"Almost- oh, damn it-!"

With a resounding clack, the pen I was attempting to spin around my fingers falls to the floor and bounces under my desk. Rather than try to chase after the blasted thing after it had undoubtedly slipped between this dimension and whatever one small objects found themselves in after being dropped, I just recline in my chair with a groan. Of course, when I need to submit paperwork it needs to be done yesterday, but when I need to receive it? I'm lucky to get it the next day.

Spinning in my chair does little to improve my mood, but what can I say? I'm bored.

...

I lunge out of my chair, scrambling towards my side table. Just as I start to bring my knuckles down on one of the few wooden objects in my room, the door slides open-

"Partner! I, Guillotine de Mephisto, have need of... you?"

and I resign myself, accepting my doom. Awkwardly picking myself up from my half kneel on the floor, I brush myself off casually as I turn towards Guillotine. Her arms are slowly lowering themselves from some bizarre pose as her visible eye narrows in concern. "Are you okay, Partner?"

Straightening my uniform's tie, I simply clear my throat and raise an eyebrow. "Perfectly fine. Why? Is there something that you need, Guillotine?"

She stares at me for a few seconds. "...I can come back later if this isn't a good time."

"What are you talking about? Are you not feeling well, Guillotine?" I politely inquire. Her face screws up slightly in confusion, and she glances around my room, dodging eye contact.

"No... I- er. I thought..." Her hands twitch slightly as she tries to raise a finger, then apparently thinks twice and lowers it. Just as I hope to dodge whatever nonsense is being sent my way today, Guillotine sharply inhales and strikes a pose, pointing at me while covering her already eyepatch covered eye with her other hand.

"Partner! How could you use such a dastardly technique on me, Guillotine de Mephisto?! Unfortunately for you, I am well aware of the ways of the Lux Gasalis!"

I simply blink at her with a polite yet confused smile.

With a "Tch!" Guillotine splays her hands open and enters a new pose. "S-such power! Truly, only one such as I could weather it! But testing such things is not what we shall do today!"

As Guillotine smirks and places her hands on her hips, I realize that she's not wearing her usual outfit. Instead of her bulky overcoat, Guillotine has what looks to be a sort of martial arts uniform on. It's of course jet black with red and gold accents, and as I look at it, it seems... vaguely Japanese?

She's wearing a red shirt under a black jacket, and a large black skirt with gold accents..? Wait, is that a Hakama? Then- "Why are you wearing a Kendo uniform, Guillotine?"

"Oho!" Guillotine preens. "Of course you would be able to divine my outfit immediately, partner! As for the next step in the process..." She grins, spinning on her heel and walking out the door. "You shall see!"

Well, that can't be anything good. With one last forlorn glance at my stubbornly empty inbox, I walk over and shut off my computer before following Guillotine out of the room, then out of the command center. She practically struts across the road and heads directly into the park. As I pass through the archway into the park myself, I struggle to think of a reason why Guillotine would bring me here of all places. Still, I follow her deeper into the park, until we reach a bit of a clearing. Most of the place is covered in flowers, but this space is mostly grass with a single moderately sized cherry tree.

Guillotine turns off the path into the clearing and walks behind the tree. A second later, she comes back into view with two large black tubes. She lightly tosses one to me with a smug grin, and I nearly fumble the catch as it's heavier than I expected it to be.

We stand there in silence. I glance around, waiting for her to explain what's going on. Guillotine starts to fidget a bit, awkwardly glancing at me and then away.

Finally, I decide to speak up. "So-" However, I'm immediately cut off by Guillotine. "So-!"

We both go silent again. I gesture for a blushing Guillotine to continue. "Ahem! So, partner, it has come to my attention that my seals on the One-Winged Dark Lord have been weakening!" She enters into a pose, using both hands to cover her eyepatch. While she's still holding the tube. "Why, you may ask? In my foolishness, I have neglected aspects of my training!" She thrusts the tube forwards. "Thus! I must begin my training to become the sword saint of the ninth heaven post-haste, before the seals fail!"

