The Templar's eye stared at the man, whose back pressed against the wall. Nagi shot to his feet, sprinting forward, as the Templar twitched.

"Move!" Nagi screamed, kicking off the ground with a mana-enhanced leap.

The next moment, he was lying face-first on the ground. He found he could no longer feel his legs. The woman screamed.

Nagi looked down and found he had been cleaved in half at the waist down. His legs, severed from his body, lay off to the side as the Templar towered above him. He hadn't even seen the Templar move, yet its lance was coated in blood. His blood.

The Templar returned its gaze to the man, who had collapsed in shock. The beast raised its lance. With speed beyond comprehension, the weapon lunged forward. Nagi threw his arm into the air in a desperate gambit even as his mind battled with the realization he had lost his legs. He shouted out—his voice garbled with saliva and blood rising up from his throat—as a ball of energy formed in his hand. It shot forward at high speed, striking the lance and narrowly knocking it off course.

The weapon's tip plunged into the wall just beside the man's head. Nagi spat out the gore in his mouth and slammed his fist onto the ground. To the best of his ability, he shouted:

"Run!"

The man didn't have to hear it twice. He rolled to his feet and began a mad sprint. Meanwhile, the Templar turned back to Nagi, already raising its lance to impale him on the ground. In a desperate ploy, Nagi fueled his arms with mana, throwing himself out of the way as the Templar struck. Seconds later, he channeled everything he had into his waist just as the pain caught up with his mind.

To describe the feeling of being cut in half was beyond his capabilities. Agony, agony, agony, the pain was all he could think of as the Templar rushed him, as the mana flowed into his waist, and as he desperately recreated his legs from scratch. The second they finally reformed, the Templar's lance plunged into Nagi's chest. The Honkai beast charged through the wall with Nagi still impaled, crashing through one building into the next.

The woman and the girl followed the man amid the chaos, deathly silent as fear fueled their legs.

That was the only glance Nagi could spare them as the Templar hurled him off the edge of the lance through a nearby window. Shards of glass embedded into his flesh as he crashed out onto the street, rolling to a stop on the asphalt. The Templar followed through as it turned away from Nagi to the escaping civilians. The angelic beast, coated in Nagi's blood, raced after its escaping prey.

Nagi once more overloaded his mana to fill the hole in his chest, throwing himself to his feet with a bellow. His body burned like it had been set on fire, but he couldn't waste time on recovering. Pouring his vast reserves into his legs, he sprinted off after the Templar, gritting his teeth as each step resonated pain through his bones.

"Move, girl, move!" the man shouted in desperation, but it hardly mattered. The Templar lunged for the child, its lance mere centimeters away from her back when it was thrown off course. Nagi leaped onto the Honkai beast's back. With a shriek of indescribable emotion, he unleashed as much mana as he could muster through his palms into the Templar's head. They erupted in a violent explosion, the resulting shockwave flinging the three civilians forward from the force.

Nagi, too, was thrown off the Templar beast, slamming into the side of a car. Seconds after, the Templar was upon him, almost unscratched. Nagi threw himself down as the Templar's shield smashed through the vehicle, launching it into the air like a paperweight. The Templar carried that momentum into a sideways swing, slamming its shield into Nagi. He could feel every bone in his body shattered from the impact as he was flung like a ragdoll high into the air.

He hit the ground with a smack. It was a miracle he didn't pass out then and there. The Templar did not relent, renewing its chase after the terrified trio.

I… I can't win…

His body burned hotter than any flame. His nerves screamed with an unimaginable pain, a level of excruciating suffering that his mana struggled to keep up with. As he lay there on the ground, disabled, as the Templar flew past him, he was terrified he might never stand again.

I can't… I can't move…!

Tears burst forth from his eyes. His mana restored his broken bones, realigned them, healed the open wounds, and restored the lost blood. The pain was overwhelming. The exhaustion seeped into his very soul.

I can't do this… Please… Please get away…

With what little energy remained, Nagi pushed himself onto his chest. His vision was blurry, his senses distorted. He tried to see if the civilians were still there.

The three moved at a snail's pace compared to the Templar's speed. It raced through the air, crashing through cars and debris. Nagi's eyes shot wide, his teeth clenched.

