Touji's kidnapper and simultaneously his savior leaped between rooftops in a movement methodic and brisk. The wind blew against Touji's face and hair, his eyes watering from the strain. Traveling in a similar fashion to Santa was never something he had ever really envisioned himself doing in his lifetime and something about it didn't particularly sit well with him as it would most people.

"Excuse me miss. Why are we airborne? Are the roads not to your liking?" Mind you this is not a normal reaction to this type of situation as it was apparent that the early signs of complacencies with the abnormal and nonsensical were taking root in the confused mind of Touji.

"Ya got humor kid. I dig that." Selkia shouted. She leaped again, this time landing gently on the stone shackles of a nearby candy shop he had once visited on his trip with Odja. Touji screamed as he frantically locked his arms around Selkia's waist squeezing his cheek against her exposed waist.

"What's your name kid?" The woman laughed warmly, aptly enjoying herself at the ongoing spectacle of feat the young lad displayed.

"Put me down, please."

"My names Selkia. Let's get along."

She smiled at him, her lips forming a charming smirk.

-Get along my ass. Talk about traumatic encounters.

Touji was conflicted with the idea of being carried by a half-naked lady into a place quite reminiscent of a red-light district and mind you, this didn't mean he disliked it but it embarrassment wasn't an emotion he wanted to be feel considering the circumstance. Also the dagger located on her belt made the journey one full of discomfort.

As he tried to calm down, slowing his breath, closing his eyes when appropriate he started to question what sort of magic allowed you to fly for short distances at a time. Watching the peculiarity of the human with sky blue hair, he noticed she would raise her right hand before every jump as a glint of light reflected off her fingerless glove. There appeared to be extremely thin wires attached to her fingertips.

-Huh. Neat.

The city walls towered above them, the roofs seemingly built far below their shadows, the sun reflecting off the tiles, giving the area an orange hue. The fortress appeared even more monstrous than he remembered, its many watch towers piercing the sky over the walls of every ring. This was a point of internal discussion as he had not realized that there were inner walls that separated each ring.

-Were they always there?

Selkia once again landed on another shop, sliding across its smooth roof before coming to a stop. Crouching down, she loosened her grip over Touji lightly dropping him on the, for lack of a better word, floor.

She peered over the roof's edge, letting her cloak swing in the wind, causing Touji to face a different direction as there were a few minor things he wished not to see.

"Looks like we are in the clear." Selkia placed her two fingers onto her forehead as if to say she was signing off, but this was obviously not the intention of the gesture.

They slipped down into the alleyway below, Touji's feet landing softly against the trash covered cobble stone which had likely been placed there on purpose for one such occasion. Selkia then grabbed a bag stashed behind the rubbish and quite roughly shoved it into his arms. Touji untied the strap and lifted the lid. The edge of a bright red apple was visible under the cloth.

"These will at least last you a few days."

-If anything lasts past today, I'll be impressed.

"We will travel on foot from now to the gate to avoid suspicion."

Touji's stomach began to rumble. He had not eaten breakfast, and for all this exercise to have happened in the morning he was quite accurately famished.

Selkia peered around the corner, examining the path for any unwanted visitors.

"Will Fairial be, okay?" Touji asked.

Selkia didn't respond immediately.

"She's a tough one. I'm sure she'll be fine. Especially with Draken around." She replied.

"..."

"He sorta looks out for everyone in his own way."

Touji slung the sack around his back and followed Selkia out the alley. They passed by the few houses and shops, the civilians passing glances at them from a distance.

-Stay calm. Act like you live here.

They soon arrived at a junction with an exit from the inner city.

"We could climb the walls but that would attract far too much security but once we reach the outermost wall, gate 46-B to be exact, we will have a carriage waiting for you. You are going to have a blast with Almont and Segio."

-Alright. I'll take your word for it, whoever they may be.

He nodded. They continued on between the third rings entrance, leaving Touji fairly surprised at the lack of security as Selkia's previous statements had implied otherwise. He could tell that they were quickly approaching the slums as the buildings became more worn and neiborhood's shadier.

