[Day 10 – 11 days left]
The sun rose, bathing the city in a gentle radiance as a cool breeze drifted across the land. Kael and the others awoke, stretching languidly before preparing themselves for the day ahead.
Charlie and Diego, however, had spent the night in her chamber. The bed was disheveled, the sheets slightly damp from the remnants of a long and restless night. Upon waking, Diego abruptly recalled what had transpired and hastily retreated to his own room, clad only in his undergarments.
When Charlie noticed his absence, the memory of the previous night flooded back to her. A deep crimson hue colored her cheeks. She considered drawing a bath, though her legs still felt faintly strained. After composing herself, she slipped into the bath while her maid discreetly replaced the sheets. Upon them, a small trace of blood remained.
Soon after, the maids served them tea — a special blend, refined beyond ordinary preparation, formulated to revitalize the body while remaining exquisitely smooth in taste. The four could not help but marvel at its richness, offering repeated compliments with genuine admiration.
The maids then informed them that De Moreau had extended an invitation for breakfast before their departure.
They prepared themselves promptly, and Kael began rallying the team. Yet the moment he laid eyes on Diego, a barrage of unspoken questions seemed ready to surface.
Kael: What the—? Diego? What in the world happened to you? You look like a corpse.
Diego: Hell of a night, I guess.
Kael: Very well then. Be ready. I'll call the others.
Diego:(Tiredly) Okay…
They changed into newly prepared outfits. Kael wore a purple-and-black hooded jacket; Michael placed a brown cap upon his head; Charlie fastened crimson leather bracers around her wrists; and Diego slipped into a fresh pair of sneakers. All had been provided by the hotel.
Once prepared, they marched toward the mansion for breakfast. De Moreau and his family were already seated at the table when they arrived, and the group joined them shortly after. Dishes were served in elegant succession, and they began to eat.
To their surprise, Juliette and Leona no longer appeared at odds. Instead, they behaved like affectionate sisters, even feeding one another with quiet laughter.
DeMoreau: The true reason I invited you to breakfast, Mr. Kael, is to discuss my daughter.
Kael: Actually, sir, we have already decided that Leona may remain if she wishes. We are not forcing her to leave.
Marie: That is very considerate of you. However, we have decided that Evelyne should accompany you.
Kael: A–are you certain, Mr. and Mrs. Moreau? You truly wish for Leona to accompany us?
DeMoreau: We discussed it last night and came to a realization — you require her more than we do. Your actions proved that much.
Marie: Even though she will be gone from us for quite some time again… (Fakessobbing)
Leona: Don't worry, Mother. I will return once our task is complete.
Juliette:(Sarcastically) Yes, without her, you'd all be thoroughly toasted.
Kael: Then I suppose Nexus-5 is back on track.
Marie: When do you intend to depart?
Kael: After breakfast. We have already caused you more than enough trouble—
DeMoreau: No, no. On the contrary, you were of immense help. Without you and your team, I would not be sitting here today. Now then, let us eat.
After finishing their meal, they gathered in the courtyard. Leona embraced her family tightly before taking her leave.
The carriage was refilled and restocked with provisions. Given the vastness of the city, they resolved to head toward its central district first, so they might better understand their next course for the safest route toward Z City.
Though air travel would have been faster, they feared an enemy might once again intercept the aircraft, placing innocent civilians at risk.
As they proceeded along the main road, an unsettling sensation crept over them. None could immediately identify it, yet something felt profoundly wrong — as though they were no longer bound by the Earth's natural pull.
Moments later, the vehicle refused to advance. Instead of moving forward, an invisible force opposed their momentum. What had been a flat road now appeared to tilt sharply upward, transforming into a steep incline. Cars and pedestrians began sliding downward toward them in chaotic descent.
Charlie: What the hell is this?! It's like our center of gravity has shifted!
Diego: Everyone, HOLD ON!
Diego attempted to steer toward the roadside for protection, but it quickly became clear they had no choice but to abandon the vehicle. They seized hold of a nearby pole on their right side to anchor themselves.
Across the street, they spotted a family trapped inside their car, clinging desperately as gravity dragged everything toward the same fatal direction. A massive truck hurtled downward toward them — its impact certain to crush them beyond survival.
Charlie could not remain still.
Releasing her grip on the pole, she propelled herself forward, running along the tilted surface. As the family braced for the inevitable, Charlie positioned herself directly before the oncoming truck and struck the ground, creating a deep crater to intercept its path.
