“No matter how hard I try, I’ll never be as strong as him…but I can Support where I can. I can make a difference if I just follow his Justice.” - Erin, The Lost Diaries, Vol. IV.
Clover shoved the woman forward when she slowed, ignoring her cries and whimpers, all while passively analyzing the scents and passing heat that affected the atmosphere; it was like peering back in time, yet it was far from perfect in this controlled environment. The chemicals the facility sanitation team used were beyond anything she knew before humanity’s collapse.
She kept them at a mildly brisk pace, scanning the hallways to find anything of importance, fearing what was to come of Lily. Cameras could be seen across the corridor at various intervals, and still, not a single alarm had been raised.
Much like Steel Box Bastion, the underground areas were labeled through a numbering system, starting at C-21 on the left and C-22 on the right.
Her slitted pupils darted to each door as they passed, vision narrowing—C-25—none of the rooms had windows or any way to see what was happening within; some she could glean the shadow of a glimpse inside due to the lingering chemicals the occupants left, but for the most part, she was drawing a blank.
I couldn’t get a lock on Lily after the elevator, and nothing here—it was weak near the entrance, but then it disappeared entirely as we entered the lobby.
She couldn’t smell anything beyond thirty minutes ago, which seemed impossible, yet nothing, yet the sterilizing chemicals were all that filled her nose.
Noticing the woman guiding them getting nervous again, Clover sighed; she wasn’t all that interested in the receptionist, but getting a name wouldn’t hurt.
Clover absently flicked her blade around, catching her attention. “What’s your name?”
The brown-haired woman’s arms tightened under her bra, shivering as the HV/AC unit kicked on to tickle and cool her exposed skin. “U-Umm... It’s Dasia—Dasia Mala…”
Melissa jumped on the topic like a dog on meat. “That’s a nice name!” she chimed as the woman used her blue-velvet bra strap to hold her ripped sleeve up and cover at least part of her undergarment. “So... How did you get involved in all of this?”
Dasia tucked her quivering lower lip under, focusing on the floor. “Thank you…” she whispered, trying to draw as little attention to herself as possible. “I was just—I was offered a very good amount of money to transfer from the SPU to—to here…”
“Mmh,” Clover grunted, making her flinch, “and it didn’t occur to you to think it might be illegal... Ah, no, you figured it was but decided to take the pay.”
It was becoming easier to read the nervous twitches, chemicals, and raised body heat to gain a general understanding of people’s unspoken answers.
“I...I thought it might be fine—MASS seems to work with this company, a-and MASS is backed by the Order of Royals, so…”
Clover shook her head, knowing the woman was just making excuses and deflecting responsibility. She didn’t blame the worker for taking the risk—it was hers to make—but she also knew the consequences; no one ever thought they’d get caught.
Dasia appeared to be in her late twenties; she was reasonably pretty yet didn’t seem all that composed to be Clover’s senior. Of course, given their entrance, Clover had to remind herself she was impersonating a walking calamity—a Class-5 spirit master—which she might be; time would tell.
Becoming more annoyed by the lack of versatility in the scents she was picking up, as well as the general uniformity to the heat distribution—excluding hidden mechanical devices warming up various areas of the walls—Clover asked, “How often do the sanitation teams come through? It seems to happen fairly often.”
Melissa hissed, blue eyes darting to the corners of the corridor. “Oof, is it bad? Can’t smell much... Oh, wow, heh, I totally adapted fast to that development, huh? It’s super cool that you can do all this tracking stuff; I don’t know any spirit user that can do that—not even Shane!”
Clover wasn’t too interested in the topic itself at the moment. “Whoever they are, I can confidently say they’re the best cleaners I’ve ever seen,” she grunted, adding a bit of annoyance to her voice. “I doubt my own staff would be so thorough.”
Dasia seemed confused about exactly what they were chatting about but didn’t push the topic. “Eh...the robots come through every hour—it’s kind of a little game I... No, never mind…” she hastily mumbled, trailing off to puff out slow, even breaths, trying to ease her thumping heart. “They usually come through every hour—depending on, you know, the mess.”
Melissa’s lips parted in wonder, and a sparkle lit in her ocean eyes; she could find joy in just about anything. “Cleaning robots? That’s so cool! It would save so much time—even Steel Box Bastion doesn’t have those—no, we don’t even have the supplies to clean that often! Huh...where do you get it?”