No… no, no, no, no no no!

They weren't going to get away. He couldn't move. He failed to stop the Templar.

They were going to die because he was too weak.

I don't even know their names.

It was like a dagger plunged straight into Nagi's heart. He wanted to wretch. He tried to crawl, tried to move, tried to close distance, to reach them, to save them.

I told them they would live.

His hands gripped the asphalt and dragged himself forward until the skin of his palms tore. But for every inch he gained, the Templar moved a mile.

They trusted me to save them.

The tears streaming down his face began to boil. He clenched his teeth, grinding them as he tried to fight through the pain. In the distance, he heard the girl's scream. She couldn't have been older than twelve. She barely had the chance to live her life.

He didn't know the man and woman. Yet the warmth in their words still resonated in Nagi's heart, even so shortly after having heard them. They had shown him such concern at every moment as he trudged onwards.

He hadn't even asked their names.

It should have been me who died.

He felt cold.

Ah… That's right.

He was about to die. And so were they. All of them, together, because he was so pathetically weak.

I'm sorry, Mom… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…!

The Templar lifted its lance, ready to tear through the three of them in a single movement.

"Nagi."

His eyes widened as he found himself in that place once again. A familiar face stood before him, a smile as warm as the sun on her face as she placed her hand on his head. Her hair was a burning red, just like the passion in her heart.

…May?

"You're a good kid. You know that, right?"

No… No, I'm not… Nagi smiled bitterly. His life was flashing before his eyes. You died because of—

"Aw, don't look so grumpy! I'm just patting your head, dummy."

It wasn't as if she could hear him. It was a memory from long ago, after all. He closed his eyes. It was pointless to try and sway a memory.

"You know. I'm glad we found you here. A sweet kid like you doesn't deserve whatever they were gonna put you through."

…I couldn't live up to your hopes, May.

"Eh? You wanna be like me? Well, that… hm. You know what, Nagi?"

I don't know, May. I never knew what I was talking about.

"Maybe you just can be! Whatcha call it… magic? Haha! I'm sure that'll take you a long way if you keep at it."

Magic? Yeah right. All magic ever did for me was get you killed.

"But you're gonna need something before you can do that."

He clenched his fists. Even as pain continued to wrack his body, he slammed his fist on the ground. His teeth ground in his mouth. He lifted his neck from the ground, looking towards the Templar, and began to push himself up.

"Eh? More than magic?"

"Mhm! It's something only the best have, you know."

"Pssht! Yeah right! Magic is way better than whatever it is!"

"Who says you can't have both, dummy?"

"Eh?"

Nagi placed one leg against the ground. But try as he could to stand, his body lacked the strength.

"First. The spirit to always get back up."

"Eh? Are you some kind of anime protag!?"

"Hey, they have that because it's important! But there's one more thing."

"Get to it already, you meanie!"

"Haha! That's a nice spirit, Nagi. But if you ever wanna reach my level… no. If you ever want to surpass me, you'll have to find it."

"Find what!?"

"A spark. The spark to light your flame, the flame that will keep you warm in the coldest temperatures and guide your way in the darkest nights."

"...That's so cheesy!"

"Maybe~ But promise me this, Nagi. When you grow up…"

Find your flame.

The Templar had caught up to them.

"I'll buy you time, get away, go!" the man shouted, pushing the woman and girl away with a manic look on his face. The Templar's lance was mere moments away from striking.

And in the same instant that the man would have been impaled, the Templar was blown away. His eyes went wide with shock as the Templar flew back nearly a dozen feet, slamming into the ground as the asphalt shattered beneath it.

Nagi was there. In a single kick, he had crossed that great distance and slammed into the Templar with enough force to send it flying. For a moment, a glimmer of hope filled the man's eyes as he nearly shouted Nagi's name in jubilation. But it was then that he noticed.

Nagi was missing both an arm and a leg. It was not that they were broken or injured. They were simply not there, their normally occupied sockets spilling blood. The young man hit the ground with a thud.

"I-Izanagi…!?" the man exclaimed, falling back to the ground in shock. "W-What the hell— Your arm—"

"I'm… f-fine…" Nagi growled, his voice barely a whisper. With his one arm, he pushed himself up onto his one remaining knee. He clenched his fist.

