On her flank, Adam rushed in, his knife flashing through the rain as he struck with precision. Pix twisted, ducked, and weaved, her movements sharp but desperate, each dodge narrower than the last.
"Don't let her breathe! Keep the pressure on!" the captain said, his voice hoarse.
The squad advanced in sync, three elite agents converging on one exhausted girl.
"Aren't you ashamed of ganging up on one girl?!" Pix shouted between ragged breaths, frustration cracking her voice.
"Not really!" Bart shouted back with a grin, swinging again.
Their blows came from every angle, steel, shock, and speed, until Pix's defenses faltered, her metallic arms trembling under strain.
From behind, the Eclipse Squad captain stood steadily, his gun aimed on her the entire time, following her every movement. He didn't move nor attack, just waited patiently.
Waited for the perfect moment to pull the trigger.
Just then, as Pix sprang backward to avoid Bart's strike, her foot slipped on the wet pavement. She lost balance and tumbled to the ground.
"Agh!" Pix groaned, clutching her ankle in pain.
The Eclipse Squad captain's eyes sharpened, this was the moment he'd been waiting for. He steadied his aim, finger tightening on the trigger.
From the muzzle came a sharp hiss, a dart-like bullet cutting cleanly through the windy air.
But before the dart could reach Pix, it suddenly veered off course, flung aside as if struck by an unseen force.
A sharp whirl of wind echoed through the rain.
From the shadows of a narrow alley, the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps followed.
A feminine silhouette emerged, her frame eerily similar to Pix's, from height to the curve of her posture.
She let out a quiet sigh, rubbing a hand over her eyes. "How annoying…" she muttered, voice cold and dripping with disdain. "Why do you have to be so weak?"
Pix gasped, her eyes lighting up with sudden relief. "Lulu, you've come! Help me!" she cried, her furious glare melting into joy and desperation all at once.
The girl stepped out of the shadows, rain tracing down her dark hair like silver threads. She exhaled softly, her voice low and drained. "I told you not to call me that."
Her tone carried no malice, just fatigue, as though even speaking was a chore.
Across from them, the four Eclipse agents stiffened. Their confidence evaporated as the weight of the moment sank in. One bearer was already a nightmare to contain and now another had appeared.
The Captain's throat tightened. He swallowed hard. "Well shit…This just turned bad."
The Eclipse agents exchanged tense glances, instinctively closing in to regroup. They knew death was guaranteed if they ever tried to fight the two, with only four of them, unless they had a Bearer on their side.
Lulu's tired eyes drifted toward them. "You lot can go," she said flatly, her voice carrying through the rain. "I'm tired."
She raised a single hand, aiming not at the agents, but at Pix.
"Eh?! But they attacked me!" Pix protested, stepping back. "Ave—"
Her words stopped mid-breath as shadows coiled around her body, swallowing her whole. In seconds, Pix's figure dissolved into a floating orb of darkness that drifted obediently toward Lulu.
The Eclipse agents exhaled in collective relief, lowering their weapons slightly as the tension eased. "What luck," Bart said.
Then Alice's voice crackled through their comms, calm yet edged with concern.
"Don't pursue any longer. Return to headquarters," she ordered. "The moment that girl appeared, our signal with you was disrupted. Her ability, whatever it is, it's extremely dangerous."
None of them dared to disagree. After a brief moment of silence, the four agents exchanged brief nods. None of them spoke a word as they turned away from the scene, they retreated toward headquarters.
Somewhere in Zekil City, deep within a silent, hidden room where no trace of rain could reach, a sphere of shadow unraveled, fading like smoke until it revealed Pix, crouched and gasping for breath.
She stumbled forward, panting. "What was that for?! Why did you let those people go? We could've beaten those old men!" she barked, throwing mock punches into the air.
Lulu sighed, dragging her tired body toward a couch and collapsing onto it. "So loud…" she muttered, her tone heavy with exhaustion.
"Wha—what?!" Pix stammered, glaring at her friend in disbelief.
"Hmph! I don't care anymore!" Pix huffed, her steps landing heavy as she stomped away. But before she could reach the door, a voice echoed softly through the dim room.
"Hello, girls. How did it go?"
Pix froze. She turned and saw another figure, a woman seated casually on a wooden chair beside the couch where Lulu had collapsed. Her short white hair caught the faint light, a tattoo curling along her shoulder.
Pix's expression lit up. "Sister Myr!" She cried, launching herself forward with open arms.
Myr stood up from her chair and embraced Pix. "Hello, Nera. You really should start acting like an adult, you know," she said, gently caressing her hair.
"So, did you find any clues about the fragment?" Myr asked gently.
Pix let out an awkward laugh, her voice muffled against Myr's chest. She stepped back before replying, "Well… I was kind of spotted by some agents, and—"
Myr sighed. "It's alright," she said softly. "That just means we'll have to move more cautiously from now on."
"What about Lulu?" Myr asked. Both of them turned toward the couch, where the girl was peacefully asleep.
"I can already tell she slept the whole time you were out looking for clues," Myr added with a faint smile.
Pix laughed awkwardly, scratching her cheek. "But I did get away from the agents thanks to Lulu," Pix said, vouching for her friend.
Myr sighed. "I see." She paused for a moment before continuing, "You girls should rest for the day and stay inside. We'll look for the fragment once the storm calms down."
Pix nodded in silence and left the room, her fading footsteps swallowed by the sound of rain outside.
Outside, the storm raged on with no sign of stopping. Zekil City lay ghosted and in ruins, save for a few lurking Bearers and Devils and the Neus agents that are constantly hunting them down.