Amelia "...... Okay! I can't handle this anymore! Shall we stop for just a tad moment?"

Dave "What's wrong, babe?"

The wielders halt their digging and congregate around Amelia. With a deep breath, she gracefully lowers herself onto the earthy surface. Sensing an air of disturbance around her, Dave crouches down, offering her a...

Amelia "When in the bloody hell did you get this?"

Dave "Here have a snacker. You aren't you when hangry, dude."

Amelia "Come on, I'm not angry or hungry. I'm just confused about my opponent."

Kanji "What's on your mind?"

Amelia "Well... his abilities were odd and I don't see which of us was it supposed to counter."

Gwen "That clears things up. Though, having such a question is a bit pointless since the possibility of that general finding direct counters for all of us is microscopic. So far, they are mostly niche counters."

Claire "Cheer up, Amy! Everyone's going to be fine!"

Amelia "Oh no! I'm not worried about that! I know everyone is strong is just that I can't stand why this bothered me so much. It's as if some crook is drilling the side of my head with these worries."

Dave "Don't worry. We'll knock that bastard out whoever the fuck he is."

Adrian "It was a metaphor, Dave."

Noah "Maybe it is just a sign of short-term PTSD."

Gwen "That's unlikely since I can tell every one of us has steel-covered mentalities."

Amelia "Okay. Maybe you're right. I'm just exaggerating and a bit paranoid. Let's keep moving."

________________________________________________________________________________________

Elsewhere, a young lady named Adjusts her hat and prances around the chamber. The walls exhibit impeccable strength, and not a single fissure in sight. Mina, with a sudden smirk, plants her hand on the firm wall before her.

Mina "Yaaaaawn! This is so easy to get out lol!"

A swarm of clock-themed graffiti desecrates the wall. Gradually, it rusts and starts to disintegrate into particles...

Mina "Okay almost there... and... Done! Sayonara! Super boring room!"

Approaching the influx of soil pouring into the room, she plunges her hands into the gritty mass. Then— A frosty sensation sends a shiver across her fingertips.

Mina "No way. You can't be serious!"

Mina continues her excavation, halting only when parts of the nascent wall become visible. Seizing a handful of soil in annoyance, she throws it down with a thud.

Mina "Alright, Mina. Just accept that you're stuck in here. But seriously! How many damn walls did they put in here?! Let's wait for the others. Maybe I can play a little game while I wait. Oh! And maybe better yet let's try drawing."

With hands stained with dirt, she advances toward the opposite wall. Fingers slowly splay dirt across the metallic surface until its original appearance is completely obscured. As her right index finger comes in contact with the surface, Mina starts sketching. A specific memory guides her, a place reminiscence of Victoria's countryside where she'd observed numerous indigenous settlements nestling at the mountain's base. The memory of the people engaged in playing, dancing, working, and praying floods back, leading to her own prayer...

Mina "I'd like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land which we meet today. I would also like to pay respect to pay respects to Elder past and present."

A round of applause echoes behind her, and she swivels around, The Heart Striker pointed forward.

The figure before her sports a braided ponytail, and with every step into view her attire spells huntress. Strangely, Mina's gaze fixates on her face, particularly the blindfold covering her eyes and the six dark holes beneath them.

?? "Your moment has ceased, my friend. I shall say your eyes are mesmerized by these holes in my face. Fear not as they are my modifications. Your voice earlier... I see... you swapped positions. How unpleasant..."

Mina "Why are you being so friendly to me? Aren't we... supposed to be enemies?"

?? "Yes, but... I changed my mind about loosening up your little head. This image... I can feel its spiritual energy. It is very beautiful. My name is M109, I looked after a village of indigenous Australians under the desire of her majesty. Thanks to you, I've been reminded of a lot of fond memories."

Mina "Ah, I can see why you wanted a truce. This isn't going to last long, Is it?..."

M109 "... I'm afraid my duties outweigh my opinions of you. However... I promise you this. It will be painless."

Mina "Very well. Have at you!"

In her grip, a spear fashioned from bronze, is etched with four yin and yang symbols. The tip is formed from a translucent green crystal of unknown origin.

M108 lunges, weapon pointed, but Mina swerves to the right, both hands reaching for the spear...

Mina "Game over, dude."

M109 "Not quite."

