"Well, that was a bust." Nia stated, arms behind her head, as the group ascended to the uppermost tier of the city. "Now what are we supposed to do?"
"Ooh! Tora recommend try cafes!" The Nopon suggested, waving a wing in the air. "Tora listening to students talk, say there nearby cafe with themed waitresses as selling point!"
"'Themed… waitresses'?" Rex asked, scrunching his brow as he tried to figure out what the nopon meant. "How does that even work? What kind of 'theme' would a waitress even have?"
"Tora not sure, but want find out!" He said excitedly. "Heard about before, but never live on Titan that have! Grampypon always say have bestest service!"
Rex scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Uh, Tora…? Not to be rude or anything, but didn't you say you 'Grampypon' was the one with some strange tastes?"
"Not strange." Tora corrected, holding a single wing-digit up in a 'lecture' pose. "Grampypon's tastes perfectly normal! Just, ah…" He trailed off, scratching his head. "Not most restrained about. And liked let preferences slip into work."
"'Perfectly normal', huh?." Nia gave him a level stare. "You know, Rex did tell me about some of the options on Poppi's personality dial… How many of those were your dad and grandpa's again?"
Beads of sweat ran down Tora's neck. "That…" He muttered nervously, looking around for a way out of the discussion. "W-what Nia-Nia try imply?"
The girl jolted suddenly as Dromarch brushed past her. "My Lady, perhaps you should not be so harsh on him?" Her Blade suggested, looking up at the girl lazily. "Such interests are hardly a crime. So long as he keeps them to himself, I hardly see the problem with it."
Pausing for a moment, a thoughtful look on his face, he continued. "Besides, Master Tora is of an age where such interests are beginning to take root. It is perfectly natural for him to-"
"Alright, alright, I get it!" Nia shoved the tiger's face to the side. "I don't need a biology lesson over this!"
"How rude." Tora huffed, mumbling under his breath. "Is really wrong that want see if cafe meet acceptable standards of maidiness?"
"I'm going to have to vote 'no' on that one." The Gormotti girl said flatly.
Rex chuckled weakly. "Sorry Tora, but I have to agree with Nia on this one… maybe some other time?"
Tora crossed his wings. "Friends no fun sometimes." He huffed. "At least Tora try come up with fun-fun thing to do after training not pan out."
The salvager patted him on the shoulder. "I appreciate the attempt." He consoled the nopon. "Maybe we can check out some of the stores closer to the academy? I know I saw you eyeing that mechanical goods store a few blocks from the inn the other day."
An excited glint entered Tora's eyes at the suggestion. "Really?!" He exclaimed, looking up at Rex. Any irritation he had been holding evaporated in an instant. "Tora saw that had Infinity Ducts in stock!"
"Wait, really?" Rex replied, a degree of excitement entering his voice. "Those are super rare! I've always dreamed of salvaging one of those—they sell for an absolute fortune back on Argentum—but I was never able to learn where you can dive for them!"
"Tora absolutely certain!" The nopon nodded eagerly, his wings flapping wildly. "Been keeping looksie for! Tora have design for new weapon load-out for Poppi, but need Infinity Ducts for barrel assemblies!"
Slightly behind them, Nia pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why do I get the impression the rest of our afternoon has already been decided?" She asked nobody in particular.
Azurda looked back at her, an apologetic look on his face. "That's the downside of voting on what to do, I'm afraid." He shrugged. "If you and Rex are able to veto Tora's ideas, then the two of them can outvote you."
"It is not as if we are required to accompany them the entire time, my Lady." Dromarch pointed out. "There are an abundance of stores that we could investigate on our own while Masters Rex and Tora are inside theirs."
Nia slowly nodded in agreement, a frown on her face as she listened in on Rex and Tora's discussion. "Yeah, I get that, but at the same time…"
She spoke up a bit louder. "Hey, Tora? Exactly how do you plan to pay for those parts, anyway?"
"Oh, Tora not that far into design phase." The nopon said off-handedly, waving one of his wings. "Still adding features to JK load-out design. Would definitely pick up parts if found for cheap, but Tora not think that case here."
He chuckled ruefully, scratching the back of his head. "Definitely should think of how get money to buy, though. Last time Tora got deep into debt with sketchypon. Not want repeat if can avoid."
"Yeah, no doubt." Rex frowned, remembering exactly how that had turned out. "So, why a new weapon rather than upgrade your Drill Shield? Wouldn't that be easier?"
Tora pulled out his bag, fishing around for something inside. "Tora consider that, but decide against." He explained. "Drill Shield have limited space for upgrades if not want compromise strength of shield, so Tora decide early on to limit features to only assist core design role."
Dromarch nodded at the explanation. "That is a sensible decision." He agreed. "It is common for Drivers to approach their Blades in a similar manner. While most weapon classes are capable of being used in a wide variety of ways, it is most common for a Driver to restrict themselves to tactics and Arts that are synergistic with the abilities of the Blade."
"Mmmm… Tora not entirely sure that quite same sort of situation." The nopon mulled over the tiger's words. "But appreciate sentiment."
Pulling a notepad out of his bag, he quickly leafed through it before stopping on a page covered in sketches. "Here we are!" He said, holding the pad out to the others.
Rex leaned in, his eyes tracing over the sketches. They were rough, but it was pretty clear what they were trying to depict: some sort of knuckle claw-tonfa-cannon hybrid weapon.
"Base design is taken from idea Dadapon had back when work on predecessor design to Poppi!" He pointed to one of the designs, a much more stripped-down version than the others. "Thought knucklely claw with big big cannon fit best in both Blade hands and on nopon wings."
He shifted his shoulders slightly, rattling the Drill Shield on his back for emphasis. "When design Poppi, make shield instead because Tora not think speedy enough for weapon like that." Tora admitted. "But after fight with Special Inquisitor lady, inspired to give another try!"
"Oh ho, so it's one of those sorts of weapons." Azurda noted, crossing his arms as he looked at the design. "Yes, I suppose I can understand your initial thoughts. Blade weapons that rely so heavily on avoiding hits rather than defending against them have a notoriously difficult learning curve."
Tora nodded. "Friend understand! Tora not figure out Blade Barrier module for Poppi yet, so shield appealing choice. But think could work if not take hit in first place as well."
Behind him, Poppi spoke up. "Even without barrier, Poppi still able to protect Masterpon from hits." She insisted, rapping a fist against her metal chassis.
Her creator nodded. "Tora agree, and design Poppi to handle, but not want need do if can avoid. Repairing damage to Poppi take much time, especially without lab."
The group headed for the main street, skirting past a street near the walls of the academy closed for sewer construction. At this time of day, the side streets in this part of the tier were only sparsely populated, so they had few obstacles to avoid as they walked.