"I see..." I say, not seeing her point at all. "But why here?"

"Kuhuhu! Oh, partner, one of the best ways to become a sword saint is to train beneath a cherry tree, until you can slice a blossom as it falls without any effort!"

I look at the distinctly green cherry tree. "Uh huh. But the tree...?"

Guillotine huffs. "Yes, yes, the tree isn't blossoming right now. However!" She grins, reaching into her... jacket? It's not an Obi, that's the belt. Oh, I'll remember it later. I shake myself out of my musing to see her take out- Seriously? "Pressed cherry blossoms?"

"Indeed! I fail to see a reason why one must become a sword saint during only one short period."

"I guess that's reasonable. But how-" I blink, looking down at the tube I'm holding. One that I assumed was just a wooden sword. Dread starts to pool in my chest. "Guillotine? What are these?"

"Hmm?" Guillotine stops posing for a moment. "Have you not figured it out, partner?" Her grin turns smug. "For shame! I have bought us-" With a flourish, Guillotine grabs the end of her tube and pulls out a sword. Or rather, a Katana. "Live steel, folded ten-thousand times! Sharp enough to cut through ten-thousand demons!"

However, I immediately spot a problem. "Guillotine. I don't have a license for this."

She stills. "Eh?"

"I'm serious, I don't have a license for a sword like this. It's against the law."

"Wha-" She frowns. "Yes, you do! You carry that gun-"

I shake my head. "No, it's my-" I grimace. "It's a service piece. I'm allowed to use it because of my job. Like your gun."

"Oh."

We stand there for another moment, before another thought crosses my mind. "You... why don't you know that? Isn't it the same for you? Didn't you get a license for yours?"

"Er..."

"Guillotine."

She begins to fidget in place. "I, uh, um." Then, she squares her shoulders. "Damn! To think the lands of Innit had begun to conspire with the Big O! Steel like this should be allowed to be free!"

Oh, that's the headache coming on. "Alright. Come on, Guillotine, we'll stash these in the command center-"

"HEY, YOU TWO!"

The both of us freeze and turn towards the voice. To my ever-increasing despair, I spot Miranda glaring at us over a hedge. "Both of you... you're in big trouble!"

"Agents of the Big O? Already?!" Guillotine mutters to me. Clearing my throat, I attempt to smile at Miranda. "And why would that be?"

Miranda blinks. "Er... Oh! Both of you are loitering!"

That brings us to a halt. Guillotine and I glance at each other, before Guillotine speaks up as she hides her sword behind her back. "Isn't this... a public park?"

"Hm? It looks like it." Huffing, Miranda attempts to storm towards us, before promptly entangling herself in the hedge with a squawk. The two of us watch her as she tries to pull herself out, with only moderate success. After half a minute of struggling, she manages to extract herself, minus a boot still tangled in the hedge. Panting, she turns towards us. "Uh, why? Does that matter?"

I shrug. "Well, we haven't been asked to leave, and it's not after closing hours, is it?"

"Huh." Miranda's brow furrows. "I guess not. Uh..." She glances at us, frowning. "Are you two planning to commit a crime?"

I wince. "Uh, we weren't planning on doing that, no."

"Oh. Okay." Miranda scratches the back of her head, before nodding. "Sorry about that! Stay safe, okay?" And with that, Miranda turns around and walks off. Or rather, she would have, if she didn't immediately fall right back into the hedge with a shout of "Oh no!"

Guillotine stares at her, before glancing back at me. "Are... all the enforcers of the Big O like that?"

"No, that one is just special. Now come on, let's-"

Suddenly, Miranda jolts. "Hey, wait a second! That Nikke was using a sword! Poli told us to alert her if we saw one like that!"

Oh no. "Okay, new plan. Run." I grab Guillotine's hand, and with only a squeak of "Partner?!" we begin to flee the scene. Just as we reach the path, Miranda pulls herself out again. As I glance back as she shouts at us again, she begins to pursue us- right back into the hedge.

