After the Whisperkin left with the Dark Seraph right behind, the other Elites exchanged a short conversation before joining him.
"Kr'zhal vok'thar ssskra'nul, Whisperkin zhrak'vesh drey'khan! Thal'grak zhok'vyr sss'fhiski, nal'vok thal'humans kwe'skarn!"
("I hate following that weakling. He's a Whisperkin, a supposed superior Gemini race, yet his rank's pathetic. I say we kill him before those pesky humans. What think you!") The Gemini growled, rubble crunching under its weight, waiting for a reply.
An Elite, its form wavering, hissed, "Sssil'khan zhal'vesh, thal'grak krr'zhok! Whisperkin zhrak'fhiski—vok'thar drey'khan ssskra'nul. Nal'vok sss'zhal yrth'vesh, zhrak'vok thal'grak. Zhor'vyrn!"
("I feel the same, but don't rush. Something's off about that Whisperkin—I feel like it's not fully Gemini. Wait for an opening, but for now, follow his lead. Move!") It leaped, landing on a shattered beam, its misty spear forming. Then the others followed, roars shaking the broken school grounds.
The Dark Seraph landed behind the Whisperkin, eyeing the humans outside the wrecked gate. Kai's twin swords glinted as he held each one in both hands. Valmer took off his rosary from his neck, playing with it between his fingers as Gemini after Gemini appeared.
[System Notification]
You have encountered a Gemini.
Species: Yoka
Rank: Elite
Stats:
- Strength: S
- Intelligence: C
- Speed: A
- Agility: S
Final Rank: Yoka S
Abilities:
- Shadow Swamp: Blends into shadows for stealth.
- Shadow Armor: Absorbs 50% damage for 10 minutes (Cooldown: 3 minutes).
Weakness:
- Light Vulnerability: Concentrated light attacks reduce Shadow Armor's absorption to 10% for 30 seconds.
The Yoka emerged from the Whisperkin's shadow, its form coalescing, eyes fixed on Valmer.
[System Notification]
You have encountered a Gemini.
Species: Mistibeast
Rank: Elite
Stats:
- Strength: S
- Intelligence: A+
- Speed: S
- Agility: S
Final Rank: Mistibeast S+
Abilities:
- Mist Body: Turns to mist, dodging attacks for 5 seconds (Cooldown: 15 seconds).
- Mist Alchemy: Forms one mist weapon at a time, discarding prior weapon (Cooldown: 5 seconds).
Weakness:
- Physical Frailty: Solid-form physical attacks deal double damage.
The Mistibeast perched atop the school building behind the wrecked gate, gazing down. Kai raised a brow, swords angled, his stance wide. Yuna's eyes darted, hands raised as if ready to cast a spell.
[System Notification]
You have encountered a Gemini.
Species: Ragumon
Rank: Elite
Stats:
- Strength: A
- Intelligence: A
- Speed: SS
- Agility: S+
Final Rank: Ragumon S+
Abilities:
- Dash: moves double the speed of its opponent for 30 seconds (Cooldown: 60 seconds).
- Sonic Break: Exceeds sound barrier for 10 seconds, (Cooldown: 8 minutes).
Weakness:
- Low Defenses: Takes 50% more damage from attacks.
Ragumon blurred into view to the right side of the Whisperkin.
[System Notification]
You have encountered a Gemini.
Species: Rocksborne
Rank: Elite
Stats:
- Strength: S+
- Intelligence: A
- Speed: S
- Agility: S
Final Rank: Rocksborne S+
Abilities:
- Steel Frame: Reduces damage by 40%.
- Fatal Strike: Delivers critical punch capable of taking the life of an opponent in a direct hit.
Weakness: None detected.
[System Notification]
You have encountered a Gemini.
Species: Titnice
Rank: Elite
Stats:
- Strength: SS
- Intelligence: S
- Speed: SS
- Agility: SS
Final Rank: Titnice SS+
Abilities: None detected.
Weakness: None detected.
Kai's eyes flicked between the Geminis lined up like specters of death, their forms jagged against the school's broken silhouette. The Whisperkin stood center, its skeletal frame swaying, shadow-like limbs twitching as if tasting the air. Flanking it were the Yoka, its blue-marked shadow-skin rippling, and the Dark Seraph, wings folded, eyes glowing like dying coals. Perched on the school's splintered rooftops, the Mistibeast, Ragumon, Rocksborne, and Titnice loomed, their presence heavy, promising violence.
"Each one of those freaks is nastier than the last, Like a nightmare made real." Kai muttered, gripping his twin swords tighter, their edges catching the dim light.
Yuna's gaze was locked on the holographic screens flickering before her, each displaying the Geminis' stats in cold, clinical detail. "Did you see their abilities?" she said, her voice sharp, betraying a tremor. "They're nearly indestructible."
Kai's lips curled into a half-smile. "Yeah, but we've got badass skills of our own."
Ariel stepped forward, her small frame trembling, her golden hair swaying in the wind. Her voice cut through the tension, raw and unsteady. "Whisperkin, you said I should come. Now where's my brother?"
Yuna's head snapped toward her, eyes narrowing. "Kid, when you said they had your brother, I didn't say anything to spare your feelings. But if they had him, you think he's still alive? Get real. They've killed millions in two days. Do they look like they play favorites?"
The Yoka shifted, its shadow-clad form rippling, blue markings stretched across its entire body. "Pesky little flies, so noisy," it hissed, its voice a low rasp, like gravel dragged across stone. "Shall I crush them, Whisperkin?"
Kai's eyes widened, a glint of fascination replacing fear. "Hey, they really can talk."
