Solace stepped beside Arlenna without looking,
"Back to back?" Arlenna said, smirking. Crown Guards advanced again, tightening around them.
Solace cracked her neck. "Let's move."
They snapped into position, far enough away from each other so solace didn't feel uncomfortable, their blades and fists were ready. A Crown Guard charged at Solace, at the same time Arlenna turned around facing Solace's back.
Solace dropped low and rolled backward beneath her, Arlenna vaulted forward in the same breath, her blade spearing through the guard's chest and dropping him instantly. Solace popped up from her roll and back kicked a guard behind her without taking her eyes off Arlenna. Another Crown Guard rushed in from behind the one Arlenna had just dropped.
Solace planted her foot and vaulted back over Arlenna, bursting upward before crashing down with a heavy density kick straight to his jaw that folded him into the ground on impact. They switched places seamlessly, Arlenna ducked as Solace kicked over her head. Arlenna spun horizontally and sliced a Crown Guards torso, while Solace kicked under her and swept two legs out from under another Crown Guard.
"Thiago's doing good?" Arlenna asked between breaths.
"He better be," Solace said, elbowing a Crown Guard in the throat.
"What's the escape plan?" Arlenna asked.
"You are leaving," Solace said, catching two staffs at once, iron ringing as the blows crossed in her grip. She twisted, stepped in, and used their own momentum to throw them both aside then snapped her gaze skyward. "But first," she said, lifting her chin and pointing. "You're taking that out." A massive Department Of Public Order airship was cutting through the sky. Cannons rotated slowly into position, and it was coming in fast.
"Can you do that?" Solace asked.
"Don't disrespect me," Arlenna replied, "Does that airship have cannons?"
"I think so," Solace said, "I'm gonna get you up there, you're gonna bring it down."
Arlenna put the sword in her right hand away back on her left hip, but she kept her other sword tight in her left hand. The one that looked as if it had just been forged, despite everything it had been through.
Solace seized Arlenna's right hand with both of hers and planted her feet, density flooding her muscles. Then she jumped to meet Arlenna's height, and at the peak she threw her hands up, launching Arlenna skyward in one explosive pull.
Arlenna surged past the first Department Of Public Order airship, where Crown Guard bodies were still leaping from the deck. She stabilized herself in open air, boots finding balance where nothing should have held her. She took one breath in slowly, the battlefield disappeared beneath her as her focus locked onto an approaching shape. When her eyes locked onto the incoming airship, it was like time thinned.
Arlenna raised her blade high above her head, both hands steady on the hilt, two voices became one. "DRAGONS TAIL."
Her sword came down like a hammer as she carved a brutal downward slash through the air, cutting from high to low in one devastating line. A tall, red arc of friction and pressure tore forward. The air itself split, for a second, the slash sat embedded in the ship's frame, the impact frozen.
The hull screamed, the damage catching up all at once. Crown Guard tore themselves from the decks, leaping into open air as the vessel came apart beneath their feet. Some jumped with gear that could catch them, others with nothing but instinct and bodies tumbled end over end through smoke.
Ropes snapped, railings ripped free and boots skidded across tilting metal before vanishing. Then the airship split fully, its two halves drifting apart. Decks collapsed inward, Cannons tore loose from their mounts and spun away. Great slabs of reinforced hull broke free and began their long, thunderous fall.
Metal struck stone with the sound of a collapsing mountain, shockwaves rippled outward as shattered plating and burning fragments rained down. Smoke billowed upward, swallowing screams, and light. Above it all, the broken airship continued to fall apart, piece by piece, but Arlenna was not finished.
As she began her descent, her free hand snapped to her hip. She tore her second sword free and let herself fall headfirst, body aligned, and eyes locked on the heart of the first airship below. Solace's throw had been perfect, so Arlenna did not fight the drop.
With both blades raised high and crossed above her head in an X, she drove straight down in a vertical line, spinning as she descended, weight and will aligned into a single, unstoppable force. Her legs snapped into alignment, every part of her surrendered to the strike. Gravity was no longer in control, her northern physical augmentation answered the call, magnifying the plunge until the air itself seemed to buckle.
She was no longer a warrior in motion, she was impact incarnate, a living meteor carving a line from sky to earth. Arlenna slammed into the top of the airship and it ruptured. Reinforced decks screamed as they split apart, iron bones snapping like kindling. A massive wound was torn through the top of the vessel, metal folding inward, girders twisting and collapsing as Arlenna drove straight through it.
Crown Guards were ripped from their posts and flung helplessly. They vanished into smoke and fire before crashing down into the arena below. The skyship reeled, and then crashed into the arena stands with a thunderous roar. A tidal wave of smoke and debris surged outward. Solace lunged in from the left, lightening herself to soften the fall while sweeping Arlenna over her shoulder. She caught Arlenna before she would have struck the ground.
