The will-o-wisps flickered, shimmering with unstable light. The occasional ting of the creatures, as they struck against the glass of neon filled signs, created a rhythmic yet ominous tone that echoed throughout the clinic.

If it were not for the headache-inducing flickering, Haruka might’ve even had the time to pity them, but–

The middle-aged woman in leather overall was forced to sneeze, twice in succession, finally blowing her nose with a tissue as she muttered under her breath, “God-damned Orcs! I needed those meds and materials!”

She pinched her nose with her free hand. “At least they have the excuse of being overgrown pigs, so what can those Corporate bitches say?”

The tissue crumpled as she slammed her fist on the counter before her.

“Those Capital Corpos can go and stick the ‘Covered under Act of Fae’ up their soft little butts! What happened to clinical cargo being high priority? When my clinic is supposed to be one of their own?! They have fortunes to spend on flashy sponsorships and gigantic billboards to promote their holy knights, but not one credit for better security?! To treat the dumb f*cks that fell for their promises, just a bit better?

Why of course not Mrs. Hayato, your agreement doesn’t cover that! What in the hell does it cover then?! Fucking Corpos!”

And yet, despite all the apparent anger, there was a hint of resignation in her voice, as if she had accepted that things were unlikely to change.

Haruka leaned back in her chair, tossing the crumpled tissue into a random corner of the clinic.

“How are we supposed to scrounge up 3 million credits in a month? And if the Corpo creditors happen to find what we’re hiding here…”

The exasperated woman sank into her seat, hands reaching up to cradle her head, fingers threading through disheveled hair, “And then, there’s my sorry excuse for a husband, and his perfectly legal and safe ‘occupation’! What the hell did that bastard go and do? Got all hyped about my dumb experiment, claimed he would show it to his ‘boss’ for a guaranteed big break, and then poof-- just up and vanished. Next thing I know, he’s wanted all over the city!”

Her palms pressed firmly against her temples covering her eyes, as if to seek solace in the darkness, “If a girl didn’t know any better, they’d think their man took what they made and ran off with it, but surely, Ryo wouldn’t…”

Haruka lifted her head, forcing out a pained laugh, “Soma? You wouldn’t happen to have a Sidhe-sent solution to my problems now, would you?”

She glanced around the empty clinic, as if expecting a reply or an answer to manifest out of thin air.

And the moment she realized that none would, her eyes widened.

“Wait, wait, you actually do? Finally, some good f*cking news! Then as it has always been, my dear Soma, let my payment be your finding!”

Something changed then.

Unseen, unheard, unsensed, but Haruka knew enough to know.

The deal was on.

Her eyes blazed with azure light, and her custom Fae enhanced Oculus Azure implants flickered like butterfly wings as she searched for the unseen.

Directly before her, was a grimy, metallic counter, boxing her away from would-be customers, where, defended from prying hands by a protective slide, were her most in-demand product, Fae Serums.

She even had a couple of lesser Orc and Fairy tier serums, pure and untampered of course. Haruka would need a Felinei's nine lives before she dared to sell diluted serums to Epsilon Faehumans. Too bad, they were her longest lasting stock, no potential customer able to afford or use it.

That particular marketing tactic was purely reserved for those of the lower tiers. It was simply business of course. If it worked, it worked.

Then, there were the cosmetic implants. Everything from bio-luminescent tattoos to colorful Felinei ears, these functionally useless cosmetics that did little but make their wielders easier targets to shoot were quite popular as well.

Were fashion statements worth dying over? Well, Haruka preferred to let her customers decide.

Smack dab in the middle of all that, the centerpiece of the cluttered counter was an old-school cashier with actually press-able buttons.

"She's not here? Hide somewhere new, Soma?"

Haruka sniffled, and turned to observe a wall of glass cabinets, each holding a dizzying array of objects.

Glowing in the flicker of will-o-wisps, it was filled with sleek Cybernetic Implants, most of them being defective products that her husband brought over occasionally. Well, aside from her pride and joy, an antique transporter engine of course. The rest had had to be modified and repurposed to serve as extremely eye-catching display items, to potentially impress prospective visitors enough that they might make a purchase.

After all, if it wasn’t FaeTech, it needed all the help it could get.

Nat-tech Cybernetics had a terrible reputation, despite being a hell of a lot more affordable than the cheapest Fae Serum or Fae Cyberware in the market.

Haruka could never see the logic.

Why ignore the potential of nat-tech cybernetics, an entire field of technology, one that was purely human-made and free of the reach of the Fae, just because plugging in too much could rot your body or fry your nerves?

