Chorsay blocked the khopesh with the Winged Sword raised, braced with both hands. Even with all his weight and power, the small lehboa caused the old man to skid backward. Owin was immediately in the air. His chitin-covered foot struck the lehboa in the head, sending it flying into the nearby stone wall.

Chorsay grabbed the khopesh and launched it back into the city. "Run, Owin!"

The boss was out of the dust before they had time to recover. It attacked in a flurry, sending punches and kicks faster than Owin had expected. He dodged where he could, but took multiple hits on chitin, which cracked and shattered in the onslaught. Crab legs emerged and stabbed at the lehboa. It caught one and snapped it.

Chorsay stepped in and chopped down, which the lehboa easily pushed aside.

They were outclassed with the sudden increase to the boss's shard level. Instead of three times stronger than its normal level, the lehboa was six times its regular power, and it moved too fast to handle.

Owin barely saw the fist that cracked against his nose. Shade pulled him from the wall as Chorsay weathered a few hits.

"I'm going to get Chorsay to the stairs," Owin said.

Shade nodded slowly. "And I will . . ."

"You'll know."

Chorsay staggered after an especially powerful punch to the chest. The lehboa was using abilities, but Owin hadn't had time to look and see if they were an assassin, soldier, or berserker. It didn't matter.

Owin ran back in and shoved the lehboa aside. It swung back, passing a long leg right over Owin's head. Chorsay punted the creature and sent it flying toward the void nexus.

"Come on," Owin said as he pulled on Chorsay's arm.

"When I say run, you run." The old man said as he took a step.

"No. I've done that before. I'm not doing that again."

Chorsay's serious expression softened. He nodded once.

"Hey! Look at me!" Shade said. He jumped and waved his hands all about.

The lehboa walked down the stairs to the sixth floor and brushed itself off. Things had escalated so quickly that Owin wasn't even sure where the boss fit into the overall story of the fifth floor. It didn't specifically matter, but if it wasn't part of the witch and warlock's plan, why were they even fighting it?

"Run for the stairs as soon as it goes for Shade."

"I'm not leaving you to fight it," Chorsay said.

"We're not leaving anyone."

Chorsay looked as though he was about to say something, but the lehboa sprinted off the stairs and charged Shade. Owin made sure Chorsay started running, then he bolted after. Owin looked over his shoulder, seeing Shade's eye sockets widen as the mouse-like creature leapt and punched.

Withered Swap.

Owin appeared where Shade had been standing. The lehboa was right overhead, punching at the open air. Owin grabbed its ankle and smashed it down with every bit of his strength.

Bones cracked, but the creature survived.

Owin, still holding its ankle, swung it around and launched it into the city. "Time to go!"

Chorsay stood at the top of the stairs and waited, watching the area behind Owin. "We should take our time on the sixth. Let this hero pass."

Owin shook his head. "We don't know who it is. We need to go faster." He ran over and joined them at the top of the stairs. "There are too many people that want to kill us."

"There are only a few 5 Shard Heroes." Chorsay opened his index. His face shifted into something Owin couldn't quite read. "Seven currently."

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"Do we know them?"

"Some." Chorsay placed his hand on Owin's helmet. "We hurry. We'll be fine. See you on the seventh"

Owin let himself be pulled into the black doorway, vanishing from Kisisu.

***

"You can't!" Siora braced herself, but a berserker's strength was unmatched. She flinched as her back and head struck a concrete wall.

Where was everyone else? Why was no one helping?

Why was she helping?

"They killed her! She was one of us and they killed her!"

Potilia had locked herself away for a day after learning about Sylmare. After hours upon hours of knocking and being intentionally obnoxious, Potilia had let Sanem, Cixilo, and Miya inside to talk.

They had left, dejected and hopeless.

And where were they now?

Althowin's compound loomed at the end of the road. Traffic between it and the portal circle was usually thick with travelers. Now, as Siora wheezed in a breath with Potilia's forearm pressed against her neck, the street was clear. People saw a conflict and avoided it.