Touji spotted a familiar scene up ahead. The burning embers of multiple houses still simmered from the explosions that one terrible night. That was actually a good question though. What had caused this much destruction?

Touji gently raised his hand as if he was in the middle of class. "What happened here?"

Selkia's pace came to a halt, her expression becoming somewhat somber.

"Wait here."

Before Touji could object, she was off around the curve.

-What the hell.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

He remained stationary, a few city goers walking past him. He leaned against the wall, the sack in his hand sliding down the side. He closed his eyes and breathed out.

"Thank god."

He zoned out, drowning himself in his own thoughts. Things had seemed to calm down at least for now and he hoped that he finally would have a break from all the chaos. He stretched the bridge of his nose. His hands shook.

-I'm fine. See I was making a joke earlier. See, I'm okay. Everything will be fine. They will find Chylum. Fairial will. She will. If she's alive. Then they'll be fine. Me too. I'll be fine. I can do this. I can't die either right? I gotta take care of myself. I-I'm not fine.

A man in a cloak emerged from the crowd, his hood concealing his face. His pace was fast closing the gap between them.

Touji jolted his hand, throwing the away the sack and jumping back.

"What the he-"

The man stretched out his hands doing his best to grab hold of his wrist. Touji jumped back into the street as a game of tag began. Suddenly an expression of pain and agony came over the man's face as a small object protruded from his back, his body collapsing to the floor and crawling pathetically towards Touji. The cloaked figure tried desperately to reach out, his hand mere inches from Touji's leg.

Selkia leaped in front of the man, her arms spread wide blocking Touji from getting closer.

"Get back Touji!"

She flicked her wrists as wires shot out in every direction, cutting his arms clean off of his shoulders.

Touji was speechless, his eyes frozen in disbelief. The severed limbs writhed over the cobble stone, a small puddle of blood pooling around them.

"WHAT IS GOING ON?!!!" Touji screamed, his voice shaking.

Selkia's eyebrows creased.

"Don't let them touch you. If they touch you, you're dead."

"What do you mean they?"

The roof suddenly became infested with guards clad in white garbs; their swords drawn.

"How did you find us?"

"We didn't." A man stepped forward, his Sargent badge sparkling as he held it high above his chest. "Following is much easier and more efficient than finding. You and your rooftop antics don't exactly help you much when we have bored watchers stationed at every tower. Besides what were you expecting? We are the military. It's not like we're paid to do this."

Selkia clicked her toungue, her eyes darting back and forth looking for a way out.

"Well, this is bad."

Touji hid himself behind Selkia. His anger boiling as his temper flared.

"I am so damn sick of this!" He exclaimed. "Why do you keep chasing me?! What do you even want?"

"We are of this too. This cat and mouse chase was fun while it lasted, but your time has run out. We simply allowed you to exist but now it's become inconvenient for the counsel. So, as you can see, even the roofs have been covered so unless you can fly your wires won't get you out of this one my lady."

"Question. Is big mouth part of the Sargent requirements or what because you guys seem to have that in common." Selkia then slashed her wrists, flicking wires in his direction. The Sargent ducked but the wires instead turned in midair and embedded themselves into his back.

"Arks attack. Healers get to work." Another soldier shouted.

Selkia quickly retracted the wires as several archers fired arrows at them. Wires and wooden arrows engulfed Touji's view. The arrows were caught and sliced into pieces, falling uselessly to the ground.

"Touji, keep yourself behind me. Don't move and stay calm. I need to know where you are at all times."

He nodded frantically.

The archers continued firing, Selkia managing to catch each and every arrow, slicing them to bits. In the meantime, the Sargent had helped himself up and began commanding his troops once more as the healers tended to his wounds.

"Archers keep it up. Arks cast."

To Touji's dismay the ground became covered in what appeared to be magic circles, each one glowing with an individual color. Selkia whipped her wrist, her wires shooting towards the Sargent.

"Touji against the wall!" she commanded.

Touji obeyed and pressed himself into the corner as the wires seemed to grow in length as they all shot themselves into the ark’s chests.

"Arks activate." This command came a few seconds too late as multiple circles deactivated simultaneously.

