Saturn and the Alliance members creeped up the staircase leading to the next floor of the research building. The gunshots above grew louder with every step they took. Trixie was the first to see the corridor ahead.
“Check your Aura Display Gear, Trixie,” Piper said. “Standby!”
Trixie looked down at her Aura Display Gear, noticing two red dots in the corridor and one more in a room on the right of the two dots.
“All right, everyone,” Trixie announced. “We've got company ahead.
Two Platinum Army soldiers were speaking to each other. Trixie took advantage of this and raised a finger shrouded in her aura, pointing it at them. She chilled her aura and fired it like a bullet, hitting a soldier and freezing her solid. The other soldier jumped back in surprise and turned to Trixie before he shot his gun at her. Trixie dodged the bullets and fired another shot of freezing cold aura. He froze solid, and Marnie strolled up to the frozen bodies and swung her hammer at them, leaving the soldiers as nothing more than frozen chunks on the facility's floor.
“Yikes,” Trixie said, her eyes widened at the scene. “Now that was just overkill, Marnie!”
Marnie chuckled. “That's exactly what this trusty piece a’ metal was made for!” she said in a smug voice.
“All right, guys. I'm heading in these rooms for the data I'm after.” Saturn declared, walking to a door and heading inside.
“Hey, hold up!” Trixie called out, heading inside with Saturn.
Inside was another dead scientist and a power cell on the floor beside him, which Trixie picked up. Saturn searched the room at a blazing speed for the research data, but walked back to Trixie empty-handed and shrugged.
“Nothing here,” Saturn said.
“Incoming new data,” Piper alerted.
Trixie felt a chill go down her spine as footsteps neared from somewhere down the corridor. Two more Platinum Army soldiers rounded the corner and saw the frozen chunks of flesh, stopping dead and taking her in surprise. They froze in their tracks, their gazes fixed on the Alliance members with a piercing glare. The soldiers didn't waste any time and fired off a barrage of shots.
Trixie's aura flared to life around her as she dashed into the hall. Before the Alliance members could act, she sent two freezing aura blasts at the soldiers. The blasts froze both soldiers into lifeless statues, their limbs frozen in awkward poses.
“My turn,” Ahina said as she raised her claymore and swung it at the frozen soldiers, shattering their bodies like thin glass.
Trixie laughed while shaking her head. “What's up with you people and overkill?”
“When it's against the Plats, there's no such thing as overkill.” Ahina replied with a smirk.
The building was silent, the only sounds being the Alliance members' footsteps.
Saturn and the Alliance continued along the corridor, before Trixie's Aura Display Gear began to glow again.
“Trixie,” Piper began. “I'm detecting a powerful, but peculiar aura from within the building beside this one. We should check this out and see who or what is generating this aura.
…
Trixie and the others reached the rooftop and saw the entrance to the building.
As she walked inside and began to descend the building, Trixie's head started to spin. The air felt heavy with something sinister. Then she noticed another thing: the building was far too quiet. She paused in her tracks once she reached the foyer.
“Oi, what's wrong, Trix?” Svenja asked.
Trixie pointed down at the floor level of the building, where Svenja and the others saw a familiar face in the Alliance: Reagan. Reagan was on guard like a wolf, observing his surroundings.
“Hey, it's Reagan!” Marnie said.
“Should we help him out?” Trixie asked.
“Why wouldn't we?” Ahina replied.
The group took the elevator down and Trixie waved at Reagan, who saw her and nodded in acknowledgement.
“Trixie! Boy, am I glad to see you guys!” Reagan said, a smile creeping up on his features.
Marnie went up to Reagan and put a hand on his shoulder, noting his cautious expression.
“Are you all right, Reag? You don't seem yourself.” Marnie asked.
Reagan pointed up at the upper floors. “There may be an ambush just waiting to happen. You saw how ridiculous the neighboring building was, and you're telling me this one is untouched for some reason?”
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“So you feel off about this too, huh?” Trixie asked.
“Trixie?” Piper said, her voice teeming with worry.
Trixie's stance straightened at hearing Piper's concern. “Yeah, Piper? What's up?”
“You may wanna check your Aura Display Gear…”
Trixie's Aura Display Gear was glowing again, and the screen was littered with red dots located where the upper floors were. Trixie had no time to react as aura-enhanced bullets rained down at them.