"If you need a demonstration of a Blade barrier to study, we've got plenty of people who can help." Rex offered, gesturing to the Aegis Sword on his back. "Dromarch helped me a lot back when I was first trying to figure out how to make one."
"Might take friends up on offer." Tora agreed, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Not yet—need figure out way to study patterns of ether in barrier first—but would be helpful when ready."
Azurda poked his head over Rex's shoulder. "I'm surprised you haven't already worked it out." The Titan said, his eyes briefly shifting to look at Poppi. "You've recreated so many facets of Blade functionality, even the affinity link. I would have thought a barrier would have been easier."
Tora shook his head. "Artificial affinity link work of Dadapon." He explained. "Spent many many years researching how bond between Driver and Blade work. Not around anymore, but Tora help with build predecessor of Poppi when just littlepon. Remember how to make."
"I see, I see." Azurda nodded sagely, crossing his arms. "I do hope it doesn't take nearly that long to recreate the mechanism of a barrier. It would be a shame if…"
As Azurda and Tora spoke, a subtle ripple in the nearby ether levels drew Rex's attention away from the conversation. He frowned, tuning them out as he looked around.
It hadn't been very strong—so distant, it was barely noticeable in fact—but he could tell right away that it was probably not something benign. In fact, if he didn't know better, it felt like someone using an Art.
Suddenly, another came, from the same direction as before. It was slightly stronger than the first, maybe a little closer, but it definitely had that 'Blade Art' feel to it.
Was there a fight happening nearby? It was possible—that was the obvious conclusion to draw, after all—but it could also be someone training. While Goethe Rock was hardly a challenge to reach, it was also out of the way enough that he could understand the appeal of practicing in an unoccupied location within the city, even if it was technically illegal.
"Rex?" Nia asked, looking over at him. "What's up?"
"Dunno." He replied, closing his eyes to focus. "I thought I felt something—a ripple in the ether…"
"I am afraid I did not feel anything, Master Rex." Dromarch noted. "Are you certain that is what you felt?"
The boy nodded, still frowning. "It was really faint, but it definitely felt like an Art." Rex confirmed. "If you and Ni- Er, Poppi didn't feel it," he corrected hastily, "then it's probably not that big a deal."
No sooner had he said that than another, much more violent, ether fluctuation rippled through the air. This time, the other three definitely noticed. Dromarch and Poppi immediately turned in the direction of the sensation, while Nia resisted the urge just long enough to make it look like she was reacting to Dromarch's sudden turn rather than feeling it herself.
It was definitely a Blade Art. He wasn't close enough to get an impression of the element, but the strength of the distortion made it clear.
"Calculating." Poppi announced, her eyes locked in the direction of the distortion. "Poppi sensors detect ether fluctuation four hundred thirty four point five seven two peds from current location."
She pointed down the street. "Based on cartographic records, Poppi believe location of event sewer construction site near Academy."
Rex narrowed his eyes, looking back over the group. "We should go check it out." He suggested.
"Are you quite certain?" Azurda asked, leaning over his shoulder. "Do not forget, we have been asked to keep to our best behavior while we are here. It may be wiser to leave whatever's happening to the local authorities."
"On the other hand, Ciaran and Lyta asked us to keep an eye out for anything suspicious." Nia pointed out. "I don't know about you, but a fight at a time like this feels like it could qualify to me."
Tora bounced anxiously. "Tora agree with Rex-Rex and Nia-Nia." The nopon said. "Should at least check out. If nothing too too bad, no reason have to get involved."
"Mmm…. I suppose that's a reasonable proposal." Azurda admitted, leaning back in Rex's helmet. "But the three of you had better be sure to be cautious about actually involving yourselves." The Titan added. "We have enough problems without you getting embroiled in even more."
He didn't single any of them out in particular, but Rex knew the Titan was mostly talking to him.
"Come on." He said, sprinting in the direction of the feeling. Another ripple washed over him, only reinforcing that he was heading in the right direction.
These were not the most ideal circumstances Perun had ever fought in—quite the opposite, if she were to be honest.
On a normal day, fighting three Drivers would have been a fairly straightforward affair. There was always a degree of difficulty in being outnumbered, especially six-to-one, but it was hardly something she would shirk away from.
She had done it before, while facing enemies far more skilled and ruthless than this bunch. Really, they were fairly run of the mill, probably just unremarkable, morally questionable mercenaries; their combat skills and teamwork were passable, but hardly outstanding. Certainly nowhere near as dangerous as some of the Blood Lobster assassins she and Percy had fought in the past.
Had she been alone, they most likely would have already been iced to the floor, awaiting the local guards to arrest them.
Unfortunately, having to protect a small child while fighting them complicated things immensely.
She parried a strike from the hammer wielder, knocking the blow to the side before attempting to snake the head of her lance around his shield. Weapon sets like his could be difficult to fight, but the weight of his weapon made opening holes in his guard slightly easier.
The man backpedaled, the tip of her lance just barely scoring his chestplate. Perun resisted the urge to follow up with a lunge while his guard was open, instead turning to face the next attacker, the man with the Greataxe.
His attack was fast, but easy to read. Not quite telegraphed, but for a fighter as experienced as her, it may as well have been. She didn't even bother dodging, instead throwing up a barrier between them.
The axe struck the glowing wall of force, rebounding almost immediately. As the Driver staggered back, trying desperately to reign in the motion of the heavy weapon, Perun fired off an ice spike at the man.
Really, she would have preferred to strike at him directly, possibly taking him out of the battle immediately, but the sight of the third merc, the Gormotti woman with Dual Knives, trying to swing around and grab the child forced her to redirect.
"Do not!" She yelled, a cold wave of ice ether rolling off of her skin as she launched forward at the female Driver.
Her Blade, a lithe female common Blade with fin-like protrusions from her helmet, threw herself in front of her Driver, projecting a barrier of her own. A smart move, seeing as Perun was preparing to fire off an Art, but it wouldn't help her.
Perun's Megalance lashed out, blurring as she thrust repeatedly at the woman's Blade. With every impact, she felt her weapon rebound from the barrier, threatening to take her with it. Despite this, she kept her footing, decades of practice allowing her to easily reign the weapon in as she continually struck the glowing golden barrier.
With every strike, the barrier burned brighter and brighter, attempting to resist the powerful attacks. Through the increasingly opaque field, she could see the common Blade visibly struggling to keep the field stable.
It almost managed to hold for ten entire strikes, too.
On the tenth blow of the sixteen she had intended, the barrier burned so brightly it looked white rather than gold. Perun could feel the give as the tip of her lance pushed against the barrier, and she applied just slightly more pressure in an attempt to push it over the edge.
