I held my breath as Red Masque shot forward like an unstoppable force, his daggers glinting with a crimson glow. My heart thumped in my chest as he aimed directly for my solar, his eyes radiating a dangerous energy. Without thinking, I planted on my heel and kicked back, feeling the brief, desperate whoosh of air as time slowed and his blade closed in on my torso.

But, as Red Masque lunged towards me, Midnight Blossom sprang into action. Her sickles reflected the crimson light as she brought them up in a deadly arc, intercepting Red Masque's attack with ease as another wrapped around me, yanking me away. The two clashed, a flurry of blades and steel, their movements too fast for even my enhanced vision to follow.

I landed on my feet and watched in awe as Midnight Blossom matched Red Masque move for move, her sickles a blur of silver as she deflected his daggers. Red Masque's eyes narrowed, and he suddenly disappeared in a blur of motion, reappearing behind Midnight Blossom.

Without missing a beat, Midnight Blossom spun around and swung her sickles, slicing through the air where Red Masque had just been. But he was already on the move again, weaving in and out of her attacks with effortless grace.

They circled each other warily, each looking for an opening.

"What the fuck, Red Masque!" Midnight Blossom growled. "You were the one who announced a calamity truce in the first place!"

Red Masque didn't respond, his eyes locked onto Midnight Blossom's as he circled her. I could feel the tension building between them, their movements growing more frenzied and erratic as they clashed in a deadly dance.

"I don't know what kind of bullshit you're pulling here, but we're supposed to be working together here," Midnight Blossom said, her voice tight with anger. "I get you're a supervillain, but what happened to your famous personal code? I thought you were a professional!"

Red Masque didn't answer, his eyes flicking towards me for a split second before returning to Midnight Blossom. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I watched the two of them, unsure of what was happening.

Voltage and Arsenal moved to Red Masque's sides, their expressions serious. "What's going on, boss?" Voltage asked, his hands glowing with electricity. “Not sure I understand.”

Red Masque's eyes flicked towards them, then back to Midnight Blossom. "You wouldn't understand," he said quietly. "This is something I must do. Voltage, Arsenal. Stand down. Do not get roped into this with a standing truce."

Midnight Blossom clenched her sickles, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "What are you talking about?"

Red Masque didn't respond, his eyes fixed on Midnight Blossom as he took a step forward. Midnight Blossom shifted her stance, ready to defend herself.

Suddenly, Red Masque lunged forward, his daggers flashing as he aimed for her throat. But just as quickly, Midnight Blossom turned and dodged, her sickles swiping at Red Masque's back. He blocked her attack and spun around, bringing his daggers down in a swift strike as he flung three from underneath his cloak.

Midnight Blossom just barely avoided the strike, and the two launched into another frenzied exchange of blows that had my heart racing.

But this time, Red Masque had the upper hand. His daggers were a blur as they flew through the air, and he seemed to anticipate Midnight Blossom's every move. I could sense her frustration growing as she struggled to match his building speed.

"Lux, run!" Dawn Lily shouted, breaking me out of my daze as she jumped toward a roof. I hesitated for a second, unsure of what to do, but then my senses came back to me and I bolted away from the chaos.

“Oh no you don’t!” I heard Arsenal shout as the streets began to blur behind me.

I could hear the clash of weapons and the sounds of grunts and shouts behind me, but I didn't look back.

As I ran, my thoughts raced. What was happening? Why was Red Masque suddenly trying to kill me? And what did he mean when he said he had to do it?

I stumbled again, feeling that strange resonance with Red Masque’s aura come back.

“Ricky, run!” a woman’s voice shouted. It was a familiar voice. Young, airy, full of life and pain. Where had I heard it before?

I felt the hairs on my neck stand up as I realized what it could mean, but I didn't have time to dwell on it. Suddenly, Voltage appeared in front of me in a burst of lightning, and I skidded to a stop, my heart sinking.

"W-what are you doing?" I asked, pulling back from him.

"Look, little miss," he said firmly. "I dunno what's going on, but the boss wants you dead so he's gotta do what he's gotta do. And I’m not just gonna let you run away."

He crackled with electricity as he stepped forward, and I could feel the hum dancing on my skin. I took a step back, my heart pounding in my chest.

My mind raced for a solution. I probably couldn't fight him head-on, not in my weakened state and the gap in experience. But I couldn't just give up either.

I scanned my surroundings, searching for something, anything, that could give me an advantage.

I darted to Voltage's left, hoping to make a break for it, but he easily anticipated my move. With a flick of his wrist, he sent a bolt of electricity coursing through the air, barely missing me as I fell into a roll. The heat of the blast gave me a small burn, and I winced in pain as I came to a stop in a pile of debris.

