A decade ago, specifically, great destruction was directed at Libretanhya. The perpetrator, the "Theatrical Assassin" or "Killer of the Century," was presumed dead after sacrificing his own life to avoid being... killed? Well, a bit ironic, dying to avoid his own death? Maybe he's crazy, but definitely someone who has the power to choose how he wants to end his life.
His face? His name? Even if they search for years, trying to remember, it always yields the same result:
A blank screen.
***
Twisting her red hair around her index finger, a woman did so while writing in a book. Her handwriting was legible, but even though she tried to be delicate, she still ripped the page with all the force she had.
With a frustrated sigh, she tore it out and discarded it.
She started again... and failed, finally giving up, for now.
Her hand rested on her chin, watching the children, who were being assisted by teenagers she had previously trained. Her serious expression partially softened, a proud smile almost forming on her lips.
Suddenly, the electronic device beside her vibrated with a voice message reading "Aurora." Her brow furrowed at the cell phone screen, but she picked it up, answered it, and placed it to her ear.
"..."
"Good morning, Ferinish Lawhell. I hope I'm not disturbing you, but we need you at our meeting."
"Meeting?"
"Yes, if possible, come as quickly as you can. Faller and Victoria are already bothering me here."
"Oh, of course..."
With a soft laugh, the woman placed her cell phone back where she had picked it up and rose from the floor where she had been sitting.
When she emerged from the temple, like a figure who rarely appeared in public, the disciples were surprised by her presence, kneeling in absolute respect.
Her right arm fell to her chest in response. Her steps were slow but powerful. The skirt of her kimono dragged along the ground in a graceful movement, her calm gaze staring into the abyss of that mountain, then being stared back. Her head turned to the side with a direct and absolute order:
"While you are in this temple, protect this place with your lives. But if the danger that spreads is greater, do not hesitate to shout my name."
Thus, the woman leaps into the abyss like a jet of fire...
***
In a huge building in the city center, in a secret meeting room, a man was training intensely on the floor with push-ups.
"1234... 1235... 1236!"
One of the women, with blue hair, was asleep inside a bubble of water.
The other, with gray hair, was adjusting the room's system, playing relaxing music and lighting the room with colored lights.
As the door opened, revealing the red-haired woman, the gray-haired woman quickly shut down the systems, placing her hands behind her back and greeting with a neutral tone in her voice, feigning professionalism.
"Good morning again, Ferinish."
"Good morning again, Aurora."
Ferinish's lips tightened at the scene nearby. With a flick of the hilt of her sword, she cut through the water bubble, then immediately slammed it onto the man's back, causing him to falter and fall.
"Ferinish!!"
They both exclaimed.
"It's good to see you, Victoria and Faller."
***
Everyone quickly sat around the table. Faller relaxed his muscles, Victoria dried herself off, Aurora tried to appear as intellectual as possible, but a giggle escaped her lips... Ferinish just scratched his hair.
"Well... I don't like to be too blunt, but I will be: The Inferius are increasingly unstable, as this graph shows..."
Aurora's finger pointed to the tabletop screen, demonstrating that the dimensions were becoming much more dangerous than before.
"It wasn't enough that, in recent years, this dimension lost its core, becoming part of our world. But now the Renkai Energy is much more unstable, deforming the infected and turning them into... true monsters."
The screen switched to a video, where, apparently, a lower-level hunter personally witnessed his companion's transformation:
***
The content contained screams that were impossible to understand. The scene showed the man transforming into something resembling a demonic lizard:
His legs twist, breaking apart as they transform. His body grows, tearing his clothes, leaving him naked in the cold of the Blizzard Inferius, and his skin tears, exposing his flesh in those extreme conditions. His face becomes thinner, scales appear and descend to the end of his body, and his spine expands, protruding from his body, enveloped by skin and scales, becoming a tail. Thus, the mutation is complete.
The last part of the video is the monster advancing toward the camera, ending the video with a sharp cut.
