Daishi's watch had found nothing, and the next morning, the four had breakfast with Ueno's students.

"(If they need something spicier - they might like the yuzu sauce.)" said Daishi, gesturing to the three and their omelette rice.

"(I'll let them know.)" smirked Matoi. "Elite Four - yuzu sauce is very spicy, if you'd like some. I know you're fans of spicy food."

"Don't even." laughed Marisa, whole milk now.

"Ah - yuzukosho is not very spicy." laughed Yamato. "Are you big on the - spice?"

"As if." laughed Mia. "The first day we came here, Matoi -"

" - no no -" started Matoi, laughing -

" - she asked us what we wanted to eat, and ordered the spiciest curry they had for us -"

- and half of the table laughed, setting Daishi's head cocked. Junpei started to relay it -

" - no - don't ruin it for Daishi -" - laughed Matoi, holding her hand out - " - he thinks they like spicy food -"

"( - what was it?)" said Daishi, unable to understand any of it.

"(Oh, no, nothing, nothing.)" laughed Yamato. "(She was, uh… talking about - Downtown. Downtown's latest skit, the…)"

"(The - no laughing show.)" Rin laughed -

" - out-o." droned Junpei, and all but three smirked. Yamato pat her shoulder -

- and twelve tablets vibrated. None dared take it.

"(Not me.)" laughed one of the men, entire right arm red. "(Not me.)"

"I learned, from last time." laughed Rin.

"Someone needs to check it." laughed Junpei. "Innocent lives and all."

"(Fine, fine.) Fine. This time." laughed Yamato, taking his tablet as Junpei stood.

"(…better than last time - but trains'll have the morning rush.) Trains will be busy - but it's close."

"Do - one of you wish to come, with me?" said Yamato, gesturing to the four; Mia nodded.

"I'll go."

"Excellent, excellent." he laughed, and the three set out.

◆◆◆

The three arrived at the library's front doors, civilians already evacuated. A nod from Yamato, and Junpei disappeared, Mia with sword-drawn, tornado-necked man with tornado-neck ready.

A gust of wind blasted open the front doors -

- and the two winced as they saw inside, lines of shelves covered in spiders' eggs; the two stepped away, eyes to the third-floor roof above. Yamato nodded; a ladder of ice formed on the wall, and the two started to climb, Mia first-up.

"Already set up." murmured Mia, and he nodded below, passing by one window; and in the next instant -

- a hundred spiders burst out of the glass, skittering halfway between the two and sinking their fangs in the ladder -

- and tearing it clear off, Yamato with no way up left -

" - easy!" he laughed, aiming one hand below, swarm skittering towards him, and in the next instant -

- a gust of wind blasted him up in to the air, a second taking Mia with him as he passed by -

- and brought them up to the flat roof, hearing every last window bursting around, swarm fully aware of Swarm now; the two shot back-to-back.

"Need to - find what it does." murmured Yamato, and Mia nodded, seeing the spider cluster climbing, surrounding them quick. Scarabs readied, a new swarm flew to meet them -

- and exploded in a cloud of blue flames, disintegrating their insectile brethren, and as another cluster shot towards Yamato -

- a gust of wind blasted the arachnids off the roof, leaving him laughing as they flew -

" - abayo, kusottare!" he laughed; Mia glanced back -

" - no worries, no worries!" he laughed again. "Insulting. Shittalking."

"I - oh." laughed Mia. "Yes -"

- and she noted with perplexed eyes her fire from earlier still lingering, new cluster of spiders skittering and veering past it direct now -

- just in time for another gust of wind to blast them back.

"My - fire isn't going out on its own." frowned Mia. A single ice scarab flew in to the fire -

- and she sighed as it froze solid (but not that kind) just within the flame, knowing the Revenant then. Curiosity piqued, a single fire scarab burnt a hole through the roof -

- and she nodded as she saw the web on the ceiling below, covering the entire enclosure. A skittering began below, and in the next instant -

- the roof started to shatter, spiders feasting like termites and threatening to throw them on their web -

" - Taifū!" shouted Yamato; a gust of wind blasted the duo up, and as they hit their peak and started to fall -

- a platform of ice formed below, keeping them safe thirty feet above the rapidly growing cluster below, hundreds of hundreds of spiders covering the web below, single pillar of unmeltable ice keeping their platform steady -

" - gross ikiryō." winced Yamato. Mia nodded, sword readied, seeing new strands shooting to the pillar and trying to yank it off -

- but a swarm of ice scarabs kept it protected & stable; no option left, the cluster started to climb up directly.