"Ya can't run forever," Voltage taunted. "You might as well face it. You're done for."

I scrambled to my hands, a plan forming in my mind. As Voltage readied another blast, I spread my hands out and called on my power.

A projection appeared, crawling to her feet as I grunted and sprinted for a nearby alleyway as I bent the light around me to hide myself from view. Voltage took the bait of my Luminary Mirage, sending a blast of lightning towards the projection as I bent the light around me from the floor and disappeared from sight.

I stayed dead still as Voltage continued to fire lightning bolts at the projection running away, not realizing that I had disappeared. Once I was sure he had taken the bait, I quietly crept out of my hiding spot and raced towards the remains of a nearby lamp post that’d been cleaved down the middle.

Taking hold of the solid iron fixture, I swung it around just as Voltage turned to face me.

“AHHHHH!” I screamed, putting what strength I could muster into it. He had no time to react before the lamp post came crashing across his temple, sending him flying into a building with a stunned and twisted expression on his face.

I stared down at him in disbelief as the shock of what I had just done settled over me. Horrifying monsters popping in out of portals were one thing, but this is someone I'd been fighting beside just minutes prior.

Suddenly, I heard a loud crash and I whirled around just in time to see Dawn Lily fly out of a nearby window, crashing into the ground below. Her eyes widened in surprise as she looked up to find me standing there with my improvised weapon in hand.

"Lux," she said breathlessly before glancing behind me. "What are you doing?! Stop gawking at me and get out of here!"

As if on cue, Arsenal jumped through the smashed window above us, her array of guns pointed straight at me. She snarled and pulled the trigger, but before I could move, Dawn Lily quickly nocked an arrow and fired it in one swift motion. Then another and another.

The arrow cut through the air, colliding with Arsenal's bullets in a rapid fire of arrows that sent them flying in all directions.

I gaped at her as she shot off the remaining arrows, taking out every single bullet that was headed towards me. She looked up at me with a serious expression on her face as she stood there covered in bits of debris from the window.

"Go!" she said firmly. "I'll take care of her."

My heart leaped in my chest as I hesitated for a split second before turning on my heel and running without looking back. Everything around me whizzed by, the wind whipping through my hair as my feet flew across the ground faster than I'd ever ran.

Up ahead I could see that the streets were blocked off, forcing me to look for another way out.

Every direction I looked, it was a no-go. The buildings were burning, and the monsters had blocked off every street. I was trapped like a rat in a maze, with no end in sight.

I felt my heart sink as I wondered if this really was the end. Was this how I was going to go out? Facedown on these burning streets?

No.

I turned around spinning left and right, determined to find a way out. I couldn't give up now.

Just as I started down another random alleyway, I felt my heart leap in my chest, and I bent over, clutching my head.

“No, I can’t. Not after we’ve come so far. We’ve earned the happy ending, dammit! You can leave with Carla, and I…” the woman’s voice cried again.

Then, he appeared.

His footsteps were calm and measured as they echoed off the walls of the alleyway, and even from a distance, I could feel the aura of power emanating from him like a tangible storm.

It was Red Masque, his daggers still clutched tightly in his fists and trembling. His eyes were hard as he stopped in front of me. But, something was different.

He was covered in blood and soot from all the battles he had fought today and yet, he still stood tall in his dark cloak. There were visible wounds from his clash with Midnight Blossom — he had a slight limp, and his left arm hung limp at his side. He looked like he was on the brink of collapse, but his eyes were still alert and no longer icy blue. They were brown now. Still, he made for a terrifying sight in front of me.

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"What did you do to Midnight Blossom?" I demanded, my voice trembling with anger and fear. "W-why are you doing this?"

Red Masque's eyes flickered with a fierce intensity as he finally spoke. "She is alive. I merely severed the tendons in her limbs."

I stepped back in shock, unable to comprehend what he had just said. The casualness with which he said. "Why...why would you do that?" I stuttered, my mind reeling.

Red Masque's expression stayed neutral. "It was the only way to make sure she survives, as she would come to protect you relentlessly, otherwise. She will be out of commission for a while, but she will heal. Especially with the assistance of Twilight Aster."

"But why are you trying to kill me?" I asked, still struggling to make sense of what was happening.

"To rectify a mistake. Your mother couldn't do what needed to be done, so I must finish the job," Red Masque replied cryptically.

I stared at him — my mind was going a mile a minute.

What mistake was he talking about? And why did my mother have anything to do with it?

"What mistake?" I demanded, trying to keep my voice steady. "Are you even sure you have the right girl!? My mom's a goddamned janitor at a hospital"

Red Masque hesitated for a moment, and for a moment, a flash of emotion akin to pain crossed his face. Then, he steeled himself before finally answering. "You are the very spitting image of your mother, and there are traces of her signature resonating all over yours. Furthermore, you carry the taint we’d encountered that fateful day. Even the power you wield right now comes from your father’s Imaginary Graph."