***
The expressions of those present could not be more serious: Faller swallowed hard, Victoria was wide-eyed, Ferinish gripped the hilt of his sword, and Aurora remained neutral, but deep down, she felt her chest tighten with the reality of the world.
"...And everything indicates that it could get even worse. As one of the Pillars, I want you to understand the best solution I have at this time..."
Faller cleared his throat, responding questionably:
"Victoria and I are the Pillars of World Protection. And if the situation worsens, as you say, Aurora, our work will become much more exhausting than it already is."
"That's the issue I want to address, Faller. Ferinish."
"Yes?"
"We are both masters in our fields: I, knowledge, you, combat. We have disciples who aspire to be our equals, but because of this problem, we will have to intervene more than we intended. What I mean is that, when Faller and Victoria are absent in Libretanhya, if an attack is too great for the S-rank hunters to handle, we will have to intervene. And perhaps not just in this capital, but throughout the world."
"I see..."
Ferinish crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back in her chair, thoughtful...
But then she replied:
"No problem. I can ask one of my seniors to take care of the place and train the disciples."
"When you say 'seniors,' do you mean Elisa... or Shaphira?"
Aurora raised an eyebrow as she asked. Ferinish gave the other a stern look, answering her question.
"Shaphira no longer lives in Libretanhya. Elisa is a very powerful S-rank hunter; she's the only one I can ask without you stopping me."
Faller and Victoria sensed the tension between the two women. The man tried to ease the situation with a friendly smile.
"Please, ladies, there's no point in arguing and..."
"Shut up, Faller. This isn't something you should interfere with."
Ferinish replied coldly. Victoria gave Faller a disapproving look, mocking in a whisper,
"Don't even try, darling."
***
After the meeting, Ferinish retreated with firm steps toward the door. Aurora secluded herself in a private room, leaving only Faller and Victoria, who remained silent until the end of the discussion.
"These two..."
Victoria murmured to herself. Seeing her partner's sigh, Faller placed his hand on her back in comfort.
"I'll try to take care of this, trust me."
"I do... I just need some rest for the next mission."
With a goodbye kiss, Victoria left the room. Faller walked to the "wall" of the private room, knocking lightly to get Aurora's attention.
"This is Faller, let me try to help you."
The silence echoed for a brief moment until the wall dissolved, revealing Aurora, surrounded by machines, spinning in a chair.
"What do you want?"
"I just want to say that... I understand you, my friend."
He places his hand on his chest, demonstrating sincerity.
"You have to make difficult decisions to keep this city safe, even if it makes some people think negatively of you. And I'm grateful that, even though you could have, you didn't hurt Shaphira. She's important not only to Ferinish, but to me and Victoria as well."
Hearing the man's words, the woman stopped moving in her chair, her gaze falling on him, and she took a deep breath to answer him.
"I understand Ferinish's frustration, Faller. I would hate to see someone important to me walk away, especially without being able to do anything to reverse the decision. But as someone who ranks below the Leader of Libretanhya, I have to find a solution as soon as possible. I know that, deep down, Shaphira is a good, strong, and intelligent woman, as talented as Elisa, but she is unstable. What can we do if she loses control of her own energy? If she becomes a giant demonic fox that can destroy an entire nation? Well... you must have understood my reasoning by now."
Even though Faller didn't like that decision, he knew Aurora was completely right. Responding with an "Understood," the man turned to leave the room, but was interrupted:
"Faller."
"Say it."
"... Thank you for understanding me, you're a good friend."
"You're welcome, my friend."
He replied with a small smile on his lips.
***
The moon had already risen in the sky, the disciples had already gone home, the master sat alone on the mountain cliff...
That comfortable silence was broken by the familiar sound of jets. Appearing in front of her, her lab coat flapping with the small devices hidden in her suit, the woman, Aurora, landed beside her.
"How about... we ease this tension?"
She showed a bottle of soda hidden in her clothing. Ferinish, despite the previous argument, couldn't help but smile after hearing the other woman.
"Why not? I need some relief after so much... unpleasant news."
