Chapter 72: Confront Your Karma

Nightfall. Just like many other nights before: Cold, rainy, with a bitter feeling of discomfort in the air, knowing that the criminal element is still allowed to roam free in the hidden corners of the city.

Mark wondered how he was able to keep making it to that same rooftop every time he needed to.

He was making a habit out of peering over his shoulder, constantly believing the Devil was watching over him right now.

But there was only one machine of conflict in this zone…one he could safely trust as an ally, even if the voice behind it still eluded him.

Upon meeting up with the machine, it appeared as though he was peering off the side, control seemingly wrenched from him temporarily.

"Hey." He said to announce his presence.

S.A.N.C.T.U.M. turned and the voice of his master spoke somberly, "Hey."

He was surprised, but kept his guard up. Then, he cut right to the chase.

"I haven't seen any activity from the Devil lately."

"Then he's likely still presiding over the supply crate." Lunalei deduced.

"I don't get it. What are they waiting for at this point?" As Mark wracked his brain around that question, she had a couple of her own.

"There's been something I've been meaning to ask you."

"Huh?" Mark faced the machine without making eye contact, his body lookin listless, "Yeah…fire away."

"Do you have any suspects regarding the Devil's identity?"

"Knew it…" Mark breathed a deep sigh and remarked, "Look. Our department isn't that huge, but you're asking me to narrow down a hundred workers without any big leads…"

"And that's assuming it's just ONE person on the inside."

Lunalei retorted, "We HAVE had major evidence. The Devil considers YOU worth protecting. Don't try and sweep that under the rug."

Mark swung his hand down with a tense grunt, "I-I'm not! But shit…I don't know. My closest associates look clean. M-Maybe…it's someone who has hidden their obsession with me."

"I know you don't believe that," Seeing him pressured like that, Lunalei backed off with a remark of, "...Sorry. I…"

She didn't really know the words to follow up with.

Mark looked up and with his regular kind gesture admitted, "No. I…I get it. He's slowly piecing together your identity and…"

Lunalei had S.A.N.C.T.U.M shake his head, "There's a lot more pressure on me lately than that and…it's forced me to sit down and think."

"Oh…" Mark was surprised. Almost relieved judging by the lighter shoulders.

Lunalei then forced herself to ask, "S-Speaking of which…how's Violet doing?"

Mark's expression shifted back and hung there, paler than the ground they stood on. He then swallowed hard and murmured, "She's…fine. Fine I guess."

Either he was lying or she was really good at hiding the pain.

Lunalei wasn't going to forget that expression of betrayal. Even as the girl continued to force herself to class since that day, that face was on her like a glued mask.

And she wanted to talk to her, but lacked the spine to say what needed to be said…because her honesty was questionable at best.

Mark shook her out of this thought by asking, "...Are you…someone close to her?"

Lunalei nodded, "...You could say that."

"Is that why-"

"No," She blocked his question with expert timing, "It surprised me to learn you were her father."

Mark rubbed the back of his head and murmured "A coincidence…" like he refused to accept it as just that.

His hand tensed and he turned to state in a slightly broken up voice, "I-I still have to do my part and turn you in when this is all over."

"...Yeah. And maybe I deserve it," Lunalei admitted, before mustering the will to keep moving forward with strength in her voice, "But right now, we need to stop the Devil."

"Do you have a plan?" Mark hesitated to ask.

S.A.N.C.T.U.M took the lead with a bow, "My master has recently equipped me with a weapon that should be able to exploit a weakness in his body. After studying the prior battles, I have also been given a battle routine to follow should our connection break."

"Right, the nightmare entity," Mark wondered aloud, "Have you not found any clues about their identity…?"

"Negative," Lunalei said, "This is one ace they've kept deep in their sleeves. But…I-I think I'm ready to face it this time, should the worst come to pass."

"Right now, we're going to charge in, and try to break his mask off. Securing the supply crate is secondary."

Mark tucked his hands into his pockets and rustled some objects around, "I…brought a few grenades from the evidence room. Since the eye sockets seemed to be the most vulnerable part, and I doubt we'll be able to snag any in the parking lot…"

"I'm surprised you did that. But good work."