With a sound not dissimilar to shattering glass, the barrier collapsed, and her lance continued on to strike the Blade on the other side. The vigilante was briefly blinded by the flash, but she could feel the sudden resistance as her weapon struck the enemy Blade.
She didn't pause as she continued, striking again and again with her empowered blows. Ice ether crackled around the enemy Blade with each successive hit, the tip of her weapon digging into the metallic surface of her opponent's clothing.
After the final hit, she leapt back, the ether she had built up expended. Her opponent slumped to the ground, wheezing heavily as flashes of rapid regeneration crawled across her torso. She would be back in the battle within a minute or two, but Perun suspected she and her Driver would be more cautious in their subsequent approaches.
The vigilante eyed the boy she was protecting to make sure nobody was trying to sneak up on him again. He was huddled in a narrow pipe leading into the sewers, not far from where she had first seen him being dragged by the student. His eyes were filled with a mixture of awe and terror as he watched her battle, holding an arm tightly across his chest.
Perun wasn't sure whether that was a nervous tic or if he was hiding an injury. The boy hadn't moved the arm since she had seen him, but he had insisted it was fine in the short few moments she had been able to attend to him.
Well, as long as it was nothing life-threatening, it would have to wait for now. His position made it relatively easy to keep the Drivers away from him, but having to defend a fixed position on her own meant that she couldn't follow up on her attacks enough to put them down.
This was why she hated working alone!
It wasn't just the inability to conclusively end the fight that was a problem, either. Defending a fixed position meant that any secondary objectives that she would have otherwise felt necessary to achieve were left aside, out of her reach for the time being. The young man that she had caught in the middle of abducting the child was a prime example. Before the Drivers had arrived, she had frozen him to the ground. Yet it hadn't escaped her notice that, while she was forcing the mercenaries away, a second man in similar sports protective gear—presumably the other one she had seen in the alleyway earlier—had snuck up and freed his companion.
Capturing the man was crucial—he was potentially a critical source of information on the kidnappers—but with her hands full keeping the Drivers away from the child, she had been forced to let the man escape.
She couldn't keep this up forever. Even discounting the eventuality of expending her energy, something that was admittedly less of a problem for her than a normal Blade, sooner or later, the disturbance would be noticed, and the guards would be dispatched to investigate.
Once the guards got involved, things would get tricky. While Perun didn't believe that the mastermind behind the kidnappings was working with the Academy leadership, at least officially—if they had been, they probably would have sent guards to retrieve the boy rather than a student and some mercenaries—that wouldn't necessarily be to her benefit.
Even assuming they were uninvolved, the guards would most likely attempt to apprehend both parties and sort the situation out once they were in custody. And though she didn't think it would be too difficult to prove her innocence, it would leave the boy vulnerable for recapture.
Not to mention that if there was collaboration, the mastermind could potentially throw roadblocks in the way of her getting out, possibly forcing her to escape custody and potentially loosing the ability to easily traverse the city.
Until she was able to confirm the local authorities were not working with the kidnappers, she couldn't afford to gain their attention.
Her opponents seemed to understand the danger too, going by the nervous glances between the two male Drivers. Out of the two groups, they would be the most likely to actually find themselves arrested should the guards show up.
The Ardainian man, the apparent leader of their group, tossed his hammer over to his Blade, a large beast that resembled a Volff hewn from obsidian. The Blade leapt up to grab the handle between his jaws, fiery, almost magma-like ether rolling off of him as he landed.
In her peripheral vision, she could see the other man toss his Greataxe back to his own Blade, a brutish-looking female humanoid that crackled with electricity.
She frowned, pondering her options. Two Blade Arts at once would be tricky. Her barrier could probably hold out against the power—even discounting other aspects, she had far more power at her disposal than those common Blades did—but their elements were synergistic. Assuming the Greataxe attacked first, which he would if they were smart, the residual electrical ether from the attack would react to the sudden influx of fire ether from the hammer wielder right after.
Considering that their third member had a wind Blade, an element that would synergize even further with the others, she doubted they were unaware of that fact.
But there were ways around it as well.
Perun breathed in, feeling the ether in the air. There was still residual power from the Art she had used against the wind Blade a moment ago, still aligned to her element, slowly dispersing around her.
Without a second thought, she began drawing the residual ether in, resisting the urge to wince at the sensation. Elemental ether, once shaped, was notoriously resistant to changing its shape, at least before it had dispelled its elemental charge and dissipated.
Even though it was already aligned to her element, even though she had been the one to shape it, the ether resisted her attempts to reign it into something that she could use. Just trying to channel it felt as if someone had pumped cactus spines through her ether lines.
But considering the circumstances, it was her best option. She didn't have the time to gather enough fresh, unaligned ether for what she had planned.
As the first of her foes, the electric Blade with the Greataxe, charged forward, Perun lit up with an Art of her own. With one hand, she projected a barrier between herself and the charging Blade, while with the other, she threw her Megalance at the fire Blade like a javelin.
The Greataxe struck her barrier but did little more than bounce away once again, discharging the built-up energies on impact. Perun's cheek twitched in discomfort as the electric ether filled the air around her, but was otherwise unaffected. Without the immediate addition of fire ether, it wasn't a particular concern.
Especially because, as her lance struck the ground in front of the fire Blade and erupted into a massive ice floe, there was little threat that the fire Blade would be able to follow up.
It wasn't likely to keep the fire Blade down for long—they may not be opposing elements, but fire was rather naturally adept at countering ice—but it would keep him and his Driver occupied for long enough to—
She was forced to duck as an unexpected burst of wind, courtesy of a Driver Art, passed through the space where her head had been a moment ago. Perun frowned, wheeling about to face the Gormotti woman wielding a freshly-summoned pair of knives. Those two should have been down a little longer. Had her Blade recovered faster than expected?
No… she was still kneeling behind her Driver, her torso knitting back together after the injuries Perun had inflicted. The Gormotti woman must have decided to chance fighting on her own… she wasn't even in affinity with her Blade at the moment.
The vigilante summoned a new copy of her Megalance, frowning as her hand wrapped around the haft. She would have preferred to recover the original—the cloth she used to conceal the weapon core was still in the ice—but with the third Driver back in play so early, she didn't have the time.
Her opponent charged forward, letting loose a battle cry as she brought her mainhand knife to bear. Even without the benefit of affinity, she was fast, likely using what ether she had within the knives to boost her physical capabilities.
Normally, charging someone with such a substantial reach advantage would have been inadvisable, especially when she had practically announced her intention. Considering that these mercenaries were used to fighting alongside each other, this was probably a feint.
An ether fluctuation from the direction of the electric Blade's Driver confirmed her suspicions a moment later. They were trying to pin her again, putting her in a position where she could block one attack, but not both.
