Chapter 81:

  Athlone

  (Maya's POV)

  Maya stood among corpses, Banshee's that littered the streets. Their entrails decorating the concrete and steel, and yet she stood among them untouched...save for a stray sptter that panted her cheek. Reaching up with an outward disinterest, she ran two fingers through the grey blood, examining it as she sighed.

  "Damn it..." she muttered, inwardly disappointed.

  She had hoped her newfound abilities would keep her clean of any defilement, and yet...she had still failed remain clean. With a click of her tongue in annoyance, she reached into her inventory and pulled out a cloth that she used to wipe away the blood and clean herself. It seemed like she still needed practice, but it was sufficient enough for now.

  Gncing behind her, she was grateful to see that the streets had been cleared. Malcolm and Samuel had done their jobs, but this wasn't over. With purposeful steps, she made her way back towards one of the open doors on a rge building. She was careful to avoid stepping in the gore surrounding her, all while ensuring that she grabbed the cores with a thread of her aura.

  She plucked them like grapes on a vine, tossing them into her inventory for ter. As she approached the building, she could hear Malcolm and Samuel talking inside. She paused for a moment to listen.

  "How's the ear?" Malcolm asked Samuel with a hint of concern.

  "You growing soft on me?" Samuel teased with a light chuckle that Malcolm joined in on, "It's fine, the bleeding has already stopped, but this fucking crazy. How many more are like this? People, I mean."

  Samuel let out a heavy sigh as the mood took a more serious turn.

  "Too many," Malcolm answered, Maya could feel the shift in the air around him as he shrugged, "There are thousands living in Athlone, and who knows how many more of those things are out there."

  "It's just the two of us," Samuel stated, adjusting himself as he pondered for a moment, "Three, if you include Orchid, but you saw what I saw, yeah?"

  "Yeah..." Malcolm agreed solemnly, "She's a bloody monster."

  Maya's heart tightened at the word. It wasn't the first time she's ever been called such a thing, nor had it ever really bothered her before. Not really, at least. She had always kept to herself, as it was easier that way. Perhaps she had grown too rexed.

  "Of course, they'd think I was-" Maya's thoughts and expression darkened, trauma that was almost forgotten resurfacing unbidden before it was cut off by what was said next.

  "Not that I'm compining, mind you," Malcolm continued, "She's fucking brilliant. Shame what happened to her though..."

  "Yeah, can't even imagine," Samuel replied with a tinge of sorrow, "The Ptinum Lotus. Who knew such pompous twats existed..."

  "Really, Mr. English," Malcolm said sarcastically, "Seems like pompous twats would be your whole thing."

  "Hey!" Samuel excimed, throwing an empty water bottle at Malcolm, who chuckled as he dodged, "You know what I meant, you bellend."

  "Aye, I do," Malcolm ughed again, walking to pick up the water bottle and toss it away properly, "Still, though. She's bloody impressive, I don't know if we'll be able to keep up."

  "Well, we'll have to try," Samuel stated with a shrug, "At the very least, we'll just keep doing what we're doing."

  Maya withdrew her senses, giving herself a moment to process what she had just heard, and the emotions she had felt. They had called her a monster, and for however brief a moment, she had almost fallen back into her old self. The self that disassociated.

  Why?

  She had thought herself beyond such trivial things. Yet, in that moment, she had felt...disappointed, and then subsequently relieved when they had simply been impressed, rather than afraid. "But that's not right..." Maya told herself, "It doesn't matter if they think I'm a monster or not, so why..." She pondered this for a moment before she understood the truth of these feelings.

  "Ah, I was ready to kill them," Maya realized, rexing the tension in her muscles. It had been an involuntary response that she had completely forgotten about. She had spent so much time around Lucas that she had grown compcent. She had lived a life where she was constantly hunted.

  Whenever people thought her to be a monster, they would either ostracize her, or attempt to kill her. Something she hasn't needed to worry about for a while now, but her body and subconscious still remembered, triggering that response. The relief came from knowing that she didn't have to kill them. A reminder that her life was different now.

  Appreciative of this reminder, she made sure to temper herself from here on out. Even if people truly believed her to be a monster, she wouldn't let herself be swayed by old habits. If they proved themselves a threat, she would take care of them. That's how she was programmed, but that wasn't who she was any more.