His missing arm and leg socket ignited with a bright flash of gradient pink energy. And from those same sockets, in an instant, sprouted both a leg and arm to replace the missing limbs. Nagi shakily pressed himself to his feet just as the Templar lifted itself from the ground.

"H-Holy shit!?" the man exclaimed. Nagi paid him no mind. The woman and child looked out from the building they had sheltered in, their eyes glowing alight with hope at the sight of Nagi standing. "Y-You think you can—"

"You… need to run." Nagi turned to the man. His expression was cold and stoic, struggling to speak as pain wracked his body. The sweat drops running down his cheek bubbled and turned to steam as quickly as they appeared. "As long… as I'm alive… I won't let it reach you. So… run… run… as fast as you can… please…"

The man looked at Nagi with a mixture of emotions. He nodded and turned to the two behind him. "Come on!" he shouted, as the Templar turned to face Nagi. The three began to run as the Templar raised its shield. It did not charge.

"Did I... surprise you?"

Nagi lifted his head with no small amount toward the Honkai Beast. "I've... been holding back…" Nagi raised his fist. "Mana… can do a lot. Even… enhance my body. But I… was scared. That if… I used too much… I'd die. My arm… my leg… both blew off back there, y'know?"

The Templar lifted its lance and began to slowly approach, holding its shield up in its other arm. Nagi simply stared.

"But I realized… I'm about to die anyway. And they… were too. So when… there's nothing left to lose…"

Nagi raised his fists.

"I'll stop running… and put everything on the line."

The Templar let out a low thrum, as if in response to his words. Nagi's lips curved into a smile.

A smile filled with regret, a smile filled with fear.

A smile filled with acceptance, as his eyes glimmered with a determined light.

"Come on then. I'm waiting."

The Templar charged.

And so did Nagi.

Two strikes knocked down two plates, but she didn't have a chance to finish them off as she dodged a pair of beams. Wendy spun on her heel to counter with a toss of her glaive, slicing through the Emperor's side. But barely had she done that before she was back on the defensive, rolling out of the way of a swipe while avoiding a beam that erupted from beneath her.

The Emperor's assault had only grown more intense as the battle went on and Wendy was only growing more exhausted. The Emperor had taken on a more radiant form moments after Ana and Bronya had been knocked out cold, stronger than before. The only advantage Wendy had right now was that it had stopped targeting the two disabled Valkyries.

It meant that no one was holding her back. Just how she liked it.

So even as a beam of energy grazed her side and burned her skin, Wendy felt not even an ounce of fear. She hopped onto a plate and used it as momentum to leap to a second, to a third, activating her time warp just as she jumped into the air above the Emperor. In that moment of stopped time, she went in on the assault, bringing her glaives down on its head in a flurry of slashes. Strike after strike after strike, even as her arms screamed for rest, she continued to push herself to the limit.

Three... Two… one… Until the last second, she continued the assault. The moment the timewarp ended, she kicked off the Emperor's head to avoid another barrage of beams. She hit the ground and charged again, nimbly darting and dashing between the bloodthirsty plates.

She had kept this game going for too long. She lost track of time along the way, dashing in and leaping out over and over again as she tried to whittle the Emperor down. But she was reaching her limit…

At this rate, in a battle of attrition, she would be the one to fall. Worse still, whereas she was reaching her limits, it felt as if the Emperor was only growing stronger, showing no signs of wear.

The Emperor charged her, its plates spinning like a saw around its waist. Wendy threw her glaive into the air, swapping polarities mid-flight and launching through the air. The Emperor tore through the building behind her, tossing rubble in every direction as it went. She threw her second glaive at its back and her first towards the opposite end of the street, pulling herself to the first.

But as she landed, she failed to notice yet another plate. It slammed into her gut just as she landed, throwing her back, while a second plate shot a beam at her as she rolled. She kicked off the ground, flipping over the beam, as a third and fourth blate careened towards her.

"You're a slippery brat, you know that?"

Wendy's eyes widened. She brought her glaves down onto the incoming plates and knocked them away, just as the Emperor itself returned with another flurry of lasers. Wendy dipped and dodged between them.

"You did a pretty good job playing keep away with my wallet, you know!"

