A holographic interface glowed in front of his face, floating from the red gem on his gauntlet as if someone had opened a game menu without asking. Runes danced, symbols moved, and in the center, a map with routes, glowing dots, and areas marked "??"
Edward: (thinking) Okay... okay... this is crazy. I have a floating map in front of my face like I'm in VR. Did I mention I'm not at home?
Edward: Hey! Weird voice... whoever you are!
???: Unit activated. System synced with user's bioenergy. Compatibility level: 91.7%. Status: Clean. Access authorized.
Edward: That doesn't help me one bit. Who are you? What is this? Why did you call me "Summoner"? Am I dead? Is this purgatory?
???: I am the tactical support link node linked to the wearer of the M.A.N.A. Glove. Codename: Lyra.
Edward: Lyra... so you're like an Alexa, but possessed?
Lyra: Invalid instruction. Awaiting orders.
Edward: Ugh... forget it.
Just then, a man dressed in a long, threadbare cloth cloak and wearing a smile too broad to inspire confidence approached him.
??? (man): Hey hey... new around here, aren't you?
Edward: ...Is it that obvious?
??? (man): Sure, bro. That lost look on your face doesn't lie. Look, my name is Cas. I'm a City Guide. I can show you around town, show you the key locations, and answer anything you want to know.
Edward: (thinking) Okay, this one has the face of a random NPC... but I also have zero clues.
Edward: Let's see... tell me where I can get something to eat, rest, and find a way to figure out what I'm doing here.
Cas: All that and more, bro. Follow me, I'll take you to a quiet place where we can talk without interruptions...
For a few minutes, Edward followed the supposed guide. The route took in narrow alleys, walkways connecting rooftops, and areas that were clearly less populated. The neon lights were fading. The atmosphere felt... dense.
Edward: Didn't you say you were going to show me downtown?
Cas: Oh, the best things are always hidden... the real treasures are far from the noise.
Edward: (thinking) This is sounding very murky...
Cas opened an old metal door at the end of a slope. As he stepped inside, Edward felt the air become more humid, with the smell of metal, sweat, and burnt grease.
From the darkness, laughter was heard.
Unknown voice: Look what Cas brought back! Another poor lost man.
Cas: Hehehe... this one looks juicy. Check out that glove... it must be worth a few coins.
Edward: Son of a bitch...
Cas: Nothing personal, dude. Just survival.
Before he could react, two more guys emerged from the shadows with improvised weapons. One carried a short spear with rusty tips, another a kind of machete with metal plates welded to it.
Edward: (backing away) Okay, okay... calm down! We can talk this over like civilized people... or you can all go fuck yourselves!
The bandits laughed. One advanced, clearly intent on ripping off his gauntlet. Edward raised his arm, but didn't know what to do.
Lyra: Activating defensive protocol...
Edward: NO NO NO-!
BOOM
A wave of energy erupted from the gauntlet, pushing the thief against the wall. The impact rendered him unconscious.
Cas: What was that?!
Edward: I have no fucking idea!
Cas tried to run to see his comrade, but just then...
CRASH
The side wall exploded into a thousand pieces. An orange flash crossed the air and an invisible punch knocked out the second robber.
Edward: WHAT THE FUCK NOW?!
Four female silhouettes emerged from the hole. The first to enter was a young woman with curly golden hair, a brown jacket, reinforced pants, and a gaze as sharp as her fists.
??? (female voice): Hey! Idiot summoner! Get out of there or you don't want to get blasted!
Edward: What?! Who are you guys?!
The young woman ran toward him as the other bandits regrouped.
??? (female voice): Lena Feralis. Maiden of Fury. Charmed, idiot. Now duck!
Lena leaped over Edward, her gloves glowing orange-red, and with a scream, she slammed the ground.
SILENT BURST!
A soundless explosion ripped through the room, kicking up debris and knocking back the enemies.
Seconds later, three more girls entered. One of them floated in the air, pink wings glowing. Another had white hair, a freezing gaze, and walked barefoot on a layer of frost. The last one was wearing traditional Japanese clothing with bandages on her chest and a katana on her belt.
