I couldn't breathe.

The one benefit of not being capable of breathing anymore was not having to try to hold it to keep quiet.

The echoing clang of the bell slowly came to a stop as the last of the invaders stepped off the metal plate. How many times had the bell rung? I hadn't been keeping track. There had to have been more than five of them.

I didn't risk moving. Even if I couldn't alert them by the sound of my breathing, I couldn't risk standing up. The chains were still coiled atop the sides of my mech, next to the inner legs that held my body in place. I was afraid to even send the [Telekinesis] through my body and risk twitching or shaking something as an outlet for the fear gripping my heart.

As it was, I couldn't move my metal form, even if the mass atop it writhed and squirmed.

As my [Sensory Zone] unfurled, I took in as much of the dark shopping center as I could. There was nothing between us but a tiled floor and empty space. Depending on what the intruders were, they might have the intelligence to try and hide behind the walls of the open shops while advancing. That wouldn't mean anything to my magic, but if they believed they had that advantage, I'd play it up and strike when the time came.

My bubble didn't stretch far enough to see who or what the invaders were. All I could see was thick, vague blobs of heat by the stairs. Multiple bodies. Whatever they were, they were emitting a lot of body heat. More than the average Human should. Were they a larger race? Wearing thick clothes? Carrying heavy weapons?

To save myself from underestimating the invaders, I'd assume all three. If every one of these invaders turned out to be hostile, I'd assume they were large, all wearing padded clothes or armor, and carrying large blades or blunt weapons.

I could only hope their vision was as bad as mine. If they had proper eyes, then their range of sight was higher. It didn't seem like they were carrying torches or flashlights, so they might have [Darkvision], or some sort of enchanted goggles that allowed them to see in the dim light.

Already, I wasn't liking my chances. This wasn't an open space where I could abuse my range of vision like the fight with the adventurers. If they ran at me, I'd have to meet force with force.

"Tower above!" I heard a deep, nasally voice call out. "What of the Gods is that stench?"

That confirmed one assumption. These weren't Monsters or Animals. I was dealing with sapient creatures.

"Sweat?" one of them replied. "Smells like somethin's been rollin' round in the sewers."

"Monster?" another asked, their voice deeper now. Quieter. The echo of their voices down the hallway still reached me.

If they thought they were dealing with a Monster, they might be more on guard. That didn't bode well for my chances. As much as the last situation much like this had left a bad taste in my mouth, I had to try.

In the best case scenario, these people were the City Watch. Hopefully my attempts at diplomacy and communication would work more on them than it had on the adventurers. As much as my stomach rolled against the idea, I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt.

"[I'm not a Monster,]" I called out, my voice reaching further than my bubble of awareness through [Telepathy]. I hadn't tried speaking with anything out of my range before, so it was reassuring to know I could project my voice that far.

The heat each one emitted increased. I could almost feel the tension in the air rise. I heard the shuffling of steel plates and blades being pulled from sheathes. Part of me wanted to risk pushing my [Telekinesis] through my body, hoping their movements would mask the sound. That part of me was the risky, unruly, emotional part of me. The part of me I'd need to ignore if I wanted to achieve the best results.

"Who's back there?!?" the first voice bellowed. "Come 'ere with yer hands up and yer head down!"

This again. I really didn't want to have to go through that miscommunication a second time.

"[I'm not coming out. Tell me who you are,]" I responded firmly. I wasn't pushing my [Telekinesis] through my form yet, but I was finding it harder to justify holding it back.

"We're the law, Miss!" the deepest, loudest voice called out. I could almost hear the grin on his face. If that was the case, diplomacy was key. Not just for my sake, but for the others, too. I didn't want to fight, especially if it would bring down the view of Chimeras in their eyes. It wasn't just for me, but for the group. For our people as a whole. That was why I wasn't taking action.

"'Fraid of using yer real voice?" the first one called out again. "Using magic on us is the same as attackin' us, don't'cha think?"

"[It isn't magic. It's a Skill,]" I corrected him. "[It's the closest thing to a real voice I still have.]"

A good response. I wanted to at least drop the hint that I wasn't a Humanoid. Not anymore. If they got the message and saw my real form, they mightn't react with as much hatred and shock as the adventurers. I didn't want to have to do things like this, but I needed to ease them into seeing me. Like slowly approaching a frightened animal without making any threatening movements.

Funny how that worked, since subtlety was the last thing this form was built for. If I could still use my [Camouflage], this would all be so much easier. Granted, I wasn't sure if the entire mech would count as 'clothes' like everything I'd worn on my old body had.

"Yer in restricted territory, Miss! If ye don't come out an' identify yerself, we'll have to come back there and see who you are in person!" the first voice said. I heard a loud, scraping sound. The raking of steel against the tiles.

Once again, I was stuck in this situation alone. If the others came back, we could catch them in a pincer attack, provided there weren't more of these people on the staircase. The pessimistic, realistic part of me knew I wouldn't be that lucky.

"[I know this is... the Don's territory. I've only just arrived, and haven't had a chance to... meet with him,]" I stuttered out. The bluff died in transit as I came to realise I had no idea what the situation in this damned city was. The word 'territory' had stuck out to me, and I'd hoped to salvage something from the knowledge Sigura had gotten from the Darkling.

More than one weapon slapped against the walls or scraped against the floor, noises accompanied by angry snarls and grunting. Slowly, I began to spread my [Telekinesis] through the mech.