  "That's not to say I wouldn't..." Maya mused to herself with a small smile. She was still an assassin, and she wasn't about to shy away from killing. She just had to be more aware of the things that triggered such responses in her and react accordingly. Letting herself be swayed so easily was foolish, and with that newfound understanding, she made her way inside the building to see Malcolm and Samuel waiting for her.

  "Ah, there you are, ss," Malcolm greeted her with a nod of his head, "Is it all clear?"

  "For now," Maya responded, looking around at all the people they had saved, "Is this everyone?"

  "That were in the streets, yes," Samuel answered, then looked a little concerned, "Will they be safe here? I mean, we have to move on, but..."

  He looked to Malcolm who simply shrugged.

  "Not like we can take them with us," Malcolm told him, "We need to find what's causing this. That's the only way we'll help them."

  "He's right," Maya said, taking one more look at the people, "The best we can do is leave them here."

  "But won't they be in danger!?" Samuel excimed stubbornly, "Those things could come back at any moment and-"

  "They won't," Maya told him simply, cutting him off.

  "Excuse me?" he asked, looking a little irritated, "How do you know that?"

  "Hey, Sam," Malcolm spoke up sternly, "You're doing it again."

  "What?" he gnced at Malcolm in confusion, "Doing what?"

  "That whole knight act," Malcolm sighed, shaking his head, "You're letting your heart speak before your head. She's right. They'll be safe here."

  Samuel looked at him in disbelief, looking around at all the people just standing there...staring at nothing. Maya understood his frustrations, but Malcolm was right. Samuel was someone who let his emotions cloud his judgement. Not that Maya could really talk, as she's let her emotions cloud her judgement plenty of times before.

  The difference, however, was how well you adapted.

  "That..." Samuel began, continually looking around like a lost puppy before it finally dawned on him, "They were all alive..."

  "Yes," Maya feigned amazement, cpping her hands sarcastically, "Which means..."

  "...We're the ones they're hunting," Samuel sighed, pcing a hand over his face, "That's why you asked us to get the civilians inside. They're no after them, so if they're inside..."

  "Exactly," she said, and for the first time in their presence, allowed herself to rex her expression, "I'm here to save people, and that's what I pn on doing. However, I want to finish as soon as possible so I can return home. I have someone waiting, and...I don't want to take too long."

  She allowed herself a small, warm smile as her face softened for a brief moment. This left both Samuel and Malcolm frozen in surprise. It was the first time they saw any sort of positive emotion on her face, after all, and probably only knew her through rumors that painted her as cold-hearted. She didn't really mind the rumors, but why hide the fact that she was happily in love?

  "So...do try to keep up," Maya told them before turning to leave the building, hearing them mutter to each other as she did.

  "She smiled, right?" Malcolm asked Samuel in quiet disbelief, "I didn't just see that."

  "No, I saw it, too," Samuel answered back in the same tone, "I'm not saying I didn't think she could, but..."

  "She has seemed rather...cold, until now," Malcolm admitted locking eyes with Samuel, "Should we be worried?"

  "I don't think so?" Samuel answered with uncertainty, "I mean, we don't really know her, but I did just suddenly get a chill up my spine a bit."

  "You too?" Malcolm inquired, grateful that he wasn't the only one, "Thought it was just me. Like, we probably shouldn't fuck this up, huh?"

  "Probably not, no," Samuel agreed, a little concerned, "We should probably follow, right?"

  "Yeah, probably a good idea," Malcolm nodded and the two of them quickly hurried to catch up.

  Maya couldn't help but smirk a little at their reaction. It didn't really matter to her what people thought, but they did have one thing correct...if she couldn't make it back to Lucas in a timely manner, there would be hell to pay.

  -----

  (Maya's POV, Moments Later)

  Everything was as Elizabeth had said. Thousands of people stuck in a trance with dozens of Banshees guarding them. It made Maya wonder why. Why keep them all alive? Why didn't these creatures simply just kill them?

  Elizabeth didn't quite know, though she had a theory. She believed that the Prowlers, those in control of the Banshee's and the newly named Disjointed, were siphoning something from them. Perhaps it was what they fed on, though what that something was, Maya didn't know, and Elizabeth didn't care. Whatever it was, she just wasn't interested.

