The machinery swiftly moved as they processed more with ease. It was as if ghosts controlled everything, and people weren't needed. I've lived in nature all my life, and I've only read of factories from the books Maxwell gave me. This was my first trip to one, and… it hasn't been a pleasant one.

"W-Where are we going, you two?"

Yuuna asked as we walked down a hall aimlessly.

"Well… I have no idea. Now that these machines are trying to kill us, things haven't been as easy as "search around."

I answered dejectedly. Mellissa put her nose in the air and sniffed about.

“Ah… I think the other me is leading me to where we need to go.”

I scratched my cheek.

“How does that actually work? What are you smelling?”

"Chemicals… all materials that go in making explosives…."

Concerned, I made my way over to Mellissa. She was still sniffing in the air like a dog.

“Are you a bomb detector?”

I asked.

“Oh… Jade didn’t tell you? The other me is what is known as a pyromaniac!”

“A pyromaniac?!”

Yuuna literally jumped.

 

 

"You keep mentioning… this other side. I haven't… met the other Mellissa before. Is this person a... nice person?"

Ignorantly, Yuuna asked.

I laughed under my breath. A… nice person is the last thing Countess Mellissa was. I thought about the other day when I put my blade into her stomach in an attempt to stop her. She was screaming, berating all the knights as though they were all pests, bothering her. A nice person… is the last thing I would call her.

“Just… be careful if she comes out, Yuuna.”

“I’ll protect you from her if that Mellissa girl does anything funny, Yuuna!”

Janova said, trying to comfort her… partner. Their relationship was strange. I wasn't sure what Janova was to Yuuna nor what part she played in hanging around her. However, things didn't go well the last time I attempted to pry into it. So, to not upset the two, I did my best to keep my distance and not ask more about it unless it came up.

“Anyway…”

Mellissa pushed out.

"I guess the other me is tracking if explosives exist here, and so far, she's been on a certain scent. So… this place does likely have active explosives nearby."

“… Something isn’t adding up here.”

I mentioned as we continued. The factory was still in full motion as we continued going deeper in.

“W-What, Feodora?”

Yuuna asked coyly.

“The culprits lit up the factory knowing it would draw attention…."

Mellissa interjected.

“Yet they brought in machines? Would they really want to destroy this place with their own machines here? These aren’t easy to make, I’m sure.”

I nodded, agreeing with Mellissa.

"Right. Jade mentioned that they were trying to spread the knights thin. Maybe this is just a ploy for something bigger they are doing. The faster we find them, the faster we'll get our answers."

Jade also wasn't confident that this was connected to her case. So far, I don't feel any dark spectrum resonating in the area. So, I highly doubt this has any connection to the dark vessel that attacked Eve, Vivian, and me in the Ancient Ruins. But I had to be thorough and get as much information as possible.

We continued into the brightly lit factory. It made it harder for me to use shadow walking, as did the holy spectrum produced from the lights above. This… was my worst nightmare. I would have to rely on Yuuna and Mellissa during most of the investigation.

"I have another question, Mellissa. You mentioned that Atom made these machines we've been fighting?"

She nodded.

“Ah… Well, Atom designed them, and… made the blueprints for them."

“Then… how would the culprits know of the blueprints?”

Yuuna rubbed the back of her head.

“M-Maybe Atom… G-Gave them to the terrorist?”

I held my blade close to me as I thought about that pink-haired nightmare that terrorized Eve. I knew nothing about her, but that experience at the bombing site didn't put her in a good light. I couldn't speak to Atom's character, but there was the possibility that she was involved in all of this.

“Do you think Atom… might have something to do with the bombings?”

I asked, turning to both the doctors. Mellissa pondered.

“There’s no evidence of that yet… but there isn’t evidence against it either.”

The human put a finger to her lip.

"But I say one thing at a time. We're here to make sure no bombs are here; if they are, we must dismantle them. So, let's figure this out and ensure we're safe before speculating too much on matters like that."

Yuuna nodded.

“I-I… agree with Mellissa.”

To my surprise, Yuuna was responding well to the tall beauty. This made Mellissa all giddy inside as she smiled back at Yuuna. I could also see Janova getting very upset over this as she crossed her arms and pushed out her tongue like a child.

"Let's work hard and solve this together, Yuuna."

Coyly, Yuuna pushed her shoes to the ground and nodded.

“Nnngg… Okay.”

Suddenly, Mellissa turned and started running.

“Oh, over here!”

Mellissa rushed forward again.

"W-Wait, Mellissa!"

In a panic, I found myself racing after her. She was breaking formation, and I wouldn't be able to protect her if something came out, and she was too far away. It was then I realized as I chased after her…

I was… worried for Mellissa's safety, not just because Jade asked me to keep an eye on her. Mellissa was determined to help but didn't have the power to do too much. If I wanted to keep her safe… I would have to be more assertive.

“Mellissa, stop right now!”

