A squelch of blood erupted from Sonera's fist, covering her in a sticky mess of black and purple. Her legs buckled and swayed, as her body practically begged her to stop moving. But much to Yrix's delight, it appeared rage was a sufficient motivator for the orphaned girl.

  "There! Shoot her!" A small Psion screamed at a pair of Daregen as Sonera leaped towards them, solar energy radiating from her palms.

  Sonera landed on top of the smaller Psion, tearing its body through the sand as she slid past the Daregen. Turning to her larger foes, she summoned a smouldering blade to slash at their rifles, throwing them off balance. The knife was rather familiar to the girl, torn straight from her own memories on the streets of Mars. But she hadn't the time nor care to notice such a detail as she grappled on top of a Daregen.

  Sonera silently screamed in rage, her eyes widening as she tried her best to brandish one of the alien's knives stolen from its holster. For her size, the bladed edge was practically a claymore, allowing her only one good swipe before she lost her balance and fell to the ground. The attack was barely enough to mince one Daregen's throat, leaving her wide open for a kick from the second.

  "She doesn't seem to feel it," Yrix noted to herself as she watched Sonera with a tender gaze. "Curious. I do wonder, was I like that when I was a girl?"

  Sonera coasted across the floor, her arm leaking as she cupped a fistful of sand in a desperate attempt to pick herself up. Just before the Daregen could slam a bullet into her head, she managed to scavenge the fallen Psion's sidearm, its size far more manageable for the girl's feeble body. Sonera emptied the magazine, ignoring the bullet that grazed her cheek.

  She heaved one last breath of air before falling to her knees, her palms pressed against the sand. She wanted to puke, but all she could think about was Three. If only Yrix were smaller. If only the Arch-Flayer were weak like she was.

  "Die." The smaller Psion hissed, recovering from its daze before firing a rifle shot at Sonera.

  The girl didn't even bother to turn, using her seething rage to catch the bullet with a Psionic wave. She turned to face the Psion, before making a rather cheeky gesture towards it, blowing on her palm before releasing the shell back where it came. Sonera wasn't done.

  She stumbled her way over to the Psion's corpse, retrieved its weapon, and began to bludgeon the body with as much force as she could muster. By the time she had finally run out of steam, the barrel of the weapon was soaked in blood, as a droplet of tears fell onto her palm. She still missed him.

  "Not even I was aware." Yrix practically smiled. "She had bottled it up well enough. I could feel her vague desire for vengeance. But not this love. Not until now."

  Sonera was finally able to rest, collapsing onto the sand in a bloody mess. Unlike Ivy, she hadn't bothered to provide herself with any additional clothing other than a pair of gloves she found near the showers. It was at times like these that Sonera preferred to stare at them - her acing hands peering out from the torn clothing.

  "Did you like it?" Sonera hallucinated. "I made it for you."

  She hadn't a clue as to how much time had passed before she heard a scream in the distance. It was a human wail, and she knew well enough that it belonged to Lunae. Sonera didn't care.

  "Coward." She thought to herself.

  But something tugged on Sonera's shoulder, pulling her up off the ground. She tried to fight against it, but before she knew it, the blood-soaked girl was already limping her way towards the direction of the scream. It was an insufferable instinct.

  "I don't care." Sonera tried to convince herself. "I've killed at least a hundred of her."

  Soft girls had never been an issue for Sonera. They were a walking disguise at worst, and a complete waste of time at best. And in her experience, many of them were merely bullies in disguise, waiting to lash out at her. She remembered waiting for Three to go out on a mission, watching as the sun set before she would antagonize one of them with her mere presence. If Three wasn't there to stop her, then nothing could get in Sonera's way. She reveled in plastering the walls with their pretty faces.

  But try as she might, Sonera couldn't imagine Lunae that way. Especially not after spotting her on the far edge of another crater. The girl was on her back, trying desperately to back away from two Psions and a lower-ranking Vesper who seemed genuinely bewildered. They could have minced the girl with ease, but appeared to be waiting for something.

  "Fight." The Psions complained, offering Lunae one of their knives. "The Vesper refuses to dishonor himself by slaying a coward."

  "I-I can't." Lunae cried, communicating to the Psion fluently.

  The aliens kicked the sand near the girl's feet. "You are powerful, we can feel it. Fight."

  The Vesper growled angrily, circling around Lunae with visible impatience. It was so distressed, in fact, that it failed to notice Sonera, who had hobbled into view.

  "I...don't care," Sonera grumbled.

  If she died fighting three more Consortium warriors, she wouldn't be alive to claim vengeance against Yrix. It was an unnecessary risk. All she needed to do was walk away.

  A familiar voice rang out in her head, causing her arm to spasm. "Hold on there, I think I've got something."

  "Get out of my head." Sonera winced. "I'm not you. I can't Three."

