The air in the apartment hums, thick with the tension of two Elephants ready to tear the room apart.
Eclipse's hand drifts toward her hilt, but the elderly man steps between them, his shadow cutting across the floor.
"That's enough!"
He fixes Eclipse with a hard stare. "The Masked Fighters belong to my subdivision. They have the right to stand before me."
The dark mask covering Eclipse's face dissolves like smoke.
Her black hair spills over her shoulders, catching the light.
The slim man grins, his long fingers drumming against his thigh. "You Samoans are cute when you're angry..."
Eclipse's eyes narrow into slits. "Don't toy with me."
The slim man covers his eyes with his palms, his shoulders shaking with silent laughter. "Eclipse, love, you should go out there and see for yourself. The Legends are back. That is a fact."
"Shut your mouth, fool."
The elderly man sighs, the sound heavy in the tense room. "Eclipse, wake them up."
She flicks a finger. The Masked Fighters on the floor gasp, their bodies jerking as consciousness returns. They scramble to their feet.
The elderly man beckons. "001, step forward."
The masked man obeys, his head bowed low. "Grand Master."
"Describe the woman. What makes her as deadly as a Legend?"
"She carries a golden bat," 001 says, his voice muffled by the mask. "When she moves it, the sky seems to sag under its weight."
"Is that all?"
"Her eyes glow white, marking her as a Receiver. I also sensed multiple abilities coiled inside her – We're too weak to force her to reveal them."
The elderly man rubs his jaw, his eyes distant. "Interesting."
The slim man leans forward, his eyes popping wide. "A Receiver? Then... all the fun is just beginning."
The elderly man points toward the door. "Eclipse. Go and see if their fear is justified."
She hisses, her lip curling. "I won't waste my time on weaklings."
The elderly man's brow furrows, and the temperature in the room seems to drop. "Eclipse. Do not make me repeat myself."
"Fine."
She raises a finger. "Summon."
A young girl materializes in a swirl of red mist. She drops to one knee, her eyes blank and glassy. "God Eclipse. How may I serve my creator?"
"Go to the ruins of Antara. Track down any living Legend you find."
The girl vanishes.
MAMI SHALLOW'S RESIDENCE – CENTER CITY
My morning, Nina, clad in a blue apron, slides the cash drawer shut with a metallic clack.
Beside her, Daisy leans against the wooden counter, her apron stained with flour.
Daisy grunts, staring at her open hand. "It's getting harder to understand what One-biskae wants."
"What do you mean?" Nina asks, her eyes on the ledger.
"During the last battle... the axe felt like it was humming a warning. I couldn't translate it."
Nina narrows her eyes. "Maybe next time you should breathe. Focus instead of just swinging."
Daisy sighs, her shoulders dropping. "That isn't it. It wants something."
A heavy palm slams onto the counter next to Daisy's elbow. Pious stands there, his shadow looming over the girls. Daisy spins around. "You... you're here to sell today?"
"You guys should leave," Pious grunts. "It's our turn."
"You and who?"
"Me and Nathan."
"No way," Nina says, crossing her arms. "We got here first."
Pious offers a small, dry smile. "Fine." He turns his gaze to Daisy. "If you want to understand that weapon, you have to stop talking and start listening."
Daisy scowls. "Rubbish. One-biskae and I are bonded."
"Are you? Ignorance will get you buried." Pious pulls off his apron.
Daisy tilts her head defiantly. "Mami crushed those fighters like they were nothing. She's at the top of the league."
"You haven't seen Mami's power," Pious says, his voice dropping to a low rumble. "What you've seen is the bare minimum."
"Liar," Daisy snaps. "Mami has shown me everything in training."
Pious laughs, a hollow sound. "Do you really think so? Mami has the strength to stop this world's rot. She could push back the chaos until the streets were stable again."
"Then why doesn't she?" Nina asks.
"Because she hates what she is," Pious says, his tone turning menacing. "Guilt is the chain holding her back."
The girls fall silent. "What power are you talking about?" Daisy whispers.
"Two colossal white palms. They erupt from her back like wings. She calls them 'stolen.'"
Daisy's head jerks back. "Stolen? From who?"
Pious leans in, his eyes cold. "Because she killed a child by accident."
The air leaves the room. Nina and Daisy stare at him, their mouths hanging open. Pious shrugs, his coat swirling as he turns toward the door. "But she just keeps holding back... that's why I can't stand her.
She rarely draws it. And when she does, she's only playing.
The door slams shut, the glass rattling in the frame.
Later that noon.. Daisy walks into Mami's training ground, her face pale. Johnny is already there, standing beside Mami.
"What now? More masks?" Daisy asks.
"No," Mami says. "This one is different. She's at the ruins of Antara. Go stop her."
She looks Daisy in the eye. "This time, give it everything."
Daisy's eyes widen, then her jaw sets. Her fist tightens until her knuckles crack.
I won't fail.
Johnny draws his pistol. "Ready, kid?"
Daisy tilts her head and offers a wide, jagged smile.
Slap.
Mami hits Daisy across the back of the head. "I told you to stop with the head tilting."
Daisy rubs her head, sighing. "Does it really matter?"
The two of them vanish.
They reappear in the ruins of Antara.
Buildings are hollowed-out shells; glass and splintered wood crunch beneath their boots.
"The civilians are all in Owen's Town," Johnny says, scanning the rubble. "This is a mess."
Daisy swallows. "Salion died here." She looks at the broken concrete, her eyes darkening. "So many people… gone to the darkness."
Johnny places a hand on her shoulder. "The darkness only hits this hard because it's finally feeling resistance. Let's keep fighting until it's gone."
In the distance, One-biskae begins to hum. The axe hangs in the air, rotating in a slow, hypnotic circle. Daisy looks at the ruins, faces of her lost friends—Uddin, Scarface, Helma—flashing through her mind.
