The foul smell of blood littered the air of the destroyed, collapsing roof, emanating from the shredded fresh corpses of slaves—something that disgusted Clara as she listened.
"Listen carefully. This plan counts entirely on all of us doing our parts," Albert said.
Meanwhile, not too far from them on the other side of the quartz roof, Malikar and Laticia were still clashing.
"Is that all you've got?!" Laticia taunted as the swarm of the Gladius qui Serpit rushed and shredded past her evasion.
"Tck!" Malikar grunted before swinging his handle. The beautiful blade swarm—looking like a million sparks in the air—rushed and spread, separating into five smaller groups as they circled Laticia.
"Oh? A new trick? You're a bad boy, Mali!" she taunted in a seductive tone.
Malikar merely smirked, resolve in his eyes ever brilliant. "Nah, this one's on the house," he said before focusing. The five blade swarms twisted and violently closed in on Laticia. "Now be crushed and shredded from all sides and die, you bitch!" he shouted.
Watching the exchange, a cold sweat suddenly ran down Albert's cheek. He didn't know why, but his legs shook. The smell of the countless blood-soaked corpses of slaves littering the quartz roof would already be too much for any normal person, but Albert could suddenly feel a terrifying sense of fear course through his veins. Judging by Jetore's hesitation, he was likely the same.
Seracore grit his teeth before Clara spoke: "His attack will fail."
Albert turned in shock. "What?!" he questioned.
In an instant, however, as the blades threatened to shred Laticia from all sides, she let out a maniacal laugh before taking something mysterious out of her ripped long skirt. It looked like a syringe.
Just then, the five swarms of the Gladius qui Serpit closed the distance and seemingly crushed Laticia, the friction causing a small explosion.
Albert's mouth hung open. After all, no human should survive that—Marked One or not. But Clara had a complicated expression as she exhaled, leaning into Albert's ear as she spoke: "After Malikar falls, we put that plan of yours into action."
Jetore's head snapped back, having heard the exchange. "Are ye out of yer mind, woman?!! If the bitch survives something like that, then we ain't doin' shit to her!!" he shouted, causing Clara to grimace.
Seracore's hold on his colossal shield tightened as he glared at Jetore. "SHUT IT!" he yelled, offending Jetore, who looked more pissed than before. But Seracore continued: "Do you really think ya know more than Clara?! Well?!! Remember your place, rookie!! She's the right hand of one of the Crimson Stains!! Our highest rank! There's been plenty of times where many of us have only survived thanks to her!! Show respect, you dumbass!!!" he shouted.
Jetore grimaced, trying to speak but failing, as Clara gave a tired smile. "That's enough, Seracore," she said.
Before Albert could add anything, the group's attention was stolen by the smoke dissipating. Malikar was suddenly repelled back, flipping through the air. He landed on a broken pillar, but the blood from his knee splashed as he tripped and smashed into the collapsing rubble.
"Shit!" he vented. The terrifying wound that wrecked his knee had finally taken its toll. *Dammit… I can't stand like this,* he thought, trying to crawl.
Out of the smoke appeared Laticia, whose hair had seemingly grown even wilder. The dual Second Tier marks of the Enslaver grew in a scarlet haze on her neck exponentially, covering a large part of her neck and back as she cracked her neck with a demonic smirk.
For a moment, Albert could almost feel his will being taken over—a desire to submit. It all seemed hopeless, but he managed to catch himself and retain focus.
"Let's go!" he said, only for Seracore and Jetore to collectively yell: "Don't order me around, jackass!!!" before running and following anyway.
Malikar struggled, unable to return to his feet. His dark hair was a mess, and multiple scratches, tears, and wounds covered his body. His coat had been shredded too. It took all his concentration to not pass out from the blood from his knee as he weakly tore a piece of fabric from his clothing and wrapped it around his bleeding wound.
*Just what the hell did she do? How did she… withstand that? What is she?* he thought between his jagged, hard breaths. But his thoughts were interrupted as he saw Jetore and Seracore charge forward, Albert and Clara following behind. *What are they planning? Diamond Fist Clara would never start a suicide rush,* he thought before sighing and leaning back on a collapsed quartz slab.
Malikar reached into his pocket and pulled out a lighter and cigarette before lighting it. *I don't get paid enough for this shit,* he said.
Meanwhile, Laticia's earlier smile had changed into a neutral look of disappointment and frustration as she twirled her remaining part of the severed chain whip. "This is getting old now, boys!" she said before dashing forward, shattering the ground beneath her.
"I'll teach you what it means to mess with the Chains of Subjugation! To mess with a GODDESS!" she declared before swinging her chain whip into a long slash that arced through the air.
Jetore dodged it by jumping and flipping through the air. The chains crashed into the flooring, destroying part of it.