Releasing the spear, she dashes forward.

In a brief moment, Mina noticed an odd mist... or perhaps smoke, emerging from the cultist's clenched fist. Its iridescent nature, shifting in color, was visually pleasing. As she attempts to pull back, the spectral smoke rises in sync with M109's uppercut.

The smoke morphs into a menacing crocodile snapping at Mina's chin.

Her flesh vanishes, leaving Mina consumed by pain. She executes a hasty roll to dodge another attack aimed at her leg. Her right hand instinctively covers her injured chin while her left presses into the floor.

The earth beneath her touch feels softer.

M109 "Your powers are more magnificent than I thought."

Mina "If that's the case, then maybe let me go since I'm so cool. Please..."

M109 "No, that just makes you even more dangerous."

Mina performs an air slash before launching The Heart Striker with accelerating speed. But M109 parries, deflecting the strange weapon.

M109 " That was very odd and less magnificent- Wait! How did you-

Mina follows up with an uppercut.

The sheer impact hurls the cultist skyward, colliding with the ceiling. Despite her unstable form, M109 executes a mid-air flip, landing nimbly. She grunts, retaliating with a horizontal sweep.

Mina ducks and delivers a right hook.

M109 forcefully stamps the floor, propelling herself backward. Mina's fist skims past the cultist's nose. Quickly retreating, the cultist clutches her mouth, a chuckle escaping her lips...

Mina "What's so funny?!"

M109 "Very sorry but I did not expect that. Boxing... I presume. That was not in the database. How very odd. No matter. It's time to get serious!"

M109 procures a pair of imposing metal nails from her pockets.

Mina "What the fuck?! You had other weapons?!"

M109 "Of course. I'll be stupid not to bring some more."

Mina lunges, aiming a punch at the cultist's heart. The hit lands, causing M109's expression to flinch. Seizing the chance, Mina grasps the huntress's throat, delivering another hook.

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M109 weaves her head and stomps Mina's right foot.

Mina "AAAAAAAAAAAH! Come on! That was dirty!"

With no response, Mina inspects the Major's nails, now exuding the same iridescent smoke— a clear warning. Despite her instincts screaming for retreat, Mina steels herself, standing in place.

Mina "Bring it on!"

M109 charges, a visage of a rhino forming around her.

The behemoth collides with Mina, who somehow manages to land her grip on the nails. A struggle of strength ensues, their eyes reflecting their resolve. However, M109 notices rust creeping over her weapons.

M109 "Fucking shit!"

She inhales the prismatic smoke.

The weight of the phantom creature scatters, and Mina's breath comes in ragged gasps. Dragging her gaze from the floor, she focuses on M109 once more. The cultist's arms tremble uncontrollably as the previously placid smoke turns volatile, marking everything in its path with biting traces, perforations, and scrape wounds. Despite Mina's best efforts to evade the chaotic attacks, a lone tendril of smoke sneaks past her guard, inflicting a sharp sting on her right ankle.

Mina "Argh! When did you do that-

Before she can react, Mina feels a tremendous pressure against her cheek— her entire right side goes numb, and she finds herself rising from the ground.

Suddenly, she registers two sharp pains in her stomach from the front and back.

Mina glances down to discover a pair of phantom tusks. Attempting to touch them, her hand simply phases through the smoke. The shock causes her to cough blood. Turning around—

Mina "W..W-What? H-H-How?"

M109 stands weaponless, advancing toward Mina guarded by the spectral form of an elephant.

Pressed into a corner, Mina feels as though she's in a sandwich press. In desperation, she pounds the wall until her hands bleed, dislodging metallic fragments. This sudden attack forces M109 to retreat, creating enough room for Mina to reach out—

She grabs a large metal shard that crudely resembles a flint.

Mina "D-Dammit, I... I h-have... n-no choice."

Clasping it tightly in both hands, the weapon starts to radiate an intense white light.

M109 "A futile attempt to-

Mina "Gullible idiot say what."

M109 "What?!"

The metal flint is thrown, piercing M109's lower left ribcage and puncturing her lung. The spectral elephant disperses in lingering smoke...

M109 gasps for breath, clutching her throat. Mina, meanwhile, wrestles to access her inventory. Her right hand quivers as she extracts two syringes, setting them aside before placing her hand on her stomach. Her other hand reaches behind to touch the wall.

