Asayuki's icy blue eyes were on the most outspoken man of the group. "Well?"

  "Ma'am!" he said. "The commander has been taken hostage!"

  Icy blue eyes slid to Erina. "You again."

  Erina had a bad feeling Asayuki saw her gulp even with ninety percent of her body hidden. She shrank down behind her meat shield as much as she could.

  "This is Akanaga territory," said Erina. She was amazed she didn't stutter. "You don't have a place here."

  The faintest scoff left Asayuki. "Don't push your luck." She took one meandering, casual step forward. "Is this a fight you want?"

  Erina tightened her grip on the commander, green katana hovering closer to his neck. "It's one I will take."

  "Loyal to your boss, aren't you," said Asayuki.

  "This laboratory belongs to me," said Erina. "It's not yours to plunder as you see fit."

  Asayuki paused. She inhaled, and then she exhaled, loosening her shoulders. "Men," she said. "Stand down."

  "Ma'am." They lowered their guns and stepped back.

  "Let go of him, Emisane." Asayuki's left hand moved to her scabbard, gripping it properly. "You'll want your hands free."

  That wasn't a bluff. Asayuki, surely, could cut her down even with a man between them. Erina carefully, deliberately drew her sword away from the commander's neck. The green katana returned to its sheath.

  Erina climbed to her feet. She took one step to the side that Asayuki mirrored, setting the commander out of their way.

  A magic seal flashed at Erina's feet—

  Both swords exploded from their sheaths, metal screaming on metal as they hammered to a stop against each other. Erina staggered, her sword bouncing back with the recoil as Asayuki advanced on her with one momentous step.

  Erina's heart jumped into her throat as she swung back, meeting the lethal scarlet sword with her own once more. Terrible friction reverberated into the handle, her muscles quickly beginning to burn as she fought to hold her ground. Erina struggled to maintain her footing. Asayuki looked unshakeable, exerting an ever-increasing pressure on the bind as their blades grated along the other's edge.

  Erina jostled the bind and Asayuki disengaged her, repelling the green katana down her own red blade and then keeping her at sword's distance.

  Erina dropped her scabbard. The spear flashed into her off hand as Asayuki struck again, scarlet steel glancing off the green katana and cutting a hot tear across Erina's shoulder as she retaliated.

  The branches of lightning flashed blinding for an instant. Asayuki only had one sword. Erina reasoned that if Asayuki was in the middle of attacking from one angle, Erina could sneak her spear in from another at the exact same time and—

  Crescent arcs filled Erina's vision. Asayuki flashed back in the blink of an eye, crimson afterimages fading in her wake. The red katana struck at blistering speed and pruned the light before it could grow to its fullest extent, other branches hammering dozens upon dozens of blast marks into the walls and floor around her.

  "You've learned," said Asayuki. Her blade snapped forward and Erina backpedaled, threatened down the alley at swordpoint as Asayuki stalked towards her. "Your eyes speak a newfound conviction to me. But it's not enough."

  The scarlet blade jumped forth and Erina flicked her katana, a wretched chill passing her as red metal howled inches away from her head. Asayuki's sword flashed time and again. She was so fast! It took everything Erina had to keep pace, her sword jolting in her grip, threatening to fly from her hands with every blow she deflected and blocked.

  A blow to the gut made her falter. While their swords met overhead, Asayuki's metallic boot snapped around and socked her right in the stomach. The butt of the handle found Erina's head next, her gaze snapping down with a yelp under the blunt strike.

  "Well?" Asayuki lowered her blade and simply shoved Erina in the chest, sending her stumbling away. "Is that the best you can do?"

  Erina found her footing. Her stumble became a controlled retreat. A fistful of orbs thrown into the air behind her, green light trailing her motions as the dance of fractals—

  Red flooded her vision.

  Furious crescent gales swept over her. In a split second, a vortex of crimson roared by and ripped her weapons to pieces. Orbs dispersed, magic came undone, and stone and cement shattered with the new patchwork mess of trenches carved into every available surface in the alley.

  Erina's hair fluttered down and stopped. The girl herself was as still as a statue with eyes as massive as they could go.

