V – Blood and Flame

Lily wiped the tears from her face and took the cloth again. She submerged it in the water bucket, wrung it out, and put it back on Touma's forehead. The boy lay on his sleeping bag, his face red, breathing ragged and laborious, with a few sweat drops falling down his face. Occasionally, he moved a bit, his breathing accelerating, but other than that, he gave no more life signs. Steed was floating near its master, scanning him with its sensors.

"His current body temperature is 39.6° C," the Device said. "It seems it has stopped rising."

The girl nodded, sitting next to Touma. Lily glanced at the sky. Night would soon be upon them, and Isis had left just a couple of hours ago. After Touma collapsed, the two of them had tended to him as best as they could. Isis offered to go looking for medicine in a nearby town, and Lily agreed to stay behind. She could not walk that well just yet, and with her faulty memory, she would not even know what to look for. All she could do now was wait.

Lily grabbed the edge of her skirt, clenching her hands around it. She felt useless. This was all her fault, and there was nothing she could do to fix it. She had to depend on others, as usual. Touma had been so kind and good to her, but all she brought him were troubles, and now he might end up hurt for real. Lily's eyes started to burn, but she refused to shed more tears, rubbing her eyes right away.

"Is there something wrong?" Steed asked.

"No, it's nothing. Don't worry," she said quickly, not wanting to concern the Device.

"... I'm sorry. Could you please say something?" Steed sounded apologetic as he pointed to itself with one of his cables. "It seems your telepathy cannot reach me, and I am unable to hear you."

"Sorry, I..." Lily shook her head.

"Apologies, insufficient functions." The little camera did a bow. "I will scout our surroundings. I shall be right back."

"... Thanks, and I am sorry, Steed," Lily said anyway.

Her voice was something she had lost and didn't knew why. The girl let out a sigh and kept her vigil. The wind started to pick up, so she took Touma's coat and put it on top of the blankets they were using to cover him. Lily still felt so powerless and guilty. The people at that strange lab had always refer to her as a 'poison that kills anything it touches' and looking at Touma now she could hardly argue against them. She even told Isis as much when they went for water earlier.

"Don't be so negative Lily!" Isis had said then. The purple haired girl placed her hands on her shoulders "Is not like is proven you caused this. Don't believe what those suspicious people said, ok? I'm sure Touma would say the same thing."

Lily wanted to believe her but… she glanced at her bracelet. She had done something to Touma and that formed a bond between them. She wasn't sure what that meant only that they were linked. What if that bond had left Touma in this state? When he had been fighting at the church Lily had felt his pain and rage, how he was taken her energy to wielded as his own. Was she doing the same now? Lily shook her head. It didn't seem like it was the case and despite previous attempts she couldn't remove the bracelet. It was all too confusing.

'Maybe it would have been better if I stayed in that place' she thought, sadly. The laboratory had been a true hell of pain, death, and suffering, but if she had not escaped Touma would not be in this situation right now.

Lily hugged herself. She was happy to have meet Touma and Isis, but on the other hand she felt terrible for all the troubles she was causing them. If was curious, if she mentioned this both of them would probably scold her for thinking such a thing. It made her smile a bit. A sudden movement in front of her startled her and she felt back.

"Touma!" She was shocked when suddenly the boy started to shift on the ground as if he was convulsing. Lily rushed to his side, but before she could touch him Touma pulled himself up in all fours, eyes wide open and breathing heavily, crawling out of his makeshift bed. She barely managed to grab him by the waist, but he was heavier and nearly pulled her to the floor. His fever seem to have gotten much worst suddenly because his body felt as if he was burning up, but even then Lily held and somehow got him to stop.

"Touma, can you hear me? Touma!" She tried to call for him, but he didn't answer. His body started to tremble and suddenly he threw up something viscous and bloody. Lily started to cry out of pure desperation. Why didn't her voice come out even now? Touma finally stop trembling and he lifted his head, looking back at her. Lily felt her heart sunk, and she unconsciously let go and took a step back. Touma's eyes were a sinister blood red.

'They totally assume Touma is guilty' Isis thought as she took a flyer from one of the officers. She crumped the piece of paper and tossed to a nearby trash can. Grabbing an apple from her groceries she started to eat while reflecting on the current situation.

It was clear this was a very delicate issue. First of all Touma's condition and Lily's statement made it clear that the later had been retained at a biological weapons development facility. From that it follows that Lily was the result of their experiments and Touma a victim from coming in to contact with her. Then you add the attention they got from the authorities and that weird man trying to capture Touma… this was clearly a very big problem.

'I like sticking my head into interesting yet troublesome situations, but this is a bit much' she thought taking a bite from the apple 'If that man at the church and his people capture use, I get the feeling we will be killed. And if the TSAB gets us first, those two will be arrested and I will likely be deported to my homeworld. Is a bit much risking my life like this without a guarantee'. Isis kept walking without a direction across Mihena. She got the medicine she wanted but also the feeling they would not work. If Touma caught something from Lily, then some cold medicine would not just cure it that easily.

Isis grimaced when she realized what she was thinking. Just a while back she told Lily not to worry and that it wasn't her fault and now… but, what should they do? Or rather, what should she do? She had no obligation to stick around other than curiosity. The current situation was terrible, surely, they would understand if she wanted to say bye-bye. It would be rather easy to just walk away and act like nothing happened. Isis stopped as that idea crossed her mind. She glanced at the apple in her hand and shook her head.

