Frozen in fear, Adrian's feet might as well be part of the earth beneath him. The cultist’s hands flit through the air, spinning a dense tapestry of mist around him. Adrian, honing his focus, pierces the smoky veil through the scattered windows of visibility.

Adrian "Are those hand signs? Is he a ninja as well?! What do I do?!"

The spectacle continues... The cultist crafts a flawless circle with his hands, eliciting a lunatic cackle as a maelstrom of mists swirls upward, shaping a trinity of nebulous halos. He shifts towards his accomplice, weaving more clouds...

M113 "Okay... partner. Here's your... job. Take care... of the other bastards."

M113 whirls his arm, marshaling the scattered mists into two imposing formations. He charges one with water, the other bearing the last remnant of a mysterious compound. Observing this, M114 scratches his head, his brow arching in curiosity.

M113 "You don't... get it... don't you? Fine... Let's just say that when these two... go together. Things go... boom."

M114 "Oh! It must be some chemistry thing! I got it! Leave this me!"

Giving M113 a salute, M114 dissolves. M113 segments the clouds into smaller fragments, which cascade to the floor, only to be swept away by battalions of scurrying cockroaches. Locked in a gaze, M113 and Adrian face each other, though Adrian's stare carries little threat.

Adrian "Oh shit! Is he planning on charging at me?! What do I do? Should I block? Oh... I know! I need to scare him!" "HEY! Don't think of charging at me! I'll turn your face into a meaty pulp!"

M113 "Oh please... I beat guys bigger than you daily! I know what... you're doing. You are buying... time. Aren't you? That's not... gonna work. Though... I'm a bit cautious. Out of all... the wielders, your powers are the most elusive. As in, you seem to... never do anything. Then again... you did run as soon as you saw my clouds. Was it your power or... you were just being cautious?"

Adrian "I'm not going to tell you anything! Just stay there and wait!"

M113 approaches, a sinister grin etched on his face. Adrian, trying to project defiance, squares his shoulders and raises his fist. The cultist recoils, a storm of anger brewing on his face.

Adrian "Huh? What wrong?! Are you a scared cat?! I guess you are just talking."

M113 "No... I-I just. I thought... you were just bluffing. Shit! Now my plan is gone to ruin thanks to your bravery! You asshole!"

Meanwhile, across the sprawling plains, a quintet of wielders maintains a V formation, with Amelia at the helm, a vigilant sentinel of their advance. An anomalous rustling from the grass on their right flank catches her attention...

A strange azure luminescence sparks her suspicion.

Amelia "Gwen! Diana! To your right! I think they are clouds coming your way! I can't tell how many because of these bloody long ass grass."

Gwen "Thanks. Don't worry about us. We can handle it. You three go ahead of us!"

Diana "Yeah! We got this! I just hope the thing boss told me will work."

Suddenly, a volley of seven clouds hurtles toward the girls. Gwen taps Izzybot, wearing her like a knapsack. Recoiling, Izzybot unfurls branches into wing-like appendages. Gwen ascends, and the wings stir up a gale that sends the clouds careening into each other... BOOM! The sound rings in her ears. Izzybot, acting as a protective barrier, shields Gwen from the heatwave but her wings are consumed in the fire. Gwen unhitches Izzybot, collapsing her wings.

|Owe! That Explosion Was Hot! Master Nya!|

Gwen "Ssshh. Don't worry, Izzy. Mom is here to protect you. How about you shut down for a while and recover? Okay."

Izzybot's screen flashes a smiley face before powering down. Gwen safely tucks her beloved computer into her inventory, noticing the distance she's created from Diana. Concerned for her reckless friend, she sprints towards Diana, only to find the colossal figure devoid of aggression. Instead, Diana is pressing her fingertips against her temples, her gaze focused intently on the clouds. So intense is her stare that it seems as if she's shooting lasers from her eyes. Then, as if in some cruel cosmic jest, Gwen's mental imagery materializes. The remaining clouds cleave and vanish into thin air, their contained liquid plummeting to the ground... but there is no explosion.

Gwen "... Whew. I guess knocking those clouds together was a mistake on my end. Anyway, I'm impressed, Diana. You finally solved an issue without your fists."

Diana "Thanks. But that credit goes to the boss. It was his idea that I should like to focus on one spot to increase something... something. I don't remember! It was complicated shit. But hey! It fucking works!"