In theory, it wasn't nearly the trap they expected it to be; electrical attacks were fast by their nature, but not so fast that she couldn't dodge them. It would be easy for her to avoid, allowing her to strike the Gormotti Driver.
Unfortunately, that didn't account for her positioning. She was currently standing between the Driver of the electric Blade and the pipe the boy she was trying to rescue was hiding in. If she dodged, there was a high risk that the attack would hit him instead.
Given another few seconds, it wouldn't have been a problem; her barrier would have been recharged, allowing her to simply block the attack. But without the benefit of time, that wasn't an option.
So instead of dodging or blocking the attack, she stood still and took it head-on.
Electricity coursed across Perun's body as the bolt of ether struck her in the stomach. Her muscles ached as they were forced to contract against her wishes. She gritted her teeth, resisting the urge to cry out in pain, and waited for the sensation to fade.
The Gormotti Driver, sensing what she perceived to be weakness, took full advantage of Perun's temporary stillness, thrusting her mainhand knife toward her chest. The woman probably thought she had been paralyzed by the blast.
Perun disabused her of the notion by striking her in the shoulder with her lance. The impact was hard enough to force the cat-eared woman to drop her mainhand knife, letting out a yelp of pain as she hastily moved to disengage.
Like clockwork, Perun was forced to turn about in order to block an overhead strike from the Greataxe-wielding Driver. The force of the blow nearly pushed her to her knees, ether-enhanced strength warring against sheer momentum.
To her other side, a burst of steam erupted from the ice floe entrapping the fire Blade, informing her that he and his Driver would be rejoining the fight soon.
She pushed back against the force of the axe, twisting the haft of her lance to redirect the blade away from her. The Driver stumbled forward as the resistance to his blow suddenly vanished, giving Perun an opening. She twirled the weapon around her head to build momentum before swiping low, trying to sweep the man off his feet.
Alas, his Blade was more attentive than he was. Seeing the danger, the brutish female Blade grabbed her Driver by the scruff of the neck and unceremoniously pulled him back, out of the reach of the lance.
Perun took a step back as her opponents collected themselves, frowning as she analyzed the situation. This battle was not going in her favor. Her opponents were getting bolder as they worked out the limitations of what she could do while on the defensive. At this rate, even taking the effects of attrition into account, it was likely that they would figure out how to overcome her within the next few minutes.
In this situation, the best option would be to withdraw, but she couldn't figure out a way how to. She wasn't going to leave the child, but unless she could gain a small reprieve from their attacks, she wouldn't have the opportunity to collect him before the mercenaries attacked her.
Maybe she could create an ice wall to hold them off? It would take a lot out of her, and without an easy chokepoint to obstruct it would have reduced effectiveness, but it would give her the time she needed.
Perhaps if she could get them close enough together, she could trap them within another ice floe? That would probably be a better option given the limitations she was currently under, but it might not be possible at this point. The two Driver teams currently on their feet were keeping themselves spread apart, probably for that exact reason.
A flash of flame in her peripheral vision announced that the fire Blade was free, and she was out of time to plan.
She watched as all three Drivers, their Blades behind them, took combat stances as they began to cautiously circle her. The Driver of the electric Blade was gathering ether again, his eyes tracking between Perun and the pipe behind her. He must have figured out why she didn't dodge earlier.
Looks like an ice wall would have to do after all.
Perun began gathering ether of her own, holding her lance to the side as she prepared the attack. Through her focus, she could see the enemy Blades move closer to their Drivers, ready to protect them at a moment's notice.
But… she could also hear the sound of approaching footsteps as well. Five of them, if she didn't miss her guess. Sound identification wasn't exactly her strong suit, but if she had to guess, one of them was an animal Blade, much larger than the Volff-like one facing off against her, while another was… armored, perhaps?
Was it the guards approaching? The fight had been going on long enough that she couldn't imagine somebody hadn't noticed, but unless a guard had personally happened upon the scene, she didn't think-
"Hey! Get away from them!" A youthful—and strikingly familiar—male voice called out from the top of the berm.
As they came around the last corner, Rex took in as much as he could about the scene, putting the long hours of tactical analysis Azurda had tried shoving into his head over the years into practice.
The fight was occurring in a construction ditch, the exposed pipes from the sewer on one side and a half-completed culvert on the other. There were seven combatants, as far as he could see: three Drivers and their common Blades, looking injured but aggressive, facing off against a single rare Blade backed against the entrance to the sewers.
What was going on here? Obviously, it was a one-vs.-six fight of some sort, and from the look of it, not some kind of sparring match, but who was the aggressor, and why?
Dressed as they were, the trio of Drivers seemed to be mercenaries of some sort. Had they been hired to capture the Blade woman, like those thieves back in Gormott? Or was she the one who had attacked them? He didn't think so based on where they were—she seemed to be in far too defensive a position. If she were a thief, she probably would have run by now.
And something about her was… familiar, although he couldn't figure out what. Even from this distance, he could see that her Core Crystal was concealed by something, but he couldn't remember ever seeing a Blade like that before.
He tried digging deeper to figure out who it was he was reminded of, but his train of thought was derailed almost immediately as Nia called out to him.
"Rex, look!" She said, pointing to the pipe behind the Blade.
The salvager squinted as he ran, trying to get a better view of what was inside. He was in a poor position to actually see, but it was still possible to make out the partial form of a small child, dirty, shirtless, and thin, cowering in the pipe the woman was standing in front of.
No, not standing in front of—guarding.
All of a sudden, the context of the scene changed. The woman's defensive position, the Drivers circling like hungry Jagron—it was fairly clear what was going on here.
He saw the Drivers tense, preparing to move in. A sharp ether fluctuation rippled through the air around the woman in response as she drew in ether to defend herself and the child.
Without thinking, he pulled the Aegis Sword from his back, calling out angrily. "Hey! Get away from them!"
The Drivers turned to face him at the sound of his voice, surprised by his sudden appearance. Rex could see the eyes of the man in the center, a wiry Ardainian with a hammer and shield, looking between him and the others with a calculating expression.
"What's it to you?" The man called back, not necessarily in a provocative tone but holding his weapons at the ready. "We're here on a job, kids. You'd be best served minding your own business."
"Harassing a woman and a kid?" Nia yelled back angrily, Twin Rings out and active in her hands. "Some job that is!"
The man's jaw tightened, but he didn't say anything. The Gormotti woman behind him, however, did.
She leaned in, whispering something to the man with a concerned glance up at the party, although Rex wasn't able to catch what was said. The lead Driver replied back at an equally quiet volume, although his tone was more resigned.
Fiery ether built up on his hammer as he spoke up, addressing the party. "I can't say I really care what you think, but a job's a job." He pointed the hammer at Nia. "So I'd recommend you three back off now. This doesn't concern you."
