Yumi leapt out a little trying to stretch towards him while something invisible seemed to hold her babsp; “Seiji!” She had nothing to help in his fight. It had to be done alone. There was no one else.

  He threw out his arm to stop her. His eyes stared forward, while he struggled to keep his breathing under trol. “I’ll be fine, Yumi! Don’t worry about me!” Settling what he had to do, Seiji marched back off into the distaowards his fight. After a few moments, he started into a jog then a run, which easily surpassed an Olympiner. He remained in sight the eime until being too distant.

  The look on Seiji’s face bothered Yumi. She could tell there was something wrong with him. Something blocked him. ‘Are they that powerful? Is it someohat Seiji ’t beat?’ She wondered about sending in Fumiko to help him with the fight. Unfortunately, Fumiko’s state wasn’t suited for bat. ‘She’s still shaken by the sudden release of her new power. It killed a lot of men and women…’ Yumi knew she o get Fumiko back, but didn’t know what she could do that wouldn’t end up making things worse for her. She seemed the most levelheaded of the group and ready. ‘Reality is harsher than we expected…’

  Chapter 224 – Clouded Minds

  A fresh mind and body restored the bao the fight Saki began. In spite of such facts, the battle didn’t improve any for Chiharu. Her oppo remained hidden. All the attempts to smoke them out proved empty. It was a stubborn individual and skilled.

  Chiharu dodged or deflected the round of arrows. ‘They’re getting more accurate and harder to stop. Impressive, they’ve maintained such a pace for hours already. This must be the difference of those from the Omega Division.’ Even as someone she o defeat, she could admire their skills. They had a very simple setup, but it was so well hohat there was no waste. It was pletely effit. A talent given the ce to refine and sharpen. The bination was deadly.

  Her current situation would leave her falling into the same trap, fatigue. She needed a way out. However, everything about them defied what they knew about them. ‘Normal ventions won’t work, they’re on a pletely different level than we’re used to…’ She had no information to form a strategy, only failures. They didn’t add enough to give her a clue. ‘With their power anything is possible making it impossible for me to analyze the situation logically…’

  Things dragged out itle. Yumi wao do something with each mi tinued. The slow arrival of Saki brought a little bit of hope to the situation. She rushed out to help her babsp; “Saki! Where’s Yuki?” Gng around, she had hoped the sign of Saki meant that they finally caught up with Yuki’s group.

  Saki grinned a bit, clearly tired. “Still a orack mind when it es to him,” she teased.

  “I didn’t mean it like that! Are Ayumi and Haruo with you as well?”

  A small ugh came up from Saki. “No, I’m the only one. I stayed behind.”

  “Why?”

  “Yuki had somewhere to be. I could protect him. That was enough…” Saki slipped in her walk and stumbled to the ground. She caught herself in time before falling ft. It took more effort than it should have to stand up.

  Watg Saki, Yumi grew ed about the battle Chiharu and Seiji went into. ‘If Saki’s this exhausted from the fight…’ She helped her back to safety.

  While letting Saki recover a little, Yumi looked around the se trying to see how the battle fared for Seiji and Chiharu. All she could see was that things didn’t ge. Each mihey spent the harder things would bee. She turned baiko. ‘We’re going to need her… I have to push her even if she doesn’t want to…’ Yumi pulled baonides and Neriheir only resources. “Do either of you know anything about who they’re fighting based on what you’ve seen?”

  Nerine shook her head. “I ’t see what’s going on. I’m not sure without more information.” She tilted her gnce over to Simonides with hope.

  “I haven’t seen enough to narrow anything down. I know they use arrows as their primary on, but that’s not enough information.”

  Yumi k down to Saki. “I’m sorry to do this, Saki, but you think of anything from yht that could give us an edge?”

  It wasn’t something she could help with too mubsp; Saki knew as mubsp; She shook her head slightly while still trying to find something. “No…they aren’t like the others…” It didn’t make any seo her. Images of her fight repyed trying to uand it.

  ‘This might be something…’ Yumi probed further. “How do you mean? What makes them different?”

  The heavy breathing dissipated for Saki. It felt like her chest was no lorying to break her ribs. “They aren’t where they should be.” She lifted her eyes up towards them seeing that her words didn’t give enough text. “They’re invisible. I’ve seen it done before with Ayumi. But when I struck the ter of their Field nothing happened. It was like they weren’t there.”

  Saki’s words raised Nerine’s curiosity. She leaned over. “Are you sure you hit exactly the ter? Maybe you missed.”

  Saki’s eyes narrowed sharply when fronted by Nerine. It came from two different sources. She didn’t know who the woman was, but the uniform made her out to be an Atntean. It made her realize that there were two Atnteans with Yumi. The sed reason was her doubt of Saki’s abilities. Hesitation sealed up her lips.

  “It’s okay, Saki. They’re allies. A lot has happened, but I don’t have time to expin it all now. Please tell us what you know. It’s very important.”

  She still had some doubts about the whole situation, but Yumi’s ear look vinced her for the moment. “Yes, I’m certain. Even Seiji tried.” Saki immediately received from looks of doubt over trusting Seiji. “I’m serious. They aren’t there. It doesn’t make sense.”

  Simoood back up. He looked over at Nerine, ideas already moving. “Even as someone from Omega, they ’t break the basics of how their power works.”

  “Exactly, there is no ohat relocate the ter of their Field. It’s always under our feet.”

  He lifted his hand to his in pensive sideration. “Which means there are only two answers.”

