Inside the depths of Romul, lay a hidden chambers. All Praetors visit these ancient halls once, to implant the seed of their life, of their 'Sea.

Hundreds of vials sat upon pedestals, droplets of varying Tides residing inside the specialized glass. One shook dangerously, signaling the doom of its owner.

The Keeper, standing eternally in watch, rang the alarm through their communicator. Though, they knew it was too late.

* The Chamber Of Depths.

Hana lowered her raised hands with utmost caution, inching away from the fallen Rosa while dissipating her watery weaponry. She spoke to the rat, knowing it possessed intelligence, “Okay. Okay. Okay. We don’t have to fight now. Those things out there are the real enemy for now. We can do this later.”

Beside the widely regarded strongest Anathema, Melody gaped and pointed at the groaning Miro as Rosa recovered from the crash, “What!? They were with that human! The Martian killed Zed?” her fingers clenched closed a second later as she tossed aside her intentions. “No. You’re right. We can’t stay outside any longer.”

A simultaneous nod emerged from Hana and the rat, which Joan appeared to be. The former wouldn’t have allied with Melody if it weren’t for her logical thinking. However, the latter bobbed her tiny head as she foresaw this.

The Dirge weren’t suicidal, after all. They were only a little insane compared to Joan herself.

As such, the two grounds fell into a deadlock. Eyes pressed into Rosa’s flesh as she stood wearily and limped to Joan. With a whisper, she addressed the rat holding a spike of bone against the glass, “Tides retain their full power in your damned ‘elixirs.’ Couldn’t you have told me that?”

Absent of the slightest hint of emotion, Joan’s rat-face shook its head. Then, the doctor pointed out the window with a slim claw.

The house’s attention shifted from violence and tension to the figures standing right outside. Dozens of human-like countenances with mundane clothes and looks stared into the residence. Chills shrouded each individual inside, including the ‘fearless’ Dirge.

However, as one looked closer, they could see over the creatures' heads. Across the street, the diner lights bloomed, and within the broad windows, a man stood.

Claudius Vermillion.

Behind him, several more squinted their eyes, peering beyond the gap, but only the Judge stared without any impairment. The eyes of a Seer were not so easily befuddled.

Rosa’s voice shifted an octave, and relief flooded her mind. She waved toward her Judge and once more tried her specialized communicator. Static was all that echoed from the device.

“Shit. He can’t hear us. Hey! You two! Look for a pen or pencil! We need to write to communicate with them!” Rosa’s shout ricocheted through the house, locked within the surrounding walls.

The woman shifted her gaze, pulling open a nearby drawer until Hana said, “I can use my Tide to write in the air.”

Melody and Rosa turned to face Hana. Neither could believe her words, asking in unison, “You can write?”

The vast majority of Dirge, Anathema or otherwise, couldn’t read or write. Only those who had lived long lives without being forced into reincarnation had the time to learn such mundane things. Most Anacruxes could but among the ‘Thema?

Hana was a rare breed indeed. Even Astraeus only knew the simplest of written words. A translator would only help with other languages but couldn’t teach one how to write. Scientists had not yet understood the complex and fine-tuned inner workings of brains. At least not to the open public.

With a nod, the Hydro strode to the window as Rosa retreated to another closed sheet of glass. She held a hand against it while Joan continued to sit on the original window frame.

The rat peered up at the Dirge while the latter began to write, following Rosa’s words, “Claudius. We. Safe. Rosa. Joan. Lucius. Who? You?”

They had to keep the message short, for only one word could be drawn out of water large enough to be read across the street. However, the floating liquid worked, and the group of five soon received a response.

Even Melody walked over, peeking into the window and over the eerie creatures that refused to utter a single word. Together, those who could read spoke Claudius’ response equally made of Hydro, “Don’t. Open. Door. Me. Talander. Yue. Sonna. Rejo. Astraeus. Where. Is. Eight?”

A moment later, the cracking of bone resounded. Joan, with her form-fitting clothes fabricated for such incredible stretching, shivered from the transformation. Once she was back in her four-armed state, the doctor immediately rushed to Lucius, doing what she could to help his condition without medicine.

As she did so, Melody and Hana gnashed their teeth upon hearing Rejo’s name. Joan gave them only a glance after a knowing laugh, “Ah. Dante and Rejo got you bad, huh? Damn good team. Don’t hold it on them, though. All’s fair in murder and robbing Empires of their goods.”

Both glared at the doctor yet left her to her devices. Joan glanced over for a moment while the discussion continued, manipulating her Tide to create a trim scalpel.

“Eight? Did you see him, Joan? What about you two, adolescent boy... Seems like Tianshe-hybrid of some kind? With a briefcase and can teleport?” Rosa questioned the Dirge after the surgeon, receiving only rustling heads instead.

She lowered her eyes until the near her Hydro asked, “What about this Dante? Where did he go? That was the human, correct?” Hana’s hopeful question emerged soon after the initial confirmation. “Is he dead?”

Again, no one knew for sure. As such, Hana thought up a reply while wishing she had the chance to kill the three who forced her to enter without ample preparations. Then she wrote it into the air out of water, “Unknown. Dante. Unknown. Seen. Geist. Ghost?”

