**Continuing flashback: 6 years ago in Flowmouth burning down**
Trish's father grunted in pain as he stood, burns and wounds tainting his skin through his ripped clothes. "I… I… wasn't… *cough* strong enough… Your mother's in heaven… she's…. better off that way," he forced out, his voice cracking as tears fell from his eyes.
Trish began to cry, her small voice screaming in agony and pain. A part of her even wished this was all a nightmare.
Her father bent down and gently hugged her despite his wounds, his voice broken and strained, a mucus-filled mess of a nose. "Run!... please!! Trish… take Flowmouth's treasure! And run! They can't have it! Be brave! I always told you, didn't I!!!" he yelled out, embracing Trish for what he knew was the last time as his small daughter screamed and cried in his wounded arms while holding the box.
**On the other side of the burning town**
Dorothy's eyes glistened with tears as she struggled and forced her legs to push off and stand, her right hand touching her hip in a slouched posture. Her mouth spewed blood as her breaths grew ragged; still, she fought her pain.
*Trish… I need… to find Trish… and the Tóxo tou Ouranoú… I-I need to,* she thought, her legs shaking as she struggled to stand.
"Oh my, what deliciously hopeless determination for a sinner. Still, you're not even a Marked One—you're just a normal person—yet you can focus even in a situation where you're mentally destroyed and physically overwhelmed. Impressive," Osmia said.
Dorothy followed the voice as her blue eyes caught on to Osmia floating toward her through the sea of fire and ruin. Osmia's white and black robes flowed and danced.
"Why… what did we ever do to you people?! And just what the hell… MAKES US SINNERS?!!!" Dorothy shouted as her tears trickled down her cheeks.
The words made Osmia pause her advance for a moment before she smiled. She raised her arms up, as if basking in warmth from the sun. "This disgusting place you call Flowmouth—this seemingly fertile land—is tainted. You were born here and choose to remain. That makes you a sinner," she claimed politely despite her grotesque actions.
Dorothy's stomach turned as she glared at Osmia. She could only utter one shaky word: "W-what?"
Osmia grinned before lowering her arms, her teal-colored hair flowing in the wind. "Since you're about to die, I'll at least pass you onto hell with some knowledge to satisfy your curiosity. Three hundred years ago was the end of a period we call the Age of Discovery that revolutionized humanity, but even before that, the event that began that age was the first contact of humanity with extraterrestrial life. This land where your town exists—oh sorry, I meant *existed*—is the site of the first experiments they performed. This is where the otherworldly beasts were released, where that being Vesterious was born. As such, it's tainted with demonic energy the likes of you can't even comprehend! People like you, born here, exposed to that strange energy—you live unnaturally long lives. Some of you even develop certain specialties… like superhuman eyesight, for example," Osmia claimed.
A chill ran down Dorothy's spine. *So that's it. That's why Trish has been so special… and why all of us born here have been so different from people in the city…* she thought, her eyes softening in cold realization.
Osmia grinned, expecting an outburst from Dorothy. But instead, Dorothy stood up, still clutching her side. Her eyes gazed around at the burning ruins of the town she called home, where she grew and laughed and learned. It was her and Trish's home. The burned corpses littering the ground were once neighbors who worked together on the farm. Dorothy remembered one of them—an old man who once taught her how to fish.
The unsightly horrors made her stomach turn as her fists curled in vengeful rage. "Flowmouth and its treasure will never be yours! Do you hear me?! I'll MAKE YOU PAY!!!!" she shouted as she reached into her pocket.
Before Osmia could react, suddenly, Dorothy pulled out a pistol and pointed it at Osmia. Its silver entry shone as it reflected the fire around. Dorothy's right index finger hesitantly hooked around the trigger of the gun as it shook in her hands.
Osmia's eyes widened in response for a painfully small moment before she closed her left fist and raised it, releasing her pinky finger which pointed up. "Go ahead, then. Try going against God," she mockingly mentioned.
"HAHHHHH!!!!" Dorothy screeched as she pulled the trigger.
Like a flash, in an instant, the bullet shattered through the air before colliding with Osmia's raised pinky. She merely smirked before flicking the bullet; its trajectory changed, ricocheting from her pinky and shooting a hole through Dorothy's leg. It all happened so quickly that Dorothy was on the ground clutching her bleeding knee in seconds.
