Crunch—Swish—Crunch—Swish—
The lush grass crackled crisply beneath their steps as Rover, Yangyang, and Kyorin climbed the final incline toward the Gorge's entrance.
With a final surge of motion, they simultaneously stepped out into the open. Strong wind tugged at their hair as golden sunlight spilled over them in radiant beams.
Rover's eyes widened.
Spread before her stood a fortified city—its walls proud and unyielding, etched with time and tenacity.
Stone towers punctuated the edges, and above it all shimmered a translucent dome—like a second sky, gently encasing Jinzhou in a protective arc.
Kyorin stepped forward, equally struck. Though not versed in architecture, even he could tell the city was remarkable.
Yangyang, noticing their awe, smiled. "Splendid, isn't it?"
Kyorin nearly nodded absentmindedly but corrected himself mid-gesture. He wanted to avoid any cranium movement, deciding to simply utter, "Yes. It truly is."
Rover offered a quiet nod, her gaze still drinking in the sight. Beside her, Yangyang exhaled softly, her eyes lingering on the city.
"I've never seen Jinzhou from this far out," she murmured softly.
Then, in a wistful, near-melancholic voice, she recited:
"We suffer, from the pain and disorder;
they are talons of tide at night.
Yet there blossoms the most vibrant flower;
it's the child of chaos in final light."
Rover and Kyorin turned to her, the air between them becoming briefly still.
Yangyang caught a drifting leaf in her palm, holding it lightly. Her eyes, distant just a moment ago, softened as she turned to them with a faint smile.
"It's from a poetry collection," she said, tilting her head slightly towards Jinzhou.
Closing her eyes, she whispered, "To me, Jinzhou…"
She opened them again, and they shimmered with gentle adoration. "…is that flower."
Kyorin stared at the city, then at Yangyang. Her words stirred something in him—a quiet question rising unbidden: 'Where am I from?'
But the answer, veiled by amnesia, eluded him. Only silence replied.
"Haah..." Defeated, he exhaled, and as he opened his eyes, a flicker caught the corner of his vision.
A blurry vision took shape—its outline forming a flower, red and vivid, the color of blood at dawn.
It floated, just beyond an arms reach, its presence was surreal, as it was fleeting.
"Yiliang," he murmured, the name slipping from his lips before he could grasp its meaning. "Thousand-Petal Lotus."
And then—like fog under sunlight—it vanished.
He blinked. The vision was gone.
A dull ache throbbed behind his eyes. He gave his head a small shake, as if to clear it.
Yangyang turned to Rover, her voice soft but grounded, drawing them back to the moment. "May I borrow your Terminal?"
Rover handed over her Terminal. Yangyang's brows furrowed as she examined it.
"As I suspected. Not only is your Terminal unusually designed, it's missing some essential utilities."
"No worries," she said with a smile, bringing her own Terminal close. "I'll share the installation data with you."
Once the transfer was complete, Yangyang suggested they glide down using the stream paths. That's when Kyorin raised a hesitant hand. "Uh… so, am I stuck up here?"
"I'll carry you," Rover replied without missing a beat.
"Huh?" Before he could react, Rover effortlessly swept him into a princess carry. "Wait, what are you—!!?"
"Arms around my neck," she instructed.
"Pardon?" Kyorin managed.
"Wrap. Your. Arms. Around. My. Neck," she instructed slowly, enunciating each word.
Though unsure, Kyorin obeyed—reluctantly—but kept a respectful distance. Rover, noticing this, smirked approvingly. 'He seems to respects boundaries. Good.'
With Yangyang beside them, they descended swiftly to the ground.
As soon as they landed, Rover dropped him unceremoniously. Kyorin stumbled forward with a grunt. "Hey! At least give a little warning."
"You're heavy," Rover said flatly, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.
Kyorin scowled. "This will not end well."
"Oh?" Rover grinned. "How so?"
"If the day ever comes when I have to carry you, I'll say the same—" He stopped mid-sentence. Rover's sword was suddenly at his throat, gleaming with silent threat.
"Don't you dare," she warned.