"Here we go." winced Mia, and as she readied to step forward -

- she felt with aghast boot her feet stuck to the ice, Yamato panting as he realized a second later, new strands shooting to their legs and freezing them there -

- and the true immobile battle began then, two dodging as best as they could with stiff legs, hundreds and hundreds of spiders climbing up to meet them in the frozen arena -

" - sticks! Sticks you!" shouted Yamato, whirlwind of blows tearing through the spiders ahead -

" - my - scarabs - fuck." groaned Mia, feeling her ice scarabs starting to halt below; at her mental command, what few could escape disappeared, reappearing ahead of her as she hacked and smote. All around them were spiders screaming and dying, broken spinnerets nodding from abdomens that were stained crimson; but the cluster was endless.

Inch by inch, the stiffness travelled up their legs, reaching their knees as new strands shot to the ice platform. A cloud of fire scarabs shot towards the bridges -

- but were rendered immobile by new strands, tethering and tying them tight, unable to burst open; a platoon of ice scarabs flew in, paratroopers for their brethren as the spiders leaped upon them -

- and created new ice platforms, expanding the arena for the two immobile combatants. Mia grinned as she saw the supply of spiders starting to dwindle below, more strands bringing every last in the area to them directly -

" - bad, bad -" winced Yamato at her back -

" - I have it." laughed Mia, seeing every last spider attached by web to the platform of ice -

- and the next scene was instant. A final electrical scarab appeared in Mia's boot and burst open -

- and the electrical current charred the entire platform to ash, billions of volts entering the conductive webs -

- and every last spider&web, insects bursting in hundreds of crimson clouds, leaving the two to fall back-first on to the third floor, Mia still laughing as she stood again.

"Good - good." laughed Yamato, the room filled with rows of shelves like the previous. Fire scarabs flying below, Mia readied to bring them to the second floor -

" - no, no no - I have a plan -" said Yamato, starting to stomp the floor; Mia stopped -

- and heard footsteps below, Yamato running ahead through the shelves, gesturing for Mia to follow him as he veered right. The two rushed to the right wall, and as Yamato stomped again -

- they heard the dominos falling below, one shelf collapsing, another one following it -

- and continuing for dozens and dozens of shelves down, rushing footsteps and screams still audible from below, their foe fleeing to the other end of the room; with no time to waste, the duo followed him from above, speaking as they ran -

" - Taifū can - er - longer range wind?" said Mia, and Yamato nodded.

"He'll be easy to find, now." he laughed, stopping at the upper-left corner; a gesture to Mia, and a swarm of scarabs burnt their entrance below -

- to at last land feet-first on a collapsed shelf, only thirty feet separating them and their foe ahead -

- and new spiders behind. the two started their charge forward, and in the next instant -

- a dozen strands of web shot to Yamato's neck -

- leaving the tornado-necked man laughing, only a dozen feet separating him and his foe; no option left, a dozen spiders leaped to Yamato's arms, working with the speed of web to keep him trapped -

" - Taifū!" shouted Yamato, seemingly unfettered as he came in range -

- and a single tap knocked the man unconscious, Mia catching a glimpse of spiders caught in mid-air where Yamato had been for a second.

'Drops of water - he must have taken the oxygen out of the air and gotten them trapped.'

Yamato scooped up the unconscious cargo, turning to Mia. "Good-o, good-o. Safe."

"Good." laughed Mia. "How did you do that? Knocking him unconscious?"

"It, ano…" He winced as she came up. "… don't know how to say it in English - but - can show you. It will hurt, but..."

"I... suppose." shrugged Mia, letting Yamato's hand touch her neck -

- and she doubled over like she'd been struck, gasping as all the breath was sucked out her lungs -

" - I - I g-get i-it -" she panted, Yamato still wincing as she recovered. "It's - w-worse than - that - then?"

