Hollow Black Shadows

by Mister House

Sequel to Fallen Blue Sky: The past torments our lives, becomes the darkness within us that doesn't disappear easily. Sometimes, it's easy to fight against it, other times, it breaks us with no regret. Now, it's that darkness that threatens both worlds, and the existences that live within them. WARNING: Rating subject to change due to violence and language in later chapters.

6. Salamander

Author's Note: Blarg, I'm really late, but blame my muse for that.

Black Rock Shooter and co. belongs to Huke.

---

"Salamander" - ELLEGARDEN

---

Stars shined in the night sky as everything remained silent, save for the few people driving around, all the lights from buildings and houses were off, showing no sign of life throughout the town. Even so, the silence couldn't consume whatever was occurring in the fountain deep in the park, the near-empty bowl filled with water bubbling as the amount grew, the clear liquid bubbling and rising as it started overfilling, falling to the ground. Before the water stopped overfilling, two blurs shot out from the fountain, flying towards the grass as one landed on a tree branch, while the other tumbled on the ground and groaned in pain. Geshumaru looked around for a moment before dropping to the ground, looking behind her and recognizing the small figure that belonged to Mato, who was rubbing her back as she got up from the grass. For a moment, Geshumaru was wondering why Mato was out and about when B RS was the one who traveled through the void, but thought otherwise about it and focused on examining the area, making sure that they got shot out to the right place.

"Ow, that hurt," Mato moaned as she walked up to Geshumaru, "Why did you..?"

Geshumaru looked back at Mato, "I did it for Shooter, besides, how helpful were you when she needed the power to aid me and Dragon Slayer?"

"But that wasn't.. I couldn't let her," Mato fumbled with her words, trying to find a good excuse.

"Nothing excuses a life or death moment, understand that the Otherworld is more dangerous than the real world in terms of losing your life," Geshumaru told Mato, narrowing her eyes, "I don't know what's going on between you two, but settle it and focus on the main problem at hand"

Mato frowned as Geshumaru looked away and left the grassy area, checking to see if everything was in place and Icicle wasn't expecting them until she felt a buzz coming from her jacket. It was then that she remembered that she wasn't wearing her Otherworld clothes, and that they reverted back to her school uniform, a light shining from her jacket's left pocket as she took out her cell phone. Certain things couldn't translate into the Otherworld since the realities behind both worlds are different in many aspects, which is why Geshumaru got caught off-guard for a moment before flipping her cell phone open. For a moment, Geshumaru thought that her eyes were merely playing tricks on her, since three days couldn't have passed since both her and Mato went to the Otherworld to deal with the Spirit Eater and Icicle. To her logic, only one to two days should have passed since that happened, even though the missing days wasn't that bad per se since there wasn't that much of a gap between their disappearance and arrival.

But for another day to go by without her knowledge means that whatever progress they would have made arriving before is gone.

"Dragon Slayer..!" Geshumaru thought as she closed her cell phone and gritted her teeth.

Mato sighed and looked up at the sky, trying to get her mind away from everything until her eyes widened slightly, subconsciously grabbing Geshumaru's shoulder and shaking her slightly, "Uhh..."

Geshumaru snapped out of her thoughts and glanced at Mato, wondering what was going through the girl's mind when she noticed she was looking up at the sky, prompting the blue-eyed Anomaly to look up as well. Geshumaru's anger towards Dragon Slayer and the missing day disappeared as it got replaced with paranoia and shock, her blue eyes unable to look away from what caught the other blue-eyed girl's attention. Behind the faint clouds that could barely cover the stars up above, the both of them could make out a faint checkerboard style appearance in the dark sky, the deep-indigo squares blending in with the black, which made the pattern hardly noticeable. Several things wasn't adding up as questions started popping inside their heads, with the primary one resounding as their bodies shook slightly in fear: did they even leave the Otherworld, or did they wound up in some alternate reality? They looked away, unable to stand looking at the altered sky anymore as their situation became more prominent than before.

"This isn't good, to think things went from bad to worse," Geshumaru shuddered, already thinking about how bad their situation gotten.

Mato raked through her hair, her eyes wide, "Why won't this stop..?"

[I highly doubt you both should worry and waste time here, especially since we got things that needs to get done before the morning..!]

Geshumaru snapped out of her deepening thoughts and looked around, "Dragon Slayer?!"

[You won't find me with you since I can't leave the reflective surface just yet...]

Geshumaru and Mato looked at each other in confusion, wondering what Dragon Slayer was talking about until something crossed their minds and they looked towards the fountain, remembering where they came out from. Walking up to it, they looked down and saw their reflections sandwiching Dragon Slayer, who looked like she was staring at them, her arms crossed as her eyes narrowed slightly. It was off-putting to see Dragon Slayer on a reflective surface, with her only form of communication being through telepathy, but considering what they've been through before, it shouldn't have been that much of a surprise. On the opposite side to things, Dragon Slayer floated in a vast area, looking through the surface at Mato and Geshumaru before directing her gaze towards the sky, eying the subtle checkerboard laced with the regular backdrop for the real world. It didn't take her long to figure out what exactly was going on, but she didn't let her expression change, keeping her facial expression stern as she looked back at the two.

[Now, lets focus on the two subjects that needs to get addressed...]

"I'm guess one of them is the sky..?" Mato asked, trying to push away any negative though in her head.

[Exactly, I'm guessing you know how we're behind a day, correct Geshumaru..?]

Geshumaru frowned, her eyes hardening as she glared at Dragon Slayer through the water, "Yeah, been wondering if you did this"

[Ha, that's funny, but this is actually the work of our travel here displacing our sense of time until you two got catapulted out of there...]

"That's a horrible excuse," Geshumaru deadpanned, crossing her arms.

[And I wouldn't make excuses like that, but focusing on the sky, it's the tell-tale sign of Icicle putting both realities in a limbo-like state..!]

"Limbo..?" Mato wondered out-loud, honestly confused.

"In science, limbo is the halfway point between things when transition is occurring," Geshumaru told Mato, turning towards her, "In this case, Dragon Slayer is saying that the real world and Otherworld is in a limbo-like state where the real world is showing things that belongs in the Otherworld, like the sky for an example"

[She's right, Icicle is proving that what she said is true, she's more rooted to the real world than expected; the conundrum to this is that she still needs mediums to pull this off...]

At the last statement, Geshumaru arched an eyebrow, wondering what Dragon Slayer means by Icicle requiring mediums to put the real world and the Otherworld in a limbo-like state. Considering what the Otherworld is like, Geshumaru couldn't really figure out what the medium would be between both worlds, considering the only connection that the Otherworld really had with the real world was through the other selves. Geshumaru stopped thinking as her thought process went in a full circle as she realized what the mediums were, and when she turned to look at Mato, she knew her other blue-eye companion came to the same realization that she did. Dragon Slayer closed her eyes, already aware of the implications behind their situation and how complex it became, considering that they haven't seen the full extent of what Icicle is capable of. At least the amber-eyed Anomaly knows that she can't expect hollow threats or false statements and promises from the malevolent other self; a game was brewing between them, Dragon Slayer was sure of it.

"So she's using... the connection between real selves and other selves to make all this happen," Mato said to herself, her eyes wide as her mind focused on what happened in the Otherworld while the three of them were escaping.

"So Icicle found her way," Geshumaru almost growled out, "I'll kill her..!"

[No, too risky to even do such a thing, besides, if she making her presence known in the real world to some degree, then she's probably targeting those with other selves...]

Geshumaru stared at Dragon Slayer, "Are you sure?"

[No, and it wouldn't be a stretch to say she's aiming for those that don't have other selves, considering her existence is an amalgam of hatred and angst...]

Geshumaru rubbed her face, exasperated, "Great, another thing to add to the list of problems we're having"

[Geshumaru, things aren't lining up in our favor, which is why all of us have to tread with caution; this reality, this world is our battlefield now..!]

Neither one of them could go against that statement or say something to the contrary, especially since the potential of damage in the real world got magnified than that of what it would have been if they fought in the Otherworld. Mato could see how Geshumaru took everything with an uneasy expression on her face, but that sense of understanding and resignation laced with the expression told her everything. A thought made its way to Mato's brain and caused her to wonder where the fine line to everything is, especially since the three of them were in a situation that's forcing them to fight and potentially kill, the latter seeming ridiculous, but not out of the realm of possibility. Dragon Slayer looked away from Geshumaru and stared at Mato, who looked repulsed, and it didn't take long for the amber-eyed Anomaly to figure out why, and she felt a surge of anger coursing throughout her body. She didn't visibly show her anger, since it would direct their focus to an issue she plans on resolving before it becomes more prominent.

[Look, the both of you can't stay here, head back to your homes and I'll track you down...]

Geshumaru nodded, scratching the back of her head, "Nothing much we can do, but at least we got something to work with"

"Yeah..." Mato said, not noticing Dragon Slayer staring at her.

[Mato, switch places with Shooter...]

"What?!" Mato exclaimed, caught off-guard with the command.

[I rather trust her with getting the both of you back home without problems, besides... call it intuition...]

Mato looked like someone just smack her across the face, "You don't trust me?!"

[In this situation when we have to tread carefully, I don't, especially since you didn't support Shooter in any way back in the Otherworld..!]

Mato flinched at Dragon Slayer's blunt remark on how supportive she was for B RS back when they were dealing with Icicle in the Otherworld, her blue eyes staring at the older Anomaly's amber orbs. Sighing in resignation, Mato relaxed as transparent blue shards raced up around her body, her form disappearing as B RS took her place in the real world, the twin-tailed Anomaly looking around for a moment in confusion. This was only the second time that she ever appeared in the real world, third if she wanted to count the time she took control of Mato's body and got her away from Geshumaru. Feeling someone gazing intently at her, she looked down at the fountain and stared back at Dragon Slayer, who only nodded in what appeared as content. She was sure that she was missing something based on what she managed to see before taking Mato's place in the real world, but considering their current situation, she could wait until later to catch up on what's going on, especially since it seems that both her and Geshumaru won't have Dragon Slayer helping them for the time being.

[Now, get going, I'll be in touch later...]

Once Geshumaru saw Dragon Slayer's form disappear from the water's surface, she turned to B RS, "Somehow, Dragon Slayer still gives off this impression that she knows everything..."

"Perhaps she's just thinking ahead?" B RS tossed out, wondering the same thing.

"Maybe, but... ugh, I can't think too much on this, I'll only get a headache," Geshumaru grumbled, turning away from the fountain, "Either way, heading home is probably a good idea, but the implications..?"

