Before the Incursion starts to wreak havoc, but within the same time frame when the Dream Fog spreads into the sky, Celleste and Sharie have their respective challenge. Their terms of what to do aren't there for them, nor enough to warrant hope. For the time being, they have no clue what awaits them.

One thinks she is unlucky and poor when meeting an unfamiliar Dark Figure.

The other smiles in hidden anger, hoping to remember her own reminders of what she has promised to herself. It's been a long time.

While the System nor this broken city is yet to change.

Dark Figure stands in a dark room that is more than enough for any kind of fight. Its body isn't that massive or burly, but its structure can change similarly to any Mold. Surrounded by Sharie and Celleste, who is the one surrounding who?

That is a good question, as both girls hesitate over their respective choices.

Dark Figure seems to hesitate about something too. Its fight or its birth doesn't seem that right. Is it because of the time? Period of long slumber of growth? The whispers of its progenitors are noisy, cruising in its internal structure or instinct, and wincing the dark fissuring Vectors making its body.

It is motionless in its stance, looking as if waiting for Celleste or Sharie to make their move first. It knows this fight is inevitable, even if it’s young and relatively poor in its hopes. But all Dark Figures are disasters in the making, so it knows it is the one who shall take others’ lives.

“Celleste!” Sharie's shout causes flames around her to flare. “Don't even think of that! This Dark is a problem, but it is young. Let's get out of here first befo...”

A massive, dark, and swirling slap made of dark Vectors swipes at her figure, halting her words, and challenging her Emblem’s Scarf. She is half in her defensive state anyway, so she extends the lines of her Scarf before her, acting like a shield. It is in her full grasp, as it cruises and acts along her body, with Emblem being the core. But it does not act alone.

She has to put her arms along with her Scarf which seems to be a wand directing the flames. A hot crescendo of flames swirls into a motion, going against the dark hand.

Darkness and flames meet, crushing Sharie in her barebone attempts that end up in a nasty defeat. She loses her footing, flying to a distant wall. It ends up hurting in a way she has never learned. Obviously. Her mind doesn’t take this well, as her flame and Scarf bent, losing not just in terms of Emblems, but at all fronts of this confrontation.

She knows she lacks power, control, and methods of straight defenses or attacks that come at her Rank without changing her motions. Flow and change are major factors that all Elementalists excel at.

Handling their Arcanite Element is their priority, as they have nothing else. Changing techniques or Skills quickly as if there is none at all is their strength, which often looks as if their bodies are bathing in their elements, or they mend into their Primary or Secondary Molds. It all acts in their singular elements alone, while Vector Walkers has it drastically different.

It is also difficult because Sharie has to act as best as she can in this single aspect alone, while Vectors can change a lot throughout the Ranks.

Elementalits are very finite in their approach because molding their Arcanite Element isn't that easy. Full control over the Elemental Arcanite has certain prices, while Vector Walkers with partial Elements work halfway with them and Vectors. For Elementalists, it is often enough to work around the Primary Mold of their Emblems. Changing it too much wouldn't end up right.

As an Elementalist, she knows she has no right to ask for a chance against this Dark Figure. It holds powerful Vectors in its body, bolstering them in their full capacity like Darks above 4th Rank often do.

They move like normal Vectors do, swirling in its hand mostly when this Dark makes its attack. Its body acts as it manifests its dark energies filled with instincts and chaos. That is the power of Darks that cracked this world apart all those years ago in complete darkness, enveloping the world with Incursions in thousands of places.

Sharie knows this Dark is terrible news, similar to how she feels the rigid wall behind her back. She tries to come to terms with it, but it turns her mind aflame. She is frustrated, angry, and wild like the flame her heart holds tight.

She isn't this harsh and wild in nature. She hasn’t grown to be like this. It is the doing of her Emblem that affects her emotions, so when she loses it herself, it turns her up a notch.

Coming to terms with that is one of her priorities, yet becoming like her flame is one of the things she knows helps too. It eases the connection and allows the Emblem to flow better. That is at least what her teacher told her, even if it is hard.

But she still lacks good means to overcome the physical power of these Vectors that smack her aside. That is a fact.

Training sounds good, along with knowing how far she acts as a proper Walker. However, 10 days isn’t nearly enough to let her see her Emblem, let alone some potential. She may have a good enough affinity for the Academy, but Darks doesn’t care for that. Trials won't change it either, even if they give her ideas on how her Emblem should act against Darks for the first time.