S.A.N.C.T.U.M remarked, "Then are we all set?"

Mark nodded, after which he was carried off towards their battleground.

Where he had one last thought to get off his mind, "...Has…has Violet been giving you any issue?"

"...Nothing that isn't my fault." Lunalei was fine confessing.

"Oh. Ok. I'm guessing she talks about me though?"

"Not really. I found out about your connection in her file."

"Oh," His disappointment was deep, "...I know she's getting excellent grades though. So…thank you."

She had been so focused on the conversation and the coming battle that her slip-up only hit her a few moments after that.

But she didn't bring attention to it, and eventually they arrived at their destination.

There, the parking lot had been cleaned up to its original damaged state save for the hole in the floor leading to the bottom.

The Devil was nowhere in sight, but the nightmare induced soldiers still lumbered around.

They descended into this cold stone Hell and upon landing, had their necks nicked by the tip of the Devil's claws.

Even through steel and electricity, Lunalei felt a chill run down her spine.

"If it isn't my favorite guests…" The Devil said, crawling out between them, and taking one passing glance to their faces before standing in a guard position before the crate.

"Back to try again? I wish you'd stop being so persistent." The Devil seemed even more collected this go around. And as he etched a scar into the ground, his bones already began to harden for the battle ahead.

Lunalei directed her full focus on him as the soldiers formed a perimeter around them and remarked in an agitated voice, "You haven't exactly left me much of a choice."

The Devil nodded, "This is about securing your privacy, is that it? No more playing superhero?"

Lunalei bluntly told him, "Nah. I'm here to stop you because it's the right thing to do."

"Haaa…" The Devil stood up and acted more human in his gestures, "For all you know, I already pieced together your identity, and you're still choosing to play games."

"You're right. I don't know what you know. Your identity, your life, HELL, I don't even know your plan!"

Lunalei had S.A.N.C.T.U.M squeeze his fist at the Devil, "But…my gut's still telling me that stopping your plans is the right call."

The Devil gave a light shrug and murmured, "Humor me. Why is that?"

"Because anyone who'd want to create superhumans in secret can't have good intentions. Surely you've read some comic books?"

"Nah. Never had any interest," The Devil admitted with a laugh, "But if we're weaponizing tropes against each other, here's a good one. Usually…it's a villain who has loose lips about their secrets."

"...Yeah, I'm aware." Lunalei said.

"Master?" S.A.N.C.T.U.M noted in surprise.

The Devil then turned to Mark and told him hesitantly, "This is your last chance. Turn away, and live your life."

Mark glared at him and swung his arm out, "You know what you have to say to get rid of me. But you won't do it. So…"

He pulled out his gun, but his grip shook.

The Devil pulled his head back and with a sigh, got on all fours and extended his claws into the ground, "So be it…you stubborn guy."

Lunalei cried out, "S.A.N.C.T.U.M, engage the enemy and try not to focus on the soldiers."

"As you wish." S.A.N.C.T.U.M. drew his swords and charged at the Devil, who opened the battle by launching bone spikes from his spine that cut Mark off from the conflict.

S.A.N.C.T.U.M. assessed this move and then attacked the Devil with both swords in the same singular slash, which was easily guarded with one arm.

"I figured you're plotting something. But he won't be the cause of my hesitation anymore."

Lunalei snickered, "Is that so? But you've got the wrong idea. He's just here to witness your identity, and expose all your lies! The one who will pull out all the stops to defeat you…"

S.A.N.C.T.U.M. gripped his blades tightly and declared, "Is me!"

A pressure sensor in the handles sent a signal to the blades to heat up and start burning into the bone.

The Devil winced and then punched the ground with a raw bone fist to throw the machine back with a rising pillar.

He then put some distance between them and the burnt scar healed right up. He fired a string of arrows from his palm that S.A.N.C.T.U.M. deflected in rapid succession, his gaze steadying on his enemy.

The Devil locked his arm into place and fired a bone spear as big as the width of his arm, slamming into the center of S.A.N.C.T.U.M.'s blades to push him back against the wall.