Their hostage’s shoulder-length hair flung around her tear-stricken and puffy face. “I-I don’t know much... I just take names—check badges, and stuff...smile and, y-you know, ask how people’s days are…”
“Mmh!” Melissa nodded with understanding, clasping her hands behind her back to spin in a circle while regarding one of the black-tinted circular devices that were no doubt recording their every movement. “I did that when I was sixteen; seeing and making people happy was always nice.”
Clover gave the messy, golden-haired woman a small, side-long smirk. “And Marcov is a start-up company, you said. Correct, Melissa? A start-up with technology superior to even the famed Steel Box Bastion?”
Melissa’s lips soon tightened while thinking about it and taking a second to glance around. “Well, I mean... Okay, yeah, you’re not wrong—Marcov doesn’t have any of this in public. I should know about it, too—if it was SPU sanctioned—seeing as there are... Uh-oh…”
A sharp noise drowned out the spirit user’s words.
Clover winced as her senses adjusted to the sudden shrill sound; the lights flashed red, causing Clover and Melissa to sigh. Not knowing how they’d respond, the two observed the developing situation while stopping in the middle of the hallway.
Clover put her right hand on her hip, shifting to look up and down their linear path; the crimson tint gave it a sinister cast. “It was to be expected—later than I... No?” Her forehead scrunched up in confusion as a robotic woman’s voice drowned out all noise, including the sirens.
“Code 442 is in effect; Signature Red. Isolation Lockdown initiated. Vents sealing…”
Dasia’s heart skipped a beat, nearing the point of hyperventilating once again as her wild, brown eyes darted to the airways. “No... No, w-we’re trapped here—here during an Isolation Lockdown—we’ll suffocate?!”
Clover’s vision narrowed. Layers of the ceiling and walls peeled back to reveal four hidden containment doors that slammed shut in an instant to reinforce one another—nothing like the slow movements in movies—they were trapped in a split second.
Vents sealing... How are people supposed to breathe? I guess they’re not.
Four thick barriers closed across the corridor—two ahead and two behind—they were in the middle as the voice continued.
“All personnel follow Article 2—Anti-Breach Protocol in effect... Stay calm and await further instruction... Breach on Level 15 in progress. All personnel are—a-a-are unaccounted for. Unusual activity d-detected—hostile entities detected. Signature Red moved to Black... Tampering detec—” the voice cut off.
Tampering... Someone’s attacking the facility? It’s too soon for the SPU, which means a rival competitor?
A sharp hiss swiftly drew Clover’s attention when four panels peeled back to reveal devices that began sucking out the air; immediate action needed to be taken.
Efficient and deadly.
Melissa shot back the way they’d come; opening a path to escape was the first priority while the chance was available.
The Viper Blade extended at a swift flick of Clover’s wrist, snaking out to disrupt the two machines on the right before whipping to the left, above the spirit user, destroying the remaining pair.
Dasia dropped to the floor, hands over her head while crying, utterly losing the will to even stand, and Clover left her to panic, chasing after Melissa.
A golden radiance extended in a shell from Melissa’s outstretched hands, slamming against the triple-thick metal barrier—the metal buckled a few inches yet held. “Void niblets!”
Amusement filled Clover’s breast at the curse; the wall was tough, and the sudden chaos made her blood excited. Considering the previous showing with the concrete, she decided not to take any chances.
Fascinating. As Melissa warned, we could phase through, yet we don’t know what’s on the other side, and Dasia would be killed. Things are certainly taking a turn.
A hungering royal violet aura lit across the Viper Blade as Melissa sidestepped to press against the wall, likely sensing her call upon the force.
Thrusting the tip forward, Gelid Adder erupted from the point of her weapon; a wave of ominous wind followed the ghostly serpent that weaved through the condensing atmosphere, causing the floor to explode in frigid shards as the energy construct snaked through the air to collide with the steel.
It didn’t stand a chance; the impact crystallized a considerable chunk of the three barriers, sending an explosion of fragments beyond.
Clover was a little taken aback as the shrapnel harmlessly bounced off her clothes and skin, blocked by some invisible force that protected her; Melissa created a golden shield, which was likely to protect her clothes more than the woman herself, given what she’d just learned about their natural defense.
“Nice!” Melissa cheered. “I’ll get the air sucker thingies!”
There was only one more blockade between them and the front of the corridor; they’d left Dasia in a stupor far behind their rapid actions as they continued their teamwork.
Men wearing helmets and carrying advanced-looking weaponry exited through C-25 and C-24 as Melissa and Clover passed, drawing her serpentine eyes.
“Uh-oh…”
Security? A bit late.
Following the blonde’s lead, Clover passively cut the six men’s guns in half while passing by at high speeds, leaving them in a panic; they couldn’t even jump back before she flicked the Viper Blade forward in a spinning arc, creating Culling Furor’s vortex.