Rex's eyes briefly darted over to the child hiding in the pipe. He couldn't be any older than seven or eight—the same age range as Kizuna and Mark back home. For a brief moment, he could almost see one of them in the boy's place.
Clenching his free hand into a fist, he pointed the Aegis Sword at the lead Driver. "'Doesn't concern us?' You think we don't know what's been happening with kids across Alrest?" He yelled, light ether building in the sword.
The man snorted in annoyance at the reply. "Yeah, I figured that'd be the case." He muttered, gesturing to the two Drivers behind him. "Well, the pay's good enough that I can't feel too bad about knocking the lot of you on your asses."
Without another word, he hurled the blazing hammer at Rex. The weapon shot through the air like a comet, spinning end over end. In response, Rex fired off the Sword Blast he had been preparing before rolling out of the way of the hammer Art.
Nia charged down into the ditch, riding atop Dromarch's back, while Tora and Poppi followed behind her. The Gormotti girl moved to engage the woman with the knives, while the nopon charged the Driver with the shield.
Seeing that the others probably had them well in hand, Rex made for the defending Blade, who had been immediately set upon by the Driver with the Greataxe.
In his peripheral vision, he saw the lead Driver summon a new hammer into his hands just as he blocked Tora's opening attack with his shield. He put it out of mind, instead focusing on what was happening in front of him.
The woman twirled her Megalance above her head, a powerful wave of ice ether rolling off of her, before she launched the Art, a massive icicle, at the charging Driver. His Blade threw herself in front of him, a barrier at the ready, but the Driver still diverted as if to dodge the attack regardless.
A moment later, the logic became apparent as the Blade's barrier was struck by the powerful Art and failed almost immediately. It absorbed the majority of the attack, but was still enough to knock the burly Blade off her feet. Had the Driver still been behind it, his attack run would have been thwarted.
Instead, the Driver kept running, electric ether flashing around the head of his axe as he aimed his own Art at the Blade.
The woman was already raising a hand to project her own barrier in anticipation. There was little doubt that she would be able to handle it, but blocking the Art could potentially leave her open.
As such, Rex decided this would be a perfect time to intervene.
He leapt into the air with a flip as he ran, light ether trailing from the energy blade of the Aegis Sword as he swung it overhead. The enemy Driver, fixated as he had been on the woman, only just now noticed his presence.
Before the man could react, however, Rex came crashing down, slamming the Aegis Sword into the ground. A wave of light ether erupted from the weapon on impact, rolling across the remaining distance between them in the blink of an eye.
Even having seen him approach, the enemy Driver was unable to react in time. The light ether washed over him, burning his armor and even singeing his ether-reinforced skin. He yelped in pain, tumbling to the ground as the force knocked him from his feet.
Rex eyed him as he continued to run, making sure the man was down for the moment. He wanted to check on the woman and the child to make sure they were okay before he did anything else.
As the boy approached, he waved at the woman. "Hey! Are you two all right?" He asked, positioning himself so that he could intercept anyone else that attempted to approach.
It didn't look likely; Tora and Poppi were stalling the Driver with the hammer and shield just fine, the nopon blocking a flurry of hammer blows with his Drill Shield, while Poppi was manhandling the Volff Blade. He didn't seem particularly distressed by the situation, so Rex assumed he had it in hand.
Nia, meanwhile, was rather trivially dismantling the older Gormotti woman's defenses. As he watched, she caught one of the woman's knives in the center of her offhand ring and twisted it out of her grasp. Dromarch and the woman's Blade, on the other hand, seemed content to remain in rearguard positions behind their Drivers, rather than joining the fight directly.
"I'm fine." The woman replied curtly, not taking her eyes off of their opponents. "I cannot say for sure about the child. I was unable to give him a proper assessment before these miscreants ambushed us."
Rex made a contemplative noise in response. "Nia, our healer, can look him over once we've beaten these guys." He frowned, giving the woman another look. He still couldn't place what was so familiar about her.
Wait, wasn't it the description Lyta had given them? About that vigilante? "You're… Tokiha, right?" He asked uncertainly. He was pretty sure she was. The woman's general description—dark skin, white skirted leotard, a three-pronged Megalance—matched what the ghostly Blade had told them on the ship.
"I am." The woman replied, tightening her grip on her weapon. "But I do not believe this is the best time to have this conversation."
Sure enough, the Driver was getting to his feet, using the haft of his Greataxe as a support. His Blade was right behind him, ready to jump in if either Rex or Tokiha attempted to jump him.
"Miyuki, handle the Blade, will you?" He grumbled, adjusting his footing. "The Driver's mine."
Rex brought the Aegis Sword into a ready position, ether already flowing into the weapon as he prepared for whatever his opponent had planned.
The man charged forward, Greataxe perched against his shoulder as he held it in a two-handed grip. From Rex's own experience with heavier weapons, that told him the man was intending on an overhead sweep but didn't want to commit to the strike until he was within range.
It would diminish the power of the attack, but the ability to adapt to Rex's own opening move was worth the tradeoff. However, if he didn't attack yet, then…
He stood his ground, staying on the defensive as he waited for the enemy Driver to come to him. The man continued his charge, watching the salvager cautiously.
As he got within range, the Greataxe lifted off his shoulder and over his head, the man finally committing to the blow with no sign of counterattack. Electrical arcs streamed across his arms and upper torso as the man further enhanced his power for the coming blow.
It was the moment Rex had been waiting for. The axe snapped down, fast, but nowhere near the speed that Zeke had displayed earlier. Rex weaved around the blow, using the movement to assist in his own Art.
Shimmering waves of ether trailed the Aegis Sword as he brought it around in a spinning slash, directly at the enemy Driver's now vulnerable side. The man saw the strike coming, his eyes widening, as he released his hold on the Greataxe and dropped beneath the swing of Rex's Art.
Without impacting anything, the Aegis Sword cleaved through the empty air until it struck the haft of the abandoned axe. Rex hissed in annoyance as the sword shook in his hands, stumbling slightly at the abrupt halt but quickly restored his footing.
His opponent, meanwhile, had gotten back to his feet. With a flash, a new copy of the Greataxe appeared in his hand, the old one immediately collapsing into a cloud of ether.
Rex took the initiative this time, opening with a low sweep. His opponent stopped it with the butt of the axe, twisting it upward in an attempt to stagger the boy again. It didn't have the effect he was looking for, however, so the enemy Driver twisted the other direction, bringing the axe head down towards Rex.
In their current positions, the strike was too shallow to hit the boy, but put the axe head in the perfect position to be thrust forward. In response, Rex leapt to the side, dodging around the thrust, and attempted one of his own.
This attack was slightly more successful, but only just; the enemy Driver was anticipating something like it and was mostly able to move out of the way. He didn't clear the way perfectly, the energy blade of the Aegis Sword shallowly clipping his shoulder, but he avoided any worthwhile injury.
