Highway Robbery: Rise of the Jaguar Bandits

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"Do not worry. I won't take your life, but this is where your resistance comes to an end!" This article Highway Robbery: Rise of the Jaguar Bandits, is the sole property of Mangetsu and as such, no user may edit this article without explicit permission from the aforementioned creator. If you wish to use this article in any way, please Speak and I'll respond

Highway Robbery: Rise of the Jaguar Bandits

Enter Debora

A few miles near a trade center in a Bosco forest settlement, a great amount of people hid themselves in the foliage. They were armored with pieces scavenged and stolen. They were armed with weapons supplied or obtained just as the armor. They were heavily numbered and vastly different from one another in terms of age and gender. While the majority was on foot, others were on horseback. From their positions, they eyed the nearby train tracks with varying degrees of anticipation.

"...it's late." One of them sniffed, looking up to a woman - specifically, a woman carrying an oversized axe on her back. "You sure the info was right?"

"Positive." The woman answered readily, her eyes narrowed as she stared at the tracks. "The leader of Bosco's branch has his way of knowing what goes on in his territory."

The female she was speaking too sighed heavily, pouting. "Ah~! But it's so boring! We've been waiting here for, what, a few hours?"

"Actually," A male bandit interrupted, sitting on his horse. "It's been half an hour--"

"I wasn't talking to you, Icaro!" The female was quick to turn on the male bandit with an angry gaze, her teeth grinding together and her eyes whitened out. The male simply raised his hands in surrender and placation.

"Relax, you two." The axe-wielder called out firmly, earning the two's silence and attention. Her gaze softened as it fell onto them. "We're always early birds to the worms."

"This is a big worm, though." The proclaimed Icaro muttered, scratching his head as he looked at the tracks. "The boss said that this train's supposed to be carrying cargo from-- what? The International..." He huffed, shrugging. "It's some big title, and it starts with "International"."

"The International Magic Advancement Company." The axe-wielding woman folded her arms across her chest. Through her tone was cool, there was a subtle bite within. "They've been steadily pushing their way eastward and it's causing trouble for our brothers and sisters - especially considering the high security they have. He's counting on us to make a good effort at disrupting their progress." She gave a small smile, a dangerous flash in her eyes. "That just so happens to be a fundamental skill of ours, right?"

The horseman chuckled, adding to the female's toothy grin. "Naturally."

The sound of a train horn in the distance cut through their conversation. All individuals perked up, and the axe-wielder hardened herself.

"I hear it," She muttered, turning her gaze to Icaro. "Icaro, get your rogues into position and be prepared to disable the tracks on my signal. At this distance, we should be able to slow it down before it goes too far into the nearby village."

Icaro frowned, giving a quick nod. "Yes, ma'am!" He turned to the fellow horsemen, barking orders at them. They were quick to respond, moving on his first few words. "All right, come on! We're in a hurry, get to the other side and ready your arms! Go, go, go!"

The magic locomotive finally arrived, complete with the supplies necessary for this expanding community needed. The lucrative deal made by the town's mayor would help them kickstart into a trading hub that could potentially skyrocket their profits and unfurl into a larger city in the next five to ten years. When it arrived, the people who came to watch and help with unloading the materials were ecstatic. From small children with their parents to law enforcement to keep the peace, they watched the sleek gold outlined black train roll in with a high pitched squeak. 

Out of the train came IMAC's personnel, complete with either able-bodied B-Rank Mages or men equipped with Holder Items to give them an edge over most thieves that'd dare cross them. Many could see their blue cloaks having IMAC in gold print placed on their clothing's upper left side or on the back of their poncho coats. Donned with black lipped blue flat hats with IMAC medals laced over its front, they went to work and moved the carts and crates full of magic materials, tools and machinery necessary to give them an edge in their to-be trading business. 

"Here, let us help," An abled bodied citizen ran up to grab hold of the side of one of the crates. 

"Ah, thanks!" The mover replied with an enthusiastic grin. "Bet you're eager to get this all set up."

"Hey, anything to make a better future," He winked. 

"Haha, that's the slogan!" 

"Hey mommy, what are inside the packages?" A child asked nearby.

"Magic tools and Lacrima to power them," The young mother replied with a soft tone, urging her son not to get too close and injure himself being in the way of the moving men. "They're going to help our city become a much more prosperous one."

"Pros-pus?"

"Prosperous," She intoned with a shake of her head, laughing at the mispronunciation. "It means your father will be getting a higher paying job."