Her eye-twitched. Why was she hearing her voice now of all times? When she needed to focus so badly? Wendy threw her glaives one after another at the Emperor, catching them the moment they deflected and throwing them again, trying to make some kind of opening on its armored hide.

The Emperor let out a deep thrum as every plate in the surrounding area began to glow with a pink light. Wendy clicked her tongue just as each of them unleashed a payload of light in her direction. They all collided, resulting in a powerful explosion that sent a tremor through the earth itself.

Yet Wendy looked untouched as she escaped the cloud of smoke, dragging herself along the ground with her glaives like wheels. She hopped and slid to her feet, wiping dirt off her face before charging forward again.

"But a brat like you was never gonna outrun an S-rank Valkyrie! Not in a million years!"

How long had that been? Wendy could barely remember now. It was so close yet so far away, the time she had met Theresa.

"...Gak. F-Forget what you just heard! Just give me back my wallet!"

Wendy smirked. Short as she was, Theresa was the first person in her life that she hadn't been able to outrun. No… the first person she couldn't catch. She remembered the awe she felt in that moment like it was yesterday.

At the same time, Wendy brought both of her glaives down on a charging plate, cutting it to pieces in a single strike. The plate dispersed, but so many remained. Wendy took a quick breath as a series of plates charged after her.

If victory was to be had, she first had to destroy her enemy's weapon. Just like Theresa did.

"You… have a stigmata? Well, well, well. That changes things!"

The way Theresa had looked at her. Smiled at her. Like she truly cared about her. It wasn't an expression Wendy had been familiar with. Then again… she was more used to leaving people in the dust.

But on that day, she suddenly wasn't running from something… but towards.

She didn't join Schicksal with some grand delusion of heroism or some internal sense of duty.

It was because of Theresa.

For the first time in her life, she wanted to stand at someone's side.

"How strong is an S-rank? Well… I'd say one of me is worth a hundred of you! That's the power of the world's cutest!"

For the first time in her life, she had something to aspire to. To dream of. To maybe, just maybe, one day reach that level. And so she fought.

Two plates, three plates, four plates. Wendy dashed from one to the next, cutting them to pieces as she felt her second wind hit. A series of beams shot at her, but she dodged them with ease, a smile on her face as she felt the wind carrying her step. Where once her body felt heavy with exhaustion, now she felt as light as a feather, weaving through every attack the Emperor sent at her and getting faster by the second.

I can win. Wendy thought, delivering a slash to the Emperor's side. I can do this. The Emperor tried to ram her, but she easily side-stepped it and delivered another two, three hits against it. A plate shot at her, but its attack wasn't even close, catching only air as Wendy danced. She landed a few feet away and stood straight with a confident gait.

She raised a finger to her eyelid, pulling it down as she stuck her tongue out at the Emperor.

I'll reach her, no matter what it takes.

"If you ever need help, Wendy, just let good ole Teri-Teri know!"

Wendy smiled once more. Help? As if. When she was done, Theresa would be the one asking for her help… after Wendy left her in the dust, of course.

That was the only way she'd ever be satisfied. She owed Theresa everything.

At that moment, a series of plates swung around through the air, side by side as they charged her. Wendy charged them with her glaives in hand, bringing them down on the plates to cut them apart just as before.

She realized at the last moment that it was a trap. Her eyes widened as she saw the glowing beams to her left and right, hidden in the alleys and ruins of the buildings around her. An unexpected level of intelligence. As the Emperor remained in the corner of her eye, she could have sworn it grinned.

She slammed her foot into the ground and kicked back with as much force as she could manage, but it wasn't enough.

A sound like glass shattering filled her ears as the weight in her hands dissipated. At the same time, a sharp pain like a blade filled her side. Her hands hurt most of all, shaking with pain as her wrists throbbed.

She knew the difference between an A and S rank. She had always known.

But it was only then that she realized how much she had underestimated it. The Emperor's strength…

And the distance that remained between her and Theresa.

Like a chasm, an endless abyss, that separated them with no bridge in sight. Blood trickled from Wendy's palms as she looked at her hands, her expression devoid of emotion.

She hadn't been the Emperor's target. Or maybe, the Emperor had learned from her.