"The Don's a coward!" one of the voices called out. Snorts of agreement followed.

"This area belongs to Big Tooth, Miss Trespasser. If you thought you were lucky and found a place to squat without payin' respect to the big tusks, yer sorely mistaken."

I heard one of them take a step forward. A metal boot planted on tile. It was followed by another. And another. And another. The group as a whole were advancing.

"Lucky for you, we're lenient, see? You hand over your valuables, and we'll let you leave. Just to pay a bit a' respect before you go. If you've got some magic in ya, maybe we can give ya a safe place to stay in exchange for a bit of-"

A loud bang rang out in the shopping center. A sound louder than any of the scraping blades or banging against walls. It was a sound followed by the rattling of heavy steel.

"[No. This is not your territory,]" I told them, the hook ended chains unfurling from my platform. "[This is our base. If you come any further, I'm going to attack.]"

I could feel sweat drip down my body, spilling out of the pores. The sound of drops splashing against the tiles sounded louder than any others. They'd heard me, now. I was certain. The metallic helmet I'd subconsciously banged against the floor rose into the air, securing itself tightly over my head, the legs moving to hold the protective bronze shell in place.

I'd had enough of this. First, we'd dealt with the people from Chimera taking us from our town. Then, those adventurers had come, trying to take us away from the first and only resting spot we could find. And now that we'd finally found a base and made it our own, more people had come to take us away.

I could feel a wave of jumbled emotions rush through me. Dangerous, unruly things that threatened all semblance of logic, and I didn't have the energy nor the desire to keep a grip on the floodgates.

Beneath my helmet, green metallic light slipped through the space between it and my mech as my [Mantle] instinctively flared to life. Metal scraped against the floor as I rose to my feet. Tactically, it might have been better to remain seated, to keep my focus entirely on the attack. Standing up without much space to maneuver only put me at risk of being knocked down. But I couldn't do this sitting down. It wouldn't feel right.

Snorts and chuckles followed as the light drifted down the hall.

"Looks like we've got a fighter! We're not kind or equipped enough to take prisoners, woman. If you fight, you'll die. Dyin' ain't a pleasant thing, y'know? We don't wanna have to put you through that pain if we don't have to."

I felt logic drift further and further away, a sensation that allowed my emotions and instincts to take hold. It stayed just far enough away that it could advise and guide, even if it didn't have the same hold it always did. Right now, logic could only advise me. Emotion was in full control.

"[Don't talk about that as though you know what it's like,]" I snarled, the plate on the side of my mech popping off loudly as curled, sharp shards of metal floated into the air around me. The metal chains unfurled, letting out a sound that seemed more sonorous and pleasant to me than the bell had.

When each and every one of the enemies began to light up brightly, I felt a pang of fear.

Red. Brown. Blue. White. Grey.

Seven grinning Orcs clad in patchwork metal armor carrying weapons stepped into my bubble, each one covered in the light of an activated [Mantle].

Around them, the shopping center lit up, and most of those smiles fell away.

Their eyes landed on the area around them, seeing things they clearly hadn't expected to see. A fist indent in a wall that sent broken cracks running through the surface, and a trio of clad mannquins gasping over it. A line of clothes hanging above a [Tailor's], and more mannequins of varying races positioned to face one another as if in conversation.

Standing directly in front of the invaders was a metallic spider-mech that stood so tall it nearly touched the ceiling, sharp metal and hanging chains hovering in the air around it.

For effect, I sent my Aera outwards, activating all of the light bulbs at once. Everything was immediately bathed in a deep, metallic emerald.

Several of them took a hesitant step backward. Was it from the fear they felt looking at my body, or the sudden realisation that they were up against something they hadn't planned for? They'd walked right into the lion's den without an ounce of preparation. The fear in their eyes as they looked upon what I had become filled me with a rage I didn't have the desire to quell.

"[I warned you.]"

Two of the Orcs ran forward, moving with a speed I hadn't expected from a pair of Pigfolk in full plate armor. One carried a pair of hammers, and the other carried a greatsword.

As much as they angered me, I wasn't looking to kill anyone. That would have looked bad for our image as a whole. Instead, I wanted to deter them. To get them to leave. This was our territory, not theirs. That was what I needed to communicate.

I sent two thick metal panels out to meet them, shooting them forward with enough force to knock the pair over. Or so I'd hoped. Both braced themselves, pushing armored boots molded to fit the feet of an Orc deep into the tiled floor. The crash of metal on metal ringing out was satisfying, but it didn't have the same strength to it that I'd been hoping for. I didn't hear them fall back against the tiles.

Already, I could tell they were stronger than the adventurers. Their magic might not have been as developed, but they were better equipped. Their gear wasn't as personalised, but their heavy armor would make it harder to dispatch them quickly. They hadn't taken precautions to fight monsters, they had been trained to fight other people.

I felt a sense of satisfaction, knowing that. If I could beat them, it would be a victory I'd have earned, and not one born of ignorance.

The two Orcs stepped back, raising their weapons. I saw twin flashes of light as they brought their weapons down against the barrier. They smashed their steel against mine, leaving dents in the shield wall. They were capable of using [Mantle], and they could do that same blast attack Streiphen had used. [Release]. I could feel the indents and gouges their weapons had left in the metal. They were the real deal.

Two of the smaller Orcs ran from the group, adding their weapons to that of the larger pair. Once again, I saw that same flash of energy, two bright flickering lights accompanying a shockwave. As much as I didn't want to, I pushed the metal plates down into the floor to hold them in place. Damaging the shopping center wasn't favourable, but it was better than letting them break through my defenses.