The segments of her weapon burrowed a hole through the three doors, the frosty tornado leaving mist in its wake, creating more explosions from the hyper-condensed metal that was carried into the gale. Everything inside was torn apart by the laser beams within, sucking them back toward Clover to be guided into the jet stream behind her.
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Culling Furor and Gelid Adder were both gathering energy to be used again, but after jumping through the frigid atmosphere, Clover didn’t see anyone else within the lobby—it was just as they’d left it—and she swiftly destroyed the vacuum devices in one fluid motion before turning back to face the stunned men and women.
Melissa gave a forced chuckle while nudging aside the settling fragments of iced metal with her black flats. “Woah—heh, you do certainly pack a punch! Oh, hello, fellas,” she added, shifting to look back at the men. “Captain Melissa of the SPU! So, can any of you tell us what’s going on?”
Taking one last look around the entrance, Clover huffed; they had limited air as it was, and she wasn’t sure if her changed body could survive that type of punishment. Their way out was clear, but she didn’t want to open up the shaft until they needed to escape; if worse came to worst, she could puncture a hole through the floors above them, but this was the primary escape route.
She returned to Melissa’s side in the first section of the hallway; the woman was greeting a man in his thirties. He removed his helmet, gasping for air. “Melissa! Thank Rosa!”
A cough exited his throat while doubling over, and another soldier jumped forward to rub the back of his tight black and blue suit. “Sir! If it’s Black…”
The man collected himself and brushed the man’s arm away. “I know! Rassi, I know; my name’s Jeff, by the way…”
Clover and Melissa looked at the room they’d just exited; it showed dozens of displays plastered with red screens.
“Security?” Melissa asked. “Do you know what’s happening?”
He shook his head, motioning the men and women to move further into the hallway, using the holes she’d created. “Get the rescue efforts underway—Void, we could have used those weapons…”
Turning his attention back to Melissa after giving a side-long look at Clover, he responded, “I’m afraid not, Ma’am, but I’m glad SPU is here... We were completely blindsided; from what I can tell, our cameras were put into a loop, which was why we didn’t see any of you enter.”
They don’t know this is an illegal operation... Interesting.
Clover’s full lips pulled in, placing her right hand on her hip while turning to stare at the elevator. “You weren’t the one that tried to drop us to the bottom?”
Jeff’s eyes widened. “Rosa, no! I’d never do that to a spirit user—we have so few left to fight for us—no, we only realized something was wrong when Mina went crazy.”
“Mina?” Melissa asked, catching the implication that these men and women were just acting as general security.
He pointed back at the computer. “This base’s experimental AI—I don’t know the details, but she runs everything in the facility—we just perform the standard authorization and security program on the 3rd level, ma’am; Mina was taken offline a bit ago, which means we’re down most of our functionality.”
“Do you know what’s attacking? They have transevil in the facility; could they have broken free?” Melissa asked, not looking happy with how things were looking.
“Wait…” Jeff’s head snapped between them. “They have what? Uh, no! No, no, no... I don’t know anything about that!” Jeff protested, shooting a concerned look over at his people as they tried to do emergency maintenance to open the other doors in the corridor. “We’re only over the 3rd level; every level has its own unique security supervisor and personnel from what I know.”
Clover only half-listened, being drawn to a scent that suddenly carried to her nose. Her mouth felt dry while she followed the chemical reaction, forcing a lump down her throat.
That strange smell again... Transevil too...a lot of them, but…
Her forehead furrowed as she stopped in front of a vent, lifting the back of her hand against the cool surface; a biting chill still hung in the air after her attack, but that wasn’t the issue—she could feel a breeze.
Weren’t they supposed to be sealed?
“Clover?” Melissa asked, cutting Jeff off as the two turned to her. “Is something wrong?”
“The vents...they’re open,” she muttered, and a sudden sinister sensation filled her gut; a sharp scraping echoed within as three separate entities climbed through this air duct.
A short scream sounded as the men finally opened one of the doors, and a wave of scents filled Clover’s senses as the pressure within was expelled outward—blood, digestive fluids, and transevil.
Reacting on instinct, Clover’s muscles twitched, energy flaring around her weapon. Serpent Strike carried her across the hallway in the blink of an eye as if she were gliding on ice, the point penetrating the shadowy wolf-like transevil that pounced toward the two fallen soldiers.