Edward (in a cold sweat): (thinking) Okay... this escalated as fast as inflation!
Lena: Come on, idiot! If you don't move now, you won't have any teeth left to eat soup.
Edward: I'm coming, I'm coming! Don't yell at me!
Debris fell as the group of women covered the retreat. Lena hit another enemy trying to get up with a Pressure Crack straight to the leg.
Thief: AAAAAHHHGGG MY KNEE, BITCH!
Lena: You shouldn't touch things you don't understand, you sewer rat.
Edward staggered out as the four warriors cleared the way. Cas, still conscious behind a half-charred piece of furniture, grunted through gritted teeth, pulling out his Scroll with shaking hands. His fingers were bleeding, but he didn't care.
Cas (whispering): Code Raven... send everything you've got! They're dismantling us! It's not just one! It's several! It's the... Maidens, for fuck's sake!
The signal was sent.
And just then, Lena cracked her knuckles.
Lena: More of your friends, Cas? That's nice... I'm getting horny.
One of the bandits, a huge guy with a double axe, charged without thinking. With every step, the floor shook. He was covered in scars, with bulging muscles and a mad expression. He swung down with a slash of his axe with a savage scream.
Lena: Too loud.
She ducked to the side with a nimble twist, letting the blade graze her hair. In a split second, her glove flashed brightly, and she delivered a Silent Strike straight into the giant's ribs.
SHOOOOM!
The impact was barely audible, but the invisible shockwave staggered him.
Lena: …Was that a broken rib? No, it was probably three.
Before he fell, she grabbed him by the chin and planted a reinforced fist on his jaw.
CRACK!
The guy fell backward, knocking down two more with his weight.
But there was no time to catch up. Six more bandits surrounded Lena, all with various weapons: broken swords, metal pipes, spiked chains.
Bandit 8: Surround her! Don't let her move!
Lena: Oh, how cute... they think they can beat me in a group.
One of them tried to strike her with the chain, which spun like a whip. Lena raised her left arm, and the gauntlet absorbed some of the impact. Sparks flew. Quick as lightning, she twisted her body and slammed her elbow into the attacker's stomach.
At the same time, another came from her right. She felt it without even seeing it.
Lena: Veillight... activated.
Her gauntlets glowed with a faint orange glow. Her pupils constricted. The world slowed for her.
In slow motion, Lena dodged a curved spear thrust, twisted her back to avoid another diagonal slash, took a short step forward, planted her heel on the ground, and used her own momentum to throw an uppercut.
KRAK!
The impact lifted the enemy off the ground.
She spun on one foot, propelled herself with her energy boosters, and used her right gauntlet's booster to accelerate her arm forward like a rocket.
BOOM!
Another was thrown into a column.
Lena: Next...
A guy with arcane tattoos launched a fireball with an enchanted scroll. The ball roared through the air.
Lena: Magic? Okay.
She leaped forward just before impact and, in midair, crossed her arms, activating the temporary energy barrier in her gauntlets.
WHOM!
The fire slammed into the shield and dissipated with a stifled roar.
Lena landed on her feet, leaving no room for reaction.
Lena: ...Your next move.
She charged both gauntlets and channeled energy into an orange circle around her.
SILENT BURST!
A 360-degree blast of pure pressure erupted.
Enemies were sent flying like rag dolls. Screams, clashes of metal, dust… one even landed headfirst in a pile of rotten wood that exploded upon receiving the body.
But still… more were coming.
A larger group appeared from the back corridor: at least nine more bandits. Some had homemade rifles, others used minor magic, and one summoned some kind of quadrupedal creature with magical claws.
Lena: HA! Now they're really turning me on.
The summoning bandit sent his creature careening. It was some kind of hound made of shadow and molten stone. It roared as it ran, black slime dripping from its fangs.
Lena waited. And at the last moment… she propelled herself forward, rolling under the monster, flipped over her shoulder, and got behind it.
Lena: Little beast... I don't like you.
She hit one of its hind legs with a Pressure Crack, disabling its mobility.
The creature squealed.
Lena: Now go to sleep.
She jumped on top of it and, from its back, aimed straight for its head.
SHOOM!