"Bring it, you whore!" he shouted before dashing down, his Mark of the Bomber glowing amber as he pointed his right hand forward. A spark ignited from Jetore's palm as an explosion erupted.
Laticia blinked before being swallowed by it. "OBLIDERATION!!!" Jetore shouted as the explosion erupted, destroying dozens of pillars and collapsed slabs on the quartz roof. The fact that the roof hadn't completely collapsed from the fierce battle was a true miracle at this point.
Jetore smirked, but his arrogance would last only a second before Laticia emerged from the smoke, any burns or wounds sustained already healing as she disregarded the bleeding points in her body. She blitzed Jetore with a downward swing of her chains.
Jetore attempted to duck but was too slow. The chain whip horrifyingly slashed his shoulder, causing a spray of blood as he shouted and groaned in agony. "Arghhh!"
Albert's eyes shrank. "Jetore!" he shouted, though Clara's expression only hardened.
"You're clearly the dumbest of your group. I don't even feel like enslaving you," Laticia said before kicking Jetore in the stomach.
His eyes widened as he spat out blood before crashing back.
"Dammit! Who told you to rush!?" Albert yelled in frustration as they continued moving closer swiftly. It seemed Jetore had been knocked unconscious, causing hesitation in Albert.
*We need to get closer… but it's a tall task because of these damn chains!* Seracore thought as he lifted his shield to withstand and block the force of a chain whip that crashed and collided into it, causing him to slide back.
Albert's Mark of the Architect glowed golden as pieces of the collapsed quartz flooring broke and changed shape to his command, forming a makeshift staircase as Albert raced up, circling around Laticia, who merely grinned.
"Now that's a handy ability. What's your name, pretty boy? You're gonna be my favourite of the new batch of slaves I'll acquire today!" she said in a twisted, cold tone before swinging a chain. It crashed into the staircase, shattering it.
"Tck!" Albert grunted before flipping off, falling through the air toward Laticia.
Laticia merely smirked as she lifted her hand to swing the chain whip, but suddenly a flashing presence appeared. She looked back to see Clara, who had lined up her fist.
"Laticia Sendorlitch!!!" she shouted, her Mark glowing red as she punched the ground, shattering it and knocking Laticia back, who was momentarily stunned.
"Oh?! Does Clara dear wanna play?" she taunted before swinging her chain whip, causing Clara to dash back, dodging the swing as it shattered more of the ground, tearing a hole through the roof and destroying more quartz slabs. A dust cloud erupted from the site of impact. Clara could only hope that Kran and Maddeline were alright below.
Laticia dashed forward, swinging a chain whip in an attempt to kill Clara, but suddenly a blue shield-shaped field appeared in front of her, blocking the chain. She turned to see Seracore, having projected it. His breaths were ragged, but his smirk was true.
"The damn bomber put a hole in the plan, but it ain't nothing I can't improvise with!" he declared, causing Clara's eyes to focus and narrow.
Laticia had a complicated expression as she jumped back. *Plan? What plan?* she thought.
However, her thoughts would be interrupted as suddenly Albert's boot crashed into her face as he landed from up high, kicking her. A hesitant yet proud grin was on his face, with a hint of sadism.
Laticia coughed as blood trickled down from her nose. She grit her teeth in rising anger, but Albert quickly hooked around her shoulder and pressed down.
"GET OFF ME!!" she shouted, almost losing her balance.
"NOW! DO IT!" Clara shouted.
Albert smirked as he stared down at Laticia, inches from her face, boundless resolve in his eyes. "You asked what my name was, right? It's Albert Erecus. You better remember it, because it's the last you'll hear before your death!" he declared, pressing his hand forward.
*So they were trying to get the pretty boy close to me?! Why?! He must have something dangerous up his sleeve for Diamond Fist to have gambled this much… INFURIATING INSECTS!!* she thought as Albert's palm came inches from her face, which was already healing.
She could see the Mark of the Architect—a symbol of a compass on Albert's cheek—glow golden as his left hand twisted and interlocked with his right wrist, pressing down. She noticed the ground below her feet distort. Albert was clearly attempting to cast a technique on her.
"Dea—" Albert started, but suddenly his eyes widened as Laticia smirked.
Suddenly, a red-tinted transparent Chain of Subjugation shot from her neck. It would have gotten Albert if he hadn't reacted in the small second he was given and tilted his neck left to dodge.
"Nice try!" she said before twisting around and winding her leg, unleashing a kick to Albert's stomach. He coughed up a mixture of blood and saliva before falling back.
Seracore cursed before speaking: "The genius failed. I told you not to rely on these useless rookies!" he said, only for Clara's eyes to narrow as she rushed forward with blinding speed.
"Wait, Clara!" Seracore shouted.
Albert coughed, struggling to calm his breathing as he shook, attempting to get up as Laticia walked closer to him with an indifferent smile that lacked emotion.
