After a mere eight minute battle with the suited demon, all seems as though Alice has prevailed. Just to be sure, Alice walks over to where he last lay, and sure enough he can barely breathe. "Didn't see this outcome did you?" Alice sasy in a mocking tone. "Hardly," The demon scoffs. "But then again, I'll this won't be my only chance to battle you honey." "What do you mean?" Alice asks. "Because at the midway pointof our battle, I cut one of my hands off and used it to morph another version of me in the case of me being overpowered by you." The demon says without that tone he brought earlier. "I though you could only make weapons with yourself." Alice states bluntly. "Oh dear," The demon says. "Why would I show my hand in a desolate swamp like this? A battle befitting titans like us should be on a more grander stage don't you agree?" When the demon says this, Alice ca't help to think of the gangleader asking her why they had to fight in a rundown city. "You know, you're the second person to ask me this, and i want to know why the place we fight means so much to everyone? Why should a battle to the death be in this grand ballroom or castle as opposed to a swamp or beaten down city, perfect place for deathmatches."
The demon laughed at her. "You, of no taste," he said. "I am of a higher being, and before too long, you will be too. Such shallow grounds are unfitting of our stature. We deserve a stage far greater than this swamp or a rundown city." He glanced at the watch on his right arm. "It appears I'm late, so I must bid thee adieu. Before I forget—I realized I never gave my name. Call me Allister. Remember the name, and remember it well, honey." With that, he dissolved into the swamp, vanishing beneath the murky water. Alice considered pursuing him but decided against it; for now, she needed to breathe. She slumped against a tree, her legs trembling from the overuse of her aura. Standing had been a struggle—another fight would've killed her. Glad he didn't push further. If he knew I could barely stand, I'd be dead for sure, she thought. Three minutes later, a familiar voice echoed through the fog. "Alice? Where are you? I got plenty of samples to study—couldn't spare the demon, though." Forcing herself upright, Alice greeted him. "Hey, Rockerboy. You have as much fun as I did?" Jackson dropped his gear and rushed to her side. "What happened?! You look inches from death." "Well, you ain't wrong," Alice said between heavy breaths. "The demon I fought wasn't B‑Rank. Could've easily been upper A‑Tier… maybe low S‑Tier." Jackson scanned the swamp nervously. "Where did he go?" Alice shrugged. "Faulty intel. He can morph into anything as long as the base material comes from his hand. He used it to make a copy of himself—and that's what I beat up. Who knows where the original is now."
"Well, enough talk for now. I got what we came here for, so we can get the hell out of this craphole and get you treated," Jackson said as he hoisted Alice up and began the trek back toward the base. "By the way, what was this demon like? Any other mannerisms we should know about?" Alice thought for a moment before answering. "His aura ability makes him stronger whenever his opponent is in the most pain and gives the biggest reaction to it. He's got a sweet tongue, too. And he claimed he was a true demon." Jackson paused, brow furrowing. "Kinda sounds like a demon I fought a few months back. Was his name Allister?" Alice's eyes widened. "Y‑yeah, it was. How'd you meet him?" "That's a story for another time," Jackson replied, "a time not so far off depending on what results I get from the actual B‑Rank I fought." He carried her into the base and straight to the infirmary to get her patched up. While Alice received treatment, Jackson returned to the dorm room and began studying the blood samples he'd taken from the hulking half‑demon he fought earlier. As he worked, a woman appeared in the doorway—silver hair, a black right eye, her left eye sewn shut, dressed in a matte black gown and silver stilettos. "Come in, Brittney," Jackson said calmly. "I know you're there. You couldn't conceal your aura if your life depended on it." Brittney strolled in with a smirk. "Rude as ever, I see. I haven't seen you in months, and this is how you greet me?"
Jackson laughed. "Well, I have been pretty busy as of late, so forgive me if I'm a little tense." Brittney walked in and sat on the bed behind his work desk. "So what's been going on that's so important you can't call, text, or do anything?" Without looking up from his work, Jackson replied, "I got a new roommate. One Alice Holmes. Wild one, that's for sure, but a good heart deep down. She's gotten herself involved with quite the character, though, so I want to make sure that doesn't come back to haunt her." Brittney glanced up from her phone. "What type of character?" "David," Jackson said gravely. Brittney's eyes widened. "You're not thinking of hunting him down again, are you?" Still focused on his work, Jackson answered, "Not unless it's absolutely needed. My main goal is to peacefully sever the ties Alice has with David so she feels free to do her own thing. As it stands, she feels indebted to him. The bastard did save her life—for what purpose is still unclear, though I have a few ideas." Brittney stood over him now. "Let's hear them. And it better not be wild ramblings again." Jackson paused his work and looked up at her. "You remember our battle with Allister, right?" Brittney nodded. "Of course. We barely made it out with both our powers combined." "Well, Brit… Alice beat him. Or at least a weakened version on par with what we faced—by herself, and not without serious injury, of course," Jackson said with a smirk. "If I was a betting man, I'd say David wants to use that power she possesses. I just don't know what for yet—but knowing him, it can't be good."
Brittney took a moment to digest everything she'd been told. "Alright… what can I do to help? I don't want anyone else suffering because of that sorry excuse for a man." "I'm so glad you asked," Jackson said. "First, we need to get out of here. It's pretty obvious Jessica and David are buddy‑buddy, so the sooner we leave, the better." "Okay, good start. What's next? I'm guessing our dear Alice has little to no control over her aura if she's here, correct?" Brittney asked. Jackson nodded. "Right on the money, like always. That's where you come in. You had the highest level of aura control in our entire class, so I want you to teach her everything you know. She needs to be ready for whatever happens after we escape." Brittney stroked her chin. "You think Jessica and David will pursue us, correct?" "Not entirely," Jackson replied. "I believe Jessica won't let any of us leave without a fight. If it comes to that, I'll take her out." Brittney looked up at him. "You sure about that? I know you don't like to kill." Jackson stood and met her gaze. "Just because I don't like to doesn't mean I won't if it's to protect the people I care about." "Point taken," Brittney said. "First things first—I need to check on Alice. She's still in the infirmary after her victory over Allister. You need to get all my research out of the building as soon as you can. After that, come back and we'll plan our exit." Brittney nodded, and the two went their separate ways. When Jackson reached the infirmary, a strange tingling in the air made his skin crawl. This doesn't bode well, he thought. He found Alice fully healed but still asleep. As he stepped closer, a sudden crash of vials snapped his attention to the side. Instinct took over—he drew his katana and intercepted a knife aimed at Alice's throat. "Not a wise choice," Jackson said, his demeanor shifting into something cold and razor‑sharp. "Why's that?" A masked assassin asked. "No one is here to help you." Jackson straightened, eyes narrowing. "I'm here. That's more than enough."