Deus Didymus: Rend

Pt2Ch57: Chimera's Flames VI

"Is it bad that we left them behind...?" Y/n mumbled.

Minju shook her head. Strong gusts of wind blew through her hair as the couple rode atop the kirin's back. "I thought they were getting in the way too. If we're going to prepare you for Doyoon, then we need you to get strong fast. Plus, I don't think Liz would want to go back to Starship."

"Are we sure this client can be trusted?" Y/n asked.

"Do we have a choice?" Minju chuckled.

As the couple crossed over the border, they spotted a flock of birds flying over them. Only once they ventured deeper into Starship's territory did they realize the birds didn't have shadows. Y/n called the Hyejin orb to his hand, placing their energy traces on his radar.

"If I imagined what Bae's wellspring signature was like, that'd be it," Y/n remarked.

The couple came to a stop as a shadow sprouted from a nearby tree. They watched Bae emerge, his shadow darker than its surrounding surface.

"It really is you two," Bae said. "What are you doing here?"

"We're gathering information on monsters for me to kill," Y/n replied. "Are you a scout?"

Bae nodded. "I was hoping you would come, but I was surprised to see Minju's still alive."

"She's... a different person," Y/n mumbled, scratching his head.

"What?"

"Nothing." Y/n took a deep breath. "I can't stay here for too long. I don't have much time."

Bae extended his arms toward the couple. "Wait! I wanted to talk to you two about coming back to us."

Y/n frowned. He shook his head, heaving a heavy sigh. "I can't join you guys. It would be better if you tried to convince everyone to join Orca. We're-"

"Join Orca?" Bae raised his eyebrows. "What are you saying?"

"We're trying to unify the world," Y/n replied.

"Can you trust people like them to make a good world? They kidnapped Yuri and did a bunch of horrible stuff!" Bae argued.

"I can," Y/n replied softly. "If you were to join us..."

"I can't," Bae said between his teeth. "Not after what they did to my parents."

"Your parents? What did they do-"

Minju blinked in front of Bae, her arm shaped into a blade. From Bae's shadow, two figures leapt onto the field. Gaeul turned her body toward Y/n, exhaling while Minho intercepted Minju's rush. The commander's reinforced wooden staff stopped Minju's arm in its tracks, shimmering with faint iridescent runes.

A black hue coated Minho's staff causing Minju's eyes to widen. She leapt back while Minho's third eye formed on his forehead.

"I should have seen this coming," Minju mumbled.

Minho slammed his staff into the ground, spreading a shimmering runic glow through its length. "You're not the original, are you? Kim Minju would know better."

Minju scoffed, surrounding her weapon with a pink hue. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

Minju rushed Minho, clashing weapons with him. Flames wrapped around her arm causing her hits to crash into Minho's staff with significantly more force than before. Minho slid his foot across the coarse dirt, catching Minju's ankle in the earth; before her ankle could pull her body back, Minju shifted the shape of her feet. With greater speed, and feet resembling a horse's, Minju darted toward the commander.