More boots hit the arena floor, new ones. Two men strode into the arena in black armor. They had on black tactical vests built for movement, a deep red patch stitched across the chest and back, MAJOR CRIMES printed across it in bold white letters. A white DOPO patch sat on the left shoulder. A red Northern stripe on the right shoulder, and the mountain insignia stamped in the corner.
Their gloves were marked with red accents for grip, their black boots bore subtle lines of the same color. Their weapons weren't standard issue, they had compact shock batons with red wrapped grips, and a knife holstered flat against their thigh. The moment they appeared, the Crown Guard shifted, sliding aside. Their posture flipped to support, every visor turning toward the new arrivals.
These two were the real authority, Arlenna saw the change instantly, and frowned. "Those don't look like regular DOPO."
Solace glanced toward her. "What does that mean?" She didn't get to finish, the Major Crimes detectives picked up speed, sprinting straight through the scattered guards. Solace grabbed Arlenna's wrist, "No time, go." Before Arlenna could argue, Solace turned heavy density, jumped and launched her over the escape wall, hard.
Arlenna flipped midair, eyes wide,"SOLACE!"
Thiago saw her coming, sprinted under her, and expanded a flat shield beneath her boots, letting her land safely. She stumbled once, caught herself, and ran down breathing hard.
Thiago looked at her, confused. "Why'd she throw you?"
Arlenna pointed back at the arena, "Two DOPO just walked in, they're... different."
Thiago froze, his expression changing immediately. "Different how? What'd the vests say?"
"I didn't get a good look," Arlenna said, "Something about crimes... something?"
Thiago's face went pale. "MAJOR CRIMES?" He took two steps backward toward the arena. "No, No, no, she can't fight them alone, we have to—"
Arlenna grabbed his arm, "Thiago stop, she threw us for a reason. We get the kids out first, we can figure out the rest later." Thiago stood there for a second, then nodded. Arlenna started walking toward the children, but she looked back at him. "Why are you acting weird? You said Major Crimes like it meant death."
He ran a hand over his face and exhaled through his teeth. "Because Major Crimes DOPO don't show up unless it's getting serious," he muttered. "And if Solace is fighting them alone..." Thiago inhaled, thinking fast. "Arlenna, DOPO isn't just guards. The Department Of Public Order is an agency kinda like the Marker agency. It's one of many that make up the World Regime but The Department Of Public Order has three levels."
He held up one finger. "Level One, Department Of Public Order Regional Authority, the base. Everything inside the kingdom, like Kingdom Guard, Crown Guard; even Tactical teams, and all the usual units that keep streets from boiling over, to—" He pointed in the direction the two men had come from. "—Major Crimes."
"Hold up, are they the ones who can just… leave the kingdom?"Arlenna asked.
"Yes," Thiago said, "They can, but they don't always. Most Level One are still jurisdiction bound unless the situation justifies it."
"So who else can?" Arlenna asked, confused.
"Cross Kingdom Task Force can," Thiago said, "Response and Mediation Corps can, and major Crimes can, too. They're all Level One, same tier, different jurisdiction."
"Then who's in charge?" Arlenna asked.
"Depends on the case, Cross Kingdom task force for anything that spills across FLEX Zones. Major Crimes when a case demands higher oversight. If a Tactical team is deployed, Major Crimes leads the operation then too, though their primary role is conducting evaluations when they believe a situation already is, or may escalate into, a high level case within a FLEX Zone. Oh and Response and Mediation Corps handle scene de-escalation, and prevent conflicts from turning into massacres, with the authority to call in level two when situations escalate."
"Wow," Arlenna said, "And this is all just level one?"
Thiago nodded and raised a second finger. "Level Two, Department Of Public Order Continental Directorate, now this is where it gets serious. Bureau Agents can't leave the continent, but inside it, they outrank everyone. Level Two can deploy a whole menu of special agents, special operations units, and purpose built teams."
Arlenna rolled her eyes, "special operations? purpose built teams? Like what are we doing here?"
Thiago chuckled, "Have you ever heard of the Reapers Ops?"
"Nope," Arlenna replied.
"Reapers Ops are a Special Operations Unit inside Level Two. Within that one unit, it has two wings. Opposition or Owls, the Menders who keep DOPO alive and casualties at zero, and Operatives or Crows, the killers who erase the problem so it never becomes a story."
"That's actually wild navi," Arlenna said, "So Crown Guard isn't even that?"
"Not really," Thiago said, "Crown Guard can be dangerous, but it genuinely depends on who they're protecting. Some are only a step above Kingdom Guard, but if they're assigned to someone the world can't afford to lose… those guards can be monsters. Major Crimes, Cross Kingdom Task Force, and Bureau Agents? They're a whole different class."
Arlenna slowly started shaking her head, and Thiago lifted a third finger. "Level Three, Department Of Public Order Pan-Continental Authority."
Arlenna nodded, "That's the top, the people who can walk into any continent and be obeyed?"
