Rover moved first her body a blur of speed and grace, like flowing water turned into steel (Bruce Lee). She dashed straight at Scar, her blade cutting through the air with a whistle. Her form was sharper now, precise and elegant, her footwork light as if she was dancing.
At the same time, Jeff unleashed his Comet Flame Rectifier. The weapon pulsed with a fiery glow, then detonated in rapid succession—orb after orb of flame bombarded Scar from above, each explosion painting the Elysium in bursts of orange light. Jeff didn't let up; his pistol barked in rhythm, each shot aimed to keep Scar pinned, to force him to move where Rover wanted him.
Scar gritted his teeth, raising his flaming cards to shield himself. The moment he turned to block Jeff's bombardment, Rover's sword arced for his throat—only to be caught at the last second by his defense. Sparks rained as steel and flame ground against one another.
But Rover wasn't finished. Using the clash as momentum, she pivoted on her heel and drove her leg into Scar's chest with a sharp roundhouse kick. The impact cracked like a gunshot, sending him stumbling backward.
Scar's lips twisted into a grin, his voice low and mocking. "Stow away that irrational anger of yours."
Jeff strode forward, eyes narrowed, his pistol smoking. "Will you just shut the fuck up and let us kick your ass?"
Scar snarled, whipping another fan of flaming cards toward Jeff. But Jeff's eyes gleamed—the tacet mark along his neck pulsed brighter, almost alive. He raised his hand, and with a flick of his wrist, his own fiery cards ignited into being, mirroring Scar's perfectly.
Scar froze, disbelief flashing across his face. "What…?"
Jeff smirked, his tone smug. "Neat, right?"
He closed the distance, blade in hand. The glowing mark seared against his skin, then in a sudden, violent surge, the energy shifted—relocating, crawling across his jaw and blazing into his left eye. For a split second, his pupil shimmered an unnatural light.
The next motion wasn't his own—it was instinct, an ability borrowed from another. Jeff's sword slashed in a perfect arc, colder than winter. Ice burst from the steel, massive shards erupting mid-swing. It was unmistakable—
Sanhua's Clarity of Mind.
Scar's grin faltered. He barely twisted away in time, the shards grazing him, slicing open his sleeve and forcing him to skid backward as jagged ice hammered into his side. The attack shoved him several paces, frost blooming across his clothes.
Jeff exhaled sharply, lowering his sword. His eye still glowed, his breaths ragged but steady. Rover rushed to his side, her blade up in guard. "Ready?" she asked, her gaze searching him for any injuries.
Jeff gave her a quick nod, the corner of his mouth tugging into a grin. "Always."
They stood shoulder to shoulder, eyes locked on their enemy.
Scar threw back his head and laughed, his voice echoing through the realm. "Hahahaha! Interesting… so that's your trick. You can replicate any Resonator you've seen and understood."
Jeff blinked, stunned. He figured it out that fast?
Scar's laughter only grew harsher, and darker. "I can see now why Phrolova was obsessed with you."
The name hit like a knife. Rover's jaw tightened, her eyes narrowing, fury smoldering behind them at the mention of the woman who caused Jeff distress. Her grip on her sword hardened.
Jeff's expression, however, stayed flat. He summoned his Rectifier again, its barrel humming with power, and without warning fired a cheap shot straight at Scar's face.
Scar brought his flaming cards up just in time, the explosion flashing inches from his smirk. When the smoke cleared, his amber eyes glittered with amusement. "Well, that was rude."
Jeff just shrugged, unbothered. "Worth a shot."
The way he said it so casually, almost cheeky, pulled the edge of a smile from Rover despite herself.
Scar tilted his head, grinning. "Still so cranky."
Jeff raised his pistol, his glare unwavering. "You're fucking boring me with your useless yapping. Honestly, it's grating on my ears."
Scar's grin widened as he circled, his boots scraping against the polished marble of the Elysium realm. His eyes glowed with a manic gleam.
Scar tilted his head, his voice smooth but venomous. "I just have a friendly reminder for you… dear Rover." His hand lazily flicked a card, the flaming edge casting sparks as it spun before vanishing into the air. "Seeing is not always believing. Why are you so sure they told you the truth? Don't jump to conclusions so soon. Even the man beside you holds a lot of secrets. How can you trust him so easily? Did his little charm work on you? It clearly did—considering how fond and worried you are about him."
