could still faintly hear the cursed melody through the plugs, but I still pressed onward, trying to power through the weakness inducing music, towards the outside of the ship.

I had my mission, and I won't fail him.

Observe the Three Beasts and Night Raid. Eliminate at least one member of Night Raid should Esdeath's forces fail.

I repeated the Boss' orders over and over in my mind to keep myself from collapsing.

The melody finally stopped and I heard the clashing of blades outside on the deck of the ship. The Three Beast are finally engaging Night Raid. Feeling my strength somewhat return to me, I reached into the top of my dress and pulled out Magus.

"Cleanse." I quietly said as I held the sphere in my palm. It let out a pulse of energy that radiated throughout my body. Immediately afterwards, I felt the effects of Scream being purged from my body, allowing me the strength to move freely once more.

The palm sized golden orb's white markings changed to pale green and I cautiously walked out to the deck of the ship, manipulating the wind to allow myself to leap up higher onto the ship and observe the fight from a distance.

The ship trembled as the Three Beast member, Daidara clashed with a Night Raid member that I didn't recognize. A new recruit, perhaps.

That just won't do at all...

The boss needs there to be empty slots in Night Raid for Chelsea to infiltrate the organization.

One of them had to go.

Daidara hurled both the halves of Belvark at the new member, who just barely managed to roll out of the way. Suddenly, the two axes circled back, slashing the recruit across the side.

"Wha-!?" He shouted in a mixture of shock, surprise, and pain.

The beast of a man laughed cruelly at the member's shock and pain at the recruit and hurled the two axes at him once again, grazing his cheek. The boy's movements were sluggish and delyed, as if a great weight pulled him down.

My, this seems to be a one sided battle.

The boy then appeared to have lost his nerve, resorting everything into a full charge at Daidara, the axe following right behind him.

"DON'T BE AN IDIOT!" The Incursio user, Bulat, intervened, slamming an uppercut into the boy's chest, sending him backwards as the other half of Belvark returned to Daidara. "You're playing right into his hands, Tatsumi!" Bulat scolded the recuit. "You were just about to throw yourself at him!" He continued.

"S-Sorry, Bro." Tatsumi coughed as he gradually recovered.

"You're awfully full of energy, aren't you? It seems that the melody didn't incapacitate you like the others." Daidara smirked as he reattached Belvark together and faced Bulat.

"Of course it didn't work on me" The huge man chuckled and shook his head at him. "The burning blood that courses within my body cannot be quelled by the likes of a stranger!" He blustered proudly, pounding his fist against his chest.

...Such an interesting fellow.

"Boss, I have visual of two Night Raid members engaging Daidara of the Three Beasts. How should I proceed?" I activated the earpiece that was powered by Oracle Sight: Delphi and reported to the Boss as I watched the confrontation unfurl.

"Continue observation on Night Raid. Hopefully they'll lose a member in the fight. If not, you are permitted to engage Night Raid and kill one or both members. We need as many open windows for Chelsea as possible." The Boss ordered with a heavy sigh. "I don't want Night Raid waking away from this with more than one member."

I knew he didn't like ordering the deaths of Night Raid members, and Sheele still haunts him every now and then, but we both knew we had no room for hesitation, for weakness.

For the new era that Spider's Web will usher in, we can't show any mercy to anyone.

...Not even to those who we agree with.

"Understood, sir. Consider it done." I replied.

"And Kiseki, once you're finished with Night Raid, come back with the Three Beasts' Teigu for study." He continued, his voice an emotionless monotone.

"Very well, Boss." I once again acknowledged the Black Hand's orders.

"One more thing, Kiseki...

...I want you to return to me alive." The Boss' voice was tense and he drew in an anxious breath.

Kiseki, Chelsea, until the fighting's over, neither of you are allowed to die.

He always gets nervous when he sends me or Chelsea out into the field.

"Have faith in me, Malik. I'll come back." I said with a soft chuckle, trying to calm his anxiety.

"INCURSIO!"Bulat shouted in the background as a surge of powerful energy erupted throughout the ship.

Deactivating the earpiece, I turned towards the fight in time to see Bulat send the two other Three Beasts members flying and cleave Daidara in two.

Scream's user played a tone to bulk himself up, only to be kicked away by Incursio, slamming into the wall rather close to me, killing him.

...In the span of one second.

I found myself smiling at the sheer power of the Demon Armor: Incursio.

Impressive...

"More accurately, you killed about 128." Liver said to Bulat and the boy, Tatsumi, as he recovered from Incursio's attack.

...So the two have history it seems.

Sighing, I sat back and watched the final battle unfold.

-xXx-

Blood spurted from Liver's mouth as he collapsed to the floor, the poison he injected into himself finally taking its toll.

"Lady...Esdeath...I failed...you." He said in gasps before drawing his final breath.

His trump card was wasted at the final moments of the fight when Bulat dodged his poisoned blood attacks, slashing him across the chest with his spear.

The Three Beasts have failed to eliminate Night Raid, therefore the task now falls to me by my master's orders.

I got up, stretching out my stiff muscles before dropping off onto the deck before Tatsumi and Bulat.

"Most impressive, Night Raid. To be able to dispatch General Esdeath's Three Beast by yourself is quite the feat." I said to the two exhausted assassins, stepping out into the light.

"You're the one who showed up when-" Bulat said in shock and surprise before grimacing at his wound he while received fighting Liver.

"My, that looks like a nasty wound you got there, Bulat." I said with a coy smirk as I pulled my Teigu out. "My boss ordered me to eliminate Night Raid should the Ice Bitch's pets fail, and so here I am." I stated as the markings of Magus glowed a reddish-orange.

The orb in my palm then immolated into a ball of fire and shot out from my hand, striking Tatsumi in the chest, sending him flying into the side railing and delivering burns on impact. As if attached to a string, Magus shot right back into my hand.

It was now time to eliminate the user of Demon Armor: Incursio.

...I won't fail you, Boss.