"Don't worry, anything happens, we'll be able to handle it," B RS told Geshumaru, turning away from the fountain as well.

Geshumaru nodded, already thinking about what could happen once she gets back home, since the real world is changing because of Icicle's influence over it through her mediums, and that left her wondering what else she's got planned for them. There wasn't much on Icicle, but from how Dragon Slayer told B RS to take Mato's place, she's expecting worse-case scenarios to play out, so what is it that the amber-eyed Anomaly is implying? Realizing that her head was starting to hurt from over-thinking on a bunch of topics, Geshumaru stopped focusing on them and looked at B RS, giving one last nodded before leaving, jumping to the treetops as she made her way out of the park. B RS watched Geshumaru dash away before turning towards the other direction and jumping to the treetops as well, her hair blowing back as she kept dashing forward, cautious of where she was landing and how much power she should put into each push. Pushing herself off one tree, B RS landed on the roof of a nearby building and started running, not wasting a single minute as she kept herself close to the shadows, making sure that anyone who was still awake wouldn't spot her.

Neither B RS or Geshumaru noticed the faint figure clad in black and red, who disappeared from a nearby street light before they even took off from the park.

---

[Rock, we need to talk...]

B RS grimaced as she focused on what's ahead of her, "Mato, there's nothing to talk about..."

B RS couldn't understand why Mato was so persistent on talking to her about her choices, her decision on killing when the reasons wasn't the same as before, there's obviously no connection between whatever she decided on before her death and afterwards. Frankly, if Geshumaru didn't severed certain things between her and Mato, B RS was sure that she would have done something that she'll regret within the coming seconds of her actions. Talking about treading carefully when dealing with Icicle, the same could be said for Dragon Slayer, especially since she could best any one of them if she wanted to, and the mere thought caused B RS to feel shivers down her spine. Ignoring the alien feeling that she got, B RS focused her thoughts back on Dragon Slayer and the potential repercussions if she loses herself to the emotions she's feeling through her connection with Mato. There's no clear answer, and if Mato continues her denial towards the recent events, nothing good could happen, and that will result in something that has everyone wondering one simple question: what happens next?

[But what have to talk about you killing again, I thought you weren't doing that anymore..?]

"Mato, don't forget who I am and what I am now," B RS reprimanded her, narrowing her eyes as she jumped off another rooftop to one nearby, "You know better, I'm not the same being before my death, nor before I remembered everything..!"

[You're my other self, you're suppose to follow my feeling, my thoughts..!]

"And that's where you're wrong," B RS told her before dropping down to the street, "Look, we're here..."

Mato frowned, but stopped speaking and looked through B RS's eyes, which allowed her to see them standing in front of her house, which had an ominous feeling since all the lights were off and the feeling that surrounded the house. Mato was about to tell B RS to head inside, but she just watched B RS jump over the entrance way, landing on the yard as she walked around the house, looking up at the windows. It took Mato a while to figure out that B RS was going through her memories through the link that they shared, the blue-eyed Anomaly avoiding anything personal and focusing on what she needed. B RS stopped walking and stared up at a window, her eyes narrowing a bit before she back up for a moment, creating some distance between her and the side of the house before rushing towards it. digging her heel into the earth, B RS launched herself up and step on the side of the house, slipping a bit before pushing up again and grabbing the windowsill.

B RS pulled herself while planting her feet on the side of the house, staring at the locked window, "Great, now what..?"

[Rock, just let me take over and I'll get us inside through the front-]

"Mato, Dragon Slayer said to tread cautiously, and taking the easy way around isn't that," B RS scolded, trying to keep her balance as she moved her right arm away from the windowsill, "Besides, I got an idea..."

Mato's first thought that B RS was going to bring out her Rock Cannon and blast a hole where her window is, but that thought disappeared when she saw her bring out her Black Blade and stabbed underneath the window. She relaxed for a moment, glad that B RS wasn't doing something drastic, but that all changed when the blue-eyed Anomaly adjusted herself slightly and exert all her power, trying to push the window up with her Black Blade. Mato could feel her eyes widening at the sight of the lock for her window breaking as it opened, sliding up and allowing B RS a entryway into Mato's bedroom. Stepping to the floor as the window slid shut behind her automatically, B RS looked around the room while listening intently for anything going on outside of the room, making sure that her action hasn't alerted anyone of her presence in the house. She could hear a patter of footsteps, but it merely passed by the door to Mato's room and headed towards the stairs, which allowed B RS to relax a bit as she leaned back and sat down on the bed.

[Wha.. what..? Why.. did you do that..?]

"I need to make sure nothing went wrong," B RS told Mato, almost missing the point about the question, "And sorry about that, but I needed a way in..."

[Ugh..!]

Hearing Mato go silent, B RS got up from the bed and walked around the room, examining it carefully before she saw the mirror in the corner of her eye, which she turned towards. She moved closer to the window and removed her jacket, letting it drop to the floor as she raised her right hand towards her chest, her eyes locking on the faint form of a scar that rested where her heart was. It was hard to find a way to explain what happened on that day, but she never got a chance to look at herself closely since then, especially when a scar like that wasn't healing like any other wound an other self would get. B RS looked down at the scar for a moment before looking back at the mirror, her eyes catching the shifting shadows before they settled down, and that caused her to react quickly as whatever comfort she got was gone in an instant. Without hesitating, B RS opened the closet doors and stepped inside, mindful of picking up her jacket as she stepped inside and slid them closer together until there was only a crack she could look through, her eyes glowing subconsciously.

"Damn it, I shouldn't have gotten caught up in myself..!" B RS thought, berating herself as she heard footsteps nearing the door to the bedroom.

[See, that's what you get, it's karma..!]

"Mato, can't you see that I'm in a troublesome situation now?!" B RS silently roared, her eyes narrowing in frustration as she saw the door opening.

B RS couldn't see who it was that entered the room, the door obscuring her vision a bit as she noticed someone nearing the closet, the soft padding of slippered feet nearing her. Pushing back from the door, B RS closed her eyes and slowed her breathing, feeling the tension surrounding her body ease up as she felt a familiar sensation: the feeling of your life being hunted down. The doors slid open and B RS rushed out, ducking under the slash that was aiming for her neck as she reached the other side of the room, reaching the desk. B RS turned around and she heard Mato gasp in surprise as she stared at her real self's mother, who had a blank look on her face as she gripped the knife tightly in her right hand. The blue-eyed Anomaly could hear Mato spouting off warnings and commands, but she didn't listen to them, already knowing what has to get done before everything gets blown out of proportion.

B RS saw Mato's mother rushing towards her and rolled away from another slash, exiting the room from the opened door and heading towards the stairs, heading down a couple of steps before jumping over the railing. She could hear the footsteps nearing the stairs and didn't waste time moving away from them, passing through the living room as she made her way to the kitchen. Leaning up against the wall, she could feel her heart pounding and raised an eyebrow, wondering why it was doing so until she remembered that it wasn't the Otherworld, and that caused a frustrated groan to escape her lips. B RS was ready to think about what she should do next until she felt her space get penetrated by the knife, which pierced through the wall as the blade remained within centimeters of her right cheek. Moving away from the wall, she watched the knife get pulled out from the wall as Mato's mother adjusted her grip on it, walking into the kitchen.

"It would be easier for all of us if you just surrender," Mato's mother told her, her voice hollow.

B RS frowned, "I rather be dead..!"

"That isn't an option," Mato's mother stated.

B RS watched Mato's mother rush at her, the grown woman moving around the table as she tried to reach her, only to miss as the blue-eyed Anomaly jumped over the table and exited the kitchen. B RS backed away until she felt the couch resting behind her, causing her to think her way through the situation she's in now as the older woman exit the kitchen. Holding back another frustrated grown, B RS decided to make the next move and rushed towards her, causing Mato's mother to get caught off guard from the sudden action. Grabbing the woman's right wrist, B RS wasn't sure that her idea would work, but it was a better time to pull it off than later on, all things considered since she wasn't sure of all her abilities as an Anomaly, unlike Geshumaru or Dragon Slayer. Letting her right hand hover to the side of Mato's mother's head, she locked eyes with her and had her eyes glowed, causing the woman to back away as she felt a jolt of pain coming from her head.

[Shooter..!]

B RS looked around, caught by surprise by the voice, "Dragon Slayer..?"

[Use your Black Blade and strike her down with the phantasmal blade..!]

"What, are you-" B RS started, but stopped herself when the last half of the message got to her, "I get it"

Mato heard the short conversation between B RS and Dragon Slayer and started shouting commands, worry etched on her face as she watched B RS bring out her Black Blade. The teenage girl couldn't stand seeing what's about to happen, so she decided to take charge and take control of B RS's body, trying to force her to stop from attacking her mother. B RS was about to have her power course through the weapon until she felt her right arm froze, Mato taking control of her arm and trying to will her body to stop from doing something drastic. Of all the things that could go wrong, Mato just had to pull this off the moment when everything was going to finish, and it got worse when B RS saw Mato's mother recover from the sudden shock. Gritting her teeth, B RS tried to assert her dominance as an ax appeared and she grabbed it with her left hand, a blue transparent form resembling a scythe appearing around it.

"I can't have you stopping me Mato..!" B RS said as she swung with her left arm.

Mato froze as she saw the blue scythe-like form phase through her mother, the woman's body going rigid before collapsing to the floor, unconsciousness taking over her body as a black mass landing a few feet away from her. Feeling her control over her body returning, B RS twirled the weapon quickly before striking at the black mass, which went ballistic as black spikes formed around it, rising and lowering as it slowly burned to death. With that done, B RS slid to the floor, her body tensing every several seconds as she tried to relax from what just happened, relieved that Dragon Slayer managed to help her. At that thought, the blue-eyed Anomaly looked around for any reflective surface, trying to find the aforementioned Anomaly that helped her stop this mess when she saw the window, where Dragon Slayer was watching the spectacle. Words couldn't come to her at the moment, but she knew that Dragon Slayer wasn't going to start until she regained her bearing, which would only take a few more seconds until they can start talking.

"Why are you here..?" B RS inquired after she calmed down.

[Because you need to know what I know, if all of this was any explanation...]

"You know that this would happen," B RS said, looked towards the window.

[I had a hunch, which is something I wouldn't use unless I had more information, now that all this happened, I can say that we're facing more than just Icicle...]

B RS arched an eyebrow, wondering where Dragon Slayer was taking all of this to, "Care to explain, or do you want me to become a headache?"

[Mato's more of a headache than you, but what I'm saying is that Icicle is securing her position in the real world; the limbo that we saw and what you had to go up against is her power influencing everything...]