After using Increase, the Alliance blitzed around the room, dodging the shots and wiping out the Platinums one by one. Trixie waved her hand, sending a wave of ice cold aura at the soldiers, freezing several of them. With a sly smirk, Marnie flung her hammer at a group of soldiers standing on a bridge, making them fall to floor level. The resulting rubble finished them off, and Marnie's hammer returned to her like a boomerang.
“Great Rings of Saturn!” Saturn shouted before she manifested a sphere in her hand, which spat out discs of hostile aura that tracked the remaining soldiers and pierced their armor and bodies. “Like a red hot knife through butter.” she said in a smug tone.
Trixie checked her ADG and the red dots were all gone. Trixie sighed in relief and looked over at Ahina.
“Well that was quick, wasn't it?” she asked.
“You betcha.” Ahina replied with a triumphant grin.
“Trixie,” Piper said. “I've got a hold of the peculiar aura you were looking for. It's located on the basement level of this building. There's an elevator in the next room you can take down.”
Trixie's ADG showed a blue dot at the specified location and Trixie nodded to herself.
“I'm on–” Trixie stopped herself. “I mean, we're on it.”
…
The doors of the elevator opened, revealing a spacious room. The aura emanating from the room strengthened, leading Trixie and the Alliance to a confined space with a girl behind bars. Svenja's jaw dropped as she saw the witch with brunette skin. She wore red and purple robes, a purple pointed hat, and black boots. Her long, wine red hair swayed as she turned her head to the others.
“Draley?!” Svenja said.
Draley went up to the bars and grabbed them, looking at Svenja and the others with wide eyes. “Svenja. Guys…” she said, looking over to Trixie and raising her brow. “Wait, who are…”
Draley's question was interrupted by an unfamiliar presence entering the room with them. An elf knight in gold, silver, and cobalt armor approached the group and stood in front of the cell, crossing his arms.
“An Aberzanthian Knight?!” Svenja said, her brows raised as she took a step back. “The hell are ye doing here?”
“This girl is allegedly a member of the Ephemerals. She is not going anywhere until proven otherwise.” Drejka announced.
Svenja stepped in front of Draley, getting in Drejka's face. “Ya've got some nerve to show up here an’ claim that Draley is ALLEGEDLY a member of the Ephemerals when ye have not one bit of proof!”
Svenja's boldness got Drejka's attention, and he stepped towards her.
“Care to repeat that again?” Drejka demanded.
Ahina stepped up and stared the Knight down with a glare. “Try me,” she threatened, tightening her grip on her weapon.
Drejka took out his sword from its sheath and pointed it at Ahina. “Silence, gem sprite.” he retorted.
Ahina stood her ground, not backing down against the imposing knight. “I said what I said,” she replied. “You've got nothing against this witch, and unless you can prove otherwise, we're taking her with us.”
Drejka narrowed his eyes with a scowl. “I owe you lot nothing,” he replied. “It would be wise if you and your group step aside before I get serious.”
“I don't think so,” Ahina rejected. “We're not leaving without Draley.”
"Enough!" Drejka boomed. "As a knight, it is my duty to uphold the law and ensure that evil is kept from the nation, and it is clear you and your associates are defending this witch bitch with the very same powers as those who brought destruction to our people. I have no patience for your ignorance. I should have you all thrown in jail in case your loyalties are also with the Ephemerals!"
“Okay, first of all,” Marnie chimed in with a snarky tone. “This isn't even your country; you have no jurisdiction here, dumbass.” she said with a wicked smirk.
Drejka’s brows furrowed as his face flushed, pointing his finger at Marnie. “SILENCE, human!” he roared. As the knight tightened his grip on his sword's handle, he raised it above his head. “I am a Mystic-Rank Knight of Aberzanthan, and I WILL NOT take this kind of disrespect from you or any others!”
Got ‘em. Marnie thought as her smirk grew. “Aww, looks like I struck a nerve?” she taunted, drawing out each word.
Drejka grimaced and swung his blade down at Marnie, who dodged with ease. “QUIET! Taste my blade!” Drejka bellowed, raising his blade once more as he used Increase. A beam of aura shot out of it, phasing through the ceiling.
“Trixie,” Piper said. “My readings indicate that a protective dome has been placed around the facility. It is extremely powerful, and even a combined effort of the Alliance may not be enough to destroy it.”
Then you know what I'm gonna do, Piper, Trixie thought. …Kick some Aberzanthian Knight butt.
“Ye're the one who's gonna be doin' the blade tastin' here!” Svenja called back, conjuring her sword and rushing in with a blinding strike.