Her glaives had been shattered. A low, repetitive thrum filled the arena, a noise not unlike laughter as the Emperor towered over Wendy. Her hands trembled as she looked up towards the creature.

A dozen plates aimed back at her. Each glowing brightly with that vibrant light of death.

Ah… I messed up.

I guess that's that, then.

Wendy let her hands fall to her side. She let out a soft sigh and closed her eyes.

For as long as she could remember, she had always been alone. A cold orphanage, an escape. Searching for those who brought her into this world without so much as a goodbye.

She'd always been good at running. Climbing, jumping, dodging, it all came as naturally as breathing to her. It's what she'd known as long as she'd been alive. Run to live, run to fight, run to survive. In a world determined to keep her down… it was her defiance.

"What's your name, anyway?"

"...Wendy."

"Just Wendy? Hmm… I like it. Wendy, like windy, cuz you're as free-spirited as they come. Not even a family name to tie you down!"

"...That's lame."

"Gah— S-Shush you!"

Sorry, Theresa.

"Seriously, you're as skinny as a twig! When was the last time you had a bath? Oh, goodness me… alright, you're coming with me!"

"...Huh?"

"Stop struggling! I'm not going to hurt you! Here."

"...?"

"Bitter melon juice. It's the best! Give it a try. It's not food, but it's better than nothing!"

…It tasted awful. Certainly bitter. But it wasn't dirty, so I drank it anyway. She looked so dejected when I nearly spat it out.

"Wendy… those people. Did they use to hit you? …I'll be right back."

"Goodness grief… Don't worry, Wendy. I made sure those people won't hurt anyone like you again. …K-Kill them!? Of course not!"

"Violence is a powerful tool. But the things we fight for… they need to matter. And as wonderful as it would be to get rid of all the bad people in the world… we can't."

"...Wendy. Would you like to come with me? I can take you somewhere safe. Somewhere that you can call a home, and make friends. You won't have to be alone ever again."

That's the problem, Teri… I prefer being alone. People… I can't trust them. People get left behind. People can't keep up. And if they do, then those people hurt you.

I'm sorry, Theresa.

The Emperor unleashed its attack. A dozen beams of light came at Wendy from every direction.

"Barrier…!"

And were stopped. Wendy's eyes shot open.

There in front of her was Bronya. Barely able to stand. Project Bunny barely holding itself together. But the two of them held beneath the assault of the Emperor's beams of light, protecting her.

Protecting Wendy.

"S-Subject: Wendy… The Bronya… shall assist you!" Bronya said between grunts, barely able to form a sentence beneath the mental strain. "So please… do not give in. We… can still win!"

Wendy stared at the back of the girl in front of her. She hadn't even known her name until a few hours ago.

Here she was, standing in front of her, protecting her. Protecting her. Protecting her.

Wendy clenched her fists, and stood to her feet, even as her hip continued to bleed.

"...Sorry. I screwed up."

"The Bronya… sees no reason to apologize." Wendy nodded. "Subject: Wendy… your weapon…"

"Mm. It got me."

"Subject: Wendy… does not seem bothered. Requesting explanation."

"I don't need them." Wendy stepped forward past Bronya just as the barrage of beams came to an end.

"...?"

Wendy smiled briefly and turned to face Bronya.

"Your name is Bronya?"

"...Да."

"Mm. Thank you, Bronya." Wendy clenched her fist and raised it.

"I'll win."

He was panting. Filling his lungs with much-needed oxygen as he laid his back against the damaged car. His right arm was gone, but quickly weaving itself back together. How many arms was that lost now?

Before him towered the Templar, its lance poised to strike. Seconds later, the car was bisected as Nagi was thrown through it, the lance tearing straight through his chest. He rolled across the ground, lacking the strength to hold his eyes open. The Templar thrummed, floating through the air to finish Nagi off.

His fist slammed into the ground. As the Templar approached, Nagi let out a groan of pain, pushing himself first to his knees, and then stumbling onto his legs. His lips curved into a shaky smile as he turned to face the Templar.

"T-That lance… it really hurts a lot…" Nagi spoke as the hole in his stomach mended itself once more. "But…"

The Templar's shield smashed into Nagi, sending him flying across the street. He crashed into the ground. It was a familiar spot. His blood from earlier had dried here, a previous wound. Before he knew it, he was laughing as he pushed himself off the ground again.