She drove her heel into the fractured asphalt, carving a firm foothold before bracing herself and forcing the truck to a halt with raw strength.
It was a fourteen-wheeler, weighing approximately 42,000 kilograms. As if that were not enough, four additional vehicles crashed atop it, increasing the burden. The total mass — nearly 52,000 kilograms — would have been impossible for any ordinary person to withstand. Yet Charlie bore it, her body trembling under the immense pressure, shielding the helpless family behind her.
Charlie: MICHAEL!
Michael: On it!
Michael unraveled his arms and swung across the distorted roadway with fluid precision, deftly evading falling debris. Upon reaching the family's vehicle, he tore open the doors on the right side, bound them together for stability, and swung the trapped passengers across to safer ground. He instructed them to remain still until gravity normalized, and they nodded frantically in agreement.
But as he attempted to return, a sudden blow struck his face.
Adam's punch landed with crushing force, sending Michael spiraling backward, unconscious, toward the loading bay near the coastline.
Charlie's gaze locked onto Adam — and she froze. Her thoughts halted; her body refused to respond.
Adam offered her a faint smile before allowing himself to descend toward the bay below.
When Michael regained consciousness, he realized he was still falling. The world spun violently around him as he looked downward and saw the looming silhouette of a massive shipping container — the kind once stacked upon cargo vessels. Just before impact, he swiftly unraveled half of his body into a tightly coiled semi-circular sphere of string.
The collision carved a deep dent into the steel container beneath him, yet remarkably, he sustained no injury upon landing.
Michael:(Adjustshiscap) Great. Now where the hell am I?
His gaze shifted — and he noticed a woman clad in a nurse's uniform standing atop the opposite container. A Dark Knight, unmistakably.
Woman: You are as impressive as they claimed, Strand Cord. It would be an honor to battle a hero of your caliber.
Michael: And what's with that outfit? Trying out for a cosplay convention or something?
Woman:(Losescomposure) The fuck did you just say, you little brat? Who the hell do you think I am?!
At that moment, Adam descended onto the same container beside her.
Adam: Now, now, Alicia. Let's not be impolite to someone with so little time left to live.
Alicia:(Calmsherself) Fine.
Adam: The name's Adam — codename Living Gravestone. And this is Alicia, codename CherryLady.
Michael: Shut the hell up and bring it.
The insult ignited Adam's fury. He lunged forward, roaring, "You cocky little brat!"
His fist tore through the air — but Michael deflected the strike effortlessly and, with the very same hand, redirected the motion into a clean counterblow that slammed directly into Adam's face.
Michael: That is the recompense for earlier, bitch.
Adam tumbled from the container. Upon witnessing Michael's capability, Alicia merely remarked, "This poses no difficulty for me," before sprinting toward him.
Once she began exchanging blows, Michael immediately discerned the disparity.
Michael: This woman is considerably faster than that man — perhaps nearly as fast as I am. I still do not understand the nature of her ability, and maintaining caution will soon cease to be an option.
Michael countered Alicia's solitary punch, sending her backward. Though they were comparable in speed, Michael retained superiority in raw strength.
A sudden surge of pain coursed through his hand. When he glanced at it, he saw that the very hand used to counter her strike was being everted. The outer layers of his skin twisted inward; bones shifted unnaturally from their sockets. Blood splattered across the ground.
Yet he remained standing.
Michael: I–It hurts. What in the world is this ability?
Alicia: How does it feel to be everted?
She charged again, unleashing a rapid succession of strikes. One connected with Michael's right leg, crippling his movement.
Alicia: This is your end. Take this, Strand Cord!
Alicia swings a right hook, but anticipating her movement, Michael uses CordBreaker and drives a sharp uppercut into her jaw, staggering her.
Michael: It is true that your ability is dangerous. However, I have already deduced that it affects only the superficial layers of skin, not the vital structures such as organs or bones. I also realized that since the eversion process does not appear to be permanent, it will eventually return to normal — though I will need to stitch the wound afterward.
As Michael predicted, the eversion gradually subsides. He swiftly stitches the torn flesh left in its wake. Seizing the opportunity while Alicia remains staggered, he unleashes a rapid barrage.
Yet amidst his relentless assault, Alicia retrieves something slender and sharp from her pocket and hurls it at him. The object pierces his face, shoulder, and chest.
