The moment Ophelia gave the order seemed to linger in the air like a silent fracture. She had not raised her voice or tried to convince anyone. She had simply spoken like someone who knew exactly what needed to be done and had already accepted the risks that came with it. In that instant, the group split not only physically, but mentally. Kenzo, Lucian, and Madame drew away the crushing pressure of the Unstable creature, leaving Ophelia and Naty with the other threat, the one that breathed differently, the one that did not look like a Void Creature and yet carried something just as foul within him.
Sir James watched them approach with a smile that held nothing human. He did not move at first, merely studying them from head to toe like a predator deciding where to begin. Saliva still ran slowly down his chin, thick and viscous, occasionally dripping onto the webbed floor with an almost obscene softness. His eyes, half-hidden in shadow, burned with feverish excitement, and the closer Ophelia came, the brighter that glow seemed to become.
— « How thoughtful… » he finally murmured, his voice deep, hoarse, almost caressing. « Both of you coming to me. You have no idea how happy that makes me. Thank you… truly… for giving me the pleasure of eating you first. »
A chilling laugh escaped him, one that seemed to come not only from his throat but from his entire body, as though even his bones trembled with that sick delight. Naty stopped at a safe distance and summoned her whip in one smooth motion, the cord unfurling with a faint crack through the air.
— « He's a Deviant too, » she said calmly, never taking her eyes off Sir James. « But he's nothing like Kenzo. »
Ophelia summoned both of her long daggers almost simultaneously, their blades catching the dim light as her burning eyes fixed on the man with barely concealed disgust.
— « He's revolting. »
Sir James looked ready to answer, his lips parting to unleash another stream of words likely as vile as his smile, but Naty gave him no chance. With a sharp flick of her wrist, she sent the whip toward his face. The cord cut through the air and snapped violently just in front of his mouth.
— « Shut up. »
Far from taking offense, Sir James burst into even louder laughter. More saliva spilled from his mouth, stretching into glistening threads before falling to the floor.
— « Oh… » he breathed. « Then I'll start with you. »
He moved without warning. His body shot forward with brutal speed, startling for a man fighting barehanded. Ophelia and Naty reacted instantly. They had been together since the beginning of the Fragment, fought side by side, learned each other's timing through glances, silences, and countless small adjustments. Their coordination was no accident. Ophelia slipped to the side, her daggers tracing precise arcs toward vital points, while Naty remained slightly farther back, her whip moving along carefully controlled trajectories.
Sir James drew no weapon. He parried, blocked, endured. His scarred skin was unnaturally tough. Ophelia's daggers struck quickly and accurately, but instead of sinking into flesh as they would against an ordinary human, they only bit shallowly before partially bouncing away, leaving thin red cuts that began closing almost immediately. He smiled at every impact, as though he enjoyed the sensation.
Naty fought differently. She was not trying to restrain him the way she would against a Void Creature. Every swing of her whip carried one clear intention: kill. The cord hissed through the air, seeking his throat, joints, and temples. Sir James dodged most of the strikes, absorbed some, occasionally giving ground before stepping right back in as though he could never tire.
None of them were fighting at full strength yet. The exchange remained tense and measured, almost cautious. Sir James was testing them. Ophelia was searching for an opening. Naty observed, calculated, and adjusted the distance. Then Sir James suddenly accelerated. One violent step brought him forward, and his arm snapped sideways into Ophelia's flank. The blow did not look especially powerful, but it landed perfectly. The effect surged through her body at once. Her breath vanished, and one knee hit the floor before she even realized she had fallen.
— « Well, miss… what do you think? » Sir James asked, leaning slightly toward her as his smile widened.
Ophelia lifted her head, fury burning in her eyes. She shot Naty a quick glance, so brief that Sir James would have seen nothing more than an insignificant movement.
— « I don't know what he did, » she said , quietly but firmly, « but it's similar to your power. Don't let him touch you. »
Sir James laughed at that and slowly turned his head toward Naty, a sick spark of understanding entering his gaze.
— « Oh… interesting. »
Naty said nothing. She made her decision immediately. Without hesitation, she summoned her rapier and sliced open her own palm. Blood began to flow at once. She coated the cord of her whip with it, every movement precise and deliberate. Ophelia understood instantly. Both girls straightened, their posture changing almost imperceptibly.
They were done holding back.
The fight resumed with far greater violence. Their attacks came faster, harder. Sir James repeatedly tried to close the distance on Naty, but she always stayed just beyond his reach. Then one of her strikes finally connected. The blood-coated whip cut across him, and Sir James suddenly grunted in pain before coughing blood, his eyes widening in surprise.
The blood.
He understood.
— « Clever… » he growled, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
Naty had used her own blood to extend her power through the whip.
The exchanges became increasingly brutal. Sir James was beginning to lose patience. Every attack he launched was dodged or redirected, and since the blow that had brought Ophelia to one knee, neither girl had taken another clean hit. His breathing grew heavier, his movements increasingly aggressive and less controlled.
Then a tremendous crash erupted from the other side of the chamber. The impact was so violent that the webs trembled and the air itself seemed to shake.
Kenzo had just been sent flying.
Naty immediately turned her head, her expression hardening.
— « Quickly. Let's finish this… then go help them. »
The tension tightened another level.
The fight was not over.
And the worst was still ahead.