Lights shined down on the Plague Doctors, as the roaring cheers of Afflicted surrounded them along the walls. Bleachers, fixated to the perimeter. As the team looked down, they recognized the shape of the platform they stood upon... An octagon, with red painted on one side, and blue on the other, well lit with lights surrounding it.

They were in an arena.

Despite everyone else analyzing their situation, Terra kept staring up at Basalis, gripping his bat with ferocity.

"Look at that fire in your eyes..." the bald man said, pulling his collar with a big smile. "Good... Good! You're going to need it here."

"Fuck off! Come down here and fight us yourself, you coward!!" Terra barked out, gritting his teeth.

Basalis let out a snort, brushing his stubble on his chin.

"Coward? Were you not the one who ran away to bring your oh-so intimidating friends?"

Terra growled, then smirked right after.

"I'm just evening the odds is all."

Basalis lost his smile, letting out a scoff of pity.

"Whatever. Tell you what: I'll let you fight me if you want. However..." he said, raising his hand. After he signaled, large gates opened from the roof, dropping down large Afflicted directly in front of the Plague Doctors. Both seemed to be masses of lard, their fat and muscle seemingly being mistaken for one another.

"...First, you must prove you're worth my time. What do you say?"

Celeste narrowed her eyes, as everyone began to ready their weapons and Arcanes.

"Surrounded. Multiple targets." she said with a cold analytical tone. "Cover a direction each. Keep your backs together."

As she instructed, everyone backed their backs against one another, looking forward towards the masses of living flesh approaching them. Distorted human wails escaped them, with a ghastly echo in their cries. They followed orders, but it was clear they were in pain.

Terra grimaced at the sight, gripping his bat with hesitancy.

"That stench is horrible. It's like old rotting eggs and sulphur..." he stated with a scowl, covering his nose with his free hand. "Is their bodies constantly rotting or something...?"

"Physical-type Arcanes. Powers able to directly change genetical makeup." Fren chimed in, slowly bubbling up underneath his baggy hoodie. "It'll take one to beat one, eh? Let me cover our six, you all take the rest."

Terra had glanced over at Fren, his expression sinking as he saw him morph. The sounds of stretching skin, as if leather on a rubber band. His bones, cracking and shifting like tectonic plates. His arm had become massive, resembling that of a giant. The veins cascaded up from his shoulder to his fingers with a distinct red glow, pulsing with energy.

"Sorry you had to find out this way, niño." he simply stated, cracking his now massive knuckles. "La peste hizo alimañas cuando me encontró."

Without a moment for Terra to ask what he had just witnessed, Fren ran in with a war cry, jumping in the air and landing a heavy hook to the first one who approached them, then promptly blocking their onslaught with the same arm. That was the starting bell for this fight. With a sudden leap from everyone, they each took a side to focus their attacks.

Kinae swished her hands in front of her, shifting her dual guns into one large shotgun, and began to fire bursts of scrap through the first one she could get her sights on. Seeing her provide covering fire, Joker promptly ran into a portal, reappearing above one of the flesh golems with the same massive cane that he has used with Terra before, hooking it's neck and forcing it down to the ground with a loud thud. Without another thought, he went through his portal again, going to the next as Kinae got a solid shot to it's head, putting the creature out of it's misery.

Celeste and Netz stood shoulder to shoulder, rasing their hands closest to each other up, suddenly firing off black strings and red flames, alighting them like blood through veins. "Kastanienbraune Pfeile." They had both said with narrowed eyes, sending their barrage to slash apart four golems into burning ribbons; an unquenchable fire from the inside. One Afflicted managed to sneak in from their blindspot, preparing a heavy hammer swing down. The fist came crashing down, but was stopped by Terra just in time, holding it up by holding his bat as if bunting a ball.

"Rrgh!!" he grunted out, holding it back with a firm stance. Veins had began to prod around his body, putting his all into holding the monster back from his leaders. Quick to notice, the angels of black and white cast their gazes towards the meaty giant, promptly shifting their hands to send the red flaming strings right through its head, casting it in and out as if stitches, until it finally keeled in defeat, burning like a campfire. With a shaky sigh, Terra looked back to them with a grin, giving them a thumbs up. "T-Thanks! That was close...!"

The two did not answer. Instead, they looked around at the fight they had left to get through. The horde was dwindling, with little to no effort from the team.

"This was the challenge?" Celeste thought to herself, "This doesn't feel right. No way a Rat thinks this little of a group of Plague Doctors."

It's then that Netz, as if hearing her thoughts, pointed up at Basilis, narrowing his eyes with a smile.