  "I said hold on, partner," the man's visage forced its way into her brain, its vivid imagery enhanced by her Psionic powers. "I think someone's in there."

  She could remember it like it was yesterday. The way Three fished her out of the collapsed building, cradling her body in his arms. She was just a child then, rescued by a green soldier who didn't need another burden. That memory haunted her, reminding Sonera that she was never comparable to the man she loved.

  "You're gone. What difference does it matter?" Sonera cried. "If I let her die...perhaps I'll forget you."

  The girl silently turned her gaze towards Lunae. She had already trapped herself with her own thoughts.

  *No*

  If she fought for that girl and robbed Yrix of another corpse, she would remember Three. It's what he would have done. It's what he did moments before his death.

  "If I knew my father, I'd want him to be the kind of guy to sling this around." Three laughed, his voice echoing inside Sonera's mind. "It's one of those Earthling cowboy sidearms."

  The armored man brought out a Colt SSA, its polished ivory grip practically shimmering in the martian sunlight. Sonera watched in amazement, balancing silently on a railing with her sharp heels. She knew little about firearms at the time.

  "You wouldn't bring that to an assignment." Sonera tilted her head.

  She could hear the man chuckle beneath his visor. "Well, no, I'd still bring an APX for that. But this is still fun to look at."

  *He's stupid*

  Three spun the gun around on his finger, brandishing it like a character from those old movies. "Draw." He spoke in a cartoonishly deep voice.

  Sonera's eyes widened as the man handed her the gun, slipping it into her delicate fingers. She thought it was too heavy. She thought it was stupid. And she couldn't stop blushing.

  "Mm," the girl muttered, unable to move a muscle. "Thank you."

  "Well, come on, try it out."

  Sonera put one leg forward, abandoning the past as she pointed towards the Psions with an empty hand. Without even realizing it, she had already begun to churn togethor a swirling storm of flames, solidifying their radiant energy into a black crystal that took the shape of a revolver.

  "Draw," Sonera spoke softly with hardly any emotion in her voice.

  The moment she pulled the trigger, the firearm was extinguished, collapsing into small fragments of glass that fell to the floor. The Vesper was the first to take notice, realizing the Psion to its left had been completely disintegrated in a flash. Before it could act, Sonera had another construct in her hand, using it to slay the other Psion and disable the Vesper's shields.

  *Her hand was on fire*

  Sonera ignored the pain, glaring at the Vesper as it looked down at its malfunctioning armor. The hunched creature eventually pulled itself togethor before crawling along the floor towards its prey with blinding speed.

  *She didn't blink*

  Sonera held out her other arm, using it to construct a much longer blade of energy that resembled something of a bastard's sword from her imagination. She was no bladesmith, but frankly didn't have to be in order to swipe at the Vesper and block its tail. Her sword shattered into pieces, but by then, the enemy was utterly confused.

  The Vesper waited patiently for Sonera to craft another weapon, perhaps something new and aggresive to disrupt its footing. She had no such idea in mind. Instead, Sonera feigned an attack, throwing her palms out as if preparing some grand assault.

  She chose old reliable.

  "Honor." Sonera practically spat as the words came out of her mouth, watching as the Vesper dissapeared into a puff of ash. "Idiot."

  The orphaned girl spun her revolver around like a toy, humoring Three one last time before the weapon fell apart. Clenching her fist, she strutted over to Lunae angrily, causing the girl to wince and shut her eyes in fear.

  "Here." Sonera held out her hand, her demanoir still trapped in the mood of battle.

  "I...I couldn't even watch." Lunae whined, using her bangs to shield one of her eyes. "I'm sorry."

  Sonera wanted to roll her eyes. "I don't care."

  Lunae brushed aside her blue hair with a trembling hand, staring at Sonera with two wobbly pupils. "You're...not mad? I left you alone to fight."

  "It's-." Sonera struggled to put her words togethor, trying her best not to just walk away. "It's alright.

  Lunae took Sonera's hand, allowing her savior to lift her off the ground gently. She watched in confusion as Sonera began to leave the room, gesturing for her to follow.

  "Where did you get it?" Lunae cocked her head.

  "Hm?" Sonera asked inquisitively.

  "The memory for your sword."

  Lunae knew far more than she was letting on, causing Sonera to feel an overwhelming sense of discomfort. The comment offended her so much, in fact, that she began to imagine striking the girl on the head with the aforementioned sword.

  "My memories," Sonera growled, grabbing Lunae by her collar. "Not yours."

  "I-I'm sorry!" Lunae yelped, using two hands to protect her face.

  "Stop saying that."

  Lunae began to speak with her mind, "I didn't mean to peer. But your presence...it's like trying to close your eyes at the sun."

  "It doesn't work..." Sonera finished the statement.