There, he jumped through the air and tried to hammer his face in with his entire arm.

S.A.N.C.T.U.M. tossed his swords into the air, switched modes to escape with a burst of speed, then grabbed his swords and launched another heated dual slash at the Devil's hide.

The Devil ran at a curve along the wall and lunged the machine from the side to tackle him to the ground, clearly trying to force his gaze towards the soldiers with his other hand.

"You've come up with a couple new tricks, but nothing else has changed. You're still just a naive girl risking lives by playing a superhero!"

"You're wrong!" Lunalei declared proudly, feeling the kindness of her mother giving her a gentle push from behind, "Something HAS changed…!"

S.A.N.C.T.U.M. dropped his swords and his fists started to rev up as he pressed them against the Devil's chest, "And you…fell right into my trap!"

"Reverb Style! FIRE!" At her command, S.A.N.C.T.U.M.'s fists were turned into makeshift audio amplifiers, pounding the Devil's hide with a concentrated blast of rock and roll beats.

Immediately the Devil pulled away and grabbed the sides of his head as his whole body shook.

S.A.N.C.T.U.M. stood back up as Lunalei shouted, "Mark, NOW!"

He knew to throw a grenade over the wall, which S.A.N.C.T.U.M. caught out of the air and, acting as though it was a fist extended, prepared to punch it into the Devil's eye socket.

The Devil thrust one hand out and punched the grenade, damaging both of their hands in the ensuing blast.

S.A.N.C.T.U.M. pulled back and kicked his swords back into his hands, with Lunalei letting out a slight grunt of impatience, "Almost…!"

The Devil steadied himself and admitted, with a hint of annoyance, "Ok…You exploited my bones' sensitive hearing. I didn't expect that. But all I have to do…"

His bones changed color and looked a little thinner, "Is reduce their density, and my hearing will be normal."

"But in exchange-" Lunalei began to say.

The Devil appeared before S.A.N.C.T.U.M. faster than a human could blink and uppercut him in the chest, causing his circuits to fray for a moment.

He then maneuvered his immense girth around to the back and grabbed him by the head, running him into the bone wall and grinding him across it for a few seconds.

"I'll be more vulnerable?" The Devil taunted, "I'm not scared of your new blades. Hamazaki and I used to spar!"

After dragging S.A.N.C.T.U.M. back and forth for a while longer, he turned around and flung him to the back of the room, then fired off lightning fast bone arrows from his fingertips.

S.A.N.C.T.U.M. held on because of his master's own will and started cutting down the arrows while trying to advance.

Lunalei took this opportunity to think, "Yeah, and it's not like we can use the superheated blades for long while they're in the prototype stages."

"What do you recommend we do, master?"

"Hmmm…I think we played our cards too early with Mark's move…Mark…" She focused on the spike wall, and how the Devil was keeping his back towards it.

"S.A.N.C.T.U.M. Break down that wall!"

"Absolutely!" S.A.N.C.T.U.M. proceeded to shift between his two primary modes to get in closer to the Devil while cutting down his projectiles.

The Devil eventually used the opportunity provided by the closing gap to swing his arm out with the strength of a piston.

But at the last moment, S.A.N.C.T.U.M. adopted a new maneuver by shifting to his Pursuit Mode for one millisecond and firing off a powerful burst that let him propel over the Devil, and then immediately turning back to Swordmaster Mode to carry the momentum of the swords' weight dragging him down so he could easily cut through the bone wall.

Then he landed with a spectacular flourish right next to Mark with both swords drawn.

"Sorry for the delay." S.A.N.C.T.U.M. remarked politely.

However, the Devil immediately slammed him with a bone spear to separate the two, all while punctuating the futility of their efforts, "I don't care how many plans you come up with."

After slamming S.A.N.C.T.U.M. into a wall, the Devil extended hooks around his waist and pulled him back in, retracting the spear to then punch him in the chest with a full density fist, cracking his frame, "I don't CARE what improvements you think you've made!"

S.A.N.C.T.U.M. held onto his swords tightly even as the Devil kept punching him, "I have years of experience dealing with evils in this world that would make your brain vomit insanity!"