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

The inquiry into the Caesar who brought her here received a swift reply, “No. Will. We. Fight. Morning. After. They. Leave?”

This proposition targeted Hana and Melody in particular. Inside the diner, Claudius had already come to terms with Astraeus’ presence. He would deal with him for the time being as he saved many lives before the entry into the Inferose. Had the Frigo not fought Hana and Melody alongside Rejo and Dante, Claudius’ whole Jury may have perished.

However, the Judge did not bury the hatchet. He only moved the time it would sink into Astraeus’ neck to a further date. Both were aware of this.

When it came to Hana, though, things were entirely different. Astraeus had toppled one planet. He was only the catalyst, not the genuine destroyer. Hana was different. The Gunwale had slain several planets in search of power.

Her Domain Collapse brought the might of her Tide to newfound heights, allowing her to raze a world and cut off their SOS signals.

Furthermore, Claudius knew Astraeus and his abilities. Hana and Melody, however, were unknowns, which raised his vigilance.

In any other place, he wouldn’t have asked such a question. He would have just ambushed Hana after careful preparation. But his mission here wasn’t her death. It was the Inferose’s core, and after witnessing the lethality of the monsters within the MD, he found himself desiring its power.

This place was mighty. More than Congress thought. More than the Empires thought. It was beyond the imagination of anyone who arrived on Gladius C seeking an edge.

Perhaps only Praetor Sun held this MD at the appropriate height in her mind. Neither of the two parties was aware of the Praetor’s battle outside. Still, she held nothing back, prepared to die for victory.

The question of conflict lingered in the air for several minutes as Hana and Melody shared a glance. The latter spoke first in their discussion, “How does he know they’ll leave?”

Hana shrugged but found no fault in Claudius’ words, “Dunno. But they weren’t here while it was day. Only after the ‘sun’ set. I think... we don’t fight. With all their numbers and wounded... we can outrun them. All we have to do is watch out for the schizophrenic.”

The two Dirge had long discussed Rejo’s madness. They had never heard of a Domain Collapse with such odd behavior before, even Mystique ones, other than from the truly insane.

Haile, one of the famed Sovereign Talents of the galaxy, held her factionless position thanks to her impossible Domain Collapse. After just a few exchanges, she could completely control someone, deciding their life and death.

The Araki’s wasn’t so absurd, but it wasn’t that far. Its strength would be linearly scaled with the figure it was attached to. In fact, in Hana’s mind, such a thing was only possible because he had set it up for such a weak individual in the first place. Had he chosen a more powerful being to set the connection to, it likely would have directly backfired or killed him after the one use.

Everyone knew the Lightsea did not grant strength without first taking its commission.

Hana and Melody continued their talk for several more minutes while Rosa shuffled over to Joan, ensuring proximity to a window with the monsters. The Tianshe and Harenlar stood beside each other, quiet for a bit.

Eventually, the Judge-to-be opened her mouth, “Can you create some poisons for those two? Seems we’ll have to fight them, eventually.”

“Hmm... Maybe. Aren’t Miros immune to poison, though?” Joan’s acknowledgment wasn’t quite what Rosa wanted to hear. The doctor remained in a location with no tools and an entire dimension away from her portable lab on their ship.

Rosa nodded but lifted a slim finger toward the more dreadful Dirge. She lowered her voice to a mere hum and said, “Mostly. Hana is the bigger threat. Make something for her.”

“Okay,” Joan spoke simply, not deigning to share any more details as she continued helping Lucius. She wrapped the lingering wound with cloth, packing the injuries as much as she could. Then, she fed him, taking the rotten food from the table and slicing it up with the scalpel to feed him.

She wasn’t worried about poisoning or making the man ill. Martian physiques were robust, even in such a condition. His survival hinged on their providing nourishment. Without calories and nutrients, even the most peerless body would falter.

And so, hours passed as the Seacursed and the Seablessed stood opposite sides of the house. The former tended to the Martian while the latter gazed across, pondering their next move. Rosa dozed off, only awakening upon the glimmer of morning light sprinkling through the window.

With frantic blinking, the Tianshe shook in alarm. Her body shifted in a flash, and she stood up from the chair to find Joan fiddling with Lucius’ body. Melody and Hana sat inches from the door, prepared to leave at any second.

“What are you doing to him?” Rosa pressed Joan for an answer.

The doctor replied with nonchalance, as if such a thing were normal, “I’m seeing how my experiment did. Quite good. I think with just a few minor changes, Brute will be done. The question is... what’s next? Rat is escape, Pouncer is mobility and assassination, while Juggler is an excellent method of ranged attack. Brute is, of course, raw physical strength with the benefit of regeneration. Any ideas, you three?”

Heads turned to Joan just as the door across the road dinged open, the bell chime announcing Claudius’ exit. Upon seeing the Judge stepping out of the building with his hand on his Executioner, the pair of Anathemas ran away.

They were outnumbered and had already experienced a fight against Astraeus and Rejo. The former was strong with a tricky Domain Collapse, while the latter was the primary reason none of their enemies had fallen.