  Deciding she was not going to smite Lunae, Sonera released her with a shaky hand, turning away from her with a practically simmering head.

  "Thank you for saving me," Lunae whispered, her gentle voice soothing her savior's nerves.

  "That was it."

  Lunae raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

  "The sword. I made it, thinking of you. A knight comes to save a princess. He uses a sword. Simple." Sonera explained in her most monotone voice yet.

  "How flattering," Lunae smirked almost uncharacteristically. "You're quite the character, Sonera."

  Sonera ignored the comment, squinting her eyes with visible suspicion. "How come I can't see you?"

  "In the Psionic plane?"

  "Yes. You said I was like a sun. But...where are you?"

  An unsettling rumble interrupted Lunae, causing her to nearly trip. It had to be Yrix. She was accelerating the trial's conclusion.

  "You." Sonera hissed as she looked up.

  "Few combatants remain," Yrix announced in a bellowing voice. "On both sides. At the center of the arena, which I will guide you to, there will be...an armament."

  "I doubt we could even hold it if it's meant for a Consortium soldier." Lunae grimaced.

  "Do whatever you'd like at your own peril." Yrix continued. "But be warned. Whoever holds this weapon will be...unavoidable."

  Silence filled the room, leaving Sonera and Lunae to ruminate on the announcement. There wasn't much to debate. Yrix's bluntness was rather transparent.

  "We go or die." Sonera shrugged.

  "If any other student survived, they could aid us," Lunae added.

  Sonera almost snapped. "Will you aid us?"

  "I...can be of support. If you keep them away from me." Lunae fidgeted with the tips of her fingers.

  "Deal."

  _____________________________

  Lila stumbled her way through the sand, forging a path for the heiress so that she might not have to traverse the darkness alone. Of course, there was no gratitude for such an act. If anything, Lila could feel seething hatred from her "friend".

  "I don't mean to nag, but I'm pretty sure it's following us." Lila raised a playful hand.

  "How would you know?" Ivy scoffed.

  "Hey, I got powers too. I can feel it."

  Ivy rolled her eyes. "What you have hardly counts as Psionic talents."

  Lila almost snapped, thinking to herself what kind of profanity she could use. The heiress had no right to pretend there was even such a thing as a Psionic talent. Not after what Yrix had done to them. Her "school" didn't evoke talent. It was a bloodsport.

  "I recall saving your dumbass." Lila retorted. "Not that I want to bring it up again."

  "Oh no," Ivy fidgeted with her brooch. "Let's talk about it. I fought that beast for nearly a minute. All by myself. And what did you do? Watching like a coward and stealing the credit at the end doesn't make you my equal."

  The two girls had been wandering for nearly half an hour. In that time, Lila's patience was growing thin. Even after they had encountered a few fallen students, whose bodies resembled humans only in the color of their blood, Ivy refused to change her tone. As far as Lila was concerned, she didn't care about anyone other than herself.

  "You're a serious brat, you know that?" Lila sighed, throwing up her hands in defeat.

  It was such a shame. The heiress was beautiful and carried herself with undeniable elegance. If she were only a bit softer, perhaps, Lila could appreciate her company. But instead, she found the idea of fighting aliens more attractive.

  "And you're a monkey."

  "I'd rather be that than a teacher's pet! I can't beleive you're going along with Yrix like this."

  Ivy almost snorted, crossing her arms with disdain. "I'm not going along with anything."

  Lila turned around, doing her best to explain without sounding enraged. "Then what's up with the haughtiness? This isn't a real school where you can show off, in case you haven't noticed. We have no training. We have no weapons. Yrix is throwing us at high-ranking members of a planet-counquering empire, and hoping to God one of us comes out on top. It is the literal definition of desperate spitballing at the expense of others." She wanted desperately to find common ground. Lila couldn't quite tell why. The heiress was well and truly insufferable. But it had to happen.

  "I have...no idea what any of that meant." Ivy shrugged. "It's like watching an animal wave its paws at you."

  "Are you fucking kidding me?!" Lila screamed, balling her hands.

  Ivy was amused at the gesture. "What, did you expect me to listen to any of that?"

  The heiress knew few people in her life with whom she would have an argument. with. Aside from her family, peasant strangers would always suck up to her or run away, fearing what her father would do to them. She didn't particularly enjoy her lack of experience talking to others. But she was also quite comfortable letting Lila run around in circles. It meant she didn't have to think about her father, nor her sister. It meant she could forget her mother's gore-ridden face smiling at her behind that disgusting endoskeleton.

  "You seemed to listen before?" Lila sighed loudly. "Are you really just going to deflect all this?"

  Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

  "I'm not the one using childish jokes to avoid facing reality. Waa waa, my mom is gone, I'm a sad little monkey. Let me talk like a man and take me seriously."

  "Excuse me?" Lila glared.