His words dripped with mockery. Then he threw his head back and laughed, wild and grating, the sound bouncing across the Realm like broken glass.
But Rover didn't flinch. Her grip on her sword tightened, her eyes narrowing. Then, sharp as a blade, she spat:
"Just like Jeff said—shut the fuck up."
Scar blinked. Even Jeff froze mid-stance, brows raising. Rover never cursed.
Jeff's lips twitched into a crooked grin, pride warming his expression despite the situation. Damn I'm being a bad influence on Rover. "Heh. You heard the lady. We're gonna beat your ass up."
He shifted his stance—sword angled low in his left, pistol steady in his right, his Comet Rectifier hovering behind him like a loyal phantom. Sparks of flame and frost shimmered faintly along the glowing tacet mark that was on his left eye.
Rover slid into position beside him, blade lifted parallel to her shoulder, her stance fluid but firm. Her expression was calm and determined, though the faint flush on her cheeks betrayed the sting of Scar's taunt. She glanced at Jeff briefly, just long enough for him to see the fire in her eyes.
Scar's smirk faltered into irritation. His jaw clenched, shoulders squaring. "Why are you both so stubborn? Why can't you place some of that trust in me?" His tone grew harsher, edged with mania. His cards ignited in his hands like burning feathers.
His smile twisted again, darker. "Or… do I have to crush you to make you behave for once?"
Jeff's tacet mark pulsed. The glow in his left eye flickered, then slipped back down to his neck, crawling across his collarbone like living fire. His voice came out low, steady and defiant.
"Fucking try, why don't you."
The words hit the air like a gunshot.
Scar snarled, no longer amused. He lunged—flaming cards scattering like shrapnel, his fist wrapped in fire as it came swinging for Jeff's head.
Jeff braced. Rover moved with him.
And together, they launched into the next clash.
Scar lunged, his flaming fist arcing straight toward my chest with the intent to break bone. I barely had time to react but my body moved before my mind did. My hand flicked upward, and flaming cards—his cards, mirrored from his own ability flared into existence and intercepted the strike. The collision rattled through my arm, sparks scattering like wildfire.
His eyes widened at the imitation, but before he could sneer, my tacet mark burned hot. The glow surged up my throat, crawling across my jaw until it reached my left eye. My vision blurred into a crystalline sheen—and suddenly, ice erupted beneath Scar's boots, freezing him in place with a violent crack. The frost clung to his ankles, spiderwebbing across the marble floor like a living snare.
"Now!" I barked.
Rover didn't hesitate. With a burst of violent spectro energy, her mark seared bright against her hand. She swung her blade down with both hands, her momentum carrying her like a storm. The impact landed squarely on Scar's chest, slamming him backward in a shockwave that sent shards of ice exploding into the air. He staggered, nearly losing his footing.
I raised my pistol, my Comet Rectifier glowing at my side. Not taking any second chances. I unleashed a bombardment—searing beams of light and a flurry of bullets cutting through the haze. Each shot lit up the realm like fireworks.
Scar snarled, whipping his cards into a shield. One after another, they spun around him, absorbing the bombardment with a shriek of heat and flame. His face twisted, half amusement, half irritation.
"You guys don't hold back, do you?" he jeered.
Neither of us answered. My tacet mark pulsed, shifting down from my left eye back to my neck as I reset my stance. Beside me, Rover's mark flared brighter than ever—then erupted. Her form shimmered, twisting into her Crownless Echo.
I shielded my eyes as her wings of light unfurled. She shot forward like a comet, her spear slicing in rapid, furious arcs. Each strike landed true—across his ribs, his shoulder, a shallow line across his cheek. The flurry of combos drove Scar back step after step, his laughter faltering into a grunt as bruises and cuts began to show beneath the cracks in his defense.
With one final swing, Rover slammed him hard, sending him staggering before she broke away, wings dissolving as she landed beside me again. Her chest heaved, sweat glistening along her brow, but her eyes were sharp, locked on him.
Scar wiped the blood from his lip and smirked, though it wavered at the edges. "I guess… I don't have to hold back either." His body began to twist, his outline shifting, shadows writhing as the Aberrant Nightmare form like in the game clawed to the surface.
