[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/72bEcUi.png[/img][/center]

Lily sighed in relief once Alex noticed his wound, though her sad expression didn’t change.

[color=fff200]”I guess it’s worse everywhere else,"[/color] Lily answered, and summoned her motorbike. She took out her phone, seemingly about to call someone, when she looked up at the sky [color=fff200]”I see a lot of birds heading over to the factories over on Industrial. I think we should go there next."[/color]

Once Alex was on board, the two of them headed off as usual. However, Lily continued to be gloomy behind the steering wheel.

[color=fff200]”H-Hey, Alex…I’m sorry."[/color] She paused, as if to recollect her words, before continuing.

[color=fff200]”For putting you in danger like that, and letting you get hurt. I mean, I’ve gotten hurt too; comes with this job and all. But I’m usually so fast I can dodge most attacks. But you’re always putting yourself out in harm’s way. Even if you can heal, I just…I don’t know, I feel guilty about it."[/color]

[hr]
At the apartment where Mariette had collected various civilians, the injured Beacon girl was resting, bandaged up like a poor mummy costume for Halloween. When Mariette approached her, the girl visibly tensed up. “Y-You’re the one who rescued me, right? Th-thanks…”
She then saw the tentacles that emerged from portals around Mariette, and the girl blushed. “W-Whatever you’re thinking of, it won’t work. I won’t break!” 
She was breathing unusually heavily, with something resembling a smile on her face. “No matter how much you torture me-!”

That was when Mariette asked her questions, causing the girl to blink. “O-oh. You just want…information.” Looking embarrassed at her misunderstanding, she glanced away with a cringing face, and then sighed. “A-Alright, I’ll tell you.” She sat up on her bed, and looked down at her hands. “It was me, Bloom, Stella, Riven, and Stormy. We were doing our usual rounds when we happened to see someone up on top of the iron smelting facility. Pretty sure it was a magical boy. Th-that’s when the monsters attacked us. I think I heard him say something about unifying or unification, but at that point I was too busy swinging my sword at some snapping jaws to hear more.” She then blinked, as she looked straight at Mariette…Or rather, at something behind her.

“Oh, it was him! That’s the guy!”
 
Mariette’s Light magic detected the statement as the truth.

When she turned, she saw her point at [url=https://i.imgur.com/CHEJ42b.jpg] one of the civilians she had rescued[/url]. The boy in question stepped out of the crowd, and bowed.

“Oh, my deepest apologies for interrupting your conversation.”
He had a pleasant smile and relaxing demeanor about him, making him very approachable for a stranger…And that caused Mariette to feel even more put off by him.

“It seems your friend has mistaken me for someone else.” 
Mariette detected the statement also as the truth.

“Anyway, I should introduce myself. My name is Robert White. I am pleased to meet you, Miss Pedersen. On behalf of the Queen of Hearts, I would be honored to give you this.” He reached for a letter tucked in his jacket, and graciously handed it out to Mariette. Just like the one before, this one also had the royal wax seal with the stylized heart symbol, marking it as genuine.

“Her Highness would like to invite you to a friendly game of croquet. It is a very important date, so please don’t be late~” he said, referring to the famous line spoken by a certain white-coated lagomorph. But the way he said it was still humorous, to the point even the Beacon girl let out a nervous giggle. Whoever this person was, they were very charismatic…And dangerous.

[hr]
At the hospital, Alicia readied a blade of light despite her wounded condition, one arm clutching at her side as she endured the pain. However, Sanngridr was more than prepared to punish the offending monster who dared to sink their teeth into her, piercing the beast’s heart with her Valkyrie’s Tear, followed by casting a rune written in the fiend’s own blackened blood and searing the monster from within, causing it to howl pitifully as it scattered into ash.

By the time Sann was done, Aurelio had already moved to mend Alicia’s injuries as the battle had ended, relieving her suffering. Sanngridr also took a moment to heal her wing, molting broken feathers as new ones grew in their place. Thyen, without as much as a a goodbye, the Chooser of the Slain departed on ebony wings, heading towards the bank’s direction.

[hr]
At the Penrose Bank, Miko and Ronin hesitated once Sakura had drawn Caroline’s ire, torn between fleeing the scene or aiding Sakura. Gaia chose a third option, and attempted to pacify the two combatants by enveloping them in a large cloud of very potent narcotic spores. This further drained Gaia, leaving her with only a little bit; the next spell she would cast would result in her transforming back to normal. However, the verdant girl did not have much time to think on the consequences when Sanngridr arrived, having taken the twins under her wing.

The spell was partially absorbed by Sakura’s aquatic barrier, the rest blown away by the serpentine girl. Caroline also noticed the spores, and breathed out fire, burning the spores out of the air.

[color=92278f]”Caroline is not going to wash Caroline’s teeth!! It’s not Caroline’s bed time yet!”[/color] She screamed, and then delivered a blow that severed Sakura’s horn. Caroline jumped back after the hit, swiped it downwards to quell the flames, and licked her blade, tasting the blood on it. This caused the demented girl to giggle madly, seemingly elated.

[color=92278f]”Sweet red! Just like Caroline remembered, sweet red!”[/color] She brandished her sword, lighting it up once more as she dashed once again at Sakura.
[color=92278f]”Caroline wants more! More sweet red! MORE!”[/color]

In response, Sakura mightily shrieked, and the weather itself turned to a storm, causing Caroline to stop and blink in surprise as Sakura was surrounded by the raging winds, a creepily open smile on her lips.