He nodded, Mia still wheezing as they walked.

"Feeling alright?" he said, and Mia nodded wincing.

"I… o-o-one m-moment." she said, and a tri-swarm raid filled her lungs anew. "Much - much better."

He nodded, and the two started down again. "We - did good, together. Thank you."

"Of course." chimed Mia. "And your shittalking." She laughed, thinking of Serena. "What were you saying - on the roof?"

"Abayo, kusottare." laughed Yamato. "In English, this means…" He waved goodbye, and pointed to his rear.

"Goodbye - asshole?" laughed Mia, and Yamato's head shook.

"No, no - the - what goes out -"

- and the two laughed, Mia nodding her understanding. "I - I get it. Does Japanese have - similar swearing?"

"Japanese has… 'swears' - but it is more… tone. We're very polite, so when we're not…"

Mia nodded. "Then - rudeness would be swearing?"

He paused and nodded. "Yes. Somewhat. How does - how does English do that?"

"We have words for it." laughed Mia, and he started grinning.

"Can you teach me?"

"Of course." laughed Mia. "There's… there is… You know 'shit'. Kusottare - shit?"

He nodded.

"Do you know 'fuck'?"

"I do not know fuck."

Mia laughed. "It's - so." She nodded. "There's 'fucking' - which is used for sex - but it can be used with any word." She handed him two scarabs. "You could say - scarabs."

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

"Scarabs, yes. Scarabs fucking?"

"No - no -" laughed Mia - " - that, that would be - scarabs having sex -" - the two laughed - " - but - fucking scarabs."

"Two fucking scarabs." he grinned.

"Three fucking scarabs." laughed Mia, handing him another. A pillar of blue flame erupted ahead. "Fucking fire."

"Fucking fire." he laughed, pillar of ice replacing it. "Fucking ice."

"Fucking electricity." she nodded, lightning bolt appearing ahead.

"So then -" - a gust of wind erupted from his neck - " - fucking Taifū, fucking wind?"

"Exactly." cackled Mia. "Exactly."

"Then, I will call - fucking police." nodded Yamato, taking his fucking phone out.

◆◆◆

The two came back to Ueno. Yamato relayed their success to Daishi, and grinned to Mia as the president left.

His target's back turned, he pointed to Daishi and said; " - fucking Daishi?"

"Fucking - fucking Daishi -" - cackled Mia.

◆◆◆

In a reversal of roles, Fucking Matoi had received a call that night in their room.

"(Rain-On-A-Wedding.)" she said, and Fucking Junpei laughed on the other end.

"Don't be so formal - it's fine. You guys still up?"

"…We are."

"I was gonna go out drinking - and I'll look like an ass if I'm alone. Wanna come along? I'm buying."

Matoi held her phone to her chest, and the others nodded after she relayed it. "Give us the address."

"Sure thing."

◆◆◆

The four came to the entrance of the pub, paper lanterns and Japanese characters lighting their faces, Junpei already waiting at the front door.

"Man. Been waiting soooo long." he laughed, leading them inside, bar at the other end, tables packed with salarymen reeking of cigarettes. They followed him down a hall at the back&right, table prepared in a sideroom. "And before you ask - no, this isn't 'nomikai'."

Matoi laughed as they sat down. "Thank god."

"Did you have to deal with that?" he laughed, passing them their menus. "When you lived here?

"I never had to, fortunately."

He clapped three times, setting Matoi with another laugh and three heads cocked.

"He's - talking about a Japanese custom."

"Work drinking parties." he groaned, pulling his eyelids down. "Daishi calls those, too, even when everyone's tired - so they'll all be talking about - oh, here's this suspect I got recently - meanwhile I'm sitting like, ready to doze off -"

- the four laughed as he shook his head.

"What, uh, what should we get?" laughed Marisa, checking the selection.

"What's your tolerance?"

"It's - similar to wine." said Matoi. "I presume you're getting sake."

"How'd you know?"

"A lucky guess." laughed Mia.

"Nihonshu - technically." said Junpei, waving his hand vague.

"Uh… Something fruity, I guess." laughed Marisa.