Kyorin raised both hands quickly, nodding fervently. "R-Right. I will keep it in mind."
Rover sheathed her blade, but he muttered under his breath, "No way I'm carrying her…"
She heard it.
"There's no such thing as a free ride," she replied coolly. "If the time comes, you will carry me—until I say it's enough."
"That's so unfair," he groaned.
"How so?" Rover asked sweetly.
"Because I'm not built like you. I'm delicate," Kyorin said, utterly deadpan.
Rover sized Kyorin up, eyes briefly scanning him from head to toe. Then she shrugged. "Not my problem. A debt's a debt—it must be repaid."
'Damn you, woman…' Kyorin clenched his fists but bit back a retort. Now wasn't the time to argue.
Just then, Yangyang's expression shifted. She scanned the area, unease creeping into her voice.
"This is supposed to be the rendezvous point, but…" Her eyes narrowed. "Where are they?"
A sudden gust of wind swept through, carrying with it the unmistakable scent of danger. Yangyang froze. "Wait—something's off."
GROWL.
Without warning, a hulking, boulder-like Tacet appeared from behind a nearby outcrop, its jagged limbs crashing forward.
The three dodged instinctively. Kyorin stumbled—nearly crushed—until a sharp gunshot rang out from afar, displacing the TD by a little for Kyorin to escape.
Rover immediately hurled her blade like a spinning chakram. The Tacet Discord deflected it with one arm, but in that moment, she was already closing the distance.
It swung its other arm—but Rover used it.
Leaping up with agile precision, she snatched her airborne blade mid-flip and came down in a fierce arc.
Her sword struck the TD, cleaving through it with brutal efficiency. The creature collapsed with a shuddering thud, as a golden hologram—a lingering Echo—was left behind.
Rover landed lightly on her feet, already turning to scan for the next threat. But what she spotted were two figures not too far away.
Both newcomers were women. One had fiery red hair, her outfit sleek and tactical—clearly modern. The holster at her hip marked her instantly as a gunner.
She was the one who had fired earlier.
The second woman appeared slightly older, with black hair streaked with white. She wore a modified qipao that elegantly accentuated her curves, as she held herself with an air of cool temperament.
Floating beside her was a strange creature—white and otherworldly, resembling a fusion between a snail and a peacock.
The two women exchanged a glance and nodded in silent understanding before the red-haired one hurried over to Yangyang. She pulled her into a tight hug, then quickly checked her over.
"No scratches or bruises! Phew!" She said with clear relief.
The composed woman had also approached Yangyang, standing calmly beside her. Meanwhile, the red-haired woman scratched the back of her head and laughed sheepishly.
"My bad!" she said, referring to the TD from earlier. "That should've been a one-shot from that range…"
There was a hint of embarrassment in her voice.
Rover and Kyorin stepped closer as well. Rover tilted her head slightly and asked, "Yangyang, they're…?"
Yangyang smiled warmly. "Allow me to introduce them to you. She is Chixia," she said, gesturing to the red-haired woman, "and this is Baizhi," motioning toward the black-haired one.
Yangyang explained to Rover and Kyorin that the two women—Chixia and Baizhi—were part of the same Patroller unit as her. They had been separated earlier due to the earthquake.
Chixia's eyes lingered on Rover with keen interest. "Hey, you were pretty amazing out there," she said with a playful grin, "how about a few sparring rounds?"
Yangyang hesitated, clearly unsure. "Eh? I do not think it is the best time for one…"
Baizhi, calm and composed, nodded in agreement. "Apologies, but I believe now is not the good time for sparring."
Then, her gaze shifted to Kyorin and Rover. Her tone remained polite, but her narrowed eyes carried a hint of suspicion.
"With all due respect," she said, "may I have your names? And… what exactly is your connection to Yangyang?"
Kyorin clenched his teeth slightly, a sense of unease rising within him.
Baizhi's voice cut through the moment once more. "Also, do either of you have anything to do with the anomalous disturbance?"