"What, so she's playing the role of god and is influencing everyone to get her work done..?" B RS wondered before scoffing.

[Ha, don't get me started on gods, if they truly existed, the Otherworld would have shattered years ago, but going back to the main point, if Icicle already obtained her mediums, then it's safe to assume that she also has watchdogs all around us..!]

"Watchdogs," B RS repeated as her thoughts strayed a bit, landing right where they needed, "Wait, you're not saying..?"

[Everyone is an enemy, all because Icicle managed to get something done way before we even arrived, and that extra day she gained only cemented it...]

B RS got up from the floor, the weight of everything falling to her shoulders as her thoughts aligned with what Dragon Slayer was thinking about, and she could see the implications behind it all. With all that's coming to light, that also meant that whatever happened her might happen to Geshumaru, and she doesn't want to think about what could happen if Geshumaru falls to her own end. Dragon Slayer watched B RS with sympathetic eyes before directing her gaze to Mato's mother, and then to the black mass which merely died off as the embers from the flame disappeared, leaving nothing behind. The only way Mato's mother could fall to Icicle's control is if someone close to Mato managed to get to her, and that in itself was a very short list. B RS looked towards Dragon Slayer and sighed, but her eyes showed that she understood the situation they were in now, but neither one of them believed that it's enough for them to get through this.

B RS walked over to Mato's mother and picked her up, "What now..?"

[Put her back in bed and pack up some clothes for Mato, there are things that we have to get done...]

B RS nodded and headed towards the stairs, the doubts lingering in the back of her mind along with Mato as she got about to doing what Dragon Slayer told her to.

---

Geshumaru landed in front of the gate to her house, noticing all the lights were off, which was a bit unsettling since there would normally still be a light on to signal Kanna focusing on some personal project. Pushing the thought aside, Geshumaru walked up to the door and fished around her pockets until her fingers touched what she was looking for, and she immediately grabbed it and pulled her keys out from her jacket's pocket. She reached forward and inserted her key into the lock, but paused when she noticed the door was already open, only appearing as if it's closed. Frowning, she pulled her keys away from the lock and pushed to door open, stepping inside the house as she took off her shoes and darted towards the stairs, cautious of taking quick, but silent steps. She could feel chills going down her spine as she reached the second floor, her instincts telling her to get away, but she denied them and focused on heading to her room.

"Well, let's see what happens next..!" Geshumaru thought as she reached her door and grabbed the knob, turning it before pushing the door open.

Before she could even react, Geshumaru got shoved away from the door frame as she tried to enter her room, her back hitting the wall as she felt someone leaning up against her. Looking up, her eyes widened as she saw Kanna staring at her, the latter heaving as sweat trickled down her face, her eyes wide as if she just ran for miles on end and was ready to die from exhaustion. Geshumaru couldn't do anything, but she already assumed the worst as she saw Kanna raising her left hand, which balled into a fist that only went towards the wall. Kanna let out a frustrated groan and backed away from Geshumaru, dropping something to the floor as she gripped both sides of her head, her eyes closing and eyebrows knitting together as she continued groaning. Looking away from Kanna for a moment, Geshumaru looked down at the floor and noticed a pair of scissors, and everything started clicking as Kanna looked up at her, cracking open her right eye.

"Geshumaru.. get away from.. here, from the house... now..!" Kanna let out, backing towards the wall behind her.

She didn't need another warning as Geshumaru headed towards the stairs, but she wasn't going to run away from the house, not considering what Kanna was fighting against. What just happened only cemented Dragon Slayer's theory of Icicle's actions in the real world, and she wasn't going to walk away from it when someone she's close to got affected by some being from another reality, all due to a situation she's isn't even a part of. Rushing down the stairs, Geshumaru made a sharp left and headed towards the kitchen, hearing the patter of footsteps heading towards the stairs, which only told her how much time she's got left before another confrontation with Kanna. Stepping into the kitchen, Geshumaru's left hand twitched as transparent blue shards appeared around her body, flickering away as her school uniform got replaced with her Otherworld clothes, her sheathed katana in her left hand. She could hear the sound of rushing footsteps nearing the kitchen, so Geshumaru whipped around as she drew out her katana, a transparent blue wave trailing the blade as Kanna entered.

Kanna could only watch Geshumaru turn her body completely as the wave passed through her, her eyes widening for a moment as the wave disappeared before falling to the floor. Geshumaru didn't look at Kanna as her eyes locked on what appeared as a black mass, which was shifting its form before tendrils got launched at her. Geshumaru didn't hesitate and rolled to the side, avoiding the tendrils as they pierced where she was standing, allowing time for the blue-eyed Anomaly to get back up and attack. Switching which hand was gripping her katana, Geshumaru trailed her fingers along the blade as blue fire danced along the metal, her eyes locked on the tendrils as they removed themselves from the floor and rushed towards her, cutting apart the small distance between them. Despite the limited space between them, that didn't stop Geshumaru from attack as she slashed away at the tendrils, the fire surrounding her katana igniting the black mass as it continued its way back to the source, illuminating the kitchen for a moment.

Geshumaru walked around the fading tendrils as she neared Kanna, "Now..."

Geshumaru bent down next to Kanna and rolled her to her back, which allowed her to see Kanna unconscious, her eyes closed as her chest moved up and down in sync with her breathing. That alone allowed the blue-eyed Anomaly to sigh in relief as she sat down on the floor, looking up at the ceiling with her eyes slightly misty from the unwanted stress, which came from the events that happened a few minutes ago. She just sat there on the floor, the illumination dimming as the fire slowly died out from consuming the black mass that infected Kanna and tried to kill her when its 'host' couldn't do so. Everything was silent, so when Geshumaru heard someone knocking on the front door, she grabbed her katana and got up from the floor, taking slow steps towards the front door. Passing the stairs, it didn't take long for Geshumaru to reach the door and have a firm grasp on the door knob, her eyes narrowing as they took on a faint glow, her power flowing throughout her body as she opened the door and slashed at whoever was there, knocking at the door.

She got her answer when her attack met with some resistance in the form of B RS, who blocked the attack with her Black Blade, "Yeah, nice to see you too Geshumaru..."

"Sorry," Geshumaru apologized as she withdrew her sword, letting it disappear, "I got caught up in my own problems"

B RS arched an eyebrow as she watched Geshumaru walking back into the house, allowing her a way in for herself as she stepped inside, her eyes wandering around for a moment until she saw a body laying on the floor. That was all B RS needed to see, just to know that Geshumaru just went through the same thing as she did, but it's probably affecting her on a more personal level. From the corner of her eyes, B RS could spot Dragon Slayer in the mirror that rested on the wall, the amber-eyed Anomaly looking around with her arms crossed, but not saying a single word. It's always unsettling whenever Dragon Slayer does that, if only for the sake of hiding information while looking interested in what's going on before her, but something tells B RS that she's doing this for a different reason. Geshumaru walked back towards her from the kitchen, looking a bit disheveled, but certainly better than when she opened the door and attacked out of nowhere.

"Alright, so did something happened on your end..?" Geshumaru asked, locking eyes with B RS.

[Close to what probably happened to you, so I was right in having Shooter out here in place of Mato...]

For just a few seconds, it looked like Geshumaru was going to have a heart attack as she turned toward the mirror, "Gah, Dragon Slayer?!"

[In the flesh, so to say; now, we all know that Icicle managed to get more than just any mediums, she's going for personal attacks...]

"All's fair in a war, right?" B RS wondered, turning towards the mirror.

[Of course, but that doesn't mean we're not playing a similar game...]

"Enough cryptic messages and get to the point..!" Geshumaru nearly shouted, mindful of the other people sleeping in the house.

[Fine, to counter Icicle, you'll need me as an active player, but I need a body to possess, to sync up with, in order for that to happen, and...]

Geshumaru could hear the uncertainty that crossed Dragon Slayer's voice as she trailed off, and she didn't need any other hints towards what the amber-eyed Anomaly was asking for, "No, I'm not allowing it..!"

"Am I missing something here..?" B RS wondered as she arched an eyebrow at both of them.

"Stay out of this Shooter," Geshumaru told B RS, only causing the latter to just blink at her as she focused her attention back towards Dragon Slayer, "After what she's probably been through, trying to resist Icicle's control for a day or two, you want to throw her back into this?!"

[With what you just revealed, yes.. besides, who was it that revealed the Otherworld to her..?]

Geshumaru gritted her teeth and looked back towards the kitchen, where Kanna's unconscious body rested on the tiled floor, her breathing even. Everything caught up to Geshumaru at the time and the harshness of reality caused her to face a difficult choice, one that she didn't want to take away, despite dragging Kanna into a world beyond human comprehension. She couldn't detract anything from what Dragon Slayer just said, but that didn't stop her from feeling like her world was slowly falling apart after building a life of her own, which was only built on lies and realizations. Sighing, Geshumaru grimaced as she relented, and she knew Dragon Slayer was watching her with a careful eye, just to make sure that she was getting the response that she needed before doing anything. Looking up at the mirror, she could see that Dragon Slayer still had her arms crossed while staring at her, and it was unsettling Geshumaru until the amber-eyed Anomaly looked pasted her.

[Geshumaru, head upstairs and pack up clothes for both you and Kanna, believe me when I say you won't stand being here to help me...]

Geshumaru nodded and silently mouthed a thank you as she headed up the stairs, leaving only B RS and Dragon Slayer downstairs in the hallway. B RS wasn't entirely sure what was happening until she saw Dragon Slayer rest her hand on her side of the reflection, her eyes closed as she tried to push against it, managing to crack the reflective surface as an astral form of her started appearing in the real world. B RS could watch in slight awe as Dragon Slayer's ghostly figure touched the floor, but that changed when Dragon Slayer looked at her and gestured towards the kitchen, pointing at Kanna's unconscious body. B RS walked behind Dragon Slayer, watching the amber-eyed Anomaly examine Kanna, walking around her for a moment before stopping to the unconscious young adult's left. B RS wasn't sure why Dragon Slayer was taking her time examining Kanna when she herself doesn't have time existing in the real world, but that changed when she saw the amber-eyed Anomaly lay her left hand on Kanna's.