He stopped his punches to turn S.A.N.C.T.U.M. around, grab the back of his head, and hoist him up so his vision was forced upon the soldiers' eyes, all while a grim, scathing whisper melted into Lunalei's head, "And I'm not about to let you and your immature ideals ruin everything we've worked so hard to achieve!"

Lunalei saw that horrid, tangled mess of a nightmare distort into her line of sight, bringing about the chill of the ages.

As S.A.N.C.T.U.M. felt their connection weaken, he let out a childish whimper, "M-Master, no…"

"...I-It's alright S.A.N.C.T.U.M.," She imagined herself gritting her teeth with determination as everything around her faded to darkness, and her last spoken word faded into an echo, "I'm not going to run away anymore…"

S.A.N.C.T.U.M. felt that rancid sensation of 'helplessness' returning for a few brief moments, as the Devil flung him to the ground like a rag doll and then stood tall on his hind legs, casting his shadow over him.

"This marks the third time she's fallen into the nightmare…" The Devil taunted, "All because she didn't build you well enough."

"But this doesn't bother you. You can think. You can act. But you can't feel. You don't KNOW pain," The Devil brought one foot down on S.A.N.C.T.U.M.'s right leg and started crushing it, and though the machine let out grunts, the Devil laughed at them, "That's not what pain sounds like. It's what you're programmed to believe it is."

"Because your master can build a body, craft a facsimile of a face, but she could never program what she always lacked: A heart."

"True pain hits the heart and always comes back even after the wound heals. You feel it deep inside, penetrating your soul."

The Devil pressed down on the other leg with his raw knuckles, "But that pain makes humans stronger. Because we never want to feel it again."

"And that's why you'll NEVER beat me."

S.A.N.C.T.U.M. grunted, doubting the legitimacy of his own noises. He pinned his hands to the ground and tried pushing back against this terrifying force, but fell flat on his face, his emotional spectrum of holographic projections distorting alongside his voice.

"You're…not wrong. I am…and perhaps can only ever be…what my master wanted me to be."

"However…to declare that that makes me lacking…is the fatal flaw in your assessment," He pushed his hands against the ground again with all his might, and the Devil budged an inch, "I recognize…that my master is flawed. Her actions…have left me confused, alone…even scared at times."

"But…" His mind forced him to replay footage of his first boot up sequence, where her master's tired, relieved smile was marred by oil stains and the scent of burnt metal in the air.

Through frayed static, she started to cry with joy.

He defied the physics being forced upon his limbs to curl his fist and punch the ground, pushing himself just a little bit higher.

"I am not blind to my purpose! I will not renounce it to save my skin, false though it may be!" His engines whirred, the Devil paused with a gasp.

"I was created to protect…! My priority…is my master's life! And though she falters, and cries…she continues to fight on, even knowing she is flawed…!"

"And now…I-I have finally assessed what gives her strength…! Ghh…! And I shall take…even a fraction of it…to stop your goals!"

"DOWNLOADING NEW PROGRAM: DETERMINATION."

S.A.N.C.T.U.M.'s face stabilized with a look of ferocity and sheer willpower, which pushed him over the edge of strength and let one last punch from both fists shove the Devil off his legs and let him stand.

The Devil staggered back a couple steps and S.A.N.C.T.U.M. drew his swords to slash him across the chest with heated blades.

The Devil jumped back before the cut got too deep, and S.A.N.C.T.U.M. crossed his swords before his body, a flash of red coming off his fake eye, "Engarde, Devil!"

The Devil rubbed the closing scar and grumbled, sharpening his claws and lunging at the machine's newfound strength with little care in the world.

The two engaged in a brief but furious clash of slashes that shook the foundation of the parking lot.

The two then broke off and checked their surroundings. S.A.N.C.T.U.M. reviewed his master's routines for combatting this beast, while the Devil's mind seemed to stir like a computer.

The Devil's reflexes proved faster, as he swung his hand out and fired a massive bone arrow straight at the machine.

S.A.N.C.T.U.M. heated his blades and cut through the attack in one go, then shifted to his Pursuit Mode to launch himself at the Devil, using the lingering heat to puncture his chest and hoist him into the ceiling with a mighty leap.