But this is different. Dark Figure puts a deep-rooted issue into her spirit. Helpless. That is what she feels. Perhaps only more time will change that, or growth and power, as there is no need for shortcuts or any sense of haste. Walker Organisations across the world all know that. Too much speed isn't fit when the flow of Arcanite and Vectors goes too quickly.

But where does this put forceful Awakening? It goes right against this sensible principle, but it isn't right or wrong either. Humanity needs power anyway, so some shortcomings or problems will come out of their ideas. Many don't care for time. They want power. That is the simplest form of what one should have when the world cracks apart, letting the Darks flood it with nightmares and hunts.

Awakening may act like changing the flow of nature, but humans have done so for as long as their development commenced many millennia ago. It is what development means, what growth cherishes, and how humans can overcome many difficulties.

Emblems are the biggest of them all, as they've lost enough.

Not entirely, of course, leaving many covet the hope to secure this world and obliterate the Darks like they deserve.

Truthfully, humanity needs the advantages of forceful Awakening like the increasing births of Walkers. Years of earlier development acts as pivotal role, even if it increases the input and output of the Emblem's development, stressing the young minds of not even adult Walkers. Time and development are reasons, while some rare and variant after-effects act as causes.

It is inevitable.

When it comes to the strength and status quo, all strength is good as long as it isn't fatal. Sharie knows this tough truth that this world decided to pursue all those years ago. It is still ongoing, meant to improve and increase everyone's chances of survival in the long term.

The Federation has been her home. She grew up there, honing her status as a future Walker in an ordinary family. She has spent years studying, acting for the future, hoping to discover everything about the lost word or the current one. Even though her parents are no Walkers themselves, it isn't as rare of a sight.

But Sharie knows her problem and the weight of her status is heavy. Every Walker has a certain set of expectations onto them. She holds a lacking talent after seeing and considering Celleste to herself.

She has seen her enough in this broken city, that it takes a turn in her head, turning her mind in a weird direction. Helpless direction, which stirs with the flames.

Dark Figure of this quality and strength isn't normal. Celleste is herself. Sharie isn't her. Her flames agree too, she feels.

Dark Figure shouldn't be in this city, that is all under the perception of the Academy, meaning that someone hid it beforehand, or its birth has been another weird thing to occur here. Sharie doesn't know about the Dream Fog, fortunately. If she would, she would question the integrity of what the Academy is doing.

This is already amongst the most terrifying things she has met. It may be yet another normal occurrence in the Outside world, but showing it to a sheltered girl that has her issues, isn't fine.

Sharie is getting the taste of the cruel reality, which is one of the things the Academy wants to see, but not in this state of effort by any means.

With Sharie out of the picture, Dark Figure bends its knees, smashing its hand around itself in seeming happiness and shattered ground. It hasn't eaten her yet, so it turns to Celleste who stands against it.

Standing straight and holding her Sword Echo, it is a greatsword in its core that will slash this Dark. It is hers, as shiny white and black in some parts, as it is long and light in her palm.

“I asked something.” She says to the Dark Figure, hoping for an answer that she perhaps already knows.

Dark Figure can't answer anything anyway, so it rushes the quick smash of its Dark Vectors that are like flowing veins in millions of digits. It looks much more brutish, insane, and chaotic than any Vectors would.

Its arm expands like a balloon, changing its mass or structure, while anything about its body can change and form into a terrific weapon. In almost all directions, it is one of the most terrifying Darks within its Rank and one of those that hunts Walkers in their primary hunts. Ordinary humans aren't enough.

Celleste and her lacking common sense aren't a good combo against a clueless Dark that can't even talk. She forgets that idea, as she isn't one to think of these monsters in a normal or weird way either.

She has seen this Dark on a regular basis, but not this one in particular. She put the pieces of puzzles into her head, learning that this is small and unlike them. In her eyes, they look the same anyway. But she can cut them the same, or so her current mind thinks.

With her rightful tool for this job in hand, she desires to test her past loose vigor that hunts her like nightmares.

Dark Figure is utterly voiceless; almost void in its steps too, as if its every movement huffs the air. Steps are soundless, but not the acts of its smashing. Its tools of weapons are clearly the same kind Walkers can have, but more bizarre and strange.

It turns in her direction after realizing that Sharie has no will to come back. That slap works well, while her flame and mind have their differences, leaving Celleste alone.