Dragon Slayer looked at B RS, her expression neutral, "Once I enter her, restrain her body"

B RS could only nod as she watched Dragon Slayer look back at Kanna before closing her eyes, her transparent form fading into golden sparks as they entered Kanna slowly, crawling up within her left arm. It took a while until Dragon Slayer disappeared within Kanna, and B RS thought for a moment that something went wrong, but that thought changed when she saw Kanna's eyes snapped open and she started thrashing around the floor. Reacting quickly, B RS grabbed Kanna's wrists and got on top of her, pinning her arms to the floor while the young adult dug her nails into B RS's skin. Kanna kicked at the floor roaring in agony as her senses got assaulted by Dragon Slayer, having that sensation of something entering her forced her body to react wildly while being restrained. B RS gritted her teeth as she felt the nails continue to dig into her skin before it stopped, which caused her to look down at Kanna, only to lock her eyes with a familiar set of amber-colored eyes before they closed, the body relaxing as the grip around her forearms disappeared.

B RS got up from Kanna and grabbed her forearms, feeling the minor wounds start to heal themselves slowly as she watched Kanna's appearance change. The blue-eyed Anomaly could see faint electrical sparks around the unconscious young adult, watching her body move on its own as she got up, transparent amber-colored shards racing up her body. Her pajamas changed into that of Dragon Slayer's clothes before she disappeared into the woman, the body changing slightly to accommodate the clothing. A black armored gauntlet surrounded her right hand as the head tilted back, the hair growing and becoming completely back before coming back up. B RS heard a groan as the body moved slightly, hearing the sound of bones and joints realigning themselves as the eyelids revealed the amber-colored orbs that was exclusive to only Dragon Slayer.

"Ugh, that was unsettling," Dragon Slayer groaned as she rolled her shoulders, "Not a bad body to connect with, despite the low synchronicity levels, but that's a bit common when it comes to me..."

B RS removed her hands from her forearms, her arms not bleeding anymore, but still quite sore, "Right, does that always happen..?"

"The body will thrash around based on whatever is happening," Dragon Slayer confirmed, adjusting her spine, "It's similar to an unconscious burn victim waking up, only to suffer in intense pain due to how badly burned the victim's body is"

"But there's a difference between that and what happened just now," B RS stated.

"Well, the thrashing from a burn victim occurs from external injuries," Dragon Slayer explained, "This is more of internally causing strain upon a person's nervous system, body, and existence by trying to link up with them, which is why if I need to take control of a body that's still conscious, I have to rush to someplace secluded before the body reacts..."

B RS frowned a bit, remembering the time when Dragon Slayer took control of a nurse while Mato was in the hospital, "Duly noted..."

Walking away from the kitchen, they could see Geshumaru heading down the stairs, two bags filled with clothes as the contents within put a strain on the zippers. Geshumaru stared at Dragon Slayer for a moment, her eyes wavering slightly as they held a deep regret with them, before looking away and heading towards the front door. As she stepped out of the house, her left eye managed to get an object within her sights and she turned, noticing two bags that were probably filled with clothes for Mato. Geshumaru thought that Dragon Slayer was thinking ahead of time too much, and for a moment, she thought that it was suspicious that the amber-eyed Anomaly would even do something like this, but her line of thought went back to the moment B RS took Mato's place. Out of all of them, Dragon Slayer is the one who understands their situation and know how to make plans to counteract whatever is going to happen to them, even without knowing how problematic everything is for them.

In hindsight, it's scary for any of them to think about Dragon Slayer's thought process; Geshumaru mused, unaware of how true the thought was.

"So Dragon Slayer, what do we do with our new luggage?" Geshumaru inquired as she turned towards the amber-eyed Anomaly, who just stepped out of the house.

Dragon Slayer merely smiled as Geshumaru placed the bags that she was carrying down with the others, the amber-eyed Anomaly removing the black ring that rested around her middle finger. In an instant, the black ring turned into a chain link that was roughly eleven feet in length, something that caught the other two Anomalies off guard as Dragon Slayer started using it like a whip for a moment. Both B RS and Geshumaru stared slightly in awe as Dragon Slayer whipped at the bags, the chain link moving around like a snake as it wrapped itself around the bags. As the chain like finished wrapping itself around the bags, it closed off the link by connecting to the length that Dragon Slayer was holding, who then gave the chain a sharp tug. Before any one of them could blink, the chains started retracting as the bags suddenly disappeared, the chain link transforming back into a black ring, which got placed back around Dragon Slayer's middle finger as she turned to face her companions.

"If any of you wondered where I always got my chains, there's your answer," Dragon Slayer told them before walking away from the house.

"I'll be damned if she ever haunts me for the rest of my life," Geshumaru said, shuddering as she watched the older Anomaly walk to the street.

B RS looked at her for a moment, an eyebrow rising before she looked back at Dragon Slayer, who was waiting for them, "Be careful of what you say, it might come true..."

Geshumaru was about to respond to B RS when she saw her walking away from the house, causing Geshumaru to seethe a bit as she turned around, "Right, I'll keep that in mind, preferably at the back of my head..."

Geshumaru grabbed the front door by its door-knob and closed it, mindful of locking it as she turned around and headed to the street, where her other two comrades in arms were. Judging by how Dragon Slayer was telling B RS something, it was safe to say that she had an idea, and considering that their current priority is finding a place to stay for the time being, there's no doubt that that's their goal now. They jumped from the street and started jumping from rooftop to rooftop, Dragon Slayer leading them as they weaved through the houses and made their way towards the metropolis half of the city. Geshumaru was wondering what Dragon Slayer was thinking of their temporary resting place until she saw the amber-eyed Anomaly turned left and land on a stairway that's attached to the side of an apartment building. The audacity that Dragon Slayer had towards breaking certain laws and rules, whether in the real world or Otherworld, is stunning, but considering that they potentially have a bunch of people against them, she could have expected her to pull something like this.

When Dragon Slayer broke the window open, she lead them inside the empty apartment, unaware of the piercing stare they were getting from the top of a building across the street.

---

Mato could hear the chatter coming from the other students as she made her way into the school, chills going down her spine as she remembered the conversation she had earlier in the morning with Dragon Slayer. Their conversation was quite short and cut-dry, but the task was easy to understand: go to school like it's any other day and don't act like something is worrying you. Easier said than done, especially after how last night played out for her, and that caused a frown to appear on her face as she remembered how Dragon Slayer had B RS attack her mother. Granted, it was to save her, but the ethics and method behind saving her was worst than what Mato could even think about pulling off. She couldn't understand how the amber-eyed Anomaly could react so nonchalant given what they have to face against, but still show irritation at just her, without stating her reason.

Entering the school, she took one glance behind her before disappearing within the building, seeing the faint figures of two people sitting at a rooftop across the street from the school. One of those people was Geshumaru, dressed in regular clothing as Dragon Slayer wanted her to not go to school, requiring her help when the situation demands it. Even so, the blue-eyed Anomaly felt annoyed, but not by avoiding school, that in itself was a different issue that she couldn't care about given what's happening now. Her annoyance stems from Dragon Slayer sitting down next to her, appearing in the form of Kanna as she stared at the school with calculating eyes, memorizing its layout. If anything, Dragon Slayer probably knows about how annoyed she's feeling and isn't giving a damn about it, because if she did, then she wouldn't be the Dragon Slayer that everyone knows.

"Well, looks like the prey has finally entered the lion's den," Dragon Slayer said, Kanna's voice coming out from her lips.

"I still don't like you using whatever you can from Kanna," Geshumaru told Dragon Slayer.

Dragon Slayer turned to look at the blue-eyed Anomaly, "Would you prefer to hear my voice or Kanna's while I'm using her form?"

"Touche, but it doesn't change that this wasn't suppose to happen," Geshumaru said, not taking her eyes away from the school, "I couldn't keep my existence a secret from everyone, and letting Kanna know relieved me of some of that burden..."

"I understand, you needed to decide on what's next and you did, but now you have to live with that choice," Dragon Slayer explained to her, looking back at the school, "Whatever happens now isn't on your hands, if Kanna wounds up hurt, it's on me"

"Considering how you work, I don't exactly trust you having Kanna's life in your hands," Geshumaru quipped, a half-hearted smile on her face.

Dragon Slayer glanced at Geshumaru before looking back at the school, "You certainly know how to even out the score..."

"I learned from you how to get someone back with words, it doesn't work all that well from me unless it's at the right moment," Geshumaru stated.

Dragon Slayer showed a little smile for a moment before it disappeared, "Anyways, all three of us have to remain cautious and take action when it comes to, especially since there are many unknowns, just waiting for the right moment to catch us off guard and put us back to the beginning"

"Let me guess, you think Mato will screw up, and that will cause us to take action?" Geshumaru wondered, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Dragon Slayer resisted the urge to smirk, "No, I'm expecting her to lead us to the source, and the event that plays out from there is what causes us to take action"

The girl who Geshumaru and Dragon Slayer were talking about sneezed, wondering why that happened as she walked through the hallways, hearing the familiar chatter occurring from fellow students that went to the school. Overall, everything seemed normal, like anything that happened last night was nothing until she remembered the sky, which still held the faint checker-board pattern behind the several clouds that coated the sky. Having both the real world and the Otherworld in a state of limbo scared Mato slightly, since she wasn't sure how that would affect everyone or if things from the Otherworld, like the creatures that tend to roam around there, will show up. Pushing the thoughts aside, Mato reached her home room's door and slid it open, entering as the sound of various people talked while the clock ticked away, nearing the next hour slowly. Mato was about to sit down when she felt someone tap on her shoulder, causing her to turn around in surprise and stare at Saya, who merely smiled at Mato's reaction.

"I'm sorry Mato, I know it's close to first period, but can we talk for a moment?" Saya asked.

Mato could only nod, wondering what it was that Saya wanted to talk to her about, probably about why she disappeared from school close to four days ago, if that's how much time has passed since she was in the Otherworld. She left the room, walking along with Saya as they tread through the hallways and to the consultation room, but when Mato stepped into the room, there was a different feel to it. Saya strode into the room and sat down on the chair that became commonplace in the room, something akin to a leader sitting down and staring at his or her own subordinates. Mato headed to the couch and sat down on it, looking back at Saya as, for just a moment, she thought the color of the room turned into different shades of gray, but shrugged it off and focused on the older woman. After all that happened, whatever came next won't catch her off guard, but she's unaware of how wrong she is.

"Mato, your family's been worried about you, it's almost been four days since you disappeared," Saya told her, looking a bit concerned, "Tell me, why did you disappeared..."

"Well, I got sent into the Otherworld to help.. B RS, and things just decided to get worse as we fought this other self called Underworld Icicle," Mato told Saya, "It took a while, but I'm back now with Geshumaru and Dragon Slayer"

Saya's eyes narrowed slightly as her lips curled into a smirk, "You don't say..?"

