"Hmm…" a soft voice tickled my ears.
A flash of blue light danced in the corner of my eye as a woman appeared. Her single blue eye peered deep into mine through a single lock of silver hair. Her eye showed no joy, no anger, just the neutral curiosity of a human.
"We are in the middle of a fight; you could lean on us more, you know."
I felt a powerful blow to my chest; the pain pulled me out of my thoughts.
"At least, I believe that is what you were trying to tell me last night." Despite the mask Lilas wore, I could tell she smiled as she turned around, looking content.
Lean on them…I suppose that's what I should do. I can't do everything myself; the creature before us proved that. I left her alone, and now she's part of them.
I gripped the hilt of my Gearsaw as tightly as I could. Even my resolve couldn't stop my weapon from clattering. I did this to Anya. I was the only one to blame.
If anything, I will put her out of her misery, freeing her from the pain of living as one with the void spawn.
So that's what you choose. How long until that mindset breaks you?
The twisted voice said, but I paid it no mind. I couldn't let my emotions take control again. I wasn't alone. I never was, yet…the hand I felt before still clung tightly to my rapidly beating heart.
"How annoying…" Ciel muttered from afar.
At first, I thought he was referring to his fight with Rinne, but his eyes were locked onto me. He wore a bitter expression as if things were no longer going his way. That alone was a good sign, but his opponent was nearing her limit. But then again, so was he.
Rinne and Ciel stood several paces apart, both taking a defensive stance as they tried to catch their breath. Rinne was observing him, looking for an opening.
I needed to cut this void spawn down so I can go support Rinne. She only just learned how to use her weapons.
"Don't you think it's messed up?" Ciel said, keeping Rinne in the corner of his eye as he spoke directly to me. A grin lined his lips. "Humans are such fickle things, governed by emotions that dictate their every irrational action. Love, hate, vengeance, and in your case, guilt. Don't you think we humans would live longer, happier lives if we threw those petty feelings into the wasteland?"
A hand on my own stopped my blade's chatter. Lilas stepped forward. "What?" She spoke in an emotionless tone that carried the full weight of her title. "You want us all to be nothing more than emotionless puppets to your master?"
"Master?" Ciel raised his brow as he scoffed at the mere thought. "You think the worthless Void God is my master? How rich coming from a pig that serves the Goddess of Steam. Sorry, someone as beautiful as you is more than a pig, but my point still stands."
"Gross." She muttered in response. "Then why do you serve his bidding?"
Ciel's smile grew wider, stretching from ear to ear as if he had just been told something amusing. "His bidding? Lovely priestess, I'm afraid there is a major misunderstanding between us. Do you have any idea what the church is doing behind the scenes? Do you think you were just dealt a bad hand as a child?"
"…"
"Do you think it was fate that you were taken into that orphanage, used as a dancer to please those men? Used as their toy. Saved by one of the church's strongest? All of it was planned; there is no will of the Goddess; it's all the will of the Head Saint."
A blue light flickered wildly from Lilas's sides. What expression she was making with her back turned to me was not hard to imagine. He knew about her past. A past that she wanted to forget, a past that she sought safety from behind the back of Muller, her light.
"Lilas…" I said, returning the favor with a gentle tap on the back as I stood beside her.
"I know," she said. "He's just messing with my mind."
"Tch!" Ciel clicked his tongue. "Tell me, priestess, where does the endless steam that powers this city come from? I've been dying to know."
"Then take the question down to hell with you!" Lilas launched herself forward, a shockwave of energy crashing into me.
"Wrong answer."
Before she could reach the man, a black hand shot out and stopped her. The smell of searing flesh filled my nose even through the mask those women provided us. The void spawn had clasped its hand around her right wrist.
Lilas didn't react to the pain; she simply glared at the creature as she snapped the fingers on her left hand. A pale blue light danced toward a metal plate riveted to the wall. It dislodged in an instant and flew toward the void spawn.
The void spawn released its grip on Lilas's arm and collapsed into the ground as if it had no bones.
It snaked toward me, reappearing just as fast as it disappeared. It thrust a spiral dagger toward me, slicing the mask I wore clean off. The putrid smell of rot flooded my senses, making it hard to dodge the creature's next attack without looking away to gag. I spun around it and kicked out as hard as I could. My shin slammed into its side, the sharp pain flaring throughout my body.
It felt as if I had just kicked a solid wall made of metal. I stumbled back, the creature preparing to thrust its second dagger into me.
"Mister!" A sharp cry filled my ears as something small slammed into the creature's side. Sara used her weapon as a shield and pushed against the void spawn, knocking it to the side. Black ooze splashed from the impact, burning holes in her vestments and revealing the same chain mail Lilas wore.
The creature turned its head to Sara as it stretched out its arm.
"Mgh!" Sara took a solid blow to the chest, her armor withstanding the attack. She aimed her weapon with trembling hands at the creature and fired a shot. A canister flashed, and the creature screamed in agony.