*I don't… understand… how can Marked Ones be… monsters… oh, Trish…* she thought.
"Has the reality of your situation finally dawned on you yet?" Osmia rhetorically asked before inching closer.
"Stop yappin' and get on with it," came Dusk's voice from behind, causing Osmia to pause and Dorothy's heart to nearly drop.
"Awww! But I like having fun!" Osmia replied, the sentence gaining no reaction from Dusk, who merely walked forward, his red scarf flowing as the heat of the amber inferno continued to circulate.
Osmia snorted before opening her right hand and pressing it toward the shaking Dorothy. "Divine Shot of Conviction," she mentioned, naming the technique in a holy voice. Suddenly, a golden beam erupted from her palm and, in a flash, shot through Dorothy's stomach as she coughed blood, her knees failing her.
Despite the unbearable pain she felt, the thought in her mind at that moment wasn't the grief over the loss of her home and parents, or even her own soon-to-be death. Rather, the only thing she worried about was whether her sister Trish would be fine or not.
**On the other side of the blazing Flowmouth**
Little Trish ran with tears in her eyes, having sustained minor burns and cuts from her desperate movements as she carried the box, not daring to look back at the body of her father who had just died.
"Dorothy!! DOROTHY!!!!!" she screamed and shouted.
She paused suddenly as she came face to face with Dusk, who sat and leaned on a tree branch. The red eye slits of his mask glared down at Trish as if she were prey for a predator.
Trish's small legs shook with fear as she struggled against the aura she felt. Dusk jumped down, towering above her as he looked down, his red scarf flowing but his gaze fixed on the box she held.
"Hey, brat. I promise to get it over and done with if you give me the box. Givin' you a choice here, ya know? Be smart about it," he said.
The fear in young Trish at that moment was so great that she barely heard him as she struggled to speak.
Suddenly, in an instant, Dorothy's voice rang out from the side. "DON'T LAY A HAND ON HER!!!!!" she shouted.
Dusk paused as Trish turned to see Dorothy limping toward her before kneeling down and hugging Trish as she cried. A hole in her stomach that leaked blood could be seen. Behind Dorothy was a trail of blood from her wound, followed by Osmia, who grit her teeth.
*Even after that fatal blow, this wretch still has energy? Just what are these cursed people?* she thought. The fact of failing to kill a powerless person like Dorothy in a single blow was rubbing off on Osmia in an ugly way, after all.
"Tck, what a worthless—" Osmia's venting was cut short as she noticed Trish and the box. A creepy grin appeared. "That must be the *Tóxo tou Ouranoú*. To think some brat would have it. But it at least makes the job easier," she continued.
Dusk didn't reply, but he did step forward, looking at the dying Dorothy who, even in her state, shielded little Trish.
"J-just… just what… do you people need the *Tóxo tou Ouranoú* for?" Dorothy said as she managed to turn her head. Trish was still crying in the embrace from the traumatic experience.
"Don't play dumb, girl. The *Tóxo tou Ouranoú* is one of the twenty great scientific weapons of the Age of Discovery. Its power is comparable to that of an offensive Marked One… but since you and your little sheep are about to die, I'll pass on some trivia for your mortal minds…" Osmia replied before continuing: "When at least five of the twenty scientific weapons are in one place, their imprints unite and act as a key to opening the Engineer's Seal," she stated.
The words shocked Dorothy, who coughed some blood before looking up. "Engineer's Seal? Wh-what is that?" she struggled, but was met with no answer.
"That's enough yappin'," Dusk finally said to cut the conversation as Osmia smirked.
As Dorothy struggled to maintain her consciousness, she looked down at Trish, who was shaking and crying as she held the box. "D..-dad… h-he… he gave me *sniffle* this and told me to run… but! He…!" Trish struggled, her tiny voice creating the loudest pained cry.
Osmia stopped as Trish opened her eyes. They were glowing a bright red, the same as the Passion Mark on her forehead that looked to be the symbol of an eye.
*What? So that brat's a Marked One?* Osmia questioned in her mind.
"Hey… Trish… calm down. I'm a-always with you… remember? Don't you wanna see everything about the world one day? … Y-you can't do that if you're crying… Now… what do you see?" Dorothy asked.