The Whisperkin ignored the Yoka, stepping forward, its long claws retracting with a wet click. Its eyeless face seemed to fix on Ariel, chilling her bones. "Your brother lives," it hissed, its tone like a thousand different voices combined into one. "But if he returns, you may not recognize him. Perhaps missing a limb or two."
Ariel's breath hitched, her mind screaming denial. She knew the odds, had felt the dread gnawing at her for a while, but hearing it spoken twisted something inside her. Her fists clenched, nails biting into her palms. She lunged at the Whisperkin, eyes blazing with desperate fury, intent to tear answers from its throat.
Kai's hand shot out, snagging the collar of her dress. With a sharp yank, he flung her back. She crashed into a streetlamp with a dull clang, the impact jarring her senses. Blood trickled from her nose, warm and coppery, mixing with the dirt on her lips.
Valmer's face twisted with rage, his rosary beads clinking as he rushed to Ariel's side. "Kai, you bastard, I'll kill you one day, mark my words!" he snarled, kneeling beside her, his hand gentle on her shoulder as she gasped, tears mixing with blood.
Kai didn't flinch, his voice cold as steel.
His gaze hardened as he turned to Ariel, her tear-streaked face illuminated by the flickering light of the storm above.
"It's true we need all the help we can get, that's why we brought you here even though you're just a young teenager. What we don't need is dead weight. I don't know what kind of bond you have with your brother, and it's good you're fighting to save him, but if you crumble at the slightest taunt from those beasts, then you don't need to be here.
If you can't keep a cool head, go home, kid." He turned, focusing his gaze on the Geminis ahead. "Yuna's right. Your brother might be dead already."
Across the street, Celine watched from the shadow of a crumbling building. Her heart ached to run to Ariel, to wipe the blood from her face, but her feet stayed rooted. She cursed her own uselessness, her hands shaking.
Valmer shot to his feet, his voice venomous. "You bald old bastards, she's a Primordial, but she's still a teenager. Ease up."
Ariel stood trembling, her golden hair clinging to her tear-streaked cheeks, her wide blue eyes glistening with a mix of fear and defiance.
Valmer knelt beside Ariel, his hand steady on her shoulder as he helped her to her feet, his sable-rose eyes soft but firm. He brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, his rosary beads clinking softly as he tucked them into his coat pocket. "Ariel, don't listen to them," he said, his voice low and reassuring, cutting through the weight of Kai's earlier words. "We don't know if Zane's dead—it's all just guesswork right now. We'll find out after we take these monsters down. So stay sharp, alright?" He offered a small, encouraging smile, his fingers lingering on her arm for a moment before he stood, his long black coat swaying as he turned to face the Geminis.
Ariel wiped her face with the back of her hand, smearing tears and dirt across her cheek. Her shoulders straightened, Valmer's words anchoring her, pulling her back from the edge. She nodded, her jaw tight, and clutched the hem of her tattered dress, her fingers trembling but resolute.
Valmer glanced at Kenshi, expecting a biting remark—something about corrupt priests or his flirtatious ways—but the man was silent. Kenshi stood a few paces away, his lean frame rigid, his hand gripping the hilt of his katana so tightly his knuckles whitened. His amber eyes burned with a fury so raw it seemed to radiate heat, the skull tattoo on his temple stark against his pale skin. Valmer's brow furrowed, sensing the storm brewing beneath Kenshi's calm exterior. The man looked like he might explode, his restraint a thin veneer over a rage that could swallow them all.
Kenshi's mind was a furnace, memories of his daughter's screams clawing at him, sharp and unyielding. Her laughter, her tiny hand in his, the warmth of his wife's embrace—all torn away when the Geminis swept through, sent by Elites who saw humans as ants to be crushed. If not for them, his family would still be alive. His grip tightened further, the leather of his katana's hilt creaking as he took a slow, deliberate step forward, his boots crunching on the debris-strewn pavement.
Yuna stood nearby, her arms crossed over her black crop top, her sharp eyes flicking between the Geminis. She tilted her head, studying the Titnice perched on the school's rooftop, its form casting a shadow that seemed to swallow the light. "There's seven of them," she said, her voice steady but laced with tension as she brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Four of us, not counting Ariel since she might be useless. How do we play this?"
Kenshi's voice cut through like a blade, low and venomous, as he unsheathed his katana with a slow, deliberate scrape of steel. "Doesn't matter if it's seven, seventy, or seven thousand. They all die here." He exhaled deeply, his breath steadying, forcing the rage down to a smoldering ember. His black coat flared as he stepped forward, the cryptic symbols tattooed on his temple catching the dim light.
The Dark Seraph stirred, its female form shifting beside the Whisperkin, its blue-tinted fur covering its entire body, two massive dark wings flexing with a soft rustle. Its voice was smooth, almost mocking, as it spoke for the first time. "For such weak, insignificant creatures, you speak with bold words." Its eyes gleamed as it leaned forward.
The Whisperkin tilted its faceless head, its form swaying as it stepped forward, long limbs dragging across the ground. "Time to play," it hissed, its voice a chilling rasp that seemed to crawl under their skin. "Dark Seraph, Yoka—you two are enough to deal with them. Leave the golden-haired girl. Someone might be… displeased if I touch her." It paused, tilting its head as if smirking. "Not that it matters."
The Dark Seraph's wings snapped open with a sharp crack, and it launched into the air, rising at a terrifying speed, a blur against the stormy sky. The Yoka melted into the shadows, its blue markings fading as it vanished, leaving only a faint ripple in the air. The rooftop Geminis shifted—as if it were a matter of time before all the Primordials were wiped out. The Titnice's sheer presence seemed to press down on the group below.