She is still in passable shape, even when that slap flew her dozens of meters away. Her Scarf protects her well, albeit her flame can often act however it pleases. She holds her head, eying the situation far away with a headache and storming emotions that better get lost. How long it can last isn't within her mind.

A brief idea about shouting and pleading for a butler enters her mind, but if this Dark is here, the butler may not be around. No one sane would leave a bunch of children in such a circumstance.

Butler is not here; that is for certain.

Just as certain as Celleste making her move, attacking the Dark Figure that eyes her too.

Her greatsword is holding its Force at its priority, and as she swings it, Force crashes at its head, cutting and hoping for a test. Celleste hopes to chop its head off, which succeeds, but at what cost?

Its head swirls like a gue of water, reforming in these Dark Vectors as Celleste backs away before cutting into it again, surging her Force like an explosion that attacks its head.

Celleste has no idea where her limits are because she cuts through them in most cases. Some of them have been more difficult than the rest, but killing them hasn't been impossible. It has been her dream; butchering them like she always wanted.

However, that past crushes her mind in another swing. Her Emblem shines in Force as well, leaving most of the Shadows behind. Against her Emblem, which is her token of reality and future, there is a Figure that wants a piece of her.

Dark Figure refuses her attempts by simply manifesting its desire with its hand. A simple motion is all it takes to stop her Force, and a dark hand clutches the glowing Force.

It catches her simple strike like nothing, unsurprisingly. Celleste isn't using her everything anyway, but her basic Force attack can come out of nowhere, as she still learns what it can even do, or what her Sword Echo possesses.

There is Force and Shadows within its properties, cycling effectiveness that acts in distinct lines. Their respective lows or heights depend on Celleste, or how she handles her Skills, duality, and aspects of shadows that act with Force at greater heights.

One of them is clearly much better in terms of raw power.

Force is.

Such weird duality has varying degrees of power. What it holds isn't even something that is open around the Federaion or Emblem Acadamy, which makes her one-of-a-kind Walker.

It is Vector Emblem, but its duality that is proving to be working shatters some concepts that haven't been possible. or seen. Ever since Emblems came into existence, knowledge about every one of them is hard to tame. The world is huge, similar to the scattered pieces of humanity that keep surviving.

Celleste's duality is capable of molding attacks in many forms, thanks to Shadows that are soft, while Force is sharp, powerful, and straightforward. There are clear dividing facts about them, yet it works.

That is weird for some Walkers, but Darks shouldn't be glad.

Celleste hardly knows half of what she should, as her experience predates some 10-day training with someone who couldn't even understand her Emblem. Few would even get some idea about it, let alone train with it.

So she does what she does well as a proper Walker. Figure it out. Anyhow. In any way. If not, she will just glide through these problems which may bear their fangs at her or not.

How it ends is just part of inevitable fate.

Celleste charges her greatsword with even more Force, rushing its white glow out of her right forearm, using what is essentially more power against the Dark that holds her sword without any trouble.

There are no evident struggles, even though the bright Force goes against its prime enemy: Dark. Any Dark is a great target, as Walkers are their hunters, and Emblems are the weapons.

Overcharging ends up scattering the hold, leaving the Dark Figure stumbling in a single step as part of its arm disappears completely, sizzling away.

Celleste barely notices that because she continues the swing forward, as the momentum is too much for her clutch. It floods out of her greatsword in the best way possible.

Force explodes, cutting and extending along her swing that ends up cutting into the walls and ground, shattering many of them into pieces. This cut isn't calm. Celleste puts force into her Force, so it floods out of her without any holds.

A proper Skill and her control would ensure this cut would be precise, not that long, and attack where it should. It doesn't, obvious to the Dark Figure, which stumbles just in the right direction, escaping this cut.

Her Force is capable of at least this much; when it isn't under any strains. Force Surge isn't what she used. That one requires Shadows and her control of Force. This move isn't under her System at all, as it works with Force alone which isn't that clear under it yet.

This is merely a starting point of power, yet it shows its fangs. Celleste has used a lot of it because she feared the touch of this Dark Figure in its hand. Her panic ends up overflowing out of her like a massive wave of Force.

Her greatsword returns to her authority; her head re-clears its emotions. She attacks the Dark Figure after bolstering everything under her arsenal, striking as it is yet to use its Vectors again.