  Asayuki brandished her katana ceremoniously after the final slash, icy blue eyes locked on her as crimson steel glided across her fingers just below.

  Erina stood frozen, surrounded by carnage. Only a thin, tiny stretch of asphalt continued on behind her.

  Asayuki didn't need to rip Erina to pieces to get her point across.

  "Our last fight in Shinjuku was a mistake," said Asayuki. Her katana snapped back into the scabbard, but it was no sign of surrender. "I don't care to shed human blood. Walk away… or stand your ground, and I'll take that arm of yours."

  Erina blinked hard and snapped out of it. Determination returned to those green eyes and the gears in her mind spun back to life.

  The woman was a master of her craft. Every stroke was beautiful, every technique the spitting image of a samurai. Erina was all too aware of the insurmountable difference between them. She couldn't tell whether the sensation boiling in her chest was determination, embarrassment, or anger.

  If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  Erina didn't respond—not with words. She straightened her back and sheathed her own sword, but her feet remained planted. It was no less a declaration of intent than Asayuki.

  The swordmaster closed her eyes briefly. When she reopened them, Erina only glimpsed the searing intensity for a split second before the visor engaged, a faint red pulse flowing through the black material. Asayuki's mana flared, a crimson red streak like afterimages lingering in her wake as she rocketed forward—

  The air warped. The fabric of reality twisted and folded as a long strip of space ceased to be. A vacuum in existence opened and instantly filled as the rest of the world rushed in to close it. In an instant, Asayuki was transplanted from less than a yard away to skidding to a halt in the middle of the main street, no longer in the alley at all. Her sword stopped, the blade half-drawn.

  "…Darius," said Asayuki. The sword clicked back into its scabbard as a current of irritation snuck into her voice. "Can you not?"

  Patterns like the forks of black lightning shimmered along his arm. They faded as he lowered it, restoring the pristine white cloth and gold detailing of his coat.

  "Erina-san," said Darius. He tipped his hat in greeting. "I had a feeling you'd be here. We meet again."

  Ugh, thought Erina. We meet again.

  "I really do apologize," he said. "I gave my word, but as it happens, there's two divisions in the Association that aren't strictly forced to answer to me. One of them belongs to Asayuki here. Keeping our word is a point of pride for us." Throwing a sharp look her way, he added, "Or, at the very least, for me."

  Asayuki turned away haughtily. "I have what we need."

  "The search isn't done," he pointed out.

  "Didn't you want to be going sooner?" Asayuki's head flicked in Erina's direction and then back to Darius.

  "Whatever you took," said Erina. "Put it back. It doesn't belong to you."

  The swordmaster rounded on her, striding forth as her hand moved to her sword—

  "Stand down, both of you!" Darius placed himself between them, hands out to keep either side from advancing. His voice softened as he said to Erina, "I know it's frustrating. But don't pick this fight—for your own good."

  There were several ways to take that. Not the least of which meant, if Erina kept going, Darius would join the fray too. Teeth clenched tight, Erina's neck felt stiff and resistant as she compelled herself to nod.

  "We made a promise to Akira." Darius returned his attention to his coworker. "I expected it to be upheld."

  "You mean you made a promise," said Asayuki. "It doesn't matter either way. The Association has the rights to the laboratory." Pushing her sword around from her side closer to her back, she rested her arm over it as she strode up to him. The visor withdrew, allowing her to look him right in the eye. "After all, you and Julian were the first to enter back then. The surrounding area belongs to the Akanaga Family, but this patch of land is Association territory."

  "…Saya," said Darius.

  Asayuki made the tiniest double take.

  "That's enough. Stand down."

  Asayuki leaned in closer. "Remember," she whispered. "That wasn't the only promise you've made."

  Icy blue eyes clashed with deep brown. Their faces were barely inches apart. Asayuki didn't blink once.

  Darius backed off first, pulling the brim of his hat down as he averted his gaze.

  A rift in reality shimmered in the middle of the road. The Association agents helped the others to their feet as they came around. Small trinkets, broken-off machine parts, large gadgets, and numerous crates were loaded into carts and hauled through the rift. Erina's hands were balled into fists watching them scamper away with her mother's prized possessions.