He then dislodged and landed with a spin, knocking over a couple of the soldiers.

The Devil used protrusions to flip themselves around and start crawling on the ceiling, sniping S.A.N.C.T.U.M. from a safe distance.

S.A.N.C.T.U.M. struggled to close the distance, as any aerial movement dampened his resistance against the arrows.

With the Devil now at an advantage, S.A.N.C.T.U.M. was too busy struggling with an answer to notice Mark toss a grenade at the ceiling.

The Devil slowly turned to look at it just as it exploded and dislodged him. He came crashing down but hopped right back up, increasing the density of his body.

S.A.N.C.T.U.M. looked at his comrade and passively complimented him, "Your expertise with grenades is astonishing, Sir Mark."

Mark looked embarrassed and a little confused towards himself.

"Now…" S.A.N.C.T.U.M. drew his blades at the Devil, "Let me handle the rest."

The Devil got on all fours and muttered, "Mark…!"

As they continued to fight on the outside, Lunalei was dealing with a fight of her own on the inside.

This time, the nightmare pushed her along within a long, dark corridor. There were walls and a ceiling, but she couldn't see them, just rub up or bounce off against them.

She tried to adhere to the rules of lucid dreaming for a little bit, and focused on positive influences.

But it didn't take long for her to hear skittering from outside the corridor, a flicker of something blacker than pure darkness crawling insanely fast along the walls.

That noise was joined by another, and another, until it was impossible to ignore all the insect-like messes of tangled strings gathering at the end of the corridor.

She ran and ran until the darkness split open like the muscles in the esophagus, and was immediately jumped by the sight of her mom lying on the ground maimed…

Her luscious silver hair blackened with blood, she knee bones protruding out of her legs…

"MOM!" Lunalei screamed like a little girl, her body adopting that size and age as she ran to the body and gave it a quick shake on the back.

She then struggled to turn her over, but doing so caused her eyes to roll out of their sockets towards the next body…

Zelene…impaled on a bone spike through the stomach.

"No…" Lunalei shook, and her glasses slid off her face to be crushed underfoot as she went to check on her sister.

Her eyes were hollow, she died witnessing insanity.

The blood rolled down the spike like many red carpets, and unfurled towards the next body…Rather, bodies…

Xander. Stella…Smushed together into a giant orb made of bone with one glass pane cut into it to make their distinct features visible to Lunalei's fearful gaze.

She limped over and placed her hands against the window, and slowly fell to the ground.

She knew what she was seeing was fake, but that didn't make the pain any less haunting…

"Stop it…" She hated this. Hated herself.

"sHe deserveS ThIS…"

She raised her head as the voice penetrated her subconscious without sound. A light could be heard flickering on, revealing one last body…

Her father. Cold. Lifeless…left on his knees in a position that suggested he was begging in his final moments with tears in his eyes.

And it all came crashing down upon Lunalei. That words were never said. That gestures were never given. That in this moment, she could only close the gap between them because he no longer had the strength to put that distance away from her.

She ran over to him sobbing and wanting to embrace him wholeheartedly, but every nerve in her fingertips fired up with a paralyzing chill…

And continued to crawl up her hands, her arms, and finally nested in her heart to force her to her knees.

There, she looked up into her father's eyes and saw disappointment judging HER.

"You killed us…" His voice echoed from a hollow body, scratched up and distorted beyond measure.

Before she could grasp the severity of her mistakes, and the irreparable cost of her arrogance…

The sun rose in the darkness, blinding her.

Her vision adjusted quickly not out of her will, but the nightmare's.

And when she stood up, it wasn't the sun she saw. No no no.

It was the Earth, burning alive.

"You are responsible…"

A footstep came that was louder than any thunderclap. A claw enveloped the entire burning planet and grew to scar and ravage the surface.

It was black, entangled in many, many fibers, but carried the distinct shape of the Devil.

Monstrous, overwhelming, it pushed its face out from the darkness, revealing white eyes made of swirly scribbles and many, many horns growing and piercing through its body.