No effect.

Mina "Shit. I F-Forgot h-how that wo-work. Fuck..."

She draws her left hand over the syringes, plunging them into her abdomen. Slowly, her peripheral vision sharpens, and her strength returns. Revitalized, Mina performs a rapid-fire succession of ten jabs, barely breaking a sweat. She quickly reorients herself, sprinting towards the Heart Striker. As she retrieves it, she plants a kiss on it and squares up against M109.

The cultist appears drained, shriveled like a raisin, barely able to vocalize or move.

Her skin starts grinding to dust while oddly, an area around her heart remains intact. Blinking, Mina notices a worm-like entity squirming within.

Mina "What in plumbing hell was that thing?! Wait, Is that what AN was talking about?! SHIT-

A burst of rainbow smoke envelops M109's deteriorating body.

Inside the cloud, Mina senses a silhouette darting around. Emerging is a bizarre creature bearing four heads— a rhino, a tiger, an elephant, and a crocodile, all suspended in a body of smoke. It roams the room until it sets its sights on Mina. The heads rearrange themselves.

The tiger and crocodile rise to the top, and the rest sink to the bottom.

Mina bolts and the creature begins to chase. Strangely, she outruns them, even taking the opportunity to taunt them. Their eyes glow red, their heads extended on smoky strings, diving to bite and jab her.

All of them miss, and Mina returns with a swing of her blade.

It slices through the smoke links with ease. The creature's body bubbles before separating into four smaller smoke clusters, reviving the heads.

Mina "Well, this is just fucking great! Isn't it?! Fine, four vs one! I can do this!"

The crocodile and rhino flank her sides.

Mina completes a backflip over the charging rhino, only for her feet to land beside the gaping jaws of the crocodile. The pain from its bite threatens to render her unconscious. She stabs the creature's head, but the blade phases through. Simultaneously, the lion lunges onto her back, raking its claws across her skin.

A sudden rushing sound heralds the elephant's charge, slamming into Mina and the other creatures in its wake.

Mina is tossed into another wall, causing minor cracks. She rummages through her inventory, extracting all the bandages. Her hands explore the wounds on her feet and back.

Mina "Yep. That one stings more."

Mina swathes her entire back with bandages.

Mina "Ah, fuck. I'm so fucking tired. Wait, what are they doing?"

The creatures seem to be quarreling amongst themselves as if they'd been robbed of their meal. They charge, stab, and bite each other, erasing any traces of their earlier camaraderie. Mina grins at her unexpected fortune, quietly sneaking away. Her gaze lands on the spear in the corner.

Mina "Huh? It must have flown here because of the conflict. Hold up, the symbols! They changed!"

The yin and yang symbols are replaced by an image of a huntress battling the four creatures. Although tears are streaming down her face.

Mina "So, I must use this to kill them huh? I doubt this flimsy green crystal could do anything."

She touches it... Her eyes widen to find that it is made of plastic. In anger, Mina tosses the spear to the floor, causing the plastic tip to dislodge from the handle.

She touches it... Discovering it's made of plastic, Mina launches it in frustration, separating the plastic tip from the handle.

Mina "Oh fuck! Oh, fuck! Oh, fuck! Shit, how am I going to kill it now?!"

Looking around for an alternative weapon, an idea strikes her. The Aspect of Time scans the room for the metal flint, eventually spotting it at the center of the fray.

Mina "Oh boy... Here I go!"

The lion is busy attacking the elephant's trunk while the elephant tries to squash it. Mina jumps over them.

Mina "One hurdle down!"

The crocodile gnaws at the rhino's right hind leg while the rhino circles the flint, trying to shake off the reptile.

Mina dashes and slides underneath them, clutching the flint and fusing it with the handle's top. The newly formed spear hums with dark electrifying energy. She thrusts it into the speeding rhino, severing its right hind leg. The rhino topples over, launching the crocodile into the wall.

Just as they attempted to regain their footing, Mina explodes into the, her spear finding home within their skulls in a swift, fatal swoop.

Sensing the defeat of their ally, both the lion and the elephant turn, both share a simmering animosity towards the spear in their eyes. The lion propels itself forward in a frenzied attack. Nevertheless, Mina's steady grip on the spear deflects the beast's desperate claws. A rush of movement approaches from the corner of her eye— the elephant is charging in.