A burst of energy from both gloves, like two hammers striking at the same time.
The mantic body disintegrated into shadows with a horrendous wail.
The bandits began to hesitate.
One of them took a step back.
Bandit 2: It can't be! She can't be alone!
Lena (smiling with a drop of sweat on her cheek): Believe me, I don't like being alone at parties either. But you guys aren't my type.
BOOM!
She threw an impact grenade from her gloves, which exploded without a sound explosion, but with brutal kinetic force. It was a perfect cover.
She took advantage of the smoke to move like a beast. She leaped among them, striking knees, collarbones, stomachs, relentlessly. Each blow was precise, and with each fall, it was an art.
In less than thirty seconds… only moans remained.
Lena stood up amid a dozen unconscious bodies, her glove smoking slightly.
She was breathing heavily, but smiling.
Lena: Forty-three... Where are the next few?
While Lena continued to sweep away bandits with her bare hands as if it were her morning routine, a figure descended with ethereal grace over the remains of the roof.
Ikariel floated in the air, wrapped in a soft glow. Her pink wings spread as if twice her body, fluttering gently with each movement. Her gaze, cold and emotionless, scanned the chaos as if simply observing a poorly designed simulation.
Ikariel: Artemis, calibrating... initiating aerial missile.
The feathers on her wings glowed pink, one by one.
The remaining bandits in the area looked up, first in curiosity... then in terror.
Bandit 12: Why are those feathers glowing?!
Bandit 7: Run, idiot! That's not decoration!
Too late.
VZZZZ!
A shower of feathers fired with pinpoint accuracy fell like a guided storm. Each one hit weapons, scabbards, belts, holsters, buckles... disarming more than eight enemies in seconds without touching a single drop of blood.
One of them saw his sword fly across the room just before his belt exploded into sparks and his pants fell to his ankles.
Bandit 13: WHAT KIND OF MUTANT WOMAN IS THIS?!
Another, the bravest, screamed and leaped straight at her with two short blades, aiming for her neck.
Ikariel spun slowly in the air, her green eyes momentarily turning scarlet, and her wings stopped moving.
Ikariel: Approach error. Purging threat.
She raised a hand.
A curved feather lit up like an energy blade and shot out like a missile.
KRSHHH!
The impact didn't kill the assailant, but it sent him spiraling against the ceiling like a rag doll... and he was left hanging upside down, caught in the power lines.
Bandit34 (trembling): No... no... no... I JUST COLLECT THE MONEY!! I DON'T EVEN GET PAID WELL!
Ikariel: The value of your existence is irrelevant.
The enemies began to flee in the opposite direction. Some tripped over their own boots, others dropped their weapons in panic.
But that wouldn't help them.
Ikariel descended to ground level, and with an almost imperceptible flicker, her wings prepared to fire multiple projectiles from her feathers, each aimed at the bandits.
Ikariel: Multiple override mode: activated. Establishing protocol: "Total deterrence."
WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!
The pink feathers were directed at feet, legs, and backs. They weren't lethal, but they seemed so. The projectiles burned right through the fabric of clothing or left bright marks on skin, frightening and paralyzing.
One of the bandits fell to the ground, covering his head while screaming like crazy.
Bandit 25: FUCKING GODS! I'M GOING TO BEHAVE! I SWEAR!
Ikariel floated across the ground, leaving a faint trail of light in her wake as if each invisible footstep generated particles of pure energy.
An improvised squad of five men decided to confront her with medium-range magical weapons. They fired fire blasts and electric projectiles.
Ikariel: Aegis... deploy.
A violet-colored energy dome with iridescent sparks emerged from her body. The attacks bounced off as if throwing stones at an indestructible bubble.
One of them tried to circle around her.
Ikariel noticed it without moving.
Ikariel: Target detected: flanking... Response: Artemis – Subprogram Delta.
Her wings began firing projectiles backward, launching a zigzag flurry of feathers that sliced through the air at ground level, raising a storm of sparks that made everyone scream at once.
Bandit 69: WHO FIGHTS LIKE THAT?! IT'S A RIGGED GAME! REPORT TO THE ADMIN!