She couldn't call it quits now. They barely knew each other, true, but those two were the first friends she had made in a long time. Isis had taken to travel alone because she disliked her family's business and that made it very hard to meet people of her own age. It wasn't every day you ran in to such interesting people like Lily or Touma, leaving them now would do no good. She would stay with them until they got out of this mess and afterwards… well, they would figure it out when they got there. After all, going along with them had been her idea, and it wasn't like her to quit just because the going got tough.

Mind and conscious clear, Isis tossed the apple core and started to walk back towards her friends, heading for the edge of town and towards the forest. It was then she felt as if she crashed against something big and hard, like a brick wall.

"Auch!" Isis rubbed her forehead. Looking forward she saw it wasn't a wall but a person. A tall man wearing all black. The girl barely had the chance to open her mouth to apologize when the other person moved.

It was all a blur. Before Isis could said anything a magic circle appeared under her feet, of a black center with a sinister red aura, forming a restriction spell, paralyzing her entire body, so she couldn't move an inch. Her heart started to panic and the girl tried to break free or scream but the spell had been casted so fast she was trapped before she could react. The man then took her off the road, hiding from view, the entire action taking less than 2 seconds. Isis tried to calm herself, to use her own magic, to think of something, but the man spoke first.

"No need to struggle. Promise not to run and I will release you."

"Who are you?" Isis asked, noticing her mouth being released first. She tried to recognize the man's face but all she could see was his outline. The voice was different than that Veyron guy, but was he in league with him? Regardless she tried to raise her voice, hoping to attract attention "What do you want?"

"Do not yell" the man said. His tone was hard and calm "If the police find us, it would be worst for you than me."

"What are you talking about?"

The answer was a holo screen appearing in front of her. Isis opened her eyes in shock, the video showed her pulling Touma from the church and carrying him on her shoulders. But if this guy had been there, it could only mean…

"You were the shooter, back then" she said, unable to hide her surprise.

"If I wanted to hurt you, I would have done so already. Or taken then shot back then" He said, nodding. The screen vanished in front of her "Now, I will release the spell. You can try and run or scream, but if you do they will see this. Your call."

The magic circle dispersed and the energy holding her body dispelled. Isis considered running anyways or doing something else, but it would attract unwanted attention and that would be bad. She had to bite her tongue to not insult that strange man, as it would do little good. Using magic was also not an option, her powers were not exactly the subtle type. It seemed she had very few options.

"Well, you didn't say who are you or what do you want?" Isis asked, the insult implied in her tone.

"Where are the other two?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"If you don't things will get very bad for them" The man replied "The boy you helped stole a Lost Logia, the Bible of the Silver Cross. That has made him the carrier of an infection know as Eclipse, meant to create living weapons. As soon as it activates that boy will kill anyone that is nearby."

Isis could not believe what she just heard. The man spoke so plainly, as if he just told him the weather cast, and yet it would make sense with everything else she had been thinking. What if this man was right? Lily could be in troubles.

"Then what? You warn me and you do you good deed for the day?"

"In a few hours, if not minutes, your friend will start killing anything that is whiting a 10 km radius of him unless someone stops him. And it will start with that other girl who no doubt is with her. If you want to help them, tell me where they are."

"No way!" Isis took a step back "I don't know who you are, and I have no reason to believe you!"

"We have no time" The man seem to be containing his temper, but his voice was turning dangerously low "You have two options, help me get to them or let them kill each other."

"Go to…!" Isis started but she didn't finish, as a voice reached her mind, almost like a psychic scream.

"Isis! Is Touma! He is not right! He…!"

The girl clenched her teeth, feeling as if someone had smack her on the head from the intensity of the message. The man also seem to receive the telepathy because he took a hand towards his head, frowning. Lily could not refine his telepathy to one person after all but, what what interrupted her? Isis didn't know what to do, but she knew she could not stay there and wait to see what happen.

"Damn it all!" Isis said "Fine! You want to help? Then follow me!"

With a sudden move Touma broke free of her grasp and pushed her back. Lily felt on the ground, but she tried to crawl back to the boy who was squirming on the floor as if he was burning inside. Suddenly he stopped, getting in all fours. Lily advanced towards Touma, but she was unable to reach him.

"AHGH!" launching an inhuman scream Touma stood up and his body was wrapped in a column of light and power that reached into the sky, causing a wave of air that tossed Lily on to her back once more.

"No, no! Touma!" Lily screamed in her mind. She tried to use her voice, but no sound came out of her mouth "Isis! Steed! This is not right. They are not listening." Her telepathy had reached out before but now it was blocked. The column of light finally dissipated, and the sudden darkness left her unable to see, a thin veil of dust and smoke blocking Touma's spot. Lily had a bad feeling, and yet she stood up and ventured forward "Touma?"

A gush of wind dispersed the clouds and if Lily had the ability, she would have screamed. Touma was standing in a small crater, with the small black book floating next to him as a sinister shadow. The boy looked unharmed but his clothes were gone, replaced by a strange black armor, which looked heavy and different from the outfit she had seen before. His weapon was heavier and resembled a sword with a built-in revolver mechanism now almost as big as he was. His body had the same strange red markings now spreading all over his body. But the worst part were his eyes.

Touma's eyes were now two orbs of pure rage, glowing with a red aura. There was no trace of his usual kindness in those eyes and Lily took a step back when he locked his sight with hers. What just happened? Lily could not understand this transformation. Touma was breathing heavily, and he took a step towards her.

She was unable to move as he approached. A part of her was warning her to run or at least get away, but somehow, she wanted to believe it would be alright. Tears started to cloud her vision and he took another step. Lily was finally able to recover control of her legs, and by instinct started to walk back as he advanced, until she hit one of the trees at the edge of the clearing.