Yangyang quickly stepped in, her voice calm but firm as she explained the situation—how she had encountered Rover and Kyorin at the Gorge of Spirit, where both appeared to have fallen from a cliff.
Baizhi listened quietly, her expression unreadable.
She seemed somewhat convinced by Kyorin's case, but Rover's story clearly gave her pause. Still, under Yangyang's gentle yet persistent persuasion, Baizhi eventually relented, her shoulders easing slightly.
Yangyang then added, "As for the disturbance… it may have been caused by the accumulation of Wutherons."
"I see," Baizhi murmured, resting her hand beneath her chin, her expression thoughtful. "I'll need to report this to the Academy."
She summoned her Terminal. A holographic screen flickered to life as she began typing out a message.
But as she worked, a strange ripple seemed to sweep through the air—subtle at first, but it grew increasingly apparent with each passing second.
Kyorin stiffened, every hair on his body standing on end. It felt as though he'd been plunged into cold, turbulent waters thick with mud and dread.
Then it came.
A piercing frequency screeched across the area, sharp and unnatural. Everyone winced, hands clamping over their ears.
The sound rattled deep into the bones, like the sensation you get from dragging your fingernails across glass.
Rover gritted her teeth, standing firm. Amid the noise, something—a presence—brushed behind her.
She turned.
There, emerging from the thinning air like a nightmare given shape stood a skeletal Tacet Discord. Its gaunt form creaked and shimmered with flickers of unreality.
Empty eye sockets glowed with an ominous violet fire as it whispered in a voice that echoed into the soul: "Have you seen my crown?"
The creature struck first—its skeletal arm jabbing forward—but Rover dodged with swift precision. Around her, Yangyang and the others had recovered, scrambling back to their feet.
All except Kyorin.
He was still on his knees, his vision swimming, his body burning. His heart pounded wildly—thump-thump-thump—like war drums beneath his ribs.
'Exactly... What is happening to me?' he thought, gritting his teeth.
Then it began.
His eyes shifted—morphing. A black symbol started to form within them, its shape faint but unmistakable: a lotus.
It flickered once—then again—followed by a sharp, prickling sensation that shot through his skull.
The rest of the group sprang into action.
Chixia fired round after round at the Tacet Discord, but the creature blurred past the bullets. In the blink of an eye, it appeared in front of her and drove a knee into her gut. Chixia gasped, spitting saliva, before she was hurled backwards.
Baizhi responded instantly, commanding the strange white creature beside her. The snail-peacock hybrid shimmered and cast a wave of freezing energy around the Discord, encasing it in a crystalline layer of ice.
But it wasn't enough.
The Tacet shattered the frost with a powerful leap, spinning mid-air and slamming a kick into the floating creature, sending it crashing down.
Then—it turned.
Its hollow gaze fixed on Kyorin.
But after a moment, it looked away, sensing no threat. The boy was trembling, still hunched on the ground.
Suddenly, a spinning blade arced through the air.
The Discord caught it effortlessly.
Rover's eyes widened in disbelief. Her weapon—intercepted like a toy.
In the next instant, the creature vanished, and reappeared in front of her.
But before it could strike, Yangyang intercepted—her form a blur of wind and steel.
"I won't let you hurt anyone!" she shouted, spinning as her blade unleashed a slicing gale.
A vortex of wind roared out, slamming into the Discord and forcing it back. The creature dropped the sword it had caught—Rover's weapon clattered to the ground between them.
The Tacet Discord was forced back, its skeletal feet carving deep gouges into the earth as it slid. But with a violent roar, it shattered the wind vortex—gusts exploding outward in response to its cry.
It clenched its bony fist, a pulsing glow building within it—then hurled a punch toward Rover and Yangyang. A concentrated beam of violet energy erupted from its arm, tearing through the air like a cannon blast.
Yangyang reacted instantly. With a flick of her ability, she lifted Rover high into the air, away from the beam's direct path.
But just as the blast was about to reach her—Someone pushed her out of its trajectory.
Rover's eyes widened. She shouted, "Kyorin!"
Yangynag, watched in horror as Kyorin took the full brunt of the attack.