In the midst of this, Edward, still hiding behind a metal box a few feet away, couldn't help but poke his head out. The pink glow illuminated everything as if he were at an intergalactic rave.
He saw Ikariel floating, firing blasts, her eyes blazing like a goddess of destruction, while the bandits cried, kicked, or surrendered without even being touched.
Edward (trembling): I'm scared...
Ikariel, without turning around, detected the emotional signal from her summoner. She answered in a soft voice.
Ikariel: Elevated heart rate. Critical adrenaline levels. Recommendation: Maintain distance. Full scan. No remaining enemies in this sector.
With that, she descended calmly, landing softly in front of Edward.
Ikariel: Zone secured. Mastasafe.
Edward: Masta...? Are you calling me that now?!
Ikariel: Confirmed. Bond established. Priority: Protect the summoner at all costs.
Edward remained silent... he didn't know if he was more scared of the enemies or the "killing angel" who had just turned a dozen bandits into a group of traumatized civilians.
...
...
As Ikariel flew over the field with her feathers, Yukino walked silently. Her white kimono billowed gracefully amid the dust and chaos. Her bare feet made no sound. In fact, she seemed to float, like a shadow frozen amid fire and shrapnel.
Yukino: ...Flash Freeze.
With a flick of her wrist, an icy blast crept across the ground like a wave of frost. Three bandits running toward her instantly slipped; Their legs froze from ankles to thighs, trapped in the ice like museum statues.
Bandit 31: Aaaaah, what the fuck is this!
Bandit 32: My balls are freezing, dude!
Bandit 23: FUCK THE SNOW!
They tried to wriggle free, but Yukino slowly raised her hand... and calmly closed her fingers. The ice enveloping them contracted with a chilling crack, splitting their helmets, weapons, and... possibly their hopes of survival.
CRACK!
The three of them collapsed like broken columns of ice.
Yukino continued forward without a word. The air around her dropped to below zero. Even some bandits who weren't nearby began to shiver at the mere sight of her.
Another group of bandits with little intelligence and less common sense tried to surround her from behind.
Bandit 44: Come on! She's just a skinny girl! The three of you hit her!
The first idiot approached, rusty sword in hand. But as soon as he raised the weapon, his arm was covered in frost... then his other arm... and then his face.
Bandit 4: Huh? What the-?
SHINK!
Yukino disappeared for a moment.
Then she reappeared behind him, without even looking. The bandit's body shattered into five frozen fragments that fell to the ground like broken glass.
Bandit 15 (horrified): IT'S A DAMN GHOST!
Bandit 46: RUN!
But it was too late... Yukino raised both hands, and a miniature blizzard erupted on the roof, sending down a snowfall that was neither natural nor pretty. It was dense, icy, and poisonous to the soul.
Every flake that touched skin caused frostbite. The bandits screamed, slipped, one tripped over his own foot and fell face first onto the frozen ground... and was stuck there.
Yukino: ...Fools.
That's when a different bandit entered the scene.
A muscular guy with a scar on his chest and an "I know it all" attitude. He had a chain in one hand and a nasty smile.
Perverted Bandit: Hey, cutie... why so cold? I bet those breasts are really warm.
Edward (hiding): (thinking) Oh no, this asshole doesn't know what he just did...
Perverted Bandit: Let me touch you for a while, baby... (reaching his hand straight for her cleavage).
Yukino didn't move. She just looked at him with a slightly raised eyebrow.
Yukino: ...Wrong.
The bandit's hand barely touched the air 20 cm from his chest, and a ring of frost covered his arm in a second, climbing up his shoulder and freezing his entire upper body.
Perverted Bandit: AAAAAAAHHHH! MY ARM! MY PLASTIC TITS WEREN'T WORTH IT!
Yukino took a single step toward him.
Yukino: …Disappear.
PUNCH!
Her ice-covered fist struck the bandit's chest with such force that the air split. His body froze completely in less than half a second.
CRACK… BOOM!
The bandit exploded into a thousand pieces of red ice. Like a Christmas ornament falling from a tree.
Edward: (saw what happened to the poor idiot) SHE GAVE HIM THE FATALITY!