"Something - not fruity." muttered Samuel, and Matoi burst laughing -

" - bullshit -"

" - it's gonna -" - Junpei laughed - " - it's gonna taste like shit no matter how you get it -"

" - that's all alcohol -" laughed Samuel -

" - oh, but here, I swear -"

" - come on." laughed Mia. "I - as fruity as you can get it, then."

"Fine." laughed Samuel. "Just to save time."

"Go ahead." laughed Matoi, seeing Tyrant's throne forming -

- and he was gone -

- and back with a pink bottle, pouring a drink for all but his own. He handed it to Matoi, and she poured his.

"Did you even pay?" grinned Marisa -

" - oh, Ueno discount, you know." grinned Junpei. "One minute - something to eat. Can't drink on an empty stomach."

He disappeared, and after a minute, reappeared with a platter of food. "Yakitori, fried chicken, edamame, cheese, and… ah - ah, what's it? What's the name, Matoi? Tsukemono?"

"Pickled vegetables."

"Right-io." laughed Junpei, raising his glass - " - who's senior here?"

Matoi raised her glass, the rest following - " - I'm twenty-two -"

" - ah! Twenty-six -" said Junpei, rising his glass higher -

" - and Urasaria's president -"

- and Junpei slumped his glass like he'd been shot - " - I concede, I concede -"

" - much better." laughed Matoi. "Kanpai."

"Kanpai." laughed Junpei, and the rest repeated as they toasted, taking their first sips. "Some day, I'll be the highest glass."

"Some day." said Samuel.

"Some -" - Junpei's phone rang, and he took it quick - " - (Junpei. Konan - in… Shiga prefecture? How wide? Got it.)" He hung up. "(Sorry - few minutes.)"

And he was gone.

"Always on call." offered Samuel. "Only have a dozen students, right - covering the whole country?"

"Only a dozen - and professionals guard politicians." said Matoi. Mia felt an uneasy familiarity as she started drinking -

- and Matoi smirked at her directly. "It won't happen again. No confessions."

"W-What?" panted Mia - " - you - "

- and Junpei was back laughing - " - this place is gonna get busy tonight!"

"Did you drop them all off here?" grinned Marisa, starting her sip -

" - I did, I did - that's a premium offer, you know!" laughed Junpei, starting at his -

" - a premium offer?" laughed Samuel, and stifled his disgust as he took his -

" - this is my sponsorship in this prefecture." laughed Junpei. "Women and children get - oh, a shoe shop over in Yokohama - men, here. That's a good add to my salary - almost makes up for the 'woken in the middle of the night' calls -"

" - we were just mentioning that." laughed Samuel. "Never get a break."

"Yeah yeah, dude-lios. Work sucks here - well, for most people. I mean, they don't say shit about it - but they had that survey going around a few years back, man." He laughed. "Quarter of us wanna kill our boss."

"Er - a quarter of Ueno?" said Mia, and Junpei laughed louder.

"No, no! Half of - reggie workers."

"How do you know this much slang?" laughed Samuel, and Junpei shook his head.

"I watch too much Western shit."

"You sound like a biker." laughed Matoi, and said something in Japanese; Junpei replied appropriately, and she laughed even louder. "His - his fucking Japanese is always so formal -"

" - Kujo-han, Kujo-han -" - five laughs, only two understanding it - " - that's how I gotta talk to Daishi, man, I crumple up like a little bitch when he's around -"

- five constant laughs -

" - does he -" - Mia laughed - " - does he require that?"

" - well, it's one of those - 'I did it when I first attended Ueno, and now I don't think I should stop' -"

" - man -" laughed Marisa - " - that's so fucking funny, like -"

" - man, man." laughed Junpei, waving the four down. "Seriously though, homies, it's - work gets fucked here. I mean, it's getting better, but shit - you wanna talk eighty hour weeks? I got my fucking - uh, what's the word you use for it? English? Matoi - ikiryō?"

"Revenant." laughed Matoi. "How do you not know that?"

"Well - I didn't listen -that- hard, man." He laughed. "So I got my Revenant at nineteen when some dude was mugging me - I was working some job at - uh, actually in animation -"

" - don't tell me Studio Trigger." groaned Matoi, relevantly, and he laughed harder -

" - no - but you know! You know who - oh man, alright, I won't say - you know, she knows, right?"

