As Quiera finishes gathering his things, he asks Netsuka with a playful smile, "What outfit would be best for this situation? Loose fit for mobility or tight fit to prevent unwanted mistakes?"
Netsuka blinks. "I guess I would go for the loose fit."
Weighing the threat at hand, Quiera shrugs, grabs the loose-fit outfit, and says, "Letâs hurry. Amelia might get herself killed without me."
He grabs her wrist and starts moving, but Netsuka quickly pulls her hand free, jogging slightly behind him to avoid drawing attention from the higher-ups.
As they make their way, the words of the entity gnaw at Netsukaâs mind. Without thinking, she blurts out, "Mizokushi..."
Quiera glances over his shoulder. "If you are worried, donât be. He would be the last person to care about some random shivos. He is a fun guy, but mysterious."
Netsuka clenches her fist. If that is true, why would the entity say he will kill Sumato?
Quieraâs pace slows a little, his tone growing softer. "When Mizokushiâs father died, everyone was grieving. But Mizokushi showed up wearing bright colors. It shocked everyone. He stood out like a sore thumb at a funeral."
He picks up speed again. "I never asked why he did that. But I still remember his tears that day. Mostly sad, but some were joyful."
Tears glisten briefly on his cheek before he wipes them away. Netsuka smiles faintly, though doubt lingers.
At last, they reach the dorm doors. Quiera takes a deep breath, adjusts his glasses, and then opens the door.
Netsuka, bracing herself, follows and freezes at the scene inside.
Sumato lies bleeding on the floor, though no wounds are visible. Viera stands about four feet away, tears streaming silently down her face, her expression vacant.
Quiera scans the room. "The princess is being controlled by the shivos. Why she is crying, why that boy is here, or why he is hurtâthat is for you to figure out."
Viera wipes her tears. "Surrender to Ciontiar and you shall be spared."
Netsuka stretches her arms. "So it has a name now. That cannot be good."
Quiera waves a hand dismissively as he walks down the corridor. "I need to change and help Amelia. You handle this."
"Alright." Netsuka pulls into a fighting stance, murmuring, "This is going to be fun."
Down in the basement, Kazumi and Amelia hammer the sides of the core with blast after blast.
Kazumiâs gun-sword blazes, but when a mini shivos shrieks, the girls trapped on the core begin seizing violently. Kazumi staggers, breath ragged, panic setting in.
Before he collapses, Amelia calls out, her voice steady. "Do not lose faith, Kazumi. Not when so many are fighting for you."
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He struggles to focus.
"Even if they get hurt, you can still free them. Start your redemption here. For Zaschi."
Kazumiâs breath catches. Memories flood back. His father, consumed by power, abandoned them. His motherâs tragic end. And Zaschi, the woman who had cared for him. Her final words echo in his mind.
"Do not take it out on yourself. I would hate for you to stop protecting others because of me."
Tears streak his cheeks. Gritting his teeth, Kazumi steadies himself. "Thank you, Amelia."
He guns down the mini shivos, then summons more clones. Together, they concentrate their blasts on a single point.
Amelia grins. "That is more like it. Zaschi would be proud."
The smoke clears, but the core remains unscathed. Not even a crack.
Amelia fires a charged shot, shaking the entire dorm. Still nothing.
Frustrated, she lands beside Kazumi. "Change of plans."
She glances toward the entrance. Where are you, Quiera?
Meanwhile, Quiera enters a side room to change. Halfway through, 56 mini shivos ambush him.
Dodging effortlessly, he says, "Can you excuse me? I am in the middle of changing."
The creatures hesitate. In a blur, Quiera crushes them using a pillow.
Sighing, he inspects his clothes. "At least my uniform is not ruined."
More shivos burst through the wall. He leaps, sliding into loosely fit jeans and a plain black T-shirt.
Landing smoothly, he smirks. "Thanks for waiting. Now, let us see who can spill whose blood faster."
Moments later, Quiera exits the room, leaving behind the shredded remains of the shivos.
In the main hall, Sumato watches helplessly as Viera and Netsuka clash.
He pleads. "Please, both of you, stop."
But Netsuka refuses. "I cannot forgive anyone who hurts my friends."
Sumato tries to protest, but his words are lost in the heat of battle.
Netsukaâs footwork overwhelms Viera. She darts in, aiming a precise chop to Vieraâs neck. But Viera catches her wrist and counters with a brutal headbutt.
Netsuka staggers back, massaging her bruised forehead. "Ouch. That is not very princess-like."
Summoning flames to her hand, she adds, "This is going to leave a mark."
Vieraâs cold reply: "Your comments are meaningless."
Blow after blow, they trade strikes. Sumato watches in disbelief. Why has their shinen not left their palms? Why are they both holding back?
Quiera finally arrives in the basement.
"Amelia," he calls.
She waves, just as Ciontiar lunges at her. Quiera shouts, "Duck."
She dodges. Quiera sighs. "You almost died. Stay focused."
"You distracted me," she pouts, blasting Ciontiar.
He smiles. "What will I do with you?"
She grins. "Take me to lunch. Your treat."
Quiera adjusts his glasses, serious again. "Boy," he calls to Kazumi. "Summon more clones. Target the underbelly. That is its weak point."
Kazumi nods. His clones blast the underside of the core. Slowly, it begins to melt.
Amelia cheers until Ciontiar retaliates, kicking her into the core. The impact cracks it further.
But instead of despair, Ciontiar smiles.
"You are too late," he says. "The evolution has already begun. And for your information, I rigged the core."
With a sickening crack, the core bursts.
The trapped girls collapse, now puppets under Ciontiarâs control. The creature vanishes into the mass of bodies, sealing itself in an egg-like form, ready to transform.
Back upstairs, Sumato still tries to stop the fight. But a familiar figure catches his eye.
"Naomi?"
She hurries over, eyes filled with concern.
"My sister has never held back this much. I wonder what she might be planning."
Sumato blinks. "Wait. Netsuka is your older sister?"