"H-Hey… I'm still breathing… right?"

Nagi's grin grew from ear to ear as he stood tall. He looked at the Templar head-on. He beckoned the charging beast to try and impale him again.

"So… what are you waiting for? Hit me…"

The Templar complied. Its lance pierced through Nagi's chest. A pain he had grown long accustomed to as blood wretched from his mouth.

But as quickly as the Templar's charge crawled to a halt.

Nagi held the lance with his arms, holding it inside his chest as his legs stood firm. As blood spilled from his lips, he looked up at the beast.

"Is that it…? I said…"

He channeled mana into his arm.

"Hit me."

A powerful blow struck the Templar, with such force that the very air around them was pushed back from the shockwave. His arm splattered across the ground as the Templar stumbled, but Nagi held it in place, securing the lance in his chest with his other arm.

"Hit me!" Nagi roared, his left arm regenerating in an instant as he threw another punch with his right. The blow struck the shield with a sound like a gong, stronger than the last hit. A crack spread from the top of the shield to the bottom, threatening to break from the strength of the impact.

The Templar let out a thrum, reverberating through the air like a roar to match Nagi's. The thrum turned into a high-pitched shriek as the Templar tore the lance from his chest despite his best efforts, and slammed Nagi with its shield. Nagi rolled across the ground, but in moments was back on his feet, slamming a freshly regenerated arm into the beast.

A second punch, a third punch, Nagi's fists became a wild barrage pounding on the Templar, regenerating his arms as quickly as he lost them.

"I don't care if I die here… as long as they live…" Nagi whispered, as his voice distorted thanks to the intense heat resonating through and from his body. "At least if I die… it will be so that they can live! So come on! Even if I die… I'll make sure you die with me!"

His vision turned blood-red as his strikes grew faster and faster, as the Templar tried to block with its shield amidst the flurry of blood and punches. And as the thunderous barrage of fists and fury continued…

The Templar's shield shattered.

Wendy grabbed the plate and slammed it on the second, rolled under a third, and leaped into the air. With a roar, Wendy brought her leg down on the Emperor, infusing all of the might she had into the strength of her kick. She could feel her leg bruise and sprain as it slammed into the Emperor's silicon hide, but the beast stumbled.

She wasn't done yet.

Another kick, a punch, all of her primal might infused with the power of her Stigmata. The Emperor did not just stand and take it. Of the 12 plates that remained, two flew at Wendy from both sides. She backstepped and grabbed one of the two plates, before slamming it, too, into the Emperor's chest.

A gash. The plate tore into the Emperor's silicon flesh. Wendy's eyes burned with fury as the plate dissolved in her hands. She leaped back just before a beam of light could bisect her, while her lips curled into a smug grin. The Emperor thrummed as all of its plates shrieked to life, a violent and hateful sound. Wendy tilted her head.

"Hurt, did it?"

Just as the beams fired in sync, a concert of light and death, Bronya rushed forward with Project Bunny, intercepting them with the psionic barrier.

"I thought you were an Emperor. Doesn't that place you at the top?" Wendy called out, louder than before. Even as her knuckles bled, as she struggled to stand, she couldn't help but grin.

The moment the beams let up, Wendy charged forward, her kicks striking plates with enough force to cleave a man in two. Two more plates were destroyed, with nine left in the air.

"Subject: Wendy. The Bronya… can only block one more attack like that."

"You won't need to." Wendy didn't spare Bronya a glance, lifting her hand with a thumbs up. "It won't get the chance."

"...Understood." With no choice but to believe in Wendy's words, Bronya nodded and placed her faith in the dark-haired Valkyrie.

"I've seen the top," Wendy continued as she charged forward once more. Two plates struck at her, only to be dodged with ease. Destroyed in seconds. Seven left. "You weren't there."

A third shot a beam, but a gunshot struck it from the side, knocking it out of the air. Ana, who lay on the other side of the arena, watched with a grimace on her face as she struggled to lift her handgun any higher. Wendy took the opportunity she gave her and grabbed the falling plate, launching it at another plate. Both were destroyed by the impact. Five left.