  "That's just like her," Maya mused, reflecting fondly on her dear friend's obsessiveness. While the Prowlers were a threat to Lucas, whatever they fed on didn't help Elizabeth fight them, nor did it help her protect Lucas. The only thing she needed to know is that they affected minds and altered reality. These were things that Elizabeth could protect him from. Anything else was irrelevant.

  For Maya, however, she was curious. It was in her nature to understand her enemy to the fullest extent possible. It made killing them easier, but it was more than that.

  "When did it start?" Maya asked herself, pondering this newfound interest, only for her thoughts to be interrupted by Samuel's yelling.

  "A little help!?" he screamed, back against the ground as a Banshee bore down on him.

  His shield was currently locked with its maw, its four petals of flesh enveloping it with incredible strength. Despite its magical nature, enchanted to be durable and offer protection, was bending from the creatures attempts to bite through it.

  "Keep your bloody pants on!" Malcolm replied, leaping out of the way of a concussive bst from another Banshee that sent concrete flying, "Got my own problems at the moment! Use that bloody sword you're so proud of!"

  This would be the optimal choice, but somewhere in the fighting, Samuel's sword was knocked from his hand and now y several feet away. Maya watched passively, curious how well they could do. That was why she had the leisure to think for a while. That, and several Banshee's already y dead around her. This was just the clean-up.

  "Fucking hell..." Samuel grunted as the creature pushed down on him, bending his shield a little more; his eyes going wide in anger, "Hey! Do you know how expensive that is? Keep...your damn...bloody maw...off!"

  Struggling with the Banshee, Samuel's body began to glow with an orange aura. A buff that temporarily increased his strength, allowing him to push the Banshee off enough to reach out toward his sword. [Recall] activated, an enchantment pced upon his bde that sent it flying right back into his head.

  Roaring, he thrust the bde into the neck of the Banshee which shrieked, releasing his shield as it stumbled back. Grey blood oozed and sprayed Samuel with its ichor. Pushing himself to his feet, Samuel put his shield up and took position. Holding his sword parallel, bde aimed at the creature, his body began to glow a deep golden orange.

  She recognized the skill as it was most commonly used by swordsman. [Thrust]. A simple skill, yet with enough skill and practice, one could reach incredible proficiency and strength with it. As the creature recovered, Samuel's aura gathered into his arm, and then enveloped his bde. With a single movement, his sword-arm shot forward.

  It was so subtle and quick that, if not for her enhanced senses, Maya might not have been able to see it. It was a single thrust that sent a powerful concussive force that acted as a ballista. It tore through the Banshee, eviscerating it as it left behind a giant hole through the creature's body.

  Samuel breathed heavily as he watched warily, only rexing once the Banshee's body fell dead to the ground. Nearby, Malcolm's fist impacted the Banshee he was fighting, crushing its head in a violent explosion of viscera. Looking towards Samuel, he gave him a cheeky smile.

  "See, you could do it," Malcolm said, much to Samuel's chagrin who clicked his tongue.

  "It's not about if I could do it," Samuel growled, holding up his now slightly bent shield, "Do you see what it did to my shield? How could you not..."

  Samuel began compining to Malcolm about how he could have helped prevent his shield's deformation, only for Malcolm to pick at his ear as he ignored him. Maya watched with slight satisfaction in their performance. It was true that they were capable. After all, they were S-Rank Pyers, and yet...she was slightly disappointed.

  Not for their performance, but rather that she had learned nothing. She had been hoping to discover something about the Banshee's if she had let them fight the two men. That's why she allowed the two Banshee's to get by her. While she was focused on finding the Cat's Tongue and getting back to Lucas as soon as possible, she was curious about this whole situation.

  With the fight now over, Maya was able to return to her previous thoughts. Her interest in these Banshee's, and the Prowlers who controlled them, had probably started when she began training Azure. Spending time with the Midnight Drake unlocked an interest in creatures from beyond the gates.

  What did they eat? What were they capable of? Were they all as cute as Azure? Maya easily concluded that the answer to the st one was a firm no.

  Her interest only grew once Luria and Nima were brought back from Elizabeth's trip to the Atntic. While she was harsh on them, for they had to learn how to properly behave, she was fascinated in their capabilities. Their regeneration was on another level.

  When she was teaching the two of them to cook, she watched many times as lost fingers were regrown within seconds. Burns that just disappeared. They could also eat pretty much anything, which was incredibly convenient, though they did prefer fish.