She stopped in her tracks, spun around, and faced me. It felt like I was Maxwell when he yelled at me for doing something irresponsible. Like my mentor, I put my hand on my hip and straightened my back. If I wanted to protect her… I would have drawn a line.

“Oh?”

I seemed startled as I made my way up to her. Yuuna and Janova tailed behind us as I straightened my back and raised my voice as Maxwell would.

"Listen… You need to follow my directions, or we might get ambushed again. I understand you want to help, but it's dangerous here."

Her eyes went wide as she looked into mine. I felt painfully guilty chastising her, but… it was for her own good. To keep her and the rest of us safe… I had to be like Maxwell.

“Sorry. I won’t do it again, Feodora.”

Her broken spirit caused my chest to ache a bit. I… had to show her that I only was saying this for her own safety.

“I… I don’t think I could… Hmmm.”

I was at a loss of words. So, I closed my eyes and spoke what was on the top of my head.

"Let me protect you until your other side comes out, Mellissa. I don't want you getting hurt. I know… you mean well, but…."

My words were dying out like a candle’s flame. Instead of verbalizing what I needed to say… I took Mellissa's hand and pulled her close to me. She was taller, and her shadow loomed over me as the lights above us shined with the holy element. Her cheeks turned bright red as she curled her finger through her hair. Nervously, she giggled.

"O-Okay. If… if you're willing to."

Tenderly, Mellissa let go of my hand. Cutely, she put her hands behind her back and swayed a bit. Mellissa stayed shoulder to shoulder with me, easing my mind. That might have been for the best because holding her hand in this situation would leave me vulnerable. The heat from her body was causing mine to warm up, too, as we entered the next area together.

We entered a room called "Processing," which took us to a maze of iron belts. Ore was being processed without anyone here to properly do it. Obviously, this place was only lit up for the sake of the show and nothing else. However, just watching the process take place was a marvel.

“Do you smell that?”

 

 

Mellissa asked as she looked up. Her green eyes started to spark a reddish color. When we looked above us, the ceiling was covered with explosives. Wires maddingly protruded all around the roof. W wires danced across the room from one end to the other in a brilliant show of horror.

“Oh my…”

Yuuna whispered.

“I… was wrong.”

Dreadfully, I admitted. I wasn't sure how much explosives it would take to destroy this section, but… something told me there would be nothing left in this processing plant if those went off.

“Huh?”

Something cut into my vision from the side. It was a silver knife about to cut into me.

“That’s my prey you’re trying to kill!”

 

The devil's voice roared as her halberd stopped a knife from going through my neck. It was sonic fast, and I didn't even perceive it coming. We all turned to see a female clad in a black outfit. She approached slowly with long blonde hair that fell to her hips and a mask obstructing her face. From behind her, a second shadow came in. They both seemed to be female.

“Countess Mellissa!”

I cried. Countess took me by one hand and pushed her body closer to me.

 

 

 

She gave me a good sniff before giggling like a giddy schoolgirl. It wasn't the time for this, so I reached in my pocket and pushed out the rosary, causing her to let go and back up.

“Eh?! I forgot Jade gave you that. Oh… I wanted to mutilate you and then go on with my day.”

The devil sighed as she turned back to the culprits.

“Guess I’ll have to do it later then.”

She laughed hysterically.

“What is your problem?! We’re on the same side!”

I complained as a chill went down my spine. But I had to brush it off if I wanted to live. With conviction, I turned back to the culprits. Suddenly, a third one dropped from above, making it an even three on three.

The devil smiled.

"These are the scumbags I sensed when Goody-Good first came in."

I turned back to the three figures. They had on dark uniforms as if they were special operations unidentifiable units. All three of them looked female in appearance. They were in a triangle formation, and the one who threw the knife at me seemed to be the ringleader.

“W-Who are you people?”

Yuuna demanded an answer.

Silently, they glared at us through their mask. The female that threw the knife at me smirked. Like a gust of wind, she appeared in front of me. I shielded myself with my katana, but a backdraft of wind threw me back. I flipped and caught myself, landing in front of Yuuna.

I had a better view of them from this angle. The first one, the ringleader, had long blonde hair and held a short knife at her side. Behind her was one with a darker complexion, bright pink hair, and a bow in her hand. The last one that came from above had ocean blue hair, a lighter-toned face, and held what looked to be a grimoire in her hand.

 

 

They all shared the same outfit, a dark coat with pants and a white and black mask that concealed who there were.

"The blonde one has to be a wind vessel. These three might be the serial bombers we've been looking for."

I added. Yuuna nodded in agreement.

“W-What are we going to do, F-Feodora, M-Mellissa?”

I turned to Countess Mellissa, who seemed to be roaring to go. She held her halberd behind her and approached slowly.

“M-Mellissa, we need to take them in alive! Be careful not to hurt them too badly."

“Pff, be careful? You don’t have to tell me! I’m going to RIP them apart for trying to kill my prey!”

It was then that I realized the only reason Countess Mellissa saved me… was because she wanted to kill me. It made my stomach churn.

“Haaah!”