"Well? What's she like?" I heard the first Orc say.

He was looking at one of his companions, a larger orc with a shark tooth necklace around his neck. The tooth itself was big, big enough that it could've been from a sea monster rather than a shark. He had a deep blue Aera, one that was focused around his snout. He sniffed at the air, his eyes locked on me.

"She smells strong, Chief. Orderly and calculatin'. She's... an Anvil or a Wall, but her Aera's weird," he responded.

The four Orcs in front swung their weapons again, and the steel plates dented. Without hesitation, I planted more plates behind the wall to reinforce it, adding another layer to my defenses. Simultaneously, I gripped several thick blocks of metal, bringing them over the top of the wall before forcing them down on top of the attackers, crashing into their backs and heads. While one of the smaller Orcs fell to the floor, I hadn't knocked him out. The others remained standing, even if they groaned from the impact.

With one of the chains, I moved the hook over to the escalator, spreading my [Telekinesis] through it as the metal began to groan, cracking and lifting from the staircase underneath. I needed more metal.

"Weird how?" the first one asked. If not for my [Sensory Zone], I wouldn't have been able to hear them over the sound of rending metal next to me.

"Broken?" he responded uncertainly, sniffing at the air again. "Somethin's real fishy. Her magic's all... disjointed. Splittin'. Might be 'cause of an Awakening. Feels like she's hidin' in that mech, too."

Several steps from the escalator were ripped from the floor, swinging past me and over the top of the wall. Like a row of clubs, I brought the steps down, smashing against the heads of the Orcs, over and over.

Wasn't it obvious I was in the mech? Why else would I be controlling something of this size if not to move and protect myself?

More flashes of light came from the glowing Orcs, and I felt metal begin to rend and tear. I was striking them over and over, but this wasn't enough. They weren't going down, and they weren't retreating. The first layer of the wall was sustaining heavier damage, and holes had been ripped in the surface. As much as it pained me, I'd need to use another panel to add to the-

"Take cover in the stores," the Orc with the tooth necklace snorted, stepping forward. He sheathed the metal hunting knife he'd been holding, bringing his hands together. Instead of gauntlets, he wore black fingerless gloves. The Aera around his fingers intensified, casting the meaty digits in a deep azure glow.

Between his hands, a ball of water began to form as the motes of light transformed. If it was just something like [Water Sphere] or [Wave of Water], I'd be fine. Water Magic wasn't threatening on its own, especially if the person was only a novice [Hydromancer].

The four Orcs that had been striking against the wall leapt out of the way, into the shops on either side. There had to be more to it. It couldn't just be a simple-

"[Ravenous Wave]," the Orc growled.

He brought both arms down, slamming the sphere of water against the tiled floor. The ball exploded, water gushing forth as it began to flow down the corridor with more force than I'd expected. It splashed up against the defensive wall, and I saw the true nature of the Spell at work.

Immediately, the wall began to rust. The dented metal creaked beneath the weight as the frontal wall was subsumed in a dark reddish brown hue.

I couldn't let that hit me. The [Hydromancer] was the top priority. This Caster was a threat, my natural enemy. I needed to add to the wall and keep him far away from me. If that water hit my mech, then he could take out my one method of movement. My skin rolled angrily at the thought. I wasn't going to-

The wave splashed up to the sides, flowing into the shops on either side of it. Some of it splashed over empty window sills, and... onto the mannequins.

Whatever effect was in that water, it was affecting them, too. The water ate through clothes and the mannequins themselves.

"[Stop! You're...]" I called out, before I could stop myself. If I told them that I was afraid of damaging the mannequins, would they target my allies' work to spite me, or to get me to make a stupid move?

The first Orc laughed as the tide receded, flowing backwards, returning to the Caster's hands as it became a sphere once again. Why didn't he just dispel the water? Was the Spell based in real liquid somehow? Was he planning on reusing it? Did that mean it was taxing to generate?

"Little late to be gettin' scared, isn't it? You've already hurt our boys, so we can't just let you off as easily as we would've if you'd listened to the law," the first Orc called out, raising his voice to be heard over the sound of creaking metal.

His target was me. The only reason that water had gotten on the mannequins was because it had splashed up against the wall. If the wall hadn't been there, it would have flowed straight down the corridor and onto me. I...

The walls moved, spreading apart. I raised both into the air, using my [Telekinesis] to curve each one, creating a pair of 'L' shapes. If he let that wave out again, I needed a shorter wall, one that could catch the water before it could cause damage to our home. I didn't want to kill these people, or even seriously harm them, but they weren't giving me much of a choice. I was relieved that the shell over my body hid the rolling flesh and pooling sweat.

I twisted several lengths of metal into spirals, forming makeshift lances. If I didn't take the offensive, they were going to keep attacking, keep causing damage. If I let them make the next move, there was no telling what would happen. They were an unpredictable element.

The lances shot down the hallway, and the largest Orc of the group, one with a blond mohawk and no helmet, stepped in front of the [Hydromancer] and the first Orc. His chunky arms reached out in front of him, bracing for an impact that never came.

I hadn't been aiming for him.

Suddenly, the lances swerved, changing direction as they barreled through the open storefronts. The Orcs leapt out of the way, diving for the ground to dodge the flying steel. One of those in the restaurant swung their weapon down, letting out a flash of reddish brown light as they attacked. As his weapon connected with the makeshift lance, the metal split. The swing let out a shockwave, cracking against the walls, breaking two of the mannequins.

