“--H,How…” Porter quietly muttered.

 

“Ehehehe.”

 

It waved toward Porter with its previously mutilated arm, waving it slowly toward him and Hayes. The creature’s disgusting smile sneered at the two, bearing its sharp teeth so confidently.

 

Time stopped for a moment.

 

*Crrck.*

 

A cracking sound erupted from the creature. Its skin began breaking apart. It did so as if it was completely normal, still giving its haunting look of happiness as it broke apart in front of them.

 

Underneath it was oozing of black and white,  falling out of it as the body began falling apart and imploding in on itself as it transformed into something they had never seen before.

 

It built up, forming arms and legs, and even a full upper body. It was taller than ten feet, and lanky as its long arms drooped down to its knees. 

 

Its body was covered in what looked like a deep, sturdy black military outfit, while its head just looked like a white mask with a single black ‘O’ on the front.

 

“--Holy shit,” Hayes said. He hadn’t even tried to act collected. It was clear that he was witnessing a completely foreign object.

 

The ground violently shook once it finished. Rocks were moved from their position, and some of the stone and metal nearly broke entirely. A gust of wind blew from the transformation site.

 

“...Is that her?” Porter asked.

 

“Ehehehehe.” It giggled, still in the voice of an innocent girl, despite its change.

 

Hayes was visibly sweating. His entire body was trembling. Porter believed if he could see himself, he would be too.

“Hayes!!” Ezra yelled. 

 

“Wait, no!” 

 

It turned its head toward Ezra. Lapine, scared and confused, stayed hidden behind a rock

 

The creature's body lit up in a flash of white.It stared directly at the three men in front of it.

 

“Oh, shit!” Hayes yelled, “Out of the fucking way!”

 

A blade of wind formed in front of its body, just like before. It flung out, creating a piercing sound as it flew through the sky.

 

The ground it struck completely broke, shattering into a full crater with cracks on impact.

 

--

 

“You. . .” A voice called out.

 

“Huh?!” Hayes and Ezra said.

 

“Shouldn’t be making that transformation in an area like this.”

 

On top of a small cliff in front of the group, a tall girl appeared. Her skin was tinted pale blue and she wore a blue, techwear styled uniform with a blue and white jacket that covered her neck. Her hair was white with blue highlights, draping down to her shoulders.

 

On the front, was the same logo. The ‘A’ on Lapine’s neck.

 

“--You’re…” Hayes said.

 

She stood with a smirk and blue eyes that pierced through their tough front.

 

“Why the hell are two guardians here?” Hayes whispered.

 

He drew out his mirror sword, standing ready at stance. His brows twitched at the sight of the two, face etched with menacing anger.

 

“What are you doing here, Guardians?!” Hayes yelled.

 

“Artemis, you’re…” Phoebe said.

 

“Quiet,” Artemis replied. “If not for your eagerness, the ordeal would be complete without backup.”

 

Artemis scanned the field, staring at each of the opponents in front of her.

 

“But, honestly… You needed assistance for this?” Artemis retorted, smirking.

 

She took a long glance at Lapine. Her eyes widened at the sight of her long hair and face.

 

“Porter, your sword!” Hayes called out.

 

“Right!”

 

Pulling it from his side, Porter swiftly wielded the legendary blade. Its white, sharp features glistened in the sunlight peeking through the canopy of leaves overhead.

 

The sight of it made Artemis scowl. Her eyes were locked on Porter. Her body began to glow a mix of white and bright beach-blue. Small white shards formed from her body, fusing with what looked to be water. They were aligned wide away from one another.

 

“Stay back!” Hayes yelled “Take cover now!”

 

Hayes had been visibly sweating. His body was trembling and he was pulling at anything he could grab onto for a plan.

 

Before he could even begin moving, Artemis launched a flurry of glass-looking shards, each surrounded by drops of water. They flew in the air, impacting the ground with high force in under a second. The blast knocked Porter to the ground. 

 

His legs were scraped and bleeding, and his arm had been pierced by a shard.

 

“--Her piercing magic...” Lapine said.     

Artemis jumped down, still giving Porter the devilish scowl. Her impact on the ground caused it to crack below her feet.

 

“Who the hell are you?” Artemis asked. 

 

She was towering over Porter, nearly stepping on his leg.

 

Porter couldn’t gather the courage to move.

 

Ezra stood by Hayes, his eyes were exasperated and locked on Artemis.

 

“Haaah!”

 

He pulled out his knife, legs nearly slipping, and charged towards her.

 

“Huh?!” Artemis yelled.

 

She could hardly react. Ezra’s knife pierced her shoulder. 

 

Artemis fell back a bit, getting closer to Phoebe, then pulled out a knife of her own. 

 

“Ahh.. Ahaha!” She laughed in pleasure. “Holy shit.”