"She knows." laughed Mia, who didn't know.

"Please." laughed Matoi - " - something besides that -"

" - I'm getting to it! I'm getting theeere, I'm getting there - I was working on, I mean I was real bottom of the barrel there - they'd -still- expect you to be staying ten hours overtime a week - thirty hour days -"

- the five laughed -

" - awww, brutal. Brutal! I mean, this was a kid's show we were working on - I don't even remember the name, 'cuz what I'd do - the trick you do - you just draw the frame or whatever, spend your time on that, then put a bigass yellow pixel or something in the middle of it. Boss comes around, and he's like -" - his voice got low - " - Yamazaki! It would look better without that pixel -" - his voice returned - " - arigato, boss, you're completely right - and I'd hit undo, and he'd nod like I was doing a good job -"

- the five burst laughing -

" - so when I got my Revenant, I was like thanks, but I gotta be attending Ueno!" He laughed, waving the four down. "Good shit-o, shit-o - salary still sucks, though, for risking my life and all that -"

"What's -" - Mia laughed, wiping tears away - " - what's your salary, then?"

"Oh, it's - shit, how's that conversion go? Yen to your dollar?"

"Take two zeroes off." laughed Matoi, and he nodded.

"That'd be - they pay our housing, food, I mean you saw, living on campus, government job - we make like, probably about - 500,000 yen, oh what's the, that's per month -"

" - you make five thousand dollars a month?!" sputtered Matoi, and Junpei laughed -

" - yeah, it's barely -" - he caught their sudden silence - " - oh, shit. Shit. Aww, don't tell me - fuck. Did I just - what's the phrase? Beating someone up?"

"One-up." winced Marisa. "We make, like…"

"… I had to blackmail Urasaria's staff for 300,000 yen a month." groaned Matoi, and Junpei winced.

"Blackmail? Whazzat?"

"Kyōhaku." She shook her head to Junpei's cocked head, relaying it in Japanese, and his eyes widened as his head shook -

" - aw, man-io - you guys gotta get rough, huh?"

"It - was." laughed Mia -

" - the three thousand's only for the top twenty five, too -" said Samuel, and Junpei leaned back, head constantly shaking -

" - man, I just showed all you up, man-io. On me for bitchin' about my salary -"

" - when you first enter Urasaria -" - said Mia - " - it's - five hundred dollars a month -"

" - fifty thousand yen -" said Matoi -

" - oh, fuck! Shit! How the hell do you survive on that?" laughed Junpei - " - alright - next you're gonna say, say you sleep in tents -"

" - that's about the One-Star housing -" laughed Samuel, and Junpei waved his hands like it was a cursed incantation -

" - shit - you guys even wanna go back? I mean, Daishi can get you citizenship -"

- the five laughed knowingly -

" - it's - it has some perks -" laughed Mia, remembering Serena back home.

"It did when we had Luna." laughed Marisa - " - now, the cafeteria food sucks, infirmary sucks -"

" - alright, alright -" laughed Matoi - " - don't make me look bad -"

" - nah, that's on staff, government sounds like -" said Junpei - " - that's, shit, that's something a revolution's made of. Start a coup."

"If only."

"Man. There's - I don't even know what you could do, but you'd make more than - how much was that?"

"Three thousand - uh, thirty thousand yen for us, five thousand for one-stars -" said Marisa -

" - who'd even wanna be a hero with an offer like that?" laughed Junpei, stopping to drink. "Man-io."

"I mean, you do get superpowers." said Samuel, relevantly, and the five laughed as Junpei wiped his mouth.

"True-io, true-io -"

" - can - " - Mia laughed, punk on her mind - " - say coolio?"

"Coolio, coolio?" he grinned, and Mia cracked up as she took another swig -

" - it really starts less tasting like piss, though -" laughed Samuel - " - no offense -"

" - oh, c'mon, piss is even better! Least that's warm!" said Junpei, drinking down. "National drink of Japan, sake! Gotta have fun while you're here!"