The beam tore through him like a storm of blades. Wind-forged edges slashed deep, shredding tendon, muscle, and skin.
His body convulsed as he coughed up a thick spurt of blood, stumbling, his frame trembling under the unbearable force.
A horrified silence gripped the group.
Torn muscles gave way, revealing the raw, exposed movement of his heart beneath. His body trembled on the verge of collapse as he barley held on the silver of consciousness.
Baizhi rushed to him, her face pale.
"You absolute idiot!" she cried, falling to her knees beside him, her hands glowing faintly as she tried to assess the damage.
Rover dropped down, stunned, her eyes fixed on the broken figure before her.
Kyorin gasped, breath shallow, each word labored. "Turbulent... waters..."
Rover's jaw clenched.
She turned toward the Tacet Discord, her expression darkening.
The creature rolled its neck with eerie nonchalance, then slammed its fist into its palm with a hollow crack. "This is," it mocked, its voice like grinding stone, "feeling rather dull."
"Oh yeah?" Rover snarled, snatching up her weapon with a fire blazing in her eyes. "You won't be feeling anything soon!"
She launched forward like a bullet, charging at the Tacet Discord with fury in every step.
The Discord met her head-on, jabbing viciously—but Rover slipped past the strike with ease. Her blade plunged toward its core. The creature twisted away, barely dodging the fatal blow.
But she wasn't done.
With a sudden pivot, Rover's wrist twisted mid-motion, transitioning smoothly into a horizontal slash. The Discord managed to block it, but its stance faltered—it had lost balance.
In that instant, Rover struck again.
This time, her blade sank deep into its side.
She followed with a powerful upward slash, sending a spray of black ichor into the air. The Tacet Discord howled, writhing in agony as the force of the blow launched it briefly airborne.
Not wasting a second, Rover spun her sword mid-air—hurling it like a boomerang.
The spinning blade sliced through the air, carving into the Discord's hardened exoskeleton with brutal precision. It looped cleanly and returned to Rover's waiting hand, cutting through the beast's defenses piece by piece.
The once-imposing monster now staggered—its armor chipped, its movements slower.
Rover deflected another jab, feeling the Discord's strikes slowing—its movements growing sluggish, uncoordinated.
She launched into the same combo—precise and relentless as steel carved through sinew and bone.
The Tacet Discord fell to its knees, chest heaving, ichor dripping from its frame.
Rover stepped forward to finish it.
But then—
"R-Rover… keh… don't…!" Kyorin croaked weakly from behind.
"Don't speak!" Baizhi snapped, trying to keep him still. But it was enough.
Rover's eyes widened. 'A trap.'
Suddenly, violet flames erupted from the Discord's body—blossoming outward in a burning circular sphere.
But thanks to Kyorin's warning, Rover leapt back just in time, the flames licking the edge of her boots as they scorched the ground where she had stood.
The Discord, now glowing with pulsing veins of purple light, let out a feral growl. With renewed fury, it charged—not with fists, but with its full body, twisting sideways to ram her like a beast.
Rover sidestepped at the last second, dragging her blade across its side mid-dodge.
But the angle was off.
"Too shallow," she hissed through clenched teeth as her blade only scraped the surface. It wasn't enough to take the head.
She spun her sword back into position, readying for the next blow—knowing the final strike had to count.
Kyorin watched the battle with furrowed brows, his heart pounding fiercely. 'I want to help her.'
Thump.
The Tacet Discord charged again—this time aiming lower, directly at Rover's abdomen with a concentrated punch.
Rover readied herself to intercept—but then, the strike's speed shifted, accelerating.
'Shit!' She clenched her teeth, bracing for impact—only for the blow never to land.
Her eyes widened. "K-Kyorin?"
Thump—thump—thump—thump.
A violent drumbeat echoed—not from outside, but from within Kyorin himself. The pounding of his heart.
In a flash, Kyorin appeared before Rover and caught the Discord's punch with his bare hand. Yet, despite his quick reflexes, his weak body couldn't absorb nor withstand the brutal impact.
