Tsuki used the cover of her shadows to move undetected. Tobamako swatted away the tendrils, before Tsuki jumped—and landed a swift kick to his head, before her shadows wrapped his limbs. His body started to fall into her shadows, before another Solena wave sliced them into halves.
Tokira stood opposed to Tsuki. She didn't mutter a word—neither did, and yet the tension drowned the sounds of battle.
"Thanks Tokira, thought I would've been fine," Tobamako muttered.
"Stay awake, Tobamako," she said. "You were a goner."
Please, Tokira. Don't make me fight you, Tsuki pleaded in the depths of her mind.
Tokira gave a hesitant look, before she lifted her fists into a stance.
Tsuki was about to follow suit, but Danzo stepped in front, with a hand outstretched.
"Take the large one. I'll take her," Danzo ordered, giving Tsuki a soft smile.
"Yes sir," Tsuki replied, before returning to position. Her shadows practically begged her for action, and she had a column of feelings that needed to be released.
"Now, where were we?" Tobamako asked, before reappearing behind Tsuki. She blocked his strike, and provided a few of her own. They traded blows—no abilities, pure hand to hand combat. Tsuki ducked low to avoid a punch before Tobamako twirled into a kick which hit her head on. She hung to his leg, before twisting, and spinning with a hand on his head.
"What the—" Tobamako started, but couldn't finish.
Tsuki swung down, putting her boot into his mouth in full force. He was launched backward, breaking the stones below as he landed.
Tsuki didn't let up. Her shadow hands emerged from the ground, picking him up, and slamming him repeatedly.
Suddenly, a large whistle echoed from the other side of the chamber. Tokira.
"What?" Tsuki said, confused and distracted. Tobamako used the moment to land a blow to Tsuki's gut, before spinning and kicking. She was pushed into the wall, and fell to the ground. Everything was a blur.
She looked up to see the battles in front—and panicked.
Behind the three stalkers, were hundreds of APC soldiers emerging from the tunnels.
The whistle… was a call?!
"Everyone!" Tsuki shouted. "They've got reinforcements!"
All eyes turned to the sea of white entering from every which way.
"Dammit," Danzo muttered. Tokira's Solena blasts had him on the edge, but he moved quickly. He dodged every strike, following them with a talisman when he could.
"Enough games," Tokira said. "I hate to have to resort to this."
"Hate to resort to what?" Danzo asked, still maneuvering through the Solena beams.
She didn't answer. Instead, she mumbled to herself. "Corrupt."
The Solena glowed a neon green, striped with a swirl of black that began to spread along the ground, overtaking any Solena and spreading her power. Danzo threw a rune to counter, but it was destroyed instantly.
A beam of Solena solidified and aimed at Danzo. Before it hit him, he threw a rune against the far wall of the chasm. Danzo went flying backwards, but as he did, he threw a second rune at the ground. A gate opened behind him—Tona's gate, without Tona's presence.
The gate reopened in front of Tokira, and Danzo—still with momentum—threw a punch to send Tokira backwards. She hit the wall with a thud, before the rune he had thrown earlier, detonated. A paralysis rune, stunning her temporarily.
Danzo just laughed, regaining his balance. "Rune making and copy technique—truly remarkable!"
Tokira tried to mouth words, but the stun prevented her from speaking.
"The paralysis was mine, but that gate I borrowed from—"
Soldiers swarmed forward—likely in defense of the stalker, and Danzo was interrupted. The squad across the chamber was getting pushed back. Danzo threw a smoke rune in front of him to evade the eager army. He used the chance to grab Hatori, who was now on his feet but limping. Danzo wrapped an arm around him, aiding him to the side. Across the way, Geo and Knoxx were cornered, fending off countless soldiers and numerous stalkers from the tunnels. Azumi was still engaged in her duel with Lalo, slicing and dipping between chains.
"Judgment Squad!" Danzo called. "Fall back to my position!"
Geo and Knoxx nodded to one another, carving a desperate path through the swarm. Azumi followed, blades flashing, while Tsuki melted into shadow, retreating from Tobamako just in time.
Danzo planted himself at the front, hands already moving. Runes flared to life beneath his palms as he cast them outward—layer after layer—forming a bending wall just ahead of the squad. He grit his teeth as Solena pulsed through the markings.
His runes had limits. They always did.
He could craft his own… or copy another's ability, but only if he'd seen it firsthand. And once an enemy crossed into a rune's radius, it was already too late. The Solena wouldn't recognize a threat already inside the perimeter. Which meant he had seconds.