[color=92278f]”Haa ha haa!”[/color] She laughed, even as Sakura charged, channelling her destructive magic onto the red-dressed maniac. The entire street shook from the impact, and windows shattered. The rain continued to stain the street with water…and carried shades of red with it; Caroline’s blood. The Killing Blow, just as Sakura planned, caused a bolt of thunder to strike at the moment the two collided. Caroline laid on the street; Her red dress was bleached into shades of pink by the intensity of the energy that had struck her. Her arms, legs, and face were burnt. Her mad giggling was replaced by gurgling blood from her throat. Sakura also lay nearby, panting unevenly as she was also frazzled by the blow, but to a much lesser extent. Even so, she was in need of immediate medical attention.

[color=bc8dbf]”CAROLINE!”[/color]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/K2ssvzh.png[/img][/center]

Justine arrived, having quickly descended down to Caroline. She held Caroline in her arms, tears staining her cheeks.

[color=bc8dbf]”Caroline, stay with me!”[/color] She pleaded, but Caroline didn’t respond. She sniffled.
[color=bc8dbf]”I’m sorry for how much I hurt you, Caroline! I’m sorry for not being there for you when you needed me the most! I let my desire for revenge consume me! It let me down a horrible road of despair!”[/color] 
She scratched the concrete-paved street next to Caroline with her long nails, breaking them.
[color=bc8dbf]”I did terrible things, thinking I’d avenge you, when I should have tried to heal your heart instead! I was so stupid! I’m sorry! So sorry!”[/color] She slammed her fist down, causing cracks to form on the street.

[color=92278f]”...Big…sis…”[/color]

Justine froze upon feeling Caroline’s hand weakly rising to touch her cheek.

[color=92278f]”You…Came for Caroline…You cared…”[/color] She faintly spoke as she opened her eyes, even as the pool of blood, diluted by the water, spread.

[color=bc8dbf]”Caroline!”[/color] Justine held the hand on her cheek.
[color=bc8dbf]”You will be alright, I promise! Just stay with me! I’ll never leave you again!”[/color]
However, Caroline coughed blood in response.

[color=92278f]”...Caroline…knows….Big sis…Will always…be with…me…”[/color]

Then, she closed her eyes…And her hand went limp.

Justine continued sitting on her knees, holding Caroline, as she quietly wept.

[sub][color=bc8dbf]”Caroline…”[/color][/sub]

[hr]
At the industrial sector, the battle came to a decisive close with Penny’s earth-shaking arrival; with a mighty force, bolstered by Dina and Angel of Hope, the Builder Queen paved the streets with the ashes of the wendigos, covering for the Sanctuary warriors who were about to reach their limit. Like Laughing Octopus in the beginning of MGS4, Penny tore through the ranks of monsters. Assisted by everyone else, including Oliver who picked off more distant wendigos with firebombs, and MDP who blasted a few more with pretty beams of deadly light, the battle was finally over; what wendigos remained were either incapacitated, or slowly regenerating.

“Phew, we survived,” Hanna commented, holding her arm due to a bite wound she had incurred, which had already began to close thanks to Reinforcement magic.
“Yeah…” Fubu agreed, though she frowned. “But not Karen.”
“Oof…I guess we’ll have to hold a funeral for her.”

However, even after the wendigoes were destroyed, birds continued to ominously gather in the sky. Though they have failed to harass anyone, having been shocked into nuggets or burned into hot wings by Dina’s phoenix, they still flew in circles above, almost as if they were watching.

Having realized this oddity sooner than others, Finn went to investigate the nearby factory, followed by Mayra. There, they heard someone’s voice in the distance; they seemed to be talking to someone else.

[sub]“Yes, the nexus has surpassed our expectations. I assure you that you will be pleased by its potency, Your Highness.”[/sub]

The two reached the main production hall, and up on a walkway next to the windows Finn saw the source of the Beast magic: a [url=https://i.imgur.com/W8bAeDe.jpg]masked man in a decorated suit[/url] was speaking to an old-fashioned corded telephone attached to a strange device. The device emerged out from a suitcase much smaller than the device itself, and had glowing crystals and blue wires interspersed with electronics, buttons, dials, and an antenna on top. The antenna slowly rotated, and Mayra realized that she had seen something similar used on a dimension she or one of her colleagues had visited; it was a magitech radio of sorts. It also seemed to be capable of cloaking it’s user from magical or technological surveillance, with only the Beast magic having been able to be traced.

“The local defenses are unorganized but not to be taken lightly. Penrose is unsuitable as a landing point for our troops. Silverburg on the other hand is lightly defended and within marching distance. I recommend-”
The man stopped having noticed the arrival of the two.
“Ending call. Hail Wonderland!”
He then placed the corded phone back on the device, and pressed a button; the device sunk into the suitcase as it closed, leaving no trace of the device.
The man picked up the suitcase, and faced the intruders. He then placed a sealed letter on the windowsill, and dusted off his coat. He smiled smugly.

“Ignorant slaves to the Powers.” He snapped his fingers, and ten wendigos suddenly emerged around Finn and Mayra, having arrived from summoning circles; it seems the mysterious man had prepared for being found out. As the wendigos attacked, the man dashed out, swift as the wind, and disappeared completely.