---
EARLIER
"Damn... look at the mess they all got into," Grace muttered, perched on a thick tree branch with Doug, watching the battlefield through the forest canopy. Her eyes scanned the chaos with distant detachment, but her voice held a flicker of concern.
Doug squinted through his binoculars, lowering them with a quiet grunt. "Ain't our business. Our main priority's gettin' Frankie boy outta there."
He checked the tab glowing on his wrist. "Five life signatures still movin' in town. We're runnin' outta time."
He popped a fresh magazine into his gun—it clicked in with a low mechanical whir, glowing faint blue like it was waking up. Strapping both weapons to his sides, he exhaled.
"Gotta say... that guy sure is nasty," Grace commented, adjusting her stance on the branch.
"Yeah, well... we've seen worse," Doug muttered. Then he suddenly stood tall on the branch.
Grace tilted her head up at him. "Wait... you wanna head in now?"
He nodded. "We sneak into town. It don't look like much, but we sure can find 'em fast."
"But those things—" she pointed down below at the twisted, elongated hands sprouting from the ground, snatching soldiers and knights alike with eerie precision. "We need an opening. I really don't feel like joining the brawl."
Doug gave her a side glance. "Afraid they'll rip you apart like they did the others?"
"Well... maybe," she admitted with a shrug. "We still got time. Maybe we wait for an opening?"
Doug was about to reply when a sharp chirp echoed from Grace's disk.
Her eyes narrowed. "Not anymore we don't."
Doug looked at the screen. His jaw tensed. "Damn it, Frank..."
---
NOW
"KOFF! KOFF!! KOFF!!!" Spike coughed through thick dust, her wrists still bound. Her body ached.
"Spike!" Astrid shouted, sprinting toward her.
"Haaarrrgh... Good to be back!" a voice boomed.
Vance stood amid the haze, inhaling deeply. "You don't wanna be stuck in a place where you keep seeing the same things over and over. Drives you nuts."
He turned to Raymond with an unsettling smile, both hands casually stuffed in his pockets.
Raymond clenched his fists. "You... aren't Frank."
Everyone stood tense, forming a loose ring around Vance.
"Who are you?" Raymond demanded.
Vance gave a slow, amused snicker. "Seriously asking me that?"
He glanced around and locked eyes with a nearby soldier.
"Every question has a cost," he said smoothly.
The soldier flinched, visibly panicked.
Augustus stood still, muscles tight, eyes burning with unease.
Vance cocked his head. "So... what's your name?"
"Uh... I... um..." the soldier stammered.
"Jeez, it's just a question," Vance laughed.
"Hey! You, or whatever you are," Augustus barked, stepping forward, "you're outnumbered."
"Huh?" Vance turned to him, blinking like he hadn't noticed Augustus before.
"He's possessed Frank," Tayla thought to herself. "Vance... possessed Frank."
"You either stand down or face the—"
"Ohhh, shut up," Vance snapped, rolling his eyes. "I never get interrupted. And you just broke that rule."
He waved a finger lazily.
A gust of wind.
CLANK.
A knight collapsed beside Laura.
"What the..." she gasped.
More soldiers stiffened, backing up in fear.
Raymond tensed, hand on his blade. "That energy... it's not normal."
"Relax," Vance said. "He's not dead. Just... retired. Kid gets to sleep in from now on."
"What did you do!?" Augustus growled.
"Ugh, you guys ask too many questions," Vance groaned.
Another knight dropped.
Kaido flinched.
Scott struggled to process. Elias narrowed his gaze, observing.
"You know, the last thing I want is to be pissed off," Vance said, stepping closer to Augustus.
"The tension's rising," Tayla thought. "This isn't a bluff."
Vance raised a hand toward Jack, who was still bleeding on the ground.
"I'll need someone to patch him up. Use whatever healing trick you got. I'm feeling generous."
Everyone hesitated.