 

 

 

Before I was ready, Count Mellissa burst into action. They clashed weapons in an instant. She attempted to slice the head of the blonde leader off. She avoided it, but the explosion from Mellissa's weapon sparked, scattering the group of girls to different sides of the room.

“F-Feodora! S-She could ignite the bombs above if she keeps it up!”

Yuuna pleaded with me for a good reason. I rushed in as the three culprits got to their feet and rushed at us.

“Mellissa, turn that off!”

“Eh?! What are you going on about?”

She swung her halberd in a horizontal arc, cutting away the blonde leader's attack with her short sword. I had to duck, narrowly avoiding Mellissa's weapon from hitting me. There was no mistaking it; she aimed that at both our enemies AND me.

“You’re going to ignite the bombs above us!”

I screamed as I swung my blade to the side. The pink-haired culprit shot an arrow my way, and with precision, I cut it in half before it could pierce my skull.

“Don’t worry about the bombs! Just kill these fools!”

The devil cackled as she took on the ringleader. Instead of fighting it, I turned to the grimoire holder and her partner with the bow and arrows.

“Yuuna, I’m going to need help!”

 

 

I readied myself as the grimoire user began an attack. It was bright green, and I assumed it was a wind spell being produced. I rushed forward, attempting to stop her, but the bow and arrow user charged a bright red attack my way. Her arrow heated up to a fierce degree before she shot it at me.

“Eh?!”

It was heading right towards me. The arrow caught fire; my blade gained the water's property before I knew it. I used this to my advantage, cut through the fire spectrum, heading my way, turning the arrow to steam as I raced to the terrorist.

“Ha!”

I cut towards the bow user. A fierce tsunami raced towards her causing her to avoid the side, leaving her partner open.

“Feodora!”

Yuuna cried. My blade went a rough brown, and I brought it behind me. This was one of the shadow crafts that Maxwell beat into me. A downwards slash that exuded the dark spectrum to come from below. But before I could connect with the grimoire user, she evaded to the side. My blade hit the ground, and to my surprise, the ground began to roar upwards.

“Huh?!”

A stalagmite pierced above, cutting the two culprits beside me. I then realized this was a result of Yuuna’s enchantments. Effectively, I still struck the culprits with the massive earth spectrum. I could hear them cry as they scattered to get into formation.

“Hurry up and die! Die!”

I turned to witness Count Mellissa exploding her halberd at the ringleader. She was getting overwhelmed as the demon had her cornered in all directions.

“These girls…”

Seeing that they weren't too skilled in battle… gave me the perfect opportunity to try one of my symbols. As if a piece inside me clicked, I knew just what symbol would be perfect for this situation.

“Yuuna, cover me! I’m going to try something!”

I commanded.

“O-Okay, Feodora!”

Yuuna confirmed.

I cut to the side, dodging the arrows of the pink-haired archer rained at me. Yuuna did as I asked and brought out a fire spell, erupting it in front of me.

“What the?!”

The pink-haired terrorist retreated, allowing me room to do what I needed.

With my blade, I cut the palm of my hand, forcing blood to spill from it. The pain was intense, but I was used to doing this from my training. I decided I could get this information and solve this case sooner. But I was going to do something against the laws of humanity. I was… going to use a symbol that I realized the meaning of only days ago.

Subjugation…

“Keep them away from me, Yuuna!”

I drew it on the iron floor, the same arrow we sound in the Ancient Ruins. The darkness fed from it, finalizing the spell. All I needed was one of them to get caught in the trap. It was sloppy in the heat of battle, but it would work, nonetheless. I just needed one of the three as my victim.

“Bring the blonde terrorist over to me, Countess Mellissa!”

The demon's nose perked up. With a manic laugh, Countess Mellissa kicked about in the sky, still fending off the blonde leader of the terrorist group.

“Is that your blood?! I want to lick it off the floor!”

Annoyed, I pulled out the rosary.

"Stay away from it! Bring your fight over here, and don't touch the blood!"

She clicked her tongue, spun around, and sliced at the terrorist. Fortunately, the terrorist dodged before her head could be lopped off. Spells shot my way from the other two terrorists, causing me to swerve and dodge.

“Yuuna! Hold them off!”

I commanded.

“R-Right, Feodora!”

I pointed at the demon, still doing her best to destroy her target.

“Mellissa, do as I say! Don’t kill her and bring her over here alive!”

With force, I command again.

“Are you freaking serious?! I wanted to smear their blood all over the floor! I wanna kick’em while they're down and stomp their brains out!”

She wouldn't listen, but this was my only shot at solving this case sooner rather than later.

“Bring the blonde one to me, and I'll let you taste my blood, Countess Mellissa!”

I showed her the palm of my hand, still bleeding. The warm blood dripped down my hand, tempting the devil. Mellissa perked up as she swung her halberd around like a mad woman.

“Are you screwing with me?! Really?! I can taste your blood, Feodora?!”

“Hurry up and bring her to me!”