"Then I can have that cool looking wand at the shop?" He asked excitedly.

"Perhaps, just be patient," The woman reassured her son. 

While the workers and abled bodied men moved the large shipment, the security of the staff that were seen exiting first were taking point. While a good dozen of them watched the shipments and kept periphery on anybody that was in town that was skulking around, others were standing atop the train to get a higher viewpoint. One of them was mustached man and a blue poncho, whose mustache was the stuff of legends. The brown haired man, Barry Fergus, was a senior Security Chief of this particular train, and had seen many shipments go bad and a few go sour. Not every time he was successful, but he had grown wiser and more cautious with every encounter, good or ill. 

So when he saw no one in town as far as the eye could see was watching from a distance, he dictated that no one harmful to their prepared staff was lying in wait. No, he looked to the forest on the other side of the train, where a myriad of beasts, woodland creatures and unsightly folk could be. The wind stirred and a gust made his poncho whip around, wrinkling the golden print of his company while his eyes peered towards the shadows the trees cast in the late morning day with small clouds coming over. It was comfortable Spring weather, but something about the air felt...off, to him. 

A gut feeling that couldn't be ignored. 

Raising a hand up, he spoke into the more standard IMAC Long-Range Communication bracelet attached to his protective glove, "Stay sharp, I have a feeling we should be expecting company soon."

"But you always say that, Chief," A Mage patrolling the trading post sidewalk intoned with a sigh. "I mean, how often is that even right?"

"Enough that it's validated, Stern."

"Whatever you say," Officer Stern replied with a huff, his own cloak flapping as the wind kicked up again. "Stupid wind."

"Careful, otherwise you may jinx us and summon a tornado," Teased a Security Officer with freckles and orange braided twin-tails that was watching the locals help their muscle continue moving the cargo. 

"There's no tornadoes around here, Caren," A more muscled Officer spoke out, reclined against one of the buildings, eyes closed and blowing smoke out of the cigarette wedged between his idle lips. "Unless magic's afoot, we're too close to the sea for that to be an issue."

"Fifty kilometers is still enough distance to manifest it, Joch," Officer Caren remarked with an eyeroll. 

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Chief of Security, Hans Zimmer, replied with an exaggerated tone filled to the brim of annoyance. "When I say, stay sharp, it does not mean get chatty. It means zip the lip and keep your eyes and ears twice as sharp than usual. Now, do it!"

"Does that mean Joch is twice as lazy?"

"Caren!" 

"Fine-Fine," She huffed while patrolling with a bored expression on her face, scanning the area for potential hostiles or ruffians. 

By the time this happened, the aforementioned ruffians were hidden within the parallel tree-line.

A plethora of crossbows and rifles were loaded and aimed at the sentries. The barrels of hand-held cannons were aimed primarily at the wheels. A few ways behind were the cavalry, having to position themselves near the thickest of the foliage. All eyes gazed on the train and the ones surrounding with hunger and thirst, whether because of the supplies or for other reasons. They remained still, with even the horses like statues under the will of their masters. Everything was quiet for a few seconds more, save for the hustle and bustle of the town.

Then, a single whistle of the lips.

Cannonballs were launched, exploding against the motors of the train and the tracks.

Bolts were fired, hailing the defense with a storm of arrows.

Rifles were shot, their bullets hitting what the bolts couldn't.

The horseman immediately dove into the brewing chaos with their own blades and rifles, letting out high-pitched yells and howls as they did so. The ones on foot followed shortly after, the rifleman laying enough suppressing fire for the melee wielders on both horse and foot to get as close as possible. Their screams were a symphony played to the destruction.

Through their numbers, the commanding ax woman slowly stalked forward. Her hand reached behind her to grasp the handle of the weapon, releasing it from its holder with a confirming click. There was a small shockwave released as she swung it out, nearly knocking over a few of her troops. Her eyes were narrowed in a cold gaze, her mouth curled into a dark smile.

By the time the cannonballs fired, the sentries mobilized atop the train barely had time to react to the gunfire and bolts that were launched. A thundrous shake followed the explosions of the caboose and engine, effectively cutting off any chance the transport could escape. The mages that couldn't react in time were cut apart by the hail of projectiles; whether by bolts, bullets or both they were shredded or riddled to bloodied pieces. The only advantage of them attacking the right side of the locomotive where security was weakest, meant the townspeople had time to react along with the security staged to protect the cargo and their customers. 