Bless that girl. Seriously, someone needs to. She needs the help.


I yank Guillotine into the elevator after entering my credentials, and the doors slam shut just a few moments later. The force of gravity intensifies as it accelerates, and I let it drag me down as I slide against the wall of the elevator. Blue and red flashing lights illuminate the path we took not just a minute earlier, but we're just barely home free. And still holding the damn swords.

I glance at Guillotine, who's been uncharacteristically quiet during the chase. She's looking away from me, but I can tell the tips of her ears are a bit redder than normal. I glance down and- oh. I let go of her hand. "Sorry about that."

"No, it's- it's okay. I didn't..." She trails off, before falling silent. The low hum of the elevator fills the air, but it takes a minute for Guillotine to clear her throat. "Partner... While it's good to see your enthusiasm in evading the Big O's goons, you seemed very... vigorous today."

I sigh. "Again, sorry. I just didn't want you getting the Pilgrim treatment."

"What?! Why would I?"

"Nikke with a sword. That's what Miranda called you. There's only one Nikke that I know of like that." Well. A particular blue-haired captain crosses my mind as a possible exception, but she doesn't really count.

"And she's a Pilgrim." Guillotine surmises. "I see. And there's no telling how long it would take for Elysion to correct the mistake." She sighs. "Yeah, that would've sucked. Thanks, Partner."

I anxiously eye the door to the elevator as it dings. "Well, we'll see how much you'll thank me after we reach the surface."

Guillotine freezes. "Oh."

I cough out a laugh. Yeah, that's about right. 'Oh.' Running out to the surface without any real prep. Normally it'd be suicide, but at this point I have enough experience where it's just stupid. I stand up, walking towards the back of the elevator. I feel one of the panels, and pressing it just right, it detaches. Guillotine watches me with some confusion as I feel around in the narrow space behind it, before her eyes widen as I yank out a small pack. It's not much, but I'm very glad I asked Liter to make a small modification to this thing.

"That's..."

"Yep, a small survival pack. Some rations, a few decoys, an emergency beacon, and a few other odds and ends." I give Guillotine a weak smile. "Not exactly my first time doing this."

Guillotine relaxes a bit. "That's some excellent thinking, Partner. Truly, it's a shame you cannot join the association." Walking over towards me, Guillotine looks at the contents of the pack, expression souring a bit. "No gun, though."

"Couldn't fit one in the space, unfortunately. We might be able to salvage one on the surface."

Guillotine nods but doesn't say anything else. Again, the elevator is filled with the quiet hum of its operation. Minutes pass until finally, the elevator stops. An alarm rings out, and we both stand up. Guillotine grins at me. "Well then Partner. As long as I, Guillotine de Mephisto, still stand, you shall come to no harm! On the name of the One-Winged Dark Lord, I swear it!"

I can't help the smile that comes onto my face as I walk over towards the door release. "I'm depending on you, Guillotine."

She preens as the door opens, revealing the ruins of the surface. With a deep breath, I step out of the elevator and into the world beyond. Surveying the immediate area, it's vaugely familiar in a way I can't easily place, but I shake off the feeling quickly enough. Since there's nothing immediately useful nearby, the two of us get moving quickly.

"So, what's the plan, Partner? The brilliant power of Sol is good for the seals on the One-Winged Dark Lord, but remaining in this place puts us in danger most dire."

I grunt in response. "Well. We can't immediately return to the Ark, as we have to make this disappearance believable. No more than a day or two, since a member of the Extrinsic squad noticed my capture, but a bit of time. So, that means we need to find shelter. We also need to find a gun, which could be tough."

Guillotine hums in response, sobering slightly. "Extrinsic only occasionally participates in surface operations, but I might be able to find a cache somewhere." Her expression sours. "Or at least a casualty."

With that grim reminder, the two of us begin to wander. The area we're in definitely used to be urbanized, but a century of decay has turned a great deal of the grey back into green. It's a familiar sight now. Large pieces of the roads and sidewalks have been completely shattered into so much rock, while many other pieces are simply missing, having turned back into dirt long ago. Some plots of land obviously used to be buildings but are nothing more than bare lots now. Others are simply standing ruins, with little other than a wall or two to offer.