Celleste's body has Body Enchantment, which is specific passive empowerment of her Emblem's Arcanite that flows in her body. It has Force and Shadow qualities, giving her flesh more power, albeit without any Skills. For now.

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Radar isn't useful right now, even though the grinding noises of her steps, or shrieks of Darks are often annoying or helpful depending on the circumstances.

Shadow Empoverement moves to her legs next, giving her stability, speed, and what she believes to be one of her core strengths. It is a power to be flexible which allows her Sword Echo to shine. Speed is that too, as momentum in her sword acts in great points, which all comes out of this Skill.

Her Emblem is very battle-focused. Almost too much, as it holds many support types of Skills that boost her main priorities, while her Force has nothing that indicates any defenses.

It is up to her benefit and wishes to destroy the Darks, so the use of Feel of the Force or Shadows does matter to her a lot. Force Surge is what she knows is a very strong and potent way to cut Darks. Thousand Swords is barely a move she knows through her System, but it is the best Skill she has.

It sounds and feels fancy, even if it takes a huge chunk out of her stamina and Emblem.

Force charges the Shadows, changing them to the finest of the cutters, creating a Thousand Swords with various cuts, swings, or stabs. A simple use of Force Surge and even more Shadows allows that, creating a power that feels exactly like Force Surge, but more massive.

Getting used to it is difficult, as every Skill, Move, or Fusion does take its toll. Their merits or disadvantages aren't even that clear to her yet.

It all comes at her in phases, giving her the power that she always wanted, so she doesn't care for anything bad.

Why stop the flood of power? She had done so countless times, but unlike that, her proper Walker status is her saving grace.

She makes her move, creating a powerful swing of Force Surge after the last cut that does nothing. The Dark Figure is ready to kill her too, after noticing the sizzling Vectors that hurt it. Celleste swings her greatsword, unleashing a series of swords of shadows, that move incredibly fast after a flash of Force. She has no idea what she is doing, but her Emblem and the changing tides of her two elements make it possible. It feels like a bunch of smaller Force Surges.

She makes wide swipes at the Dark Figure that is briefly wide open. The Force cuts into it, dividing the Dark Vectors that make up its torso and sizzling more of them away. Weird dark gue is beyond mash of those vectors, glowing a little, and revealing such a weird flesh, it seems inhuman at best.

It is sickening, similar to the smell that comes out of it, but Celleste has no mind for it.

She cuts again, but the Dark Figure shudders, holstering its face in an explosive crack as it feels something for the first time other than the happiness and joy of a hunt.

Fear.

It is primeval, cutting into its instincts.

A smile spreads wide on its face, putting together a human jaw that is way too wide.

And it bites at her continuous swing, stopping it like nothing should.

Force Surge and Dark Figure clash for the proper time, which goes for dozens of times where Celleste focuses on her Surges of varying strengths that she doesn't even feel that well. She swings her sword by instinct. Mostly. Sending more shadows from her legs upward acts along her sword, while her legs move like she wants, looking around for openings. Every clash of dark and Force cracks the room apart little by little, and Dark Figure's jaw continues its dominance.

Until one of them loses.

Celleste's greatsword hits some internal wall as its layers of Force crack apart. The bite of this Figure crashes into her Force Surge, cutting into their base and stumbling Celleste aside.

But the cost is clear. Sizzling clear lines and cracks are all over its head, revealing the wounds, parting, or annihilating its Vectors that are making its body.

And it is angry. It doesn't like how it feels.

Every speck of its body tenses up like Vectors going to insanity. Its body and the flow of its swelling Vectors go into a frenzy, making these Vectors appear dense and trembling in exciting insanity.

Whatever it is, the flow of Vectors in its body turns to a new form, closing some wounds, but appearing like very dense masses of Vectors that imitate muscles. Its head closes its mouth, leaving only a thin layer of mouth while remaining eyeless. Its wounds are still apparent, but visibly thinner.

And without any weapon, any Dark is one.

Unlike some Walkers. Young ones.

Dark Figure punches forth, making a dense fist rushing towards Celleste's midsection.

She is still going over the backlash of having her Force Surge obliterated. It means her whole greatsword hardly covers its form, appearing like thin branches that don't resemble a sword. But it is mending back together on its own, even if it feels awfully cutting into her head.

It makes her angry too, but one thing is still there for her.

Her Shadows.