Yukino brushed a shard of ice off her shoulder, as if it were dust, and moved forward again as calmly as before. The entire ground beneath her creaked, and the few remaining conscious bandits ran for their lives.
Bandit 17: She's a damn ice witch! I need new pants!
Bandit 38: (knelt) I believed in summer! I SWEAR!
Yukino: ...Too much noise.
She snapped her fingers.
BOOM!
A column of ice rose from the ground and sent them flying across the ceiling like toothpicks.
...
...
As the screams of frozen, crushed, or electrocuted bandits echoed throughout the hideout, Sena Kurogane strode steadily through the smoke and dust. Her expression was serene, almost bored. With minimal movement, she drew her katana.
SHHHHHING!
A red line flashed through the air, slicing with a sharp sound. The thin, technologically advanced edge of her sword seemed to float on its own with every movement, leaving a trail that burned into the eyes of anyone who dared to look directly at her.
A group of four armed bandits surrounded her. One with a double-edged spear, another with two knives, and the other two with crude, handmade swords.
Spear Bandit: LET'S HIT THAT WOMAN HARD, BOYS!!
Knife Bandit: She's just a hottie with boob bandages! She can't be that strong!
Sena: (stopping in her tracks) ...Excuse me?
In less than a second, her katana slashed diagonally. The one with the knives didn't even know what hit him. A red thread appeared on her abdomen, and an instant later, her upper body slid to the side.
SHLACK!
He collapsed without a cry.
Sena spun around, blocked the spear with her katana's sheath, and launched a spinning kick at the second guy, shattering his teeth with a single kick.
Spear Bandit: GLRHGHHGH!!!
Sena: If you're going to come so confidently, at least aim well.
The next one tried to attack her from behind, raising his sword with brute force.
Sena: (Turning around with her katana raised) …Pathetic.
ZZZT!
The edge of her sword flashed with a red light as she drew an upward line that cleaved the weapon... and the wielder with it.
They both fell to the ground with a metallic clang.
Sena walked elegantly as chaos reigned around her, when she noticed three bandits at the end of the hallway. They weren't running... they weren't attacking. They were... watching.
Bandit 44: (mumbled) My God... did you see how those bandages show on her curves?
Bandit 34: Hmm... how many times do you think I'll get to look at her tits before we get killed?
Bandit 30: I say, if I'm lucky, I'll cut those bandages and see something for free before I die.
Sena stopped. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Sena: ...How disgusting.
She stood there, waiting for the moment he would strike her.
The first, the most daring, raised his sword and ran straight at her with a deviant grin.
Bandit 30: COME AT ME, MAMACITA!
SHLAKT!
The scene literally froze.
The bandit's body remained motionless for a second… until the upper body slid down the perfect diagonal Sena had drawn, separating him in two with surgical precision.
Bandit 44 and 34: …
Sena appeared behind them, her sword still in its sheath. She clicked her tongue.
Sena: And you two…
Bandit 44: I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING! I SWEAR!
Bandit 34: I LIKE THE FLAT ONES, I SWEAR!
Sena extended her hand toward the panel of her katana. A beep sounded as a series of energy lines ran along the blade.
Sena: Kurogane no Hane… sequence activated.
The katana hummed, and energy fragments shot out from its blade in the form of metallic wings.
Sena: Did you know this sword was designed to cut through reinforced magical structures?
Bandit 29: No, but that sounds-!
CRACK-BOOOM!
Sena spun around on one foot, executing a spiral technique. The energy contained within her sword erupted in a circular flurry of slashes, as if dozens of invisible blades were surrounding the area.
When the explosion dissipated, only shreds of clothing, broken weapons remained… and two small piles of unconscious bandits with their heads buried in the ground, their noses bleeding, and their pants sagging to their knees.
Edward (from his hiding place, still trembling at what he saw): (thinking) Not even in my favorite games have I seen such an aesthetically pleasing bloodbath…
One of the few remaining bandits, lying against the wall with a dislocated shoulder, weakly raised his hand and shouted:
Bandit 41: I'M HURT!! I CAN'T FIGHT! I GIVE UP, DAMN IT!