The Emperor hovered back as Wendy approached, weaving death between the plates.

"I'll leave you here to rot at the bottom."

Four left.

Three left.

Two left.

One left.

"Because... I still need to reach her!"

The lance shattered. The Templar's body cracked, thrown back by his punch. Nagi pursued.

A second punch, a third punch, he could no longer feel his arms, he could no longer feel the pain, all he could feel was the adrenaline pumping through his body as unleashed his rage, his hatred, his fury on the monster before him.

"No matter what it takes… no matter what it costs! I won't let you move… even one step past me!"

In a desperate final attempt, the Emperor charged forth at Wendy, intending to crush her outright with its weapons destroyed and stolen away. Wendy held the last plate in her arms, even as it began to dissolve and break in her hands.

It had one last purpose for her. And so as the Emperor charged at her…

So too did she charge back.

Nagi's fist flew forward.

Everything. Everything he had was poured into this last attack. His body could take no more.

So even if it took everything he had to defeat this beast…

He would give it all to the flame.

Wendy leaped into the air.

The distance between her and Theresa was incomprehensible.

But Wendy braced herself to run… and took that leap of faith. With the creature's plate in hand, she fell upon the Emperor.

She'd win. That's all she needed to think about.

And as Nagi's fist collided with the Templar, and as Wendy brought the plate down on the Emperor…

"I won't lose to a monster like you!"

In two halves of Soukai City, two battles came to their conclusions.

Wendy's plate cut through the Emperor. Nagi's fist struck the Templar with such force that all surrounding debris was blown away by the shockwave.

In their hearts burned a flame that allowed no room for doubt or hesitation. And so as they fell to their feet…

The Templar and the Emperor both dissolved into nothing more than particles.

They had won.

They had won.

Nagi collapsed as the Templar dissolved in front of him, blown to pieces by the strength of his fist. As he lay there, facefirst on the ground, the young man found he could not help but giggle.

"I… I did it…" he muttered, his voice filled with disbelief. His quiet giggle turned to boisterous laughter, a laughter so loud and proud that his body hurt with the effort. "I did it… May… I did it…"

Laughter quickly turned to tears.

As the adrenaline in his body wore off, the pain finally caught up. But it was not the pain of losing limbs a hundred times over or the pain of battle and exhaustion.

It was a familiar pain. It was a terrible pain. A pain that torched all of his nerves at once.

Tears turned to screams of agony as Nagi's wrists ignited.

His cries were bloodcurdling, agonized, as he began to writhe and twist on the ground, anything to try and distract his mind from the pain. But nothing could, as the burning sensation consumed his mind entirely.

His eyes instinctively turned to his wrists, where the wrist covers had long been blown away.

The pulsing scars burned like the mark of a brand, as his veins all along his arms glowed with a pinkish flame beneath the flesh. The marks twisted and spread across his flesh, pulsing with an intense heat.

Mana burn.

Tears streamed from his eyes but evaporated the moment they appeared. He clenched his wrists and tried to control his body, but the pain was overwhelming, like an endless tide of suffering poured upon his body.

By the time the pain stopped, it was a miracle that Nagi was still conscious. His expression was lifeless. But the glowing in his veins had dimmed, and the pain that remained was nothing compared to the potent suffering of moments before. Exhausted as he was, Nagi lifted his wrists, trembling, before his eyes.

The scars covered his entire forearms now.

I guess… it was a bit hopeful to think I'd get away scot-free… he thought bitterly as his wrists fell back to his sides.

Something heavy approached. Nagi's eyes widened as he raised his neck.

A Chariot-class Honkai beast, accompanied by a swarm of Seraphs… and another Templar.

Ah… I forgot…

It's not safe here…

Nagi tried to lift his arms, but they would not budge. His heart began to pound, but there was no adrenaline to spare. When the mana burn came, Nagi was left at his weakest.

I will take over now.

Nagi's heart nearly froze on the spot.

No… no! I do not allow you!

You have no choice.

I'm ordering you—

Your life takes precedence over your orders.

Before he could respond, he heard something else. Footsteps. Human footsteps. They approached from the other end of the street. The civilians? Nagi tried to lift his head, to shout at them to leave.

