"Hold still, then," Riko said with a grin as he reached for his goggles and pulled them down to shield his eyes, something that made Trish flinch and back up into the cage.
"H-hey! What the hell are you planning to do?" she asked.
"Get you out," Riko replied.
Suddenly, the Mark of the Engineer on his cheek glowed a bright blue as the sound of bolts and machinery could be heard. Riko's right arm transformed and morphed into an advanced chainsaw, the blade of which seemed to be made with dark material foreign to Trish.
Trish gasped as Riko plunged the saw blade into the cage, creating untamed sparks and a loud crushing and shredding noise that pierced Trish's ears.
"You idiot! This cage is special! You can't just tear it with—" Trish was unable to finish her protest as suddenly, Riko finished. The cage's bars had been shredded through and cut cleanly as they fell off, the frame collapsing down. Trish was free.
*Impossible… that cage is strong enough to hold a Marked One, yet he was able to tear through it just like that? Who is this Riko guy? And what the hell is that ability?* Trish thought with an expression that mixed skepticism and shock before gently moving out of the cage, planting her foot down.
"Tck," she grunted before using physical force. Riko could see the veins on her arms bulge as she forcibly broke the rope and chain that bound her hands together, freeing them.
"Talk. What's your power? How did you turn your arm into that saw?" Trish demanded aggressively as she walked forward and pointed at Riko, her index fingertip only inches from his face as he blinked in surprise before grinning.
"I told you! I'm a guy that likes to make things. I have the Mark of the Engineer! I can transmute my body parts into as well as generate machinery or tools," he answered as he pointed to the gear-shaped Passion Mark on his cheek.
The answer made Trish relax for exactly a second before she looked even more confused than earlier. *Engineer? This guy? So I'm supposed to believe out of the many professionals in engineering across the damn world, this random kid with talent was the one who got that mark? Vesterious must be getting senile in its old age,* she mockingly thought.
**Up in the collapsed Auction Hall**
Laticia stood, her scarlet red hair reflecting the colour of Kran's blood that stained the floor. Despite him dipping in and out of consciousness, Kran could see the veins popping on Laticia's forehead as she grew frustrated.
"The damn government… what a headache. And on top of that, I'm losing my power over my slaves… meaning they're dropping in numbers… INCOMPETENT BASTARDS!!!" she vented.
Kran smirked, chuckling mockingly as he spat blood, something that infuriated Laticia more as she stepped forward. Her expression turned to one of maniacal hate. "Just where do you get off laughing at me?!" she yelled before lifting her foot and planting her heel into Kran's open wound.
"GAHH!" he shouted and gasped as she repeatedly beat him.
"I'll kill you! Kill you! KILL YOU!!!" she shouted as he coughed blood but still smirked arrogantly.
Laticia pulled out a pistol from her pocket and pointed it at Kran, planning to shoot but stopped herself. "No, I… I can't yet. I need to bear it… because I want you to suffer… ERENOR!!" she proclaimed, laughing and twitching before dropping the gun.
"Y-you… are a mere brat if you think you'll win. Never underestimate my comrades…" Kran stated.
However, in that moment, suddenly four stretching whip-like chains lashed out from Laticia's hand as she swung them. They lacerated the wall, shattering it as more of the roof collapsed. "Oh, shut up! I'm going to make you watch as I snuff the life out of those brats! Everyone will bow to me! And they'll know… THEY'LL KNOW MY POWER!!!" Laticia exclaimed before walking up through the cracks and crevices of the collapsed parts of the roof.
She walked, her heels clinking and her scarlet hair and sweater reflecting each other as she arrived at the top of the Auction Hall's remaining roof. From up there, she had a good view of the forest canopy surrounding the auction. The smell of blood was present below, from her bidders that had been killed by the Marked Mercenaries' support unit. Not too far off, she could see smoke as well as flashing lights, the sound of blades parrying each other. Her scarlet pupils focused as she could see Malikar moving swiftly and planting a kick that Luca barely dodged before swinging his saber, only for it to be parried by the swarm of blades manipulated by Malikar's *Gladius qui Serpit*.