The destructive energy dismantled and absorbed a hole thirty centimeters wide through the beast as she pivoted, gaining a better grasp of the situation inside the rooms—the transevil could smell the humans, too, and these vents had somehow been opened—it couldn’t have been a coincidence after learning there was methodical tampering.
Transevil don’t have the mind to do something like this... Who did it then, and why? Is it because we discovered the…
Time slowed in Clover’s mind, seeing flashbacks of her brother and sister-in-law; red splatters were painted across the room, coming from four eviscerated men. It was butchering them while we passed... I couldn’t even sense it.
It wasn’t any fault of her own, seeing how thick the walls were and the material used, but it still stunned her. I should have been able to sense them... Shouldn’t I?
“Get away from the vents!” Melissa yelled, helping the two men throw off part of the dead wolf that had landed on them; a large chunk of its head was blown clean through, showing dark ice crystals from her attack. “Clover, what is... Oh, Rosa, no…”
Clover’s vision flicked to what had caught the woman’s notice; she’d bypassed the back corner due to the blood reminding her of her brother.
A child-sized metallic mannequin with a clown-like grin, bloody teeth, and wide, frenzied eyes lay half-eaten in the corner; its crimson claws still dripped liquid—the thing had a similar smell to the gut-churning scent she had caught earlier.
“What is it?” Clover hissed, seeing the savaged vent in the wall; she could smell the pungent carnage wafting up from below.
Melissa covered her mouth and nose, slowly backing away while shaking her head. “Castro... No, Marcov tried to catch—keep—Castro’s creatures—here—in Hollow Veil?”
Clover remembered the name that came up in the shower conversation with the two girls. “Castro... Who?”
The men around her had practically wet themselves at the sight of the transevil, but now they were petrified; Dasia was still refusing to move from the previous section.
Melissa cleared her throat, turning to Jeff. “Get those doors open! We need to evacuate as soon as possible; we’ll do what we can!”
Clover’s lips tightened. “Melissa, I’m only here for Lily, and if there is this much danger, then I’m prioritizing her first. Now, what is Castro, so I know what I’m dealing with!”
“Mmghm…” Melissa brushed back her hair, panic in her own eyes. “Castro is a Class-5 rassi that Ivan and Wilfred personally came from Eastern Skydream to handle—when they killed him, all of his puppets collapsed—they’re not rassi, but...I don’t know—no one knows, but a few are as strong as Class-4 rassi! Who knows what kind Marcov gathered in secret!”
Clover could see why she was freaking out a little; puppets without a master suddenly finding life again—what’s worse would be if there were a new puppeteer, which could have been the company’s objective in the first place.
This facility couldn’t have been designed around the mannequins or this project, but it was incorporated into it, considering how long this should have been in progress to make it this deep. Now, everything’s gotten out of control... I can’t imagine anyone would be living on the lower floors.
Her focus darted to the elevator as a black liquid seeped through the cracks to form into a wolf-type transevil; it was as big as the ones she’d dealt with when exiting the Great Void—the ones she’d killed a moment ago were Class-0—this was a Class-1, she was sure.
It wasn’t of much trouble for Clover herself, but from what she knew of Melissa, a Class-1 would be tough to handle independently, seeing as she was a supportive type.
Vision narrowing, Clover set her mind to the task at hand and felt the cold joy return; the flavor of the transevil caressed her tongue as it roared and shot forward.
Taking a single step, Clover thrust her extending weapon at the advancing beast to easily rip through its entire body to exit the opposite end. Flicking her wrist, it burst through the side; one simple gesture, and it was dead, filling her with delicious energy, yet it didn’t have the same kick as before—she wanted more.
A small smile lifted her lips as the others tried to recover. “Melissa, take cover and do what you can to protect them; I’ll be back with Lily in a minute, and then I’ll cleanse this facility.”
Melissa took a deep breath and nodded, accepting her conviction. “I’ll do what I can, but hurry. How are you going to...find her?” she asked as Clover sent her blade into the wall to cut a mannequin in half before it could escape, blocking anyone below it as the object tumbled back into the airway.
Clover reached over and grabbed Jeff by the arm, jogging him out of his panic. “This guy is going to show me every room he’s not allowed to be in... Let’s go!”
Jeff blustered a little but soon followed as she ran on ahead, killing two more transevil that seeped through the doors on the way. We have backup coming to set up a perimeter, so that should be fine.
Melissa called for the receptionist to join them if she wanted to live, forcing the woman out of her paralyzed state upon seeing the wolves—Clover was done with her.
Breaking through the next few doors, Clover didn’t find Lily in three rooms, but a few quivering scientists were freed. She passively escorted them—they quickened their pace once they saw she was leaving them behind—finally, it was the fourth locale where she found her prize.
