“You only have ten minutes.” the Faust informs with a scent of threat. “Ten minutes before the train restarts.”

…Sage flower…if that wasn’t obvious enough…

“Salvia…Salvia…why the hell do they want you dead?” Suiming asks , to himself and the

Faust behind him.

“Why are you all so obsessed with moral dilemma? All I want is to save him…”

He knows that there is no time left.

Right as his hand touches the door , it locks by itself. Suiming can tell that this is a fold spacetime. Possibly generated by realm-arts. Or in the worst case…the hounds.

“The School of Lantern believes human’s minds are the holy grail to everything.” the Faust says.

“But what does it have to do with you lot?” Suiming asks.

“It will one day.” the Faust answers.

“I’ll agree with you on that one.” a voice says in Euthian.

A Siyuenese man in white , sitting in the corner. He seems to not sleep for a few days. Eyes are dim and uncentered.Slightly resembling Suiming of yesterday’s moon phase.

“Miss Seren , do you have experience dealing with hounds?” the man asks.

“Quite an expert. Why do you need that information? Getting a pet?” Seren says as she slightly smiles.

“It's not a joke , formal Letter-Writer.”

“We are in a fold spacetime…almost impossible to create without a violet level mythical item or abnormality.” he says as he look to Suiming.

Nine minutes left.

“I don’t remember seeing you in ‘blue box’...” Suiming says with a slight frown.

The man didn't answer. He tosses a red thread tied with copper coins to Suiming , he catches it. The coins are heart-stinging, yet comforting like a campfire in the darkest forests.

Suiming recognize that it is a mythical item in the first glance. He wonders if this can get him some…extra help.

“Thanks.”

The invisible reality opens a cut. That seems as empty as the sky. From the wound of nothing , an wicked limb striked onto the floor. Breaking the footstep-stained ground.

Screeching the man made ground as more wounds opened. The hound crawls out as the Faust stands up.

“Protocol 137.1…”

“Time has changed , Professor Sharded-Light.” the scholar says as silver limbs expand from his body.

“The power of the Unknown Existence? Oh wait , School of Faust…they are always good at things like that.” Suiming thought to himself.

“And you’ve already lost.” the Faust says as one of the limbs fly past Suiming’s head.

“I am sorry , but I can’t let you reach Salvia,” he continues.

“I don’t need your permission.” Suiming answers , frowning.

“I’m afraid we have to cross fists then.”

Seven minutes left.

Suiming sees that Barricade in the reflection of the window. Like a farmer waiting for the storm to end to harvest the crops.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

He swallows as he plays with the coin and throwed the sack away.

Suiming’s eyes reflect the Faust’s silhouette and so is the Faust looking at him. His clothes are torn apart by the uncountable silver limbs that are lined towards Suiming.

The man punches Seren in the stomach. Seren shouted a few swear words to herself , then thanked the man , she doesn’t seem to mind it at all. Even…a little bit…relieved?

He then gave Suiming a look. Like saying: “Let’s get this over quick.”

“Leave the hounds to us.” he says as he grabs a pile of talisman.

Suiming can’t tell why , but he feels trust in the man’s word. Like they were partners in the dance pool. Like a sheath and its sword.

But there is something off about that man. Suiming can’t tell that ‘off’ feeling like a pitch black puzzle on a black board is missing a piece.

“Should I feel honored or not?”

“To fight against the First Mephisto himself.” the Faust says as Suiming approaches him.

One of Suiming’s hands hides in his pocket. Holding onto the red thread of the coins.

“We are blessed by the same one…hehe…The Mother of All…”

“I say we both go to a doctor.” Suiming jokes as his hand pushes the silver hands away.

Six minutes.

Suiming whips out the red thread and uses the coins as a blade. He has no idea on how to use this mythical item , but they are sure handy as a blunt weapon.

The limbs tangoed with Suiming as he gets rid of the sticky partner.

The coins crushed down to the Faust’s body , leaving scars and finger-long wounds as the dragon and the bird from Siyuenese twenty eight star mansions flood out of his realm-arts.

All the constellations crashed at the Faust. But the silver replaces the flesh in a second. Suiming can’t even tell anymore if the scholar is laughing or screaming.

They clashed and rolled on the ground as the coins slashed the scholar’s face.

The battle went slower than he thought. Suiming knows he doesn’t have much time left.

The regeneration of his is a pain in the back…Ahh , I wish I had handy realm-arts like Nameless…or Acryl at least…

Their blood puddled on the ground as white talismans and Seren’s realm-arts burned. Suiming’s blue suit turned into purple. A color that matches up with his emotion. Not hatred , not gloomy and not regret, yet all of the above combined. A feeling that he wants to spit out from his mouth.

He rolls as he avoids the spear-alike silver limbs. Slithering through the claws of hounds.

In the reflection of his own blood , he sees that Barricade in white. And the solar eclipse from his buried memory.

“One last piece of advice , don’t step into the puddle of Tomkiel , Professor Sharded-Light.”

“It’s…not a puddle.”

“Is a…sea.”

“A sea that buried the three doctors.”

Three minutes.

They are both heavily breathing like the invisible hand of fate chokes them.

Suiming’s realm-arts isn’t combat specialized. It isn’t specialized in anything , so it can do pretty much anything.

The clunky movement of the Faust creates enough opportunities for Suiming.

Solidified constellations ricochets forwards. Fish flops on the ground as the oil from the silver star vase pours on the Faust’s silver body.

Suiming is barely standing on his own. The copper coin hangs down his hand like he’s holding his own breaking arm.

“Seren , fire!” Suiming yells as the night-fire of Seren’s realm-arts burns.

“Why do you need Salvia dead?! Is Tomkiel not having enough entertainment?!” Suiming yells , the copper coins crash down to the burning Faust like raindrops.

“I’m sorry Sharded-Light , but You mustn't go to Tomkiel.” the Faust says as his flesh creaked.

“Kaspar ordered us to kill you and Salvia.”

Kaspar? The current Mephisto? How did he know I was going to Tomkiel?

One minute.

Suddenly , his views are taken up by the uncountable amount of light-up limbs of the Faust.

Melts through the floating constellations of Suiming’s realm-arts. Through the piles of hounds , they push Suiming against the end of the coach.

He coughs out the violet-ish blood as Seren deactivates her realm-arts.

Thirty seconds.

Suiming knows that he doesn’t have much time left. The passive position he is now makes it even worse.

Seren’s realm-arts can’t help me…I’ll be burned into crisp…And that Siyuenese guy…he did enough…

I must get the upper hand.

He sees Fosfor in the blood reflection again. At this point he can’t even tell who’s soul will be collected. Suddenly , an idea struck him like a lightning bolt.

“I wonder…”

“If I could borrow a hand from a Barricade…”

“Don’t know if they are on shift today.” Suiming says with a smile that seemed like a lunatic laugh. The realm-arts of his summons a mirror. A mirror that reflects the blood reflection.