Mato felt her body shiver from the tone of Saya's voice as she said those three words, but it got worse as she felt the temperature in the room drop considerably, and she knew subconsciously that it wasn't a good sign. Mato tried to get up from the couch, but she couldn't move her body, it was like it got frozen stiff by some unimaginable force that decided to pin her down like a weight. Looking around, she could see the color shifting back and forth between normality and gray-scale as the shadows in the room shifted and gather together. She didn't need to think about what's going to happen next as she watched the shadows rise up and take upon the form of Icicle, who was adjusting her spine as she turned to look at Mato. Saya didn't move from her seat as she glanced at Icicle for a moment before looking back at Mato, who looked like she was watching the world burn before her.

"Kuroi Mato, it's about time we've finally met," Icicle told her, the words rolling off her lips.

Mato could feel her body getting cold just from Icicle's presence, "What do you want with me..?"

"Interesting how you went straight to the point," Icicle said, a very small hint of amusement in her voice, "I rather talk a bit before going to the point, if only to show what you've stepped into"

"And that is..?" Mato inquired, her eyes wavering.

"A world in-between the lines, the truth revealing itself with each passing day," Icicle told Mato, walking around the consultation room, "I must admit, if I didn't get Saya and Gold Saw to help me, my plans would have a delay, resulting in counteraction, and that's something I wish to avoid"

Mato gulped as silently as she could, her eyes still locked on Icicle's form, "And what's your plans..?"

"A question that's already answered, so I see no reason to repeat myself when it's already known," Icicle told her, making her way to the teenager, "And that will lead us to the main point"

Saya narrowed her eyes slightly, "Don't do anything drastic, or else she-"

"Both Yomi and Dead Master can wait, this is more important," Icicle stated, shooting down Saya's minor concern as she stared into Mato's blue eyes, "I want access to that extra power that B RS has..."

Within that moment that Icicle asked - no, told Mato what she wanted, the teenager felt time stop for her as she tried to comprehend all that she was hearing, disbelief coursing through her head. Judging by what she already saw, Saya was helping Icicle for some reason, and it looks like Yomi got caught up in the mess, along with Dead Master. It didn't take that much to connect all the dots that's presented to her, especially with how last night went, it's safe to say that Icicle got to them as also brought up the thought that if Icicle got to Saya, Yomi, and their other elves, then Kagari and Yuu were too, considering how close the latter two are to the former two. As all this came to light, Mato snapped back to reality as she watched the skin around Icicle's right hand fade away, revealing black bones that moved like it was any ordinary hand, Icicle inching closer to the blue-eyed girl.

"I'll present two possible routes for you to take," Icicle told Mato, her voice icy as she raised her right hand, the black-boned fingers flexing slightly, "Give me what I want out of your own free will, and I'll let you go so the three of you can continue your pointless attempts to stop me, or resist, and I'll break you like your four precious friends, and that's the fate you want to avoid"

Mato felt her body shiver from Icicle's voice, but she still managed to narrow her eyes in anger, "No, I rather burn in hell..!"

"Poor choice..." Icicle said as she plunged her right hand into Mato's chest.

Mato felt her body shudder as she felt like screaming in pain, but the sensation faded away as Icicle retracted her hand, her eyes narrowing for some reason that the blue-eyed teenager couldn't figure out. Within the next second, she understood as a giant wave slashed through the consultation room, separating her from Icicle and Saya, the latter who got up from her seat as she watched it all unfold before her eyes. Realizing the opportunity, Mato tried to get up from the couch and managed to get off before rushing straight to the door and opening it wide, exiting into the hall and breaking out into a run. Saya frowned and was about to chase after Mato when she felt Icicle rest a hand on her left shoulder, holding her back as a shock rushed through her body, a silent command that said everything that required no words to state. Watching Icicle walk out of the room and to the hallway, Saya followed after her like a mere servant following her master's commands, aware that even with Mato trying to escape, there were more pressing matters to attend to.

---

Geshumaru got up from the roof, her eyes widening slightly as she saw what just occurred, "Dragon Slayer, did you see that, that looks like an attack an other self would make..."

"True, but while it's alarming, we can't get distracted," Dragon Slayer told her, narrowing her eyes slightly, "Geshumaru, enter through the front door, I'll take to the rooftop since there's something minor that I need to get done before helping you and Mato"

Geshumaru huffed, but didn't say anything as she jumped down to the street and rushed towards the school, transparent blue shards passing by her as her clothes changed back to her Otherworld set, her sheathed katana in her right hand. She passed through the doors and headed to the hallway, making sure that she wasn't spotted since Mato's cover is obviously blown, and the last thing she wants is people being aware that she's in the building. Heading to the stairs, Geshumaru started thinking about how it all fell apart when she remembered what slashed through the school at an alarming rate. She had no doubt that it was the work of an other self, but there was something familiar about the attack that she couldn't put her finger upon, and with that, she was sure that thinking more about it will only cause her a headache. Reaching the top of the stairs, she was about to step on the floor when she felt something nearing her and ducked underneath, taking an extra measure to roll as she avoided getting beheaded by something.

Getting back up, Geshumaru turned around, her emotion changing straight to confusion, "Dead Master..?"

"Dead Master" removed her Dead Scythe from the wall where it impaled, looking back at Geshumaru, "You're half-right, she's merely assuming form by using my body, just like how B RS does it with Mato..."

"Yomi, wha.. the hell is going on here..?" Geshumaru nearly shouted, trying to piece everything together.

"It is, as it is," Geshumaru heard from behind, causing her to look back and lock eyes with Chariot, but she knew in the back of her mind that it wasn't Chariot who was talking.

"I'm guessing Kagari's the one active," Geshumaru said, looking back at Yomi, who gripped her scythe tightly.

"You really stepped over your bounds, and now, all of you are paying for it," Someone said to Geshumaru's left, and she didn't have to hazard a guess for this one.

Looking to her left, she watched STR, or rather, Yuu walk up to her, Ogre Arms ready to fire, "Nice try though Geshumaru, it might have worked if we weren't ready..."

"Perfect, maybe Dragon Slayer expected this to happen, but wanted an absolute confirmation," Geshumaru thought as she looked at the three people who surrounded her, appearing as their other selves, "If they're like this, would that mean..?"

Hearing footsteps rushing down the hall, Geshumaru glanced to her right and saw behind Kagari, her eyes widening slightly as she watched Mato heading straight towards them, right into the line of fire. Reacting on instinct, Geshumaru thumbed the hilt of her katana, popping it out of its sheath slightly, but she couldn't react in time as she watched Yomi rushed towards Mato, a sadistic gleam in her eyes. Gritting her teeth, Geshumaru closed her eyes for a moment before launching herself towards Yuu, drawing out her katana as blue fire danced along the blade, her eyes glowing before a blue flame ignited itself around her right eye. Bullets got fired from Yuu's Ogre Arms, but most of them immediately dropped to the floor as Geshumaru slashed at the distance between them, the few remaining bullets grazing her arms and legs. Crossing the distance between them, Geshumaru tackled Yuu to the floor, punching her across the face before getting back up and defending herself from Kagari's attack, her eyes trailing back to Mato who just noticed Yomi rushing to her.

"Switch with Shooter, now!" Geshumaru shouted before kicking Kagari away.

Mato heard Geshumaru's shout and didn't waste time thinking otherwise or about the situation as she felt herself get pulled back, transparent blue shards appearing around her as B RS appeared in place of Mato. Without hesitating, B RS intercepted Yomi by grabbing the shaft of the scythe, all before punching her with her left hand, creating some distance as she rushed towards the other blue-eyed Anomaly, her Black Blade taking form as she gripped it in her right hand. Kagari realized what just happened and turned around to take on B RS, locking blades with her before they both backed away, cracks forming on the floor from them standing their ground as they clashed. Geshumaru rushed towards them, catching Kagari's attention as she backed away from the duo, waiting for Yomi and Yuu to get back to where she is and help her. With that momentary pause in their fight, Geshumaru looked at B RS, seeing the uneasy expression on her face as she looked at the situation before her, possibly gauging how bad it is and what they can do to get out of it.

"It's safe to say that if Gold Saw was here, we would have been dead already..." B RS said, disdain seeping into her voice.

Geshumaru grimaced, aware of what B RS was stating, "Great, thanks for confirming that for me, we're definitely screwed"

B RS looked around, noticing Yomi and Yuu nearing them, "So are they..?"

"It's their real selves, so we can't kill them," Geshumaru told her, narrowing her eyes, "Hell, I don't want to kill anyone given our circumstances, so..."

"We just go with the intent without actually killing anyone, great," B RS dryly remarked as she turned to face Yuu, "Where's Dragon Slayer..?"

---

Dragon Slayer opened a drawer before grimacing, "Damn, where is it..?"

Dragon Slayer got up from where she was hunching over, looking around the room she was in as desks layered the room, with important files and books on each one. Finding the staff room was important for her since she had to get something of an insurance for her, B RS, and Geshumaru, for when they exit the school in their haste to escape. Walking up to another desk, Dragon Slayer grabbed one of the drawers and pulled it open, finding a purse hidden within, which only caused Dragon Slayer to smile as she opened the purse as started rummaging inside it. Finding what she was looking for, she took it out from the purse and put it in her pocket while going through Kanna's memories, hoping she could find something that she could use for what she got planned. Heading towards the door, Dragon Slayer was about to exit as she heard footsteps passing by, causing her to duck underneath the small window as she pressed her ear up against it.

In the hallway, Saya walked along with Icicle, her eyes narrow, "So, how long until it all comes together?"

"Roughly seven to eight days, if those three doesn't cause me to accelerate the plans," Icicle stated, "It would be best if we refrain from speaking more about this until in private..."

Saya smirked, "So even having your own manipulated population doesn't stop you from being paranoid..?"

"Keep yourself in line, I rather not discuss it if we crossed paths with someone unfavorable," Icicle explained, her voice as sharp as a knife, "Besides, the seed has already planted itself before I even took action, it's just a matter of waiting for it to bloom"

Passing the staff room, Icicle and Saya was unaware of Dragon Slayer opening the doors and stepping out, the older Anomaly smirking to herself, "Hey, remember me..?"

Icicle stopped walked and turned around, looking impassive, "I see you broke my control over you..."

"Well, I did say I was going to kill you," Dragon Slayer said, trying to play to role of Kanna, frowning at Icicle, "What you did to me and my family, I'm going to make sure you wound up dead..!"

Saya looked back at her, glaring slightly, "How about you cut the crap, it's pretty damn obvious you aren't her"

Dragon Slayer's frown stayed for a moment before turning into a smirk, Kanna's voice disappearing as Dragon Slayer started speaking in her regular voice, "While we stay on the obvious, next time you spy on us, don't make it so I know where you are"

"How..?" Saya let out, caught off guard.