So unbothered was he by the hit that, no sooner had the man cleared the strike, his Greataxe immediately began sparkling with electric ether as he prepared for another Art.
Rex backpedaled, giving himself space to react to the incoming attack. Mentally, he prepared to project a barrier if things went awry.
The enemy Driver lunged forward, swinging his axe in wild, diagonal slashes. Electricity cracked and sparked in the wake of the swings, threatening to jump to any nearby object.
Yeah, Rex didn't really want to have to deal with that.
He threw up a barrier as the first swing capable of hitting him approached, his sword held across his torso to give the impression it was a function of the weapon. It was something Azurda had suggested a few days earlier, to avoid a repeat of Gormott.
Lightning arced across the barrier on impact, licking the sides of the shimmering wall of force, yet the field didn't so much as brighten under the strain. On the other side, he could just make out the look of surprise on the enemy Driver's face before his strike bounced, causing the man to stagger back.
Not one to let the opportunity go to waste, Rex immediately slashed the Aegis Sword out, scoring a solid blow across the man's torso. He cried out in pain as the leather backing of his armor separated, revealing rent flesh beneath.
Reinforced by ether as much as he was, the strike wasn't powerful enough to do anything to truly harm the man, but even a relatively shallow cut was a warning of what could have happened had Rex been able to get further into his guard.
The Driver gritted his teeth, eyes locked on the Aegis Sword in apprehension, as he took a hesitant step backward. "Miyuku, mind giving me a hand?" He called, his voice more grave than it had been back when he had 'claimed' Rex as his target.
"A little busy!" The Blade shot back, ducking under a sweep from Tokiha. The vigilante was pressing the electric Blade back, as far away from the pipe the child was hiding in as she was willing to move.
"Well, pull back!" The Driver yelled, charging his Greataxe again. "We're going to get cut to pieces on our own!"
Grunting in annoyance, the burly Blade leapt back to her Driver, avoiding yet another strike from Tokiha in the process. "Tell me you at least have a plan this time." She muttered, taking a pair of steps back until she stood in a rearguard position behind her Driver.
"Yeah." He replied, the arcs of electricity coursing around his axe shifting from a vibrant yellow to a deep black. "Get ready to hit them—max force."
"Of course you're going with that one." The Blade gave a long-suffering sigh. Her ether lines began to blaze with power as electrical ether crackled across her body, building so quickly that the arcs began to leap across her affinity link with her Driver.
Tokiha took a position next to Rex, lance at the ready as she stared the Driver and Blade down. "Be cautious." She warned in a serious voice. "They are neither the strongest nor most skilled foes I have faced, but I do not doubt they possess tricks of their own."
"Right." He agreed, preparing another Art. Gramps had always warned him to take every opponent he faced seriously. While these two didn't seem like they were even on the same level as those Core Crystal thieves back in Gormott, he didn't doubt for a moment that they could cause him major trouble if he gave them the chance.
With little in the way of warning, the man leapt forward, axe held to the side. The obsidian lightning crawling down the shaft licked hungrily at his hands, but the man ignored it.
As he approached the apex of his jump, he shifted his weight, throwing himself into a spin. He did a full rotation, letting the momentum build up, before releasing his hold on the axe, sending it flying towards Rex and Tokiha.
The pair jumped to the side as a comet of lightning cascaded toward the ground, slamming into what had been the point between them only a moment earlier.
Rex frowned as he landed, sparing a glance at the point of impact. For the amount of ether that had been shoved into the weapon, the attack had been surprisingly anemic. Was there supposed to be more to it?
He only had to wait a mere second for the answer to that question to become apparent. No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than a wave of black energy pulsed out from the axe, washing over him and Tokiha.
Black static crawled across them, not painful in the least, but concerning nonetheless. As it traced across his torso, seeking out the metal of his diving suit, the boy couldn't help but wonder what it was for. After all, if it wasn't hurting them, it had to have a secondary purpose.
Then the metal of his suit began to glow the same black as the lightning on the axe, and he had just enough time to register what was happening before he was pulled off his feet, the ether-enhanced magnetic attraction yanking both him and Tokiha toward the weapon.
"Now!" The enemy Driver called, a confident look on his face as he watched the two guarding the child be pulled into his trap. Behind him, the burly female Blade leapt into the air, electricity coursing across her body as she prepared her Art.
Rex dug his heels into the ground, deploying the stability spikes on the soles of his boots in an effort to resist the magnetic pull. Unfortunately, the terrain of the ditch, predominantly sodden mud with small patches of grass, lacked the strength to let the spikes catch, instead easily parting with the force.
His boots only provided a mere moment's resistance before the forces pulled the boy over, dragging him towards the axe. With so much of his outfit made of metal, the magnetic attraction was pulling him across his entire frame. He tumbled over as he was pulled by the magnetism Art, being first dragged face down, then upside down, as his close proximity to the source lifted him into the air and stuck him fast to the weapon.
Tokiha was fairing slightly better, but only by the slimmest of margins. Unlike Rex, the majority of the metal in her outfit was focused on her armored boots, so digging her elongated heels into the mud noticeably slowed her movement. It didn't stop it, of course—the ground being as it was—but unlike Rex, she was able to remain upright and on guard for the incoming attack.
Lightning arced between the fingers of the electric Blade as she reached the apex of her jump, aiming a hand at the handle of the Greataxe that Rex and Tokiha were being drawn to. Even without his Core Crystal, the salvager was certain he would have been able to feel the power in the air as the Blade's power connected with her weapon.
Stuck upside down, unable to right himself thanks to the magnetic force sticking him to the axe, the salvager struggled to think of something he could do to avoid getting hit, even though he knew there was nothing. Most of his equipment was made of metal, and even the few pieces that weren't couldn't be used because the metal portions of his gloves were stuck to the axe. He couldn't even project a barrier because it was still recharging from blocking the Driver's previous Art!
Fortunately, he wasn't the only one with that ability.
There was a cacophonous flash as the burly Blade released her Art, the electric ether streaming down the connection between her hand and the axe. Tokiha, who had locked her eyes on the Blade the moment it became apparent she could not escape the magnetic pull, unleashed her barrier in the way of the attack, shielding both herself and Rex from its power.
Unlike the previous Blade Art from this particular enemy, the vigilante's barrier was not quite enough to stop it. Charged with the absolute maximum amount of ether the electric Blade was capable of processing, the lightning bolt overloaded the shield almost immediately and continued on to the pommel of the axe. Electricity surged forth, arcing from the weapon to the metallic surfaces on the two combatants still magnetized to it.