"Is that the challenge you have for us? You disappoint me." he shouted out with a drip of sadism seeping like venom from his tongue. "Go on. Show me what you got, you filthy Rat. Or are you less than vermin?"

Basilis wasn't amused. With a pitiful grimace on his face, he raised his hand, uttering something with an echo in his voice.

"Prostração."

A shockwave was felt in against all of the Plague Doctors' bodies, as if gravity pulled something out of their stomach and left them... soulless. Everyone had caught their breath desperately; even Celeste and Netz. All, but Terra, who stood there, confused.

"What the—?!" he gasped out, looking up at Basilis with a glare, "What did you do?!"

All the bald man did was grin, tapping his temple with a taunting remark.

"Just showing you ants... how terrifying a Rat can be."

As everyone caught their breath, they looked around to see the Afflicted approach them, each step causing the ground to shake. On instinct, Celeste raised her hand to set them aflame, however all the came out was embers. Like a lighter with no fuel.

Her pupils shrink in shock.

With a last minute snap back to reality, she narrowly dodged the heavy slam that approached her, jumping back with anxiety crawling along her nerves.

"My Arcane... What happened...?!" she growled out, dodging more swings from the flesh golem with a frustrated growl.

Netz clicked his tongue with annoyance, raising his hand to shoot strings toward her pursuer, but once again... nothing. It didn't take long for him to process the situation the same, narrowing his eyes and grimacing.

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"Our Arcanes..." he mumbled, before finally shouting out. "Everyone! Our Arcanes are locked!! Regroup and avoid attacks!"

Those words alone made Terra feel a chill down his spine, stepping back with a pissed scowl.

"So... that's your Arcane?!" he hissed out, gripping his bat rougher. "You suppress Arcanes with your voice, don't you?!"

Basilis grinned, raising his hands cockily.

"You know what I said, don't you?" he asked, his grin shifting to a sly smirk, "Prostração. Prostration. Your will means nothing in the face of a real charismatic man like I, wouldn't you say?"

It's then he noticed that Terra was the only one... with that same fire in his eyes. It made him laugh.

"But you... You pitiful little shitter. You don't have an Arcane, don't you? Don't you feel special, to die with all of them as well?"

Terra quickly turned away, hearing the laughs of his old debt collector laugh behind him. It made him sick to his stomach, knowing that someone like him had a power so powerful. Powerful enough to render the Squadron almost defenseless...

"I'd say so."

Those words escaped Terra as he stepped forward, right into the fray of the Afflicted.

Kinae jumped back from the aimless swings of a golem, using what little metal she had on her to block an attack, but nonetheless was sent barreling back toward her brother, knocking his now fragile body down to the ground alongside her.

"Shit!!" she cussed out with a groan, feeling it's harder to breathe. Her ribs were crushed. Each breath sounded as though a wheeze of weak air. Quick to notice, Joker held her up with a strained grunt, looking up to see the monster preparing a finishing hammer swing with his forearm.

"You nasty sonuvabitch..." he grunted, getting a sturdy stance, preparing for the swing to hit him. "My legs... they won't move. I'm sorry, Kinae. Looks like... I couldn't protect you after all."

As the first crashed down, everything seemed to slow down. Joker didn't dare look away from his killer. A disgusting, putrid, nobody. How fitting for someone as eccentric as him, he thought. How fitting...

. . .

Up in the nosebleeds watching the fight, Basilis was entertained by their struggle with amusement, finally sitting back in his chair with his head rested upon his chin.

"Ah... To watch Plague Doctors suffer..." he said to himself, letting out a cheeky snort. "Nothing is more satisfying. This was an Asclepius team, huh? Some of the best...? What a joke."

He raised his free hand, looking at the scars he suffered from beating his enemies in the past. It left him with a sour taste in his mouth.

"This new generation of Plague Doctors is a disgrace. Soon enough, I'll find that one who can fight without relying on something so shitty as an ideal. To fight using magic so potent... Real humanity is lost amongst us all."

In his sights, he watched the team rumble against the Afflicted goons, then closed his eyes... imagining a vivid past of the original Plague Doctors, fighting from the skin of their teeth.

"No Arcane. Just a will. An opportunity to make everyone equals. Nowadays, it's a bargain sale. Dime-a-dozen fuckwits, with no sense of humility."

His hand clenched, before he opened his eyes once more, the light from the ceiling making his sunglasses shine.

"Isn't the Plague a beautiful thing? Make everyone equal, just as it should be. Just as you all originally fought for. I'll take you all back to the old days, one by one."