Smashing through the metal door, Clover’s vision shot to a semi-transparent horizontal tube with her brown-haired operator inside; her dress had been replaced by a black-and-red spandex full-body suit.
Two women and a man cowered in the corner after her show of force.
“A-Are you here to s-save us?”
Clover didn’t have time to respond as her skin prickled; two rapid entities were approaching down an open adjacent hall they’d just come from. Gritting her teeth, she yelled, “Jeff, get her out of that thing—now! Torture them for all I care—get it done!”
She didn’t have time to see if he followed her direction as two humanoid mannequins with wicked blades for arms, no faces, and metallic armor ping-ponged off the walls, aiming to dice the men and women she’d just saved.
They screamed, dropping to the floor with their hands over their heads.
Dashing to meet the pair, Clover whipped her sword to take out both, yet at the last moment, they contorted midair; readjusting in an instant to evade—they touched both walls, rocketing at her legs and upper torso—these were the fastest creatures she’d seen yet.
This is more like it!
Clover used the same tactic. Returning her blade, she jumped into a half-horizontal spin to pass between the swipes, her momentum carrying with her arcing blade aiming to cleave one in half, but it wouldn’t be so easily destroyed.
Her slash only went a quarter of the way through its thin body—it was closer to the SBB’s final boss than the transevil she’d slain—the remaining kinetic force combined with the devouring energy of her sword ate the rest of the way through as Clover righted herself.
Twisting around to skid across the floor and pivoting her foot to stop, she watched the two mannequin halves tumble to the opposite sides of the hall, missing the terrified human group; it didn’t move after as the strange energy left its body. The taste was similar to how Spirit Force tasted, yet twisted and not as bland.
Her sharp focus soon saw how the mannequin would dodge as it jumped at the fallen scientists, and Clover thrust the Viper Blade forward—these were likely mid to higher Class-1—her point entered the back of its skull, forcing it to flop back with her recalled segments to be tossed aside.
The humans scrambled to their feet, running after her in a panic while muttering, crying, or praying; Clover’s focus was elsewhere. She returned to the room and discovered dozens of souls clustered in the corner; only the male scientist was at the console, Jeff spewing curses at him to hurry up.
Clover’s thrill tempered as the pod opened, letting the liquid inside rush out onto the floor, making the others cringe and back away.
She bit her lower lip, closing the distance to look over the seventeen-year-old girl; her slick skin and damp hair clung to her rosy cheeks. C’mon, Lily…
“How long?” Jeff asked, voicing Clover’s question.
Not a moment later, Lily gasped, liquid bubbling up her lungs and out of her lips; her chest fluttering, and wild brown eyes snapping open, the girl’s harsh coughs pumped whatever remained in her throat out. “Gah... Wh-Where am... H-Help... Clover?”
Clover reached out to stabilize her. “Hey! Hey! I’ve got you...I’m here! Just breathe,” she reassured, brushing her wet bangs aside. “I’m with you.”
Lily pulled in, hugging her shoulders while shaking. “I... I just drank this... What…”
“It’s okay—shhh,” Clover whispered. “I won’t leave you—I’m here... You’re not alone, Lily.”
The girl’s bottom lip trembled, and she leaned into Clover’s shoulder. “I-I was so scared... I couldn’t move...everything was spinning—my stomach hurt…”
“You’re fine—we’ll get through it,” Clover soothed, glancing up at Jeff, yet he was already taking command—something she wouldn’t forget.
“Clothes! C’mon, man!” Jeff ordered, smacking the elderly scientist on the back of his head. “We’ve got a transevil and mannequin war goin’ on here—get the research, too—whatever you were doing to this girl! Go! Go! Go!”
Clover smiled at Lily’s teary, confused eyes scanning their environment; the man pulled out towels and her previous outfit from a wall compartment. “You’re safe now, Lily. Rest up a second, and we’ll get out of here—Melissa might be in trouble, though. How do you feel?”
“M-Melissa’s in trouble?” Lily swallowed, rubbing her throat while scanning the terrified crowd. “Uh…” she coughed violently, and Clover’s arms tightened around her back, rubbing it a little. “I... I can go—someone can help me. Go save Melissa!”
Attagirl.
Her main objective completed, Clover prepared herself for the feast ahead, having Jeff support Lily.
Now, can I get stronger by eating these things—the mannequins aren’t as bad as pure Spirit Force, at least... Wait, is that what the ghost kid meant when she said I was Void Incarnate? I suppose we’ll see.