The mannequins my team had worked on. The mannequins that they'd decorated and made their own, not just for their sake, but for mine.

I decided on my objectives.

All at once, I made several moves. One of the huge curved plates, a part of the former defensive wall, flew towards the center group. The huge Orc stepped forward to meet my challenge, grabbing the plate as it crashed into him. His boots scraped against the floor, cracking several tiles. The Orc grinned, evidently pleased with himself. He'd been distracted.

One of my chains snaked out, the hook primed and ready. In the same instant the larger Orc had been struck, I swung the chain down to his right. I wasn't trying to seriously maim my target, but if he tried to retaliate and got injured because of it, that was his fault. The Orc with the shark tooth necklace tried to jump back as the end of the telekinetically controlled hook snaked out, grabbing onto the collar of his armor.

His eyes widened as I dragged him towards me. The force of lifting him was harder than moving any of these metal pieces. It had to be because of his [Mantle]. The charged Aera was making him harder to move.

As he flew towards my mech, he moved as expected. His hands came together, preparing that sphere of water. I didn't let him use it.

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A thick bar of metal crashed against the side of his face. It was only thanks to his [Mantle] that he didn't lose teeth or a tusk in the process.

A block of heated metal I'd been molding next to me shot forward, wrapping around his hands. I'd been in the process of molding them, keeping some of my subconscious focus on his hands to make sure it would fit. That he couldn't easily wriggle out of it.

He let out a roar as the burning metal formed around his skin. I knew how burn wounds felt. I wouldn't wish it on anyone, but it had to be done. If I couldn't even defend our home against enemies, what would my teammates have thought of me?

If the Orc couldn't move his hands, he couldn't 'smash' the ball of water against the ground. If he hadn't shot it forward instead, then I had to assume it was a Condition of the Spell. If it wasn't a Condition, and just an idle habit, he might be able to eat through the metal cage. I could only hope my hunch was right.

I swung the second piece of curved metal like a bat, striking the Orc's chest as the hook pulled away, letting him roll backwards and away from me.

Using my [Telekinesis], I pulled all the used metal I could back towards me. The huge Orc wasn't letting go of the piece I'd shot towards him, and I didn't have the power to pull it from his grasp. With a pang of reluctance, I was forced to pull my influence out from the metal for use elsewhere, praying that the lack of my full wall wouldn't come back to haunt me.

The Orcs were doing the same thing I was, coming out from within the storefronts to regroup in the hallway. They weren't making any moves to rush me, despite my wall having been warped and reused.

Several had crowded around the [Hydromancer], with the largest of the Orcs attempting to pull the metal from his hands without luck. The ball I'd molded had edges, but they were few and far between. If my craftsmanship had been worse, maybe he'd be able to get a grip and pull it apart. As it was, the metal was smooth, and had very few spots for him to wrap those huge fingers around.

Would they leave? I'd proven I could hold my own in a fight. I'd made a show of force. I'd used everything at my disposal to hurt them, and I'd fought off a group of them at once. This time, they would-

The largest Orc stopped trying to pull the metal from the [Hydromancer's] hands. He clenched both fists, flexing them above his head before smacking both against his chestplate. He tensed up, taking a long, deep breath before letting out a loud belch. For a moment, I'd been expecting some sort of gas attack. The reality was far stranger.

He opened his mouth wider than I'd ever thought an Orc could as something began to climb out. Something white, a shape I first thought was an arrowhead. The bulbous shape inflated as it was freed from the Orc's mouth, and I caught a pair of yellow spheres on either side of it. When the shape had fully emerged and inflated to its full size, it was easy to see.

A gigantic white squid, floating in the air to the Orc's left. Its tendrils moved slowly and fluidly, possibly to keep it afloat. The Orc stepped forward, clenching both fists as he stood next to the Familiar. Between the two of them, they nearly covered the entire corridor.

"You'll pay for that!" he shouted, with an angry tone and word choice that made me equate him with just about every bad guy grunt I'd seen in comics. The 'dumb brute' type.

"We're tryin' to bring law to this place!" he continued. I would've thought the time for talking or diplomacy had passed, given that they'd threatened me and used deadly weapons in an attempt to reach my mech. "Without us, this place'd be even worse."

Somehow I doubted that. Everywhere I'd seen had been abandoned and devoid of life. The only other inhabitants of this city I'd seen beyond these 'lawkeepers' had been a beggar and a looter.

"[You aren't doing a good job, if empty streets and broken buildings are all you have to show for it,]" I responded.

"That's not our fault," he snarled back. Then, he ran, charging down the hallway towards me with the squid following close behind. "'Least we're tryin'! We're the only ones who are!"

These 'Big Tooth' people had done nothing but threaten me and ruin my home. I didn't care what the situation in this city was. They'd done nothing to earn my sympathy.

If the squid had any special abilities of its own, which I presumed it did, I'd need to kill it. If it was only a Familiar, and not a living creature, then there was no need to hold back.

I brought my hooks upwards, sending them flying forward through the air. The Familiar was slower than the Orc was, and far easier to hit. I dug two hooks into its eyes, blinding the creature as yellow goo spurted out from the wounds. Even with that damage, it continued to fly forward.