Watching the dangerous fist, she pushes her legs sideways, dodging the fist that sways the air and shatters the floor dozens of meters forward. Dark Figure follows the unsuccessful punch—that looks like an extending part of its body—with a wide kick that explodes forward in a surprisingly massive mass.

It forces Celleste to jump up, as it is too large. She should go away. To safety.

Dozens of feet up should be safe, she assumes.

Wrong.

Dark Figure jumps on a single clumsy-looking foot that is notably thinner and weaker than a massive kicking leg. The same could be said for everything else though. Its creeping smile still prevails in its head, and it changes its Vector flow to its arm, flooding its mass in a second before a punch crashes into Celleste.

She panics, using the bare motion of her Shadows to kick at the punch.

Shadow Empowered kick does have some strength thanks to her Body Enchantment too. She tested it all on that teacher of hers. But the incoming punch feels as if she is at the bottom of a huge crashing waterfall. Punch crashes her Shadows, flying her into the air even further.

No wounds are there for her, but her legs have been better. Shadows still flicker around her feet in softness. They don't appear damaged in the slightest. Just surprised and a little haggard, but they quickly empower her legs again.

Dark Figure pushes her even more above, forcing her to the ceiling where Celleste turns in midair, catching her breath while latching her Shadows into the ceiling.

Dark Figure has no wings, as it falls down after finishing a punch that ends up as another failure.

It can learn, so it scoffs at its fist in disappointment, feeling it has made a mistake.

Dissatisfaction is apparent because its smile mouth thins out even more.

“Back at square one,” Celleste says as her partially returned greatsword cuts into the ceiling. Her Shadows aren't good at it, so her returning Force gives her stability that is still disorienting. Being upside down is weird.

Taking a deep breath, she knows there is time, and then, there are mistakes. She cares little about her failure, but she thinks about her actions. Her current location allows her to think more than on the ground, so she thinks.

What should she do?

She loses a lot every exchange, her Force Surges haven't made a notable dent into it, and her body has its limits, similar to her Emblem. Dark Figure, on the other hand, doesn't seem to have clear limits when she looks at it from above.

This thing haunted her before. She will kill it! That is what she desires. That is what she should do, even if it isn't the most sensible thing to do.

Force slowly creeps into her returning control, going over the backlash as her Primary Mold manifests into the ceiling, cracking it wider.

Greatsword lets out shadowy hues too, looking like shadows the most at the base, followed by slowly brightening aspects of Force going towards the tip. This is the original appearance of her Sword Echo, but its form can be pretty much anything in terms of Shadows or Force. It could be dark alone, or only Force. Or a mix of both.

That is the gist of Sword Echo under her grasp.

It feels good to be back at it, Celleste must say as she wonders how to make her next move. She looks at the Dark Figure, which bends its head upwards, wondering how to catch that mouse that is far away.

Both wonder what to do, but when the Dark Figure gives up and starts walking toward Sharie, Celleste panics.

But then, the ground, walls, and air itself begin to shake, trembling everyone to their cores. It goes on for a few brief moments.

But these moments shudder Celleste to her core more than a little. She knows this feeling. The air and space itself cracks in noises, but she couldn't see anything yet. The sounds are enough, thinly going over the city, traveling everywhere as something above the city changes.

Unknown trembles come at some corners before the Rifts themselves will tear the space apart. That is the beginning of the Incursion.

Celleste has no idea what Incursion is, but she has met and seen a bunch of them in Australia.

It is yet to start. She still has few minutes left, so Celleste ignores the warning signs of her System and out-latches herself.

Down below, Dark Figure stands on the ground, visibly shuddering, and still appearing half insane to fight. But it pauses in its steps to finish Sharie for good, its jolting Vectors wavers against these tremors. The tremblings are signs and acts of some nasty figures, it feels.

It knows it through instincts.

Celleste doesn't.

But that doesn't stop her from watching it from above, knowing that this thing shall be cut with her Thousand Swords.

She readies herself as she flies head first, a Sword Echo is right there beside her side. Force brightness in the Emblem, as Shadows flood onward, manifesting the rough cuts that will soon turn into many Force Surges.

She charges her greatsword with layers of Shadows, enveloping herself so much with them like never before. Her head is the only notable flesh. The more she uses, the harsher it is, but she feels she has no choice. Her following Force Surges may crack her head, but so will this Dark Figure.