  She had played the gentleman's role in the past when Ivy assaulted her. She was taught not to hit ladies, or at the very least, her brother had been taught, and she followed suit. But something about mentioning her mother set her off. Lila could handle five more slaps before she would tolerate another comment of such fashion.

  Ivy continued her berrating. "You heard me. And I'm not afraid to say it. I'm a more talented Psion than you'll ever be."

  "Prove it, go fight the Vesper by yourself," Lila growled.

  "Oh, you think crying to Yrix and learning their names makes you better than me? Two can play that game, and only one of us needs help."

  Ivy then released a single word, setting Lila off the edge. She had peered into the girl's mind and found the one thing that she couldn't stop thinking about. Ivy didn't quite possess the talent of Lunae when it came to reading other Psions, but she didn't have to.

  "Don't you dare say her name!" Lila screamed.

  "What? You didn't even know my family, so why should I act like yours matters? Jane is dead or dying somewhere, and her stupid daughter is dragging me down. Maybe you should just-."

  It was too late. Lila sent her fist flying at Ivy, catching her off guard completely. Her smooth, perfect skin split open easily, spraying blood onto Lila's wrist as the heiress flew backwards. Ivy gasped in shock before shooting Lila an ominous gaze, smouldering with hate.

  At that point, the two girls didn't even bother to use their Psionic abilities. It was all fists and fiery passion with those two, as they leaped at each other with murderous intent. Lila was quick to gain the upper hand, dragging Ivy alongside a wall before throwing her onto the sand. It was almost too easy, causing her to hesitate.

  It seemed the heiress wasn't very durable. And after one good punch, which her enemy was entirely unprepared for, Lila stopped herself. The only thing she hated more than a bully was evidently another bully. Why Ivy was so weak, however, escaped her mind.

  "Oh shit, are you okay?" Lila leaned back, looking with concern at the Heiress's bloody eye.

  "You bitch!" Ivy screamed, kicking Lila in the chest with her heels.

  Lila reeled in pain, managing to maintain her composure. "Wait, no, I don't want to hit-."

  Ivy would have none of it, fuming as she picked herself off the floor. "I don't need your pity, you brutish monkey!" She wanted nothing more than to strangle Lila.

  But just before she could get her hands around the girl's neck, a concerned voice called out from behind her. It was unmistakably human, a fact that caused both Lila and Ivy to freeze.

  "Are you serious right now?" The foreign voice laughed. "We're getting killed out there, and you two are fighting."

  Lila interjected before Ivy could come up with a pompous retaliation. "Well, I was throwing hands at least, but this one over here isn't made for it."

  The skinny girl tiptoed over to Lila with a smile, her pink hair shrouded by a black hoodie she had managed to craft herself. Her expression said it all. She knew exactly what Lila was talking about.

  "She's one of THOSE colonists, I know." The girl smirked, offering Lila a hand. "Earth?"

  "Yeah, Earth." Lila sighed as she took the girl's offer.

  "Name's Rena. I'm sorry about what happened."

  Lila couldn't contain her excitement. She had found someone else who wasn't horrible. Yet still, within the deepest confines of her heart, she wished Ivy were the one smiling at her.

  "Thanks, Rena. I'm Lila." Lila pointed to Ivy as she spoke, the heiress still kneeling down on the ground in disbelief. "That's Ivy. We are not friends."

  Rena giggled. "I can see that."

  Lila's joy shattered into pieces as she heard a distant hissing noise, reminding her of the hell she was still trapped in.

  "We need to go. Now." Lila grabbed onto Rena's tiny hand, its surface almost as pale as Ivy's.

  Rena argued. "Wait, there are three of us. We can't take it? I know how to fight."

  "That thing will fold us back-savage, trust me."

  "No idea what that means...But I beleive you."

  Rena hardly even knew why she would trust Lila. But seeing her hold back against the heiress gave her a good impression. As far as she was concerned, gentle people weren't the kind to mislead her as much as those who were vicious and scornful. People like Ivy, on the other hand, she'd sooner stick her hand into a blender than listen to.

  Just before Lila ran off with Rena, she turned to see Ivy, still stuck on the floor like she was lost in thought. She had no idea why she felt the need to worry about the heiress. But as if her mother's influence was shining down on her, Lila decided to turn back.

  "Leave her." Rena hissed. "Come on, Lila."

  "No. I can't." Lila argued, offering the heiress her hand. "Come on, Ivy."

  Ivy's eyes weren't moving. She hadn't blinked in over a minute. And when she turned to accept Lila's offer, her expression was completely blank.

  Never in her life had she been offered unconditional friendship. The fear of even being enticed by such a thing only pushed her further against Lila, whom she did genuinely detest. But left with no other choice, she went against her instincts.