"Chief!"

"I'm fine!" Chief Zimmer replied as he drew a rapier, his body enraptured by a low throttling octave akin to the base of dozens of instruments playing. Seeing horsemen and men on foot charging like soldiers, he'd witness them slipping past the hooks of the train cars and rushing to the other side. While a few had rushed atop the car, he unleashed a bombastic blast of Sound Magic with the edge of his sword, cutting one down into jellied pieces while deflecting another's magic fueled tool. "Evacuate the civilians first, then find a suitable position to hold them off! Now!" 

Having sent the order, many of the panicking civilians attempted run away as the bandits on foot slipped through the train first. Joch went to work by pushing himself off the side of the building and placing both hands onto the ground. While he couldn't save some of the more immediately slaughtered townsfolk, he could buy the others a running start. 

"Earth Magic," He intoned, a pulse of yellow light rushing from his palms towards the trade center's street leading to the rest of the town. "Brick Barricade!" 

Almost instantly, a dividing wall was made across the street, rising up to twenty feet in height and being several feet thick. Barring the path for the immediate danger, he rose up and rushed to the scene while his comrades were already busying themselves fighting off the first bandits. Forming granite consistent shells around his fists, he dodged one of the bandit's sword swings and then the other, returning with a right hook and a left jab. The marauder spat out blood, dizzied but managed to swing a wild unpredictable swing that slashed through an eye, making Joch back up with arms raised in a defensive pattern, forcing him back away from the more maddened attacker. 

"Please tell me you guys are having a better time than I am!" Joch cried out as his armored front was being repeatedly hacked and chipped away by the man's persistent assault.

"Oh, nothing like an organized small military coming for your head and your wallet, am I right?" Stern joked as he leaped, dodged and then launched a gust of forceful wind towards a couple of enemies. While it only stunned them, he unloaded a pair of pistols that shot air bullets through their armor, wounding them straight away. Continuing his harry of fire, he looked to see Caren maneuvering around in what could be described as a rainbow arc of light that smashed into one bandit and then the other. "You doing okay, sweetheart?!" 

"They're tough enough to take a hit and keep coming, that's for sure," Caren panted, weaving an array of sparkling Ethernano and launching it like fireworks at approaching calvary. The effect had startled the horses and blinded their riders, with a few being knocked from their mounts. The others were just startled enough for her to send sparking shots from her fingers to deter them from approaching. "It's like an enemy nation is attacking! I thought Bosco didn't have a bandit problem!" 

"Oh sure, let's tell the angry marauders that they went to the wrong town full of expensive goods! How did they even know about this shipment?!" 

"We can point fingers later, but first things first we need to-!" The chief was cut off the moment his whole surroundings was upheaved. A loud thuum followed the painful wrenching of metal and explosion of Lacrima crates being violently torn asunder. The vibrant blast of orange, blue and emerald following the shockwave of a powerful weapon. The whole of the train was flipped over and a stunning wind blistered the combating Security Officers, along with the fighting bandits. The locomotive had thrashed through the tradint outpost, slid through some of the structures adjacent to it and nearly bowled over the street the three of noteworthiness were fighting at. 

"What the Hell?!" Stern cried out with fear, barely reacclimated as the calvary men rushed his way, forcing him to roll out of the way with urgency. "Chief?! Chief?!" 

"He's dead!" Caren cried out with horror. That horror quickly turned into anger as her whole body erupted into a vibrant nova of multi-colors. Twisting around she crashed into a horse, knocking the rider off in a sprawling rag doll maneuver and sent the maimed animal cracking into the train car that had spilled a good deal of its contents. Angrily she turned to the next available target and thrashed him with a series of unrelenting punches. "Damn you! DAMN YOU!" 

"Caren, knock it off!" Joch tried to call out, busying himself with his opponent enough to land in a decisive uppercut that knocked his enemy unconscious in addition to dislocating the jaw. Turning towards her, he thumbed over his magic formed wall. "We have to help reinforce the town center. The people will be held up there and we need to make sure they aren't harmed."

"Does anyone else copy?!" Stern cried out, hearing nothing but static on the end of the other officers. "Shit...we're the only ones left. In under a couple minutes we're the only ones left?!"

"I'm calling it in," Joch intoned, tearing off a piece of cloth and wrapping his bleeding lascerated eye. Grimacing he looked to the exhausted Caren and looked back to Stern. "Get your asses to the towncenter. I'll try to buy you guys some more time while that train is walling them off from the main route. It'll take them a bit of time to go around the town to get to where you need to go."