 

“Get the hell on your feet, dumbass!” Ezra yelled toward Porter.

 

‘Right.’

 

Something within Porter snapped. He swiftly jumped back on his feet. His hair was a complete mess. He grabbed his sword, only holding it in one hand.

 

Artemis held her knife toward Porter. Smirking at him and moving into a fighting stance.

 

“I didn’t expect to see much entering the old testing unit with this sorry excuse for a Guardian, but this--this is an experience. The shitbag, Arlo himself. The carrier of the Array sword who feels so confident as to hold it in a single hand.”

 

“--You’re going to die,” Porter said. He spoke in a cold tone with no remorse.

 

He had no reason, other than the fact she was an enemy. She said the name of someone he hardly knew, but had to know.

 

“Porter, don’t do this,” Hayes quietly  spoke. It was to no avail. It was as if Porter didn’t even hear his words. 

 

“Hrgh.” Porter’s feet widened, and he drew his sword up.

 

He ran towards Artemis with a face filled with heat.

 

The tip of Porter’s sword tore apart the air, slashing down upon her. Her sweating body practically danced toward him. The shining blade blocked Porter, swiftly putting his unorganized  movement to a stop.

 

Sparks flew with each impact. They had their eyes locked, though only one of them smiled with confidence. Each blow blocked one another, going around all angles. Each blow had the power to end the other’s life.

 

The sword grew heavier for Porter. He  had to grab it with both hands, but still it had been slipping away from him. His movements grew more stiff.

 

Porter let out a short breath, followed by a strong yell.

 

“Yahh!”

 

He threw an awestricken blow to Artemis’s neck. She ducked just before his swing could make contact, letting out a caustic laugh as she flew around him. 

 

Porter’s clothes had become enveloped in sweat. His brows raised in shock as he saw where Artemis went.

 

She quickly drew her blade toward Porter, throwing a clean slide in his abdomen.

“Shit! Shit!”

 

Porter’s eyes grew bloodshot. He’d almost lost balance. Blood leaked into his shirt. The stabbing pain of his cut only felt worse as he tried to move.

 

Artemis looked up, grabbing Porter’s arm and twisting it. She aimed her knife for his chest, but his wild movements made her hit his shoulder. Artemis struck his sword out of his hands. It slid back, way out of his reach. 

 

“--?!”

 

Porter took a kick directly to his groin, knocking him back to the ground. 

Artemis dragged Porter up by his jacket.

 

“I see what you are now, Arlo,” She said. Her disturbing words were met with a glare. “You can't even hold a god’s sword right.”

 

“A-Arlo…!” Lapine muttered.

 

“You’re worthless shit. Nothing more.”

 

Artemis threw Porter back down as if he were weightless.

 

“I’ll fucking kill you myself, bitch!” Ezra yelled.

 

He’d believed in his own skills as a swordsman, at least more than Porter. She’d been weakened, despite how much she bested him.

 

Ezra ran toward Artemis, but she only let out a simple smile.

 

Her hands glowed bright white, she was about to throw another magic attack. Instead of the flurry of shards he expected, she clapped them together with her hands.

 

In her hand was a large orb of sharp light. As Ezra threw himself at her, she lunged her hand directly at his body.

 

The pain from the attack felt like a thousand knives entering his wounds.

 

Ezra flew back, smacking into the ground.

 

“I think it’d be good for Andromeda to hear of this,” Artemis calmly stated.

 

Phoebe aimed an attack at Hayes. Her body glowed, and a piercing wind blade hurled toward him.

 

Hayes aimed the mirror sword. He gave a disgusting death stare as he tilted his weapon slightly.

 

The blade and the sword collided. The sound of it filled the area with a shrieking sound of steel.

 

The blade glowed in the same way that Phoebe’s body did.

 

With a swing, the sword launched the attack back, aimed toward Artemis.

 

“Aghhh!!”

 

Within a second, it sliced Artemis’s body. 

 

Her figure was cut all over, and her uniform looked completely destroyed with blood.

 

Artemis was taken aback by it, unable to pick herself up.

 

“--You’re…” She muttered. “I know exactly who you are.” Her bloodshot eyes widened as her body trembled. “You’re fucking kidding me.”

 

“Now you understand,” Phoebe said, pulling out a metal orb from her pocket. “We have to retreat.”

 

She threw it into the air, casting a pink teleportation portal into the sky.

 

Phoebe picked up Artemis, and hastily ran into it.

 

--For a moment, everything was silent.

“This is not good,” Hayes said. 

 

“Ergh,” Ezra groaned.

 

“Can either of you stand up?” Hayes asked.

 

“I think so,” Ezra replied.

 

Porter looked up for a moment, glancing at where the portal had just been.

 

“Yeah.”