"Oh, believe me, the park has enough lights to me to make out a silhouette, and the fact that reflective surfaces provides me a means of moving about without a medium, I was able to find you," Dragon Slayer said as amber-colored shards burst out, her form appearing in place of Kanna's, "A big mistake on your part"

Icicle merely frowned before glancing at Saya, who caught her glance and picked up on the silent message, the woman composing herself as she started walking towards Dragon Slayer. Dragon Slayer noticed Icicle fading away, black wisps dispersing as the malevolent other self disappeared from the school, leaving the amber-eyed Anomaly with Saya. As Saya neared Dragon Slayer, the latter noticed the colors going back and forth between normality and gray-scale, and in that moment, it was enough for her to miss Gold Saw taking Saya's place in the real world. Feeling something near her from the left, Dragon Slayer took out her sword from the back of her jacket and blocked the attack that Gold Saw launched, their eyes glowing as they jumped away from each other. Dragon Slayer scolded herself for getting distracted when a fight was about to start, leveling her sword so the tip pointed directly at the bridge of Gold Saw's nose.

"I guess this is round two for us," Dragon Slayer dryly remarked, frowning, "Why are you helping her, when there's nothing to gain from it..?"

"As long as Yuu and STR gets protected, then everything else is nothing for me," Gold Saw stated, dashing towards Dragon Slayer.

Dragon Slayer huffed, showing her weariness and irritation, "Figures she would go that far..."

As Gold Saw covered the distance between them, she was unaware of the faint blue glow encircling the sclera in Dragon Slayer's eyes, nor was she ready for what was about to happen.

---

Geshumaru backed away as Kagari slashed at her, who was moving quickly around the limited space they all had in the hallway, forcing the blue-eyed Anomaly to try thinking ahead of her. To think Icicle managed to get them access to their other selves' abilities, and tossing in the appearances wasn't doing much as Geshumaru was having conflicts between her morals and instincts, a combination that would make any other self go crazy. Geshumaru watched Kagari dash towards her when she felt someone grab her and hold her down, causing her to look back at Yuu, who only tightened her grip. Considering the distance between her and Kagari and the narrow battlefield, Geshumaru didn't waste time planting her feet on the floor before jumping up and leaning back, which caused Yuu to center herself as Kagari stopped, her sword within a couple of inches from Yuu's heart. The blue-eyed Anomaly followed it up by planting her lens on Kagari's shoulders and tried hefting her up, causing Yuu's center of gravity to shatter as she stumbled back a bit, trying to deal with the extra weight Geshumaru was bringing in.

"Remember, it doesn't matter if this is a limbo world or the real world, physics and gravity still applies here," Geshumaru told them as she tossed Kagari behind her and Yuu.

The toss forced Yuu to fall back, her back hitting the floor as Geshumaru forced herself out of Yuu's grasp, gasping a bit as she flexed her arms, just to make sure no bones got broken from Yuu's iron-clad grip. Using the momentary break she gave herself, she looked towards B RS, who just avoided Yomi's slash before closing the distance between them and punching the girl across the face. B RS jumped back as blue fire surrounded her Black Blade, the Anomaly narrowing her eyes for a moment before slashing at the recovering Yomi, who had to jump back as the attack ripped through the hall, destroying the windows while ripping the tiled floor and walls apart. Geshumaru was about to scold B RS for performing a dangerous attack while there were civilians around, until she heard something going on above them as the ceiling left a trail of cracks before it finally gave way several feet from where she was standing. Two figures dropped from the ceiling, and for all of them, it's easy to remember who they are as Dragon Slayer got up, who was staring down at the familiar horned form of Gold Saw.

"Care to surrender..?" Dragon Slayer inquired, her posture indicating anything but joking.

Saya merely gritted her teeth in frustration, "As if!"

"Then that makes my decision all the more easier," Dragon Slayer said as she raised her broadsword, " Geshumaru, Shooter, on the floor, now!"

That was all they heard as they saw the broadsword spread apart due to the internal mechanism within, which revealed the hidden blade within, but what caught their eyes was the electrical amber-colored orb that was expanding from the tip of the sword's blade. None of them expected what came next, but Geshumaru and B RS dropped to the floor as the orb started to surround them all, only stopping for a moment before it exploded. None of them were feeling any pain, so when B RS cracked open her eyes, she discovered her answer as everything surrounding them was merely annihilated, like the floor, ceiling and walls just disappeared into the air. Feeling someone grabbing the collar of her jacket, B RS opened her eyes and looked up at Dragon Slayer, who was hoisting her and Geshumaru back to their feet while guiding them away from the battlefield. B RS looked back, wondering what happened to their former friends when Dragon Slayer unleashed her attack, but thought better of it and turned her head away from the hallway, rushing down the stairs with Dragon Slayer and Geshumaru.

Geshumaru looked at Dragon Slayer, surprise and anger appearing on her face, "What exactly happened back there, it's like you unleashed hell for one moment and the next, everything is gone?!"

"It was an anti-matter blast, so be grateful that I didn't focus the attack to annihilate every living being, but just to demolish the area," Dragon Slayer explained, looking straight ahead as they rushed through the hallways before exiting the school.

"Anti-matter, the hell is wrong with you?!" Geshumaru exclaimed, now clearly enraged.

Dragon Slayer looked at her, appearing bored, "I was thinking of our survival, instead of laying waste to them until Icicle appears and kills us"

"Can you both stop arguing," B RS said, catching their attention, "In case you haven't noticed, we still have to get away..."

Dragon Slayer smirked; at least certain things won't change among them, "And that's when I explain why I didn't help you two at first, come on"

Dragon Slayer didn't hesitate and had the other two Anomalies follow her as they left the school grounds, not stopping for a moment as the two behind the amber-eyed Anomaly looked back at the school. They couldn't see the damage that they caused to the building, but considering how everyone was ready to take them on, it's obvious that Icicle knew that they were here, probably even before last night. They looked back at Dragon Slayer, who apparently stopped right next to a car before thrusting her elbow at the window, breaking it before reaching inside and opening the door. B RS only glanced at Geshumaru, wondering how she would react to their amber-eyed companion breaking into a car, and if the wide eyes with a twitch on her lower left eyelid is any indication, she's still angry. Frankly, B RS wasn't sure how to react to Dragon Slayer's actions, but considering the situation that they were all in, there was no time to think about the consequences since getting away is their main priority, and if it means taking a car, then all the better.

But it's obvious that Geshumaru wasn't accepting that, if her stomping towards Dragon Slayer means anything.

"The hell," Geshumaru shouted, "What is it with you, common sense, and laws?!"

"Laws are too restricting, but wars aren't," Dragon Slayer shot back calmly, "Now, both of you get inside before Yuu, or STR, or whoever is in control comes after us and gun us down"

Geshumaru saw from the corner of her eyes that B RS was getting into the car, but there's one small problem with everything before her, "Dragon Slayer, you can't drive, you don't know how to..!"

"I can peek through Kanna's memories to get what I need, so it isn't a problem," Dragon Slayer told Geshumaru, shrugging.

"Kanna took the test twice, and when I got the chance to ride with her," Geshumaru started before pausing for a moment, "Look this is not a situation that we can get away with"

"Which situation: my disdain for following rules, or us trying to find an evil being from another reality, which we all came from, and kill it?" Dragon Slayer inquired, her expression bordering on bored and pissed.

That managed to stop Geshumaru from berating Dragon Slayer for a moment as everything came together, which caused her to let out a begrudging sigh before opening the car door and entering it, silently thinking that Dragon Slayer will somehow find a way to kill them. Dragon Slayer gave a curt nod before checking through everything around the car as she rummaged through Kanna's memories, her mind picking apart whatever she could pick up on before she inserted the key in the ignition and twisted it. B RS was a bit startled when the car roared to life, but that all changed as Dragon Slayer adjusted the gear stick as she could based on Kanna's memories and planted her foot on the pedal, causing the car to speed off. Geshumaru planted her feet against the passenger seat in front of her as she leaned back, caught off guard by Dragon Slayer not holding back driving as she made a left turn, the car turning wildly before speeding down the road. Certain things just don't mixed, Geshumaru thought to herself as she watched Dragon Slayer focus on the road, with didn't synchronize with the actions she was taking as Dragon Slayer made another sharp turn.

Geshumaru lost her grip and smacked against B RS, who was trying to push away from the window, "Are you suicidal, Dragon Slayer?!"

"If I remember correctly, we're trying to escape," Dragon Slayer said from the driver's seat.

"Other selves can't drive, and what you're doing is trying to contradict that!" Geshumaru shouted.

B RS pushed Geshumaru away before staring at Dragon Slayer, "I'm wondering why you even chose to drive when we could jump away or travel through a rip through reality"

"The former is impossible as they, they being your former friends, can catch up to us," Dragon Slayer stated, "And considering that we're in a limbo world, I don't want to risk our destruction by ripping through reality, especially since Saya or Gold Saw, depending on who is in control, can intercept us"

"So you chose to steal a car because they can't catch up to us?" Geshumaru inquired, trying to find the logic in Dragon Slayer's reasoning.

Dragon Slayer looked back at them, "Much easier to make an escape by going sixty to eighty mph so we can narrowly avoid getting sliced in half"

"Don't you mean to use kph?" Geshumaru wondered, arching an eyebrow at Dragon Slayer's incorrect usage of speed terminology.

Dragon Slayer glanced at Geshumaru before looking ahead, "Oh, so Japan use a different measurement for speed?"

"Every country except for America and the United Kingdom uses kph, don't you know that..?" Geshumaru wondered, arching an eyebrow at Dragon Slayer.

The car started slowing down before coming to a stop right before an intersection, Dragon Slayer looking a bit depressed for a moment, "Sorry, but there's certain things that I still don't know about the real world, but I can't waste time dwelling on it, if we don't go-"

They heard footsteps rushing towards them and barely had time to react as three police officers surrounded the car, pointing guns at them as they started shouting commands at them. Geshumaru had to grab B RS's shoulder and shake her head as a way to tell her fellow blue-eyed Anomaly not to attack, especially since they weren't like their friends, if they could keep calling them that. Dragon Slayer singed in exasperation before bringing her head down on the steering wheel, the car horn ringing loudly outside, but it wasn't doing anything to deter the officers away from them. Geshumaru looked at Dragon Slayer, wondering what the amber-eyed Anomaly was planning when she saw the side window scrolling down, allowing some breeze to enter the car. What happened next would shock all of them, because the moment Dragon Slayer brought up her head, her eyes developed a different glint in them as they narrowed, causing both Geshumaru and B RS to flinch at the deathly glare the amber-eyed Anomaly was showing.