"Touma…" She wasn't calling him this time, only saying his name in the only way she could, even if he could not hear her. Touma was closer and closer. Lily considered running, but she didn't have the heart to leave Touma alone. Even now she owed him so much, and after all she had done to him, it seem fair things would end this way. Finally, he reached her and lifted his left arm, raising his sword. Lily closed her eyes and just waited for the strike.

"Lily!" Isis' voice broke the silence in the clearing.

She opened her eyes just in time, as a shadow tackled Touma and pushed him out of the way, and two arms grabbed her, taking her away of the fight. Lily turned around, barely able to distinguish Isis' face between her tears. She was holding her by the shoulders and looking intently at the struggle in front of them.

"Isis!" Lily said, so relieved and confused she didn't know which emotion was the strongest. Then she turned towards the fight. Someone had managed to subdue Touma and was currently holding him down "How…? Who…?"

"Long story" Isis shook her head "I came as soon as I could. Are you alright? What is going on?"

"I don't know. Touma suddenly woke up and…" Lily tried to explain but a sudden loud blow made them turn their heads.

Touma had kicked the other person off him, tossing him to the side. A brief flash of light appeared under him and a black circle with glowing red manifested under Touma, long black chains lunching forward to wrap around him but these broke apart before they could finish with a burst of white light. The fallen man grunted and stood up, his hand glowing in the dark as Touma turned his attention towards him, lifting his weapon over his head.

The man pointed something at him and fired. Touma barely took two steps towards the stranger when suddenly he stopped dead on his tracks. Without making a sound the boy collapsed on the ground, hitting the grass face first.

"Touma!" Lily rushed towards him, ignoring Isis and the stranger. She feared the worst, kneeling next to him and hugging him against her chest. Touma was totally inert, but she could still hear his breathing and his heart was still beating. Lily felt such relief that she almost started to cry again.

"… Seems I am late."

Lily felt a shiver down her spine when she heard that voice so close to her. Looking up she was able to see the stranger up close at last. He was tall, dress in all black and with a pair of cold grey eyes which were looking at Touma intensely.

"Is better if we solve this now" the stranger said. He lifted his arm and the movement open his coat, revealing a white skull painted on his chest. His hand glowed with red light and a gun appeared in his fingers, which he used to point at Touma.

"No!"

"No!"

Isis scream and Lily's telepathy mixed together and seemingly confused the man for half a second. Before Lily could react, Isis moved from her location and was standing between them and the stranger. All she could do was tighten her hug on Touma, trying to cover him with her body.

"What are you doing?" The man asked, still pointing with his gun.

"That is my line!" Isis said, spreading her arms as if to block his path "So all you wanted to do was kill him? I should have known you were lying to me!"

"I wasn't. I told you he was sick and just look at him" the man replied in a cold tone "Once the sickness manifests there is no cure. He was about to kill your friend there, and then would have tried to kill us. Ending him now would be an act of compassion."

"Go to hell! Touma doesn't deserve that" Isis exclaimed "I know who you are now. I thought you only did this to bad people."

"There is no difference. He is an Eclipse Driver now" He replied. The name felt familiar to Lily "Even if he could control the infection he would need to kill to survive. Killing him now is an act of compassion."

He cocked his gun and step forward. Isis seem about to move but then something flashed around her chest and a series of dark energy rings formed on to her torso, locking her arms in place and trapping her. The purple haired girl cursed out loud and started to struggle against her bounds.

The stranger ignored her and walked next to her without looking, his attention focused on Touma. Lily faced him, feeling a different kind of dread this time. This man was a calculating and cold rage, much different than the explosive and savage anger in Touma's eyes. If those red orbs had been burning coals, the stranger's grey eyes were two steel daggers. The man pointed his gun, but she put Touma on the ground and hugged him against her, covering him with her body as best she could.

"Lily! Touma!" Isis yelled, still trying to break free "Leave them alone!"

"Step aside" He barked, ignoring Isis, now looking at Lily.

She didn't answer and just held her ground, despite her fear. She couldn't stop the transformation, even if she had been the cause, but she was not going to abandon Touma. Without saying a word, she allowed that man to know her resolve, if he wanted to hurt Touma then he would have to go through her. Even as she stared the man down, Lily felt all the turmoil inside her mind suddenly clearing. She wanted to protect Touma, help him and return all that kindness he had given her, that gentle smile he always had for her, she would never leave his side. Knowing that Lily stared down the stranger with the skull and dared him to shoot.

"You think I won't?" The man asked as if he could read her thoughts "So be it…"

He started to squeeze the trigger. Lily didn't flinch, never look down. Behind the man Isis was now paralyzed, reduced to an impotent spectator. The seconds grew longer and then… the man lowered his gun with a grunt. Lily didn't dare to move, not trusting the stranger, but just as the man lower the weapon, she saw something in those grey eyes… sadness? The stranger turned around and took a few steps away from them.

"Lily! Are you alright?!" Isis jumped as soon as the rings vanished around her and she ushed next to them "Thank the heaves! And Touma is good as well."

The purple haired girl checked Touma while Lily took glanced towards the man, who was punching a nearby tree with his fist. Her mind was swimming with questions. But right now, her greatest concern was Touma, he was sick, and they needed to help him. Lily turned to Isis.

"What do we do now?"

"Eh?" Isis had been busy giving the man a nasty look, but she recovered quickly "Right, we need to leave. That light show and your telepathy had to attract unwanted attention."

"What about Steed?" Lily asked, suddenly remembering the little camera.

"I ran in to him on the way here, so I send him to scout for an escape route. All we need is…"

"This is perfect."