One of the other hooks flew towards the charging Orc at high speed. Not to try and gouge his eyes, but to ram into him. The curved piece of metal wasn't far behind it, flying below the hook at a slower speed. If he blocked one, he wouldn't be able to guard against the other.

His arms craned over his shoulders, gripping the long handle of his weapon. It was only after he swung it forward and down that I saw what it was he was holding.

"[Release]!" he bellowed, sending a flash of grey light outwards alongside a blast of force as the head of a gigantic spoon smashed against the hook. The metal of the spoon didn't bend, but the hook shattered to pieces from the weight of the blow.

The sheer force had shocked me, but I managed to halt his progress with the curved plate of metal. He grunted from the impact, slowing just enough for me to skewer the squid with a collection of nails, lances, and metal blocks. The Familiar bled and 'died' in the air, deflating as yellow 'blood' dripped from its body. The conjured creature began to break apart, disintegrating into white and yellow motes of light as it fell to pieces, gone before it touched the ground.

The Orc roared again, but I prepared another block of metal to halt his progress, sending it flying towards-

His arms swung, and he roared "[Release]!" as he let go of the spoon. I hadn't expected him to throw the weapon. My mech scrambled backwards as the enormous cutlery smashed into me. I tried to keep myself upright, even as both of my front legs were crushed beneath the impact. The sensation of the metal crumpling was almost more painful than the wounds the cheetah had left on my physical body.

My Soul responded, fueling the last of the four hooks with heat. It was a direct transfer, not something like my [Ignite] heating the metal. In the midst of battle, my mind jumped to a memory. I saw myself in the golden wheat field, hours before I'd been taken from Addersbrook. I saw the flailing Bogworm in front of me, and recalled the strategy I'd used against it.

As though my gauntlet was wrapping around the end of the hook, it began to turn red from the heat. I coiled and molded the point forward, turning it into a warped spear point.

Dropping the metal I didn't need from the air in a cacophony of noise, I shot the final chain forward with all the force I could muster. The Orc brought his arms up to guard his unprotected face as the spear made contact. The red hot metal pierced through his armor, cutting deep into his gut. He stepped back, bellowing as hot steam poured outwards from the wound.

One of the hooks that still remained intact took the offensive as the hook retracted, flying forward to strike the Orc, knocking the invader backwards. One of the smaller Orcs ran to the behemoth's side, pushing both hands outward as brown light enveloped the air around them, creating a bubble of hard light to protect him from the hook that flew forward in hot pursuit.

"[Magic Barrier]!" he shouted, right as the hook smashed against a bubble of hard light. Deep cracks spiderwebbed through the structure.

I pulled the hook back, letting myself collapse to the ground. I couldn't stand, but I needed to focus on the fight. If I wasted energy keeping myself upright with a deficit, I might lose this battle of attrition.

The behemoth pulled himself to his feet as the pair of Orcs retreated back to the group of seven, panting and wary.

The last of the Orcs, who'd been standing near the first that had spoken, reached into a box by his waist. It looked like a cooling box, like one a person might take on a picnic, held up by a strap around his shoulder. He reached inside, pulling out a slab of red glowing meat suspended at the end of a bone. He skipped over, holding it up for the huge Orc to take. Had they imbued magic into the food?

The behemoth reached down, tearing a chunk from the meat with his fangs. I could see the burnt flesh around the open hole in his armor continue to smoulder, even as the skin slowly knit itself closed.

The huge Orc rose to his feet, flexing his fingers. He was panting hard, but the look in his eyes told me he wasn't going to give up on this fight. I had to defend this place. If he was going to keep fighting, so was I. If I didn't start hitting harder, I wouldn't be able to protect myself, or our base. With as much force as I could muster, I braced my Aera, feeling the [Mantle] around me expand.

For just a moment, I felt it soak into the shell covering me. The front of my 'helmet' changed colour, going from a gleaming bronze to a metallic emerald. I pushed harder, trying to spread that same colour through the rest of the metal, an action that was draining, but one that I knew-

The first Orc's eyes had never left me, no matter the situation. It was only now that he spoke.

"If you want this shitty place, you can keep it for now," he called out to me, even if I could hear him perfectly fine through my bubble. "If you know what's good for you, you'll pack up and leave. But you won't. You won't just get up and choose the safe option, will ya? You'll fight 'till the bitter end for this shitsty, and when we come back, you'll get what's coming to you."

Did that mean they were going? Beneath the shell that hid me, my body relaxed. The green stain faded from the surface of the steel as my [Mantle] retracted. If they were going to retreat, then I'd won. I'd defended the base.

"[Just get out,]" I told them, my [Telepathy] extending to each and every one of them. "[Talking to you people is pointless, and I have things to do. If you don't leave, the next attack will be fatal.]"

I hoped they wouldn't call my bluff. I'd seriously injured two people, but killing them wouldn't have served any purpose. But... They'd implied they would return, hadn't they? Would it have been better to try wiping them out, to prevent word getting back to their group? If they came back with more than I could handle, they could end up destroying our base. I... Maybe they were bluffing, like I was.

The [Hydromancer] was glaring at me, his mouth contorted into a snarl, the deep blue Aera focused around his snout and eyes. I tried not to let that look dishearten me, but I knew he wouldn't just forget about this fight.

I raised my hooks, lifting the remaining two and the spear high into the air.

With a relief that flooded through my entire body, I saw the Orc that had spoken turn around, heading back the way he came. One by one, the rest began to follow suit, heading for the staircase. The enormous Orc and the [Hydromancer] were the last to move, both walking with their hands over their wounds.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

'Please come again!'