She acts without thinking, forcing the means of Thousand Swords to her forceful clutch. She is almost sure that she is asking for too much. Hopefully, her Emblem won't mind it.

It is hers, and she already cut her way into her learning. It needs control, swings, and notable variants of Shadows and Force. These lines and where to stop is the hard part.

So she lies to herself, thinking she knows what she is doing. Unlike Sharie, who helplessly watches these two mad figures fight when something insane is starting.

She knows she can't stop either of them, let alone what is to come. Panics overlap her fear, and weirdly enough, her emotions and flame seem to calm all of a sudden. Perhaps because her Emblem feels the changes of the Incursion?

Celleste explodes in bright light, cutting into the ground with an insane amount of Thousand Swords. The lone Dark Figure looks upward, smirking in delight and fighting spirit that shows some doubts.

It jolts its Vectors, swirling them in its hands and positioning them to dense punch. Just a single one will do, it thinks.

And for the first time, it makes some noise like a maddened beast that sounds insane. Shrill, senseless, and wild, its laughter and shouts seem to be very disjointed when put together.

It attacks hundreds of flooding Force swords that cut into its body, leaving the wounds behind, but its fist shatters almost half of them.

Until Celleste's main force crushes down, cutting into the fist, and dividing it in half.

She falls down with relative force, cracking the ground even more, even when Shadows act as a pillow that gives her no strain. This clash helps her with stability, while the flowing storm of Thousand Swords is yet to come to an end. They are still around her, and cutting this Dark.

Shadow Empowerment is keeping her flexible and way quicker in her moves. She sidesteps in a breath, feeling that the Dark Figure is close to the barrage of Thousand Swords that flow around her, appearing like a storm. It is a continuous one, as these swords latch down, flying through the mass of her Shadows which then puts tides of Force Surges onwards. Her Sword Echo allows it, albeit it holds notable stress and visible strains. It is getting smaller.

She essentially holds this storm in her fingertips, while her whole body looks half shadowy and half bright. It hugs her, albeit the Thousand Swords continuously emerge by acts of her swings.

She holds a glowy image of a sword at its core, while the flowing Shadows come out of the handle. Sword Echo no longer looks like a greatsword, however.

The steady mass of her Vectors ensures some changes, looking like a regular thin sword. But her Emblem seems to rejoice in this madness. Her Force takes its priorities, while Shadows are mere supporting role in Thousand Swords. Their mass, possible Vectors, and lengths of their maximum output is more important

And unknown to her.

There are limits to what she can Surge out of her sword, let alone her Emblem, but Celleste doesn't care.

She swings around, manifesting more Thousand Swords that cut into the Dark Figure. It seems insane in cuts, while its large halved fist seems bleeding.

She keeps cutting it to pieces from a relative distance away until she jumps forward, using her sword and Thousand Swords fusion technique until the Dark Figure smears the ground in a weird substance. Swirling Vectors sizzles away in a stench that she smelt in a trench.

It keeps moving, however. Its head is intact too, looking like an insect that crawls away in following creeping Vectors. Smile creeps there on the ground, right within her sight.

Just when she wants to finish it off, the space itself shatters like a mirror, cutting her way between it and her.

Building doesn't matter, nor does her sword. She wants to cut into the cracked space, hoping to kill the Figure hiding behind. But Sharie reaches her in time, clutching her back and forcing her away.

Celleste feels as if she has rockets for her feet. She keeps looking onward, observing the weird image of cracked space resembling a shattered mirror the size of... Well, the size is questionable, as it encompasses the whole room, cutting it in half alongside the building as a whole.

It is a sight where reality no longer means anything.

At some point, it even envelops the Figure's head, ending this fight that Celleste has taken for her first proper Hunt. And she has won. She knows it. Feels it to her core.

She fails to kill it in the end, but Incursion or something else stops her in something that shouldn't have happened. Not here. Not now. But again, if the secrets and known factors about them are public, it doesn't matter where or how. Humanity can't really prevent them anyway, albeit a few Walkers could influence them.

“Let me go!” Celleste argues with Sharie, who holds her with her Scarf, hurting her in her heat, but it is better than being dead. Sharie just saved her life, which is another confirmation for her that there is no butler around.

“Shut up!” She shouts behind her ear. “Can't see what is in front of you? Bet you've seen that before.”

“W-what is happing... What is happening?” Celleste mumbles as if some insanity goes into her head as well.

Sharie backs to the corner where the cracked space isn't reaching yet.