Lunalei took a step back and fell to the ground, and the punctured, burning planet let off a wave of heat that illuminated more of the darkness to reveal that her entire extended family lay dead on the ground in different, gruesome ways.

The nightmare pointed at her, the pressure puncturing her outer layer to reveal a soft, crying little girl on the inside wearing nothing but a dainty floral patterned robe.

"you're not GOOD enough…you will NEVER be good enough…"

"faLL to DARkness…ACcept your fears…your wORTHlessness…slumber…fOREVEr…"

The nightmare distorted and the voice became strained. The entire realm shook, squeezing everything closer into Lunalei.

Her body was forced to swallow up every dead corpse in her wake and hear their final screams echoing inside of her chest.

She hunched over and held her hands over her face, crying profusely.

"this world dies because of YOUR stupid pride…!"

As the darkness collapsed around Lunalei, the nightmare held her up in its free claw and brought her before its face.

And then there was only one body whose pain Lunalei had to suffer through…her mother's.

Then she'd be cold, catatonic. Forever lost to oblivion…

But…

The moment the two connected, she felt soft, and warm, with a voice reminding her.

"There has NEVER been a point in my life, that I wished you weren't born."

The crying stopped.

She curled her fists against her face and looked up.

Her glasses reformed slowly before her eyes, lingering like a lost spirit.

"No." She whispered with force.

The darkness pushed outward, fighting against the nightmare's grasp.

"I can't…go like this." She tried to stand up.

"I…REFUSE to go like this…!" She grit her teeth and more of her glasses returned to her face, joined by her green vest.

"...stop RESISTING…!" The nightmare crushed down on the darkness to pin her in place.

Lunalei got back up slowly and shouted, "I…am flawed."

"I hate myself more than I hate anyone else. I don't understand how people can love each other. I'm small, I'm frail…and when given the chance to do something good with my talents…I did it in the bloodiest way imaginable."

"But…I DO believe in justice. I DO believe in the future…! I want to give people younger than me a chance to do good where I cannot! I want their lights to soar across the sky to distant horizons I can never venture to!"

"None of this is a contradiction! None of it is hypocrisy! All of this…is just WHO I AM!"

"And…if someone can love a flawed, stupid girl like me, even my family…then I HAVE to keep moving forward! I may not deserve to be happy, but THEY don't deserve to be sad in a world without me!"

She stamped her foot down and cracks of light filled the dark orb, with the nightmare shrieking.

"...you don't deserve LIFE…you bring death…only death…!"

"Then…" Lunalei's glasses fully materialized and she stood her ground in defiance of the nightmare, "For every life I've taken…I'll give a future to a thousand more!"

"Stooooooop LYING…!" The nightmare thrashed its tendrils against the orb to beat down her growing light. The shape of the beast couldn't hold together. It began to grow long, silky hair and its face became more human shaped, crying genuine tears.

"u…arE…fAKe…!"

The realm was distorting, bringing forth a terrifying, heavily chopped up and shrieking series of sounds that came across as people arguing amongst each other.

Lunalei trembled, feeling so much pain coming from the nightmare's assault…and fear.

Lunalei stared it dead in the eyes, and took one last breath to seize her control over the dream, "I'm more real than you'll ever be. And if anyone's going to hold me accountable for my mistakes from now on…it's going to be the people who want the best for me!"

The nightmare's final shriek died like a video forced to stop. It lurched over the dark orb she was trapped in as it melted away.

And finally, a clear and feminine voice whispered through the darkness…

"the will to live…why must it be…so difficult…"

As the nightmare faded into oblivion like a fantastical flurry of dust mites, Lunalei floated there wondering how…simple this ending felt.

But this was no time to ponder. She needed to wake up, and get back in the driver's seat!

For the moment though, S.A.N.C.T.U.M. was holding his own against the Devil.

Not gaining any ground, but not suffering the damage he did in prior encounters either.

Mark kept a safe distance away, avoiding the eyesight of the soldiers, and flinging a few grenades in whenever the Devil's hearing was sacrificed for speed.

The Devil stopped trying to batter the machine with taunts and boasting. He was throwing everything he could into this enclosed space to pin him down and break him physically.