I was put in mind of a store clerk, one who'd been hideously overworked, about to drop to the floor in exhaustion.

I wasn't in the mood for jokes, but the thought popped into my head regardless. I didn't want them to come back, ever, and I'd already dropped to the floor. With thoughts like that entering my mind, I knew I must be delirious.

Looking around the shopping center, I could see I'd only barely done my job. Broken mannequins, more damaged tiles and bits of wall than I could count, and two shattered legs. Could I have just chosen not to fight? Would it have been better to...?

At least... At least they hadn't taken me away from here...

At least they hadn't managed to break our...

____________________________________________________________________

"-dying on me, I'll be seriously fucking-"

When I came to, I saw the bright, warm orange of a sunset, and the groaning sound of heavy metal being lifted.

"[Sigura...?]" I spoke outwards, trying to work the grogginess out of my system. I must have dozed off. I extended my [Sensory Zone] outwards, letting the bubble inflate as it took in my crumpled mech and the relieved face of the Half Nekari standing in front of me.

"Thank the Gods... what happened here, Yur?" Sigura asked, her face flooding with relief. Her arms bulged with muscle as she worked to pull the shell off my body, [Mantle] coating her entire body.

She seemed worried. I was relieved to see she'd made it back alright, but I needed to assuage her feelings. My Soul responded to my desire, spreading my [Telekinesis] over and through the mech. The frontal legs moved, attempting to push me to my feet. The two legs buckled under a weight they couldn't support, sending the mech crashing back into a heap on the floor. Sigura, who I now saw had been standing on the front, dug her claws into the steel to avoid being knocked off.

"Stop! Fuck, just... just stay still, Yur. I'll figure this out."

"[I was attacked...]" I informed her. "[I'm fine, Sigura. I defended the base.]"

"No shit you were attacked," she growled, lifting the shell off, throwing it to the side where it smacked against the floor with a resounding gong. I winced, almost certain the fall shattered the tile underneath it. Mucus and blood spilled out, pouring down the sides of the mech, forming a puddle on the floor next to us.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Sigura yelled into the darkness. Only the immediate area around her was well lit, bathing me and my mech in her sunset orange Aera.

"You're not fine, Yur," she groaned, kneeling down onto cold steel. "You're covered in fucking scratches."

That couldn't be right. I hadn't taken a single hit. The shell had protected me, and only the frontal legs had been struck directly.

Despite the logic of the situation, I couldn't deny Sigura's claims. The underside of my body was riddled with small cuts. Jutting pieces of metal from the mech had dug into me after the falls, leaving gouges in my flesh. Even with the protection I'd created, I'd still been damaged.

"You're lucky it wasn't worse than this," Sigura said, using one arm to lift a portion of my body. The warmth of the contact was jarring in comparison to the cold, smooth metal. Flesh wriggled in protest, and she pulled her hand away quickly, out of reflex. She looked down at her hand, one now covered in mucus and bits of blood from the wound she'd accidentally pressed against.

"Bandages," Sigura intoned, rising to her feet. Her expression was drawn, eyes focused. She turned around, leaping off the mech as I attempted to assess the damage.

Many of the floor tiles had been broken during the battle. Chunks had been torn from the walls of multiple storefronts. Mannequins had been shattered, and clothes had been ripped.

A small part of me rebelled as Sigura added to the damage, taking a long scarf from a mannequin Arachnoid's many legs, ripping it to pieces.

Tearing my eyes away from her, I assessed the damage done to me. The front of my mech was mostly intact. Some of the front had chipped and broken from the falls, and the frontal legs would need repair. The four 'legs' I used to hold the shell in place seemed to have sustained little damage. If I needed to move before those legs were repaired, I could use them as a substitute. I curled two of the intact legs down towards the floor, while the remaining two secured my body in place.

I rose to my feet, feeling a sense of satisfaction in it. The cold metal of the legs securing me sent a chill dancing along my flesh. The underside of my body stung from numerous cuts and wounds, but like Sigura had said, the damage was far from being as bad as it could have been. I wanted to take some solace in it, but I couldn't.

"Who the fuck attacked you?" Sigura asked, leaping back onto my mech from the storefront, the torn remains of the scarf cradled in her arms. "The Watch?"

"[Big Tooth. That was what they called themselves. Their leader informed me they were keeping the law, but they were nothing but thugs and vandals.]" I responded, trying not to let the stinging of my underside bother me as Sigura pressed her hand against me. She lifted the front of my body up again despite the difference in our mass, pressing bits of the scarf against the wounds.

"Bastards," Sigura hissed as the grey fabric turned damp, tainted by yellow mucus.

"[They might come back, Sig. We need to be ready.]"

Sigura wore a small smile, an uneasy one. She knelt down to dab at some of the flesh further in.

"Did you give as good as you got?" Sigura asked. "They need to know who they're dealing with, Yur."

"[Two were left heavily injured. I hope they won't try to claim our base again, but I'll prepare for it.]"

"Maybe you should've just killed 'em, Yur. I can get not wanting to kill adventurers, but thugs are a different story," she told me, throwing the damp scarf scrap away. The fabric squelched sadly against the tiled floor as she reached for another piece. "It'll teach them not to fuck with you more than words could."

As much as the idea of killing them didn't sit right with me, it may have been the best move. If I struck more decisively, then they wouldn't have been able to report back to their superiors that there were people squatting in 'their territory'. There would have been less enemies to vandalise our base.