Something pompous and impractical like 'replacing god given flesh with metal and steel is cardinal sin', perfectly fitting the stuck up corpos of the Inner City, she was sure. As if Fae Serums were any less of a mutilation of the natural order.

But Haruka also understood.

Even if it was her that worked on her husband, even if she serviced his cybernetics to the best of her ability, she would always worry. If he had been blessed with a Faetality that was even one tier higher than Eta, there would’ve been no reason for this, to carve away pieces of flesh to make room for corpo-made metal.

It was illogical, yes, but what woman could watch her beloved give up his body, just so they could live slightly better lives?

So yes, she did understand.

It was only the reckless, and those left with little choice, that resorted to Cybernetic Enhancement, and just like all of Outer City, they weren’t much different.

Which meant that despite everything, nat-tech cybernetics still sold pretty damned well.

Haruka shook her head to focus, this time glancing at the doorway by the side, the one that led to the clinical area set aside for actual ripper-doc business.

She looked away soon after, with a deepening frown, “Soma! You know I’ll find you eventually! Just come out and save me the trouble!”

But there was no reply, the room was empty after all.

The frazzled woman rubbed her runny nose and focused her retinal implants.

The deal was still on, but it would be close.

Haruka observed the rest of the clinic. Illuminated in unstable, flickering light, and providing sufficient space for a couple dozen people to stand comfortably, it appeared desolate.

The walls were barely reinforced concrete, every inch covered in irritating neon-wisp signs, the door an old iron affair that couldn’t even be locked properly, and the flooring creaky ordinary wood that seemed to have been cobbled together by an absolute amateur.

It wasn’t that they couldn’t afford better repairs, but rather, they could not afford to keep replacing them.

Haruka stared at the seemingly ordinary wood, or more specifically the vague engravings upon it. A ward or an enchantment of some sort, because apparently, punishing herself by living with headache inducing will-o-wisp flickering was not enough, and this was needed to cover it even more, to satisfy the owner if Soma were to be believed...

There was no one there either.

With that, Haruka knew it was the end. And something changed back, signaling her defeat.

As the oculus implants returned to normal, her eyes dimmed, the azure light beginning to dissipate.

"Where the hell did you hide Soma?!"

Feeling a sneeze rising almost out of irritation, Haruka reached for another tissue, but the moment her fingers touched one, a giggle echoed through the clinic, and the box of tissues pulled into the air above.

“You–” but Haruka was forced to stop and sneeze into her overalls.

Scowling, she grabbed at the tissues, but they pulled back immediately as if having anticipated her reaction.

A faint but regal sound, the perfect chime of a thousand tiny bells rippled through the air.

The moment Haruka looked at the blind spot directly above her head, from the epicenter of those invisible bells, the one she had been searching for emerged.

With delicate, gossamer wings and ethereal, iridescent skin, the palm-sized Soma radiated an otherworldly energy that seemed to warp the very world around her. The air was in constant flux, like a looking glass that was peering into and flipping through countless realities.

But the Fae cared for none of that, far more interested in Haruka’s predicament. Her bright green eyes sparkled with mischief, a playful smile that revealed a set of sharp, pointed teeth.

“Tinker fucking Bell Soma! I already lost! Just give me the fucking tissues!”

Soma pouted but eventually flicked her hand, sending the tissues rushing through the air and smack into her forehead.

Haruka was quick to react before the Fae could change her mind, grabbing a tissue and cleaning herself up, eventually turning to Soma with a glare.

“Why did you hide so well?! Do you want the Corpos to ruin everything you dread fairy? How am I supposed to get your help–”

But before she could even finish, the annoying Fae dashed forwards, her arms outstretched.

Childish laughter tinkled like a pristine stream, unblemished and pure, and Soma fell upon her face in a warm hug, rubbing a forehead against her own in obvious fondness.

Haruka stiffened but eventually reciprocated, her anger dissipating.

In the end, she could only relent. “Ugh, whatever! I’m not enough of a bitch to hold grudges against you!”

The pixie stepped back with an innocent giggle, twirling through the air.

“So, I don’t need your help to deal with the Corpos, Soma? How’s that going to work?” Haruka expected a reply…

When suddenly, the Fae stiffened in the air. With a face as impassive as a porcelain dolls, she glanced towards the clinic entrance.

Her wings fluttered rapidly in an erratic yet familiar pattern that Haruka easily recognized, “You’re looking awfully happy while I’m here moping. What’s up with you Soma?”