  “Either they have a very specific Addendum set that deflects ining attacks while maintaining the illusion of nothing. It’d be hard to detect a difference.”

  “I’m certain there was nothing!” asserted Saki. She focused on her fist. The attempts she made to locate her oppo always felt the same. The two Atnteans seemed to doubt Saki, no matter how certain she sounded. “I would have noticed the differenbsp; I tell…”

  Simonides and Nerine exge a couple of looks in silenbsp; They still had a sed option, equally possible. “It might be them, sir.”

  “They are known to use arrows and ranged projectiles. It fits with what we know.”

  Yumi stepped into their versation. It was clear they knew something. “You knoe’re dealing with don’t you?”

  Nerine o her. “It might be the Twins, two Omega agents.” The Twins were well known among other MPs, not for their deeds (most of those remained secretive), but for their ualent. “They are the only MPs that break the rule with their Field.”

  An exception to the rule they just stated made Yumi a little suspicious. “What are you talking about? I thought you said no one could.”

  Wrinkles wove into Nerine’s brow. The struggle came out in her face too easily. “This is going to get very teical very fast if I expin and even I don’t uand funally how they do it. I just know the theory, what makes them special.” Her discimer didn’t relieve her of the stares. “All MPs gee their Field at their feet and the Twins are no exception to that. However, acc to the theory if someoh exactly the same frequency, density and strength of mental energy as the persoo them their Fields would merge rather than csh. The two Fields would weave together being one and as a result expoially increasing their power.”

  “And you’re saying these two do that?”

  “Yes, it requires plete precision as well as identical frequencies. Something that was only sidered theoretical until they appeared.” Nerine gnced back toward the forest. She felt a bit of fear if they were right. It wasn’t someohat she wao face, the power of two minds. “When a Field merges the accepted rules ge. It is still a sphere shape, but it is no longer tered sihere are two MPs.”

  “So where are they?” The reality of such a pair made Yumi’s mind spin. Any sort of pn on log an invisible person had to be pletely rethought. They faced something their experience couldn’t calcute.

  Neriared deeper at the forest. She didn’t like the answer she had given Yumi. “It’s variable. It would be based on the density and their known strength, but even if you know that this sort of Field pletely ges standard pt. They will still have a pce they only stand, but it is on a circle rather than a point.”

  None of them liked the situation as they began to uand it. All of them cast their gaze ba the dire of Chiharu’s battle. They couldn’t do anything to ge their position into an advantage. The reality actually made things even worse for them.

  Yumi’s pierced hand tightened responding to her emotions. “The two could be anywhere on that circle at any moment.” She couldn’t know for certain, but it was a safe assumption to make. The Twins were Omega members, meaning they would have refiheir powers to at for such situations. Each thought made the situation seem even worse than the moment preg. “The only way we have a ce of finding them is with luck.” The odds were against them.

  As reality settled in for her, Yumi gnced over at Fumiko. Several thoughts came to her, but she had to dismiss them.

  ‘You’ve got the right idea. Luck is something the ignorant rely on.’

  The voice made Yumi’s eyes widen for a moment. It felt familiar, yet different. She gnced over at the others just to be sure. ‘It wasn’t them. But it’s not the same voice.’

  ‘That’s right. Masa isn’t the only one in here.’

  ‘Masa?’

  ‘Expnations are for ter. I came to give you an out. You already thought about it, but were missing a piece.’ Suddenly, fshes of ideas or words blew through Yumi’s mind. She struggled with all of it. However, something stood out in front of her among the vortex of chaos. It made her step basettled by it. ‘You would have e to the clusioually, but you don’t have the time. So I’ll give you this freebie.’

  The thought made Yumi’s body go cold. She uood finally, what the voice gave her. It was an idea or more closer to a piebsp; The st piece to the puzzle for their victory. Yet she couldn’t accept it. ‘I ’t do that! It’s cruel to do!’

  ‘Reality is cruel. You’re the ohat asked for all of this. Don’t ask if you ’t hahe weight of the sequences of your wish.’

  ‘I didn’t wish for any of this!’

  ‘Yes, you did. It is all your wish. You’ll e to uand in time.’

  ‘I don’t want to uand! I don’t want any of this!’

  ‘Lying won’t shield you from the truth. If you expect to lead, you must be willing to get your entire self steeped in filth. Nothing you want be attained by remaining above it all. This is your reality. You will bee dirty. White turo bd gray as far as you see. But you will have what you want. It is the only solution to your impossible victory.’

  Yumi bit her lip. The voice forced her to hear everything she said. There was no averting her eyes. She saw a cloud rise in the distance along with a low rumble. Seiji’s battle raged on. All Chiharu could do was remain on the defense against her hidden pair of Atnteans. At her side, Saki still tried to recover from her long fight. ‘Chiharu will end up like Saki in time. And something’s wrong with Seiji.’ Everything seemed turned against them. Her only solution was one she could not take.

  ‘The longer you dey the worse the situation bees. You know Chiharu’s stubborn and not as physically strong as Saki. She’ll make a mistake and it’ll cost her. You know what you must do.’

  ‘I ’t! I couldn’t look at myself if I did it!’

  ‘What’s more important to you? Your friends or yourself?’

  It was an impossible question to answer. The voice stymied Yumi. Any answer felt wrong to her. A no-win situation she never wanted. Yumi squeezed her hand feeling the etal against her skin. She needed an answer. She wanted a third option. There had to be another path to take. ‘…I…’