Trish focused as she grew confused. From her perspective, she could see the muscle fibers, organs, movement, color of emotions—everything in Dorothy. And the thing she saw the most was love.
"D-Do—" Trish was unable to finish as Osmia's irritated voice cut out.
"That's enough! Die and give the damn box, you sinners!"
Dorothy smiled despite the blood trickling down from her mouth as she hugged Trish. Another golden light came from Osmia's hand, this time almost like electric sparks, as it burned Dorothy while Trish screamed.
"W-WHAT?!" Osmia struggled as Dorothy smirked and struggled up through the attack, shielding Trish. Even Dusk was surprised as he walked forward.
"The *Tóxo tou Ouranoú* is Flowmouth's treasure! And this *brat* as you called her… i-is my little sister! And our land's pride! Never underestimate us!" she yelled. "Dorothy! Go! Run! Even if it hurts! Even if you're scared!... Because some day… you'll see the world for what it is," she finished with a smile.
"DOROTHY!!!" Trish screamed.
Dusk sensed it first. "Wait— Osmia!" he shouted as Osmia dashed toward Dorothy to kill her.
Suddenly, Dorothy revealed a grenade in her pocket, flicking the safety harness as it glowed. Osmia's eyes widened. She tried to move back, but Dorothy caught her hand.
*What?! But she has no Passion Mark! How can she have such strength?!* she thought as she struggled. The grenade shook and glowed in Dorothy's right hand.
Trish ran through the leaves, her eyes awakened—the Mark of the Seer.
Dusk dashed back. "Dammit!" he groaned as Osmia screamed and struggled in Dorothy's grip.
"LET GO OF ME!!! YOU DAMN SINNER!!!" she screamed.
Dorothy offered a small smile as she looked back to where Trish's figure faded. *…That's right, Trish. Your eyes are special. And one day… you'll see everything you want to… I know you will…* she thought in her final moments before the grenade activated.
A catastrophic explosion erupted, engulfing her and Osmia at point-blank range before destroying part of the area as Dusk shielded himself. "!!?"
**Back in the present, with Riko and Trish**
"And so… ever since then, I've always fought for myself… my goal: to destroy the group that took everything from me. By the power of the Mark of the Seer, and… that treasure, the *Tóxo tou Ouranoú*, I became strong!... I refuse to rely on the useless government! But I'm not keen on becoming a damn criminal like you, either! You hear me?!" Trish vented from within her cage as Riko sat in front of her, silent as he listened.
"...Right," he merely said. The casualness of it only got on Trish's nerves as she continued.
"I came for Laticia when I heard that the famous criminal, the Witch of Chains, was involved with the Shadow Wounds as business partners. But… she took me by surprise… and wants to sell me to the Shadow Wounds. Not just for the *Tóxo tou Ouranoú*, but—"
She was interrupted and cut off as Riko interrupted. "Okay? What's your point?" he asked with a casual expression.
The words surprised Trish so much that her grip on the bars loosened. "..W-what?" she asked. "You think I'm some kind of joke?!" she accused.
Riko sat up lazily before grinning. "Nope. But I do think you're a dumbass… just like me," he claimed.
"DON'T LUMP ME WITH YOU!!!" Trish aggressively replied, which only made Riko laugh—an act that caused Trish to pause.
"Hahahahah... HAHAHA!!!! You're interesting!" Riko laughed and claimed.
Something about it resonated with Trish. Despite how it looked, Riko's laugh and words didn't feel as if their purpose was to mock her. It was almost like the tone Dorothy playfully used when she was younger.
Riko finally calmed down as he smirked resiliently. "I've got someone I wanna avenge, too! If your sister's memory still burns in you like an engine, we should work together!" he suggested enthusiastically.
Trish's eyes widened at how similar Riko implied their circumstances were. "...Her memory?" she questioned, which only received a nod from Riko as he stretched before giving Trish a challenging smirk.
"Unless you're too cowardly!" he taunted. "Let's do it, then! We work together! I get closer to avenging the only guy I ever saw as a father, and you get closer to finding the people who destroyed your hometown!" he said as if it were already decided.
Trish's eyes glistened for a second before she slightly smirked with the memory of Dorothy. "...Fine. But don't slow me down," she said before smiling.