"Yeah, I'm with the Organization. By the way, how did you—" He broke off, a thought surfacing like a fish. "Oh, right. You're the young lord's girlfriend. No wonder you know things." He flicked his cloak, and clear droplets shimmered into being. He spread his hands, and one orb split into six head-sized spheres, moon-bright, circling him.

"Yup, I'm her girlfriend. Still planning to lay a hand on me? Nice juggling, by the way." Her scarlet eyes glinted, and the blonde girl flashed a sweet smile like a knife in sugar.

"Honestly, I don't want to. Orders from above leave me no choice." He shrugged, casual as a breeze. "And your boyfriend hit a nasty snag, so someone used the opening to come after you."

"For that slick routine, I'll go easy. After this, you come quietly. If you don't want your parents hurt." He finally got to the point, tugging two spheres close, coiled dark as stormclouds.

Irritation pricked like needles. Tsk, I thought throwing Lin Fan's name around would pressure him. Guess not. I don't even know how he's doing. Fine. I deal with this one first. She lifted her head. "Since you've got my parents, I've got every reason to fight, don't I?"

She dipped into a crouch. "Let's begin." Red light flashed through her eyes, and her figure blinked behind him like a shadow skipping. Her right hand’s massive Bloodgod Claw was already set; the eye on the palm gleamed with a predator’s hunger. "This ends here!" She swung down hard, and the feel of flesh parting ran up her arm.

Splash! The man who should’ve fallen burst into water and scattered across the ground.

"What?!" Shock spiked cold. Little Loli stared as reality rippled like heat-haze. First real fight with an ability user; she knew none of his tricks. He’d likely read her whole kit.

"Still just a little girl." He popped back into view behind her, and he whipped a water orb like a slingshot stone.

"Fast!" The sphere likely broke the sound barrier; air ripped with a keen shriek. She twisted and threw the Bloodgod Claw across her body. Boom—the blast hit like thunder cracking a cliff.

"Ugh!" Pain lanced from her right hand for the first time. Crack—an icy note through steel. A spiderweb fracture crawled along the Bloodgod Claw.

"So strong!" The shockwave tossed her, flipping her like a leaf in a gale, and she staggered down. Blood threaded from the corner of her mouth, bright as a ribbon.

"Not bad," his voice drifted in, lazy as rain on tile. "You’ve got something..." Little Loli wiped her lip, gaze unsteady on him. That ambush was meant to end it. It failed, and he turned it back. She felt like a lamp with dying oil; every inch throbbed like bruised fruit. If she could, she’d black out on the spot.

"Can you still fight? You can hardly stand." He didn’t rush. He folded his arms and watched, idle as a cat. She propped herself on her right hand. Blood at her mouth didn’t stop; it dripped in slow beads. Her clothes hung torn, but the red smeared over her was its own shroud. Her long soft hair, once gold, was matted with dried blood, sticking to her like withered reeds.

A hollow laugh came first. "Internal organs again, huh." Bitter copper pooled on her tongue like rust, and she didn’t bother wiping the blood.

"System, any repair skills left?"

"None."

"None... fine. It’s okay." She brushed her bangs aside, annoyed by the curtain. "Uwah—" Another gout of blood spilled. Her insides felt stirred by an iron spoon; cold sweat prickled like rain.

"You holding up, girl? Be good and come with me," he asked, watching like surf gnawing stone.

Resignation settled like dusk. "Looks like... that’s the only way. Brother, take me back." The blonde forced a wisp of a smile and reached for him.

"That’s more like it." He stepped in, ready to clasp her hand like closing a trap.

"Pierce!" She loosed her last arrow the instant he neared. Little Loli figured the one she hit before was a prepped water puppet. His real body shouldn’t dodge this. Last chance—worth the gamble.

He blurred sideways like a darting fish. "Tch." Little Loli frowned, a thin crease like a blade.

"Little girls should behave. Still acting tough? Then I’ll knock you out and take you." He condensed a water sphere and pressed it toward her. Just before contact, she melted into a pool of blood, and his hand plunged through like a palm through a mirror.

"What?" He startled, and the blood surged up his body like vines. "Nice idea. But don’t forget what I play with." His mouth curved. He thrust his palm to his chest. "Merge!"

The blood whisked into him and balled up in the air like kneaded clay. "Down!" He slammed his palm toward the ground. The mass—once the blonde—smashed into the pavement. Moments later, the blood knit back into the blonde girl. She was out cold, every thread of resistance gone.

"This kid’s got real potential if trained right." He dusted his hands and moved to scoop her up. Right then, the air snapped with change.

The unconscious blonde lurched upright. A surge of blood qi wrapped her like a storm cloak. In a single heartbeat, she stepped out of it. Her eyes burned abyssal red, and the blood-matted gold of her hair bled into a heart-piercing crimson.

"What is this? A second phase?" His interest spiked at the sight of the blonde—no, the redhead Little Loli. "Die..." As if possessed, those abyssal pupils pinned him, and a cruel smile bloomed like a cut.

"Looks like it is." He fell back fast, her aura crashing over him like surf. He didn’t dare hold back now.

"Tidal Aegis!" A dim mantle of water wrapped him like dusk. "Torrent!" He swept his hand forward, and a world of flood roared at the redhead. Buildings crumpled like sand castles. Whoosh—at some point, a blood sword sat in Little Loli’s hand. One cut, and the surging waters split cleanly.

"Water Dragon Shells!" Sensing trouble, he slapped the floor with both hands. Two blue water dragons burst up and lunged to devour her.

"Die... all of you just die!" Another stroke, and the dragons sheared in two like chopped ropes.

"Do you have to be this fierce..." A bead of sweat slid down his face like rain down stone.

Right then, the military arrived. "Everyone, open fire!" A squad with heavy weapons unleashed on the girl without mercy—grenades, RPGs, the whole storm.

"Fatal threat detected. Teleportation protocol, initiate!"

Space twisted around Little Loli, and the redhead vanished before their eyes. In a blink, the heavy fire tore into empty air. Explosions hammered like thunder. "Did we get her?" When the smoke peeled back, only a vast crater yawned. No trace of the girl.

"No... not yet." It was only a blink, but he caught the telltale ripples of her teleport.