But who stood there now was a face he had never seen before. A girl with eyes as blue as the sky, and hair as pink as the petals of a sakura tree. She looked into his eyes, her expression soft yet distant.

"Are you still alive?" she asked, her voice quiet but calm.

Unable to speak from his parched throat, Nagi slowly nodded his head. The girl let out a sigh of relief.

"You can rest now. I will deal with the rest."

It was then that he noticed the long, rabbit-like ears rising from her head. Nagi watched as she stood and walked towards the approaching swarm of beasts. She even had a tail, he realized.

From the sheath at her side, she pulled forth a katana…

And the Honkai beasts vanished in a single instant, the particles that remained dispersed like sakura blossoms in the wind.

As the sight, hauntingly beautiful, was burned into his eyes, Izanagi fell into a state of unconsciousness. One thought crossed his mind in that final moment.

So... pretty...

Wendy was panting. All of her exhaustion washed over her at once, like a floodgate that collapsed beneath the waters. As the Emperor dissolved in front of her, and the plate dissolved in her hands, she crumpled to her knees, barely holding herself up on a pair of trembling arms.

Seconds later, Bronya's hand fell upon her shoulder. She flinched at the touch, turning to face Bronya.

She was smiling. Wendy's eyes widened in shock.

But her eyes softened, as she silently returned Bronya's smile. With each other's help, the two stood to their feet and limped over to Ana, who was lying back against the rubble.

"W-Wendy…" Ana muttered breathlessly. "You… were incredible!"

"Mm. Maybe," Wendy replied with a shrug. She offered a hand to Ana, who took it, forcing herself to her feet. "We… should find Nagi."

"The Bronya… does not believe that will be possible."

"What do you…"

Wendy's eyes widened.

She had forgotten in the moment of victory. This was not a safe place, even with the Emperor's defeat.

A horde of Honkai beasts—attracted by the sounds of conflict—hurtled down the street in their direction. Seraphs, Chariots, Knights, Templar, and more. Wendy lurched forward, still limping, as she took up a stance ready to fight. There was no way they could escape in their current condition.

She wasn't done. She had to fight. She had to win.

A spear fell from the sky, impaling a Chariot. A second spear, a third, until the sky was filled with a rain of spears falling upon the horde.

Not even one was spared from the assault.

Wendy recognized those spears. Slowly, she turned to face her.

"Wendy."

Theresa, with her giant cross, the Oath of Judah, equipped on her back. At her side was Himeko, the teacher… and behind them, half a dozen squads of Valkyries. Two of them—Kiana and Mei, Wendy recognized them as—rushed towards Bronya, but they were barely an afterthought.

She and Theresa stared at each other. Theresa smiled softly.

"I'll handle the rest."

Wendy stared at Theresa in silence…

And fainted, exhaustion overwhelming her all in a single instant.

Author's Notes:

And so this short little arc ends. It took a long time to get to this point, but having reached chapter 10, I knew I wanted it to be big. Introductions are over, motivations are set, and its time for the ball to start rolling, at least for now. You can consider this little arc a prologue of sorts for the one that comes next!

I wanted to try something new for this chapter with the dual scenes playing out in parallel, getting faster and faster as they reached their separate but same conclusions. What did you think of this style? I don't intend to use it often to keep it impactful, but would you want to see it again?

Wendy's backstory here is taking a loooot of creative liberties, with its inspiration taken from at most one or two sentences of dialogue said in passing during her arc. Of course, Wendy herself is also quite different from her initial interpretation, but I didn't want her to just be Beta Seele, so I thought I'd play around with it. With all that said, with this chapter, how do you feel about her interpretation thus far? Do you like how she comes across?

Nagi, too, finally had some backstory revealed. I wanted it to be just the right blend of having a cheesy inspiration figure but also just the right amount of heart felt, to capture his own feelings on the matter. Do you think that came across well? Furthermore, I saw some comments about who this voice Nagi is hearing is. I'm curious to see what others think, especially after this chapter.

How was the climactic fight scene? Was the violence too much in regard's to Nagi's section? I wanted it to show how greatly outclassed Nagi was, but I also didn't want it coming across as gore-porn, so it becomes a very tight balance. Was the conclusion of the fight satisfying?

With all that said, finally, I wish you all have a great day! Until next time~