Mina leans down and tucks herself into a roll to the right. The misdirected momentum of the elephant hammers into the lion, rendering it out-cold.

Mina "Haha! You guys are a bunch of idiots. Wait a minute, your animals lol."

In its trunk, the elephant hoists the plastic spear tip, throwing it at Mina.

A laugh ripples from Mina, but the spear tip traces an abnormally fast arc through the air, slicing her left cheek. Seizing the opening, the elephant charges again, only for Mina to slip beneath its imposing bulk. Finding her footing, she buries her spear into the elephant's back. Its pained cries echo around the room as it thrashes in agony.

Gritting her teeth, Mina buries the spear even deeper.

The elephant faints with a mighty thud. Mina extracts her weapon with a swift tug and strides towards its head. Her spear plunges a hole in its forehead, causing the creature to vanish. The lion also meets the same fate.

The prismatic smoke, deprived of a host, starts to morph into a form roughly equivalent to M109.

Mina "Hold up! Who are you?!"

?? "Fear not my friend. My name is Nayah Ahmat. I was the fellow you fought as M109. Thanks to you, my spirit is free."

Mina "Woah. Woah. Woah! Hold up! This is going too fast. I don't understand."

Nayah "Perhaps if I explained it in the form of a story."

Mina "That would be great, Nayah."

Nayah "Excellent. Shall we begin?"

Mina nods.

Nayah "Very well. It all started..."

Ten years ago, I was a young nine-year-old indigenous Australian living a peaceful but uneventful hunting life in Tasmania. It was my birth date and my father took me to a secret hunting location on the island. That day, we discovered a mysterious cavern which strange paintings of a man in a suit but his face was horrifying. I couldn't bear to look at it for even a few seconds.

My father seeing that it made me uncomfortable, decided to take each of the paintings outside to burn. However, there was a door behind one of the paintings. We ignore the artwork and turn the knob. Inside was a corridor stretching for miles but our determination ran strong and we kept going. Finally, in the end, it was a wide space with four cages at the center.

We were shocked to find a lion cub, a baby crocodile, a small elephant, and a little rhino. They were in bad shape. My dad gave me a look and smiled. He asked me what my choice was. I was confused for a moment but when I stare into the eyes of the animals, I knew my answer.

We came out that day with four new companions. My father and I raised them in secret until they were all grown up. The biggest surprise to my father was that they were extremely obedient which washed away his worries. I named the crocodile, "River". I named the Lion, "Pride". I named the elephant, "Wise". Lastly, I named the rhino, "Lovely".

They were my best friends but one horrific day... they acted wild and starts escaping the secret area. My father and I panicked. We searched for them only to find our village ravaged by the beasts. It was odd as they were larger than usual and their eyes were completely different. My father and mother died that day protecting me. I was filled with hatred, confusion, and sadness. My tear ran into the night as I slayed my companions with my spear.

In the end, I was a husk, barely holding on to what was left of my spirit. That was when I met a strange man in a robe. He then asked me to join him. Having nothing to lose, I accepted it without a second thought.

Mina "Oh jeez! Man, here I thought you guys are a bunch of psychopathic maniacs. Gosh, I feel bad now."

Nayah "That's not the end. You see... thanks to you. Some memories were unlocked and the truth was revealed to me. They were the ones responsible for my companion's rampage. "Rage serum" is a commonly used drug by the cultists in desperate situations."

Mina "I see now! Fuck those guys! Are all The Majors tricked like this?!"

Nayah "I believe so. Please avenge us."

Mina "Yes! I will! Mark my words, Nayah!"

Nayah, her face a mask of satisfaction, disappears...

A thunderous sound appears as the ceiling fractures...

Kanji "I told you guys that the ceiling wouldn't be reinforced."

Mina "Kanji! Everyone! You're here! I was worried for a second since there appear to be a lot of walls in this room."

Dave "Bro, you had no idea. There were 105 or some shit. Frustrating as fuck but that dumbass forgot to bolster the ceiling lol."

Mina "You can't be serious, right? Welp, I wished I tried breaking the ceiling earlier."

Gwen "No time for regrets. Help us shovel."

Mina "Aye Aye! Vice leader!"

She helps her comrade dig out...

(To be continued)