BEYOND 3A: BloodRed and ScaleBlack

The Twelfth Feather: Cut/ting Wo/rds

Nigel and Levia's fight led them somehow one level lower underground and by no means has it deescalated in terms of collateral damage. The two opponents recoiled away from each other eventually and Nigel complimented his opponent: "Good! Very good! You've gotten much better since the first time we fought!"

Levia: "This is the second time, though."

Nigel: "...Really? It felt like more."

Levia: "...Anyway! We ain't getting anywhere at this rate, we haven't laid a single scratch on each other, y'know?"

Nigel: "That would seem to be the case. But it's no matter, I've yet to-"

Levia: "By the way, we've been meaning to ask you something. Are knives the only shtick you have?"

Nigel: "Excuse you?"

Levia: "We mean, really. All we've ever seen you do is throw knives around."

Nigel: "...I was just about to get into that."

Levia: "Really? Sorry then, go on."

Nigel: "...As I was saying-"

"Hey, I hope you don't mind if I butt in at the last second." Said Dece who emerged from the other end of the hallway. "I do mind, actually, we're in the middle of something."

Dece: "Ah, my bad, I'll be over here for my cue whenever it shows up."

Nigel: "Ugh, This day has been nothing but-"

Levia: "Oh, hey Dece, It's been a good while. How's your face doing?"

Dece: "...I'm sorry, do I know you?"

Nigel: "...Interr-"

Dece: "Hey Nigel, do I know this guy?"

Levia: "How can you not remember me? Oh, right, because of the new look."

Nigel: "...!"

Nigel was overwhelmed with petty rage over being constantly cut off and immediately threw ten knives in different directions, all missing his opponent. Levia pointed that out: "Hey, you missed."

Nigel: "I know. But you'll-"

Levia: "Seriously, you can't let yourself rage carelessly in this climate, you might get corrupted or some-"

Nigel: "AAAAAAGH! WOULD YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY?! ETERNAL EDGE!"

Levia: "Eternal wha-"

Suddenly, the knives he threw started glowing with an ominous purple light and only a second afterward, everything that was adjacent to the blades' edges was cut within a one hundred kilometre distance. Levia, naturally, was cut into several pieces, but because his head was intact, he managed to stay conscious. Dece, however, was decapitated. Nigel grinned maniacally and shouted: "Ho/w d/o yo/u li/ke th/at, yo/u hea/then?! Th/e eter/nal ed/ge i/s s/o pow/erful th/at i/t's cut/ting o/ur dia/log/ue i/n pie/ces a/s w/e spe/ak!"

Levia: "O\h sh\it, tha\t's ba/d! Als/o, yo/u mi/ght ha/ve kill/ed a lo/t of pe/o/ple! Yo/u re/ally sho/uld've ke/pt th/e fig/ht i/n he/re!"

Nigel: "Ha/ve fu/n try/ing t/o d/o any/thi/ng no/w! Unl/ike yo/ur un/god/ly as/s, I'm im/mun/e t/o th/is po/wer!"

Levia: "Che/ater! I'l/l who/op yo/ur as/s!"

Meanwhile, Yoko was carrying both Florida Kids deeper down until she came across Dece, who walked toward her out of the corna. Yoko was surprised, exclaiming: "Wh-! Dece?! How did you get ahead of me?!"

Dece: "I'm not in the mood to explain that, I believe the situation has gotten worse."

Yoko: "What? Did Nigel lose?"

Dece "No, he went all out and now we're all under fire."

Yoko: "S-sure? I don't get any of that."

Dece: "Of course you don't. For now, I'm going to do something and I need you to not question me about it."

Yoko: "O...kay?"

Dece: "Let me repeat, Do not question me about it."

Yoko: "Fine, I get it!"

Dece approached them and placed her hands over their eyes, and by that I mean that she covered Yoko the Girl's eyes with her palms and the boy's eyes with her elbow. Then she immediately reopened them, revealing that all four of them had been transported to a place far, far away from the building they were in. Yoko, as to be expected, was immensely shocked and confused. She asked: "Wh-Wha- Huh- Wait-Huh? Weren't we in the building just now?! Wh-huh?!"

Dece: "I transported you three to a safer place, away from Nigel's wrath."

Yoko: "W-wait! You did what? S-so, hold on, so- Wait, You're also a Shifter?!"

Dece: "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not."

Yoko: "This isn't something we can just brush away like trivia! I need to know!"

Dece: "Fine, Let's say that I am one of those."

Yoko: "W-where the hell are we, anyway?"

Dece: "We're now in... What was this place called again?... Oh, right. We're in Gary, Indiana."

Yoko: "...No, we're not."

Dece: "Yes, we are. Check the maps app on your phone."

Yoko: "... My hands are full of disabled children."

After passing them to her and checking her phone, Yoko realised that they were indeed in Gary, Indiana, without a map, mind you.

Twelfth Feather:

Plucked