In a dimly lit room a man with a black mask was laying down on a bed, wearing nothing but his pants and the aforementioned mask. Across the right side of his body were some burns.

"Things seem to be going well so far." He said. "Honestly, it's going a bit too well. I'm surprised they haven't found this place. There's no way they don't realize what we're doing."

He looked across the room to a table with a bottle containing green liquid.

"Finally, they brought it. These burns were getting quite annoying."

He got off the bed and walked over to it before downing the whole bottle. The burns across his body soon started fading away. It was as if their opacity was being decreased with some photo editing tool.

"It's a good thing that we got so many of these before we started."

He soon left the room he was in and went into a larger living space.

"Oh, you're awake." Said the singular figure in the room.

"What? Surprised I'm up and not lazing about? This is serious work so I can't afford to mess up."

"I ask you not to put words in my mouth." The lackey in black responded.

"Anyway," The man who looked like a lucha libre yawned before continuing. "Have we made the preparations yet?"

"We have found a few suitable horses but is this really necessary? Surely one of us can go instead of you."

"Do any of you think you can traverse that place like the back of your hand? Like I said, I'm the only one that's been there, so I'll go."

"Just know this plan falls apart without you."

"I helped create it so of course it would."

"Hey, how much longer are we gonna have to do this? I'd like to return home and have some decent food."

"Is my cooking not good enough for you?" He said playfully. "As long as we have to." He responded in a more serious tone before walking away.

The lackey in the room sighed before looking over some letters in his hand.

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"For the time being you'll get orders from him while I'm away." The shirtless continued.

"I don't like having orders with a delay."

"Then get one of them fancy new communication orbs." He said sarcastically before entering his room.

----------------------------------------

"Whew, good job Tina," Tibaut said out of breath with various shallow wounds all over his body. His hair was also dishevelled from the electricity attacks.

"Whatever," she grumbled.

She had various bruises and dirt all over her body. Due to how much dirt had gone in her hair it was looking like more of matte rose gold than the glossy pink it usually was. She was also on the ground and soon picked herself up.

"You could have killed me three times in the amount of time it took me to get up."

"But I only managed to take you down five times today! That's way less than our first fight."

"Do you think that sounds any better?" She retorted.

"Just be glad you're improving." He said enthusiastically.

She began to use her spear as a crutch.

"I don't know what Elizabeth did to you but you're a monster. I'm done for the day." She said.

"I can carry you back if you'd like."

She quickly limped away out of sight while looking embarrassed. He made sure she left before he began doing a jog around the house.

"Guess it's time to test this stupid shit out. That little session with Tina got me 70% of the way there. Just 30% more in the tank to get rid of."

"70% of the way to what?" A voice from the bushes asked. Elizabeth soon walked out of the brush.

"I thought you were training with her out of the goodness of your heart? I didn't think you'd try to use it for some sort of gain."

Tibaut didn't like where she was going with this and promptly brought out the letter he had kept folded in his pocket.

("I knew I was going to ask her for help anyway but couldn't you have waited a few more hours to show up?")

"I see. I think I've heard of something similar happening to a martial artist. Alright, let's give it a shot." And without a moment's delay, she threw a fist towards his head.

The fist grazed his nose and he was thankful it wasn't broken.

"Nothing to say?" She asked.

"Would you stop if I did?" He responded.

He soon lobbed a fireball at her but she easily side-stepped.

Inside the house, from a nearby window, Tina was watching them.

"One day, you'll be forced to fight me like that." She commented while watching them.

After a few minutes, Tibaut was on the ground looking like he was in pain.

"Are you sure you can't move anymore?"

She looked down at his face for an answer.

Tibaut was breathing as if he had just finished a marathon.

"I'm *huff huff*, pretty, *puff* sure."

"Really?" she stomped her foot down and he narrowly dodged.

"What the hell? Are you trying to kill me?" He snapped at her.

"It doesn't seem like you're empty to me as yet. Why don't you just make this easy and let me pummel and heal until you can't move anymore."

"I know I joke about me being your punching bag but this is taking it a bit too literally."

"Tibaut, healing the parts of your body that are injured does actually reduce your stamina somewhat so I don't see why we don't do that instead of trying to empty you naturally."

"Shut up, I want to keep my pride by the end of- woah!" Tibaut said as he rolled out of another stomp. Another followed and then another before Tibaut managed to force himself to his feet and got blown away by one of her punches.

("Idiot, of course I'm holding back. What good would making your brain a paste do me?")