Sena looked at him, her gaze sharpening.
Sena: …You're saved. But for your own good… let's never cross paths again.
The guy peed himself… Literally.
Sena twirled her katana, sheathed it in an elegant motion, and walked back toward the group, her expression as calm as it had been at the beginning. She wasn't sweating. Not a drop. Just the imposing aura of someone who can erase your existence… without breaking a sweat.
...
...
BOOM
The roof rumbled as if a meteor had hit the building. One of the massive metal doors at the back burst open, not because of its hinges, but because something gigantic kicked it so hard it flew out of its frame.
A massive shadow moved forward through the smoke and debris.
Bandit Chief: WHO THE FUCK CAME INTO MY LAIR AND LEFT MY MEN LIKE FISH PULP?!
The monster that appeared was almost a living parody of a final boss. It stood almost eight feet tall, with arms like steel columns, a firm belly that looked like it was hiding an anvil, and improvised armor made of vehicle parts, bars, and human bones for decoration.
On its back, it carried a makeshift hammer the size of a motorcycle, made from a concrete block embedded in an industrial metal shaft.
Edward (from his hiding place): (thinking) What kind of cursed version of Bowser is this son of a...?
The boss looked around. His men, mangled, frozen, broken, or unconscious. Some were bleeding, others were shaking like wet chicks, and some were even killed.
Bandit Boss: MY COMRADES... IS THIS WHAT YOU LEFT MY COMRADES LIKE?! YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!
His eyes flashed with rage until he saw Edward, who was cowering behind a pile of rubble.
Bandit Boss: You! The one with the glove... When I'm done with your fucking babysitters, I'm going to force that magic arm down your throat, and then I'm going to rape these bitches until they beg for more!
The atmosphere... became heavy.
The air trembled... Yukino, Sena, and Ikariel stood still. Not out of fear or fright... but from the fury that was about to erupt.
Lena (looking at him): ...What did you say?
Her voice held no sarcasm. No joke. No mockery. It was the calm before the cataclysm.
Bandit Chief: You should have known, you damn b-
BOOM!
Lena didn't wait. She leaped like a bullet. Her fist connected with the chief's face before he could finish his sentence, knocking him into a pillar. The concrete cracked, and the giant fell to his knees, spitting blood.
Lena: ...No one touches my Summoner... much less talks to me like that, you rusty pig.
The chief reared up like a raging beast and swung his hammer as if it weighed nothing. It swung toward Lena with force that could split a truck.
CRAAASH!
She narrowly dodged, sliding across the ground as her jacket flapped in the wind from the impact. The hammer shattered the ground, leaving a two-meter crater.
Lena: Was that all, or are you just warming up?
The boss charged like a rhinoceros, roaring with rage.
Bandit Boss: I'LL CRUSH YOU LIKE A BUG!!
Lena used Phantom Feint, leaving an illusory duplicate in her path. The boss struck hard, shattering the false image… only to feel a real fist slam into his jaw.
Lena: Pressure Crack!
The blow connected directly with the side of his knee. There was a sickening crack. The boss screamed and staggered, nearly losing his balance.
Bandit Boss: WHAT ARE YOU?!
Lena (activating her Veillight passive): I'm the last thing you'll ever see, you fucking trash.
Her gloves began to glow. Energy lines ignited, pulsing with each heartbeat.
The boss tried to raise the hammer, but Lena stepped forward and blocked it with both arms, taking the impact as if it were air. Then she counterattacked.
Lena: Silent Burst!
A silent blast of energy launched him backward like a bullet. He hit a wall, bounced, and before he could catch his breath, Lena was on top of him.
She grabbed him by the chest, lifted him up, and slammed him into the ground three times like a rag doll.
Bandit Chief (spitting blood): W-Wait... c-can we talk...
Lena: You wanted to taste us?... Then come and taste this.
She leaped at him with both gloves energized. Energy sparked red and gold.
Lena: SILENT BURST FINAL!
A double-punch descending with full force. She slammed him into the ground so hard that the stone cracked in a five-meter radius. The sound was muffled by the brutal impact.
When the dust cleared... the chief lay on the ground. Trembling. His neck twisted. His eyes rolling in different directions.