"[... Maybe you're right,]" I admitted.

Sigura rose to her full height, throwing away another piece of heavy fabric.

"At this rate, it'd be easier to put a damp towel under you or something," she said. She was sweating hard, even though she hadn't been doing anything too strenuous. Was I that heavy, or was she sweating from my body heat?

"If we get a needle and thread, I might be able to manage," she muttered, turning as she hopped off the mech.

"[Streiphen and the others left to look for materials. If they find some, I'm sure they'll bring it back.]"

Sigura nodded slowly, almost as much to herself as it was to me. She crossed her arms after shaking them somewhat dry, looking intently at the Arachnoid mannequin and the fabric adorning it.

"[Are you able to sew, Sigura?]" I asked her, hope trickling into my voice. "[Could you repair some of the torn clothes that were damaged during the fight? Fareel was fond of the suits.]"

She turned her head, glancing towards the wreckage of the restaurant, and the three shattered mannequins within.

"I'll see what I can do," she responded quietly. Stiffly.

She took a deep breath, walking back towards me. She sat down, leaning against the cold metal of my mech. "My mother taught me how, a long time ago. One of the few things my Mom bothered to give me. I only sat down and learned to repair clothes and costumes for when I became an adventurer. I figured I'd need the money for other expenses, and it'd be easy to do."

A familiar sentiment.

I didn't think there was any way for us to fix the mannequins, but the clothes could still be salvaged. I could clean up the tiles, use all the metal at my disposal to fix my legs, and... return the base to what it had been. Not perfect, but... better.

"[Sig?]"

"Hmm?" she murmured back, leaning her head back as her eyes closed.

"[Did... are your memories all intact?]"

Perhaps I shouldn't have phrased it like that. The look of alarm as Sigura's eyes shot open told me all I needed to know about how she took that comment.

"What...? Are yours not, Yur?" she asked, the dread seeping into her tone. After all she'd done to help me, I'd repaid her with nothing but worry.

"[I... I'm not sure. I can remember things clearly, but I've also got memories that aren't mine.]"

She opened her mouth to respond, but I kept going. I needed to get all of this out of my system.

"[I've been having strange dreams. Dreams of people that aren't me. In the moment, it feels as real as the waking world. I'll play out a scene in an unfamiliar place, like an [Actor] in a theatre. Everything feels second nature to me, as if I knew this person so intimately they could have been me. Memories, personality, even habits. They're all different. It's... only when I wake up do I remember who I am. That I'm not, and never was, the person in the dream.]"

Sigura's mouth slowly closed. A pervasive silence overtook the shopping center. I couldn't begin to imagine what was going through her mind. Was she experiencing something like me? As much as the dreams had unbalanced me and I hoped for answers, I prayed she wasn't. For her sake.

I didn't want to let the silence drag on. I couldn't. The silence brought uncertainty in its wake, and invited questions and thoughts I didn't want to deal with. Not now.

"[When I use my Invention Magic, I enter a sort of trance,]" I continued, pushing forward. "[I have memories of the past, and I draw from them when I use my magic. But... sometimes, I have strange, disconnected thoughts and feelings. Not just while I'm using my magic, but... They don't belong to anything I can think of. I... don't know if this is a normal thing for regular people, but I'm not used to emotions and thoughts I can't recognise at all.]"

Sigura took a long, deep breath. She stretched her legs out before pulling herself to her feet. She looked more... tired than she had, moments ago.

"[Do you know if I had a workshop at home, Sigura? One with a heater, in the basement?]"

Her eyes found one of my shattered, frontal legs. Wrapped awkwardly around it, I saw the ribbon. The one Fareel had given me, as a gift. She bent down towards it, reaching inwards. Her fingers brushed against the soft fabric, and she began to undo the knots and free the pieces caught between plates of metal.

"...I don't know," she replied quietly. "You didn't talk much about home, or your past, or even much about yourself, Yur. Whenever you met with the team, you were all business, y'know? Yuri the [Tinkerer]. Yuri the adventurer. Yuri the worker. I can't speak for the others, and maybe I missed stuff, but I didn't get to see Yuri the person all that much. If it wasn't related to the mission or the team, you wouldn't bring it up."

She struggled with the ribbon. It was caught and wound between a collection of interconnected screws and plates. A complicated mess. For a moment, I thought she'd just try to tug the ribbon, to try and tear it free. Instead, she stuck her hand further in, trying to feel around to wiggle the fabric out. Gently.

"If you had a basement, you never mentioned it. You mentioned your 'workshop' sometimes, but I don't know if that was the same thing."

With force, Sigura had to pull some of the plates out of the way, removing sections of the crushed limb to let the ribbon slide free. It still got caught here and there, but after she'd moved the broken pieces, the job became much easier.

"I'll... I'm going to bring over more clothes, Yur," she spoke quietly, turning to look towards me with those same tired eyes. "I'll put 'em underneath you to help soak up the stuff leaking out, and then help you get the ribbon on, alright?"

"[... Okay.]" I replied, after a few moments of tense silence.

My focus was entirely on Sigura as she stepped away from the mech and the soaking scraps of cloth. She made her way into the [Tailors], rummaging through the drawer Toya had found. Her hands flicked through the assortment of oversized clothes. Some were thrown to the floor, out of her way. Others, some articles of women's clothes, were left on top of the desk.