But I felt it—my tacet mark burning, pulsing in alarm. Instinct screamed louder than thought that I can't let him finish transforming.
"No you fucking don't."
I snapped my fingers.
The world blinked. In an instant, I wasn't standing beside Rover—I was behind Scar. His head whipped around, stunned.
"You—replicated that too?" His voice cracked with disbelief.
I grinned, fury burning hot through my veins. My fist ignited, flame roaring to life around it. "This is payback… for earlier."
I swung. My flaming knuckles smashed into his jaw with a crack that echoed through the collapsing realm. His body whipped to the side, crashing hard into the ground, cards scattering like ashes.
Scar didn't get back up.
The tension broke all at once. My tacet mark fizzled, the glow dying as exhaustion crashed over me. My knees buckled, and I collapsed onto one hand, dragging in ragged breaths. "Fucking finally…"
"Jeff!" Rover was already at my side, crouching low, her eyes wide with worry. She placed a hand on my shoulder, scanning me quickly for fresh wounds. "You good?"
I gave a shaky grin, leaning back on my heels. "Yeah. Just dandy."
Her expression softened, relief flooding through her features. "That was… impressive. Nice work. I didn't even know you could do that."
"Even I surprised myself," I admitted, still panting.
She smiled faintly, then extended her hand. I took it, letting her pull me to my feet. Our fingers lingered just a second too long before we both looked away.
The air around us groaned. Fractures split across the realm like shattered glass, the Elysium collapsing in on itself.
"Looks like the Elysium is breaking apart," I muttered, steadying myself with one last deep breath. "Thank God."
"Let's just get Scar back to the Magistrate," Rover said, already turning toward his unconscious form.
"Agreed."
I stumbled forward, retrieved his limp body, and slung it over my shoulder. He was heavier than he looked, but after all that, I wasn't letting him slip away.
Light consumed us—and in a blink, the fractured nightmare of Elysium vanished.
We were back in the Grand Library, the familiar halls restored around us. And standing there, watching with sharp eyes, were Sanhua and Magistrate Jinhsi.
Jeff let Scar drop unceremoniously onto the floor, his knees giving way as the handcuffs clicked shut around his wrists. The faint glow of his tacet mark flickered and died, leaving only the shallow rise and fall of his chest. Scar's face twisted into a crooked grin even through the pain; his jaw already swelling from Jeff's earlier strike.
"Ah…" he hissed, his voice hoarse but mocking, "so you both knew I was following you all along." He tilted his head lazily, the chains rattling as he tested them. "My Elysium only breaks when attacked from both sides. Figures… I can never get rid of all these pesky little helpers you cling to." His gaze slid first to Rover, then to me—lingering, sharp, venomous. "Always so popular… Rover. Jeff."
The way he spat my name, like it left a bitter aftertaste, made my stomach tighten with disgust.
Magistrate Jinhsi's voice broke the tension. Calm and firm, but I could sense the relief hidden in her eyes as she stepped closer. "Are you both all right, Rover? Jeff?"
Rover moved first, brushing the dust from her arm and casting me a quick glance—her eyes scanning me, worried even though I stood steady. "We're fine," she said, though her hand hovered near mine, as if ready to catch me if my knees buckled.
Scar let out a low, dark chuckle. "Of course you are. How could I ever have the heart to hurt either of you?"
I barked out a laugh, bitter. "That's bullshit. You nearly killed me back there." My voice cracked louder than I meant, the frustration clawing its way out.
Scar only smiled wider, lips curling despite the blood on his teeth. "Consider my failure… a gift of sincerity. Rover. Jeff. I trust you haven't forgotten our little conversation earlier?" His eyes glimmered with something dangerous, like he was still playing a game even in chains.
Rover's jaw tightened, her sword still at her side but her voice steady. "I already know everything."
For the first time, I caught the faint flicker of disappointment across Scar's face. His grin faltered, if only for a heartbeat. "Ahh… so she told you first. She always does like stealing the stage." He leaned back against the restraints, letting the silence stretch before continuing, voice dripping with mock politeness. "Then, as the victors… would you do me the courtesy of telling me how you set me up?"