They stop. A young girl stands in the middle of the street, waving and smiling brightly. "So, these are the Legends?"
Daisy steps forward. "Hey, little girl... what are you doing—"
Poof.
A blur of movement.
The girl's foot slams into Daisy's jaw, sending her skidding across the pavement.
Poof.
The girl is in Johnny's face.
Her fists blur like spinning blades, a blur of leather and skin hammering into his chest.
Johnny's boots gouge the earth as he is forced backward.
He coughs hard.
A child…?
Her foot catches him in the temple.
A second kick follows.
Johnny hits the dirt, the world spinning.
Daisy lunges, One-biskae whistling as it cuts the air.
The humming grows to a roar.
The girl rotates, her body a spinning top.
Her heel connects with Daisy's jaw, bone grinds on impact, echoing through the ruins.
Daisy falls back into the rubble.
She staggers up, shaking her head.
How do I read her? Does she even have a rhythm?
Daisy slaps her own face, forcing her eyes to focus.
The girl's leg sweeps out again.
Daisy is launched through a storefront window, the glass shattering around her.
Johnny is back on his feet.
Baa.
The girl's hand snaps up.
She catches the silver bullet between two fingers.
She smiles. "Was this supposed to hurt?"
Johnny's eyes widen.
Before he can blink, her palm strikes his gun, sending it clattering away.
A flurry of punches kisses his face, stomach, and chest.
He falls, his eyes rolling back as he loses consciousness.
Daisy charges again. One-biskae hums: Hum.
Hum.
Hum.
The girl weaves through the strikes, laughing. "When will you learn, fool? This isn't working."
Daisy leaps back, her breath ragged.
She raises her hand towards the girl. "Biskae's Execution: Ultimate Storm!"
Black smoke erupts, swirling like a hurricane.
But the girl is already there, inside the storm.
Daisy's eyes pop.
She escaped the execution?
A kick smashes into Daisy's ribs.
She staggers, one knee hitting the concrete. Her lungs burn.
One-biskae hums again, but this time, the axe pulls Daisy forward. Her arm jerks as the weapon drags her forward through the air.
The girl weaves through the uncontrolled strikes.
"Your axe is controlling you," the girl whispers into Daisy's ear. "Your focus is pathetic."
Thud.
A punch shatters Daisy's face.
She hits the ground, her jaw singing with pain.
Her feet are trembling as she struggles to stand.
"You two can be serious."
Mami's chin rests on Daisy's shoulder as she leans over her.
Daisy turns. "She's... she's hard to crack."
The girl looks at Mami, her blank eyes narrowing.
Mami slaps the back of Daisy's head. "You aren't giving it your best. Look at her. She's not human. How can you not tell?"
Daisy stares.
"She's a created entity," Mami says. "Probably from an old Legend-tier Amplifier."
The girl's foot blurs toward Mami's face.
Mami swats it away like a fly. The girl jumps back, her glassy eyes finally showing a flicker of caution.
Mami smiles. "I'm not the one fighting you." She shoves Daisy forward. "Focus. She's weaker than you. Sync with One-biskae, and you'll dismantle her."
Daisy's gaze fixes on the entity.
Behind her, Johnny's eyes snap open. He stands slowly, his hand reaching for his dropped gun.
Daisy closes the distance instantly.
Swing.
The girl dodges into a ruined building.
Daisy is already behind her.
The girl jumps.
Daisy follows.
The girl vanishes.
Daisy stands still, her eyes scanning the shadows.
She's tricky.
A sound from behind. Daisy spins, One-biskae carving a jagged arc through the air.
The girl fades and reappears in front of Daisy.
A flurry of punches hammers Daisy's body, followed by a kick to the cheek.
Daisy hits the floor, her body trembling. The girl stands over her, smiling.
Mami folds her arms. "Not bad, Daisy... your timing was a second too slow."
The girl turns toward Mami. "This one is the greater threat."
Mami just stands there, grinning.
Johnny breathes slowly, closing one eye. His finger squeezes the trigger.
Baa.
Before the girl can reach Mami, she twists.
She freezes, looking down at the gaping hole in her chest.
BOOM.
The girl explodes.
Thousands of colorful balloon fragments scatter into the air.
Mami walks over to Johnny. "Good. You're using the amplifier ability effectively. Keep that concentration."
Johnny looks at the pieces of rubber on the ground. This is what our world turns kids into. Villains and monsters." His scowl is deep enough to burn.
Mami laughs. "Chill, Johnny. Look at the floor. She wasn't real."
Johnny's face softens, his gaze falling to the balloon scraps.
Daisy remains on the ground.
"I'm not good enough," she whispers. A tear tracks through the dust on her cheek.
Mami grabs her by the sleeve and hoists her up. "What's keeping you down?"
Daisy doesn't answer.
She turns and starts walking, her body fading into thin air.
Mami chuckles. "She's sad. Good. That'll make her focus harder next time."
Mami's lips curve into a soft, knowing smile. "It's always harder for someone who isn't a Receiver or an Amplifier, isn't it?"
THE SOCIETY'S APARTMENT
The Elephant Three sit in silence. The elderly man draws deep on a thick cigarette, a cloud of grey smoke swirling around his head.
Eclipse stands, a sharp smirk playing on her lips. She starts toward the door.
The slim man's eyes trail her every movement.
Eclipse stops and glances back at the elderly man. "My monster is destroyed. Quicker than I expected."
The man exhales a plume of smoke. "Is that enough proof for you?"
Eclipse chuckles, a wicked, jagged sound. "I'll go test them myself. Killing a top-tier creation of mine only means one thing..."
She leaves the room. Antara is waiting.