CRACK!

With what sounded like a bat slamming against a fastball, the Afflicted suddenly tumbled away like a ragdoll, flying off of the arena, and into the depths below. Joker stood there, motionless. Still. Processing what just happened, he looked over to his right to see Terra, gritting his teeth while holding the bat post-swing over his shoulder, steam flowing off of it. Basilis watched in awe, snapping out of his inner monologue by seeing such a power still being exerted.

"What... the..." Joker weakly coughed out, before falling to his knees, making sure Kinae didn't fall down. "What did you...?"

Terra, gripping his bat rougher once more, walked away before he felt the need to explain. After all, Joker could already put two-and-two together, after their argument moments prior. Letting out a laugh, he let Kinae rest on his side, trying to mend her internal wounds to the best of his ability.

"What kinda luck does a motherfucker have... to turn misfortune into fortune...?"

The bald man was left agape, watching Terra walk along the arena in shock. "H-How did—" he gasped out, "How did he manage to—?!"

Fren, with a now broken arm from the sudden loss of his Arcane, danced around the swings of the mad Afflicted, panting from exhaustion. Whenever he got the chance, he ducked and weaved their attack into an assault of his own, landing quick jabs and kicks, and jumping back before caught. The shock absorption of the fat freaks was too much for him to deal enough damage with his Pressure, making him stumble back.

"Just now much can you take, eh?!" he gasped out, dodging one more hook from the monster, before he jumped back to gather himself. "Dios mio... Driving me insane over here, heh."

Netz jumped in next to him, scoffing.

"This is why I encourage we all keep Alchemical Tools." he barked out, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a small metal ball. Upon clicking a button on the middle, the contraption suddenly shot out into a metallic chakram, clad with a violet streak of energy flowing through it like a river along the black steel.

Fren let out a scoff, holding his broken arm with a smile. "Hindsight's twenty-twenty, mano. Things aren't looking good for me."

"Then stand back, if you think you'll be a hindrance."

With a quick snap of his wrist, Netz quickly threw his chakram at the Afflicted's arm, then snapped his fingers. With that snap, the chakram suddenly got a lightning aura around the blade, immediately curving to carve it's arm out with a thunderous slice, then with another snap, right back to Netz's hand. The monster let out a wail of pain as it's seared-off arm twitched in pain, where it was cut seemingly instantly cauterized from the heat and shock.

"I like to call it Feldgeister. A lightning spirit, who brings storms to my enemy." Netz happily explained, innocently feeling the steel of the large ring with a laugh. "Do you want another demonstration?"

Fren stared at him with a disgruntled groan. "Yeah yeah, having a backup plan is good. Very bueno, yes. I get it. Hella bueno." he sighed, waving it off nonchalantly.

That made Netz's eyebrow twitch, before flicking the chakram toward the monster once more, snapping with both his hands like a composer at an orchestra, sending the disc through the thick fatty flesh like scissors through paper. Back and forth, back and forth, until one snap from both hands caused a lightning bolt to pierce through every slice cut through it. Such a massive surge of energy caused the monster to abruptly combust, sending it's parts flying in all directions like a firework of cadavers.

"How about that? Mm? Want a weapon now?"

"I GET IT."

Meanwhile, Celeste alone stood in front of one of the Afflicted, keeping her feet separated and her gloved fists clenched in front of her. No matter if she lost her flame... a fire was still burning in her heart. That's all she needed to push forward.

With a sudden charge of the Afflicted, Celeste lept up into the sky, dodging it's body slam just barely. Upon landing down, she raised her fist above her head, landing a heavy uppercut to it's fatty stomach, causing the rippling flesh to step back. Her eyes narrowed, quickly glancing over to see a spinning lariat approach her. With a red trail being left behind from her eyes, she bent back like a limbo, dodging below the attack just barely. Letting out a growl, she cartwheeled back up to her feet, then launching herself toward the monster again. With a quick dash, seemingly disappearing to the naked eye, she began a machine-gun punch assault to it's stomach, watching the ripples form back more and more until the core of it's muscle was found, then suddenly landing a one-inch punch directly to the weak point, launching the freak back into the water. Such an onslaught left Celeste fatigued, without her flames to back up her barrage.

"Six down..." she muttered to herself, cracking her neck and catching her breath. "How many of these things does this Rat have? How is there so many...?"

Watching on as his Afflicted fighters were taken out one by one, even without their Arcane... It caused Basilis to watch on with an angerer wince.

"They are not... what the old days were like." he growled out, then finally grinning with a hearty laugh, "All, but you. A shame I tried to kill you, Terra... Just how far can you go?"