I rushed to my feet, revving my weapon's gears. A sharp pain flared across my leg, and I lost my balance. I barely managed to catch myself from falling onto the gears of my weapon. I swung wide, using the force of my recovery to aid my speed. The creature split into two to avoid my attack, and as it did, a blue light flickered below me.
"Sara, grab him!"
"Okay!"
At Lilas's shout, Sara grabbed me from behind and pulled me away as hard as she could. A large metal sheet ripped the grate from below. It shot upwards, carrying the ooze pile with it. It slammed into the ceiling at such a high velocity that the ooze splattered across the area, hissing on the ground where it landed. I felt a burn on the back of my neck as I covered Sara with my body.
A small glob of black ooze, carrying the locket Anya once took from Celia, bounced around. I pulled out my pistol and aimed at the glob. A shot roared out, puncturing a metal pipe behind it. Water spilled out as the creature morphed into Anya's head. It stared at me with pleading eyes.
"Please…don't…I want to live…Axien."
"…" Even with it between the sights, I couldn't pull the trigger. My finger wouldn't move…why!?
A small hand covered my hands. Sara rested her shaky fingers on my trigger finger as we aimed at the creature. The void spawn's eyes widened with surprise.
"Sara…" it spoke.
"You a-aren't her," Sara said, her voice carrying the malice of a frightened child.
What did she mean by that?
"You w-wouldn't attack M-mister if you were." She pushed my finger with hers. A shot roared out, a bullet tearing a hole in the center of its head. Black ooze scattered, dissolving immediately.
The locket it wore fell to the ground, dangerously leaning near the edge of the broken floor. Sara rushed to collect it before it fell into the Lower Layer.
"Fuck off already, you damn brat!"
"Crap!"
Rinne was sent flying backward toward Lilas. Ciel held out his leg, his gaze fixed on me. He tossed on his hood and, with one last look, he traced his neck with his thumb before running off.
"That creep retreated the second his creature was killed. Talk about lame." Lilas said as she helped Rinne to her feet.
"…Sorry," Rinne said.
Lilas gave her a gentle pat on the head. "You did well; sorry we weren't able to help."
"Holding your own against a man like that is truly impress—ugh!"
"Nghhhhh."
I tried to stand up but nearly fell on my face. Sara caught me, struggling to keep me from eating dirt.
"Golden Steam!" Rinne called out, but she had hardly made it far before she herself fell. Lilas caught her by the back of her shirt.
"You ain't any better yourself, girl," Lilas said. She turned to look at me. "Think that's our cue to head back? You can't walk, and this girl is exhausted beyond belief."
"Yeah…" I said regretfully.
I looked around; it seemed like we did more damage than we accomplished. We let the man working with Ritair escape. All we managed to do was learn that Anya was killed, and we killed the void spawn. Honestly, this felt more like a loss than a victory.
"Damn it!" I slammed my fist into a metal pipe.
"Mister…?" Sara said in a hushed voice as she held me and walked toward the girls.
The pipe creaked and groaned as it fell from its spot on the wall. A large metal box followed, crashing hard onto the ground. It was wrapped in several chains with a couple of locks holding it in place.
Lilas helped Rinne over as we stared at the box. The harder I looked, the more uneasy I felt. A soft beating came from within. Was this box alive? No, that was a foolish thought. Even with the artifacts found, there had never once been a situation where an inanimate object was given life.
So, was there a living creature inside?
I saw a glint of light reflect off the box's surface. I reached out my arm, stopping Lilas from smiting the box with her blade. After what she did to that thug yesterday in the alley, I feared what would become of the thing inside the box.
"Why are you stopping me?" She asked, turning to me with a dead look in her eye. "This is something unusual. Something rare. So why stop me from opening it?"
"Because there must be another way to open it without resorting to reckless behavior," I said, though my words went in one ear and out the other. "Stop you dumbass!"
Rinne and I grabbed her arms, stopping her from striking the box.
"Why?" She had the nerve to ask.
"Just use your powers on the locks!" I said.
"If they were made of iron, I would." She relaxed her arms. Rinne and I let go with a shared sigh.
Rinne crouched next to the box while I glared at Lilas, who acted as if she were not in the wrong. Her expression softened as she looked down at the girl helping me stand, then at my leg.
"How's the leg?" She asked.
As we spoke, the soft clanking of metal filled my ears.
"Hurts, but how's the hand?"
Lilas tilted her head as she looked at her wrists. Charred flesh covered her right wrist in the shape of a hand. "Oh?" she said. "I didn't even notice."
"How? I know that's gotta hurt like hell," I said in disbelief.
"Well…" She looked away. "You know why…"
"Oh…right…" She was used to it. Not something I would brag about either.
"Umm…" Rinne interjected. We looked down to see the chains undone and the lid open. She was holding a small metal pin with both locks in her hands.
Inside was a woman, one with caramel-colored skin. She was sleeping in the box. On her right arm was a large cut that went straight from her hand to her forearm.
Lilas stepped back, holding a hand to her mouth. Her eye widened. "How is that possible?" she muttered. "That void spawn clearly took her appearance. How is it possible that Anya is still alive?"