  So, being confronted with the unknown of what these creatures who hid in illusions and beyond the veil of the world sustained themselves on, and the purpose for keeping these people alive, Maya had grown curious. She had hoped to gleam something from Malcolm and Samuel's fight, but nothing really came to mind.

  At least, not really anything new.

  They were ambush and pack hunters, preferring to use stealth and their high-pitched paralysis folds on their shoulders. When that didn't work, they relied on their agility and strength to tear apart any who threatened them, along with the concussive bsts. However, despite this, they actually did try to avoid harming any of the civilians, contrary to their earlier attempts at blowing them up while there were civilians nearby.

  Perhaps that had simply been a st-ditch effort.

  Whatever the case, they showed keen intellect. Especially after they began to more strategically attack them. Such as when they ignored Maya to go after Samuel and Malcolm, who they most likely saw as the lesser threat. Now, however, the rest of the Banshee's in the area were keeping their distance...watching.

  Connecting everything together, Maya had only one theory as to what the purpose of all of this was. Elizabeth had told her that the Prowlers were tricksters. They loved to hide and mock, ughing as those in the Cat's Cradle struggled to find their way through it. They would hamper anyone in the Cat's Cradle by ambushing them, but never really went for the kill.

  "It's like they were pying," Elizabeth's words echoed in Maya's head, "They toyed with us, and I learned from their tricks. Once they realized I was a threat, they stopped pying."

  This correted to what Maya noticed herself. When those who watched her beyond the veil saw that their tricks weren't working on her, they grew bloodthirsty. Ever since, she has sensed an animosity aimed directly at her. She was unwelcome here, but that didn't bother her.

  Piecing together the puzzle, Maya thought on the purpose of the Disjointed to keep others from finding out about their masters location. This spread fear and confusion. Desperation, even.

  Then, there were the Banshee's who watched over the civilians of Athlone, seemingly guarding them and their masters front door. This was shown when they only attacked after Samuel tried to interfere with one of the civilians. Ever since, Maya noticed that they appeared confused when she didn't run, and instead fought them.

  They even grew angry when the paralysis didn't work. This made Maya wonder if they didn't want to kill them, and were only doing so as a st effort. All these things, along with the fact that the Prowlers themselves were tricksters, fueled Maya's theory.

  Perhaps they fed on fear, or even paranoia itself. Perhaps, that is what gave these creatures power, and thus they preferred to keep their victims alive, or rather...their flock. As everything that Maya has observed so far pointed to the fact that these creatures were herding them.

  The Disjointed controlled the masses while the Banshee's acted as sheepdogs. All the while, the Prowlers were the shepherds. It made the most sense.

  Was this the most useful information? No, but it did make Maya feel satisfied.

  It reminded her of Lucas expining the lore in the games he enjoyed, especially the first video game they pyed together. A lot of the game was told through environmental storytelling and reading item descriptions. One had to piece it together themselves.

  At first, she had found it tedious. Why couldn't they just tell you what was going on in the game? Despite that, she found it endearing how excited Lucas was to talk with her about it. This came to be something she truly cherished and loved about him. She always listened intently when he spoke, rambling on about something he enjoyed.

  Perhaps influenced by him, she had come to enjoy it as well after trying it herself. Piecing together the bits of lore and story had become fascinating. It helped that it gave her something to talk about with Lucas, who was so adorably engaged whenever they spoke of it. He also became so enraptured whenever Elizabeth or her talked about the creatures they've faced and pces they've seen beyond the gates.

  It was something she truly enjoyed and so wanted to find more things to talk with him about. This was most likely another reason she had developed interest in learning more about creatures and the pces she visits. She couldn't wait to see what his reactions would be when she returned and told him everything that she had discovered.

  Just the thought of it put her in a state of pure bliss.

  "Well, in order to do that..." Maya told herself, looking towards Malcolm and Samuel who were still bickering as they gathered the Banshee's cores.

  "If you two are finished, we should get moving," Maya told them as she spoke up, interrupting whatever they were talking about.

  "I'm good," Malcolm answered, standing from the corpse of one of the Banshee's, "I don't know about him, though. The Princess there has a chipped shield."