His eyes trailed over to Netz and Celeste, getting back his grimace of disgust.

"The Plague is rich in those two, too... It's sickening. Their fighting reminds me of those golden days... It's a disgrace. But you..."

His eyes finally glared at Fren, baring his teeth in hatred.

"You... are a bastard. Using the Plague to undo your mistakes... It's too late for a monster like you. You're exactly what this world deserves with this drug."

Basilis finally stood up, watching on as the last Afflicted is taken out by Celeste, leaving just the Plague Doctors in the arena once again. Staring down, his gaze was met by Terra's own, as if sparks were bouncing in the air from just their eyes.

"Evening the odds." Terra simply said, pointing his bat at Basilis once more with furrowed brows. "It's over for you, baldy."

The crowd finally grew silent, watching on in fear. To think, this small group of Plague Doctors can fight off so many Afflicted... Especially so taken over by the Plague as they are... It was shocking. To ease the tension, Basilis then raised his hand, as if to prepare for a signal.

"Say, Plague Doctors... How do you feel about one more challenge?"

Just as he asked that, Terra lunged his arm back, before suddenly throwing his bat like a spear right at Basilis' head. During the last possible moment, he dodged the blunt spear, as the velocity and force alone caused the bat to penetrate the steel wall, getting stuck in it. The Rat watched in fear, slowly looking back at Terra with a quivering body.

Terra was unmoving. Anger, rich in his eyes. Watching his abuser cower made him smile finally, clenching his fist while still pointing it at him.

"TRY ME."

The confidence made Basilis shake in a desperate rage as well, finally lowering his hand.

"ATLAS! BREAK THEM ALL!!!"

With those words, a giant hatch opened up from the side of the wall, which released a massive hand, easily the size of two men at least. It was clad in stone, decrepit and enriched with moss, intertwining between the cracks. With each movement, the entire boat began to sway and shake. A metallic cry pierced the anticipating silence, as it's face finally peeked out from the shadows of the hatch. Eyes, ethereal. Glowing as if the green street lights in the city.

That's when it roared, deafening everyone in the arena. A cry so loud, the water began to crash against the pole that held up the arena platform. Oddly enough... it sounded as though in pain, despite is ferocity.

As the Plague Doctors uncovered their ears, they looked at the colossus with hopelessness. Kinae, still wheezing while holding her ribs, let out a pained grunt at the sight.

"H-How the heck... do we deal with THAT?!" she barked out, beginning to cough again, and falling back into Joker's arms. The skeleton man backed up, holding her securely while watching on.

"We need to get out of here...! Without our Arcanes, there's nothing we can do against that thing!"

"We can't go. That Afflicted has to go." Celeste said with a serious stare, slightly grinning. "No matter what, they... have to go. We can't run now."

"Y'crazy chick, do you SEE THAT?! THAT SUCKA IS AT LEAST NINETY-PERCENT TAKEN OVER!" Joker screamed, holding Kinae tightly, "WE DON'T HAVE ARCANES, AND MY SISTER IS HOLDING ON TO HER LIFE GODDAMMIT! GET THAT NOTION OUT OF YOUR ASS!!"

Despite it all, Celeste kept staring forward, cracking her knuckles. Joker had a defeated smile, letting out a laugh.

"Y'really are a piece of shit sometimes, aren't you...?"

"There's nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide. Just us, and our enemy." Netz added in, getting a menacing smile. "If you aren't crazy... If you aren't a piece of shit... This isn't the job for you."

Joker then looked at Fren, who even despite having a broken arm, looked towards the earthen giant in front of them.

"Y-You too?! Your arm is broken, and yet you're that much of a dumbass to try and fight...?!" he asked, sounding more defeated as he spoke.

Fren clenched his arm, scoffing.

"Someone needs to take out this pendejo. Is it gonna be you, or me?" he simply said, looking back at Joker with that same Plague-infested grin he once had years ago.

Finally, the skeleton looked towards Terra.

"...You too."

Terra didn't pry his eyes away from the giant, with no weapon in his hands anymore. Just a young man, with nothing but his determination. His ingenuity. His pride.

"I'm not gonna let Basilis escape. You should know that by now."

Joker shook his head, sighing.

"Just what do you... hope to do...? You don't even have that Alchemical Tool of yours anymore."

Terra gritted his teeth, before closing his eyes.

"I saved your life, didn't I? Have at least a little hope in me. Besides..."

It's then he clenched his fists tighter, pointing at Basilis while keeping his head facing forward.

"I never lose a gamble."