The Fae turned around, excited, and… spoke.

Soma’s voice was silent, it reverberated through the air but was not heard in any conventional sense, for a fairy's word could never be heard, only known.

Haruka felt her heart begin to pound, “People? During an invasion?! That’s not something to be happy about!”

“Could it be the Capital Corpos? No, no, it’s too soon, and they're anything but perfectly on time–” then gasped, “The Hakuryuu? Did Ryo f*ck up so bad that their after me now? I told that dumb bastard to quit his perfectly safe 'job' ages ago!”

But thankfully for her, Soma shook her head, her motion causing the air to shimmer.

“No? ...Inani and James are with them?"

Haruka finally heaved a sigh of relief, “You scared me, Soma! So, it's just normal, possibly rich, folk! Well, as normal as those that don't fear a Fae invasion can be I suppose…”

The fairy seemed to be about to speak, but the groan of the iron door stopped her. It seemed their visitors had arrived.

Soma spoke no further, merely lifting two fingers to point at her eyes, then at Haruka, and with a final double thumbs up in a gesture of support, she vanished.

Haruka shook her head with a smile, and turned to the entrance, just in time to see them walk in.

Two, perfectly ordinary men, no different from any you’d meet out on the streets.

Normal customers she would meet any other day. Absolutely nothing to note here.

Haruka almost lowered her guard, when she caught herself.

The presence of Inani and James, following right after them, those prototype dakina goggles covering their eyes…

Something was wrong, Haruka shook her head clear. She looked again, her retinal implants beginning to glow azure once again.

But nothing changed, it was still two ordinary people she couldn’t even bother to try and remember.

Haruka shook her head again, calling upon the integrated PNI Operating System to release the limits on her Oculus Azure and overclock the implants.

Immediately her pupils blazed, irises beginning to flutter with the shadow of fairy wings.

Whatever illusion charm persisted on these two individuals was extremely strong, but Haruka persisted. She occasionally lost focus, forgetting even what she had been doing, but her eyes would pulse with energy that immediately cleared her mind.

Is that... Obliviation? Of the Amathaka Fairy?! What the f*ck Soma, these couldn’t be further from normal folk!

Haruka's eyes had heated to the point that it was rather uncomfortable, when finally, the illusion gave way.

The one at the forefront was a young man dressed in an impeccable black suit. Younger than twenty with a well-built natural physique. He was handsome, but his pale skin failed to hide his privilege. What was even stranger was the fact that the young corpo did not seem enhanced in any way, cybernetic or fae. It was rare, but Haruka could be wrong, particularly because the youth carried himself with a power and confidence, she had only ever seen in expertly trained Faehumans.

But it was the one that had followed behind, a much older man dressed in a clean-cut two-piece suit, probably in his sixties, that shocked Haruka to her core.

It was not that she knew the person. She couldn’t even see, no, remember the faces clearly, as the effect of the Oblivation was still strong enough to the point that it was impossible to note distinctive facial features, only allowing her eyes to barely bypass the most external of layers. But with fae-enhanced (courtesy of the lovely Soma) cybernetic eyes and her years of experience, she could see the power dormant within the musculature of the old man.

At least an Epsilon!

What the hell was an Epsilon Faehuman doing in a lowly Outer City Faesycian’s Clinic?!

Epsilons may not be the backbones of a corporation or a gang, but they were definitely the flesh. In the Outer City, such an existence would be akin to a wolf amidst sheep!

Haruka couldn’t help but feel nervous. They could very well be the absolute worst-case scenario fallen right out of the sky into an already terrible time, but a glance at the wooden floor, and knowing that she wasn’t truly alone here, gave Haruka momentary strength.

Inani bounced out from behind the two men, James following right after.

“Hey Haruka! We brought you some customers! James says they're loaded, so you can definitely overcharge them!”

James gawked, glancing at the suited duo behind him, and immediately poked Inani in her ribs, “Don’t say that!” a rare scene of emotion from the usually silent boy.

Inani seemed profoundly and emotionally hurt by this, rubbing her stomach, as if it was possible for James to make her muscular body even flinch.

But that was enough for Haruka to understand the situation.

So, the ripper-doc forced a wide grin, letting her salesman persona take over, “Welcome! Welcome friends! What do you require from my Fae-bulous Emporium? Premium Fae Serums? The Best Cybernetic Enhancements in the market? Or some of my proprietary Fae Treatment? You name it, I’ve got it!”

The young man in black scoffed, skillfully covering it as a possible cough, but left the intent remained obvious.

