**26th Floor**
A woman with short black hair sat atop a floating blue cell.
She wore stockings, dressed in dark jean shorts, and a cropped jean jacket with thick beige fur on the collar.
The cell looked more like a foggy cube, and whatever was inside banged on the walls like a wild animal.
Ophelia stood yards before her at a lower part, looking up with a dark purple eye in silent wonder.
Around them were similar cells, floating in this odd, blue space.
The woman on the cell smiled mischievously, blue eyes glowing in the dark, dangling her platform-heeled boot off her exposed sole, as a thin, metallic tail whipped back and forth from behind her.
A distant, muffled boom sounded off around them—probably not from this area—and managed to shake the place slightly.
"Seems like the fun is already starting without us!" the woman spoke. Her eyes then trailed slowly back to Ophelia as she studied her for a moment. "Hmm… You know, you remind me of myself," she said.
"How so? You're part of the most heinous bandit group in the world, and I'm just a Black Wolf," Ophelia replied.
"'Just?'" The woman hung on to the word with a curious, dainty finger to her bottom lip. Genuinely interested in her use of the word…
Ophelia remained quiet. By the look of things, by some Keeper's luck, she had ended up in front of yet another Head Officer.
"My name's Lilith! It's nice to meet ya!" she said almost too carefreely.
Still, Ophelia said nothing, wary of her.
"You're Ophelia, right? And that body belongs to your sister Raeyn."
Ophelia quietly gasped at that. It was one thing to know who she was, but to know off the bat that Raeyn was present, too, had suddenly made her more on edge.
Sissy… Ophelia thought, checking that Raeyn was still present, and that she didn't get sealed away like in her fight with Evalyn.
I'm here, Raeyn replied in her mind. I know…
"If you're wondering if I'm gonna prevent you from switching with your sister, you don't have to worry about that. I'm not a coward like Evalyn. Go ahead and switch anytime with her!"
Ophelia's one exposed eye shuddered when they met her again. Despite this woman… or perhaps girl—Lilith's lighthearted nature, the words that were coming out of her mouth felt more threatening than any violent tone ever could.
It was as if she was reading her mind…
"Hmm?" Lilith tilted her head. "I can't read minds."
"Then how do you know me? And how do you know what I'm thinking?" Ophelia responded at last.
"Oh! That's what you're actually thinking, isn't it?" Lilith seemed like she was toying with her… but it seemed more than that. "I can just smell it on you."
Instantly, Raeyn spoke in Ophelia's head, Sis, 1600 and 2000!
Ophelia whipped her head, and there were two large bandits behind her already mid-swing.
She engaged her magic, and their attacks went right through her, smashing the unseen ground they stood on. She tried to phase under, but this odd floor wouldn't let her.
"Yeah, unfortunately there's only a handful of exits in this zone, I can show you the way if you like? This isn't exactly my favorite floor…"
Sorry, Raeynie I was too preoccupied with what she was saying!
No… it was me, too… I didn't sense them until they were already near. Something's off.
Is it her magic?
It absolutely is.
"Hey!" Lilith waved a hand, still perched atop that cell she sat so easily on. The prisoner inside still causing a ruckus from within. "You seem deep in thought… are you trying to figure out what my magic ability is?"
How is she doing that? the sisters thought simultaneously.
"I don't mind telling you my magic. It's not like keeping it a secret benefits me at all. See this cell I'm sitting on?" She kicked her dangling legs playfully. "The door to it is unlocked behind me. This crazy guy could have just exited whenever he wanted. But isn't it weird… When something you desperately want is dangling right in front of you, how you become so blinded to get it, and all reason is left at the door… No pun intended."
Ophelia and Raeyn observed her more intently. For the thing 'dangling' that the prisoner in the cell wanted was unironically sitting on top of it.
Lilith flicked up her boot that was just barely hanging on to her exposed foot.
"Exhibit A." She patted the top of the cell, and the mere gesture made the prisoner inside go absolutely ludicrous.
"Get to the point," Raeyn said as she had successfully switched with Ophelia.
"Oooo… You're scary. Could you possibly switch back with Ophelia? I mean, you can still listen in, too, right? That's how you knew those two brutes over there were right behind you, isn't it?"
Raeyn only glowered. And behind her, the two large bandits remained like they were compelled by some unspoken order.
"Okay, okay! Geez… You look like you wanna kill me!"
Scythe? Or perhaps the pistol, Raeynie…? Ophelia said in her mind, nudging for the latter.
"My ability is Aroma magic. I can alter scents distinctly to match others greatest desires. For example, the two behind you are led by duty. They believe me to be their old master, even though they know deep down that he died years ago. And this man in the cell desperately believes I am his wife who died in a fire… so sad…"
She shook her bare foot, and moved it slightly to her left, and it seemed as if the prisoner inside was following the direction of the scent.