Rex gritted his teeth as the electricity washed over him, causing his muscles to spasm at random. It wasn't particularly painful—Tokiha's barrier had absorbed most of the power behind the attack—but it was far from comfortable. Almost as bad were the grunts of discomfort echoing from his helmet, as Azurda was shocked as well.
He began pulling in ether, intent on just blasting the Greataxe apart. He wasn't sure how much longer the magnetism would hold him in place, but he was willing to bet that if he destroyed the weapon, then it would vanish as well.
As he was working out the best way to do that, the magnetic force holding him to the axe vanished as the weapon collapsed into a cloud of ether. About a dozen feet away, a new copy appeared in the hands of the enemy Driver, a satisfied grin on his face.
"Good work, Miyuki." He said to his Blade, patting the burly woman on the shoulder. "Let's finish them off before they recover, and we can grab the ki-"
Freed from the magnetic shackles, Rex raised his weapon and fired a bolt of light ether at the man. It wasn't aimed particularly well, having been launched while he was still on the ground, but the enemy Driver was close enough that aiming wasn't really necessary.
The bolt of light struck the man in the shoulder with enough force to nearly knock him over. It wasn't focused nearly as well as a proper Sword Blast would have been, but Rex had thrown enough power behind it that the ether still burned a hole straight through the man's armor and flash-fried the skin beneath.
He howled in pain, dropping the axe as he cradled his wounded shoulder. The burly Blade beside him snapped to attention in shock, the attack having come so fast that she hadn't recognized her Driver was in danger until he was already hit.
It was almost enough to distract her from the icy projectile that Tokiha launched at her a moment later, aiming to spear her through the stomach. However, at this point, she was attentive enough to feel the ether fluctuation and defend against the attack just in time.
Seeing the Ardainian vigilante already fully recovered and Rex getting to his feet, the Blade seemed to make a decision. Looking between her two enemies and her Driver, the burly woman spit out a curse and scooped her Driver up into her arms.
"M-Miyuki?" The man hissed in surprise, barely comprehensible through the pain.
"We're pulling back." She muttered, holding her Driver in one arm while she grabbed a healing potion out of one of the pouches at his waist. "You're not fit to fight anymore, and those two would chew us up even if you were."
The Driver made a sound of disagreement, but the woman kept running, retreating up the incline of the ditch behind the lines of their companions.
She was hardly the only member of their group who seemed to have come to the conclusion that the battle had turned against them. As Rex got to his feet, he watched the Gormotti woman and her Blade practically sprint after them, the Driver covered in long, thin slashes where Nia had apparently gotten the better of her.
Perhaps the only one making actual progress was their leader, who was slowly pushing Tora back. Despite the training that the nopon had received over the last few weeks, he was still by far the least experienced combatant on the field, and it showed.
It wasn't to say he was doing poorly, seeing as he had apparently managed to largely avoid injury, but he was noticeably struggling against his opponent. With the electric Blade and her Driver no longer on the field, Rex began running to assist him.
As he ran, he noticed that Nia and Dromarch were doing the same thing. The Gormotti girl was sparing an occasional glance up at the fleeing combatants, but even with that, she was doubtlessly going to reach Tora before he did.
The leader of the enemy Drivers noticed them as they approached, the movement most likely catching his eye. He looked around the field, trying to spot where his companions had gone, only to spit out a curse as he watched the Gormotti woman cresting the berm of the ditch.
He shouted something over his shoulder at the Volff Blade behind him, which was leaping out of the way of Poppi's attempts to pin it down, before lashing out with an Art. Fiery ether washed over the face of the Drill Shield, forcing Tora to raise it fully, but the attack came with no follow-up.
Instead, the man withdrew, leaping a full pace backward before turning and breaking into a full sprint, his Blade following just behind him. Even though he wasn't headed in quite the same direction as the rest of his group, it was clear that he had no further interest in fighting the party.
Rex slowed to a stop as he reached Tora, sparing the fleeing man a glance before looking down at the oversized nopon. Despite the difficulty he had been having, Tora seemed to be in relatively good condition. There was a bit of soot on the shoulders and waist of his overalls where flames from the enemy Driver's Arts had licked around the Drill Shield, but other than that, he didn't seem to be harmed.
Still, it was worth asking regardless. "You okay, Tora?" Rex inquired, sliding the Aegis Sword into its holstered position on his back.
"Tora is fine." The nopon replied, holstering his shield on his back. Despite looking worn out from the battle, he had a big smile on his face, seemingly pleased by his performance.
"We should be asking you that!" Nia cut in, sliding off of Dromarch's back. "I saw you and that ice Blade get caught in that weird Art combination a minute ago. What was that, anyway?"
"Magnetism, I think." He said, scooping mud out of the armored vest of his diving suit. Sealing it up was working well as an additional measure to conceal his Core Crystal, but it had also meant that his diving suit shoveled up a bunch of mud when that Art had dragged him across the ground. "I'm fine, though. Tokiha blocked most of the follow-through attack."
Nia blinked. "Wait, like the vigilante?" She asked, shooting a look over at the woman. The ice Blade was approaching them, moving slowly as she scanned the top of the berm for any more danger. Behind her, clinging to one of the tailcloths of her leotard, was a young, dark-skinned boy, presumably the same one that had been hiding in the pipe during the battle.
"Indeed, that would appear to be the case," Dromarch stated, giving the woman an appraising look. "She does seem to match the description we were given by the mercenaries from Garfont."
The woman offered the group a polite nod as she approached. "I thank you for the assistance." She said, kneeling down near a patch of ice on the ground. "Dealing with those miscreants was proving troublesome while having to protect this child at the same time."
Rex chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "Don't worry about it." He assured her. "We're just glad that we were in a position to help out." Looking over his shoulder, he asked for confirmation. "Right, guys?"
Tora puffed out his chest, an action mirrored by Poppi. "Of course! Helping Blade Lady protect littlepon is what cool Drivers supposed to do!" He replied confidently.
"I wouldn't phrase it that way." Nia added. "But I'm glad we got here in time."
A small smile broke out on the vigilante's face. "It is good to see such virtue within the upcoming generation of Drivers." She said, pulling a tattered black cloth out of a void in the ice. "It is not something I am frequently able to see, given the nature of my work."
She began wrapping the cloth around the center of her Megalance, right where the weapon core was located. Rex did not immediately pay it any mind, instead turning his attention to the child behind her, but a sharp intake of breath from Nia pulled him back.
Rex's eyes shot over to the Gormotti girl, who was staring at the lance with wide eyes, her hands clutched over her Core Crystal. The boy followed her gaze, trying to figure out what had elicited that reaction.
Looking at the weapon more closely, it was pretty obvious why; although the ice Blade was working quickly, Rex was able to catch a brief glimpse of the weapon core before it was covered in cloth. It looked to be shield-shaped, and even though he could not see the crystal in its entirety, there was no missing the large, red blotch staining the bottom corner.