S.A.N.C.T.U.M. shifted modes but was desperately waiting for an opportunity to break the Devil's hide.

He took quick assessments of his blade's durability and noticed that he was down to a handful of activation before the material quality would degrade into uselessness.

After deflecting a stab from the Devil's entire right arm, S.A.N.C.T.U.M weaved back and glanced over at Mark.

The Devil clamped it's limbs into the ground and raised a spiky assault straight at the machine, then tore up part of the floor and smashed S.A.N.C.T.U.M. with it when he tried dodging.

S.A.N.C.T.U.M tumbled into a bunch of soldiers and then hit the wall, but used his elbows to launch back into the fray and cut the Devil's chest with the heated blades.

"Tsk…!" The Devil flinched but carried through with its charge after spinning around, punching the machine in the back twice and then stamped down with their foot to try and hit them with a spear from below.

S.A.N.C.T.U.M. shifted his weight around to scrape by with a cut to his face and then tried to cut the Devil again in the same spot.

However, the Devil grabbed hold of both blades in quick succession and applied extra pressure by making their bones denser, "Enough of this."

The blades succumbed prematurely to the force and made a loud snap.

"I agree…!" S.A.N.C.T.U.M. countered, pressing forward and slipping their fists between the Devil's arms to hit them with a sonic blast.

"GAAAH!" The Devil stumbled back and grabbed their head, the gargling tone of their voice making it sound like they would throw up if they could.

"Sir Mark! Now!" S.A.N.C.T.U.M. cried out, and Mark threw his last grenade towards the Devil's eyes.

But the Devil recovered and started moving back, with Mark clicking his tongue in frustration.

S.A.N.C.T.U.M., however, driven by a compulsion he could not comprehend, dove at the Devil and slammed his fist into the grenade, carrying it straight into its destination right as the explosion went off.

Both figures were separated by the blast and two equally powerful but distinct shattering sounds, with S.A.N.C.T.U.M. losing the lower half of his arm and the Devil losing the right side of its mask.

The machine took a snapshot of the Devil's face after regaining his balance. The Devil had hazel-colored eyes and darker colored skin, but the moment the flash subdued they sealed their face off with excess bone and stood there, flummoxed.

"You…" He said with sincere frustration.

Mark shouted at S.A.N.C.T.U.M., "Y-Your arm…! Are you insane?!"

S.A.N.C.T.U.M. nodded calmly at his ally before facing the Devil and gesturing his other fist out, "I recall you claimed yourself to be Mark's guardian from the shadows…"

"In that regard…" He tightened his fist and shook, "Perhaps you and I are not so different."

"However…!" He stated with feeling, "You guard his life by taking others! While I…will gladly offer mine to safeguard my master's!"

"...Offer yours? Big talk for a machine," Though the Devil's words were scathing, it came with a modicum of respect, "But this is the end. You're clearly becoming too much of a threat."

He snapped his bony fingers and immediately the soldiers surrounded the Devil, with a splinter group breaking off to charge Mark and grab him.

He couldn't risk looking them in the eyes and his reckless way of fending them off simply allowed them to pin him down faster.

"Mark…!" S.A.N.C.T.U.M. cried out and turned to the Devil, who calmly stood tall and gestured his hands out.

"You won't attack me with these soldiers in the way. All I have to do is stall you just a little bit longer, and your master will finally succumb to the nightmare. And that's it. Checkmate."

"That's what you think…!"

The Devil was spooked by Lunalei's voice coming out of S.A.N.C.T.U.M.

"M-Master…?" The machine whispered back.

"Sorry I'm late, S.A.N.C.T.U.M…" Lunalei said sincerely.

"Impossible…!" The Devil murmured, yet retained confidence in the battle, "But no matter. You still can't get to me. I'll just send you back into the nightmare, and trash your tool of 'justice'!"

But the moment he lifted one of the soldiers up by the head, they began to regain their normal skin pigments and eye colors.

They were left in a groggy state of consciousness that caused them to faint face first against the pavement. Which led to Mark being freed.