Selkia quickly jumped back, pulling the wires along with her. As she did the circles flashed, emitting lightning spears out of the grounds, the bolts rushing straight up.

Touji was once again beginning to understand how terrible this alternate reality was. In all the shows and comics, magic users would stand around shooting singular laser beams at one another and maybe if they were extremely powerful, they could make it rain magic arrows. Reality was much harsher. Simply by activating them on the ground made it practically impossible to dodge if stood on directly.

Unfortunately, Selkia failed to retract her wires fast enough as they some got caught over a circle. She screamed as the electricity traced the metal and entered her body. She began convulsing violently before her leg went limp, long before the magic subsided.

"Selkia!" Touji's instincts took over as he rushed to her side. He placed his hands over her neck, his fingers reaching for a pulse. Immediately six guards jumped them, their swords raised.

-Why am I so useless? From the beginning up to the very end I have always been useless. Do something you son of a bitch!

As if in response to his plea, blood began to enter the vessels in his eyes, turning them black as they swelled and inflated. He let go of Selkia as a sudden urge took hold of him. Blood began leaking from the corners of his eyelids, the blood running down his cheeks and chin.

-Do something.

Time became slow again.

-Something.

His hands began to sweat, the veins popping out. He peered at the world around him from within himself. Something was off. It was a thing he had almost forgotten about. Black lines of smoke, six to be exact, all come out of Touji and Selkia's hearts. Each created a B-line to the tips of each assailant's sword.

-DO SOMETHING!

He pulled the girl away from the smokey substance, the lines now appearing to spike the ground where they had just lay. Time sped back up as the swords hit exactly at the same point the black substance. Touji peered at the circles on the ground as the black smoke drifted out.

It dawned on him.

Touji pulled a dagger out of Selkia's belt. He stood up, the guards stepping back, preparing for the next attack.

Three lines appeared from the enemies' swords. One making a straight line at his heart. Another was aiming for his neck. Another in his stomach.

-Give me Chylum back.

Time slowed again as the guards charged.

Touji began taking slow breaths. His eyes expanding, the dark orbs taking up the entire socket. A sword flung itself at his chest. He sidestepped plunging the knife into the soldier's neck. He ducked the smoke aimed at his neck, sliding onto the ground and cutting the tendons off another soldier's foot. The smoke of the third disappeared as that guard stopped his assault.

Touji jumped back onto his feet. Time resumed once again as two of the soldiers collapsed.

-Ah. I killed someone. I had to do it. I did. I really did. I was forced too. It was self-defense. There was no other way.

The other four soldiers stood in astonishment.

"What is happening?"

Time slowed again as smoke lines appeared from all the archers bows. Touji's simply threw himself in the opposite direction of the lines. The arrows were released, landing only inches away.

-Ah, but I was afraid this would happen. This is exactly why I didn't want to fight.

A blade was thrown in his direction. Touji tilted his head avoiding death by a millimeter.

He rushed in, his body dodging every smoke line with ease. A blade was swung at him, Touji bent back allowing the sword to pass overhead. He followed by lodging the knife into the guard's temple, the knife bouncing off the skull and slashing up the man's ear. The third and fourth guards swung their swords simultaneously, Touji dropping onto his knees slashing at their ankles.

-I had too. I had too. I had too.

A guard tackled Touji from behind. Strangely the black lines didn't appear to inform Touji of this attack and he was powerless against the sheer strength of his opponent. His breath became short as the soldier's arm slowly crushed his throat. The light gently faded till at last, he was gone.

-I hope at least Selkia survives. She still had a pulse.

***

He awoke. Coughing and gasping. His eyes bleeding profusely, the red liquid covering his vision. He found himself still on the street beside the blue-haired partner, the numerous corpses of officers surrounding him. He and Selkia were being dragged along by their collars.

A young voice was heard from the transporter.

"Hey mister, you're awake."

His head was gently let down, his blurry eyesight struggled to make out the transporters face.

"Ya got some stuff in ya."

As his eyes came into focus Touji suddenly exclaimed, "You... did all this?"

Foss rubbed a splatter of blood off of his face and smiled with a dorky expression.