"You're…" He muttered, trailing off. Tokiha was a Flesh Eater.
Thinking back on what little he knew, that actually made a certain amount of sense. It handily explained why she fought without a Driver, at the very least. Looking a little higher, he could see that in the normal place that a Core Crystal would be located, there was a metal cover that was color-matched to, but obviously not part of, her Blade outfit. No doubt to keep her status concealed.
Tokiha didn't look up at him as she worked. "I do hope that isn't a problem." She said plainly. "I'm aware that many hold reservations regarding my kind."
He shook his head. "Not from us." The boy replied. "I've met a few Flesh Eaters before." His eyes briefly darted over to Nia before looking back at the woman. "Good and bad."
"Where good?" Tora pondered behind him. "Rex-Rex tell Tora about bad, but not good."
"That's not really important right now." The salvager dismissed, finally turning his attention to the child hiding behind the woman. A small smile crossed Rex's face as he crouched down, making himself eye level with the child.
"Hi there." He said gently, keeping his distance. "Are you alright?"
In response, the boy pulled further back, hiding behind the vigilante's leg and clutching it like a safety line. Rex chuckled. He didn't know how long the boy had been with her, but it was clear he had attached to Tokiha quite quickly.
Glancing over at the vigilante, he asked, "Is he one of the abducted ones?"
She looked over her shoulder at the child, a mixed expression on her face. "I believe so, but I have not had the chance to confirm it yet."
"I certainly hope he is." Azurda leaned out of Rex's helmet, his wings still a little blackened from the electricity. "It means that the children are alive."
Tokiha nodded in agreement. "I do as well." She said. "With luck, he will be able to direct me to the location of the others before it is too late."
Nia, who had been watching the other Flesh Eater with a mixed expression of shock and envy, frowned at the comment. "'direct you'?" She said with a tone of disapproval. "What, even after the trouble they gave you, you don't want any help?"
"My apologies; that was not quite what I meant." The woman corrected. "I intend to contact those mercenaries from Garfont regarding the situation, but I cannot in good conscience request the assistance of an unaffiliated party such as yourself."
Rex grinned. "Well, in that case, it's a good thing that Ciaran and Lyta already did that!" He replied.
The vigilante raised an eyebrow at him. "They have requested your assistance in this matter?" She asked for confirmation.
"Back on boat!" Tora chimed in. "Spooky ghost Blade say not have friends come for many days, so ask Rex-Rex, Nia-Nia, and Tora for help!"
"I see…" She said, appraising the party. "I will need to consult them, of course, but if that is the case, then I may indeed request assistance."
"You'd better." Nia replied firmly. "Now let's get this little guy looked over. Given what he's probably been through if you're right about him being one of the kidnapped kids, I'd rather make sure there's no immediate health concerns before we go anywhere else."
Circling around the ice Blade, Nia moved to take a better look at the boy. He noticed her approach and scooted away, holding an arm tightly over his chest. She narrowed her eyes at the sight, but tried her best to mimic Rex's treatment of the kid a moment ago.
"Don't be scared, kiddo." She said, not quite as gently as Rex, but definitely softer than her usual demeanor. "I just want to make sure you're okay."
He stood his ground, reaching his free arm to grab Tokiha's hand. The boy looked up at the vigilante, as if asking for permission. The woman nodded in response, giving him a reassuring smile.
"'M fine." He muttered, looking at the ground. Even as he spoke, he hugged the arm tighter against his chest.
It was pretty obvious he wasn't, but Nia didn't lose her temper at him. Instead, she slowly reached out a hand. "Can I see your chest?"
The boy flinched at the request, turning his body away from her. "No." He replied. "Don't wanna."
"Please?" She asked again, a little tension leaking into it despite her best attempts. "I just need to check that there's nothing wrong."
A small shiver ran down his frame. "...You'll think I'm a freak." He replied, tears building in the corners of his eyes. "You won't want to help me."
"We will do no such thing." Tokiha denied, squeezing his hand slightly. "All we want is to make sure you are healthy."
He seemed hesitant even with the promise, but finally relented. Slowly, as if he were afraid to move it, the boy lowered his arm away from his chest. Almost immediately, it became clear exactly what the boy had been hiding. Running between his pectorals was a thin, sliver-like Core Crystal, glowing softly even in the early afternoon light.
"You're a Blade?" She asked calmly, inspecting the crystal. There didn't seem to be any damage, and he lacked the red staining of a Flesh Eater, so she couldn't understand why-
"No!" The boy replied, covering his core again as he took a step back. "I swear I'm a human! The man with the cruel smile… He did this to us! He was the one that took us and shoved these… these things in our chests!"
This time, it was Rex's turn to make a noise of surprise. He and Nia's eyes met, both fully understanding the situation even as Tokiha was apparently lost. If he was telling the truth, it could mean only one thing.
The boy was a Blade Eater, and if he was correct, the rest of the missing children were as well.
Without a word, Nia turned back to the boy, water ether gathering in her hand. He flinched at the sight, cringing away from the demonstration of power, but the girl didn't move her hand any closer.
"May I see your hand?" She asked, trying to keep an encouraging smile on her face despite the tension running through her.
The child looked at her, the apprehension clear in his eyes. Yet, after a moment of staring, the gears seeming to turn in his head, the boy hesitantly offered his hand to the Gormotti girl.
Gently, Nia touched the water ether against his skin. A shiver ran down the boy's arm in response, but he didn't flinch away this time.
She held his hand for a moment, her eyes fixed on her work intently, before the ether began to fade. Rex wasn't sure what she had been doing, but based on the way the tension in her shoulders seemed to increase, he assumed it wasn't good.
"How's he look?" The salvager asked.
Nia stood up, turning to look at him. "He's reacting to healing like a human should." She replied, a serious look on her face. "He's definitely a Blade Eater."
"A… 'Blade Eater'?" Tokiha inquired, squeezing the boy's hand in a reassuring manner. "I'm afraid I've never heard that term before."
Rex and Nia exchanged another glance. If the vigilante was going to be pursuing the children, this was something she absolutely needed to know.
"We… need you to come with us." He said, his jaw tightening at the implications of the boy's status. "There's something you need to know." The boy paused, looking around them. The construction site had been rather thoroughly wrecked by the fight, and he was frankly shocked that the guards hadn't already arrived to investigate. "And this isn't the place to talk about it."
Author's Notes
The biggest problem with big fight scenes like this is that they end up taking most of the chapter. I like trying to vary things a bit to make it be more than just fighting, like the intro scene, but I also feel like I'm compressing the action if I vary it too much.
It's probably something that's easier to balance with a bit more experience.
Well, the aftermath stuff can wait until next chapter.