Lily looked up when she heard the new voice. A young woman with dark skin and clear hair, descended from the heavens and landed just a few meters from them. She had a tight black suit and a long white coat on top. Her hair was tie in a long tail that fell down her back and she was holding a sword on her hand. Her right eye was covered by a strange eyepatch, which look as if served her as a visor of sorts. She had an amused, almost satisfied smiled. The stranger reacted to the woman's arrival and moved to place himself between them and her.

"Who would have thought that the Punisher had a soft side" the woman said. The man tensed at those words "After hearing that fearsome reputation, and how you attacked my brother Veyron, I expected a lot more."

The man did not answer. Isis got into a squatting position, clearly unnerved by the new arrival as well. Lily hugged Touma again. From among the trees, behind the woman, a group of 4 people emerged, all of them wearing just long black pants without shirts, and with big tribal tattoos just like Touma had, spread over their bodies. Also, the same red eyes, filled with rage and hatred.

"Now, let's make this easy. Give me the boy and then kill each other so you save me the trouble" The woman then pointed the sword at them "But if you want to resist me, I am more than happy to cut you all to pieces right here and now."

"No… this can't be… I… I'm sorry… I need to confirm this myself."

"Subaru, wait!"

Nanoha tried to reach the girl, but Subaru avoided her and she rushed out the door before anyone could stop her.

"I will go get her" Teana announced following in short order.

The Instructor could only lower her hand, unable to do anything else. Nanoha and the others had just finished the last tests on the AEC gear when Fate and Rein called the entire crew with news about the investigation in Ruwella. In particular, the identity of the suspect in the theft of the Bible of the Silver Cross and the assassination of three nuns at a local church.

Nanoha glanced at her copy of the report. There was no doubt, the physical description and the artist rendition the local authorities in Ruwella had printed for them were identical to that young man Subaru had introduced to her last year. It had been during a little reunion of former Riot Six members, Subaru had arrived with Teana and introduce the young boy to everyone present. His name was Touma Avenir. Nanoha remembered him as a very polite and kind young man.

Subaru and him meet after rescue mission, 7 years ago, and she had supported and look after the boy since then. Anyone would have said they were two siblings just by looking at them. In fact Genya, Subaru's father, had offered to adopt Touma as part of the Nakajima family, with full support of the rest of Subaru's sisters. But al lof that had become a bitter memory when Rein announced he was being charged as the sole suspect in this theft and homicide case. Nanoha suspected the boy might have even be infected with Eclipse.

"I have no doubt… this person…" Cinque was the first person to break the silence "Is indeed Touma-kun…"

"We still don't know the details" Rein pointed out, waving her arms over her head. An old childish habit she had when she was exited "Is just that the description the people from the research facility gave us sounded similar, it could be a mistake or…"

"You don't need to continue, Rein" Fate interrupted with a soft voice. The Unison Device lowered her head. Fate took a moment to glance at Nanoha and then addressed the rest of the team "The report has everything we got from the local authorities and what Signum and Agito had discovered so far."

"Why didn't anyone tell us sooner?" Nove asked, rather brashly. Cinque elbow her to remember her to watch her tone.

"The commander's orders" Fate replied "Besides we wanted to be certain in this case. Nobody wanted to worry you unnecessarily."

Nanoha agreed. Hayate-chan had expected they could get Touma and sort this out before needing to report to Subaru and her sisters. They were all professionals, but Nanoha knew what it was like to have such a burden looming over your head, it could make you reckless. Subaru was a first class rescue worker, and one of her best students, but she was also passionate and prone to worry over too much for her love ones, if someone so dear to her was in danger she could head in without a second thought. After all if it was her, Nanoha knew she would be doing the same.

"What is the plan now, Fate-chan?" she asked.

"Hayate wants Teana and me to visit Ruwella, to reinforce Signum" Fate said, "Our equipment is ready, plus we can take their AEC gear with us."

"And the rest?"

"We still have the other infected to deal with, so we will have the other teams on standby to deal with them" Rein chime in, floating next to Fate "The idea is to coordinate our actions from this base. And only mobilize if there is an emergency."

She had just finished saying that when the alarm went off, almost on cue. Several screens appeared around Rein, who started to check the flow of data right away. Nanoha wanted to ask, but then a larger screen appeared in front of the group, calling everyone to attention.

"We have an emergency. Captain Signum is reporting in, she had made contact with the Bible of the Silver Cross and the Hückebein" Hayate appeared on the screen, going directly to the point "This is a deployment order. Captain Takamachi, Enforcer Testarossa, Lieutenant Vita and myself will take to the field right away. The other members of the NR2 and the 108 Battalion will remain in reserve."

"Yes ma'am." The entire room answered like one.

Nanoha saluted with the others and turned around as soon as the communication ended. She followed Fate and the others towards their ship, the Wolfram. 'Signum-san and Agito-san don't have their AEC equipment yet' she thought while they made their way as fast as they could 'I hope they will be fine without it.'

Frank did not answer to the woman, instead he analyzed the situation. '5 against one, numbers not on my side. No civilians nearby, heavy weapons are an option' he thought, then a quick glance at the trio next to him made him reconsider 'dubious option'. His focus returned to the Eclipse Drivers, the woman looked like a member of the Hückebein family, the others appear to be like that thing he killed on Fedikia. Completely consumed by the virus and yet she was able to control them. A curious thing to notice. Regardless, the mission had just changed.

"Grab the boy and run" Punisher said.

"Hey! What do you plan to do?" the purple haired girl questioned him.

"We are not discussing. Take him and get away."

"This is fun" the woman interrupted "You think I am going to let them escape?"