  Lila smiled sheepishly as the heiress grabbed her hand without a word. "Okay then."

  The trio had no time left to lose, bolting towards any scrap of light they could find. There was, of course, a never-ending list of risks to that strategy. Finding an arena to fight in or another student could always result in a new threat, for which they were unprepared. But as they were, alone in the dark tunnels, facing the Vesper was suicide. Lila prayed she would find someone else.

  "Look!" Rena pointed, seemingly at nothing but a barren wall.

  Lila shrugged, pulling the heiress in tow. "Huh?"

  Rena's body suddenly phased out of existence, leaving a transparent outline of her to step through solid stone. Such a display made one fact very clear to Lila. Every student may have been a Psion with a baseline understanding of the art, but all of them would express themselves differently.

  Rena called out to Lila from behind the wall, having already stepped through it to gain a vantage point. "It's another group!"

  Lila made quick work of the remaining distance, a smile appearing on her face as she dragged Ivy into a bright clearing. She could feel the warm air brush against her face as the smell of moss crept into her nose. They had found the largest arena yet, and more importantly, two more students inside.

  "Sonera! Lunae!" Lila cheered, leaving Ivy behind as she sped over to her friends. "You made it!"

  "Lila!" Lunae cried, tears welling in her eyes.

  The girls hadn't known each other for long, and yet, surviving their encounters had already forged a shared experience they would never forget. Even Sonera couldn't help but smile, relieved that those she knew would see another day. Lunae went as far as to offer Ivy a hug due to her injuries, but was abruptly shunned.

  "That thing is still chasing us." Ivy rolled her eyes. "Now is not the time for a picnic."

  Lunae tilted her head, scanning Ivy's mind with a curious gaze. "You've had a picnic before?"

  Ivy stomped her feet. "Not the point!"

  "What thing?" Sonera inquired, pushing Ivy aside to get to Lila. "Tell me."

  She trusted the girl's advice. Something about Lila had reminded Sonera of her old team. Rambonxious and incompetent at times, yes, but still level-headed when it came to insurmountable tasks.

  Lila explained as fast as she could. "A Vesper. High ranking. Red armor. Its shields are...too much for us. And I'm pretty certain it's playing around. Now that we're all in one place-."

  As if on cue, the Vesper uncloaked in the center of the arena with a loud hiss, catching even Sonera off guard. It was indeed rather playful, motioning for the girls to approach with its left hand. With the majority of the surviving students having been bunched togethor, the time for its redemption was at hand.

  "You don't have to do this," Lunae whispered into the Vesper's mind, speaking in its native tongue.

  The Vesper acknowledged her with a respectful nod. "Oh, but I do, little moon. Prepare yourself."

  The girls hesitated, unsure of what to do first. Lila was the first to act, using her speed to get behind the Vesper with the hopes of distracting it.

  "Scrap." Lila put her fists up playfully, knowing full well she had no chance of dealing any significant damage. "Run them hands. Run 'em up. Let me see them paws."

  The Vesper whirled around, using its tail to swipe at Lila. She ducked. After so many close encounters, the girl was beginning to get the hang of her powers, or at the very least their evasive potential.

  "Ooh, catch these hands." Lila giggled, trying to ignore how easily she could be slaughtered. "Catch 'em if you can."

  The young girl struck a rather unserious pose, raising her fists to her mouth. She hadn't a clue if the enemy would react to human culture in the same way Yrix did. But it was frankly worth a shot.

  Sonera took note of Lila's efforts. Summoning a radiant blade into her hands, she attempted to pierce the Vesper's exposed side, only to find its shields resistant to her efforts. Ivy made a similar attempt to no avail, smashing her baton onto the Vesper's head from a safe distance. Something was clearly missing in their strategy.

  Surrounded on all sides, the Vesper kept its composure, waiting for the right time to strike. It reacted to Lila's movements, and after grabbing her by the throat, used her as a weapon to hurl at Sonera. It would have been so easy to just allow Lila to sail through the air and hit the rough stone. But Sonera took one glance at Lunae before making up her mind.

  *She needed that stupid girl.*

  Lila's momentum came to a halt as Sonera caught her with some difficulty, her heels sliding against the sand.

  "Oh shit." Lila opened one eye. "Thank you."

  Sonera didn't respond, dropping Lila on her rear before rushing at the Vesper. She didn't intend to be so reckless, but the thought of boring the Vesper limited her options. If it couldn't maintain the challenge it so desperately pursued, nothing would stop it from targeting easier prey like Lunae and Lila.

  "Idiots." Ivy groaned, using her Psionic powers to throw the Vesper off balance by pushing its leg into the sand. "Use your heads."

  Having improved her technique, much of the heiress's abilities had begun to manifest into a glowing sigil that appeared at both her hands and the location she sought to manipulate. It was a tesselation of sorts, guided by her Psionic powers to create angular projections wherever she needed. Using these projections, she was able to restrain the Vesper if only for a brief moment.

