Leaving the carnage behind, Ken and Krista stepped out of the abandoned warehouse into a labyrinth of dilapidated buildings. The morning light cast long shadows, and the air was thick with the scent of rust and decay. As they navigated the maze of crumbling structures, a figure emerged ahead—a tall, imposing man clad in the same black cloak adorned with white crosses that marked the Peacekeepers. His stature was formidable, and there was an unsettling calmness in his stride.

Ken's heart skipped a beat. He glanced at Krista, who whispered without turning her head, "Stay calm."

The man approached them with a polite smile. "Good morning," he said pleasantly. "How are you both doing today? Quite a bit of commotion around here just now. Did you happen to hear anything unusual?"

Krista returned his smile effortlessly. "Morning. Can't say we heard anything out of the ordinary. We were just passing through."

"Is that so?" the man replied, his eyes lingering on them for a moment longer than comfortable. They drew closer, almost shoulder to shoulder, about to pass each other.

He paused. "I see..."

In a flash, he drew his blade. The motion was so swift that Ken didn't even register it until the sword was slicing toward them. Krista reacted instantly, ducking low and shoving Ken aside as the blade swept through the space where their heads had been mere heartbeats before.

A sharp, crescent-shaped wave of energy burst from the sword's edge, hurtling forward and cleaving effortlessly through the rooftop of a nearby building. Debris rained down as the structure groaned, a portion of it collapsing into the street.

Ken hit the ground hard, gasping for air. His eyes widened at the sight of the destruction. Did he just... fire a blade of wind? That was impossible. No one could swing a sword with such force. His gaze snapped to the Peacekeeper's weapon. Unlike the standard silver blades he'd seen before, this one was a deep emerald green, with red, vein-like patterns crawling up from the hilt—veins that pulsed as if alive.

Realization struck him like a bolt. A Divine Relic. Only high-ranking Peacekeeper officers wielded such weapons. No one in the Satellite knew how they were made, but every Blighted knew how devastating they could be.

"Run!" Ken shouted, scrambling to his feet. "He's not like the others!"

The Peacekeeper turned his cold gaze toward Ken. "Run?" he echoed, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Now, why would you need to run unless you have something to hide?" His eyes narrowed. "Perhaps you two are the culprits behind the recent murders of my men?"

Ken's blood ran cold. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. Why did I have to say anything?

Krista stepped forward, her expression unruffled. "And if we are?" she challenged.

The Peacekeeper's smile faded. "Then, by the honor vested in me as a Lieutenant, I shall avenge them."

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Without another word, he lunged. His blade sliced through the air, unleashing a barrage of wind slashes that tore toward Krista. She leaped backward, tentacles erupting from her back, twisting and curling to deflect the invisible blades.

The Lieutenant frowned. “Now, now. Didn’t you know that it’s illegal for a Blighted to use their Curse without a Peacekeeper’s permission?”

Krista smirked. “You won’t live long enough to tell on me anyway.”

The Lieutenant became more aggressive, he pressed forward, his attacks relentless, sending out an arc of wind blades at her with each swing of his sword. Krista weaved through the onslaught, her tentacles blurring in the air as they parried and blocked. But she was on the defensive, forced to give ground under his aggressive assault.

Meanwhile, Ken ducked behind a crumbling wall, debris raining down as the fight intensified. The surrounding buildings suffered collateral damage—windows shattered, walls cleaved in two, the very foundations trembling.

Krista narrowed her eyes, assessing her opponent for a brief moment. Then, she leapt upward, landing atop a rusted fire escape. From this vantage point, she launched her tentacles toward the Lieutenant, aiming to entangle him. He dodged effortlessly, the red veins on his sword glowing brighter as he sliced through the oncoming appendages.

"You're not the only one with tricks," he declared. Slamming his sword into the ground, a gust of wind erupted, tearing through the street and ripping the fire escape from the building. Krista leaped just as the structure collapsed, flipping backward and landing gracefully on the opposite side of the street.

The Lieutenant was upon her in an instant. Their blades met—his sword against her clawed hand—sparks flying from the impact. The force drove Krista back, her feet skidding across the pavement.

"You're strong," she admitted, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. "But strength isn't everything."

She summoned all her tentacles at once, forming a swirling barrier around her. The Lieutenant's eyes widened as she thrust her arms forward, the mass of dark tendrils surging toward him like a tidal wave.

He swung his sword in a wide arc, generating a powerful gust that sliced through the tentacles, but there were too many. One wrapped around his ankle, another around his wrist, attempting to immobilize him.

"Enough!" he roared. The red veins on his sword pulsed intensely as he unleashed a burst of energy, shattering the tentacles and sending a shockwave that cracked the ground beneath them.

"Any last words?" His voice was a low, taunting murmur, his lips curving into a cruel smile.

Krista wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of her mouth, tasting iron as her hand fell back to her side. Her chest heaved with the effort of standing, but the fire in her eyes hadn’t dimmed. She met his gaze, unflinching, her voice a soft whisper that cut through the tension like a blade.

"Just one," she said, her lips barely moving as the word left her mouth. "Duck."

The Lieutenant's brow furrowed, confusion flickering across his face. "What—"

He never finished the thought. In a split second, the world above him came crashing down. A massive chunk of debris, dislodged by the chaos of their battle, hurtled from the sky. His reflexes kicked in just in time—he leaped back, narrowly avoiding the destruction as the boulder slammed into the ground where he had been standing.

Ken took this moment to dash forward, rushing to Krista’s side. "Now's our chance!" he yelled, "We need to run!"

But Krista seemed to not heed his words, her expression hardened as she pushed herself to her feet.

"Run?" Krista's voice was low, a quiet storm brewing beneath the surface. She glanced at Ken, shaking her head. "I'm not running."

Ken blinked, confusion and fear warring on his face. "Are you crazy? We can’t take him! Not now, not like this!"

She turned toward the Lieutenant, her gaze locking onto him like a predator about to strike. "I’m not leaving this fight unfinished," she growled, her tone ice-cold. "This ends here. I’m taking him down. Right here, right now.”