Dragon Slayer looked at the officer that pointed his pistol at her, never taking her eyes away from the gun as she opened the door harshly, the door hitting the officer as she reached out with her right hand and grabbed his right wrist. Within a second, she loosen her grip on the wrist, only to slide it towards the gun and pry it from the officer's hand, all while kneeing the car door against him. The other two officers couldn't react quickly to counter Dragon Slayer, who got up and aimed the pistol at them, her eyes focusing on the one to her left as she fired at him twice. The bullets struck him on the top of his right hand and his left bicep, causing him to stagger back in pain and drop the pistol he was holding, but that time frame allowed the other officer to fire at Dragon Slayer. She could feel the bullets nicking her and striking a couple of body parts, but that didn't stop Dragon Slayer from getting to the ground and firing underneath the car at the last standing officer, which was a bad idea if she didn't aim correctly.

She watched the officer drop to the ground, clutching his leg before getting back in the car and taking off, "Well... that was eventful..."

B RS looked surprised as Geshumaru pulled herself up close to Dragon Slayer, "You just fired at innocent people, I mean, they were under Icicle's control as we came to figure, but you still shot at them..!"

"They won't die, especially if Icicle wants to appear in this limbo world," Dragon Slayer said as she glanced at the rear-view mirror, watching the three bodies on the ground get swallowed up by black wisps, "Killing one is like killing a hundred or a thousand to her, she won't risk it..."

"Right, and what about the bullets in you?" Geshumaru inquired, the implications not lost to Dragon Slayer.

Dragon Slayer removed her right hand from the steering wheel and brought it down to her knees, the joints compressing the gauntlet slightly as she removed her hand from it. Now with her hand freed, she brought it to where her right kidney is, a hole barely visible due to the blood and clothes obscuring it from view, but that didn't stop her from pressing down on opposite sides to the hole. Dragon Slayer winced, but kept her eyes on the road as she applied more pressure to the hole, a small glint of gold appearing until it popped out, dropping to the floor of the car with a soft plop. Sighing in relief, Dragon Slayer reached over to her left thigh and performed the same technique, with Geshumaru watching in morbid fascination, with a hint of disgust when she remembered whose body Dragon Slayer is possessing. While they remained occupied, B RS merely looked back through the rear window, wondering how everything even made sense as she heard something nearing them, with a faint silhouette up in the sky.

"Hey, do you hear that..?" B RS asked the two, drawing their attention away from the bullet that Dragon Slayer was now removing from her left arm.

Geshumaru moved back to the back and looked through the glass, her eyes widening slightly as the road behind them blew up, "Whoa, shit!"

"Now what..?" Dragon Slayer grunted as she looked at the rear-view mirror.

Geshumaru watched the dust and rubble fade before she saw what B RS was able to spot several kilometers away, and her eyes widened at the thought of Icicle possibly playing the same game of overkill like Dragon Slayer. Despite living in the real world for a year and having to cram information about Japan's history and any other subjects, it's not easy to forget that Japan still has its own military force in the form of the JSDF, and that's what is causing the blue-eyed Anomaly to worry about their predicament. Hovering above them, roughly several kilometers away was a Bell AH-1 Cobra, commonly used by the main branch of the JSDF, and it's obvious that with it attacking them while they're trying to get away, the trio are place in a troublesome situation. Dragon Slayer narrowed her eyes in irritation at their newest predicament, and even B RS realized their problem as she turned around and started kicking the window, trying to break it as bullets started flying towards them. Geshumaru felt torn due to their situation, but pushed all rational thought aside and started helping B RS, their joint efforts allowing them to break open the window and allowing B RS to bring out her Rock Cannon.

Dragon Slayer looked back and frowned, "Shooter, while I appreciate the thought, I rather not have you use the Rock Cannon as is to stop that"

"You said that Icicle won't risk losing one, let's test the theory," B RS said, which caused Dragon Slayer to narrow her eyes.

"Even so, this isn't like what I did earlier, you could kill him before Icicle even pulls the pilot out," Dragon Slayer told her, venom starting to seep into her voice, "Plus, I rather not have casualties; better to thread the line than cross it"

Another rocket launched and hit the road, forcing Dragon Slayer to regain control of the car that was swerving wildly due to the blast, her blood boiling slightly from the attack. Geshumaru looked back and forth between Dragon Slayer, who was steaming from the blast, and B RS, who was contemplating what the amber-eyed Anomaly just told her, all before her eyes lit up as she came to a compromise. Adjusting her grip on her Rock Cannon, the weapon's form shifted until it turned into its gatling gun form, which forced B RS to drop down to the floor so she could have the weapon rotate while it fired. Spotting another rocket racing towards them, B RS narrowed her eyes as she fired at the incoming projectile, the bullets damaging it before an explosion occurred, which shook the car slightly. With the rocket dealt with, B RS focused on the helicopter itself and started firing at it, trying to find the weak spots within the vehicles' structure, her eyes briefly glancing at the rotary blades that kept it up in the sky.

Geshumaru noticed this and looked at the helicopter as well, "It's not a bad idea, but..."

"If she's got an idea, then she better make use of it," Dragon Slayer said from the front as she made a sharp right turn.

"That's good enough for me," B RS said as she aimed her Rock Cannon at the rotary blades, her eyes locked on them.

Dragon Slayer remained focused on the road, but that didn't meant she wasn't paying attention to the battle between B RS and the helicopter, especially when she noticed faint sparks appearing in the side-view mirrors. B RS fired at the rotary blades, several bullets ricocheted off the blades while the rest managed to damage the mechanics, causing the engine to stall and the helicopter to descend from the sky. Geshumaru watched B RS take down the helicopter that was attacking them, watching the blades slow until they couldn't move any further, the damage done to the entire engine. B RS pulled her transformed Rock Cannon back and let it disappeared as she watched the helicopter near the road with Geshumaru, noticing black wisps surround the pilot - who was trying to keep the helicopter elevated - before they disappeared, the pilot vanishing with the wisps. Now with no pilot at the cockpit, the helicopter crashed into the road, sparks flying from the impact until the embers connected with leaking gasoline, igniting the entire helicopter, which finally captured Dragon Slayer's attention.

Dragon Slayer looked back at B RS and Geshumaru, "I thought I said-"

"Shooter was right about testing the theory, Icicle managed to pull the pilot out," Geshumaru told Dragon Slayer, defending B RS, "I guess that means we can walk the line between morals and unethical for now"

"At least you can save your worry for a later time," B RS said, her tone slightly mocking Dragon Slayer's.

"Cute, but try not to pull something like that again without my approval, especially since one wrong move can turn it into a bloody disaster," Dragon Slayer told B RS while focusing on the road again, digging into her left arm and removing a piece of metal, "Damn... that's all of them..!"

---

"Well, that sucked..." Kagari said, kicking her feet into the air as she sat on an empty desk.

After their fight against B RS and Geshumaru, which ended with Dragon Slayer beating Saya and annihilating the hallway, Kagari, along with Yomi, Yuu, and Saya, turned back to normal and headed straight into an empty classroom. They couldn't go on to catch them since Icicle stopped them from doing so, all under the pretense that she had contingency plans for when something prevented them from completing their task. Out of all of them, only Saya and Yomi seemed displeased with how everything went down, especially Saya since this was the second time she ever fought against Dragon Slayer, and it ended before she could even land the first strike, and it's safe to say that even Gold Saw felt her pride cracking. Roughly half an hour passed since Icicle told them to head into a classroom, but their wait ended when said other self appeared from a mass of black wisps, looking no different from earlier. They could see Icicle's right hand was without skin, but that was slowly changing as black wisps raced around it, replacing the skin that was missing a moment ago.

"It seems Dragon Slayer has no qualms when it comes to harming humans," Icicle said, looking at the group, her eyes stopping at each person for a few seconds.

Yuu looked at Icicle, "What do you mean?"

"She managed to disarm an officer before firing about three times, disabling the remaining two officers, who were taking action," Icicle said as she walked towards the blackboard.

"Then we play at her level then," Kagari said, shrugging, "It's not like we can't do anything aggressive, plus, I really want to try out everything Chariot is capable of"

Yomi frowned, "It's not that simple, since Dragon Slayer can fight Gold Saw and beat her easily, Saya fought her twice and the end results we already know"

"So what, she can't take on all four of us," Kagari shot back, looking slightly irritated, "First we kill her, then we kill the other two"

"Hold on, I don't care about what happens to Dragon Slayer or Geshumaru, but killing B RS is out of the question," Yomi told Kagari, narrowing her eyes, "She's mine, and no one else can do anything to her..!"

"I like to see you stop me Yomi!" Kagari baited, a smirk gracing her lips.

Before Yomi could lash out at Kagari, a loud scraping reached their ears and they covered their ears, looking towards the blackboard, where Icicle was dragging her nails down the board, looking irritated. There were lines set for each of them when it came to irritating Icicle, and crossing them would lead to a fate unknown, depending on how far they pushed her patience. Knitting their eyebrows slightly in worry, Yomi and Kagari disengaged from each other and looked towards Icicle, who picked up a piece of chalk before turning around to face the other four in the room. There was plenty of time later to bicker as they watched Icicle draw something on the board without looking at it, her eyes locked on them like a beacon catching their attention. Icicle paid attention to the scrapes of the chalk hitting the board before stopping and letting the chalk drop to the floor, not bothering with the object as she stepped away from the board and focused her attention on them.

"We won't kill them yet, I need something from Shooter and her real self, Kuroi Mato," Icicle told her, her voice firm, "She has something that will benefit me greatly, but I have to get it first before any further action can take place"

"So that means..?" Yomi trailed off, her eyes lighting up slightly.

"We will see, for now, all of you aren't to kill them unless I see fit, and do not engage Dragon Slayer alone or together," Icicle informed them, her arms crossing behind her back, "Her ability is displacing and creating matter, and that alone can cause significant damage if you aren't careful..."

Kagari raised an eyebrow, "Displacing and creating matter, isn't that..?"

"Impossible, yes, but she isn't a normal Anomaly by any standard," Icicle said, walking towards the windows, "There's an element to her abilities that allows her to burn my shadows, I want to know more so I can dissect her power and figure out what makes it tick"

"Somehow, I also hear an 'and' in there," Yuu said.