An arrow brushed by me, causing me to focus back on the pink archer. Yuuna was focused on the caster. Mellissa overpowered the blonde woman and eventually took her by the neck.

“Ah?!”

The crazed demon pulled her hair back and tossed her towards me. The terrorist stumbled my way.

“You’re mine.”

I mumbled while dodging the arrows fired at me. I rushed over to my would-be victim.

“Get in there!”

I shouted and shoulder-checked her with mine. She fell over into the bloody arrow symbol I made. My blood smeared on her dark jacket and a dark aura filtered out, capturing her within the mark. My eyes went a deep purple as I fed her soul my orders.

"Now, to isolate you…."

I whispered. A dark barrier formed around the both of us. It was weakened by the light spectrum shining just a bit, though. So, I amplified its power using the chaos element. This dome I made around us was my world. The world of pure and utter darkness.

“What the hell is she doing, Yuuna?!”

Surprised, Janova called out to Yuuna. Yuuna’s mouth opened wide as she rushed over, trying to figure out what was happening.

“F-Feodora?! What are you doing?!”

Shocked, Yuuna made her way around the outside of the small dome. My bright purple eyes shined brighter as I concentrated my energy to keep the terrorist within my grasp.

“Stay back, Yuuna!”

I demanded. The other two terrorists attempted to break through the barrier I made around their partner. I was slowly corrupting her mind, forcing open her will and breaking them piece by piece…

 

---

 

 

Everything went silent as I closed my eyes and met her within my dark domain… I vanished, becoming one with the darkness of this world. My disembodied voice spoke into her mind like I was god giving her commands. Because that’s just what I was… god within this small domain.

 

 

“Who are you?”

I demanded answers.

“I was ordered… not to tell anyone who I am!”

Slowly, the light resistance broke. I was entering the terrorist mind, breaking her down mentally. All I needed was for her to answer and speak back to me. Little did she know that just responding to my question was the starting point of corrupting her mind. Soon, I would be connected to her, and if I willed it, she would kill herself for my sake.

“F-Feodora! Feodora!”

A faint voice outside was coming from within my domain. I blocked it out as I continued to push forwards.

“I order you to tell me your name!”

The terrorist held her head, trying her best to suppress the darkness creeping within her. Those lips began to move…

“Nngg… N-No! I… I can't tell you my name! I…"

Her mask began to crack as she gripped it tight. Suddenly she threw it off, showing me her face. She had beautiful bright blue eyes and looked around my age. Her remarkably bright eyes grew soft as she began to tear up, to my surprise. Her voice became meek, and she spoke softly.

 

 

“I… I don’t want to be punished! I’m so scared! Please don’t make me fail my mission!”

Her entire body began to shake as she screamed.

“I don’t want to die! Please, don’t kill me!”

I forced my darkness into her, trying my best to calm her down.

“I won’t kill you. Just tell me… who you are.”

A wall of resistance took me off guard as I searched her body with my energy. I knew what was going on, and it shook me.

“You’re… already being controlled by someone else, aren’t you?”

Suddenly, a potent spell of chaos energy shook my barrier. It was lightly mixed with the chaos element. The shock was strong enough that it broke my concentration, and I appeared back in the factory. Alarms were going off, and Yuuna was shaking my shoulder.

“W-Why did you do that, Yuuna?!”

I demanded an answer from Yuuna. With my concentration broken, my victim broke free and stumbled over to her team. Tears were still in her eyes. She fell into the bow user’s arms, crying like a child.

“Get a hold of yourself! Get a grip!”

But she couldn't be consoled. The grimoire user walked over, took her by the head, and yelled at her.

“Silvery Memory!”

Like a switch was flipped, the blonde terrorist shook her head and focused back on us. Whatever was happening to her… it made me wonder if the same thing was going on with the other two. The tears stopped, and a crude smile came back on her face. She reached in her pocket, took out another black and white mask, and calmly placed it over her face.

This wasn’t normal. These three… might be under the control of a powerful spell or brainwashing.

“Mellissa, get over here right now!”

I demanded the demon with the rosary. The devil sped over to me. We stood in a defensive formation, ready to continue the fight.

"We can tell you three aren't skilled fighters! Give up, and we won't hurt you!"

I attempted to appeal to them, but instead, they looked at each other. The blonde ringleader put her hand in the air. With a cunning smile, she finally spoke. It was eerie how fast she went from a ruined mess, begging me not to break her, to a calm and even arrogant slave to her actual master's will.

“We have come to restore order on this land!”

The two lackeys in the back repeated what she said verbatim like an echo in a hallowed room.

“We have come to restore order on this land!”

It was a tad eerie as the blond ringleader looked up to the bombs above.

“Even if we have to die, we will succeed for our people!”

The pink-haired culprit looked at us.

"We are ready to die… are you three, though?!"

As if this was a script, the blue-haired one spoke next.

“We have heard the truth and won’t be silenced any longer. Judgment is upon you all!”

Mellissa cackled like the monster she was. With her claws, she gripped her gut as she tried to regain her composure.

“What are you laughing about, demon?!”