  "It's not chipped!" Samuel excimed in exasperation, holding the bent shield up, "Does this looked chipped? I'd honestly prefer it to be chipped. Do you know how hard it is to fix this? It's easier to repair if-"

  "Oh, haud yer wheesht," Malcolm sighed, letting his dialect slip heavily as he reached into his inventory and pulled out a small bcksmith's hammer before tossing it at Samuel, "Don't say I never get you anything, Princess."

  Samuel caught the hammer, staring at it with a deadpan expression for a moment before slowly looking over at Malcolm with barely contained annoyance.

  "You're telling me..." Samuel started out talking rather calmly before growing louder, and eventually yelling, "You had a Smith's Hammer this entire bloody fucking time!?"

  "Come on," Malcolm said, rubbing his ear with a grimace, "I'm almost deaf from those things, you don't need to finish the job."

  "You...!" Samuel began but took a calming breath, "You're not wrong, but seriously..."

  Samuel took a moment to sit on a nearby piece of debris, setting his shield over his p. Running a hand gently over its surface, his expression turned to one of fondness.

  "I put a lot of work into this thing," Samuel muttered, taking a deep breath, "I guess I'm just sentimental. It is just a shield."

  "Nah, mate," Malcolm dismissed with a gentle smile, "It's a symbol, I get it. Now fix your fancy accessory so we can get going."

  "Tch, always taking the piss," Samuel shook his head as he held the Smith's Hammer aloft.

  Maya knew about the item. It was imbued by an Artificer, also known more simply as a Bcksmith, with a repair function that could be used on equipment in the field. Such items, however, were often single use and the rank of which had to equal or exceed that of the equipment being repaired to even work.

  Bringing the hammer down on the shield, it glowed with a blue light as the sound of hammer to anvil chimed out from it. As the glow disappeared, so did the hammer, leaving behind a perfectly repaired shield. Holding it up, Samuel examined it for a moment before deciding he was satisfied. Adjusting it back onto him, he stood and addressed Malcolm.

  "I take it this means I owe you?" he asked, to which Malcolm shrugged.

  "Let's survive this first," Malcolm replied, not sounding too upset about it.

  Samuel nodded, and with the both of them ready, Maya turned to continue her journey through Athlone, finally approaching where the gate to the Cat's Cradle would be.

  Athlone Castle.

  -----

  (Maya's POV, Cont.)

  The midnight air felt cool upon Maya's skin. Flickering mpposts illuminated the streets with an eerily silent light as mists swirled around them. Before her were the stone walls of Athlone Castle, and the ramp leading to its interior. Next to her stood Malcolm and Samuel, each looking around apprehensively.

  "It's quiet..." Malcolm muttered, shifting a bit nervously, "It's never good when it's quiet."

  "Are you sure this is the pce?" Samuel asked, gncing at Maya, "A little creepy if you ask me."

  "It's a good thing I didn't ask," Maya replied coolly.

  Malcolm stifled a ugh while Samuel flustered.

  "This is the pce," Maya told them, "You can either come with or stay here. Your choice."

  Without waiting for a response, Maya strode forward up the ramp of Athlone Castle. She could feel the piercing eyes of those beyond the veil watching her. She ignored them and the bloodlust they exuded, striding forward with a purpose.

  She had wasted too much time, but it was worth it if only that she had something to talk about with Lucas when she returned. Allowing herself a small smile, she entered the courtyard of Athlone Castle. A thick fog filled the area, obscuring all but a few feet in front of her.

  It swirled unnaturally, as if trying to dissuade her from continuing, and yet that is exactly what she did. She heard Malcolm and Samuel approaching, following after her.

  "Can't see a bloody thing," Samuel compined, "Is it just me or does that fog feel...alive?"

  "Ah, yer just fine," Malcolm nudged him pyfully, "Stop being such a scaredy cat."

  "Oh, shut yer face, ya cunt," Samuel scowled, nudging him back, "This pce is creepy and you know it."

  "Yeah, but I ain't whining about it," Malcolm replied with a chuckle, "You can stay here if you're so scared."

  Hefting his shield and adjusting himself, Samuel stood defiantly at the suggestion.

  "I'm not scared," Samuel corrected him, though Maya could hear the slight hesitation in his words, "Besides, what'd you do without me?"

  "Enjoy a moment of silence," Malcolm replied jokingly.