Gwen "Perhaps the structure of these clouds requires a stable system of friction otherwise their forms won't be sustainable. Honestly, this kind of science isn't part of my expertise. So enough of this, we must move on."

Diana gives a nod, and they rejoin their companions, settling back into formation. Sarah, Amelia, and Mina exhale in collective relief. Gwen sweeps her gaze around before locking eyes with Amelia.

Gwen "Ummm, so you guys weren't attacked. That's odd. I assume they would take an opportunity to split us off."

Amelia "No, that doesn't seem to be it. We ran past the lot of them but the little critters appeared to be scattered about like a bunch of poor sods. Why did they do that?"

Diana "Beats me! Besides, that is good. Now we can get to that fucker."

M114 "Dammit! Where are they?! Those flying fuckers! Shit! Did they already make it?! Hold on, M113! I'm coming back!"

A wielder and a cultist, each trapped in the other's gaze, both wary of the hunter who strikes first. As the tension mounts, the echo of wings fills the air. Adrian casts his gaze skyward, a smile warming his face at the sight of the descending silhouettes. In contrast, M113 frowns at the newcomers as they touch down near Adrian.

Dave "Adbro! Don't worry, we are here! I'm ready to rip and tear!"

Claire "Lmao! Was that a Downfall reference? Nice!"

Kanji "Come on, guys. Eyes on the target. Adrian, what is that guy doing?"

Adrian "I don't know. My power just tells me the same thing. We should be careful because earlier he hesitated when I tried to put up my guard."

Kanji "Ummm, perhaps he is trying to reserve his ammo. Understandable-

Diana "Here you are! You red-robed-wearing bitch!"

She vaults into the air, fist aimed at his head-

A ripple disturbs one of the outer halos, dispersing a cloud and revealing a thin, glass-like material tinged with a neon-blue glow. Her punch fractures the object into shards... then Diana, along with the fragments, vanishes.

Adrian "No... Diana. HEY! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!"

M113 "AHA! You think... I'm gonna tell you! Now with this formation... I AM INVINCIBLE!"

Noah "We'll see about that! My turn!"

Noah unsheathes his ax, clutching his anger stone. A squeeze brings forth a plume of deep red flames, shrouding the ax. This isn't the translucent aura of before, it's dense and opaque, making it hard to discern the ax's silhouette. Noah lunges forward, only to be blocked by one of the outer rings.

M113 starts to sweat, retreating backward. The disbelief etched on his face is unmistakable to Noah, who stands unfazed, ax in hand. The fiery aura however has been extinguished.

In a corner of the world, an average businessman sets off to work. Out of nowhere, his right leg surges with unimaginable power, severing the brakes of his vehicle. Desperate to avoid catastrophe, he careens into another car, causing a fiery explosion that claims both lives. Later, the city hails the man as a hero, his sacrifice thwarting a planned bombing by ESIS.

M113, left on the defensive, retreats towards a nearby forest.

Noah "Get the fuck back here! I need to show Sarah my badassery!"

Kanji "Follow them!"

Suddenly, twenty clouds burst from the grass, halting their progress. Kanji conjures his inventory, positioning it before him and traps ten clouds within. His allies follow the example, Claire captures three, Sarah corrals four, and Dave stows away three clouds.

Dave "Aww, sweet dude! I got fucking clouds. Kanbro, that was lowkey five head."

Kanji "Looks like that worked. None of my items are affected. That proves that these clouds work using an automatic command like "Seek the nearest enemy"."

Gwen "Are you by any chance planning on using these? Just a warning. These clouds don't go together very. Hint. A huge explosion was caused by some kind of chemical process."

Kanji "That could be caused by a lot of things but the liquid was clear, highly acidic and the act of smelling the substance burned our nostrils. I say that it is fluoroantimonic acid. It is very dangerous. So I say we don't use them. I won't let anyone of us do a kamikaze. Got it!"

Sarah "That's good and all. But Noah needs our help! I'm going ahead!"

Sarah arrives just in time to witness him hacking at the cultist's outer halo. Only one more cloud...

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Sarah "Noah! Watch out!"