Edward (peeking out from hiding): …uhh… anyone else feel that was more personal?
Bandit Chief (with a cracked voice): G-Gghhh…
Lena lifted him up by the chest. She looked him straight in the eyes.
Lena (cold voice): Maidens aren't sex toys. They wake up, and they kill those who want to kill our Summoner.
And just like that… with a single blow, she twisted his neck like she was capping a soda bottle.
CRACK
The body fell with a dull, dead, defeated sound.
Lena: …
…
At that moment, the main beam, whose impact it received from the dead chief, began to creak violently, and pieces of the stones they were on fell from the ceiling.
Edward: (looking up) Ah shit…
The place is slowly collapsing.
Yukino: The ceiling won't hold for much longer. We have to get out of here now!
Ikariel: Collecting my Masta.
She flew gracefully to where Edward was hiding behind some rubble. She gently lifted him up, wrapping her arm around him as she fully unfurled her glowing wings. The pink aura illuminated the dust cloud like a heavenly vision in the middle of hell.
Edward (with wide eyes): Am I dead? Is this heaven? ... I don't want to go to heaven in my underwear!
Ikariel: Silence is necessary. Hold on tight, Masta.
Edward: What are you sayi-!
Ikariel flew through the same hole they had burst through. Behind them, Sena, Yukino, and Lena gained momentum and jumped just before the floor collapsed like an avalanche of stone and chaos.
BOOM!
A final column broke, causing the roof to collapse with a roar that shook the entire street. Dust rose like a war cloud.
And then...
Whee-Whee!
Energy sirens began to wail. Red and blue lights flashed through the mist. A convoy of armored patrol cars screeched to a halt in front of the collapsed building. More than a dozen guards and police officers in dark suits, light armor, and electric rifles descended and surrounded the area.
Police: NO ONE MOVES!
Ikariel gracefully descended to the ground, leaving Edward safe. Sena and Yukino landed silently, while Lena...
Well, she just fell like a rock and got to her feet, then turned around, still with the dust from the landslide in her hair, looked down at the guy in shiny armor and an "I'm the law" face, and just laughed scornfully.
Lena: Oh, yeah? And who are you, Dad? The junkyard version of Power Ranger?
Guard (confused): What did you say?
Lena: I said, stick that shield where the sun doesn't shine on you, and if you want to do something, come and try it!
Edward squinted at the soldiers, then at the girls, then back at the soldiers.
Edward (still being carried by Ikariel, pale): I have a bad feeling this is all going to end badly…
And, as if the universe confirmed his words… one of the guards barely raised his baton when Lena was already in his face, a fist so close his nose felt it before his brain.
BAM!
The poor guy's helmet flew back several meters, including him.
Guard 2: YOU! (pointing his advanced pistol at Lena) GET ON YOUR KNEES AND HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD!!
Edward: Oh God…
Lena narrowed her eyes. Slowly, with the calmness of someone who already knows what's going to happen, she turned her neck toward the guard who was yelling at her.
Lena: Are you… giving me orders?
Guard 2 (pulling the trigger): THIS IS AN ORDER FROM THE LOCAL AUTHORITY!
Edward (covering his face): Oh no... this is so messed up...
Guard 2: You're going to be arrested for-!
CRACK!
The poor guard didn't finish his sentence. Lena was already in front of him. A direct hit to his helmet sent him flying into the side of the armored vehicle. He was embedded like a Christmas decoration.
Guard 4: FIRE, FIRE-!
BOOM—CRACK—BAM!
Three more were swept away with a spin from Lena, who deployed her Silent Burst in a short radius. They flew like rag dolls toward the electric poles, where one was left hanging like a carnival piñata.
Edward (looking away): Don't look at them, don't look at them... This isn't my fault!
Sena (to the others): Shall we proceed?
Yukino (cold): They're in uniform... They're not a threat.
Ikariel (analyzing): Local authority with inferior force. Assessment: irrelevant. Suggestion: immediate retreat.
Police Officer 2 (last standing, trembling): Th-This t-is excessive force!AAAAAH-!