  Samuel scoffed, shaking his head but said nothing more. For a moment, silence fell upon them as they made their way slowly into the fog and further into the courtyard. It wasn't long before Maya sensed it. The movement in the fog, or rather...the moving of the fog.

  "You're right," Maya said, breaking the silence, "The fog is alive."

  As soon as she said that, the fog shifted as it quickly closed in on them. Sounds of surprised escaped Malcolm and Samuel's throats, though Maya remained calm.

  "I don't have time for this..." Maya grew annoyed as the fog tried to cling to her, as if it was trying to drag her down and hold her where she was. Taking a deep breath, she drew in a sliver of her power, concentrating it within herself.

  In a sudden burst, she released that energy which took the form of a flurry of petals. The fog was expelled, shredded by the sudden blizzard and strong gust of wind. She exuded her control over the area with a flick of her hand, sending the petals into a frenzy that tore against the unnatural fog, creating a barrier between them.

  Malcolm and Samuel looked up from where they had fallen on the ground, quickly standing and brushing themselves off in embarrassment.

  "Ahem, right, the fog is alive...noted," Malcolm cleared his throat, ignoring Samuel who was giving a smug, coy smirk, "So, what do we do about it?"

  "Ignore it," Maya answered simply, "After all, that is what we came for."

  As the petals swirled around them, keeping the fog at bay, it had revealed their destination. There, in the middle of the courtyard of Athlone Castle stood a lone stone archway. Within the archway swirled a dark, unnatural fog that slowly tumbled into the courtyard.

  "Ah, so the source was a gate..." Samuel took a deep breath, readying himself, "Well, shall we?"

  Maya nodded and began making her way towards the gate. It was at this moment that the Banshee's which had simply been watching began to act. She sensed the shift in the air as reality bent to their will, opening rifts to every Banshee still left within Athlone.

  The fog acted as a catalyst as Banshee's began bursting forth within the courtyard. The first of which were torn to shreds by her wall of petals, but this only acted as a breach. They knew they would die, and yet they made that sacrifice so as to create gaps for the others to reach through.

  "Shit!" Malcolm excimed, "I told you it was never good when it's quiet!"

  As the Banshee's ran over their fallen brethren, Malcolm rose to meet them with a punch that rippled the very air itself. Imbued with a shimmer violet energy, his fist burst apart the Banshee only for two more to repce it. He quickly dodged as they tried to tear him apart.

  Samuel reacted just as fast, his bde imbued with fire, the orange fmes danced across his bde as he cut two of the smaller versions in half. He was able to turn just in time to parry the attempted bite of a rger one, smacking its head aside with his shield.

  "Not this time, you bastard!" he roared, plunging his sword into the chest of the beast before exuding a fraction of his energy to burst it apart from the inside with a gout of fme.

  As the two of them fought, Maya watched and waited. Something that didn't go unnoticed by Samuel and Malcolm.

  "I hate to bother, but..." Malcolm called as he dodged a concussive bst from a Banshee, crushing the head of a smaller one that leapt at him, "We seem to be in a bit of tough spot."

  "Not yet," Maya answered, watching as Banshee's continued to pour into the courtyard through the breaches they kept making in her wall of petals.

  "What do you mean not yet!?" Samuel excimed, pushing a Banshee back with his shield before cutting at it, an arc of fme trailing his bde.

  Maya could feel the curiosity of those watching as well. They were wondering the same thing, but Maya wasn't about to let them know of their mistake. You see, she had already known this would happen. Elizabeth had warned her, and she had pyed into their hands.

  It was more effective this way, rather than hunting down every single Banshee in Athlone, she would draw them all to her. Elizabeth had warned her that once the gate was discovered, the Prowlers would do everything they could to prevent people from entering. She had recalled a massacre in one of her earlier lives when she was less experienced.

  "El died here before..." Maya felt mencholic at the thought, which only helped to fuel her determination. After she learned from her mistakes, Elizabeth began hunting the Banshee's down one by one so as to prevent them ambushing her at the gate...that was until she had become stronger.

  Once Elizabeth was able to take out several at a time, she lured them in to take them out all at once. The very same tactic that Maya was employing now. Ever since she put up the wall of petals, she purposefully kept it weak so that they would be able to break through, all while slowly maniputing it as she poured more of her power into it so that those watching didn't realize what she was pnning.