Without a word, she gathered the bundled up clothes that she'd thrown on the floor next to her, holding them in her arms. She stepped out of the store, returning to my side. With a single, effortless hop, she jumped up onto the mech, landing right next to me. Her claws clacked quietly against the steel, the only sound I could hear beyond her breathing and the thin rivers of sweat and mucus trickling down the side of the mech.

Over the course of the next few minutes, I did nothing as Sigura worked. I didn't want to distract her, but I used [Telekinesis] to help the process along. Using it to help keep parts of my body aloft gave me something to focus on. I felt too... tired to think about this right now. It wasn't something I wanted to address or contemplate. These heavy thoughts were better left until I had a clear head to work with. An orderly head.

Clang! Clang!

Clang! Clang!

Clang! Clang!

Three sets of footsteps. I retracted the [Telekinesis] I'd been pushing into my chains. I must have still been on edge, for my instincts to respond like that.

Streiphen, Toya and Fareel walked into sight, each carrying a sack.

Needless to say, each one looked upset.

Streiphen dropped the bag, causing more cloth to spill out over the top as he ran forward towards Sigura and I. Shock, worry and fear were clear in his expression, showing in the sparkling stars of his eyes.

"Miss Yuri! Are you alright?"

Fareel didn't drop his bag, but he stepped over to the cafeteria, staring down at the three shattered mannequins on the ground. I felt a stab of guilt, seeing that. His bulging eyes were focused entirely on them, his expression inscrutable.

Toya inched forward, eyes drifting from damaged storefront to storefront, surveying my failures with a shocked, withdrawn expression. His eyes finally landed on Sigura and I.

Her expression hadn't changed since the group had entered. She continued her work wordlessly, putting the finishing touches on the ribbon I'd helped her set in place. My skin quivered as she stood on top of my form, wrapping the ribbon up into a flower pattern. It was far from the neatest flower I'd ever seen, but I appreciated the sentiment. The sight of us only rose the amount of uncertainty I found in his face.

"[I'm alright, Streiphen,]" I responded, after taking a few moments to assess the others. "[I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect the base like I should have.]"

The boy leapt onto the front of the platform, climbing up over the rose as he knelt in front of the fleshy mass. He spread his arms forward, hugging as much of it as he could.

"I'm so glad you're okay...! I... I'm sorry we were gone so long..." he muttered, one cheek buried in my flesh.

"Me too," Sigura said, her voice so quiet it was nearly inaudible. I knew it was meant for me, and me alone.

With the bow secured in place, she jumped down off my body. After landing on the mech, the claws on her feet came back out, making a light Clang against the steel.

"Listen up!" she called out, standing tall at the edge of the mech. Toya looked up at her, while Fareel continued to stare at the mannequins.

"We've all had a shitty day, but we've gotten a lot of work done. We escaped from those bastards in the facility and found a place to stay. It must still be night out, so we're going to get some rest. If we're going to survive in this place, we need to stay sharp."

Without looking up at her, Streiphen nodded, his hair tickling my flesh through the motion.

"When morning comes, we'll take stock and explore. We need food and water, and we have to show ourselves. If we don't, we'll get more and more of these bastards coming to take everything we've got," she spat, venom in her voice. "We need to show that we aren't going to sit there and let them take shots at us whenever they feel like it. When they bite us, we're going to bite back hard. If we need to, we'll go for the throat."

"But for now," she finished, jumping down off the mech. "We need to sleep. Get yourselves comfortable, and get some rest. Work can wait until morning, and I'm not taking no for an answer."

Toya seemed uncertain, glancing from Sigura, to me, to Streiphen. I didn't want him to argue with Sigura. I could tell she was serious.

"Got it," he replied with a nod, looking towards the Half Nekari.

There was still work to do, but... I was tired. She'd done a lot for me today, and the least I could do was follow the leader's orders. I could get back to work in the morning.

Sigura began handing out more of the 'waste clothes'. Larger garments for women or races that she clearly had no intention of wearing, or couldn't wear. Toya looked a little sheepish after being given women's clothes to use as makeshift blankets, but the other two didn't have any such objections.

Streiphen broke from the hug, leaning down off the front of the mech to take some of the clothes that Toya passed up to him. He brought them to my side, leaning against me before bundling himself up in a cocoon of fabric.

Fareel hid within a small pile of clothes that reminded me more of being in an egg than sleeping in a bed, his entire body submerged within the shifting mass.

Toya seemed to take the most natural approach, folding some of the shirts together as a makeshift pillow while draping others over his body. I wasn't sure if a slime-person needed to retain warmth, but... maybe it was a comfort thing. I'd become intimately aware of how important these things were. Especially for people like us.

Sigura lay down at the side of my mech, using an exorbitant amount of clothes and fabrics stolen from the sac that Streiphen had been carrying to cover herself. I could feel her back pressed against the cold steel of my mech. Wouldn't that be too cold to sleep against? I didn't think she was planning to use her magic to keep warm from sleeping, but I didn't feel the desire to question it, even if I didn't want her to catch a cold. She closed her eyes, with only her head being immediately visible among the 'blankets'.

"Good night," she murmured, her body going slack as she tried to relax, sleeping in the middle of an old, decrepit, damaged shopping center. Her [Mantle] deactivated, erasing all of the remaining light in the building, casting everything into darkness.

"[Good night, everyone,]" I finished. My awareness was sucked inward, my body and Soul feeling a sense of relief as it knew what was coming.

Rest. Sleep. Dreams.