"But, what about-?"

"GO!" He shouted in a rare moment of uncharacteristic seriousness. Seeing Stern acknowledge him with a sage nod, he rushed to Caren and picked her up, hurrying her up and over the wall with a magic propelled leap. Hearing the bandits climb over the car not long after, Joch turned to raise his granite coated fists up in preparation, grinning sardonically. "Boss, if you're hearing this I'm letting you know that the shipment to the town Générosité of Bosco has been compromised. I repeat, we've been compromised."

Things were obviously much more positive on the bandits' side.

"What the hell!" The female exclaimed, casually approaching the axe-wielder's side. She herself was sporting two dadao swords, each of them stained with blood. Despite her exclamation, she was regarding the collided train and the bandits that were clamoring over it with a toothy, amused grin. "Debora! We're supposed to get in that train to fetch our loot! What are you flipping it over for?"

Debora huffed, lowering her weapon and waving off the question. "I'm sure that the cargo containers are strong. Even if they're not, there's still what's in the station itself." She paused, furrowing her eyebrows for a moment. Then, she let out a "tsk" and averted her gaze away. "That is, if the train didn't happen to crush that."

"Was holding back not apart of your agenda today?" The female bandit asked in amusement.

Debora chuckled, eyeing the giant ax in her hands. "It's this thing's fault. It's been a while since the last Mage I've faced with it. I didn't realize that it was going to be this effective here." She smirked a little, looking over to the female bandit. "Regardless, I'm glad I have another chance to practice with it. Where's Icaro?"

The female bandit's smile faded. "He's split his soldiers off. Some are making sure that the townspeople don't interfere in any way, others are moving in to grab the loot. He and several more are chasing down what remains of the security." She cocked an eyebrow at the fallen train. "Think we'll see some salvageable people?"

"If they survive and they're willing enough," Debora answered, her own smile fading into a frown. "Then I can afford to be generous. But I'm keeping my eyes on the shipments, not the shippers themselves." Her hands gripped the handle of the ax tightly, and she started to make her way forward. "Come on, Bianca. Regardless of how much fun we have, we're on a time limit."

The proclaimed Bianca grinned, narrowing her eyes in anticipation as she followed. "Right behind you, boss."

Meanwhile, a plentiful of bandits were starting to advance on the fleeing Stern and Caren. However, a group of them stopped when they saw Joch standing to block their path. More than a few of them grinned in amusement even as they raised their swords and rifles in preparation. One of them even spoke up to him.

"Looks like you're the only ones left. You're fresh out of friends. How's about you make this easier on all of us and just give up? We could always use a few good hands in the fold of the Jaguar, and you and your friends seem tough enough."

Joch knew that this was a do or die situation the moment that the train and the chief were torn apart. With no way out, even barricading themselves in with the townsfolk would be a hard way to outlive the barbarism of this tribe of bandits. They all were battle hardened, able to take hits from seasoned mages and had a leader that was as fearsome as she was charismatic. Sizing her up, he knew right away in a conventional fight he'd lose to her outright. 

But as of now, they had him cornered with a sizable advantage over him; perfect for taking them by surprise. 

"Sorry, but we wouldn't be working for IMAC if our loyalties were that easily swayed," He slowly declared, arms slowly raising up in a placating manner while his feet slid purposeful circles around his flanks. Pushing his left foot forward and his right foot back, his raised arms swiveled around to be palm up and horizontally aligned to his midcenter. Then, in an instant, he clapped them together and engulfed himself in a bright ignition of yellow light. "Earth Magic, Protective Pyramid!" 

Just as quickly as he formed the Brick Barricade, his own body was surrounded by incredibly dense layers of earth. Fueled further by his magic, their substantial weapons -both magic and not- would find it hard to penetrate the shell. From here, he had a vague sense from the vibrations emanating from his feet where they were. This allowed him to cast, although in limited space, spells to distract them. 

"Earth Magic, Rising Lime Fists!" 

In a matter of quaking seconds, the earth spouted out hardened fists composed of magically composited limestone towards the soldiers thad aimed their weapons at him. With the intent to disarm, stun or beat them into submission, he hoped that this spell would at least deter them from firing needlessly at his magic shell. He was an obstacle, a wall barring their path. The longer he held out, the more likely the company could reinforce his outmatched colleagues and the overwhelmed townsfolk. 