  Asayuki waved the last of her men through the portal and onto the trucks waiting on the other side. She looked back, striking icy blue eyes meeting defiant green. Asayuki tilted her head up, looking down on Erina, and then stepped through the rift. It closed up and blinked out of reality.

  "A real handful, isn't she?" said Darius. He sauntered right up to Erina's side.

  She took one wide conspicuous step away from him.

  "Again," he said, "sorry about that. I do what I can, but these things happen."

  Erina glanced over and started as the gunslinger drew his revolver. She jumped back, a spell circle forming at her feet—

  "Easy there, partner!" Darius put the gun back and his hands up. "I'm not looking for a fight, okay?"

  She frowned at him. The seal faded away, but Erina was far from relaxed.

  "I'm going to pull it out again. Don't panic on me." Darius unholstered the gun and opened the cylinder. Six black bullets clattered to the floor and evaporated. "All I wanted to do was show you a little secret."

  Marks like black lightning flickered along his arms and then vanished just as fast. He loaded a single round into the revolver. "One in six odds. Everyone knows that, right?" He snapped the cylinder in place and gave it a spin. "But that's only the case if you do this."

  The hammer locked into place and the spinning cylinder came to an abrupt stop. Darius opened it again and showed it to her; the bullet was loaded. The first pull of the trigger would fire it.

  "I take good care of my arms," said Darius. He snapped it shut and gave it another spin. A small chuckle slipped out as one of his favorite cowboy lines hit him, and he added, "There's nothing like the feeling of slamming a long bullet into a well-greased chamber."

  Gross, thought Erina. Could she report him for this? To whom, for that matter?

  The cylinder slowly came to a halt, uninterrupted by the hammer. A clever light twinkled in those brown eyes as he opened it and showed her again. The bullet rested in the bottom chamber, on the exact opposite side from the barrel.

  "The bullet's own weight offsets the balance of the cylinder," he explained. "Hold it level, let it stop on its own, and the heaviest chamber always settles lowest. I'm not a lucky man. So I give luck as few chances to butt in as I can."

  Darius reloaded the revolver properly before twirling it in his left hand and slipping it back into its holster.

  "Then," said Erina. "That time we met…"

  "You feel different from then," he said. "There's a new light in your eyes. A purpose. You came here for something. Right?"

  "…Answers," she eventually said. "I'm looking for answers."

  Darius nodded slowly. "The gateway is at the very bottom of the lab, beyond the primordial chaos. That's where you want to go."

  "Eh?" She took a second to process that. "You mean… you're letting me go? You know what I'm looking for?"

  He smiled. "Call it a gut feeling."

  "Why are you helping me?"

  "When did I ever need a reason to help people?" Darius shifted his weight to one foot with a mild grin. "All I see in front of me is a young lady trying to find her place in the world. Possibilities are just that—possibilities. I'm not the kind of guy to come after someone because of what they could do in the future. I'd have everyone on the planet on my hit list if I did."

  He stepped aside, waving her into the doctor's office.

  "So go on. What came before… What lies ahead. They're all waiting for you down there." His laid-back expression faded away as a thought occurred to him. "One word of advice, though."

  Erina blinked. "What is it?"

  Darius rubbed his chin. He seemed to be looking for exactly the right way to convey everything he wanted. Eventually, he settled on a few simple words. "…Don't lose yourself."

  He brushed past her. The gunslinger took his leave along the empty streets, immaculate coat as white as snow billowing in his wake.

  All he was missing was a random tumbleweed, Erina thought. She had half a mind to roll her eyes. The rest of her was so, so thankful he arrived. For the strongest man in existence with the most powerful ability, she had a hard time reconciling that reputation with how the man in question behaved in front of her. She couldn't imagine what she'd do if he was anything like his two coworkers.

  She checked her phone one more time. Akira hadn't responded to any of her texts since before she visited Lazarus. Erina wanted to report this incident, but her patriarch wasn't picking up.

  She filed those thoughts away for later. She walked through the abandoned office and passed through the mirror into the laboratory.