The ringleader, seemingly irritated, called out the devil.

"I'm not a fucking idiot! Those bombs above us aren't even live. They don't even have the right chemical makeup to detonate! Their shells are just there for show."

“Tsk.”

The bow user clicked her tongue.

“So, this was all a ploy?”

I asked, looking at Mellissa.

“T-They did all this to drive people here… just like we assumed?”

However, the demon shook her head from side to side.

"No… there are bombs here, you two… it's just not those above us. They are actually below us.”

I looked down, and a red light was blinking. It was large. I noticed it before but wasn't sure what it was because the grates made it hard to see.

Suddenly, the blue-haired one holding the grimoire revealed a portal.

"We were hoping you'd spend your time trying to dismantle the ones above…."

Casually, she walked over and took the hands of her partners. A sudden smile mirrored Countess Mellissa. She tilted her head like a devil.

 

 

 

“But now we’re going to have to release it to buy time. You could have died an instant but peaceful DEATH!”

Her demonic voice raddled my bones. The other two backed up and disappeared into the void behind them. That's when the factory began to rumble. The grates below broke open, and what appeared was a massive machine. On the top of it was a timer on its body. It read the urgent time of 10 minutes. It was shaped like a large sphere.

“That’s the bomb?!”

I screamed. Mellissa began laughing hysterically.

“Oh my… this is too exciting! The impending doom of being killed right here and now… I could die happy right about now.”

The blonde ringleader backed up.

“Have fun dying then, demon. Everyone, back to base. We need to report a successful mission to Mother!”

More machines of all shapes and sizes rushed into the portal. There were massive ones like we faced earlier and small ones too. They all seemed to be carrying materials in their arms. Some were carrying large crates and tubes of flammable ore as they escaped. They all vanished into the portal behind the culprits. The only machine that stayed was the massive bomb as it rolled about.

Yuuna clenched her fist.

“They weren't just here for a distraction. The terrorist… stole ore to make more bombs for later...”

Annoyed, I turned to the devil.

"Ideas, Mellissa?!"

The demon smiled as she reached her claws out to me, attempting to cut me with them. I kicked back and brought out the rosary.

“Heel! Tell me, what’s the best course of action!”

She grimaced and looked away.

"Fine! We don't want to destroy the top of the machine's body. That's where the bombing chemicals are located. We can shut down the entire system if we destroy its power box below."

I looked closer at the machine. Its sphere-like body was split into three parts. The top was dark black, and the bomb was located up there. The body was bright silver, and the bottom was a darker grey. From what Mellissa was saying, avoid the top, and aim to destroy the base. The devil rose in the air. Suddenly the lights turned out as the factory shut down. The sphere machine had its lights, illuminating the massive device in front of us. Thankfully, the holy spectrum wasn't stopping me from using the shadows any longer.

“Hey, pinky, enchant our weapons with the water property! Keep it up as we try to immobilize it.”

“P-Pinky?!”

Yuuna shouted in annoyance. The giant machine spun its body and rolled towards the back of the room. As I prepared myself for its strike, my hips began to vibrate.

“Ehhh!”

I shook violently. Both Mellissa and Yuuna stared at me as I brought out my phone. The devil laughed just like her other half. It was strange, but I began to see their strong similarities.

“Kind of a bad time…."

I answered my phone.

“Feodora, this is Jade. The doors opened, and we’re on our way inside right now. Are you three, okay?”

"N-No, Jade! Get everyone as far away from here as possible, Jade!"

The knight snipped her teeth.

“You sound like something dire is going on. I’ll take your advice. Explain later. We'll get everyone as far away from here as possible.”

The line cut without even a goodbye. It sounded to me like Jade was going to act immediately. It began to move like marble as it spun around the room. It wildly hit the walls, rolled on steel landings, and was just being destructive.

Yuuna did as she was told and embraced our weapon with the water property. I pointed my blade out, declaring the battle ahead.

“8 minutes! But we can't trust the countdown! Immobilize it before it's too late. Yuuna, Mellissa, let’s strike it down! Aim for the body and below!”

I commanded.

“R-Right!”

Yuuna responded.

“You don’t have to tell me twice!”

Mellissa cackled.

The ball raced around, slamming into the walls, destroying the processing room. The demon took to her dark wings and flew towards it with her halberd behind her back. Thanks to the darkness of the room, I could keep up with it as I shadow walked around.

“Here I go.”

Mellissa slammed her halberd into the side, causing the machine to spark and fly towards a wall. Thanks to Yuuna’s spectrum, water waves were gushing through its bolts. Sparks of electricity scattered about. The demon knew right where to strike, so I followed her lead as we attacked with purpose. I made my few cuts, trying to sever the body from the bomb.

"Keep it up, just like that, Feodora!"

Mellissa cheered like a crazed cheerleader. It was… oddly satisfying as we tossed the machine around like a tennis ball. Suddenly, it stopped itself from being tossed around and screeched on the iron floor. The machine’s body began to glow as red lights shined from it.