Pain exploded up his arm as bones shattered and twisted beneath his skin, shards piercing through like jagged glass.
His right arm went useless, mangled and broken.
Everyone gasped in horror.
"Get back here, now!" Baizhi shouted urgently.
But Kyorin ignored her.
He raised his other arm, determined.
Yangyang's sword suddenly faltered in her grip, levitating mid-air before soaring toward Kyorin's outstretched hand.
Now, Kyorin moved with a flurry of strikes—each one flowing seamlessly into the next like the unfurling of a perfect Fibonacci spiral.
His attacks were like living geometry—an elegant dance of arcs and curves unfolding in rhythmic patterns with varying radii.
Each swing unfurled like a lotus's bud reaching for the sun—precise and charged with latent power. His blade traced spirals, seeking weak points in the Tacet Discord's defenses.
His assault defied brute force—a testament to resilience and the will to break free. Like a sprout pushing through murky waters, Kyorin's strikes cut through chaos, fueled by quiet determination.
With every arc and spin, the energy around him pulsed—an unfolding force reaching for light amid battle's shadows.
Basic Attack: Muddy Origins
"You dare!" the Tacet Discord hissed, throwing a jab at Kyorin's cranium.
Kyorin tilted his head just in time, then lunged his sword deep into the creature's chest. Immediately, he released the blade, crouched slightly, and kicked the handle upward.
The force of the strike sent the Tacet Discord soaring into the air as Kyorin simultaneously flipped in a backflip, soaring upward and hovering just above the creature—all in a seamless motion.
Mid-flight, he drove his boot down hard onto the sword's hilt, forcing it deeper into the Discord's core.
The beast crashed onto its back, gasping and writhing, its ragged breaths mingling with the metallic scent of spilled ichor.
Kyorin landed on the sword's hilt with measured calm, eyes dark and unyielding as he stared down his wounded foe.
Enraged, the Discord extended its porcelain hands toward him.
Kyorin's right leg escaped, but his left was caught.
"Got you," the Discord gloated triumphantly.
In that moment, Kyorin dislocated his leg with a sickening crunch. Ignoring the pain, he spun a powerful roundhouse kick into the Discord's head.
The impact rattled its head and spine as crisp cracking sound reverberated.
Kyorin freed himself, but his left leg was now useless.
He glanced at his injured leg, then met Rover's gaze and signaled with a throat-slitting motion, "Finish him."
With that final word, Kyorin's knees gave out. The Tacet Discord staggered upright, clutching its cracked head, but Rover was already there.
With a roar, she drove her blade deep into the Discord's chest. Gripping Yangyang's sword in her other hand, she performed a powerful horizontal slash—splitting the creature cleanly in two.
The Discord writhed in agony before its body disintegrated into a cascade of golden light—an Echo, pulsing like a fading memory.
Rover swiftly tossed her Terminal to capture it—but this time, nothing happened. The Echo resisted.
She stepped closer, narrowing her eyes to examine it. That's when it happened.
Her hand—the one marked by the Tacet—moved on its own, drawn toward the Echo. The mark on her skin flared to life.
A faint voice echoed from within her, barely a whisper, one only she could hear: "Ughh... Hungry…"
Without warning, her hand stretched toward the golden Echo, fingers trembling as if pulled by some unseen force.
"I'm starving..." the voice groaned, disembodied and strange.
The three girls turned toward her, alarmed by the sudden shift. Her Tacet Mark blazed, igniting like a brand. She struggled, teeth clenched, trying to resist its pull.
But her fingers curled around the Echo—and in that instant, it was absorbed.
A powerful gust of wind burst outward, scattering dust and parting the clouds. A glowing golden hologram flared behind her, as if fusing with her very being.
Just then, a faint vision overtook her—fleeting images she couldn't describe: twin moons, falling rain, and something else beyond comprehension. Her knees buckled, and she collapsed.
By the time she regained consciousness, she was greeted by the cold, dark barrel of a gun. Chixia stood over her, both pistols aimed—one at her, the other at Kyorin, who now was completely motionless.
To be continued...