Two stealthy clouds swoop in behind him, merging to encase him in a ball of light. The glow recedes, revealing a charred and unconscious body. M113 notes the arms and the gruesome sight of the lower half, revealing skeletal remains.

M113 "Ha... look at you. You're just like... me. But I'm... better. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!"

M113 clamps his hand around Noah's neck, hoisting his limp body. Sarah hurls her ring, decimating the final cloud of his outer halo. The force of her assault knocks M113 off balance, Noah's body slipping from his grasp. He scans the vicinity, finding no trace of her weapon.

M113 "Ha! You fool! You just... lost your weapon. Wait... why are running at me?" "Shit! Does she have some kind of trick like this bastard?!"

M113 flees. Sarah, heaving a sigh, hoists Noah onto her back. She lays him gently before Claire, who understands and sets to work, tending to his wounds...

Kanji "Ummm, Claire. That was four syringes. The same amount he gave you. Looks like he did need them after all. Do you have more by any chance?"

Claire "Yep! I conjured them way earlier. Like when we woke up."

Dave "Yo, Cla'bro! You took my advice. Awesome!"

Azan "Kanji. Considering my powers. What should I do? Should I make Diana return? Or should use it to fight that guy?"

Kanji "I think the later is the better. I bet my life that Diana is still alive out there. As for how you use your power. I leave it up to you-

Sarah "Hold it right there! Kanji... I want to fight him alone!"

Gwen "Why?! Don't be foolish! Who knows where other schemes that cultist has? Your emotions are getting in the way of logic."

Sarah "I don't fucking care! That bastard hurt Noah and I want to make him pay."

Kanji "Fine. But you gonna need a bit of assistance. I got a perfect idea. You and Azan. Listen up!..."

M113 "What the hell are they... talking about over there? Dammit... M114! What happened?! Why didn't... you stop them?!"

M114 "Yeah, looks like their inventory thingies can trap objects... including your clouds."

M113 "Fuck... is there anything else I need to fucking know... before I fight them again."

M114 "Err, yeah! That large guy! It turns out he is a pacifist and his power is actually to get basic information from anything?"

M113 "What?! Where did you... get this from?! Why didn't... you tell me?! I could've... beaten him into dust earlier!"

M114 "Ummm... isn't it just me or did all of your halos just disappear?"

M113 "Wait... What the fuck?!"

M113 turns, catching sight of Sarah advancing, twin rings of clouds circling above her. She launches a punch at his right jaw... but he evades. The pair of cultists sprint away, Sarah hot on their heels.

M114 "Dammit! What now?! What do we do, man?! Why are your clouds protecting her?! Can't you change their commands?!"

M113 "No, I can't. It seems... one of the wielders has that kind of ability. Don't worry... I have a plan. There is a weakness... to that formation. Its command only activates... when something seems to be attacking... not attacking itself. I know that your cockroaches can't attack but... they could do something else."

M114 "What are you- Oh. OH! I got it! Leave this to me!"

M114 halts, swinging around to face the approaching girl. With a flick of his finger, his form dissolves into a legion of cockroaches. They charge, launching themselves at her and prompting the cloud rings to drop their defenses until only a final cloud remains. It dissipates, and the odd glass-like substance lands on one of the insects. In an instant, they all vanish, leaving no trace of their exoskeletons.

M113 "Well... fuck. Telesium fragment can affect him... that way, huh?" "Shit. Should I retreat? No, I damaged too much of my pride. I must stand and never surrender!"

Sarah "Looks like your buddy is gone. Now, I'm going to rip out that jaw of yours with my bare hands."

She stows her weapons, her hands forming into claw-like shapes. Darting forward, she tears at his suit, only to encounter another underneath. Her right hand rises above his head and strikes down. He leans back but— his jaw has been grabbed! Her fingers intruded the cavern of his mouth. He attempts to utter words but to no avail.

Sarah "Err... What's that? I can't hear over the wickedness of my new technique! I call it "Grab Shift"! Now, out comes your fucking jaw!"

Sarah, the wielder of Fiction, immobilizes the cultist, delivering a powerful kick to his chest. The impact dislodges his jaw, scattering bone shards at Sarah's feet. Satisfied with her trophy, she secures it in her inventory.

M113 feels a constricting sensation around his chest. A moment of desperation... invoke the yearning for relief. As his gaze fixates on the ground, ghostly memories re-emerge— reminders of past suffering and rejection.