Her gaze shifted as she looked up at the blue sky, the white clouds, and the brilliant sun. A creepy smile crept on her face, the veins on her forehead bulging. This smile was not of joy but rather of anger. She remembered earlier in the auction when Riko interrupted her on the stage and declared he'd kill her.
In an instant, her Mark of the Enslaver on her neck glowed a bright red and stretched before four transparent reddish spiritual chains dislodged out of her back and waved. Her long red hair rose as a demonic smile plastered on her face. "Come at me, then—navy, Marked Mercenaries. You'll all be my slaves!" Laticia declared.
**The highest levels of the Fortress**
Riko was waiting outside the door of a pristine room, seemingly Laticia's personal quarters. "Are you done yet??! Hurry up! I swear you girls take too long to get dressed," Riko complained as he leaned on the golden wall.
Suddenly, the door swung open swiftly, comically smashing Riko's face as he winced. "OW!"
Trish walked forward, adjusting her new clothing she had found in the drawers and substituted for what she was wearing prior, which was ripped and dirty. "Hmph, at least that witch knows fashion, if anything," she said. She wore a sleeveless high-neck cropped top in a reddish-brown colour, with her stomach and part of her waist exposed, accompanied by baggy greyish-purple cargo-style pants that sat low on her hips, and a black cloak with white flower designs.
"What are you standing around for? Get on with it!" Trish scolded, completely ignoring having slammed the door on Riko as she began to run, followed by Riko.
*This girl's seriously startin' to get on my nerves,* Riko thought.
As they raced through the expensive halls, Riko kept a fast pace as he looked around, his blue eyes scanning the beautiful walls and the chandelier. *I'm gonna make sure you pay back everything you made by selling people like objects… with your blood!* Riko thought as he quickened his pace, his expression hardening a bit—something Trish noticed.
Suddenly, from behind a box, a black-haired girl in a maid outfit struggled out. "PLEASE—HELP!" she cried out.
Trish immediately spotted the collar on her neck, forged from Laticia's ability. Riko flinched before the woman's eyes suddenly went back to a soulless black as her momentary escape disappeared. Her body twisted against its will and ran at Riko with a knife.
Acting fast, Trish's Mark of the Seer glowed a bright red. Her eyes turned red as she could see the movements. She kicked Riko out of the way before restraining the maid and tearing her collar, knocking her out.
"Tck, dammit," Trish said in frustration as Riko caught himself and walked up, shocked.
"W-what was that? She was okay for a bit! What the hell happened?!" Riko demanded as Trish gently laid the woman down and glared back at Riko, clearly irritated by his loud, demanding shouting.
"Shut up and focus! You're a Marked Mercenary, aren't you?" she snapped back before standing up. "Anyone Laticia touches while her Passion Mark is active is put under the same ability—absolute enslavement. A collar appears on their neck, made of passion energy. The victim is forced to obey whatever is asked of them, and she can choose to let them keep their personality or not. Usually… she just turns them into mindless puppets," she explained.
"As for why this woman was back in her senses for a short time, I have no idea. But it's probably linked to you idiots breaking in and causing a scene. It's probably pissing her off. Bet that makes it hard to control so many people when you're so angry, huh?" Trish continued.
The idea turned Riko's stomach as his hands clenched. "Right. Now I'm really getting fired up to take this bitch down!" he proclaimed with a crude smirk that was bursting with violent desires and rage.
Trish seemed taken aback but didn't argue. Her eyes glowed a bright red as her pupils seemed to expand, her Passion Mark displaying the symbol of an eye glowed scarlet as her long blond hair floated for a minute. From Trish's perspective, she could see through the walls—the layout of the place, where every room was and what could be found. She smirked as she found her target.
"This way!" she yelled before running forward, up the stairs, followed by Riko.
"What's up with your eyes? They're glowy! Are you some kind of cyborg?" Riko asked enthusiastically, as if forgetting the tension from earlier.