(Mia) "serena"

(Mia) "there's someone here who talks exactly like you"

She laughed at the reply - " - do, do you mind - my protégé - Serena, my former protégé - I need her to hear how you talk -"

" - go ahead -" cackled Junpei, and Mia set it on speaker -

" - just, just say - coolio or something -"

" - coolio!" he burped, and Serena paused on the other end -

" - wait, that's what I sound like -"

" - in - in a woman's voice -" cackled Mia, and Serena laughed -

" - they were telling me -" - said Junpei - " - how shitty your salary is!"

Serena laughed knowingly - " - yeah, but um - Matoi got it raised, so -"

" - then your Revenant money -" chimed Mia - and suddenly stopped- " - errr, is it - going good?"

" - oh god, you're drunk as shit -" laughed Serena - " - yeah, um - it's getting closer - I think I'll have it by next year -"

" - have what next year?" said Matoi -

" - nah, nah, um, something special -" chimed Serena, and they heard her tablet vibrate - " - uh, me and Naomi gotta head out -"

" - good luck!" grinned Mia -

" - uh - did you pick me up a copy of Ultra Jump, though - it's -"

" - YEAAAH!" shouted Junpei, and the five were thankful for the private room then - " - what series are you reading! I'll get that shit for you!"

" - uh, JoJo no K-"

- and his next yeah shook the table -

" - I - like - this - chick!" he shouted, slurring to the speaker - " - I'll pick you up the tankōbons and - shiiit…"

" - uh - aren't those super expensive?" laughed Serena -

" - well - one or two - autographed by your's - truly, Junpei Yamazaki -"

" - I really have to go." laughed Serena. "Bye."

Five byes, and she hung up.

"I knew you'd like her." chimed Mia, and Junpei nodded -

" - ah, man, she's - what a nice lady." He said something in Japanese, and Matoi held her hand out, replying likewise; Mia had the feeling it was something embarrassing, given how his eyes looked up -

" - did you just -" - Marisa laughed - " - did you -"

" - now, now -" said Samuel -

" - I tried to save you from the embarrassment -" laughed Matoi, and Junpei cackled, and in the next instant -

- a scream came from the dining room; the five shot up -

" - we'll check." said Matoi, alcohol already in her tone as the four ran out to the hall -

- and saw their foe standing over a table a hundred feet away, his clothes covered in shimmering oil; his eyes went wide as he saw the four -

" - Junpei!" shouted Matoi; Junpei came out of the room, nodding quick -

" - tiiime to go! Shouldn't be driving drunk!" he shouted, Tyrant's throne forming -

- and he was gone, as were the civilians. The four started their drunken charge forward, Revenants readied as they rushed out of the hall and between the booths; ahead, the man's oiled palms swept forward -

- and streams of oil erupted from his hands, hitting the floor ahead; halting quickly, the four stopped fifty feet away. The explosive barrage erupted from Wedding's shoulders -

- but a stream of oil hit the missiles as they flew -

- and down they fell to the ground, far earlier than their normal range, four sighing at the eternal counter.

" - you - dick!" shouted Marisa, relevantly; at her side, Mia murmured low to the three, and they nodded unified. Peeling left along the aisle and rushing in to another beside, their rush took a different angle as new globes of oil hit the floor behind -

- but a swift fire scarab disintegrated the floor, keeping the effect from compounding as the four flanked down the left aisle, and as they came midway -

" - Boudoir !" shouted Marisa; a strand erupted from her glove and hit the ceiling above, and as the three clutched tight and readied to swing right to the man -

- a bout of oil hit the tip of the rope, and as they swung over -

- they felt their speed slow as they came in range of the man -

- just in time for Outcast's boot to kick the man's skull in; the pain threw him back and to the floor -

- and the four sighed as they saw him slip along the floor and out of the front doors, slippery oil ensuring his escape out of the restaurant and to the street beyond.

" - Sssamuel." groaned Mia, relevantly -

" - well, I had to pull it at the last second!" he laughed, and the four started their tipsy rush again out the front doors to the street, ripping their drunken eyes left -

- and saw the foe fleeing down the sidewalk a hundred feet away, buildings and emptied cars where expected. Palms aimed forward, a new geyser of oil burst out and hit his path ahead -

- and the four kept their groaning as they saw him starting to slip and gain speed. Marisa smacked their shoes as they chased -

" - uh - cleats, like." She giggled. "Cleats."