He was dragged by Lena with a roundhouse kick, which threw him into the armored vehicle and slammed the door so hard that the vehicle's alarm went off.
Edward: ...why do I feel like I just accidentally became an international terrorist from another world?
Lena: Because technically you are... Welcome to the club, Summoner.
Sena (sarcastic): First day and we've already earned another arrest warrant. What a fast learner.
Ikariel (neutral): I'm proud of your performance, Masta.
Edward: PROUD?! They're chasing us!!
Yukino: I suggest immediate retreat. More are coming.
On the horizon, more lights began to appear... Reinforcements.
Lena: Okay, time to run! Let's go, magical babies!
The four girls headed down a side alley, with Edward in the middle being dragged by Ikariel again.
Edward: I don't want to be wanted in another world on my first fucking day!
And so, they disappeared into the shadows, leaving behind a collapsed building, a dozen unconscious guards, two damaged vehicles… and a scandal that would be much talked about in official reports.
...
OUTSIDE THE LAIR – BLUEFIELDS ALLEYS
After fleeing through steamy alleyways and dangling wires, the group found refuge in an abandoned warehouse reinforced with magical plaques and protective symbols. Inside, the place was an organized mess: wires dangling like vines, mattresses scattered, rusted tools strewn across the floor, and a magical console sparking in the corner as if it were about to explode… but at least it was home for now.
Edward, staggering, plopped down onto a pile of old cushions as if they were his grandmother's couch.
Edward: Now I can collapse in peace?
Lena: Only if you don't snore. I swear, if you snore like an old tractor, I'll wake you up with my fists.
Sena (arms crossed, staring at the entrance): Don't relax too much, though. This place is safe, but it's not bulletproof. We're going to have to move soon... when things cool down a bit.
Edward (panting): First I almost get killed, then you guys show up, looking like the female cast of an action series, then you blow up half the block, and on top of that, Lena really freaks out at the police. What's next? You adopt me and give me magical powers?
Ikariel (neutral tone): Unauthorized adoptions. Active magical risk. Threat level: contained.
Edward (blinking): It was sarcasm, for the love of the gods!!
Yukino (leisurely making tea): Your sarcasm was detected. And filed away as unhelpful.
Lena threw a blanket over Edward like someone covering a nervous turtle.
Lena: Relax, dramatic man. Tomorrow we'll talk about everything. Sleep, or I'll put you to sleep in style.
Edward: ...Do you sleep?
Sena (with a slight smile): We sleep, yes. But with one eye open... and near my katana out of habit.
Ikariel: I go into sleep mode. I optimize resources and monitor the environment.
Yukino: Sleep is... unnecessary. But pleasant if the environment is quiet.
Edward (curling up): I'm trapped with three lethal women and an AI that sounds like a GPS with a soul. It's like living in a video game... but without a break.
Lena (throwing herself onto a mattress as if it had always been hers): And with no option to save, baby.
Edward: So what happens now? Do they train me? Do they scan me? Do they scold me?
Sena: Calm down. We'll explain everything, yes... but not now. We need to get out of this area first. When we're on the main street, further away from the guards Lena had her... "close encounter" with, we'll be able to catch up and catch you up.
Lena (shrugging): It's not my fault the guy wanted to arrest me with that "I'm going to fine you for breathing loudly" look on his face.
Edward: Yeah, well, you still left him seeing stars. During the day.
Yukino: At least it didn't split him in two.
Ikariel: Passed. Use of force justified 67.3%.
Edward: You guys measure that?
Lena: Ikariel measures everything. Even how many times you blink when you see cleavage.
Edward (blushing): What?! That didn't happen!
Ikariel: Three times. Left eye.
Edward: Let me live!
Yukino (pouring tea into a cracked cup): Here. It's not your thing, but it's warming.
Edward (tasting suspiciously): It tastes like... cinnamon?
Sena: That's because they've probably used the same filter for months. But hey, it's tradition.
Edward: Thanks... I guess.
Lena (stretching): Tomorrow's another day, Ed. And it's going to be full of surprises, blows, and possibly more sarcasm from you... Okay, I'll sleep.
Edward (sighing): ...Shit.