(Since when has someone like this been around on the surface?)
Her blade flashes free once more as Alpha lunges forward with devastating force.
Yet Vergil meets the strike effortlessly, his sword a seamless barrier.
Alpha shifts her angle, poised to retaliate until a surge of energy pulses from him, forcing her onto the defensive.
!!
Steel sings as his slashes carve through the air, each one met by her steady guard.
Hm?
She hears a low, intrigued hum escaping Vergil, as surprise flickers beneath his icy calm.
Only to be followed by an even more devastating slash.
Hmph!
Lightning crackles as Alpha answers with an equally devastating slash.
CRASH—
Debris erupts, dust swallows the clearing, and rocks shatter and rain down around them. Yet the two silhouettes cut through the chaos, using falling rubble to pivot midair before touching down with effortless grace.
A heartbeat of stillness. Chests rise and fall, steady but sharp. Then—they clash again.
Steel rings out, a deadly harmony resonating through the battlefield.
Every strike carves deeper into the earth, the very ground reshaped by their fury. In moments, the clearing is a scarred testament to their power.
Impressive. What form of power is this?
You don't know? The Ascension-Network.
What is that?
Such power, yet not an Ascendant...
Their brief exchange reveals much—Vergil's body shows no trace of the Punishing Virus whatsoever.
That blue blade floating in mid-air seems beyond any technological means as well.
(Another weird existence after the Punishing Virus?)
Alpha deflects the blue blade flying toward her, pivoting into a swift counterstrike, only for her opponent to sidestep it.
SCREEEEE—
Just then, a Hetero-Creature lunges from their flank.
Instinct drives her to hurl her short blade, but then she notices the Hetero-Creature isn't targeting her.
With that realization, she holds back her attack.
Spotting the Hetero-Creature, Vergil instantly summons his Mirage Blade to strike.
Impaled, the beast crashes to the ground, its twitching form growing still as life bleeds away.
(The Hetero-Creature is attacking him?)
The Hetero-Creature's attack is only the beginning. More of them surge forward, closing in on the two.
At that moment, Alpha realizes the man before her has nothing to do with the recent disturbances in the Ascension-Network.
It seems I had the wrong idea about you. I apologize.
Timeout?
Vergil falls silent for a moment.
Sure.
Alpha is the first person Vergil has been able to communicate with since coming here, and he finds himself intrigued by the man she mentioned—the supposed "leader" of the Hetero-Creatures.
Let's get rid of these Hetero-Creatures first.
(Hetero-Creatures?)
Vergil mentally notes the term while his face remains expressionless.
Alright.
Something about them isn't right. Their numbers are unnatural.
After cutting down another Hetero-Creature, Alpha voices her suspicion.
Normally, these creatures don't actively attack Ascendants.
Even when some do become aggressive, they usually retreat after a few are slain, driven by self-preservation.
Yet these Hetero-Creatures in front of them act as if they don't feel fear at all.
I have observed them. They seem to be searching for something.
Alpha recalls the recent anomalies in the Ascension-Network.
As I suspected, someone is pulling the strings behind them.
Just then, the Hetero-Creatures halt their attack as if obeying some unseen signal.
In eerie unison, they swarm toward a nearby building.
Immediately after, a girl's scream pierces the air, echoing from the same building.
Help!
Alpha's frown deepens, but she still decides to sprint toward the cry for help.