“What’s it doing?!”

Yuuna asked as we all prepared for what was next. As if it became self-aware, the machine grew eight legs from under it. Like a spider, it stopped spinning and crawled on the walls. When it reached the top where the fake bombs were, its body opened hatches around its sphere-shaped self. What came out were guns with giant arrows on them.

“What the hell is that?!”

I couldn’t wrap my head around what I was looking at.

“Those are missiles! They’re like bombs you can shoot!”

 

 

The demon excitedly cackled. The devil was flying around, clapping her hands in excitement.

"There have to be hundreds of them."

I whispered. If these arrows were like small bombs aiming at us, it would be nearly impossible to avoid them.

“Yuuna, stay behind my shield!”

Janova, the ghost, brought out a light silver shield. She had no intentions of letting me in, either. She wanted to keep Yuuna alive, and I wasn’t even an afterthought to them.

The factory lit up with horrid red lights as the machine shot its missiles. It sounded like screams of people coming from above. With every shot, that ear-piercing noise raddled my bones. The world shook with every blast from the guns.

I was going to shadow walk away, hoping to avoid the missiles as I did. Still, my arms were lifted, and before I realized it, I was taken in the sky with Mellissa. She wrapped her sharp claws around my stomach and pushed her chin on my shoulder.

“Did you think I’d let you die like that?”

 

 

Mellissa whispered under the screams of red arrows coming our way. Fire burst with every hit towards us. The walls began to cave, and the world around us shook with explosions and hellfire. Yuuna and Janova took the attack with ease through that powerful shield of theirs. However, Mellissa was soaring around like a bird, missing them as they came.

“You still owe me your blood. If anyone’s going to kill you, it’ll be me!”

I didn't know if I wanted to thank or get away from her. But despite what she was saying… the Countess was protecting me, and I had to say one thing at least.

“Thanks, Mellissa.”

I held her arms tight. They were warm, just like her human side. Her claws stabbed into my stomach, though, but one could tell that she… cared enough to protect me without me asking for it. But Jade warned me of her kindness. I needed to take everything she did for me with a grain of salt.

The ground began to heat up, and warning lights started to shriek. Cooling mechanisms turned on, attempting to stop the factory from overheating as water rained down on the battlefield. It was like being in a warzone. Mellissa set me down as we watched the crazed machine continue its rampage.

"We need to stop that thing before we all die!"

The timer on its body read less than 4 minutes left. The timer could have been a fabrication from the terrorist but the fact that it was there was still impending.

“But no matter how many strikes we give this machine, it won’t go down! What do we do, Mellissa?!”

The demon pointed at the machine.

"It's back exposed. If I could get to it, I could easily deactivate the bomb. But the little bastard is so quick I haven't had the chance to get to it."

“So, we need to hold it in place, Mellissa?”

I scorned, watching it taunt me from below as it crawled about. Mellissa flew over to us.

“Hold it down… hold it in place?”

I thought momentarily as I closed my eyes. What came to mind was Yuuna’s abilities. Her… enchantments.

“The stalagmites. What if we pierce it with one long enough to hold it down? That way, you can get to the back of it and disarm the bomb, Mellissa?”

“That would work. Just have to get pinky involved in the plan.”

They were on the other side of the room, defending themselves from the machine's attack using their powerful shield. So, to make things faster, I took Mellissa's hand.

“Hang on.”

I said before the shadow walked over to them. When we appeared, it took Yuuna off guard, and she shrieked.

“We have a plan, Yuuna! Is it possible for you to enchant my weapon with the earth element again?!”

"Y-Yeah, I can do that. What's the plan, though?"

"We don't have the time to explain. Just trust me, and hopefully… we'll live through this."

Yuuna nodded. Mellissa, unprompted, began to race off.

“Then I’ll distract it for you, Feodora!”

Without awaiting my order, the demon flew off to have more fun with the machine. I turned back to the devil and screamed.

“H-Hey! Be careful, alright?! I don’t want you getting hurt! Don’t do anything stupid!”

I didn't think she heard me at first, but midway through her flight, she turned back to me and… showed me her demonic fangs. She looked like a sadist, but that sight would be the key to our survival. With a slight tilt of her head, she yelled my way.

“Don’t worry, if anyone’s going to be the death of you… it’s me.”

She threatened while cackling. Her long hair flapped in the air, and she flew like a sparrow as she darted towards the machine. I stood there in shock at her words, in awe of her brute power.

I found myself panicking because of how reckless both sides of Mellissa were. I knew she was strong, but the fact is, this machine is unpredictable and… I didn't want anything happening to her while she tried to save us.

It was strange… I was relying on the girl who was still plotting to kill me. Everything about this was weird, but I had to bank on her to live…

“I’ll enchant your weapon with earth! Now go, Feodora!”

"Right, thanks, Yuuna!"

With the battle between Countess and the machine getting wilder, I jumped in to help. My sword shined a deep brown. Like before, I hit the ground next to the iron beast, earning stalagmites to ascend from below. One formation struck the bottom of the machine and cut through the side. Its arms pushed forward and grabbed the demon, shoving her into the wall.

