Tanisha watched Bjorn walk up the stairwell out the Alpha Extraction Site. She knew they would be apart for some time but hoped he would find the mana crystals and wood soon. She had spent nearly every waking moment sense he was born together. While she could feel him through the familiar bond it was not the same as actually having him with her.
As he vanished she took a deep breath nearly holding it before breathing out slow and steadily. She closed her eyes for a long moment before opening them and turning to Aurelius and Fuyumi. They had a job to do and sitting around was not going to get them any closer to stopping the facility from exploding.
Aurelius stepped up and placed a hand on her shoulder. His touch was firm and grounding.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah." Tanisha gave a small nod. "Let's get back to Laxy. She said my armor has some features we should go over."
"Good idea," Fuyumi chimed in. "She can probably tell us more about the objective, too."
With a reassuring pat, Aurelius turned to lead the way. Tanisha lingered for one more heartbeat, casting a final glance at the stairwell. Part of her wished Bjorn would come right back down, having miraculously found everything they needed just outside. But the young cernunnos knew that was nothing more than a comforting delusion. Shaking the thought, she turned and quickened her pace to catch up.
"How are you staying so calm?" Aurelius asked.
"Me?" Fuyumi asked.
"Yeah, I mean we are trying to save the world." Aurelius said.
"The continent, if the android's assessment is accurate," Fuyumi corrected.
"You know what I mean," Aurelius said with a wave.
"I also want to know." Tanisha added.
"Alcohol helps," Fuyumi answered dryly. "And not being the team leader. Sorry, Aurelius." Her tone softened. "But seriously—it's not that I'm not worried. It's just... testing myself and growing stronger has always been the way of the Yuki. In moments like this, it's vital to push past the weight of what you can't control. That's the essence of the Spirit Gate."
She paused, then continued, more thoughtfully. "Some people say magic is an expression of who we are. Others say magic shapes who we become. I think it's both. So, I shape myself—so I can shape my magic."
"I don't understand so the Spirit Gate makes you less worried?" Tanisha questioned.
"No," Fuyumi said, shaking her head. "It helps me endure. Helps me think beyond the moment. Look at us. Of all the people in the world who could have ended up here… who better than us?"
"Hmm. Bjorn the True Hydra, Fuyumi the daughter of a sage, and two sages between Tanisha and me." Aurelius said, scratching his chin.
Tanisha looked between them. "You think this was fate or something?"
"What else could it be," Fuyumi shrugged. "What is the likelihood that we could happen to come together otherwise. If we never met this facility would not have been found and even if it was aether is a myth no one else could have opened the doors. In a few months we would have all been dead without even knowing what happened. At least now our fate is in our hands."
"True." Tanisha murmured.
"The Spirit Gate can be opened but never mastered," Fuyumi said. "We all have our own path. Once we find both of yours it will be the first step to opening the Spirit Gate. Maybe what I said will realy make sense to you or maybe it is the ravings of a woman that hasn't had enough to drink."
"Is your path alcohol?" Aurelius questioned.
"I wish it was sometimes." Fuyumi rolled her eyes.
Silence settled among them—a silence Tanisha welcomed. She needed it. Needed time to brace herself for the battles ahead. She then remembered she needed to look over her status. Well it was mainly just a distraction to take her mind off of things for a little while.
She had two major concerns when it came to her statistics. The first was that she wanted to get everything over one hundred. The second was her magic, she had been relying on her control over the maya aspects of her seiðr. It just felt right to use. However she was a Sage with the abilities to utilize Nature, Darkness and Elemental magic. She had severely limited herself and now that she didn't have Bjorn to fall back on those magics would have to be her lifeline.
When it came to close combat Fuyumi was the best choice. If they had to blitz an enemy Aurelius could outpace anything they encountered so far. It left her in a position that she was redundant on both fronts. She had her weapons and she was learning Fuyumi's walking armory magic but that would still put her in melee range. She needed to be their long range heavy war mage.
She will need to push the Sage Soul Forge to its limits. She knew she could create spells with it but that was dangerous. She would need to start with what she knew and create a grimoire.
"One thing at a time." Tanisha said to herself.
Fuyumi glanced up. "Huh? Did you say something?"
Tanisha shook her head, then bit her lip. "Actually…do you know how to craft new spells?"
"No, spellcraft is not something I had much of an interest in." Fuyumi said as she put a finger on her lip. "My brother dove into it, but I found it too theoretical. My teaching was pretty straight forward and very regimented. There was an option to learn but it was too much theory for my liking."
"I am surprised with how good you are at teaching." Aurelius said.
"I understand the practical side." Fuyumi said with a yawn. "How magic is supposed to flow and how it isn't. Everything I know has a direct application to magic control, flow, expenditure, or containment. I don't get into theory and book work."