The two of us poke and prod at other, more intact buildings, but the vast majority are simply too unstable to consider as shelter. The few that aren't are just too exposed, missing walls or having shattered fronts where glass used to protect those inside from the elements. The pickings for weapons are also similarly slim. We occasionally pass objects in the road that might've once been considered armor but have similarly decayed as the city has.

Not everything is gone, though.

As I pick my way through another street a few hours after we emerged, I spot a glint of bare metal sticking out behind the decayed wreck of a car. Slowing making my way over, I can't help the sigh that I let out.

"Partner? Have you-" Guillotine cuts herself off as she spots what I have. A singular arm, clutching onto a SMG. The blood has long since dried, leaving just bare metal, wires, and synthetic flesh behind.

Guillotine hums. "She may not have had her meeting with Azrael. Simply losing an arm is a trifle."

"Yeah, I know. It's still not a great thing to see."

Kneeling down besides the arm, she pries the SMG out of the arm's grip, inspecting it. She huffs, setting it down. "Alas, the power of Vapula fails me. This must be old, and the power of Dantalion reveals a bespoke caliber. We won't find ammo for this."

We both jump as we hear a loud crash behind us. "You sure about that?"

"I am!"

The two of us leap behind the wreck to hide, but it's too late. Some distance down the street, a lone, large Rapture stares at us. Its insectile form is still, but we both know that it's seen us. Reaching into my pocket, I activate the emergency beacon for what good it'll do.

The Rapture begins to pace forwards. Step after slow step, it moves over towards us at a frankly lazy pace. It idly shoves wrecked cars aside as it moves down the road.

I recognize the behavior. It knows we're unarmed.

Closer and closer it moves, until it stops several dozen meters away. It chitters at us, before moving down into a crouch to leap at us. However, Guillotine leaps first, over the wreck and inbetween me and the Rapture.

I blink as I look at the sight. Guillotine has drawn her sword, pointing it at the hostile machine. It seems to recognize that the sword is a weapon, and it hisses at her. She simply sneers back at it.

"You face Guillotine de Mephisto today, foul beast! I have faced demon and terror alike, and I shall place you on my mantlepiece like the rest!"

Despite her words, I can spot her shaking slightly, with an uncertain and obviously amateurish grip on her sword. There's a reason why close-range specialists are rare, and the undulating biomechanical mass that is the Rapture in front of us is an excellent example in why.

Still, Guillotine stands her ground. A moment passes, then in an instant, the Rapture strikes. It leaps to pin her, but she quickly dashes to the side. With gritted teeth, she swings her katana...

And takes off its leg?

The Rapture goes down with a deafening shriek as the two of us try to comprehend what just happened. I shake myself free of my shock first. "Guillotine! Go for the core while it's down!"

Eye wide open with shock, she glances back at me, then at the flailing Rapture. Dashing in quickly, she begins to slash and stab at it. It's clumsy, and takes time, but it eventually gives out a keening wail and goes still.

Guillotine stands there, panting. For a second, we stand there. Then, I begin to chuckle. I walk on over towards her and pat her on the back. "Excellent job, Guillotine. I guess I know two swordswomen of note, now."

Just then, another voice calls out from a rooftop some distance away. "Quite so, Milord. Fosooth, I do hope thou are not trying to replace me?"

I laugh outright as I turn towards her as she leaps onto the road behind us. "I don't think I'm capable of doing that, Scarlet. Too sentimental."

She giggles lightly as she walks towards us. "A good thing, I do believe. Now, what brings thou to the surface?" Looking us over, she frowns. "Underprepared at that. I suppose such a tale can be delayed for a time. Follow, I shall take you to a safe place. We are fortunately close to one of my fields."

So that's why this place is familiar. Guillotine gives me a questioning glance, but I nod. "We would appreciate that."