"What a horrible ability," Raeyn spoke. "To mess with other's minds—their feelings—without so much as a care…"
Lilith cringed when she beheld Raeyn's face—like the mention of her magic had just quietly pissed her off.
"You know… You should really smile more."
In a blink, Raeyn's scythe flew out of her shadow, and she bolted toward Lilith.
Barely reacting, Lilith lifted her leg, and slung her boot back on, letting it fall back onto the cell with a thud.
Suddenly, the cell burst open, and the prisoner dashed toward her vehemently.
She darted her eyes to him, and quickly blocked his protracted claw. He then formed another claw and began slashing wildly.
Raeyn blocked the strikes, then found the soonest opening, slashing him away in one precise movement.
Behind her, the two large bandits charged again, this time flanking her from both sides. A strike from above and a strike from below were swung in a coordinated manner.
She leaped, and spun to her side in the air, dodging both attacks from right between.
She then linked her scythe to one of the clubs one was using, and led it back to the other bandit, smacking him in the face. Maneuvering from below, she managed to swing herself over the other who delt the blow, and blinded him with a slash to the face.
With both bandits handled for now, she pushed off one of their backs, and flew toward Lilith.
Lilith giggled as she came, backflipping from the cell she was still sitting on, while simultaneously zipping up her boot that she had just flung back on.
And before Raeyn could land a strike, more prisoners and bandits rushed in from all sides, including the air.
Raeyn's eyes darted to each of them, and counted, Six, eight, twelve…
Raeynie switch!
She blinked and she was switched with Ophelia, and as the multiple strikes landed, they all went through her, colliding with each other in a cacophonous mess.
Ophelia dodged away, as she blinked and was back to Raeyn, proceeding onto her charged route toward Lilith.
Since forming a pact from their father's ritual, Ophelia and Raeyn now shared a single spell, Full-Body Ghost magic: Oculus Reverse Reincarnation. Once the spell has been activated with an incantation and hand sign, the two could switch constantly by a simple blink of the eyes. However, because this was a Full-Body spell, only Ophelia could cast it, which was why, despite their shared body belonging to Raeyn's, it was Ophelia in control most of the time.
Though useful, the spell itself was a Forbidden spell, and the repercussions took a toll on their overall mana. In a war of attrition, Ophelia and Raeyn only had about ten switching chances, before they were completely run dry of mana. So the use of their own abilities and making a switch had to be incorporated accordingly—which was why Raeyn was dodging and blocking rather than using Contrary off the bat against attacks. This was in order to preserve both hers and Ophelia's mana altogether.
Lilith pulled out a shotgun, and fired at Raeyn.
Raeyn positioned herself to take the attack from part of her torso and her left arm, blowing it clean off. She then threw her scythe, merely touching Lilith's shoulder, and chanted, "Reverse."
Right then, the part of Raeyn's torso and her arm mended back together, and Lilith's had blown off.
"Dang…" Lilith crooned as if she didn't just get her entire side eradicated.
But then she turned into a haze, and her features began to change into someone else entirely.
As the lifeless body thudded to the floor, her scythe boomeranged back to her, and she caught it, swinging it effortlessly to her side.
She observed the body that fell. It was another prisoner…
"You two really know how to use your magic abilities don't you?" Lilith's voice echoed from sight unseen.
Raeyn and Ophelia looked around to find her, and when they did, she was high up on another floating cell, with other free prisoners and bandits atop other cells, all around.
"I've mixed in my bandit crew, Velvettails, among the other free prisoners here. So you should have some decent fun since you're that good."
"I thought you're not a coward? And yet you're using your pawns to fight for you," Raeyn taunted.
Lilith then threw both her hands over her head with wrists flicked, dainty fingers barely touching, furrowed her brows, and stuck out a playful tongue, saying, "Oh, you're right! Silly me! I'm such a hypocrite!"
I can't believe I'm saying this Raeynie, but… Ophelia thought. She really pisses me off…
I can't believe you're saying that either. She acts just like you.
Ophelia gaped mentally at that.
No offense…
Offense taken!
The Velvettails and prisoners jumped them, and Raeyn engaged in a series of close combat.
She dodged, and swung her scythe in quick succession, switching with Ophelia only when necessary.
When it was back to Ophelia, she sent gunshots to a few unlucky bandits.
Ophelia… Remember the Black Wolves' rule…
"I think this counts as an 'uncontrollable outcome'… Besides, had that actually been Lilith when you 'Reversed' you would have killed her as well!"
That couldn't be helped…
"Well, neither could this!" Ophelia sent a gunshot to a prisoner who charged her.
"Aw, you two are so cute when you banter with each other!" Lilith commented.