The Devil let go of the soldier and took a couple steps back, shaking from the legs up, "This isn't possible…"

He stared at S.A.N.C.T.U.M. and shouted, "Did you kill her too?!"

"Her…?" Lunalei murmured with confusion and intrigue and then thought to herself, "Did something happen to the person controlling the nightmare?"

The Devil took a deep, labored breath, and then the next one was much more dragged out and eerily calm.

"...Ok. Clearly, nothing has gone according to plan tonight," The Devil looked at Lunalei through S.A.N.C.T.U.M.'s eyes, "But unlike you, I'm not prideful enough to ruin everything for a chance to stop my enemy…"

"So here's what's going to happen…" The Devil gestured at the unconscious soldiers, "You're going to let me take all my men out of here safely. And in exchange…"

He gestured at the supply crate, "I'll let you finally have that."

The trio was stunned.

But Lunalei called out the obvious, "So what did you arm it with? A tracking device? A bomb?"

"What you'll see is all that's there, you have my word."

"You're up to something…" Lunalei still casts reasonable doubt.

The Devil crossed his arms and murmured, "I wish I had that much foresight. I'll just admit that…you…or SOMEONE, has put me into a corner here."

"The nightmare was supposed to circumvent your anonymity and take you out. Cause I knew as long as you're alive you'd be able to keep sending your guardian after me over and over again."

"But now, thanks to all these encounters, I'm dangerously close to figuring out who you are."

During this conversation, Lunalei noticed S.A.N.C.T.U.M. had uploaded the image taken of the Devil's face, causing her to shake and smile, "Good work, S.A.N.C.T.U.M."

So then she told the Devil, "Yeah…same here."

"Yeah?" The Devil laughed, "Then you get what I'm saying."

"Mm hmmm…" Lunalei explained, "Neither of us can win while we're hiding behind a mask."

"One month…" The Devil put forth with scary confidence, "That should be enough time for you to piece together everything you need. And if at that point you're still clinging to an immature view of justice…"

Lunalei cut him off fiercely, "No. You better be ready to cough up the truth to Mark."

"..." The Devil took a glance over at Mark, who looked pale and shook up.

"..." The Devil sighed and then faced S.A.N.C.T.U.M. again, "So, do we have a deal?"

Lunalei chuckled, "It'll be a date to die for."

Not another word was exchanged, and both sides carried about their business like they were janitors working the same shift.

S.A.N.C.T.U.M. was thankfully able to carry the crate out with just one arm, and the three of them found a secluded area to look it over.

S.A.N.C.T.U.M. ran a quick scan of the box and confirmed there were no lethal elements hidden inside, just as the Devil mentioned.

He took the risk of opening the crate nevertheless with Mark standing a safe distance away, tightly swallowing in anticipation of what all their efforts would uncover…

Inside the crate was…powder.

A powder with the texture of flour, but a rich, sky blue color.

"...What is that?" Mark leaned over to check.

"A drug?" Lunalei commented, "No…unless…Hmmm…"

"I am not able to connect it to any known product on the market, master."

"It's fine, I didn't equip you for this sort of thing. Mmmrrrggh…I'm probably going to NEED that month just to build something that can examine it."

Mark groaned, "Great…so we're still not any closer to figuring out the truth."

Lunalei shared his grief, "Yeah…"

"On the brightside, we did capture photographic evidence of the Devil's true face." S.A.N.C.T.U.M. noted.

"...It all comes down to what happens a month from now," Lunalei then had her creation face Mark directly, "I'm sorry we have to drag this out a little longer. I'm sure you're at your limit."

"I…I'll be fine. At least this means no more long nights out in the city."

"Yeah. Try and get as much rest as you can. S.A.N.C.T.U.M. and I will handle patrolling just to make sure Dregs doesn't try and pull anything funny."

After a short pause, Lunalei took a deep breath, "And…thank you for giving me another chance."

"H-Huh? Yeah…you're…welcome."

S.A.N.C.T.U.M. picked up the sealed crate and left the area.

And Mark, left alone to his thoughts, stared at his reflection in the alley's puddles with his pupils shrinking.

"...It-it couldn't be…him…could it…?"

Next Time: Karma (B Side)