Between a Rock and a Hard Place

As Itsuki and Sayaka hit the streets together, chaos reignited. The minotaur man's weight pressed into the street, hair bristling as metal formed around his body in armor-like plates. Cultists charged forth alongside him, spreading throughout the town to sow havoc—hundreds. 

"You would do best to come quietly with me, worldwalkers. Otherwise, I cannot guarantee your bodies intact."

Itsuki looked at Sayaka and their surroundings, still trying to process everything. A few townspeople were still being evacuated by the guards who were now aiming their weapons at the oncoming tide.

Among the stragglers were the two sisters.

"Refi, Eflam!" Sayaka let go to raise her hand at them. However, the minotaur-man interrupted her, blocking their view with a grunt.

"I await your answers," he said, voice rumbling like a mountain. "And do not test my patience. Because otherwise—"

Boulders slammed him from both sides.

A shockwave blasted through the air from the epicenter, knocking them backward to the ground.

"Kiaki, take them and leave!" Velena called out, hands outstretched to keep the cultist contained. "Protect them! Leave this one to me."

He spared a glimpse in the matron's direction. She didn't look as injured as the knight-earl had been, but still seemed worse for wear as she channeled her might into the attack.

The vice-captain hesitated before shouting back an affirmative to her wife, motioning for the two of them.

"Come. I've heard rumors of a minotaurus in their high command, and if this is him… I have a bad feeling about this."

Sayaka scrambled as they chased after her, emotion brimming in her eyes.

"W-wait, what is going on?! Where are we going! What about Refi and Eflam? What about—"

Kiaki slashed at a few cultists that'd rushed in to block them, conjuring sharpened crystals to force more of them away.

"I admire your heart. But trust our guard with their safety for now. This situation may be beyond all of us."

She carved through two enemies, momentum blasting through another few as Sayaka assisted with a firebolt. Six bodies hit the floor, yet there were still others charging in.

"What we wanted to tell you earlier today—" A volley of molten slag. "—is something vital. Above all you must avoid capture. They cannot gain hold of that power within you!"

She grimaced as her weapon smashed a wave of stone into the ground, sending a dozen cultists flying. Their efforts were working, though more trickled in to stop a gap.

Itsuki's heart thundered as he deflected an attack sent in his direction, thinking of the implications of her claim.

Were they really that important? He and Sayaka? He wanted to ask more, to understand what was happening. However, before he could, the boulders behind them shattered into dust, blasting Velena toward them into the street.

An armored hulk walked out, metal shimmering as he shook rubble off.

"A strong attempt, matron—could've killed me had you more strength left. Unfortunately, your effort is wasted."

He grinned deeply.

"There was never an opportunity for them to flee."

As if on cue, the air became saturated, a blast of mist engulfing the area around them.

"He is correct."

A robed woman breached the cover as her voice faded out, standing proud beneath the twilight sky.

Her stature was nearly as large as the minotaur-man, yet graceful despite her size. A striped, white tail balanced behind her; feline ears twitched beneath her hood; and a faint gem adorned her chest above black garments.

Another Diluvian.

Itsuki's breath hitched as they were corralled backward by the fog. However, his shock amplified as even Kiaki stammered at the figure.

"Knight-Viscount, is that you? W-why are you in those robes?!"

The tiger-like woman paused before nodding at her in acknowledgement.

"It's been too long, Vice-Captain. Though it's just Rathgara now."

The matron scrambled to them just as surprised as Kiaki was, water and earth conjured around her in bands.

"No, this cannot be right. How long has you been with them? I thought—"

The Diluvian gave a confident yet mirthless smile as she pointed to her heart.

"To think they've kept you in the dark like this—typical for the outer regions I suppose… It's been five years since my loyalty was met with betrayal, Velena, and you know what that means for my kind."

A dreadful aura emanated from her as she exhaled, fog rising to envelope her in a cloak.

"But none of that is relevant now. Listen to my colleague Stahl, and we won't have to part in blood. You're the last people I want to fight after all, both practically and personally."

She turned to Itsuki and Sayaka next. Jasper-like eyes scanned them from head to toe with a militant edge.

"So what will it be, worldwalkers? Will you comply before the orders of us: the Diluvian high command?"

The town descended into a muted quiet as the two leaders stood shoulder to shoulder, waiting for their answer. Other cultists were appearing from the fog wall now, acting as yet another barrier to trap them in.

Itsuki's mind raced for an answer.

He was still coming to terms with what he'd seen before this: tyranny plated in gold and hearts reaching for each other. So to process this too? The Diluvian threat again?