Michael: Th–these are… surgical scalpels.
The tips of the scalpels begin to extend, forcing his wounds open even wider. He quickly tears them out, but the moment he lifts his gaze again, Alicia is gone.
Michael:(Thought) Where is she? Where did she go?
The container beneath Michael suddenly gives way, forming a gaping hole. His legs are dragged downward as Alicia emerges before him and unleashes a barrage of strikes.
Michael retaliates with his own flurry, but the instant their fists collide, his hands begin to evert, rendering him unable to use them.
Alicia: And now, I'll take your heart!
She drives a powerful punch into Michael's chest. The flesh begins to evert, exposing the steady rhythm of his beating heart. As Alicia reaches to seize it, gravity abruptly shifts its course, sending them both hurtling eastward.
They are torn apart mid-fall — Alicia crashing toward a crane, while Michael is flung into the warehouse below.
Alicia clings to the crane's leg, everting part of it to secure her grip.
Alicia: Damn it… I almost had his heart. But he's vulnerable now — he's inside the warehouse. The eversion effect hasn't finished yet. I'll launch a surprise attack and end him on the spot.
She immediately begins climbing toward the warehouse, reaching it in moments.
Carefully, she peers inside — but he is nowhere in sight. The furniture and scattered objects within are in disarray, and the interior lies shrouded in dim light.
Alicia: Hiding now, are you? I thought you were brave — but no, you're merely a coward who overestimates himself, aren't you?
She says this as she steps slowly inside.
From behind a heap of furniture, Michael uses CordBreaker, but Alicia anticipates the strike and intercepts it with a punch.
Alicia: You are far too predictable. Now your arm is rendered useless. You've lost.
As Michael retracts his arm, the eversion effect begins to manifest. Suddenly, a triangular shifting motion forms immediately after the eversion, immobilizing the bone and preventing further distortion.
Alicia: What the hell did I just witness? His arm… What did he do?
Michael emerges, panting. His chest now bears the same symbol as his arm. The strings move continuously without pause, suspending his heart at the center while allowing both sides to remain visible.
Alicia: This… This is… a MöbiusStrip?
———————————————————
Begin tracing its surface with a finger — and continue without lifting it. Follow the surface uninterrupted. Before long, you will have traced both sides and returned to your starting point. This non-orientable form was discovered in the nineteenth century.…by a German mathematician. It is called the "Möbius Strip," named after him.
———————————————————
Alicia: The reverse side exists only if there is a front. If there is neither front nor back, then there is no inversion. A non-orientable infinity strip… fashioned from thread?
Michael:(Panting) It appears your ability is not invincible after all.
Alicia: So you reshaped it into a triangular form to reposition your vital organs, instead of a conventional Möbius strip.
Gravity abruptly stabilizes, and the scattered objects crash back onto the floor. Alicia seizes the moment and charges at him.
Alicia: But this changes nothing — you are still vulnerable!
She strikes aside the debris obstructing her path, only to notice Michael's left hand unraveling.
In an instant, her wrists are ensnared by his strings, which coil over the ceiling's railing. Her arms are immobilized and wrenched upward, forcing her chin to lift and exposing her face.
Michael steps forward and unleashes a barrage with his right hand.
Michael releases his hold on her and delivers one final, devastating punch, sending her crashing out of the warehouse.
He draws a steady breath before re-entering the fray — but the moment he looks outside, Adam is already standing before Alicia.
Adam: Useless subordinate. I have no need for you anymore.
He crouches and swipes his fingers across her head. Two cards materialize — one labeled Alicia'sMemory, the other CherryLady'sAbility. He snatches them from her. The eversion process ceases the instant the cards are removed.
Michael:(Thought) What was that thing he just pulled from her? Whatever it was, it halted the eversion. I need to be more cautious.
Adam inserts one of the cards into his own head and exhales in quiet satisfaction.
Adam: From this moment on, I am your opponent.
They surge toward one another and clash.
Adam drives a straight punch toward Michael's face. Michael narrowly evades it — yet to his shock, the eversion effect begins again along his cheek.
Michael: This is… impossible. He stole that woman's ability.
Adam: Hahaha. You're quick to catch on.
Adam swings a right hook, which Michael blocks. Yet with calculated precision, Adam strikes Michael's right elbow, dislocating the joint and forcing his arm aside, allowing his fist to graze Michael's left shoulder.