Punisher conjured a new weapon in his free hand. He chose the heaviest handgun he could think from his arsenal, a Bolter Pistol, Model III. The thing appeared more like a slab of black steel next to his laser pistol, but he raised both at the woman, daring her to try and make good on her threat.

The Hückebein grinned, and she unsheathed her sword slowly. The infected behind her tensed their muscles. Castle finally saw the girls rise up from the corner of his eye. He made a quick count. Maybe he could fire twice or thrice before they would be on top of him. He needed to make those shots count, otherwise they would overwhelm him and get to the girls.

Frank cursed inside his head, he should have killed the boy and taken the Silver Cross when he had the chance. It was too late for regrets now. However, before anyone could do anything, a column of fire appeared over their heads, illuminating the sky.

"All of you freeze! Drop your weapons and raise both of your hands!"

Punisher lifted his head, but he did not obey the command. Neither did the Eclipse Drivers.

"This is Special Duty Section 6 of the TSAB. You are all under arrest, surrender now and come quietly into custody."

Above them, in the sky, was the knight that Castle saw at the church. She was wielding a Device in the form of a sword, covered in flames, and next to her was floating the small Unison Device. The woman locked eyes with him briefly, but then she looked at the rest of the people gathered. Both reached the same conclusion: nobody was thinking about surrendering. The Hückebein seem to be incredibly happy, as her maniac smile became wider and her one free eye reflected the light of the flames like an earie glow.

"A mage? No, a knight, and with a Fusion Device, capable of turning your magic in to fire" The eyepatch woman laughed briefly and then looked down once more "And to top it all off, Punisher himself. This will be fun."

"I am warning you. Surrender and throw your weapons" the knight pointed her sword down and assume a fighting stance "If any of you move, I will cut them in half, no matter who you are."

The Hückebein just shrugged her shoulders and jumped into the air, floating until she reached the same level as the two TSAB officers.

"Well then, I moved, and I am still holding my weapon, public servant" the woman said, waving her katana "What are you going to do about it?"

It all started in a second. Frank decided to go for the main target, and he took his eyes from the other infected for just a moment. But the Hückebein girl was flying, not looking at him, presenting the perfect mark and he was just human. He raised his pistols, and it was then the Eclipse Drivers attacked, moving against him at the same time. Just the same, the two warriors in the sky launched at each other.

Castle barely had time to lower his sight when the first of the infected was already in front of him. The only thing that saved him was that his opponents were not coordinated, and instead of spreading to attack him from all sides, they just advanced in the same direction, getting in each others' way. Punisher was able to lower his aim, the muzzles of his guns ending right in front of the first attacker's face, and he pressed the triggers. The explosion of his guns was drowned by the one over his head, when the knight and the Hückebein clashed swords, creating a wave of flames and wind. The Eclipse Driver's head exploded, and his body felt down in a crimson arch. Looking behind him, Punisher could not see the girls nor the boy. One thing less to worry about.

The second Eclipse Driver attacked, raising his weapon above his head, and Frank shot him in the chest. The laser barely burned him, but the bolter bullet pierced him, throwing him to the ground. And that was the last shot. The third attacker came from the side, and his Device, a black mass that barely looked like a sword, struck against the bolter pistol, splitting it in half. Frank took a step back, trying to aim with the laser, but the infected grabbed the weapon with his hand and closed his claw, destroying the pistol and almost crushing his fingers in the process.

The last Eclipse Driver tried to crush his head with an axe, but Punisher jumped back, focusing magic on his legs. A brief flash of light threw him at high speed to separate him from his attackers. He held the cross on his chest, allowing Soulbreaker to take its sword form, and his Barrier Jacket covered him completely, a black armor, only the white skull still visible on his chest. He summoned a new pistol, quickly reviewing his armory and choosing a mass weapon, a 6-shot hand cannon model Destiny II. He needed to end this quickly.

The downed infected got up easily, recovering from his wound. The three attacked again without order, although this time they managed to spread and come from different angles. Punisher did not wait for them and attacked too. He advanced towards the one in the center, dodging his blind blow and shooting him twice in the chest. The bullets were of such caliber that they would have torn apart a normal person, but against the infected they only made him growl. The Eclipse Driver on the left tried to impale him, his weapon being deflected by Soulbreaker, while Frank spun around and tried to attack the one on the right.

They had the strength and the numbers, but not the intelligence. Their rage made them predictable and manipulable. They wanted to kill him and nothing else interested them. They barely cooperated, only enough to avoid attacking each other. Moving among them, Punisher was able to strike and shoot several times, splashing the forest with blood. But it was not enough. The cuts healed in seconds and the bullet wounds were no better, while he was not as resilient.

One of the Eclipse Drivers managed to hit him while he was dodging an attack, and another extended his hand to strike Punisher's skull with his fist. The blow was like being hit by a car. Frank was thrown backwards, crashing into a tree, breaking it upon landing. If it hadn't been for his Barrier Jacket, his solar plexus would have been destroyed. Punisher growled, trying to get up, but the infected were faster, reaching him and raising their weapons to finish him off. "Shit," was all he could think.

Before they could strike, a vial appeared out of nowhere and smashed into the back of one of the Eclipse Drivers' necks, creating a thick cloud of black smoke that exploded into an intense flame. The infected cried out in surprise and pain, forgetting what they were doing, and Castle seized the opportunity. Soulbreaker rose up and impaled one of the attackers in the neck. The skin was so dense that he had to use all his strength to push the sword into place. The Eclipse Driver gurgled, trying to remove the blade while the fire consumed his face, leaving him blind. Punisher made him stumble, took the sword with both hands, and spun the blade to cut the head off completely, kicking it away from the body.