"Stop eavesdropping!" Raeyn and Ophelia both said as a wave of Velvettails and prisoners came.
Since the battle begun, the sisters had switched about three times. Now with all the chaos in this area, they had switched an additional two times, leaving only five switches left…
"Gosh, your eyes are so pretty when you switch! Yellow, purple—swap! Purple, yellow—swap! Argh! I'm so jealous!" Lilith cooed, blue eyes flickering.
As a Velvettail appeared before Raeyn, she gouged his eye with her bare hand, and bolted upward, leaping off prisoners and other Velvettails in the air, nearing Lilith.
"Then how about I help you with that?" Raeyn spoke threateningly as she arrived from an angle below Lilith with a scythe and a crimson eye…
"Terrifying!" Lilith teased, leaping away onto another cell.
Raeyn's boots rippled the foggy cell as she landed on its side, readying to leap off it, and catch up to Lilith. But before she could—
"Be careful," Lilith instructed in an equally threatening tone. "You might want to watch where you land…"
She snapped her fingers, and the cell Raeyn stood on began to ignite. Her heterochromatic eyes widened as the cell detonated, engulfing her, and triggering other cells to explode in a chain.
Lilith's magic, Aroma, not only had the ability to manipulate other's through scent, but it could also take on the properties of certain scents, like flammable gasses. However, unlike Milo's Gas Reaction magic, where she still needs a cause and effect, Lilith could change the scent property to react at will, manipulating even a state of matter to do her bidding when told. And in her case—the snap of her fingers.
The exploded cell blazed as Raeyn's silhouette emerged within the flames, not even burning as she stood amidst it.
And Lilith regaled at the sight of her as she silently commanded her pawns to charge at her once more.
Raeyn welcomed them, emitting an aura that sent shivers down their spines as they were already on their way.
At this point, though they had about five switches left, Raeyn took it upon herself to handle this crowd. It was a gamble, but she was only willing to switch twice more. For she wasn't sure where Alice was—or if she even got teleported here to Tartarus along with them, so there was no way to recharge their mana.
The bandits and prisoners fell one after another at her wake, some falling to their doom from the height of the cells they fought atop.
And as she nearly got lost in the massacre, Raeyn whipped her head all around to find Lilith. But she could not…
Where did she go?
There, Raeynie!
Raeyn looked far behind, and saw Lilith running toward a wall, disappearing through it…
"She's trying to make a run for it!"
Raeyn blazed through the tempest of Velvettails and prisoners in Lilith's direction, heading toward the wall, with a certain question in mind…
It was probably a hidden exit from this place. And though that was good to know, why was she running now?
Raeyn sent a power swing across herself, sending a group flying, and hiding behind the rain of bodies as she disappeared through the wall.
***
The other side was full of metal pipes, steam, and a mixture of orange and blue aura, depending on where she looked.
This place was well created. For before it was compromised, one had to know where all the doors were by heart, as they were hidden behind the pipes and in the walls.
"I can't sense her presence at all," Raeyn said to Ophelia.
She can probably mask it with her Aroma. Her magic is as annoying as she is…
At the last second, Raeyn saw the end of a metallic tail far off in a long hall, turning at an intersection.
"There!"
She bolted, but instead of running down the corridor, she went for a wall, looking as if she was going to ram into it, and switched with Ophelia.
She permeated, phasing through until she reached the hall Lilith was heading, cutting her off. And the moment she did, she switched back to Raeyn, already mid-swing.
"It's over," said Raeyn.
Lilith braced herself as she received the strike, splattering blood across her chest as she fell backward and grunted.
She crawled away, fear in her eyes as she did into another intersecting hall.
But it was a dead end.
Raeyn merely strolled, turning the corner as she stalked her.
She found Lilith on the ground, still grunting as she dripped blood onto the metal floors.
"You're going to tell me where the rest of my crew is, and perhaps I will give you a swift death."
"Guess that 'rule' you Black Wolves share only applies to certain people, huh?" Lilith agonizingly replied.
Raeyn only repeated herself, raising her voice slightly. "Where is the rest of my crew?"
"Seriously, Raeyn," she spoke like they were familiar, even though they weren't. "You should really smile more."
Still with that cold glare, Raeyn raised her scythe and attempted another swing. For she was willing to torture if needed for the ones she cared for. For the ones she loved.
But as her scythe made contact with Lilith, she became a haze, smiling at her as she faded away.
"Sorry, maybe we can chat more next time…"
It was only Raeyn now as she stood at this dead end. Even the blood on the floor that had apparently come from Lilith was gone. And when she tried to search nearby for any sign of her, this time, there truly was none.
"She got away…"
Obvi…
When Raeyn turned a corner, there was an elevator with a deceased W.M.A officer nearby on the ground, holding a keycard.