“Mellissa!”

I yelled out to her, but it was in vain. She was wedged into the wall as my stalagmite captured the machine. It twisted its metal arms, attempting to crush the demon. With her claws, she forced the arms off her just enough not to be squished.

“Mellissa! Mellissa!”

 

 

I shouted her name as I raced to help her. I shadow walked as fast as I couldn't, making my way up to the machine and her.

“Aaahhhhrrrgggg! Piece of shit! Bag of bolts! Let me go!”

The demon screamed weakly as the machine attempted to crush her between the wall and its arms.

“No, you don’t!”

I broke off the enchantment of earth from my blade and changed it to the water element on my own. My sword darkened as my will to save her echoed through my bones. My eyes shined a horrid purple as I brought death into my soul.

“Get away from her!”

I warned as I sliced at the arm. Water entered its metal, and my darkness wedged its way inside the shadows. The machine had a hard shell, but my dedication was fiercer. Not just to live but to keep the human side of that demon safe like I promised. I managed to slice one arm clean off, but the remaining 7 taunted me as the machine slammed into the devil using the others. Despair started to creep in as the timer on its head was getting dangerously low.

“I said, get the hell off her!”

Darkness erupted, sparking around us in the faintly dimmed room. Red blares of sirens made my heart race all the more. My power amplified, and I unleased…

My destructive crafts. I slashed downward, creating an aura of darkness to pierce through the room. The world shook as the spell hit the arms of the machine. A powerful ray of purple spectrum engulfed the components of the iron beast, severing a couple of them from its body.

Sparks flew from one side to the other. Mellissa fell to the ground, but I didn’t have the chance to check in on her. I had to keep the machine at bay before it could roll around again.

“Feodora!”

Yuuna called out, enchanting my blade once more with the earth element. This was just what I needed, and I used that to my advantage. With all my power, I unleashed the stalagmites again, cutting right into the machine, and wedging it between two spikes.

“I got it!”

Mellissa cried as she flew over. The machine screamed with machinal noises as it moved its gears, trying to break free. The devil went behind its back and reached her hand within the back panel. Its sides opened up, attempting to shoot off missiles. I was sure this was the end for us. We had to be too late, and the bombs inside were going to detonate…

The machine lit up, flashed, and suddenly, the remaining arms lost power, and its round body fell to the ground with a clunk. Mellissa tossed out the power supply causing the entire thing to shut down.

“I-Is it over?”

Yuuna asked as it crumbled to the ground. Mellissa reached back inside and brought out a giant piece of the machine. She rolled it, and the object fell next to my feet.

“Is that the… power supply?”

I asked.

“No, it’s the bomb’s trigger. That part ignites first before it detonates the bomb at the top. Think of it as a mini bomb.”

I jumped away from the dead object.

“W-What the hell is your problem, Mellissa?!”

I shouted.

She put her halberd away and approached us. Yuuna ran to the side and stared at the two of us. Excitedly, she bent down on her knees and looked at the bomb closely.

“It would take months to build this thing. You see this, Feodora. That’s where all the switches and functions go in. Wow, this thing would cause massive damage. And if it went off in the ore factory… Radiant City would be crippled!”

The demon giggled.

“That would have been so freaking cool to see. It’s a shame.”

Her eyes shined as she looked at me like a child showing her mother a new toy.

“I really like bombs. They’re so powerful and loud. Bombs make me feel stronger just seeing them go off. Like… If a bomb can do THAT, I should be able to do more, you know?!”

She looked at me, and surprisingly her gaze was soft and tender.

“Feodora, don’t you think bombs are cool?”

To admire something made for the sake of killing, it shouldn't have surprised me that a demon was the one getting all excited over this. I scratched my cheek and admitted how I felt.

“Bombs… are scary.”

The devil laughed, causing me to retreat just a bit from her.

She stood up, kicked the active bomb to the side, and reached out to me. I attempted to bring out the rosary, but it was too late. Mellissa wrapped her arms around me and held me tight. She embraced me within her arms and whispered into my ear.

“Thanks for saving me, Feodora.”

One hand held my back as she pulled away slightly. She lifted my bloodied hand and put it near her face with her free hand.

“A promise is a promise, right?”

I closed my eyes and pushed the air from my stomach.

“Fine…”

My blood smeared on her wet tongue. It stung, but I promised her she could. The searing pain made my stomach churn as she licked my palm like a dog.

 

 

“Ewww…”

Yuuna’s face twisted in disgust.

"Are you done yet?"

I asked. The devil pulled me closer to her and giggled sinisterly.

“Not yet. You promised, right?”

She looked into my eyes and what stared back at me was madness. I was in the clutches of a psychopath, and it would be best just to let her have her fun, and it would end sooner. She… sounded like her human version, which caught me off guard. She rested her head on my shoulder after she had her fill of tasting my blood…

“Amazing.”