***
Sitting next to each other, the two drank silently. Even without a single word between them, even with their differences of opinion, they still managed to reconnect.
One of them, the smart one, touched the stronger woman's muscular arm, suddenly questioning her:
"You're so lonely, Ferinish. Why don't you find a partner?"
Aurora's voice cracked, a clear sign she was drunk, even just on soda... and her question made Ferinish spit out the liquid in surprise.
"Oh?... well, I never thought about it. Even though I've gotten over social issues, like touching, I still don't see the need for a partner."
"Of course, of course... I know you can, Ferinish. Look at that body of yours! How many men can you carry in your arms? Five? Ten? Thirty?"
Ferinish was already getting dizzy from the questions. Gently, her hands went to her friend's shoulders, trying to keep her seated.
"I think you're too drunk, Aurora. You better go home..."
"Of course I'm drunk! I put some chips in my brain that make me feel a few extra pleasures!"
"You really are crazy."
"Of course I am! I'm a fucking amazing scientist!"
Abruptly, she fell asleep in his arms. Ferinish sighed in frustration, but didn't let go of her hold.
"What am I going to do with this crazy woman?"
Even though she wondered, the real question from before wouldn't leave her mind.
But soon she forgot...
***
"Hmm..."
When she opened her eyes, she found herself hanging upside down from a tree by a rope, spinning around and around...
"It wasn't a good idea to implant that chip..."
"It really wasn't."
When she turned her head to find the source of the voice, sitting across from her, wearing a mix of a dress and military gear, her white hair falling to her shoulders and her red eyes staring at her, the more mature-looking woman added,
"Ferinish told me it's best to wait for you to leave before allowing the disciples to enter the temple. I was even going to refuse to come here, but when I heard the state the great Pillar of Knowledge was in... I couldn't miss it."
She laughed mockingly. Aurora gritted her teeth. Blades emerged from her shoes, cutting the rope. And from her lab coat, small rockets activated, preventing her from hitting the ground.
"Since you became one of the most powerful S-rank hunters, you've been more confident than you'd like, Elisa Fainer..."
Suddenly, the watch on her wrist vibrated. Elisa crossed her arms, curious. With a frown, Aurora answered her before she asked:
"It's my boss..."
"Oh, do you want me to step away? It must be important..."
"No, don't worry."
As she answered, a deep, serious male voice echoed from the technological watch.
"Aurora."
"Yes, boss?"
"I'll be blunt. This morning, in NeonyRain, the city experienced a unique event: an Inferius portal surrounded the skies and surrounding area. Some of its students, disciples, whatever you call it, theorized that this Inferius is part of the Inferius Complex, as if it were a new entrance, a way for the dimension to expand."
The two listeners, especially Aurora, were very... confused by this sudden information.
"Wait! Let me absorb this information! An Inferius has surrounded an ENTIRE city?! As if preventing anyone from entering or leaving?!"
"Exactly. That's why I'm asking not only you, but also Ferinish Lawhell to investigate this phenomenon and prevent something worse from happening."
"And where's Ferinish?!"
"She's already gone, you better not be late."
"WHAT?! And wasn't I warned first?... Okay, okay, Faller and Victoria are staying in Libretanhya while we're both gone?"
"Yes. Now go, Aurora. We don't have time to waste."
"Yes, sir!"
"Wait!..."
Before she could stop her, Aurora had already flown away with her lab coat. Frustrated, Elisa simply crossed her arms.
"I guess I'll have to take care of this place for now."
***
NeonyRain, The City of Eternal Rain.
Dressed in delicate clothing, a woman was driving her car. The sight of the sky covered by a colossal portal sent chills through her stomach. The horizon, equally covered, gave a sense of imprisonment to the human gaze.
As she stopped her vehicle next to a bench, the door opened, revealing a man with glasses and slightly cropped dark hair, asking the woman:
"Alice Larrywall?"
"Skyler Fogue?"
"That's it!"
"Come in, dear."