Haruka’s grin faltered.

The Epsilon old man however, glared at the younger man, who simply shrugged in apparent innocence and glanced to the side, seemingly more interested in turning his nose up at her wares.

The old man heaved a sigh, but answered Haruka with a polite smile, “Ignore my impolite companion. Your clinic definitely has intriguing wares, but what we require is an in-depth examination. The kind that can only be done with a Faesician's equipment.”

Haruka paused, finally nodding, her grin beginning to recover, “Ah of course, I can definitely offer my services dear sir. And as I’m sure you’ve heard from my friends here, my credibility as a Faesycian is second to none.”

The old man’s polite smile widened, “Ah how reassuring, but all-together unnecessary. To specify, we merely wish to borrow your equipment.”

“...I’m sorry?”

The old man laughed politely, “Like I said, what we require is to borrow your equipment.”

By now Haruka’ grin had all but vanished.

Her confusion was replaced with shock and anger, at the sheer disrespect of this request.

Had it been anyone but an Epsilon, had she not seen through the illusion already, the mere fact that they even dared to ask, would have been grounds to use force.

Haruka's nose itched and she sneezed, the situation having distracted her to the point that she failed to reach for a tissue on time, forcing her to sneeze into her overalls once more.

The young corpo who had been silent so far, suddenly spoke. His voice was clear, but carried a disinterested tone that did little but piss Haruka off even more, “Ugh, do not misunderstand. We have no interest in your… research, or whatever you ripper-doc’s get up to in the outer city. All we need is a few hours with the equipment. Naturally, none of you may be present.”

Haruka’ anger peaked, shooting an enraged scowl at the disrespectful speaker. But the pale young man didn’t even acknowledge her, seemingly finding something within the glass cabinets to be of great interest.

“Umm, what’s wrong? Can’t you let them use the equipment Haruka-san? James uses it all the time, right?” Inani interrupted, glancing nervously between the two parties.

James poked the muscular girl once more, hissing, “That’s different! She’s basically my mentor! It’s very rude to request access to a ripper-doc's equipment!”

The old man seemed to be ignoring them glaring at his young companion instead. He turned to Haruka with a placating smile and– revealed a single, yellowed coin, “I understand that it is an unusual request but be reassured miss, the pay is second to none.”

Haruka’s anger turned to full blown rage at being offered one worthless antique coin, as if she was some beggar on the street. But just before she let them know, fear of an Epsilon be damned, her eyes fell upon the coin in question.

She gawked.

The traces of Fae magic, the renowned energy signature she had only ever seen a handful of times before.

She couldn’t be mistaken.

This was a genuine Fae gold coin! Of inexplicable quality! The currency of a Fae court noble, a Knight, or perhaps even a Baron!

Almost on instinct she reached out to grab it, but the old man pulled back, “So we have a deal?"

Haruka caught her thoughts of excitement and greed, calming herself.

Fae Gold Coins were valuable, yes, but they also came with fae pacts agreed upon at the time of exchange, always cast upon the receiver of the gold.

As much as Haruka needed the money, she also didn’t want to be beheaded in a freak accident, just because the rich bastards over here were expecting silk lining inside of her scanning capsule.

“How about, my equipment being rented to you two for personal use, for a duration of one day?” she proposed.

The old man nodded, “Make it one week. We will of course not stay that long, but just in case? And I’m sure it will be fine as we are paying for considerably more?”

“Also, guarantee privacy and good will, within reason of course, for the duration agreed upon.”

The old man glanced at the younger man who had just chimed in, and turned back to her, “Yes, and what my young friend said.”

Haruka paused to consider the proposal. She was not a stranger to fae pacts, and despite what she had been expecting from the two corporate men, this was quite reasonable.

So, she agreed, “Alright then, I accept your deal," and at the same time, she threw a knowing glance at James. The straw haired boy nodded in immediate understanding and quickly left to the back of the clinic, followed by a puzzled Inani. Haruka could trust him to cover up the more... delicate parts of her research.

And as the pale young man had stated, neither of the corporate men seemed to care.

The fae gold coin was handed over, completing the transaction.

Now feeling the weight of new-found wealth in her hands, Haruka decided to let bygones be bygones and with her practiced smile returned, she gestured to the back, “My equipment is right through there down the hall. You couldn’t miss it if you tried. James will let you know when the clinic is ready, shouldn't be too long.”

