Dawn's pale glow had not yet claimed the sky when the factory at Lagoon Port drowned in shadows. The twin moons hung above—the silver serene, the black ominous—watching silently as chaos began to unfold inside the crumbling walls.
The moment Carlos uttered that name, Yuta froze. Her heart skipped, her breath caught. It was as though an invisible thread had been pulled violently from the core of her being, unraveling something buried deep within. Her vision blurred; the world spun.
Lenny noticed immediately. "Yuta?" he muttered, then, without hesitation, lashed out. His boot connected sharply with Carlos's neck, the impact sending the demon skidding across the concrete floor and crashing into the far wall.
"Get a hold of yourself, Yuta!" Lenny barked, his voice breaking under strain. "We gotta move—get the girls out before—"
He stopped. His chest tightened as he turned to her. Yuta's eyes were no longer black. They glowed with molten gold, burning like fire beneath her lashes. She finally spoke, her voice cracked with fury and confusion.
"Yuta? I'm Yuna, you ignorant pig! Where the hell am I? Where's Yuta? Damn it—what's happening!?"
The words rattled Lenny to his core. He staggered back, his knees giving out beneath him. He already knew he was screwed—royally screwed—caught in a nightmare that was spiraling beyond his control.
Across the hall, Carlos dragged himself upright, brushing dust from his shoulders. His lips curled into a grin as he spat blood onto the floor.
"So it's true, then," he laughed, voice echoing like broken glass. "The name unlocks a different one inside you. How… delicious. A gift from the heavens, dropped right into my lap. Boys—" His grin widened, exposing rows of jagged teeth. "Time to feast."
With a roar, his men surged forward, blades flashing in the flickering light.
Lenny braced, fumbling for his weapon, but he was too slow. The tide was already upon them—
And then, in the space of a single heartbeat, Yuta was gone from his side.
In a blur, she reappeared in front of Carlos, a rusted pipe gripped in her hand. With a feral cry, she swung it like a warhammer, the blow cracking across Carlos's chest and hurling him through his own advancing men. They scattered as he smashed into the far crates, the sound of splintering wood filling the air.
"I don't know what's going on," Yuna shouted, her golden eyes blazing, "but if my sister trusted you, then you have your role to play—even if you're weak. Get your sorry ass out of here with the girls!"
Her words cut like a blade. Lenny froze for a moment, then nodded sharply. Questions didn't get him paid—and hesitation here got him killed. He scooped up the trembling captives, dragging them toward the shattered entrance. He didn't look back, didn't dare.
Behind him, Yuna exhaled heavily, lowering the pipe. Her gaze narrowed at the demon dragging himself free of broken crates.
Carlos wiped blood from his mouth, his eyes alight with rage.
"Shinjitsu Style…" Yuna muttered, tearing the side of her dress for freedom of movement. Her stance lowered, her aura sharp as a blade. "…Heavy Hitter."
Carlos sneered, turning to his soldiers. "What are you waiting for? It's just one girl! Kill her already!"
The hesitation of his men was brief, but it was there. Still, hunger and fear of their master pushed them forward. They rushed her with blades raised, snarls on their lips.
Yuna met them like a storm. She weaved through their strikes, every dodge fluid, every counter precise. Her fingers and pipe struck with surgical precision, finding pressure points and nerve clusters. One by one, they dropped to the floor, paralyzed, twitching, powerless.
Carlos's eyes widened despite himself. She was no ordinary girl.
He snarled. "Enough!" His fists clenched as the ground trembled beneath his feet. "You… damn… human filth! Taurus Skill Tree—Earth Consumption!"
The factory shuddered violently. Cracks tore across the ground, swallowing steel beams and walls alike. With a deafening groan, the structure began to collapse. Yuna leapt through a shattered window just as the building caved in, concrete and steel devoured by the earth itself.
Outside, bathed in the cold light of the silver moon, she landed on the dock with a roll. Dust and debris rained behind her. From the rubble, Carlos rose once more, his body encased in jagged armor of living stone. His eyes burned, wild with wrath.
Yuna laughed, sharp and reckless. "Oh wow—trying to bury yourself before I get the chance? You're no fun at all, demon."
Carlos growled, ignoring her taunt. He raised one arm high. The earth around him surged upward, forming into a colossal spear of jagged rock. With a roar, he hurled it straight at her.
She tried to move, but her body was still sluggish from the shift—too slow. The spear tore toward her like death itself.
And then she felt it—a sudden tug, a pull at her waist.
The world blurred. The spear ripped through empty space where she had stood a heartbeat before. Dust exploded behind her.
Carlos's eyes widened. "What—!? Who the hell—?"
Yuna looked up from the safety of strong hands pulling her clear. A familiar figure stood before her, his face unreadable, his posture calm despite the chaos.
Yamori.
His grey eyes reflected the moons' light as he exhaled softly.
"I suppose," he said in that quiet, even tone of his, "I made it in time." He glanced at her, his gaze sharp but steady. "Can you still fight, Yuta?"
Her golden eyes narrowed. "Yuta's not here, boy. I'm Yuna. But fight?" She smirked, raising the rusted pipe once more. "You better believe it."
The moonlight shimmered between them, the battle far from over.