"Earth Magic, Sediment Shower!" Through the holes that generated the Rising Lime Fists shot upward geysers of stones of various density and make into the air. It wouldn't take long for them to rain down like rocky daggered shrapnel, a further deterrent to make them give up or at least fall back. Grimacing at the toll of so many spells formed back to back, he knew this one would be the last counteroffensive he could muster while still being shielded from harm. "Earth Magic, Gaia's Blade!" 

An enlarged blade of earthen make as long as the train engine and several meters thick emerged from the ground before the small pyramid, wielded by a soil-formed hand akin to a giant's. Cocking back, it'd swing with surprising speed and incredible stopping power, all with the hopes of hitting the approximate position their leader was presided. Even if dodged, the force of the impact could render them stunned or possibly unconscious to his estimates. 

It was a series of attacks that forced the confident bandits into a panic.

"The earth--!"

"Dammit! Get out of there before you get crushed!"

"He's fast--!"

The group was scattered by the earthly projectiles. They scrambled to get out of the way, unleashing a loose salve against the Joch's shield. Torn between attacking him and escaping, they couldn't escape with their numbers intact. Several were caught by the fists and the shrapnel, knocked against the ground and incapacitated. Others managed to hold out long enough to retreat, continuing to shoot at the protective prison Joch had put himself into.

On top of the downed train, Debora and Bianca freeze in surprise when they see the shards.

"From the sky?!" Bianca exclaimed in disbelief, immediately ducking behind Debora and crouching down.

"Stay there!" Debora ordered, raising the ax above her head and spinning it in a rapid circle. She had to push her feet in, grimacing as the shards crashed into her spinning blade. But she held firm, and with each shard that connected, the ax gave off a faint pulse. The moment that they stopped was the moment Debora leaped from the train car, gripping her weapon in two hands and preparing to move in.

Then, the earthly arm and its blade.

There were plenty of gasps and yells of surprise, but all of them were cowed by a louder yell from Delilah.

"Get down!"

Without hesitation, she met the massive blade head-on with her axe.

It was as if she was standing in front of an active train. Her body was only barely protected by her axe, but the force of the blow shook her insides. She spat blood through clenched teeth, digging her feet in once more. The armor of her boots kept the rocks from digging into her skin. If not for her weapon and armor, she would've been sent flying with a little more than flesh wounds.

But it was her weapon that she had to thank more. The cutting edge pierced the rock, and the Lacrima of its blade let off a shimmering glow. With a hard glare and her lips curled into an aggressive snarl, Debora swung her ax's edge through the rock with both hands. Its cutting power was released through a forward shockwave that tore apart the rock with effectiveness that could've never been achieved with the bandits' normal weapons.

Throughout it all, the bandits around her were left to stare in shock and awe.

Joch was unable to avoid the inevitable shockwave of Ethernano left to run ruckshaw. Smiling bitterly, he closed his working eye as his protective magic was swiped away by the blast. The pain was brief, crushing force smashing him into the street along with the Brick Barricade behind him, carving a path of destruction in one decisive move. To their eyes, he'd have died with a bloodied smile while laying in a crumpled heap in the crater Debora had unleashed. 

Unseen to them, the slight flickering of the smashed bracelet before finally dying out completely. 

Stern and Caren would know from the static that he was defeated. While they huddled into the barricaded town hall where most of the townsfolk hid themselves, it was only a matter of time before the bandits broke in and they'd be forced to make a final stand. As much as they were pained in realizing it, they were out of options. No help was coming for them in such short notice. 

All they could do was hope, and pray. 

As the dust settled, Debora straightened up with a pained grunt. She rubbed her flank with one hand while looking at the spot Joch's form crashed. "Damn it." She muttered, though it was more out of surprise than irritation. "That was quite the attack you pulled off. An instant too late, and I would've had a great deal of my bones broken." She raised a hand up to her mouth, partially hiding a darkly humored smile and chuckle. "It's a shame. All of that, and I never even got to know your name."

She took in a deep breath before turning her eyes to the bandits. The smile faded away, and her authority took place. "This area is secure." She reported, sparing a gaze over at the train. To her satisfaction, there were plenty of them who had massive sacks of the liberated goods carried over their shoulder, with most of the carriers on horseback. "Go and aid the others in cleaning it out. Grab what you can carry and then prepare to fall back to our base."

"What about the town hall?" Bianca asked, jumping down beside Debora.