"Behind you, My Lord!"

The warning made him turn his head. One of the surviving infected had managed to extinguish the flames and was advancing towards him, following its instinct, but this time Punisher was prepared. A magic circle appeared at his feet, and he concentrated the magic in his legs, also applying it to his arms. Just as the attacker was on top of him, he released the energy and threw himself at the Eclipse Driver, using the magic to accelerate, pushing Soulbreaker ahead. The blow made them crash into a tree, which broke from the force of the impact, leaving the infected impaled against the wood. Punisher let go of his Device and took the hand cannon, shooting the Eclipse Driver in the head before he could recover. To be on the safe side, he fired the entire magazine.

Forgetting the dead, Castle turned to search for his last opponent. He had managed to put out the flames and was standing, motionless, a few meters away. Suddenly, the infected dropped his weapon and doubled over in half, as if he were suffering from terrible pain. Before he could do anything, the infected writhed in desperation and let out an inhuman scream of pure agony as his body twisted and deformed in a strange way. The sound of bones breaking, and flesh tearing reached Punisher and he watched in disbelief as the Eclipse Driver twisted until reduced to a ball of unrecognizable flesh and bone. What was happening? Questions he would have to answer later. Now there was only one left…

An explosion over his head made him look up at the sky. The knight and the Hückebein were fighting hard just above the clearing, filling the night with fire and light. Suddenly, a sword strike from the knight knocked the other woman down to the ground. The fight was about to end, and it seemed that the public servant was winning. He looked for the young ones with his eyes. He had taken only a few steps when a column of plasma and energy rose from the ground, and the Hückebein flew in to the air once more, brandishing two swords.

"This can't be good" Punisher mutter.

"Impressive words, public servant," the criminal taunted, brandishing her sword towards the other woman. "You say interesting things, but I have still moved forward despite your threats. So go ahead, do as you promised and split me in two!"

"Explosion!"

Signum shook Laevatein and rushed towards the woman with the katana. Both swords clashed with force, and the flames dispersed upon impact, enveloping both fighters in a ball of fire. With a jump backwards, Signum broke the contact between them, and the criminal took advantage of it to throw herself at her at full speed. Joining her scabbard and her sword, Signum stopped the blow that shook her arms. 'She's pretty strong,' thought the warrior.

"How's it going, Agito?" Signum spoke through their shared connection.

"I've almost finished the analysis, hold on," came the response from the Device. "What do we do with the others?"

Signum glanced down for a moment and could see Punisher fighting with the other Eclipse Drivers. They would have to let him deal with that, at least until she could secure and disarm her opponent. There was no trace of the children who were with him, and she assumed they had gotten away in the confusion. She would have to look for them later.

"Let's leave them for now. Let's defeat her first, and then we'll secure the children down there," she decided."

A particularly strong blow brought her attention back to her own fight. Her opponent was quite skilled and wielded the sword with ease, using a technique similar to hers. At this rate, she wouldn't get anywhere. Signum dodged the next blow quickly and positioned Laevatein. The armed device loaded one of its cartridges while the Belka magical triangle appeared at her feet.

"Schlangeform!"

The sword split and elongated into a whip. The criminal opened her eyes in surprise, and Signum took her chance. With a swing of her arm, she threw the whip at her. The chain of swords surrounded the Hückebein, who could barely move until the last second, when the edge of the weapon's end cut her cheek, missing her eye by just a few centimeters. The knight frowned and retracted her sword to restore its original form. As she had thought that person was very skilled.

"Everything is ready, Signum," Agito's voice sounded in her head again.

"Good, let's go Agito!"

"Unison, now!"

The small Belka device descended from the sky like a red projectile and merged with the swordswoman. Signum closed her eyes as she felt Agito joining her, while the Belka triangle shone, and a column of flames enveloped her. The fire dispersed in a second, revealing Signum's new form. Her combat suit was now purple and gold, looking lighter, and wings of fire emerged from her back. Her hair was now much lighter, and her eyes were purple. The criminal flew up and positioned herself at her height, right in front of her.

"Impressive, public servant," she said with a hint of irony. She raised her katana, ready to continue.

"Let me ask you one last question," said Signum. "That sword is a Divider, isn't it? And you're one of the Hückebein. What's your name?"

"That's right. This 944 is a Divider," she replied, smiling maliciously. "My name is Cypha Hückebein. I'm one of the founding members of the family." The woman lowered the zipper of her suit to reveal her blue marks, just at the level of her neck. "Do you have any relationship with us?"

"Three months ago, a village was attacked in the Inhabited World #14," said the warrior calmly, but her fist tightened on the hilt of her sword. "It was a small village with some pioneers in it. My subordinates and I visited it before all that massacre happened. They were kind people and lived in a peaceful place. The same applies to all the other places you've attacked. What I want to know is why? They hadn't done any harm; they weren't a threat to anyone. Why did you have to kill them all?"

"The Inhabited World #14...?" Cypha seemed to think about it for a moment. "Ah! I remember now. You're right, originally we didn't plan to commit a massacre, but the need arose." With a quick movement, she sheathed her katana and looked Signum directly in the eyes. "And the one who didn't leave anyone alive... yes, that was me."

Cypha may have been about to say something else, but the words died in her throat. With a sharp exhale, Signum closed the distance between them and struck with Laevatein. The sword burst into flames at the moment of contact with the Divisor that Cypha had moved in a reflexive act. The blow knocked Cypha out of position and sent her spinning through the air. With a graceful leap, the woman tried to regain her footing, but just as she unsheathed her sword, Signum attacked again, swooping down from above with a fiery slash.

"Shiden Issen!"