"Yeah," Thiago said, "But there's no point going into detail, if we ever see them,—" He gave a humorless half-laugh. "We're already dead, nobody fights level Three, you survive them, or you don't." Arlenna nodded slowly, the weight of his words sinking in. She turned toward the children, urging them forward.
Inside the arena, the two Major Crimes Detectives went still. The Pinpoint tags around their necks listed the same details, continent as Northernborn, genus as H. sapien, species as hume. Only the names differed, one read Duvek Joel, the other Kantor Marcin.
Joel stood like a boulder planted in the sand. Six foot three, broad shouldered, all heavy muscle built for delivering hits rather than tanking them. His skin was pale against the harsh arena light, and his short blonde hair looked like he'd run a hand through it sometime this morning and never bothered again. His blue eyes didn't miss much, even if he pretended not to care.
Next to him, Marcin was the contrast. Slightly shorter at six feet, dim skinned, dark haired, and built for speed. His frame was toned instead of bulky, but still powerful. His dark brown eyes were more calculating, the kind that tried tracking movement before it even happened.
They exchanged a glance. "I'll go after her," Marcin said. He crouched once and launched himself toward Arlenna, crossing half the arena in a single leap. Solace shot upward at the same moment, light as a feather. She caught Marcin by the ankle mid air.
Marcin's eyes widened. "What the—"
Solace twisted her body and whipped him back toward Joel. Marcin hit the floor feet first, rolled once, then pushed himself up in one smooth motion. He dusted off his vest with aggressive swipes, clearly annoyed, then pulled a brush from his pocket and brushed his waves back into place, muttering under his breath.
Marcin straightened fully and turned around. " Major Crimes Detective, Stand down."
"Or don't," Joel added. "Makes no difference."
Solace dropped back into a fighting stance."Stand down?" she snapped. "Tell me you believe these kids deserved this, I dare you."
Joel folded his arms, "If they're in chains, there was a reason. We don't waste time questioning what's already been judged." Marcin's eyes flicked toward Joel. It was just a small look, but enough to show the line didn't sit right with him.
"It doesn't matter what they did," Solace said, "They don't deserve to be in chains." Joel stepped forward, cracking his knuckles lazily. Solace continued, "Since when did protecting the powerful matter more than protecting the helpless?"
Marcin adjusted his vest, and the two of them walked toward solace. Marcin darted in on quick feet, his body blurred as he shifted angles faster than most eyes could track. Joel followed, his first punch slamming against Solace's guard. Solace absorbed the impact, adjusting her density, grounding herself. Joel moved again, throwing punches while Marcin circled behind her, waiting to lock her down.
Solace didn't give him the chance, She spun toward him first, snapping a punch at his head. Marcin reacted instantly, putting up his forearms just in time. Her strike hit solid, and shook through her arm but barely budged him. He countered immediately, driving a short, explosive kick into her ribs. Solace braced herself as density flared through her side, absorbing the worst of it. The blow still sent her sliding back across the sand.
Marcin didn't wait, he blurred again, closing the distance with a jab. She ducked under it, pivoted, and kicked his leg up behind him. When both of his feet planted, they locked into the ground like stone, Solace realized, and she couldn't let him stabilize. She was already too tired to fight that kind of weight properly, especially in a two on one. Marcin recovered instantly, then slipped behind Joel at the perfect angle, ready to chain their attacks.
"You're already questioning this." Solace said.
Marcin reset his stance."I'm not questioning anything," then he stepped in again.
Solace snapped into light density and shot toward Marcin, feet barely touching the ground. At the last second she cut her weight even further, then launched upward, a sudden jump that kept her out of his reach.She came down heavy density and drove her heel into the sand with a loud boom that rippled through the ground.
The arena floor buckled under Marcin, slumping and tearing open as it gave way. He couldn't stabilize, the ground wouldn't support it, and his footing collapsed from under him. Solace landed beside him and drove a heavy density punch straight into his jaw, Marcin's head snapped sideways. Before he could reset, she grabbed his vest with both hands, turned heavy density again, and threw him into the broken stone. Marcin was knocked out cold.
Joel snarled and rushed her with a fast combo, jab, cross, hook. Solace slipped the jab and cross, then snapped her head backward as the hook tore past her.
He stepped in hard, then followed with a rising uppercut meant to take her head off. The punch rocketed upward as Solace dashed back a step, missing her by inches, then spun around his arm and slipped behind him before he could reset.
Joel spun instantly, sand kicked under his boots. Solace was already ten steps away, light on her feet, steadying her breath.
"Nice form, you hit hard," Solace said, Then she shook her head. "But I'm not staying here."
Joel was ready to chase, but he couldn't. Marcin was out cold, and his raw strength couldn't keep up with her speed. Solace brought her pointer, middle finger, and thumb together. Pressed them against her lips dramatically, then flicked her arm toward the sky, the Pinnacle Kiss.
Only then did she turn light density, and launch upward, clearing the arena wall in a single jump. The day Solace defied the arena, the crown, and two Major Crimes Detectives became known as The Matriarch Ascension.