Scarlet sighs, rubbing her temple with a pair of fingers. "Milord, you get into such strange situations. I daresay thou have such fortune it turns into misfortune to prove how fortunate thou are."

A wry chuckle forces its way out of me. "That sounds about right. Again, thanks for coming to help."

She waves me off. "'Twas a trifle, I was nearby. Truly, I would much prefer thee asking for aid too often rather than abstaining when thou truly requires it." Scarlet slouches slightly, giving me a sly smile as she pulls a bottle out of seemingly nowhere. "After all, it simply means thou owes me additional drinks. And I could always use an additional reason to imbibe, nay?"

Scarlet smiles at me for another moment, before turning to Guillotine. She appraises the smaller Nikke for a moment, eyeing the sheathed sword on her hip. After a few moments of consideration, she hums. "I do believe I owe thee something of an apology. Ne'er did I think mine own notoriety would cause harm unto another."

Guillotine crosses her arms. "Well, are you a member of the Big O?"

Scarlet blinks. "I beg thy pardon? The Big O? I cannot say I have heard of such a thing."

"Hmph!" Guillotine flips her hair, affecting another dramatic pose. "Well, since you are obviously uninvolved with them, you're not the one at fault here."

Regarding Guillotine for a moment, Scarlet grows visibly amused. "Ah, I see. I appreciate thy pardon, Miss...?"

Guillotine grins. Spinning onto her feet, she covers her eyepatch with a hand and splays her hand outward towards Scarlet. She lets out a slow laugh, clenching her hand into a fist. "Who am I, you ask? I am Guillotine de Mephisto, Guardian of Balance, keeper of the One-Winged Dark Lord! Member of the Association and sworn enemy of the Big O!"

"Ah, I see. Quite impressive." Scarlet slides next to me, surreptitiously taking a gulp from her bottle. Leaning towards me, she lowers her voice so only I can hear it. "My, I must say this is quite entertaining from the outside perspective."

"It's definitely fun." I easily agree, taking a small sip from the bottle when Scarlet offers it to me. As the alcohol lightly burns its way down my throat, I find myself playing back her words in my head. "Wait, outside perspective?"

However, Scarlet has already moved to stand, having either not heard my question, or more likely having simply ignored it. "Well then, Miss Mephisto-"

Guillotine holds up a hand. "An ally such as you doesn't need to stand on formality. Please, call me Guillotine."

"An ally?" Scarlet echoes, smiling. "A most marvelous title to bequeath to mine self, Guillotine."

"Really? I mean, of course! Someone who is willing to come to partner's defense is an ally of mine!"

"Ah, of course. In turn, one who hast swung a blade in Milord's defense ought to be given the same privilege, so thou may call me Scarlet."

Guillotine's smile dims slightly. "Thank you, Scarlet of the red rivers." Scarlet blinks at the sudden title, lips twitching as Guillotine continues. "But that was hardly a worthy showing-"

"Nonsense." Scarlet immediately cuts off Guillotine, smile dropping off her face as she regards her seriously. "Thou hast slain thy enemy, no? Thy skill with a blade is lacking, but thou lack not the heart for it. After all, it was thou who saved Milord, was it not?"

Seeing the doubt still on her face, I decide to cut in. "You did, Guillotine. While Scarlet might've been able to get there in time, you're the one who made sure I was safe. So, thank you."

Shuffling awkwardly, Guillotine eventually nods. "You're both right. But I could've done better."

Scarlet crosses her arms in front of her, rubbing her chin as she seemingly makes up her mind about something. "Quite true. 'Tis something we shall work on, no?"

Her words hang in the air for a moment. Guillotine nearly staggers, and even I find myself surprised. Though on second thought, I probably shouldn't be. Scarlet takes great pride in her swordsmanship, and training another probably has quite some appeal to her. Still, the shocked silence that fills the air doesn't quite abate. Fortunately, it just seems to amuse Scarlet even more. With a smooth movement, another bottle seems to materialize out of nowhere for Scarlet to take a pull from.