Trish was annoyed at such a question but replied: "Of course not. Don't you see this on my forehead? I have the Mark of the Seer," she said as she moved her bangs to reveal the mark. "It grants me the ability of clairvoyance. Nothing escapes my eyes. You'd do well to remember that, Riko!" she continued, a prideful look on her face.
Before Riko could reply, a serpentine creature broke into the hallway through the wall. Its scales were black with red spots, its eyes emerald green, and it had a long tongue extended out, dripping purple poison. A drop seemed to have dissolved part of the wall. The predator glared at Riko and Trish.
"Wow! The hell is that?" Riko questioned, taking a step back.
Trish, however, was not surprised. "A Sassack. They're bio-engineered beasts from Ishania country. I ran into quite a few of them when I came for Laticia's head. I haven't a clue how Laticia got her hands on them," Trish replied.
The serpent lunged, its large size casting a shadow as Riko jumped, his Mark already glowing as his legs transformed into mechanical ones with a large spinning lustrous gear and bulb at the end. Electric sparks could be seen generating from the contraption.
"Take my new goodie to the face! Electro-Lite Discharge!" Riko declared as the machine generated uncontrolled sparks of electricity that hit the serpent, dancing off and blasting other parts of the room.
"How's that? You—" Riko couldn't even finish his taunt before the serpent slithered through the sparks, unaffected, and rushed toward Riko in an attempt to bite him. Riko evaded in response as he quickly jumped to the side, landing by Trish.
"Why didn't it work?!" Riko asked in confusion before the electro-lite machine morphed back into his leg.
"Its scales are probably engineered to be resistant to electricity in some form," Trish concluded, her eyes scanning the beast's skin and noting the texture. "It's got some kind of rubbery but strong type of hard scale. It's anything but natural," she said.
The deduction caused Riko to smirk as he stepped forward. "I get it. It's ebonite—that's what its scales are made of!" he proclaimed before stepping forward to challenge the beast that stared daggers into him.
"H-hey! What the hell do you think you're doing, idiot?!" Trish demanded, but Riko simply walked forward carefree, not even turning his head as he spoke: "Your eyes can see all of its movements, right? Then help me out! That's how alliances work, I'm pretty sure, ya know!"
The serpent slithered forward, the air shaking as it attempted to chomp on Riko, but Riko dodged as it slammed onto the ground. He flipped through the air before dashing forward, his left arm transforming into a mechanical one with mini jets that propelled him forward, landing a powerful punch to the serpent, causing it to smash back into the wall as it screeched.
Trish's eyes transformed again as they went from blue to red, her Mark springing to life. She could see the snake's insides—its strange, distorted anatomy, the movements of its muscle fibers, everything. As she watched carefully, she said, "Tck, don't expect me to play buddies with you," before reluctantly moving forward.
Riko smiled and spun in the air, preparing to kick the serpent, but the Sassack slithered swiftly around the wall, its large size allowing it to burrow through and destroy, causing parts of the place to collapse, disorienting Riko.
"H-huh?! Where did it—" Riko was interrupted before the pillar on his blindside bulged.
Trish's eyes widened as she could see it. "There! Behind you! Two metres!" she yelled.
In that moment, Riko smiled. His right arm transformed as bolts and metal crashed together and transformed, generating a long saber. The blade seemed made from scorching blue plasma held by electro forces from the metallic hilt. He twisted swiftly before suddenly flashing past the approaching beast in a flash. Blood spilled as the snake's head detached from its body—decapitated.
Trish caught her breath, surprised by how quickly Riko had reacted—the speed of the attack, the blade itself, and more than anything, Riko's smirk.
"See? It's not hard to work together, is it? Thanks for the heads up!" Riko said.
Trish grew frustrated at the snarkiness but caved in as she sighed, looking up with a smirk. "Fine. You got me. Then the first order of business for this *alliance* is taking back my weapon. Then… we kill that red-haired bitch," she proclaimed as Riko nodded with a grin.