Cypha attempted to unsheathe her sword and block the flaming blade hurtling towards her. The force of the impact jolted her sword arm, and she watched in horror as the fiery edge breached her guard and plunged into her right shoulder. Gritting her teeth, she endured the searing heat and agony of her shattered bones. Signum felt the resistance to her strike and, putting everything into the attack, unleashed her sword with all her might. The criminal was unable to withstand the force and plummeted to the ground, ablaze.

"Well done, Signum," Agito praised from within. "Now, let's hurry and arrest the others."

"Not yet. We need to secure her first. Agito, prepare a containment spell," Signum replied. A slight crack in her sword caught her attention.

"What happened to Laevatein?"

The warrior remained silent. Her device bore severe cracks and scratches all over its blade. 'It wasn't the sword; it became like this when I cut her body,' Signum realized. Agito began to calculate the necessary spell, and just below them, Cypha writhed in agony at the spot where she had fallen.

"That was intense, public servant," the woman stood up, and as the dust settled, the full extent of her injuries came into view. Her entire right arm was missing, yet she continued to smile. "If I were an ordinary person, I'd be dead. My Divider barely managed it. Such a pity."

The stump of her right shoulder seemed to glow faintly and an arm grew back in its place. Cypha shook and moved it to test it while she retrieved her katana.

"How can it regenerate so quickly?" Agito inquired. Through their link, Signum sensed her surprise and disbelief.

"It's a symptom of those infected with the Eclipse. They are living weapons, so accelerated regeneration and healing are no problem," the warrior said calmly. "Do you have the spells ready?"

"Capture spell in your left hand and a ring of fire in your right," Agito replied. "Just in case."

Signum nodded, letting their bond transmit her gratitude.

"Well, it's been a long time since I had a sword fight this intense, my dear knight," Cypha said, getting the warrior's attention. "There's one thing I forgot to tell you about those people you mentioned. The truth is, I only killed the first 10 with this," she raised her Divider and plunged it into the ground in front of her. Then she put her hand in her coat and pulled out a small knife. "I killed the rest of them with this little guy you see here." Cypha took the small knife with her right hand and plunged it into the palm of her left hand, burying it up to the hilt. Before Signum could wonder what it was for, she moved on.

[Engage König 944. React]

A column of energy enveloped Cypha and momentarily blinded Signum. When the blast of force disappeared, she could see what had happened. The criminal's weapon had changed shape. It was now two twin swords of jet-black color; the one in her right hand had a handle with something that looked like a revolver grip, and the left one was similar to the original sword, but with a bulkier and more sinister profile. Signum moved Laevatein, and the blade became enveloped in flames as she went on guard.

"When you use the Reactor, we become a poison that can destroy the world," said Cypha, raising her swords and pointing them at Signum, "These weapons are made to shred mages. If you think you can stop them, go ahead and try, Knight."

With a motion, Signum summoned the spell that Agito had given her. The fire projectiles formed around her and flew towards the target as she released the capture spell. The criminal didn't even flinch. The projectiles dissipated in the air without touching her, and the capture spell disappeared with a brief flash. Cypha smiled smugly as Signum tightened the grip on her sword's handle. 'Its function is to negate magic and break bonds. No magical attack or defense can stand against it anymore.'

"Agito, undo our unison," Signum said.

"What? But Signum..." Agito tried to protest.

"Just do it," the guardian interrupted. "Go down and see if you can help the children we saw earlier. I'll take care of her."

"Okay, see you later. Unison out!" the small Belkan Device separated from its master and began to fly away.

"So, you realized it and you're doing something desperate, huh?" Cypha's voice sounded dangerously close. Signum turned to see the Hückebein throw herself at her. She raised her sword and the black blades crashed against Laevatein's edge, cracking it even more.

The swordswoman pushed hard and forced her opponent to step back. Signum loaded a cartridge, and her sword was once again enveloped in flames. In one last attack, she threw her weapon with all her strength at her opponent. The edge of Laevatein crashed against the black blade of the Divisor and with a loud crunch, it shattered into pieces. Signum opened her eyes in surprise as her weapon was completely destroyed. 'Damn it,' she thought, gritting her teeth.

"Is that all you had left, knight?" Cypha asked, ironically. "Then die!"

As Signum was unable to do anything, her opponent cut her in a cross pattern using both swords at the same time. The automatic defense generated by her device shattered and the two blades sliced through Signum from her shoulders to her thighs. The knight felt the pain piercing through her body, falling backwards, no longer able to stay in the air.

In slow motion, she saw her blood pouring out of her wounds and felt it in her throat as she lost her last bit of strength. The distance between her and the ground seemed eternal, her vision becoming blurry. Finally, her back collided with the ground with a strong impact that curiously didn't hurt her at all. "I'm sorry, my lady... I failed you again," thought the warrior, struggling to stay awake as she felt darkness trying to take over her consciousness.

"Signum!" Agito's cry broke through her consciousness but reached her as if it came from kilometers away.

To her horror, Signum watched as Cypha raised her sword and fired a beam of energy at the unison device, which disappeared in a flash of white light. Gathering the last of her strength, Signum tried to get up, but only managed to raise her head off the ground. The Hückebein looked down at her and swiftly threw her sword, the blade piercing her stomach and pinning her to the ground, where she lay in a pool of her own blood.

"Our duel was quite entertaining, knight, but I'm afraid it ends here," Cypha pulled her sword out of Signum's body with a swift motion, retrieving it in midair. "Your death will prove the futility of coming after us."