Mellissa said with a cute giggle… before sinking her teeth into my shoulder.

“Ahhh!”

 

 

I cried out in pain. Yuuna and Janova watched in horror as I tried to shake her off. But she was too deep in, and it felt like she would pull my shoulder off. Her teeth sunk through my thick jacket like it was butter. I reached for my katana, but she held it down. We both fell on the iron floor, tussling around.

“So, good!”

She bit again and again. Fortunately, I broke free of her arm, holding me down. I reached into my pocket and pushed the rosary into her stomach. She released her grip and fell to the floor, laughing. My blood was smeared across her face, and my shoulder was throbbing.

“You’re fucking insane!”

I regretted saving her right then. If I’d let her die, then this wouldn't have happened. I needed immediate medical attention, and it wasn't even from the terrorist or the machines that did this to me. It was from my ally!"

The second doctor, Yuuna, looked at me as if it were “my problem.”

“Y-Yuuna?”

I begged.

“I’m not getting near that demon!”

Janova flew in front.

“Stay away from Yuuna! Yuuna, don’t go near those two!”

Yuuna pointed at the devil, still cackling on the floor. I was careless, and it came back to bite me… literally.

Footsteps could be heard in the distance as Jade and a bunch of Radiants rushed in behind her. They surrounded the area and began taking into account what had happened.

“This place looks like a warzone.”

Jade remarked. Eve and Vivian looked around, too, taking note of everything that's happened.

“Feodora, are you hurt?!”

Jade rushed over and looked at my wound. Mellissa smiled, showing the blood on her teeth. It seemed that Jade came to the correct conclusion and took the rosary out of my hand.

"You've had enough fun outside, for now, Mellissa. Go back and lay dormant!”

"Tsk, don't ruin my fun, Jade!"

She shouted, but it was too late. In a daze, she fell over on her side. After a brief moment, the eyes opened, and those vibrant green eyes appeared.

"I… I taste blood…."

Mellissa said as she felt her face.

“Yeah… my blood.”

I remarked. Confused, Mellissa looked about, trying to figure out what had happened.

“Yuuna, come over here and give Feodora medical attention. Feodora, explain to me what happened here.”

We walked to the side as the Radiants investigated the machine and what happened. Yuuna began her treatments as Jade interrogated me. Mellissa, the human side of her that wouldn't know what just happened, attempted to wash her mouth out… still tasting my blood.

"Go over what happened for me, you three…."

The knight demanded.

We explained to her all that had happened. How the place lit up and how we faced off against machines of unknown origin. We continued about the three culprits and them stealing ore from the factory. I described the blonde leader’s face too. Finally, we told Jade about the sphere-like machine that was a bomb in itself and how we defeated it before it was too late. Jade pondered. I had more information, so I spoke up before she could.

“Jade, I attempted to use subjection on one of the terrorists.”

Her eyes popped open. With an intense gaze, she focused on me intensely.

“What happened?”

I sighed.

"It was strange… I believe the terrorist with blonde hair was under the influence of another spell."

“Like… mind control? Or was it a dark spell like you cast, Feodora?”

I shook my head.

"No… It wasn't a spell of the dark arts. That terrorist wasn't under a dark influence that I know of. She had a master and was terrified to defy that master."

Jade clicked her tongue.

“Do you have any more information regarding this… spell?”

Thinking back on what happened, she was a mental wreck when I almost took over her mind. She wasn't afraid of what I'd do to her. She was mortified that she'd failed her orders. With that in my mind, I looked back at Jade.

"Whoever is in control of them… they're powerful and dangerous. All three of the terrorist were in a control loop, strong enough that if one was broken out of it, they could brainwash the other effectively."

Jade pondered.

“And… are you sure this was brainwashing?”

I sighed.

“One of them used a word to bring the other back to her senses. The key word was… Silvery Memory.”

Jade pondered for a bit, then looked back at me.

“Do you recall anything else, Feodora?”

I thought about it again, and a name floated into my memory.

“They said... Mother.”

“Mother?”

The knight questioned.

“Yes, they said they had to get back to Mother. Whoever that is, that might be the person controlling them.”

Yuuna looked away, and Janova crossed her arms as she floated there.

“Mind manipulations to create terrorists. What a mess."

Jade clapped.

“We have a lead for the time being. We need to talk with Atom. We need to investigate what happened and if she is involved in this."

“Where is Atom?”

I asked.

“She should be in her tower. Feodora, come with me.”

Jade looked at Mellissa, who was looking around a tad confused.

"Mellissa, you stay with Feodora and me. Yuuna, would you please help the Radiants and make sure there's no more trouble? I would keep Mellissa here, but the countess side of her is dormant for the rest of the day.”

“R-Right.”

Mellissa stumbled over to me and touched my shoulder.

 

“Oh my… a lot must have happened while I was out. I’m sorry you got hurt, Feodora.”

Her touch was affectionate, but it did worry me. Reflexively, I pushed away slightly.

“It’s… not your fault.”

As strange as that was to say… it was true.