Drejka managed to block in the nick of time. Ahina was behind him, swinging her claymore at him. He ducked, but Marnie was heading in from above with a hammer blow. He rolled out of the way, the hammer's impact shaking the floor and ruining his maneuver. Trixie took advantage of the slip-up and unleashed a wave of chilly aura, freezing his leg to the floor. He enhanced his leg strength using Augmentation and pulled it out. Ahina and Svenja came in with a barrage of swings, giving Drejka no room to breathe as the two fought in flawless unison. All of the dodging and blocking Drejka was doing began to wear him out, his breath growing deeper. Using the Pinpoint technique, Trixie could see his aura growing weaker by the second. The only thing keeping him going was his anger and pride.
Drejka surrounded himself in a shield of aura, roaring as he pushed the shield outwards, pushing everyone back. “You will meet your end!” he threatened, despite his aura and physical condition not matching his words.
That is enough, Draley thought. She reached out a hand, and Drejka was surrounded by a magic circle. The Alliance watched on as the Knight was now immobile.
“How…? How?!” Drejka said, struggling against his confines to no avail. “I thought your chains rendered your aura obsolete!”
“Maybe because the power is out,” Uni said in a know-it-all manner, walking up to the group and taking note of the destruction.
“Uni!” Svenja said.
“Sorry I'm late, this place is a maze.” she replied, looking over at Drejka. “Who's that?” she asked, pointing at the Knight.
“Oh, it's an Aberzanthian Knight we just took down.” Ahina replied.
“Took down?!” Drejka barked. “You lot didn't take down JACK! And you…” he continued, pointing at Uni. “Uni Martinko! You and your clan are all scum! The fact that you're even in the Fairylyl Alliance makes me sick!”
“Hey, we aren't ALL bad,” Uni replied with a mocking smile. “Maybe you should learn that you can't blame an innocent person for what their ancestors did,” she ended, stepping up to him and giving him a swift aura-infused kick in his stomach, making him cough up blood.
Drejka snapped his eyes open and became enshrouded in a vicious aura. “God damnit!” he spat before the aura grew more violent.
Draley waved her hand and the magic circle around Drejka glowed brighter before he disappeared in a bright blue flash.
“Gee, thanks. He sure was getting annoying.” Uni said, her smile turning into a triumphant one.
“So, Draley,” Svenja began. “How did you get captured and put in this jail?”
Draley took a deep breath and exhaled."Well, I..." She hesitates for a moment before finishing, “That knight captured me. It's as simple as that. He said I was an Ephemeral and brought me here. It's been weeks since it happened, and...well, I don't know much besides that.”
The Alliance members exchanged glances and Svenja stepped up to ask more questions. "How did he capture ya?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. “Ye're one of us! How did he take ya in?”
Draley sighed, shaking her head. "I know, but please hear me out. He had some sort of Void Magic ability that countered one of my powers. I... I can't explain it any better than that. I was helpless when he got a hold of me.”
Marnie raises her hand as if she has a question and speaks up. “What about that magic-teleport-thingy you just did! It could've gotten you out of trouble back there, why didn't you use that?”
Draley narrowed her blue eyes at Marnie, her face flushed. "I had no chance to! As I said, I was HELPLESS. I told you, that knight had a way of countering my powers, which rendered them useless. I didn't even get a chance to use my other abilities.”
Ahina stomped her foot in anger, cracking the floor beneath her as her soul gem bursted with an intense glow. "But how did they even capture you in the first place? Didn't you sense their aura? Or do you normally go around defenseless?”
Reagan stepped between the Alliance and Draley, waving his hands. "Woah, guys! Slow your horses, now. No need to get all riled up over some questions.” he said, before turning back to Draley with a warm smile. “So how did he capture you?”
Draley's expression softened. "I was caught off guard. The knight had used Conceal to hide his aura. It was difficult to sense his location or attack him. He grabbed me before I could do anything.”
"That's all fine and dandy," Ahina quips, "But what about now? There's nothing blocking your powers anymore, is it?”
"Well, unfortunately, I'm drained of all my Aura now. I used up the last of it to take down that knight. I barely have anything left to break out of this cell. I can't use my powers unless I recuperate my aura.”
“Say no more,” Marnie said as she took her hammer and swung at the bars, embedding them into the side of the wall. Draley walked out and joined the others.
“Thank you,” Draley said. “So, should we head back to the Alliance HQ?”
“Our mission here's complete, so why not?” Svenja replied.
“We did it, Trixie!” Piper cheered. “We should let Sarolta know we were successful in the mission!”
Good idea, Trixie thought.