  *She didn't know whether to hate or love her family's influence on her power.*

  Ivy called her baton to her hand, rushing in to slash at the Vesper while flipping it over its head. Sonera attacked in tandem, conducting a spinning cut onto the enemy that sent sparks sailing across the room. Their hope was that such a combined attack would be enough to break the shields.

  "Talented, but toothless." The Vesper whispered to Lunae.

  The armored alien kicked at Ivy, destroying the Psionic barrier she had formed to protect herself before using its tail to bludgeon her in the gut. At the same time, the Vesper managed to free itself from the projections, dashing backwards to catch Sonera with its large forearm before she could react. It was like getting hit by a tree trunk, sending both girls flying backwards.

  "This isn't working," Lila mumbled to Lunae, who stood paralyzed with fear. "Yrix wouldn't just let us win so easily. We've got to think of something.

  The Vesper was like an elegant dancer, meanuvering around its prey with merciless precision. It was as if the creature had eyes on the back of its head. As if to prove that point, it swiveled itself around just in time to catch Rena's knife sailing through the air. She, however, was not phased, using her ability to walk through the Vesper, claim her knife back from its hand, and dig it into its eye socket.

  "Yea!" Lila cheered.

  The Vesper seemed uninjured; however, its helmet flickered for a brief moment before it lashed out at Rena with every appendage it had available. Rena phased through each attack, trying her best to gain some distance, knowing full well she could not stay an apparition forever. As with all Psionic abilities, her tricks cost energy.

  Lila stumbled over to Ivy and Sonera as they picked themselves off the floor. "Plan. Plan time!"

  Lunae was quick in tow, placing her hand on Lila's shoulder as she continued to tremble.

  "Yes?" Sonera muttered, collecting herself far faster than the heiress.

  Before Lila could speak, she felt herself become pulled into a different space, not so different from the one Yrix had already absconded her to. It was a much smaller plane, dominated by a soft blue glow and an invisible ground. And far off in the distance, Lila could almost swear she heard a heartbeat.

  "Hello." Lunae smiled, appearing in front of Lila in a flash of blue light.

  Lila stumbled backwards, falling onto her bottom. "Oh-my-goodness."

  Lunae giggled. "I thought we needed time to plan."

  "Just us?" Lila shrugged.

  "Just us, I can't bear the load of more than one person, not in my own realm. Yrix is far stronger in that regard, I'm afraid."

  The outside world began moving much more slowly, as if time were enslaved to Lunae's will. It was her finest technique yet. She may not have been a warrior, but she would still devote herself to helping the other students as much as she could. Projecting a pocket dimension was indeed not an easy task.

  "So then...what's the idea?" Lila raised an eyebrow.

  Lunae took a graceful step towards her friend, her face becoming uncomfortably close.

  "Uh..." Lila averted her eyes. "Lunae?"

  If she weren't such a quaint gal, Lila might have slapped Lunae for her brash behavior. The thought did cross her mind. But she was running out of options.

  "I have faith that with the right push, and some private information, you can formulate a plan," Lunae whispered, closing her eyes as she grasped Lila's head with both hands. "Look within, Lila."

  Lunae pressed their foreheads togethor, and in a flash of blinding light, the vision was over.

  "Oh." Lila gasped. "I see."

  Back in the real world, Sonera was still waiting for a response. Lila took only a brief moment before she began to rant. It wasn't easy, but she had come up with something thanks to Lunae.

  "That Vesper's armor keeps deflecting kinetic force and energy. But its grenade was...something else. I don't know, I'm not a scientist, but it was a different type of energy." Lila sputtered. "The last time we tried to give it a piece of its own medicine, it actually staggered. I was thinking...if we can modify the grenade and amplify it using our skill sets, I could stick it directly to the Vesper. At least we can disable its shields."

  "And what makes you think we can modify it!?" Ivy sneered. "Even assuming I get another grenade? Who's going to do that? You?"

  "Actually," Lila shrugged. "I was thinking you would."

  "What?!" Ivy's eyes widened with shock, as her face became the slightest tint of red. "H-how."

  "Lunae told me you're good with tech. Some kind of...repressed talent?"

  "You tell that little witch to get out of my head!"

  Lila placed a hand on her temple. "Not the point, Ivy. Can you do it or not?"

  "Get me that grenade and I'll find out." Ivy nodded reluctantly.

  "Great, Lunae said she can do the rest before it's my turn to...not blow myself up." Lila chuckled. "As for you, Sonera...you're the best fighter. Can you keep the Vesper's mind on something while we pull this off? I don't think Rena will last much longer."

  Sonera locked her fingers around her knife. "With this strategy? Yes."