Michael retaliates with a flurry of punches from his right hand, sending Adam crashing across the scattered furniture.
The eversion effect begins anew, and Michael immediately initiates the strip process once more.
He dashes out of the warehouse to observe Adam's movements clearly under the broad daylight.
Nearby, Alicia stirs, slowly regaining consciousness.
Alicia: Owie… my head hurts. Excuse me, sir, but… where am I?
Michael: ?
Alicia: I–I can't remember. Who—who am I? Where am I? And what's with these clothes?
Michael:(Thought) What is wrong with this woman? She isn't pretending, is she? No… it appears she has truly lost her memory.
Adam: Oi, you cocky hooligan. Aren't you forgetting something?
He dangles a card labeled Alicia'sMemory before tearing it apart. The fragments disintegrate into nothing more than dust.
Adam: Now that woman is nobody — an innocent child, as if newly born from her mother's womb.just now. Ready or not — here I come!
Adam charges forward. Without hesitation, Michael scoops Alicia into his arms, dashes toward the roadside, and gently sets her down.
Michael: Stay here. Don't move. I'll be right back.
He pivots and rushes toward Adam.
Michael launches two swift punches, but Adam deflects them with his elbows. In retaliation, Adam executes a low leg sweep, knocking Michael off balance. As Adam attempts a follow-up strike, Michael finds an opening and drives a sharp kick straight into Adam's chin.
Enraged, Adam seizes Michael's legs, yanks him forward, and slams a brutal punch into his chest. He spins him violently and hurls him toward the containers. Michael crashes against the metal and collapses onto the ground.
Adam approaches and sees Michael lying motionless. His heart rests several inches away upon the concrete. Blood spreads across his chest, pooling near the displaced organ.
Adam: It seems I tore his heart out — and he perished in the process. He may be dead, but his ability and memories remain. I should claim them.
Adam steps forward and lowers his hand, intending to seize Michael's ability card.
Suddenly, Michael's hand clamps around Adam's wrist.
He throws another punch, but Adam deflects it and lunges for Michael's head. Before the strike can land, an arm woven from strings erupts from Michael's shoulder and lashes toward Adam's face, intercepting him mid-attack.
Michael: I found paint cans and a toy heart inside the containers. I placed the fake heart beside me to deceive you and poured red paint across my chest to make it convincing. Now, with 'CordBerserkers,' I will undoubtedly defeat you.
Another arm bursts forth from his right shoulder, poised to strike. Michael unravels his back — sparing only his spine — and concentrates the threads into fully formed limbs equal to his own in speed and strength. Thus, creating CordBerserkers.
Adam: Don't talk like you know anything, you insolent little motherfucking brat!!!
Irritated beyond restraint, Michael no longer holds back. His barrage batters Adam's face mercilessly. The final blow sends Adam hurtling far into the distance, granting Michael a brief moment to steady his breath once more.
The ability card slips out from Adam's head and falls to the ground with a sharp clack.
Michael's eyes widen.
So that's it… he realizes. He steals memories and abilities as cards — then uses them as his own.
Adam slowly rises despite being beaten nearly senseless. His twisted nose straightens. Bruises fade. Bone resets beneath skin.
Michael: Regeneration too? And a fast one at that.
Before either of them move again, space distorts behind Adam. A wormhole tears open.
Magus steps out.
Adam stares at the two of them, weighs the odds, then backs into the wormhole without another word — leaving Cherry Lady's ability card behind.
Carter helps Michael steady himself.
Michael walks forward, picks up the abandoned card, studies it briefly, then slips it into his pocket.
Just in case.
They turn to Alicia.
She sits where he left her, staring blankly.
No hostility. No recognition.
Just confusion.
Michael watches her carefully. There's nothing there. Whatever Adam tore out — he tore out completely.
When Magus approaches, Michael simply says, "She's a civilian."
Magus studies her, then nods.
Magnus: We'll handle the cleanup. Go find your team.
Inside one of the containers, Michael spots a brand-new Bullet bike still strapped in place. He cuts it loose and rolls it down.
He helps Alicia onto the back.
At the hospital, staff immediately recognize her. Michael gives a short explanation — memory loss, possible trauma — then leaves her in their care.
She looks at him once before the doors close.
Not with anger.
Not with gratitude.
Just emptiness.
Michael starts the engine and rides off without looking back.