Everyone left.

Nobody cared.

Why was she helping?

Potilia's face flashed recognition and she dropped Siora. "I-I'm sorry. I have to . . . I have to go."

"Where?" Siora blurted, forcing the word from her pained throat.

"To see what they're doing." Potilia held her kanabo. There was nowhere in the world she would simply be observing while holding that. "T-to Void Nexus."

Siora took a moment to breathe, to let the pain in her neck soften. Despite her flight from the compound, Potilia waited and watched Siora. The shy berserker shifted her grip on the kanabo, glancing up at Siora, then immediately back down at her hands.

"Are you hurt?" Potilia took a step forward, partially reached out, then pulled her arm back. "I-I'm sorry."

"Po, you can't go there."

"They killed Sylmare."

"We don't know how she died." Siora reached for Potilia, but the berserker backed away. "Please."

"Sylmare was special to me." Potilia gripped the kanabo with both hands again and hefted it to her shoulder. "Someone took her, and I'm the only one who cares."

"I care, Po. I've known Sylmare for a long time too. I didn't know her like you did. She was a harsh second in command to Veph. She was intimidating. The way I saw her around you in the Subterranean Dungeon was like seeing someone else entirely. I saw how you two feel about each other. It was obvious."

Potilia hung her head.

Siora took a moment to sweep her eyes around Vraxridge. Getting Potilia back to the compound was unlikely, but as long as she kept her out of Atrevaar, things would be fine. Across the portal circle, on the south side of the city, Siora spotted what looked like a cafe. Tables spread from an open storefront onto the walkway beyond. Even if it wasn't a cafe, it was a place to sit away from familiar eyes.

Siora approached with the slow caution one uses when approaching a scared animal. Potilia looked up with tears welling in her eyes. Siora slowly took Potilia's hand and held it gently.

"Come on."

Potilia's expression hardened. When Siora took a step away from the compound, the sadness returned and Potilia let herself be guided away. Her hand tightened around Siora's. They walked silently down the street and around the portal circle. The guards vigilantly stared into nothingness, making sure it was obvious they could see the heroes without specifically looking at them. If the portal guards were aware that they were keeping an eye on Shard Heroes, they would have quickly and obviously looked away.

Siora pulled out a chair under an awning and let Potilia take a seat. When she was sure the berserker wouldn't run, Siora walked inside, found an employee, and ordered some coffee and pastries.

"I want know," Potilia said.

The employee brought out the drinks and food before quickly departing. Siora took it upon herself to plate some food for Potilia and prepare a coffee with more sugar than any one person should consume. The splash of cream felt unnecessary, but Potilia had developed some odd tastes while living with the Nimble Hogs.

They were all a group of freaks, and she was glad she knew them all.

"It could have been inside a dungeon." Siora leaned on the table and let the strong scent and heat of black coffee warm her skin.

"It wasn't." Potilia poured more sugar into her coffee and stirred it with her finger. "She would've said something if she was going for another shard. She would've told me."

Siora bit her tongue. Criticizing Void Nexus, Sylmare, or Veph wasn't going to do any good. Their experiences were entirely different. The harsh, serious woman that Sylmare was in Siora's mind wasn't the same friend that Potilia knew so well. And what good would come from saying a thing?

Siora held out a hand, which Potilia took. "We can find out what happened without running to Atrevaar. It's dangerous."

"W-we're not wanted." Potilia squeezed Siora's hand. "We don't have to stay locked inside."

Siora chewed on sweet bread, smelled strong coffee, and thought of all the terrifying figures that could have been responsible for killing Sylmare. Veph was at the forefront of her mind, and none of them, aside from Althowin or Zezog, could charge into Atrevaar and battle the leader of Void Nexus.

But Veph killing Sylmare made no sense. Why kill her own right hand?

"Tell me before you do anything," Siora said.

Potilia drank her coffee and nodded. She splashed some onto her face, wiped it off with a sleeve, and started devouring the pastries.

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