Letting Celleste free, Sharie scolds her like a child. “Can't feel that warning? System? Can't see the current problems? Are you asking for death?”

Celleste clears her head, feeling that her Emblem is slowly going back to normal. Force and Shadows stops cycling, and even her Thousand Swords Skill is no longer around her.

She understands she has nothing left to fuel it anyway. She used everything. At least the flowing Vectors comes back to a greatsword until pain and stress from this over-the-top action come to her mind. She grunts like never, clutches her head, and moans in pain. Once again, she hopes to ignore it like she always could; she has done it well. Always.

The pain of this caliber isn't something Sharie can help her with. It is her fault anyway, so who is at fault?

Sighting, Sharie looks in fear at the space that no longer seems to spread.

“What is that? You are unnaturally afraid of that.” Celleste asks, hoping to ease the pain away by having a conversation. Since she is no longer alone, she can speak to someone else than her hand or monsters.

“Haven't heard the warning from the System?”

“It is annoying as it happened in my fight,” Celeste mumbles an excuse.

Sharie slaps her shoulder, still wrapped in her Scarf. “You clueless girl. Incursion! A freaking Incursion is spreading! Rifts cracks this city apart, right in the middle of the Trial! I tell you that much, this isn't normal. This is an unnatural disaster. It looks like no coincidence either. There exist no coincidences when it comes to Emblem Academy and Darks who are behind this Incursion. Got it?”

Celleste looks at her serious face, unsure what to tell.

“Everyone gets it!”

“So it is another apocalypse?” Celleste understands a few words out of her rant. Rifts and Darks are behind a lot of things. She at least knows what Rifts are, which is half of what Incursion is about. But what their actual acts and meanings end up doing isn't in her head.

Sharie's panicked expression ends up calming her instead, because Sharie's fluster and fear are evident in her flaming face and scared tone. It seems urgent to remain calm and take her seriously.

So Celleste keeps her head down, nodding as if she has spilled some milk on a rug. “W-what to do?” She mumbles.

“Wait for those damned butlers! How are we to go out of here? Rifts must be already dividing the sky!”

“Is that a Rift?” Celleste points to the cracked space that seems to be moving as if it is alive. “Seen Rifts a lot, but that doesn't look like one.”

“Seems like... a mirror. Probably the aftereffects of a massive Rift? Or...” She hesitates in the equally terrifying concept of power as Incursions.

“Or what?” Celleste asks.

“... It could be a Skill or some technique. The Dark kind.” Sharie says, hoping she is wrong.

But she has no clue how right she is. She has never seen an Incursion from up close. It is true that Rifts can divide the sky, and their aftereffects could be this strange. What this literary cracked space before them is, is another question.

It could be some weird dimensional crack or part of the edge around a humongous rift. How big of a Rift would have cracks of this size? Sharie has no idea how bit, or if this is Rift at all. These look like simple holes in the space, with space cracking around them, which should cause trembles in a wide range. The bigger ones would look similar to this, but this is way over the top.

This has no opening or a hole, looking like a residual of a technique that manages to crack the space itself. Or just an aftereffect of a Rift she has never heard about.

Anyway, all ideas are terrifying, so she rather not think of them further.

The pair of girls wait, hoping that nothing will come at them from this place, or the cracked walls that lead outside. Even when the following System gives them their ideas, ticking time limits of 30 minutes doesn't calm them either.

Waiting and being careful when met with such an apocalyptic act, such as Incursions, or even simple Rifts, seems to be a good idea.

Sharie knows how to act in disaster because she at least learned that in the Federation, unlike Celleste who hugs her greatsword, feeling that its appearance is her favorite.

This leaves Sharie still half naked, but through determination and skill, she keeps the Scarf wide to cover her whole. Calm breathing usually helps with any emotional distress, while she has no clothes in sight. At least Elementalists of her kind don't have very harsh time limitations when keeping their Emblems active. She can keep at it for an hour, if not more. The more flame she will use, the less time she has.

So waiting without fighting is great. She hopes that Dark Figure won't come back from that mirror-cracked space the size of a skyscraper.

Rank 1 Walkers are nobodies anyway, so Sharie does the best thing she can muster. That is to hope Emblem Academy has their shit intact, and whatever that is out there, scrambling this mess, disappears.

Hopefully, remaining in this half-destroyed building won't end up as an utter disaster.