She raised her sword again and Signum followed its trajectory with her eyes, now too weak to do anything but watch. The blade shimmered with energy and began its deadly descent. Suddenly, a beam of light shot out from the forest and struck Cypha in the back, catching her off guard. The resulting explosion was so bright that it lit up the entire area, and Signum could see nothing else.

Cypha cursed as she fell from the sky, her body burning from the heat. If she hadn't been equipped with her Reactor, she would probably be in much worse shape than when the knight had attacked her. It was a mass attack, with no magic to negate, but her healing factor was working to repair the damage. She managed to regain her flight and stabilize herself on the treetops.

"You're a dead man, Castle," muttered Cypha, searching for her attacker.

A large, burned area indicated where he had fired from, but Punisher was no longer there. Cypha growled, she didn't have time for this. The TSAB reinforcements could arrive at any moment. The four infected had to be dead, so she would be alone against any other mage that the Bureau sent if she didn't hurry. And to make matters worse, she couldn't see the boy with the silver cross either.

"Hello Cypha, how's it going?" a communication screen appeared next to her.

"What do you want, Fortis?"

"We have news. The TSAB reinforcements are on their way to your position. They'll be there in a matter of minutes. Have you secured the Silver Cross yet?"

"No. There were some… unforeseen circumstances."

"I can imagine," Fortis briefly glanced at Cypha's torn sleeve but made no comment. "Can you secure him quickly?"

"As soon as I find him..."

"I see. In that case, you must retreat."

"I can still catch the thief. Just let me finish off Punisher and..."

"If taking down someone like him were such a simple task, that man would be dead a long time ago. Don't you think? Besides, it's Karen's order, she wants you out of there, now. When you return, we'll discuss your failure and Veyron's."

The screen vanished, leaving Cypha staring off into the void. With an irritable growl, she powered down her Reactor and took to the air. As she flew away, her gaze fell upon the knight and her unison device. At least she had gained something positive from this ordeal, although the thought of having to face Karen didn't exite her much.

Punisher lowered his plasma rifle, which had not yet finished charging for its second shot. This was a weapon designed to destroy fortifications and barely scratched his opponent when using a full charge. Castle shook his head and made the weapon disappear, walking over to the fallen Unison Device he had seen. It was hanging from a low branch, completely still.

"Soulbreaker," he said.

"She is still functioning, my Lord," replied a voice in his head.

"Somehow," Castle muttered to himself. He picked up the small Device with the shape of a dwarf girl with intense red hair. Apart from minor injuries, it seemed to be fine, but he knew nothing about that kind of Device. He turned and went to check on the state of the knight.

The woman was lying in a pool of her own blood, her sword was ruined and only a few pieces remained. Castle knelt down and carefully placed the Belkan device aside as he examined the warrior. To his surprise, the woman was still conscious after all that damage. Her sharp blue eyes looked at him intensely through half-closed eyelids. Frank put Soulbreaker aside and raised his hands as a sign that he wasn't going to do anything. The warrior's body didn't even undergo a significant change.

"You're badly injured," he commented. He picked up Soulbreaker and deactivated his Barrier Jacket. The sword transformed back into the same cross he used to wear around his neck. "But if you receive medical attention soon, I think you can make it."

"A...Agi..." she tried to murmur, but a gesture of pain made her stop. Punisher leaned forward to hear her better. "Agito..."

"The Unison Device?" Castle inquired. The woman could only make a murmur that he interpreted as a yes. "It's intact, which is more than I can say for you."

The warrior finally relaxed and closed her eyes. If he left her like this, she probably wouldn't survive until her reinforcements arrived. She had several very deep cuts and was losing a lot of blood. He couldn't do anything about the internal damage, but if he could control the bleeding... The problem was he didn't have any bandages with him. He turned his head towards the trees.

"Are you going to stay there all night?"

"Did you know I was here?" responded the girl with purple hair, emerging from behind the tree.

"You weren't very subtle," Frank replied. "That explosive vial... Who are you supposed to be?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"... Of course, you don't," Punisher briefly looked at the warrior, "Help me with her. I know you have bandages we can use."

The girl didn't respond, but she moved to help him. Together, they managed to control the bleeding from the warrior's wounds, who had finally lost consciousness due to her injuries. Castle had bandage her; most of her wounds would have been fatal to a normal person, but if he remembered correctly, some of the members of the special section weren't entirely human, maybe it had something to do with that.

They finished their work, and both stood up upon hearing the sound of approaching sirens, at the same time Soulbreaker reported that several powerful magical signals were heading in their direction.

"Looks like the cavalry's here," Frank commented, tossing her the rest of the bandages. "What will you do now?"

"What's it to you, old man?" she snapped, catching what had been thrown to her.

"I don't think you want the Bureau to catch your friends," he said, carefully choosing his words. "They won't be able to escape while carrying the boy."

"Sure, and you'd just kill us all, problem solved."

"You don't have many options. You and the other two will have to come with me," Soulbreaker warned that the magical signals were now much closer. "If you follow me, I can get you out of the network. If not, then you'll be captured."

"And do you still plan to kill Touma?" the young girl asked with a somber expression.

To be honest, he still wasn't quite sure what to do with the boy. Everything had happened too quickly, and it was confusing. His original plan was to capture the Lost Logia to use or destroy it. These kids were an unnecessary complication. But leaving a loose Eclipse Driver was not a good idea. Besides, he was injured, needed rest and recovery.

"Only the guilty die," he finally said.

She didn't seem entirely convinced, but the situation forced her to make a decision.

"Fine, we'll accept your help, old man. But if you try anything again, I'll kick your ass myself."

As she turned around and led him to the other two, Castle wondered what kind of person Touma was to have such loyal friends who were willing to do so much to help him.