With a pleased sigh, she cocks an eyebrow at Guillotine after setting the bottle aside. "Hmm? Art thou surprised? Was not the purpose of thy adventure to learn the art of swordplay?"

Guillotine visibly pulls herself together. "Well, uh, yes. But..." She glances at me. "We can only stay up here for a little while."

"Pfft, a trifle. Someone such as I could educate thou on the basics in but a day or so."

"Then..." Guillotine glances at me again, and I give her an encouraging nod. With a deep breath, Guillotine gets down on a knee to the ever-increasing amusement of Scarlet. "I, Guillotine de Mephisto, humbly accept the tutelage of the sword saint Scarlet, champion of the red rivers of the ninth heaven!"

"My, how polite! Quite unlike my other student, I see."

"Other student?" Both Guillotine and I echo. However, I'm soon filled with a sense of dread as Scarlet turns towards me with a quite frankly terrifying grin.

"Oh yes. Why, the tale thou didst spin had the both of thee attempting to learn, did it not?"

Guillotine pauses in thought for a second, before nodding with a grin. "Yes, that's right. Of course, partner would love to learn as well!"

"Such a splendid thing to hear, truly!" I just barely suppress a yelp as Scarlet appears right next to me, grabbing a hold of my shoulder and yanking me to my feet. "Come, Milord. We are to start with the basics, footwork! I hear thou art quite the hand at dancing, so I expect quite the splendid performance from thou."

Oh hell.


Some time later, I'm finally allowed to collapse. Scarlet is a hellish taskmaster when she wants to be, and I'm only human. Guillotine is in slightly better shape, but not by much. The two of us fall down panting onto the tarp Scarlet decided to use as an impromptu mat. Just as I dare to open my eyes to search for my water bottle, I feel Scarlet pushing it into my hands. She gives me a fond smile as I manage to gasp out a 'Thank you' to her, then moves on to give Guillotine the other spare water bottle.

Surveying the two of us, Scarlet heads over towards a nearby stump and sits down, pulling out a bottle and draining half of it in one go. She sighs contentedly as she lazily looks over at our crumpled forms. "Hooh. Nothing quite like a good tipple after a session, I do declare. Such activities draw out such a thirst, do they not? Especially after such an impressive display of stamina from Milord."

"Phrasing. When did you become Rapunzel?" I grumble out between sips of water as Guillotine chokes. Scarlet simply chortles in response, taking another gulp from her own bottle. Eventually, Guillotine and I manage to drag ourselves into a sitting position just as Scarlet stands back up. She glances over the two of us for a moment, letting out a thoughtful hum. "I must admit, thou hast exceeded mine own expectations. Since we have but a small duration of time left, we shall move on to basic strikes."

I take a long, mournful look at my throbbing legs, mentally apologizing for the murder they've been put through. Of course, I only receive burning pain in response. Guillotine, on the other hand, fumbles her way to her feet, puffing all the while. "Yes, Sensei- er, teacher!"

As I painfully rise to my own feet, I can almost feel the eye-roll coming from Scarlet. "I shall ignore that. Come, let me inspect thy blade. I wish to see what thou art working with."

Guillotine glances at me, and I find myself rolling my eyes this time. Hobbling over towards where we set down the source of our troubles, I toss both sheathed blades over towards Scarlet. With a flourish, she catches and unsheathes both in a moment, letting the scabbards fly upwards. Taking only a moment to inspect them, she throws the blades upwards into their scabbards and catches them both, before flinging them back to us.

Showoff.

As we catch our swords, Scarlet turns to Guillotine. "Pray tell, where dids't thou procure such weapons? They are of... intriguingly fine make."

"Ah. Ing- er, Codename Jarhead of the Association heard my request for a worthy blade and pulled that artifact out from a deep crypt."

Scarlet's brow furrows, and she turns to me. After a second's consideration, I shrug my shoulders and mouth out 'CEO' silently. Scarlet's mouth opens slightly in understanding, nodding. "Ah. 'Tis not the quality of mine own blade-" She pulls out Fleetly Fading, flourishing it and holding it out for Guillotine to inspect. "-but 'tis of remarkable quality nonetheless."