Once upon a time, M113 was a young man named "Reggie". A poor orphan, he carved out a living in the shadowy alleyways of an affluent town. For agonizing years, he endured this purgatory, pleading for a morsel of food or a sliver of shelter. Yet, no hand extended in aid, no bread was ever proffered. His plight grew so dire he resorted to self-cannibalism. That's how they found him... teetering on the brink of death, parts of his body stripped to the bone. Miraculously, he clung to life... but by that point— He was no longer human.

Sarah "Are you ready to give up? Bitch boy! Stand the fuck up!"

M113 "In the name of her holiness! I hereby sacrifice this body for her cause!! May my newfound flesh vanquish my enemies until my last breath!!!"

Sarah watches as his suit deflates... The collar beneath his skull vanishes. His neck, a structure of aging bones, stretches towards the sky. The sight triggers her inner eldritch. She fights to suppress her urges, striving instead to take in the full, grotesque tableau before her. A humanoid skull, jawless, attached to a tail stretching the length of a soccer field, segmented akin to a centipede. Each segment is studded with dagger-like appendages.

Sarah "Okay. That is fucking sick! But you're still my enemy! Don't get ahead of your self-

She crumples to the ground, writhing in agony. Amelia, bearing witness to the unfolding horror, feels a residual sliver of fear rises to the surface. Dave notes her sweating, beading and cascading unchecked.

Dave "Yo, Amber. You okay, man?"

Amelia "Everyone! Hurry! Sarah, she's in trouble!"

Kanji and Claire move Noah into the subspace. They then rush to Sarah's side, finding her sprawled on the ground, bloodied. A pair of perforated lines mark her abdomen. Claire extracts another syringe, injecting the contents into her wounds.

Claire "Sarah. You dummy! Why didn't you let us help you?!"

Sarah "S..S-Sorry. I got a... bit carried away. You guys watch out for that thing's tail. It was... f-fast as fuck..."

Sarah slips into unconsciousness. Kanji and the others cast furious gazes at the monstrous entity. It retorts with a chilling stare from its vacant eye sockets. The creature starts to undulate... its body coiling in the air as though ensnaring a colossal invisible object. Adrian catches sight of something at the tail's end and raises a finger...

Noah "Guys! Over there! Are those clouds?"

They observe as the clouds multiply and billow, matching the creature's upward course. The gas enshrouds its tail like a blanket of winter frost. The wielders draw their weapons. Kanji and Dave advance to the forefront, with Gwen joining their pursuit...

Dave "Ummm, you sure that's good, Gwabro? I mean you have no fucking weapon."

Kanji "Without, Izzy. I say your fighting power isn't desirable, to say the least. But something tells me that my words won't change your decision. You have a plan. Don't you?"

Gwen "Well, sort of. I assume everyone is heading for its head."

They exchange nods, bracing for the imminent attack. The creature plunges, targeting Azan. He calls a shield, deflecting the rain of razor-edged legs. The intensity of the onslaught propels him away from the group. Mina darts after him, sensing a vulnerability in the creature's tail. Seizing the moment, she vaults forward, directing her aging power onto the weak spot. A triumphant smile graces her lips as the bones grow fragile... but her overconfidence proves costly. The encircling clouds converge on her location.

Azan "MINA! NO!! STOP YOU, BASTARD!!!"

Azan hurls his wristwatch, aiming for the creature's skull. Morphing into a saucer, he jumps onto it. The serpent detects his presence, stirring its body into a faster, sinuous rhythm. Kanji and Dave take flight, echoing Azan's lead. The girls hoist Gwen and trail behind, entrusting Sarah's care to Adrian. The pursuit ushers them into the realm above the clouds.

Azan throws his wristwatch, aiming at the creature's skull. It transforms into a saucer and Azan jumps onto it. The serpent notices him and begins waving its body, becoming faster. Kanji and Dave fly and follow his lead. The girls carry Gwen and follow them, leaving Adrian behind to look after Sarah. The chase leads them to the clouds.

Dave "Oh, yeah! Now, this is what I call an epic final battle, dudes!"

Kanji "Focus! Dave. We don't want to drop from this height."