What was the best play for them here? Should they fight? Should they run? Their exits were cut off, but perhaps if he used his power, they might be fast enough to force a way through?

Before he could move though, an answer was given for them.

A volley of water-bolts bombarded the two cult leaders, streaming like bullets as Velena took aim at all enemies.

"Kisaragi, Usami! Flee and get to the shelter!"

The minotaur-man chuckled gleefully at her outburst, even as his armor buckled.

"I told you Rathgara—that they would reject things. Now, let us do things the proper way."

Tension reignited as several attacks were launched, dragging everyone straight into battle.

Wind swirled in blades, metal flashed in the moonlight, molten earth scorched air, and mist clawed through air as each side scrambled toward the worldwalkers.

Itsuki gripped his heart on instinct as he took a step back, warmth flowing through him. Strangely enough though, something felt different this time:

It flowed to Sayaka too.

Despite not even making contact now, his power bridged over to her. Strength, speed, and vitality spiking in both of them.

Before he could think of it more though, he was tugged into the mist.

"Quickly, Kisaragi!"

Sayaka dragged him backward by the hand, sprinting away from the combat.

His senses spun together at the sudden whiplash, especially once their momentum truly kicked in. It seemed the same happened for Sayaka too, stuttering at her heightened speed.

"W-wait, what's going on? Why am I so fast?!" she nearly tripped over a cobblestone as the realization hit her. "Are you sharing your power with me right now? H-how do you even manage this?"

He took a deep breath, answering as he stabilized their sprint.

"Sharing? No idea how. Maneuvering? Just barely."

He repositioned himself to run tandem with her. "But enough of that. Where are we going? And are you doing alright?"

"I… I don't know. I just know we have to escape."

Sayaka's hold on him tightened, her other hand waving to keep balanced at a pace unfamiliar to her.

"They mentioned the raid shelter, right? Maybe we could start there." She forced a shaky composure back before it could crumble. "Once we're out of the fog, let's find our way there."

Itsuki thought about it before nodded at her, sharing in her resolution.

He admittedly had some doubts considering how it'd been broken through by Reathe in the last raid, and he still didn't know much of what the shelter actually entailed. At the same time though, they didn't exactly have any better places to go.

"Sounds good."

Their vision was gradually returning to them as they continued their sprint, clearing up with every step they took. However, a part of him briefly drifted back to where Velena and Kiaki were, feeling guilt for simply leaving them.

Would they be alright on their own? Both of them were strong, but those two Diluvians gave off intimidating auras. He supposed that they'd managed to repel another leader before in the form of Reathe, but…

He just hoped that they would be okay.

The blur of the fog finally faded as they burst from its cover, the town becoming visible once more. Unlit gas lampposts lined their new surroundings, and the stone base of a clock tower lay in front of them, proudly jutting from above its surroundings.

Nothing stirred aside from them.

They relaxed slightly as they looked around, letting go of one another. It felt a little eerie since they'd become familiar with this place. Typically, it would be packed.

Had everyone evacuated to the raid shelter by now? The last they'd seen of Refi and Eflam, they were being rescued in that direction, so hopefully most of the town was there too.

Before he could think more though, the stirring of rubble caught his attention.

The hairs on his neck stood on end.

"Usami, did you hear that?"

She nodded briefly as an answer. However, her attention seemed elsewhere at the moment. Her head was spinning around, plotting a route to the shelter now that they could see properly again.

"Okay, I got it. The mist has cut off a lot of roads, but I think I know how to get to the shelter from here. It just… might be a bit unorthodox."

"Unorthodox?" Itsuki asked, stealing glimpses over his shoulder as unease grew. "Um, okay. Lead the way then if you know where to—"

A shockwave blasted them from the front, stone cracking as something landed hard enough to crater the street. Debris went flying, and Itsuki quickly conjured a wall to hide behind, tugging Sayaka down with him.

They sheltered their eyes from the dust as it blew past, breathing only once it settled. Then, cautiously, they braced themselves for a peek.

Hauntingly familiar laughter greeted them.

"Apologies, worldwalkers for the late arrival, but it's simply how I am with my theatrics~"

Both of them froze as dread stirred, staring at a hooded silhouette floating right above the crater. They were humanoid and emanated an intense energy, as if a typhoon had been condensed into their chest.

It was the voice they'd fought against half a month ago.

The figure chuckled to themselves in satisfaction as they approached, levitating across the rubble.

"I must admit, it was a strong attempt—losing both Stahl and Rathgara in the mist. Unfortunately though, your efforts are wasted, dear worldwalkers."

Ethereal chains ending in stakes on both sides dropped from around their wrists, the wind picking up.

"There was never an opportunity to flee~"