  However, they didn't need to know what she was pnning to know that she was up to something, and that was when the Banshee's began to ignore Malcolm and Samuel. They turned as one to bear down upon her.

  "Fuck!" Malcolm excimed, quickly trying to catch up to them with Samuel following close behind.

  As the Banshee's grew closer, Maya kept her calm as she activated [Assassin's Trance]. Before she had become a pyer, she had been taught that, above all, to rely on her instincts when all else failed. This had become a skill when she became a Pyer.

  It put her in a state where her body simply reacted without thought while her mind could concentrate on other things, such as channeling her energy into the wall of petals. In other words, her body was on autopilot.

  "Keep your distance," Maya warned Malcolm and Samuel, "I cannot guarantee your safety."

  It wasn't like she couldn't fight without [Assassin's Trance], but it did make things easier. She didn't have to think of her movements, saving her precious time. This proved invaluable as several Banshee's leap at her, only for her body to twist in a practiced fashion, bdes twirling with deadly precision. The Banshee's bodies were eviscerated, falling harmlessly around her.

  Malcolm and Samuel looked both impressed and surprised at the sudden violent dispy. They quickly realized that the best thing they could do was distract the Banshee's as best as they could, and so Samuel took point as he activated [Swordman's Challenge]. A skill that would taunt a number of enemies to fight him.

  This gained the ire of at least half of the creatures as they turned towards him and began to charge. Malcolm backed him up, utilizing each other's strengths to bolster their own. Samuel blocked while Malcolm slid under him, punching up at one of the Banshee's. At the same time, Samuel turned to strike the one that had been charging Malcolm. Leaping off of Samuel's back, Malcolm brought his heel down on one of the Banshee's in front of Samuel.

  In this way, their teamwork really shined through. It was obvious that they were indeed S-Rank, and while they had been having trouble before, it appeared now that they were no longer pying around and were locked in.

  Maya's attention turned towards the wall of petals as her body danced around the Banshee's, dodging their concussive bsts, as well as their attempts to cw and bite her. "Almost..." Maya could feel the flow of Banshee's begin to slow. There were at least several dozen fighting the three of them now, soon Malcolm and Samuel would be overwhelmed, even as the bodies of Banshee's began to pile up.

  "Just a little more..." Maya urged the Banshee's to hurry filling the courtyard. As she danced among the Banshee's, her body leapt above them, and that is when she sensed it. The st of the Banshee's had entered the courtyard. A devilish smile crept upon her face as she dropped all pretenses of subterfuge.

  "Malcolm, Samuel, to me!" she roared above the din of battle.

  The two of them didn't hesitate, breaking away from their current fight as they rushed towards her. The watching eyes of the Prowlers grew intense, as if narrowing in on her with understanding, a panic etched into them. "It doesn't matter now," she mused to herself, "You can't do anything to stop this."

  In an instant, she released her power and closed all the breaches upon the wall of petals, solidifying it and trapping all the Banshee's inside. As Malcolm and Samuel drew closer, she deactivated [Assassin's Trance] as she nded.

  "Brace yourselves," she told them, lifting her hand as threads of vender, hundreds of thousands, millions of them spread outward, each attached to a petal.

  She took all of those threads and pulled them inward, clenching her fist. The courtyard was suddenly filled with a blizzard razor sharp petals, shredding every single Banshee inside of it. The air became painted with hues of grey from their blood, intermingled with the vender petals that tore them apart.

  In a matter of moments, everything fell silent as even the fog began to retreat. A sense of fear was the st thing she felt before the eyes of the Prowlers disappeared.

  "I told you...I'd find you ter," she mused, pleased with these results.

  "Bloody fucking hell..." Samuel stood in awe as he looked around the courtyard, "That's what you were pnning..."

  Malcolm simply whistled as he looked around.

  "Easier than hunting them one by one," Maya said simply, "Though, there may be more inside of the gate. Are you two warmed up now?"

  "Heh, yeah," Malcolm nodded, rolling his shoulders as he stretched a bit, "I was hoping to save some of my strength for whatever the source was, but now that we're here...let's fucking do this."

  Samuel nodded in solemn agreement, his expression reflecting his resolve. The both of them were ready, and with no more time to waste, Maya strode forward and into the gate, followed closely behind by the two of them.

  It was time to finish this.

  -----

  Nikushimi