"It almost never goes our way now… does it, Erecus? That's just how the world is," she said.
Albert tripped before glaring back. "S-shut up, you whore! You've never had to struggle in your life! But we do. Things may never go the way we want… imperfection lies everywhere… Not too long ago, I had a similar way of thinking… but a certain boy I met changed it. People have never associated themselves with me out of comradery—it was always for financial gain or status. I had accepted that and built a shell of arrogance that could be twisted. But… that boy I met, he didn't mention any of that… he told me to stop chasing my brother's dream… because… b-because it's *my* dream now! So it's with me always!" Albert shouted out. "And until I achieve it… I refuse to submit like a coward!" he continued.
Laticia paused for a moment, her eyes widening. She let out a shaky breath as her hands curled, her hair dancing with rage as her veins bulged on her forehead.
"Never struggled? Is that what you think? You think I've always been the Witch of Chains?! I was raised in an environment that hated me. No matter what I tried, my own father was disgusted by my very sight. I was merely a tool for him, and I was defective, so he hated me… he even drained my mother to death. When I thought I was finally free… that bastard Erenor Kran threw me into another hell… I was a slave, a person's plaything… Never once did I have the power to do what I wanted… SO I KILLED THAT LIFE!! Now it's me who's in control!! EVERYONE IS EVIL EXCEPT ME! It's my turn to play god! No one rules me again! I rule them now!! EVERYONE BELONGS TO ME!!!" Laticia shouted, swinging her chain whip at Albert, who was left frozen.
Clara's eyes widened at the claims against Kran, but that second of hesitation would cause her to grit her teeth. "Albert, move!" she shouted.
Albert grit his teeth, bracing, but suddenly the ground became warm, then hot. Laticia's eyes widened as she froze. The flooring beneath her burst as a column of fire hit her pelvic area from beneath, bursting through as she was repelled up into the air with a scream.
Rennet appeared in a haze. "HEY, BITCH!" he shouted.
Seracore ran forward. "YOU BASTARD!! I'LL KILL YOU! WHERE DO YOU GET OFF BRINGING MY SISTER HERE!" he shouted.
Albert caught his breath as he saw the perpetrators of this act. The fire dissipated, yet Laticia was still thrown into the air. She coughed a mass of blood, her expression twisted in agony. Part of her ripped sweatshirt was burned, along with her skirt, revealing bloodied and burned skin. Rennet's fist smashed into her stomach.
Kiera was hanging onto him, clutching her instrument. Rennet had blasted through the roof and hit Laticia.
Clara's shock quickly turned to determination as she charged forward. "Good work! Get away from her now!" she commanded. *Our plan may still have a chance, even without Jetore,* she thought.
"What?! Why would—" Rennet started but was interrupted as Laticia slashed his leg with a chain, drawing blood as he shouted. Her wounds were already recovering from the burns of Rennet's arrival.
"DAMN YOU, BRAT!!" Laticia shouted, moving her hand.
Kiera closed her eyes in fear before playing the electric guitar part of her instrument. Her Mark of the Musician glowed purple as she swung her hair to the music. Suddenly, a shockwave erupted from the hard metal soundtrack she played. The force crashed into Laticia as she coughed and crashed down.
"YOU DAMN INSECTS!!" Laticia shouted, but she wasn't given any room as Clara appeared in a menacing stance, fierce intent in her warrior eyes as she delivered a swift karate chop to Laticia's arm, breaking it as she screamed.
"NOW! Lock me in with her! Don't hesitate!" she commanded, grabbing Laticia.
The red witch's shock followed as she saw Albert weakly falling from above, his right palm facing Laticia, having likely catapulted himself when outside her attention.
Laticia smirked maniacally, choking through her blood. "HAVE YOU FOOLS LEARNED NOTHING?!" she shouted.
Suddenly, a red-tinted Chain of Subjugation shot from her neck and twisted swiftly toward Albert.
However, Seracore pressed his hand toward Albert, who was still in mid-air. "PERSONAL THREE SIXTY SHIELD HEAVEN!" he shouted.
Suddenly, a spherical blueish forcefield encompassed Albert as he fell closer. The Chains of Subjugation slammed into the shield instead of phasing through.
*What?! Impossible,* Laticia thought in denial.
Albert fell closer, protected inside the hollow sphere. *As I thought—Passion Mark abilities conflict with each other because they share the same nature. No matter how mystical her Chains of Subjugation seem—being able to phase through non-living matter—it seems they can't do the same for Seracore's projected shields, because they're made of the same energy her chains are!* he thought with a deadly smirk, slamming down.
Clara held Laticia as Albert pointed his palm at her.
"Dead Man's Chamber!" he shouted.
His Mark glowed golden. The broken quartz slabs suddenly came together as the flooring contorted.
Laticia's eyes widened.