With a friendly expression, the man sat in the backseat, crossing one leg over the other, his hand, hidden by gloves, resting on his thigh.
"I sent you the location I want to go to, right?"
"Yes. I assume this is your house?"
"Exactly. I apologize for being so far."
"No problem, it's my job."
The car was silent, the man leaned back in his seat to watch the rain through the window, always so intense...
The woman, curious, observed the man's outfit through the window in front.
"You're very well dressed. What's that wrapping around your legs?"
"It's a kind of skirt I made myself. Because I'm a traveler who travels between dimensions, this thing helps me battle demons. It creates an illusion that makes my kicks unpredictable."
"So you're one of those crazy people who ventures into Inferius to reach shorter routes?"
"Correct answer! What a smart girl you are!"
"It was nothing, I just studied a lot!"
The woman gave a gentle laugh, feeling more relaxed in contrast to the tension she'd felt earlier.
"Mr. Skyler, have you seen the latest news? The phenomenon happening in our city?"
Alice asked, her gaze returning to the horizon obscured by the dimension. Skyler replied, her arm resting on the driver's seat.
"Oh, sure. It's a really... scary situation, definitely. Do you feel that fear, Miss Alice?"
"Yes, I have a daughter, a little girl. I'm afraid something will happen to her after this Inferius appears."
"Daughter, huh? Who is she with?"
"With a nanny..."
"...And her father?"
"..."
The woman fell silent, her hands clenching the steering wheel, her veins showing, showing that Alice, so delicate... was stronger than she appeared. The man noticed, his arm moving around her neck from behind, making her feel the furry fabric of his coat.
"I touched on a sensitive subject, didn't I? So I politely ask you to take your hands off your knife; you're still too inexperienced to try to attack me."
The woman's delicacy disappeared as quickly as her hand on her gun. Her expression became more serious, firm, even cold. The woman asked him.
"What do you know about me?"
"Everything. As an adult, your parents passed away, but they already completely destroyed your life. Because they were from a noble family, they forced you to associate with a "perfect" man, or if you want to be specific, to marry him. After the death of your loved ones, the man began to act differently: starting with rudeness, then cursing, aggression, and soon... abuse."
The woman stopped the car abruptly, her hands beginning to crumple the steering wheel.
"Get out of my car, now."
"What if I don't want to?"
With a swift movement, she pulled the man's arm down and grabbed the knife from her delicate clothing, lunging for his neck... the blade stopped, at her own.
"What?..."
"I tell you, young lady, you're still inexperienced."
He twisted the blade with his fingers, bending it and rendering it useless.
"You will come with me, without saying a word."
***
In the rain, the woman walked forward, the man behind her, holding an umbrella, shielding them both from the rain.
"... After that brutal act of violence against you, the man abandoned you, leaving you alone, with a daughter and an impulsive desire for revenge, justice, to make not only that man pay, but all those who have ever touched a young woman inappropriately and... sexually."
"Why... why do you want to remind me, Skyler? Who are you, after all? Someone worse than the men I seek revenge for?"
"Who am I? If I had the answer, I would tell you. But Skyler... is just one of the hundreds of identities I use. But this is the one that comes closest to who I once truly was. My favorite."
Facing a completely dark space, the man gently pushed her from behind.
"Come in."
Alice looked at Skyler over her shoulder, clenching her fists.
"This place is dark, impossible to see. And I also have to take care of my daughter; I can't be long."
The man laughed, stepping closer, making the woman feel a little small with Skyler's muscular and equally intellectual appearance.
"I'll take care of your daughter myself. Now go meet your new family."
With the force of a truck, the man pushed the woman toward the darkness, her screams echoing in the abyss. The man elegantly adjusted his glasses and touched the wall next to him, activating an identification system and closing the wall into several squares.
"You have great potential, woman. You just need the right influence."
His gray eyes observe the cursed phenomenon in the sky, rain still falling on his face and glasses. Adjusting his gloves, the man walks through the endless darkness that surrounded the City of Eternal Rain, NeonyRain.