  Ivy ignored the comment about "best fighter" and focused her mind on the task at hand. Both girls were, at the end of the day, adept at collecting the necessary data they needed to adapt. The next time the Vesper swung at them, it came even faster than before, its tail brushing against Sonera's hair as she slid beneath its tail.

  "Pfft." Ivy blew a bit of air at her own bangs, staring directly at a violent blade of energy as it came screaming towards her face. She had something to prove.

  *Her legs split with ease.*

  The evasion was as elegant as it was reckless, filling the Vesper with admiration. It was exactly the diversion Lila needed.

  "Hey Rena!" Lila waved at her new friend, whose Psionic transformation was beginning to wear off. "Grab its grenade! Right in the booty pouch!"

  Rena was not a moment too soon in phasing through the Vesper to pull out its equipment, her form being no longer sustainable. Lila bolted to the girl's side, retrieving both her and the grenade as she panted from exhaustion. She was just in time.

  "You come up with something?" Rena wheezed as she limped over to Lunae.

  "Yeah, me dying part two, the sequel." Lila smiled ecstatically.

  "Let's hope it's better than the first one." Rena laughed. "You didn't actually die on Earth."

  Lila dropped her demeanor for only a second, clutching the large globe-shaped grenade in her hand. "There's nothing left for them to take away from me."

  She was right. As much as Lila wanted to pretend her family was out there, she had already begun to accept the truth. They were gone. But she could still do something good in the world.

  "Lila." Lunae reached out with a tender hand. "I know we planned this but..."

  "It's fine," Lila muttered. "Let's get this shit scootin'."

  Lunae placed a hand to her mouth, trying to hide her smile. "I...alright."

  Using her powers, Lila grabbed Ivy by the hand, pulling her away from the fight in a flash of pink energy. The heiress, despite hearing the plan, still couldn't help herself when her hand raised itself at Lila.

  "Don't!" Ivy yelped. "Touch me!"

  Lila ducked under the slap. "Yeah, I know, can you do something with this?" She smiled as she offered Ivy a look at the grenade.

  Lila was suprised to see her friend's iris turn a shade of red. Her eyes then began to shift at abnormal speeds, allowing her to analyze the machinery in mere seconds. The conclusion she came to warranted the slightest of grins.

  "I can stick it onto their shields," Ivy nodded proudly. "Just give me a moment."

  The grenade was built with three small divots on its metal plating, glowing a gentle red as Ivy pressed against it. Her tiny fingers were barely enough to interface with the machinery, but after a moment of fiddling, she managed to command it to her will.

  "What, is that an option select?" Lila shrugged. "I didn't know it came with a sticky setting."

  "You thought I'd take it apart here and smash some wires togethor?" Ivy tried not to laugh. "Earthlings."

  "Well, I mean-."

  The heiress explained in a demeaning voice. "The consortium isn't from a fairy tale, Lila; their ordinance has a system, just like ours."

  "Cool. I will now throw this like a monkey would a banana." Lila responded smugly. "And it will work.

  "Just don't get yourself killed."

  "Really?"

  "No."

  Lila nodded energetically before turning back to the fight. Sonera was doing quite well for herself as far as diversions went, smashing her sword against the Vesper's side with such force that its shields began to flicker. Even as blood began to ooze out of her mouth from the previous impact, she kept fighting.

  Yrix was right about one thing. Hate was an excellent motivator. But so was not dying, as Lila would put it.

  "Try not to fall." Ivy huffed as she created a staircase of white prisms for Lila to jump onto.

  "You couldn't have made it a ramp?" Lila squinted.

  "Shut up and go!"

  Using her Psionic abilities, Lila lept onto each projection, bouncing onto the last as she flung herself into the air with a blast of pink energy. Her own skills were beginning to evolve, decorating her Psionic aura in a magenta flourish reminiscent of Earth's retro-style.

  "Lunae now!" Lila ordered, just as the Vesper began to discover the girl's plan.

  Lila chucked the orb as far and as hard as she could, arcing her throw so that it might stick into the enemy's helmet. Just as she had predicted, the Vesper would use its nimble legs to dive out of the way before the orb could reach its location. That was where Lunae came in.

  With a snap of her fingers, Lunae encased the orb in a swarm of sapphire glyphs, causing it to reverberate in a violent flash of energy. What emerged from the blinding light took everyone but Lila by surprise.

  *There were now two orbs.*

  The first of Lunae's amplified ordnance was evaded as fortold, but the second, trailing behind, was aimed preemptively to catch the Vesper's movement. The plan was indeed something of a reckless gambit. But it worked.

  "Lunae," Sonera muttered to herself as she stumbled backwards, trying to avoid the inevitable explosion.