"Cleats." nodded Samuel, utterly clueless as the four kept their run.

"Cleats." grinned Matoi, head still swaying.

"Stop - stop repeating that." winced Mia. "Why - why do we have cleats?"

"Uh, cause that oil sticks and slips, dum-dum." chimed Marisa. "Lesbian mom."

"Mia's a mother?" laughed Matoi -

" - Worldwide." winced the lesbian mom, sheets of ice forming underneath to slicken their step -

- and three staggered and fell immediately; turning her eyes back as she ran undettered ahead, Mia laughed -

- and shrieked as she fell on to her back -

- and even the man laughed a hundred feet ahead as the four got up again, drunken senses failing them as they restarted their eternal rush, evacuated shops beside&ahead -

" - Sekiyu!" shouted the man, and in the next instant -

- a geyser of oil hit one of the buildings beside -

- and a bizarre scene met their stare, walls&ceiling slipping off their hinges, dozens of concrete chunks separating from each other -

- and collapsing away from the four. Confused, they still chased -

" - your Revenant means - oil! Vermin! Dipshit!" shouted Matoi; and laughed a second later as they passed by one store -

- but the next scene was instant. The wall slipped off its hinges and fell towards them; Matoi turned with the speed of light, and as her missiles hit the barrier -

- the slipperiness within the wall threw them with the speed of a thousand away -

- but a swift sweep of Wedding's lasers burnt the wall to ash, leaving three still running faster ahead, only seventy-five feet separating them and the man now -

"( - liquid-bending boy!)" shouted Matoi - "( - that's what they should call you, you fat fuck!)"

- ahead, the three passed by another building; another wall collapsed towards them -

" - got it!" chimed Marisa, only Samuel&Mia left as she stayed behind, Boudoir's sword hacking with the speed of light through the material. Fifty feet finally separated them from their foe ahead; the two peeled to the road keep in pursuit, parked cars adjacent -

" - so sick of this horseshit." groaned Samuel, stopping at one casual car. Digging his gauntlets underneath, he caught it up -

- and hurled it; the man instinctively threw his arm out with a cry -

- and the keen two-ton projectile hit him skull-on -

" - abaio, kuso - kuso tarry!" slurred Mia -

" - goodbye, shithead!" slurred Matoi fifty feet behind -

- and the four winced as they didn't see him a second later.

"That's why I should've pulled it. Might've killed him." groaned Samuel, but in the next instant -

- the two saw a shimmering outline exit the vehicle and start to walk towards them, barely visible and fading every second -

" - using his fucking oil." sighed Mia. "Every Revenant. Every Revenant. Why can't they all be fire? Or ice?"

Another invisible bout of oil struck the two's feet, cleats useless against the ground starting to stick -

" - Outcast!" shouted Samuel, rage peaking as ghastly hands gripped one driverside door nearby -

- and tore it clear off, throwing it near the two -

- and leaving them both sighing as no shriek of pain came, Marisa&Matoi daring not enter as new oil caught the duo below -

" - I said - Outcast!" shouted Samuel, rage truly peaking as ghastly hands gripped another car -

- and threw it whole to the two; another set caught it, throwing it in a circle around, automobile turned tornado spinning and spinning around and seeking their invisible foe -

- but the two sighed as it slipped apart suddenly, still no sight of their foe, step permanently stuck in the ground by then -

" - only one way to find this - fucking useless bitch! Kuso - kusottare!" slurred Mia, Samuel laughing as he nodded. Ghastly hands pulled a final car around, and as it slipped apart again -

- ghastly hands scattered the gasoline all around, fire scarabs following a second later -

- and setting the two in to a burning ring of orange fire; as it burned burned burned, they heard a scream behind and turned -

- just in time to see an invisible figure set alight twenty feet away, desperate oil trying to douse the flames -

- and a final electrical scarab knocked him unconscious, ice scarabs extinguishing him as he fell.

"Fucking imbecile." grinned Mia, head swaying, trying Serena's voice. "Dickless - bitch!"

The two laughed as Matoi and Marisa came up.

"And now, to call Junpei -" grinned Matoi, head swaying -

" - uh, we should probably sober up first -" grinned Marisa, and the four started laughing, but didn't know why.