Danzo scanned the chamber, searching for anything—an opening, a tunnel, a flaw. But there was nothing. They were pinned against a dead section of wall, no exits in sight. With Hatori injured and exhaustion dragging at the others, hope was wearing thin.
Just as Danzo began to doubt, a voice rang through his head—like an echo.
"Danzo… Danzo, can you hear me?"
"Ringo! Couldn't have come at a better time! We need reinforcements now! Riche sewers, outnumbered by hundreds and running low on energy to push on. Please hurry!" Danzo replied.
"I'll ask Maro now—I-I'm not sure if there's any squads nearby! We'll find something, just hold on!"
With that, Ringo left Danzo's mind, and he let out a quick sigh.
"Well… shit," he muttered.
"Danzo!" Knoxx called. "Any word on reinforcements or anything? I know I said that I was craving battle, but this may have been too much!"
He threw another rune, one of flames, prepping for a firewall to stall—any time they could get.
"Just contacted Ringo, he's not sure what's available. We might be on our own here."
In Persetta, Ringo bolted into Maro's quarters. Maro's tea was steaming—just the way he liked it, but the gust from Ringo's entrance blew the steam away.
"Ringo, what's wrong?" He said, genuinely concerned, but restraining himself from complaints regarding the tea.
"It's Judgment! They're cornered in Riche sewers!"
Maro's eyes widened. "Shit… we don't have anyone out there! Viper's in Jon… Phantom's in Galion… nobody else is avail—"
He paused mid-sentence, a grin crossed his face.
"Nevermind. Get him now."
Ringo nodded, instantly recognizing Maro's tone. He turned and bolted out the door, leaving Maro with his cool tea.
Back in Riche, the squad fought with their lives—desperate and recklessly. Azumi sliced through soldiers with ease, but her swing slowed—the constant ache of unrelenting battle was wearing on her.
Tsuki summoned shadows, but each one drained her more and more. Fatigue was plaguing her, and she knew it.
However—Danzo had a plan.
"Everyone! Step away from me!"
He chucked a rune at the ground—an empowering one.
"Now, step in the radius. You'll gain boosts—like adrenaline."
Tsuki and the others did as he said, feeling the effects instantly. The squad spread out to cover the most ground. Tsuki and Hatori were on the far right. Approaching, was Lalo, her chains already swinging. Tsuki's shadows had doubled in size by the rune's power alone.
Hatori stepped forward, beside Tsuki.
"Hatori, go rest. I'll handle the right flank," Tsuki said, still keeping her attention on the forces advancing.
Hatori stood, his hand on his gut in pain—but standing nonetheless. "I'm not leaving you to fend for yourself, Tsuki," he said, panting with every breath. "We're family—we live together, and die together."
A smile formed on Tsuki's lips. It was rare Hatori would ever say something sweet, and yet, it couldn't have come at a worse time.
"I'm surprised you made it this long," Lalo's high pitched voice rang out.
"Shut that damn mouth," Hatori huffed. "I already can't feel my stomach—don't make my head hurt too."
Tsuki chuckled as Lalo angrily stomped, shooting chains forward. Hatori slowed one, narrowly dodging it through his injuries. Tsuki summoned a tendril and redirected the chain shooting at her. Lalo followed it up with a twirl, spinning a barrage of links in a circle, hitting Tsuki to the ground.
She vanished into shade, before spurting out, using the depth of the shadows and a tendril as a launch point. She practically floated in the air, sending a flurry of darkness herself.
Hatori continued his desperation fighting, taking out soldiers left and right, but the empowering effect was wearing off.
Tsuki noticed too.
The other members were being pushed back. They were pinned.
They formed up—backs against the wall, out of breath, bloodied, but hanging by a thread.
"How many bodies are you willing to sacrifice?" Azumi asked.
Tobamako only smiled. "The APC has more than you know."
Geo turned to Danzo—bruised and battered.
"Heh… if only reinforcements—"
He didn't finish.
BOOM.
A deafening crack filled the chamber. A continuous sound of large scale thumps.
BOOM.
The ceiling above shook, the crates and hanging lanterns swung violently to the sides. The stalkers and soldiers were puzzled, checking every part of the chasm for the source.
"Is… this what an earthquake feels like?" asked Knoxx, his eyes wide and very serious.
Azumi shook her head. "Considering it's from the surface, and we are underground… no, Knoxx. No."
BOOM.
One last crack, and the ceiling shattered inward. Daylight poured from the newly constructed hole in Riche sewers.
Debris fell, and APC soldiers screamed as it crushed them. Then—a silhouette appeared.