My heart stopped at his words, my mind struggling to process what he was saying. My father? I'd never even known him. "What does that have to do with anything?" I asked, my voice coming out in a whisper. "What the hell is an Imaginary Graph?"

Red Masque's expression shifted back toward a cold and detached expression.

"You are the key to this attack. The loophole that Mortifera utilized to bypass the protective World System and gaze beyond mortal ken. You were exposed to a horrible power that was never meant to fall into human hands. Your mother knew the consequences of exposing you to it and allowing you to live, but she couldn't bring herself to do what needed to be done."

"What are you talking about? What power?" I demanded. I shook my head, trying to deny that what he was saying could possibly be true. "I don't have any power like that! I'm just a normal person. A rookie Magical Knight."

Red Masque paused, his blue eyes flickering with a hint of regret and sadness. "I am sorry," he said in a low voice. "Your mother treated me well, given the circumstances we were under. I regret what I must do, but this is for the greater good. For humanity’s survival."

Before I could react, Red Masque lunged at me with his daggers. I barely managed to dodge the first flurry, feeling the wind of the blade as it sliced through the air. I jumped back, my heart racing as I realized the gravity of the situation.

There was no way I could fight Red Masque head-on, not with the way he moved and the skill he was showcasing.

I needed a way out. I needed help.

But my mind was blank. I had no one to turn to, nowhere to run. I was alone with a notorious assassin who was trying to take my life.

Images of my mother's teary eyes flashed through my mind and I felt a wave of emotion wash over me. We'd fought and argued, and hardly spoke to each other in the month before I'd left for school in Kaleidoscope City. But I knew that she loved me, and I loved her too. And now, I was facing the possibility of dying without ever having the chance to tell her how much I cared about her.

I was angry, scared, and confused all at once. I couldn't let Red Masque win here. I wouldn't let him destroy everything I had ever known.

As he lunged at me again, I quickly created a Luminary Mirage, using my powers to create a clone of myself. The clone dashed forward, distracting him for a split second. It was all I needed.

"Luminary Bolt!" I shouted, firing a burst of light from my hand. The beam hit Red Masque square in the family jewels, throwing him back in the air with a grunt.

I took advantage of his momentary distraction and ran down the narrow alleyway, dodging trash cans and leaping over debris. My heart beat like a drum inside my chest, adrenaline pumping through my veins. I didn't know where I was going, but I knew I had to keep moving.

I nearly ran face-first into a pair of zombies, but I quickly sidestepped and delivered a swift kick to its head before jumping into a jumping elbow at the other one. The monsters crumpled to the ground, allowing me to keep running to a fork in the alleyway.

I set a Luminary Mirage to look around and continue running left as I took off in the opposite direction, running as fast as I could back the direction I'd come from. Back to Refuge Zeta.

My lungs burned as I pushed myself to keep going. I couldn't give up now. I had to survive.

With Red Masque hot on my heels, I weaved through the streets, turning corners at random to throw him off my trail, creating Luminary Mirages as distractions.

I heard the sound of his boots hitting the ground, signaling that he was getting closer. I had to think fast. I had to find a way to shake him off.

My instincts screamed at me again and I dove into a roll to the side.

I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my leg and almost stumbled, reorienting myself into a jump. Looking down, I saw that I had been slashed by one of Red Masque's daggers, which pierced into the pavement. The wound wasn't too deep, but the blood spilling from it was a stark reminder that my life was still hanging by a thread.

I gritted my teeth, ignoring the pain as I kept running. The adrenaline pumping through my veins kept me going, but I knew I couldn't keep this up forever. I spared a frantic glance at my status screen:

I was doing well enough for my aura’s HP gauge, clocking in at 732 / 1497, but my MP and SP were running on fumes, both under 150.

The two of us jumped over a smoldering pile of debris, and I leaped for a fire escape ladder. I grabbed onto it tightly and pulled myself into a flip to land on the rooftop above. I stumbled, almost falling to my knees, but managed to catch my balance just in time.

I was starting to feel dizzy and disoriented, my surroundings blurring as I struggled to catch my breath. I ran forward, jumping over gaps between buildings as I tried to put as much distance as possible between us.

He was a vicious, trained assassin, and I was just a rookie Magical Knight. I had to find a way to escape before he caught up with me and finished the job. I heard his footsteps behind me, growing louder and heavier with each passing moment. I knew I couldn't outrun him forever.