Then Augustus gave a nod. A mage rushed to Jack, staff glowing yellow as it sealed the wounds and restored his broken arm.
"Now... Richard, was it?" Vance asked the soldier.
"Y-Yes."
"Can you guess who or what I am?"
"Umm... you're Frank—"
"WRONG!"
Richard dropped.
Everyone tightened their grip on weapons.
"You!" Vance turned to a demi-human woman.
"I—I—"
THUD. She collapsed.
He pointed at Piko next.
Scott stepped slightly in front of her. "Don't you dare—"
"Who do you think I am, little lady?" Vance asked, crouching.
"You... you're Vance," Piko whispered.
He beamed. "Oho? A smart one."
He turned, but behind her, Scott's breath caught in his throat. He saw Piko's pupils dilate.
"No—!"
Piko fell. Scott barely caught her.
"Piko..." Kaido whispered, his fists clenching.
"Kaido... don't—" Raymond tried to hold him back.
Kaido froze, surprised at the anger shaking in Raymond's arm.
"You still don't know?" Vance spun around. "It's LEON. Leon freakin' Vance. Damn... took you long enough."
"Enough," Augustus muttered.
"What was that?" Vance grinned.
"I said... stand down!!" Augustus shouted.
Vance paused... then stepped closer. "Why should I?"
Augustus's skill flared.
Nothing.
Raymond blinked. "It didn't work..."
Vance smirked. "Your little command trick? Cute. But no."
He pivoted.
"Here, let me help."
He raised a hand.
"STAND DOWN!!" he barked, and suddenly, a wave of mana pulsed.
Raymond's body locked.
"GAAH—!"
He couldn't move.
"That's General Augustus's skill!" Laura cried.
"He used my own ability," Augustus realized, trembling.
"He's doing the opposite of Frank's," Elias muttered. "Frank reciprocates. This guy... he steals."
Vance clapped. "That's how you use a skill."
He cracked his neck.
"Let's stretch. Been a while."
He pointed.
Kaido.
"Don't you touch him!" Raymond snarled, frozen in place.
"And what're you gonna do?" Vance mocked, strolling toward Kaido.
"Pick me instead! Leave him!" Raymond barked.
Vance ignored him.
Kaido stood his ground.
"Do whatever you want, idiot," he growled. "Where's Frank?"
"Oh, him? He's... resting."
Kaido's grip tightened.
"Alright, no more questions. Let's dance."
Vance snapped his fingers. Kaido's body loosened.
"I... I can move again..."
"You're allowed to use weapons," Vance said cheerfully. "Abilities? Nah."
Kaido drew both blades, circling Vance.
THWIP!
He vanished—appeared behind Vance. Blades came down.
Vance? Gone.
A whisper beside him. "Still fast, I see."
Kaido spun.
POW!
A kick launched him across the ground.
THOOM! Kaido countered, dashing forward.
Nothing.
Bloodlust. Behind him.
THWOOM! Another kick. Into a wall.
"LET ME GO!!" Raymond shouted. "He's too fast!"
Vance kept hitting him. THOOM! CLANK!
Kaido dropped to a knee. Blood ran from his mouth.
"I'm not done..." he hissed, raising a blade.
"Of course you aren't," Vance said from beside him.
Kaido gasped.
SMACK!
He hit a tree. Hard.
"KAIDO!!" Raymond screamed.
Kaido's blade fell. He slumped.
"Oh? Already out?" Vance chuckled, dragging Kaido by the leg.
"My Kaido was never weak," he muttered, eyes glowing gold. "Guess he retires today."
"NO!!" Raymond roared.
"Don't hurt him!" Joel added.
"Relax," Vance smiled. "It won't hurt."
He paused. A glint above.
THOOM!!
The blast sent him flying back. Kaido dropped.
Smoke rose from the ground.
Doug stepped from the shadows.
"Alright, Frankie..." he said, cocking his gun. "Time to go home."