Amelia and Claire settle Gwen onto Azan's saucer. A shift in the wind strikes them, as an uncanny silence descends. The airborne menace advances in a spiraling motion, bypassing Kanji and Dave. As its head comes within reach, Azan and Gwen deliver a powerful punch.

However, the creature swiftly changes direction, causing the two wielders to lose their footing. Then they discern a faint scream... a girl's voice?... Wait—

Mina "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Watch out!"

Mina crash-lands into the flying saucer, throwing the device into disarray. It flings all its passengers off.

Claire and Amelia fly downward, transforming the scene into a one-on-two duel. Dave brandishes his bat which magnifies two-fold.

The bat's head morphs into a fan, and as he whirls it in front of him, it engenders a potent wind draft.

Dave "There you go, bro! My new special move, "The spinny thing from movies that somehow reflect bullets"."

Kanji "Good job. Looks like that thing is going out of control. I guess the current is much for it to handle. Dave, I'm going to finish this!"

Dave "Dude, before you go. Can you fucking like take a selfie of you beating that thing? It would be so cool, man! Like instant 1 million views on Twitter."

Kanji ".... Fine. I'll indulge in your antics just this once. But I die, it will be on you!"

Harnessing the wind current, Kanji surges toward the creature's head. Suspended above its skull, his chain lashes out in relentless strikes. The creature attempts a counter-attack, but the other end of Kanji's chain deflects its feeble tail whips. Supplementing his chain's assault, Kanji unleashes a barrage of his own punches. From below, the wielders witness the serpent's fall and the unraveling of the clouds around its tail. It crash lands, fracturing into hundreds of bits.

Azan "Yes! They did it! That bastard is dead!"

Kanji and Dave reunite and escort Sarah to join Noah. Mina casts a troubled glance at the others.

Azan "What's wrong? Are you worried about Diana?"

Mina "Yes, who knows where she is!"

Dave "Nah! Forget about it. That gorilla girl can fucking survive on her own, dude."

Kanji " You can say that for certainty but... this time I'm not so sure."

Claire "What do you mean, Kanji?"

Kanji "This is a bit convenient for us since the next trial is hers and it is a solo one at that. The condition for activating it is... Isolation."

Claire "What?! Oh no! She doesn't even have any healing and stuff. What do we do?!"

Gwen "It's too late now to worry about what has been done."

Kanji "Yeah. Let's just pray that she makes it out alive. In the meantime, we should rest and look for Sarah's ring."

________________________________________________________________________________________

M114 "Oh chucks! Where am I?! The Sahara desert. Shit, I guess this is it for the day..."

He gazes skyward in disgrace, and a beam of light shoots down, erasing him from sight. In the distance, someone catches a glimpse of this mysterious light show.

It's Diana! She strives to reach the light but is too late. She crumbles onto the ground... it has been an exhausting three days.

Diana "What the hell is this place?! I starting to lose my shit! Why is it always night?!"

Surveying the infinite stretch of dunes before her, fatigue begins to overwhelm the mind. Having journeyed in the same direction for three straight days, exhaustion clings to her like a second skin— a sensation she is scarcely acquainted with. Her gaze is captivated by the moon, where she notices... a peculiar distortion surrounding its outline. A smile meets Diana's face...

Diana "HA! I get it now! So this is my trial, huh? Well, then. Let's wait and see what happens."

________________________________________________________________________________________

M114 opens his eyes. Finding the general before him, he kneels in contrition. Karnat, far from furious, signals M113 to raise his head.

KARNAT "Now, then. Tell me the transcript of everything that occurred. Don't leave out any juicy detail. Got it!"

M114 "Yes, my lord. You see..."

In an avalanche of words, M114 apprises the general of the series of events preceding his teleportation. Karnat responds with a burst of hearty laughter. Springing from his seat, he gives M114 a pat on the back.

KARNAT "Good job! You make me very proud! We just learned the powers of three other wielders. All that is left is that purple hair one."

M113 "Wait, sire. Three?"

KARNAT "Oh yeah. While you were away, I caught a glimpse of miss pigtails using her powers. I think it has to do with Time which is fucking ridiculous. But not as ridiculous as THAT GUY. Jesus! Even without powers, he was already a pain in the ass. Here's the good news though... thanks to you! We just found our next target. Next time we strike them, THERE WILL BE A FUNERAL!!! AHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!"