The old man nodded, but suddenly noted, “Oh, before I forget, I’ll be taking a few of these." Before Haruka could even begin to react, something breezed right past her. and all of a sudden, he was waving something– four syringes bubbling green and blue, two Goblin and two Pixie Tier Serums!

Thankfully, before Haruka had to resort to drastic measures or anything of the sort, the Epsilon old man threw over a pitch-black card.

“It's a bit too troublesome to carry around raw Fae gold pieces, so you can charge the card for the cost. If you know how to, of course,” and laughed, as if there were anyone who could be incapable of transferring credits out of a corporate card.

Part shocked by the speed of an Epsilon, and part confused by his statement, Haruka was just about to use the card when– the pale young man coughed loudly. It appeared that while she had been distracted, the young corpo had walked over to the glass cabinets.

Haruka paused, raising her head up to stare at him, wondering what his problem now could be.

The young man tapped on the reinforced glass, “This transporter engine here, how much?”

Haruka was taken aback, sincerely not having expected that, and looked to see what it was that had interested the young corpo…

She froze. So that's what the arrogant little shit had been staring at all this time.

Her eyes narrowed, “That’s a Lycan Arc Vortex, an engine for Supersonic Transporters. One of only ten produced in a first and final experimental production batch. It is a revolutionary marvel of engineering, invented by a woman whom I sincerely admired, and manufactured by one of the few corps that had a soul. Well, used to have.

I’ve been keeping it in pristine condition for nearly a decade now. So, no. No matter how many Fae gold coins you can throw at me, that is not for sale.”

Honestly, Haruka felt quite pleased with herself, looking forward to seeing the young corpo lose his temper, and throw a tantrum as spoiled brats were often want to, when they were refused what they wanted. In hindsight, with the Epsilon old man here, it may have been a terrible idea.

But to her absolute shocking surprise, the young man turned around to her, and smiled.

“Yes, wonderful condition, I noticed. Forget it then, Haruka-san. It already has a wonderful owner. Oh, and no need for the change, consider it a... tip for wonderful service, and an apology for my previous transgressions.”

Haruka was now even more confused as to what was happening.

Haruka-san? That wasn’t normal, right? A formerly rude Corpo suddenly being nice and polite?

Just in case she was being scammed, Haruka quickly inserted the card into her outdated but perfectly functional cashier, only to have her eyes widen the moment the eye-watering amount of one million credits was debited to her account.

Even the worries of unpaid debt were blown out of the water, with two-thirds of paid in a single moment, and that was even ignoring the fae gold coin!

But before she could inquire why the young man had decided to tip her over four times the actual cost of four basic enhancement serums, before she could thank the Sidhe for the fact that the old man had somehow picked undiluted and pure serums, the mysterious duo had already vanished into the depths of her own clinic, replaced by James, holding her research material, and an ever-excited Inani.

***

Perched atop a wet, luminous moss ridden residential building, the sentinel in silver armor appeared rather out of place. The very air near him seemed weighted, and even the nosy rats that scuttered through the rooftops seemed to want to avoid his presence.

Knight Xavier's exasperation was reasonable. For hours, he had traversed through the mist-shrouded labyrinth of Yumekuro, but his quest was akin to finding a nathiwena fairy, impossible.

Even with the CCV9 Allsight hijacking any and all possible systems, all he had found were wanna-be bounty hunters out on the prowl for the Hakuryuu. He supposed the White Dragons were too busy fending off the Swordlake Blades, but while that was supposed to be his problem under official orders, it shouldn't have been.

A flicker of hope crossed his mind, wishing that the dreadful, ominous feeling he had felt was merely a trick of the world, but…

The feeling of dread had only worsened, the pit in his stomach grown heavier.

The haunting memories of that night, remained crystal clear, forever etched in him. He couldn’t forget– no, he wouldn’t.

A beep echoed in his ear, the comms signaling some inconsequential event that he wouldn't have even been informed of had he not been desperate for something.

It was a notice about the decommission of an outdated Capital Corp. security system installed at some ripper-doc clinic.

The ethics of in-built surveillance in commercial tech aside, it was either a system glitch, or the work of some bounty hunting punk that was foolish enough to rob a ripper-doc, but just smart enough to attempt damaging the evidence.

Knight Xavier dismissed the distraction.

What he pursued had no affinity for technology, for they operated beyond such mundane limitations.

They had to be around here, and he would surely find them.

And in the unlikely case that this proved fruitless, then, he could consider leaving on a wild goose chase to see if the punk that had been audacious enough to break into a Capital Corp. clinic shared something in common with the entities he wished to find.