  The grenade had managed to stick right onto the Vesper's shoulder, giving it no time for any possible removal. The ensuing explosion nearly caved in the entire arena, sending every girl tumbling towards the outer walls. Once the dust had settled, however, the Vesper was still standing.

  "It's shields!" Ivy screamed excitedly.

  The Vesper was vulnerable, its armor drained of the protective barrier that once rendered it immortal. But it was far from helpless, unveiling both its arm cannons as it fired at the first girl it saw. Sonera was, of course, the one to take that challenge.

  She threw herself at the Vesper, ignoring its line of fire as four radiant knives appeared above her head, hovering in place at a fixed arch. Once the plasma from the Vesper's cannons reached her skin, she temporarily dissapeared into a flash of smoke and embers. What emerged a split second later was an unharmed Sonera, dressed in a fiery leotard with an obsidion colored skirt.

  "Show off." Ivy couldn't help but mutter as she stared at the girl's exposed back.

  Sonera came spiraling towards the Vesper like a flaming moth, slamming into it with the tip of her feet before her knives followed suit, rotating like saw blades before flinging themselves towards the enemy.

  The Vesper stumbled backwards, swinging its tail at Sonera.

  *It scraped against her cheek.*

  "Don't let up now!" Lila pointed towards Sonera, whose bleeding face remained focused on the task at hand. "Jump him! Jump him now!"

  Lila appeared behind Sonera, using her powers to teleport the girl out of harm's way before the Vesper could follow up with its attack. It was not a retreating maneuver, however. For once, Lila reappeared, she was carrying Sonera in tow just behind the Vesper, allowing the pair to attack simultaneously.

  Lila, of course, didn't have much to offer aside from her support, her feet bouncing off the Vesper harmlessly. Sonera, however, had a bullet to place in the back of its head. A gush of purple blood spat out at Sonera, caking her face in the sticky substance.

  If it could bleed. It could die.

  "Fucking jump him!" Lila screamed, falling backwards after her failed attack. "Full send it!"

  Ivy summoned a rather large baton to swipe the Vesper off its feet, and with a large rectangular prism that emerged from the sand, she sent it sailing upwards. Lila was quick to move the heiress into position, teleporting her right next to the Vesper as she readied her weapon, clutched in her own hand.

  *She smiled proudly.*

  Clutching Lila's tiny hand, Ivy used the girl's powers as a means of transportation, blinking in and out of real-space as she launched a barrage of attacks at the Vesper from every possible angle. It was quite the light show. Both Lunae and Rena couldn't help but smile from down below, as hope filled their hearts. Sonera instead was waiting eagerly like a shark, holding a radiant sword up to the sky with both her hands.

  "Die stupid creature." Ivy sneered, teleporting just above the Vesper as she flung Lila like a throwing hammer.

  Lila stuck her leg out and closed her eyes, unsure of whether or not she would be proper munitions for an attack. But after another glow of light, she opened her eyes to see a blue glyph encasing her body. It was Lunae who came to her aid, finalizing the epic attack at the last second.

  "I'm about to end this man's whole career." Lila thought to herself proudly as she sailed towards the Vesper, which still hung helplessly in the air.

  The resulting shockwave that came from Lila's kick sent a wave of blue and pink energy all the way back to Yrix, who was practically teeming with excitement.

  Having been ragdolled like a toy, the Vesper's body was shot downwards with crushing force. It would have been more than enough to just let the creature hit the ground. But Sonera had other ideas. She was waiting there, holding her sword aloft so that the Vesper would be impaled upon its tip.

  What came out of her mouth at that moment wasn't heard by a soul. But she was happy. The Vesper was already dead, yet it still fell on her blade, goring it like a pig as Sonera became drenched in blood from head to toe.

  The battle was over.

  If there were to be confetti and balloons, Lila could already see it. She fell gently to the ground thanks to Lunae's Psionic assistance and began to jump up and down with glee. Her excitement was so overwhelming, in fact, that she barely noticed the heiress come from behind and embrace her with a sheepish hug.

  "Oh." Lila stuttered, turning her head to see Ivy's face buried into her back.

  Ivy gave it a good second before she released her grip, shoving Lila back with her fingertips like she had touched something disdainful. It didn't take them long to remember who they were to each other. And neither was willing to say anything as they turned their attention to the other students.

  "We did it!" Lunae giggled, throwing herself at Rena.

  Rena fell to the ground and chuckled. "Yea...we did. We showed that stupid alien bitch we aren't just meat."

  Sonera didn't seem even the slightest bit amused. She used the last of her strength to throw both her blade and the Vesper's corpse aside, gritting her teeth with rage. She then limped over to the body and began to beat it with her fists. Nothing in particular was even on her mind. She just liked how it felt.

  Yrix watched from above with audible amazement, pacing back and forth with her hands positioned behind her back. She felt justified in that moment. Everything she beleived was coming togethor.

  "Psions."