"Of course! Codename Jarhead would only provide the most suitable weapon for me!"

Scarlet snorts. "Nay."

Guillotine twitches violently, staggered by the simple denial. "Wha- How is it not?! It's a Katana! The forum thread- I mean, holy scroll, said it was the best sword!" She gestures at Fleetly Fading. "Even you use one!"

"Haah?" It's my turn to flinch backwards. Scarlet's smile is frozen onto her face, and I can swear a visible tic mark has appeared on her forehead. A visible aura of menace surrounds the swordswoman as she narrows her eyes at Guillotine. "What did'st thou say?"

"Even you use a Katana- AARGH!" Guillotine yelps as Scarlet whacks her over the head with Fleetly Fading's Scabbard. "Dunderhead! 'Tis a Yedo!"

"A thousand-" Scarlet whacks her over the head again. "I mean, a million apologies for the insult, teacher! Argh! Stop!"

I sit back down as Scarlet continues her 'focused' training of Guillotine.

This'll take a while.


"Well, I feel rested. Thanks for the break, Scarlet." I say brightly. Guillotine glares at me from her kneeling position, but I graciously ignore any name-calling coming from her, such as a mouthed 'Judas.'

"Thou art... quite welcome, Milord."

"You just forgot about-!" In a moment, Scarlet is back to looming over Guillotine, scabbard raised threateningly over her head. Thanks to Scarlet's excellent attempt at education, Guillotine shuts up immediately. Scarlet glares at her for another moment, before clearing her throat. "As I was saying before thou so rudely interrupted me, thy sword is hardly suited for thou."

Guillotine wisely keeps her mouth shut as Scarlet unsheathes her Katana. "Observe. Thou hast damaged the tip of thy weapon. The Katana is a slashing blade, but thy instinct drives thou to thrust thy blade instead of just slash. 'Tis not an inherent problem, but thy blade is unsuited for such things."

Scarlet sets the Katana aside, pulling out Fleetly Fading again. "Again, observe. Thou can see that Fleetly Fading hast a far more gentle curve. 'Tis more suited for such purposes as thrusting while also allowing for slashes."

My eyebrows climb upwards as Scarlet turns her sword around and offers it to Guillotine. Guillotine gingerly takes it by the hilt, feeling the blade out. Turning slightly, she swings the blade once. The hiss of air parting around the blade is audible even from here, and I can spot her eye sparkling.

"Awesome..." Guillotine breathes out. An amused hum from Scarlet causes her to stiffen, then flush. "Ahem! I mean, this is quite a fine blade. It doubtlessly rivals Durendal or Hrunting! Fleetly Fading, slayer of ten million Raptures!"

Scarlet looks thoughtful. "Has it really been that many?"

The two of us just stare at her for a moment.

After a moment's consideration, Scarlet simply shakes her head and smiles. "Ah, 'tis no matter. But I daresay none have talked about mine blade with such passion before." She crosses her arms and playfully raises an eyebrow. "Should I fear a theft of such a treasure?"

"No."

Scarlet blinks at the flat denial. "Didst the thought not even cross thy mind?"

"Nope." She swings the blade again, listening to it whistle as is travels through the air with her eye closed. "Can you not hear the song it sings as it flies through the air? It's one of departures and sorrow, and that song only abates when it's in your grasp, where it finds happiness. Only those possessed with an evil most foul would think of taking it from you!"

Scarlet's smile falters as she stares at Guillotine, then at her sword. She turns to look at me, but I can only offer a shrug of my shoulders at her questioning look. With a puff of air through her nose, she takes a step back and sits back down on the stump heavily, grabbing a bottle to do little more than stare at. "...What else do thou hear from it?"

"Uh." It's Guillotine's turn to look at me, but I can only offer her the same thing. She grimaces, eyes darting between Scarlet and the sword in her hands. I have to suppress a snort as she desperately brings the flat of the blade up to her ear. "Er..." She pulls it away, looking at it for a second, before her eye widens again. With a little 'Aha!' she brings a hand up, tenses her fingers, and flicks the blade.