"What i drew on the board is a simple picture of what I'm building, memorize it, because from tomorrow on, guarding this will become one of your responsibilities," Icicle told her, gesturing towards the board before dropping her hand to her side, "Dismissed"

Icicle turned around and walked towards the board, hearing the chatter between the three girls of the group as they left the classroom, ready to continue the rest of the day without hunting down B RS, Geshumaru, and Dragon Slayer. Hearing the door slide to a close, Icicle turned around, only to get slammed to the blackboard by Gold Saw, who didn't look too pleased as she gritted her teeth in anger. Icicle didn't react to Gold Saw's sudden aggression with surprise, instead, she regarded the red-eyed other self with cool eyes, eyes that could bypass the body and pierce the soul ten times over. Icicle is well aware that she still has control over Gold Saw, but that didn't changed the fact in order for her plans to go on as is, she needs her to help her, as well as her friends and their real selves to follow through on them. Giving them some measure of free will without pushing it to the point where they can rebel is something Icicle took precautions for, but that didn't change the position she's in, but she can guarantee that the positions in this situation will switch.

"You're hiding something..!" Gold Saw roared, glaring at Icicle.

"I suggest you put me down before you wound up losing that arm of yours," Icicle warned, irritation seeping into her voice, "Unlike Dragon Sayer, I don't hold back, besides, you wouldn't want Saya to live the rest of her life without an arm, would you?"

Gold Saw gritted her teeth, but let go of Icicle as the malevolent dropped to the floor, "You know more about Dragon Slayer than what you already said"

"Are you suggesting that I'm merely hiding information for my own needs?" Icicle inquired, not liking the implication.

"It's obvious that you aren't someone who will divulge crucial information until later on," Gold Saw stated, crossing her arms.

Icicle showed a tiny smirk before her fare returned to its apathetic look, "I'm hiding information for your benefits, since Dragon Slayer's actions in the past half hour or so indicates she has experience with the real world"

"Isn't that obvious, Geshumaru lives a life in the real world, and even B RS has been here a couple of times," Gold Saw said, not understanding what Icicle is saying.

"No, I'm saying that Dragon Slayer's actions shows that there were situations that forced her to react this way," Icicle stated, "In other words, she holds no regards to harming real selves, or rather, humans..."

Gold Saw's eyes widened slightly, "So you're afraid that we could wound up dead under Dragon Slayer's hands, that explains everything"

"Yes, but I'm not afraid, just consider it common courtesy, now I would appreciate it if Saya came back to take her place," Icicle said as black wisps started surrounding her, "After all, she's still needed if I want to last long"

As Icicle disappeared Gold Saw faded away as Saya reclaimed her place, heading out of the classroom without looking back, her mind sorting through what she just learned during the time Gold Saw took control.

---

Sleep was an abnormal thing for someone like B RS, despite sleeping only once in the Otherworld, it didn't change how it just didn't sit right with her, all because sleeping never applied. So when the car hit a bump, B RS woke with a start, a blue flame surrounding her left eye as she looked around, wondering what happened and if they're being attacked again. It took Geshumaru resting a hand on her right shoulder and a shook of her head to reject the thoughts coursing through her head, allowing her to dispel the flame surrounding her left eye and look ahead. Wherever they are now, it looks like they are away from the city as B RS could see trees and grass from the window, causing her to wonder where they were going. The car slowed down to a stop and Dragon Slayer exited, walking towards the trees as the other two exited after her, thinking about what it was that caught her eye.

For a moment, Dragon Slayer stood next to the trees, until she walked back to the car, took out her broadsword, and stabbed the car's engine, "There"

Geshumaru looked back, her emotions running wild for a moment before turning away, "Nope, not gonna say it..!"

"Best you don't, considering it took me a while to remember where our destination is," Dragon Slayer said, walking past them and through the trees, "Follow me, I know where we can stay away from Icicle's prying eyes"

B RS and Geshumaru walked behind Dragon Slayer, passing through the trees as the sun shone down upon them through the crevices between the leaves above them, their path unknown as they made several turns along the path. It wasn't until they exited the forest that they saw what Dragon Slayer practically called their hideout, even through it was several kilometers away from them. Spotting the building, they jumped over the fence that was before them and ran towards the building, not willing to waste anymore time than they already had this morning, and having a place to finally rest was better than being on the run in the city when everyone is virtually Icicle's eyes. They reached the building and Dragon Slayer looked around, spotting a door and heading towards it, her eyes fixated on the cracked glass as she grabbed the handle and forced the door to open. As they entered the building, Geshumaru took notice of how dilapidated the building looks, and then she remembered Dragon Slayer saying it took her a while to remember where it was, causing a question to pop into her head.

"Dragon Slayer, how do you even know about this place..?" Geshumaru inquired, walking beside B RS, who focused on examining the interior of the building.

"Eh, it was long ago, I believe a decade after... World War II," Dragon Slayer said, taking noticed of a fuse box, " I rather not get into it..."

Geshumaru arched an eyebrow, "You really are old, aren't you?"

"No, I'm just an eternally youthful hag," Dragon Slayer sarcastically commented, opening the fuse box and opening it, grabbing the wires before flaring her power.

Before Geshumaru could say anything, lights started to flicker before turning on, surprising all of them for a moment until the moment got killed by Dragon Slayer walking away, going deeper into the hallway. B RS and Geshumaru noticed this and hurried to catch up to her, not expecting to enter a wide room with old machinery bolted to the floor, lined up in rows like in a factory. Considering the rust on the machines, Dragon Slayer might be right about the time frame, but aside from that, it doesn't look like the place was even used much afterwards for some reason. B RS looked around, wondering if this was a place that they could even hide out for a while as their fight against Icicle goes on, before a spark caught the corner of her eye and directed her attention to Dragon Slayer, who was generating several orbs of energy and letting them float away. Immediately, B RS and Geshumaru thought that Dragon Slayer became dissatisfied with the place and was about to blow it away, only for the woman to stare at them as if they became less interesting to the amber-eyed Anomaly.

Until she yawned, then all thoughts disappeared and they stared at her with a blank look.

"Sorry, those orbs I made are just lights to take care of any shadows the main ones can't get," Dragon Slayer told them before stretching her back, "Anyways, I'm tired and I need to sleep, I'll be up several hours from now, so don't worry about me..."

"You need to sleep.. you're kidding, right..?" Geshumaru asked, not believing what she is hearing.

"Well, someone had to watch you two while you were asleep, but now that we got away from Icicle and her puppets, I can now sleep," Dragon Slayer told Geshumaru, waving off the disbelief, "And don't worry about the bullet holes, they're all healed up, so when Kanna wakes up and takes my place, she won't feel any different, aside from some soreness"

Before Geshumaru could say anything to Dragon Slayer, the amber-eyed Anomaly walked away with a hand wave and headed towards the other side of the room, where rusty steel steps lead to the office section of the building. Geshumaru sighed, relieved that Kanna won't have any lasting effects from the damage Dragon Slayer received, but now she feels like a ton of weight is starting to pile up upon her, and that's never a good feeling. Turning around, she looked at B RS, who was running her fingers along the inactive machines, her curiosity peaked at the unfamiliar mechanisms laid out in the room. This was realistically the second time B RS even stepped into the real world, even if both the real world and the Otherworld are in a state of limbo, but her knowledge on everything here is only based on her experience, and even Geshumaru's knowledge doesn't know enough about everything, despite having an advantage over the other blue-eyed Anomaly. Walking over to B RS, Geshumaru rested her arms on the machine and leaned over it, cautious of not messing around with the rust and making sure she doesn't inhale it.

"How's Mato feeling about our situation?" Geshumaru asked B RS, catching her attention.

"She went silent, probably trying to digest the information, but as long as she doesn't interfere with me, then it's fine," B RS told Geshumaru, narrowing her eyes, "She almost had me killed when she held me back from attacking her kaa-san..."

Geshumaru gritted her teeth for a moment, "I can understand where she's coming from, but two things are more important, saving her kaa-san and making sure you're still alive; I fought against Kanna and didn't hold back saving her, it's just common fact"

"It's more than that, she thinks I'm going to kill needlessly again, when all I practically said is that I will kill again if there's no choice for me," B RS said, stepping away from the machine, "My existence isn't the same, it's torn, but I'm trying to keep things together with what I want done, but she's trying to screw it up..!"

Geshumaru pushed away from the machine, brushing herself off as she walked around and headed towards B RS, "I get it, but I can't help you in that department, though I'm sure Dragon Slayer is thinking of several ways to deal with it"

"That scares me a bit," B RS said while maintaining her irritated expression.

"Look, we all got problems to deal with, but lets focus on Icicle for now," Geshumaru said before stepping back, bringing out her katana, "And with that being said, how about we practice while Dragon Slayer sleeps..?"

While practice seems like a good idea, B RS wasn't entirely sure, "Look, I just need some rest-"

"Listen, if you rest now, the thoughts will haunt you for that time," Geshumaru told her, frowning slightly before perking up a bit, "It's better to come at me with everything you got, without using our powers, since the last thing either one of us wants is Dragon Slayer aiming for our necks"

B RS understood what Geshumaru was saying, but it wasn't having Mato being a pest to her that made her want to rest, it was what they had to deal with while at the school and on their way here as reality set itself. Everything that happened to them wasn't like in the Otherworld, it felt different, like they got caught in the middle of some chess game, and she was among the pieces. B RS wasn't sure Geshumaru knew about this, but it could be at the back of her head, all because she doesn't want to focus on it. It was obvious from the moment Icicle made her appearance, whether against Gold Saw, Dead Master, her, STR, or everyone else, that everything would that a drastic fall and become the most challenging thing they would face against. Now that they escaped what appeared as a declaration, B RS wasn't sure that everything would go back to normal, and she wasn't expecting to, because if they manage to win and get their friends back, they won't revert back to the way they were before Icicle got her hands on them.

Geshumaru noticed B RS's contemplative thought and sighed, "Stop thnking about the future, if you do, your attention to the present will guide the way"

"Who said that..?" B RS asked.

"How else would I pass for my real self, Naomi?" Geshumaru asked rhetorically before raising her katana, pointing it towards B RS.

It took a moment, but when Geshumaru got her answer, she rushed towards B RS, their swords clashing at the center of the room.

---

Author's Note: Okay, a lot has been going on, especially with my muse going comatose for a while, but I had the general idea of how each segment was going to play out, so I knew the chapter already before I started typing. Also, regarding the car scene which might have some readers thinking about what I'm smoking, I'm taking some creative license with it and look at the other stories that features the other selves in the real world, I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one on the boat. Plus, I'm sorry if the last paragraph is a cluster of information that's getting your head spinning, I was just thinking from the top of my head. Either way, this chapter is another 18K+ worded chapter that passed my expectation, but I'm glad it's done. Please review and I'll see you whenever I get the next chapter out.