I sprinted forward, pushing myself to go even faster. But just as I was about to go for another jump, I felt a sharp, white-hot pain in my back, and then another, and another and stumbled forward. I felt dizzy, my vision spinning as I stumbled forward. I twisted and looked behind me in the air, only to dimly realize Red Masque had thrown a barrage of daggers at me, and they had all connected with their mark.

Then, he jumped at me, kicking me in the ribs and sending me careening through the air toward Refuge Zeta. I crashed into the building with a loud thud, pain shooting through my body as I struggled to catch my breath.

I stayed there for a moment, my vision blurring as the pain coursed through me. I tried to push myself up, but my limbs felt heavy and unresponsive. I struggled to open my eyes, my consciousness slipping away from me.

'Get up!' an inner voice screamed at me and I groggily pushed myself off the ground. It was the woman’s voice again. ‘Dammit, Arcadia. You’re my best friend. I didn’t sacrifice years of my life on this damned mission for you to die on me now!’

I felt a rush of energy go through me as my vision cleared, and I realized that I was still alive.

I looked around, regaining my bearings, and nearly screamed as I saw the dim, sunken eyes of the Juggernaut's remains staring back at me. I stumbled back, tripping over a fallen brick and falling onto my back. The pain flared up again as I hit the ground, pushing the knives in my back further into my body, but I managed to keep my eyes open in spite of the searing pain.

The world around me became blurry and indistinct, like an abstract painting. I could hear Red Masque's footsteps approaching. I could hear the rustle of his cloak as he drew closer. My heart pounded in my chest, and I was overwhelmed by a sense of helplessness.

Red Masque landed gracefully nearby, his daggers glinting menacingly against the fires that lit up the city around me. "It's over," he said coldly, his voice devoid of any emotion.

I tried to stand, but my legs gave out beneath me, leaving me trembling and weak as blood pooled around me. "P-please...don't," I begged hoarsely.

Red Masque hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering with something that looked almost like regret and nostalgia.

"I am sorry," he said. “Perhaps in another life, things would be different.”

Then, he brandished a knife from beneath his cloak, and lunged towards me. My heart raced as I braced for the impact, but at the last second, a blur of movement caught my eye and Red Masque braked on the balls of his feet.

The sound of automatic gunfire reverberated throughout the city block, echoing off every street corner and building.

A swarm of over a dozen drones had descended from the sky, firing their weapons in quick succession at Red Masque. His daggers blurred as his aura rippled red from the impact of the bullets, but he managed to deflect most of them with his own weapons.

He darted left and right, throwing daggers into the air and weaving between shots as they narrowly missed him. I could feel the heat of the bullets passing me as I lay on the ground stunned by what was happening.

The fire stopped, and I saw that several drones had been destroyed by Red Masque's counterattacks. He was still standing, despite taking a scuff here and there.

"Techtron! What is the meaning of this?!" Red Masque shouted angrily.

An all-too familiar voice rang out from the drones.

"Sorry, Red Masque. Techtron is taking a nap right now. I thought I'd take the reins for a bit and make sure you don't get up to any funny business. You know, like throwing knives at people and stuff."

I squinted into the sky, my vision still blurred from the pain and shock.

Who was it?

Whoever it was, his voice sounded strained, like he'd taken a few punches to the jaw in a fight. A rather goofy sound. Hehe, what a funny voice. My delirious mind was grasping at anything to distract myself from the pain that was consuming my body.

Red Masque growled in frustration and tossed one of his daggers at the remaining drones. I saw one of them explode in a shower of sparks as his blade struck it.

I stayed there, bleeding and panting, as the smoke from the gunfire cleared.

When I tried to move, I felt a sudden sharp pain in my back, like a hot, searing iron pressing into my flesh.

I let out a scream, or at least I attempted to, arching my back in agony as I realized that one of Red Masque's daggers had pierced my lung. I could feel the blood gurgling up my throat as I struggled for air.

"Look, Red Masque. We can talk this out. Why are you trying to kill her? Please, cut it out. She’s just a rookie! Please… I don’t know what’s going on, but please!”

"I have my reasons," Red Masque growled.

"It's all over your body language. You don't want to kill her. Why don't you tell us what's really going on?" the voice asked.

"You have no idea what you're talking about, kid."

Then, Red Masque hesitated, his eyes flickering as he weighed his options.

Finally, he lowered his weapons and stepped back, his shoulders slumping in defeat.

"You are right. I do not wish to kill her," he said, his voice strained with emotion.

"Why not?" the voice pressed.

He's buying time, I realized, struggling to keep my eyes open. But for what? I know the voice. Trust him.

"Because...she reminds me of someone I used to know. Someone I considered family. But, I have no choice. I have chosen to walk this long, difficult path."

Then, without warning, he palmed a knife from beneath his cloak. In a blur of motion, he threw it directly at me, aiming between my eyes.