"What about you Aurelius?" Tanisha asked.
"I don't know either. I don't really use spells. Well not in the same way as mages." Aurelius said.
"What do you mean?" Tanisha asked.
"I am a cultivator and also a sword specialist, we follow a set of movements to activate techniques. It is kind of like moving in a way that simulates magic to flow in a very precise pattern. So it requires minimal understanding of magic theory but a lot of practice and skill." Aurelius said.
"That sounds a lot like animal magic," Tanisha observed.
"In a way, yes," he agreed. "Animals tap instinctively into raw, explosive magic. My techniques mimic that primal surge. A single, perfectly executed slash, a flash step, a shield raise. They're all tiny spells triggered by movement itself. One of my teachers told me it is about mastering self so you can master the world. The benefit is that if you falter mid‑motion, the magic simply fizzles, rather than rebounding back at you."
He paused, considering. "Spells, by contrast, excel at range and area effects, especially early on, when mastering techniques can feel like scaling a mountain."
Tanisha was reminded of the electrokinetic mage she had fought back in the border fortress. Bjorn specifically targeted her in the middle of casting which caused her magic core to erupt. If it wasn't for the fact that mage likely had a mage body it would have killed her right then and there. Most people call it a magic backlash when that happens.
Techniques turns the whole body into a spellform but only for a split second. I wonder if I can learn magic techniques somehow. That would make my attacks with my weapons much stronger.
Tanisha pressed a hand to her chin. "I think I understand. Thank you."
Aurelius offered a small smile. "Glad to help… though I'm not sure it was much use."
Fuyumi leaned forward. "Are you planning new spells, then?"
"Maybe." Tanisha's eyes drifted as she mulled possibilities. "But for now, I'll focus on perfecting the Walking Armory." She squared her shoulders. "One thing at a time."
***
They arrived at the Maintenance Room, where Laxy was meticulously polishing one of the many weapons displayed along the wall. Tanisha had initially mistaken them for loud, mechanical crossbows, but she'd since learned they were called firearms. They were artifacts of a bygone age from when humans needed such crude weapons. Though likely unused for thousands of years, Laxy maintained the arsenal with unwavering precision and seriousness.
In her human guise, the gynoid resembled a flesh-and-blood woman: long raven-black hair tied into a ponytail, warm tan skin, and even a pair of glasses perched on her nose. She wore a pristine lab coat, adding to the illusion. She always seemed to have a pleasant smile but given that she said the form was made to work well with colleagues it likely didn't mean anything beside her placating demeanor. The only indications of her artificial nature were the thin golden seams tracing patterns across her skin and, of course, the metallic wings folded neatly on her back.
"You have returned," Laxy said, placing the polished pistol back onto the rack with mechanical grace. "I infer this means you have completed your farewell to Bjorn."
"Yeah," Fuyumi replied, her tone sharp. "Now we need a plan of attack. We're only going along with this because Bjorn insisted. But if we find out you lied to us—"
"You have no reason to worry," Laxy interrupted, bowing her head in a formal gesture. "All provided data has been verified. Without the specified materials, we cannot stabilize the meltdown. Furthermore, Bjorn is the only individual in your group with sufficient durability to survive the current breakdown of reality beyond this facility. If an alternative existed, I would have presented it."
"Yeah, okay, we get it," Aurelius said, cutting her off. "Right now, our priority is disabling the security androids. We can't access the lower levels yet, but there are sections of the upper floors we haven't cleared. We need to know exactly what we're up against. That is the only way we can start forming strategies."
"The last thing we want is to be caught unaware like we were with the shard and the other one that turned invisible." Fuyumi said.
"Those were the S-01 Silhouette and S-04 Shard they are considered advanced Units." Laxy said.
"Great but we need more information." Aurelius pressed.
"I do not have real-time access to the facility's security architecture," Laxy responded. "However, this complex lacks the capability to manufacture combat units beyond the S-Series. Due to the lockdown, most Combat Units remain confined to the lower levels. Only basic patrol and maintenance models are likely present on the upper floors."
"Before we get into tactics," Tanisha interjected, "can you tell me more about the changes you made to my armor?"
"Affirmative," Laxy said with a nod. "I implemented several optimizations. The most fundamental enhancement is auto-equip functionality. When you retrieve the armor from your inventory, it will now automatically equip itself—eliminating the need for manual donning. The system will also store your current attire during the process."
Tanisha's eyes widened. "That's actually incredible."
"It was standard protocol for individuals capable of aether manipulation," Laxy replied matter-of-factly. "The more critical modifications pertain to performance optimization and defense calibration. Shall I elaborate?"