Mojo was a Stigmata that looked simple in design and use, but Rejo brought out its fullest potential with his madness. Even if the brains of the operation weren’t here, neither wanted a rematch with so many more enemies.

Hana believed in her Domain Collapse’s ability to overwhelm Astraeus, but there were simply too many unknowns. Zed, a Miro that both respected, had died to just one of these people.

Out the back door, both escaped, running with incredible speed. As they rushed, Rosa noticed Hana’s arms had fully recovered. Joan saw her surprise and explained, “I turned on the sink while you were sleeping to give some water to Lucius. Who knew her Stigmata let her heal with water...”

Curses dripped from Rosa’s mouth, but she didn’t wait any longer. She lifted Lucius from the table and brought him out the door, staggering toward the Martian’s crew.

Shortly, two groups stood across from one another on the road. They had already merged into their sides, though they stared at a torn-apart corpse on the ground.

Its origins were apparent, some kind of Dirge with bizarre snow-like flesh. However, such a discovery only exacerbated the worry in their hearts. Claudius raised his gaze from the dead Frigo to look at Sonna, Rejo, Joan, and Astraeus, with the Araki now carrying the unconscious Martian.

Behind Claudius hid Rosa, Talander, and Yue. It was four against four, with a fifth incapacitated. The numbers were even, yet neither side held confidence against the other.

Both were missing some of their most influential figures, namely Eight and Dante. The Vermillion Jury traditionally boasted more raw power, yet without the Cryo, they had lost the edge. However, it was unknown how they would genuinely fare in a battle without Dante to lead the misfits.

The crew existed as a beast with many heads, all pulling in different directions. None of their eyes sat on the same mountain, which remained their greatest weakness.

Astraeus’ presence shifted the balance, though. Claudius eyed him warily and spoke, “Let’s split up here. We need to head toward the light for the core, but I don’t think we should go all in today. Slow is fast. Fast is slow. Who knows who else got in here? Shall we return to the diner at night?”

The tenuous allies agreed on their meeting point, though it was unknown if anyone truly intended to return. Claudius left first, having his Jury follow him out of the town. They eyed the old-fashioned and ancient buildings oddly before disappearing over the hill.

Such left Astraeus with Dante’s crew. Joan immediately stepped up to him and poked his flesh while whispering observations under her breath. The Frigo ignored her, long understanding her oddities through Dante. The Anathema opened the mouth on his shifting face as his features settled toward the bottom of his jaw, “Dante told me much about all of you. Mostly Rejo and Joan, but bits about the rest. Happy to meet you all. I hope we can work together until we find Dante in here.”

Joan raised an eyebrow, gazing at the taller figure while measuring his hands, “He’s in here?”

“Yes. Should have come in right after me with that Eight fellow. I didn’t tell the Judge that,” Astraeus spoke honestly.

The Anathema fit right in as Rejo soared a high-five toward the man. Astraeus lifted his own in defense without knowing what to do, and the two met with a loud clap. After a sharp fit of laughter, Rejo patted Astraeus on the back, “See? He’s not so bad! I know we fought him before, but he didn’t kill any of us. Dante wouldn’t let him. He’s really strong, though! You should have seen us against Hana and Melody! Oh! And Dante’s amazing! He was practically immortal! Sure, his Hydro didn’t compare to Hana’s...”

Sonna covered the rambling Araki’s mouth with her devouring mist, eating the noise as it left his mouth. Hardly a peep slipped through the Arido as she stood up to the Anathema herself. Sonna felt the least comfortable about adding a murderer of such scale to their operation. Definitely not the crew.

She thrust a finger toward the Frigo, not taking no for an answer, “Promise you won’t attack us. I’m not as insane as these two are. Lucius would be the same if he were awake. Swear on the Lightsea.”

Astraeus sighed, lowering his head. The Dirge knew ahead of time that only a few of them would possibly trust him. Sonna wasn’t as comfortable with violence as the others were, and Lucius’ beliefs may require a feud of death between them. Thankfully, the soldier wasn’t conscious when they met.

“I promise. I swear I won’t hurt any of you unless you hurt Thanaris or me. Or Dante.”

The oath entered the air and echoed into the bright atmosphere, reflecting the pure-white snow around them. Sonna breathed deeply, preparing herself to work alongside such a monster.

“I got it! A Dirge! I’ll make a Biotic to turn someone into their element like a Dirge!” Joan proclaimed with profound fondness as she held up a snowflake, previously peeled off Astraeus’ flesh. It had blended into the man’s abyssal flesh.

Then she relaxed, realizing that she had long lived with a monster. Rejo nodded to the doctor before Sonna merely strode away. She didn’t head in Claudius’ direction but a bit to the side.

Rejo had already marked the Judge with his Mojo, not that Cladius knew. They could use it to verify the other group’s location if need be. The crew had agreed to help Claudius, but only until the entrance.

Now that they were inside...

Sonna’s lips grew as she demonstrated her own brand of developing insanity.

Perhaps with the core... I, too, can become strong.