A sharp, resonant tone rings out across the area, and Guillotine brings the humming metal back up to her ear. Scarlet manages to look up from the bottle she's holding, brow furrowed. Guillotine doesn't notice, however. Her vision is unfocused as she pays attention to whatever she's doing with the sword.

Scarlet brings the bottle up to her lips- "That was meant to be a treat, not a lifestyle, Scarlet." -and she immediately chokes, spraying liquid all over herself.

Guillotine's eyes return to focus as the ringing stops. "That's, uh, what I heard." Guillotine falters as Scarlet stares at her. "I'll, um, practice by myself for a bit."

And with that, Guillotine practically shoves Fleetly Fading back into Scarlet's hands, picks up her Katana, and flees.

I snort. Then flinch, when Scarlet's stare turns towards me. "I'll, uh, do that too."

Turning around and doing my best to run without looking like I'm running, I just barely manage to catch Scarlet grumbling, "'Twas simply water. I hardly partake every waking moment."

As I catch up to Guillotine, I could almost swear that I could hear the singing of metal, ringing out like laughter.


"With this training completed, I have ascended towards the heavens! My blade shall flash with starlight, and soon I shall cut my enemies into thousands of pieces with only a bare minimum of effort!"

Scarlet and I glance at each other as Guillotine does a set of basic swings as we wait for the elevator to arrive. "I suppose walking up a step does technically bring you closer to the sky." She giggles, nodding slightly. "'Twould be more impressive if she were not about to fall over as well, no?"

"I'm about to fall over."

"Alas, you were abducted by the dastardly sword-wielding Nikke. Such things are not surprising."

I groan. "Slave driver."

Scarlet hums, appraising me with a grin. "Oh? Art thou volunteering to work in my fields for me? Quite a tempting proposition."

"When the hell did slavery become voluntary?"

"Ah, I see. Thou wish for me to..." Scarlet gently grabs my arm and pulls me towards her. Given the state of my legs, I all but collapse into her. "Take, what I wish."

As Scarlet holds me in her arms, I'm forced to conclude that I'm on the back foot here. Well, unless...

I twist in her grip to look up at her. Giving her my most earnest smile, I simply say, "I trust you."

Scarlet nearly chokes as a blush crawls across her cheeks. "I... Milord, you-" She groans as my smile turns into a grin. "'Tis most unfair to use thy charms in such a manner, Milord."

"Probably, but you deserve the best." Finding enough strength to stand on my own again, I let Scarlet lean into our impromptu hug. "I'll see you around, Scarlet."

Scarlet pulls away, smiling fondly at me. "Safe travels, Milord."

I turn as I hear the elevator arrive. Just as I begin to turn back towards Scarlet to wave goodbye, I hear a giggle, and a pair of lips press themselves against my cheek. And then, in a flash, Scarlet is gone.

"Partner, If you're done seducing the drunken master, we should probably go."

I wince as I turn towards Guillotine. "Sorry about that."

Guillotine shakes her head as we walk into the elevator. "Hmph. I'm not unaware of your popularity, partner." She tenses slightly, fingertips tapping together as the elevator starts to descend. "Now, the vile spirit of jealousy-"

I roll my eyes and pull Guillotine into a hug as well. Unfortunately, I overestimate our ability to stay standing, and she falls on top of me.

We stay silent for a moment.

"...This works too."

I lightly chuckle. We simply lie there for a moment, and my eyes are drawn towards a tag on her jacket-

"It's an Uwagi!"

"...Eh?" Guillotine pulls herself upwards to look at me.

I flush slightly. "I couldn't remember what that kind of jacket was called."

She stares at me. "...You could've asked me, Partner."

...

Guillotine rolls herself off of me, facepalming. "Partner..."

"I forgot, okay?!"

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Pub: 04 Aug 2025 01:29 UTC

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