"Icaro and his men should have it handled." Debora responded, pushing the ax into her back holder with a click. "It'll be up to the survivors whether they live or die. If they don't wish to surrender, then that'll be their problem to deal with."

A sigh escaped Bianca, and she looked in disappointment at the crater. "Yeah. For my sake, I hope they surrender."

Fury of the Phoenix

All was quiet in the Nest of the Phoenix Guild. Other than basic maintenance work needing to be done, the hideout was being used in a more recreational manner at the moment. Through NST (National System Transmission; aka, Nest), the computer intelligence who assists in long range communication, intelligence and establishing links to all associates within IMAC they were able to conjure some comfortable sofa, a pool table and a set of training dummies. All of which were created through Construct Magic all made possible through the very hold they found comfort in.

Yui Tetsukumo in particular was set about in keeping her hands tied to her back and using strictly footwork to best the artificial constructs. Moving in and around their varied attacks, she landed harsh kicks that'd send them skidding back and occasionally shatter into shards of orange-comb shaped light. After dissipating, another would take its place, giving a non-stop workout to the young woman. Her hair was in its usual stylish up-turned braided twin-tails while her upper body was covered in a black shoulder strapped tank top, leaving her toned, sweaty abdomen exposed down to a pair of sweat covered grey slacks and bare feet. 

Her cries rang out throughout the air while her teacher and senior mage in the Guild was lounging lazily over an orange netted hammock strung up by dotted line formed trees. Noriko Hayate was just wearing a simple orange tee with black letters saying "Juice" on it with the i sprouting drops of liquid up towards her generously displayed cleavage. Her supple toned lower body was wrapped in a smooth black pair of leggings with a pair of orange slippers placed over her feet. 

The other pair was their Master's pair of faithful Virago Spirits, Christina and Victoria. 

The latter was a tropical tanned young woman with a grey suit with a white collar and dark tie adorned at all times. With a pair of gloves and business shoes she wore her blonde hair in a pair of twin-tails that danced over and behind her shoulders. She simply took time reading while occasionally lifting a materialized weight. These too were constructs. 

The prior was a nun dressed woman who was taller and possessed paler skin than her colleague. With long Sun colored hair hidden behind her head wear, the rest of her body was covered in white outlined black formal wear with a few tears around the legs for more liberal movement necessary for her job. Red bands of protective material wrapped around her torso and arms, accentuating the unique appearance of her choice clothing. Her hands were busied maintaining some of the plates that made up the whole of the The Nest they were presiding within. 

All was quiet, until a distinct beeping was heard, and the sight of Victor Alexander's Thought Projection manifested in the center of the room; along with a map, detailing a particular wrecked locomotive near a small settlement in Bosco.

"Ladies," Victor began with a calm, calculated smile and a glint of knowing in his eyes. "I have a task for you all."

---

It felt like it was all over.

Stern could hear that the ones who took the long route were already smashing through the hastily put together barricade. Farther in town hall was a group of armed men, who he and a morose Caren stood in front of. Most of these were law enforcement that had shepherded the locals down into the basement so they could be far safer and locked away from these marauders. The others that wanted to help were abled bodied men and a few women given magic tools and other meager items to use as weapons; namely, blunt objects or farming equipment. 

He knew their odds were likely unfavorable, even with them having a congested space of the main lobby made for their battleground. Without people like the Chief and Joch, they lacked any real defensive abilities. Both had heard distant explosive rumblings and knew that Joch had made good on his word in keeping the more dangerous majority at bay while the fringe group had circled around to them. He doubted that the one who cut and derailed their locomotive would have the patience of breaking through crude defenses they made. 

"Hold it together lads," The Police Chief declared, an older grizzled man with a big build and armed with a magic rifle. Most of the law enforcers had magic tools in their possession and any side arms were passed around to those who could handle it, while the other stuck to melee weapons. He kept their cool and made them convicted to protect their loved ones and neighbours hiding beneath their feat. "We'll make sure they don't reach them; make them pay if they try!"

"Just make sure you don't pull that trigger till we can't fight anymore, will ya old timer?" Stern asked nervously.

"I'm not amateur, Mage, I know how to hold myself back," The Chief gruffly responded.

"I won't rest until every last one of them is dead," Caren snarled. 

"And you make sure you hold yourself back doubly, Caren."

"I can't promise that. Not after what happened with the Chief."

"I don't blame you," The older slender man replied, his eyes sharpened at the sight of the last of their barricade being smashed away. Holding up his hands, he blew into their funnel shape and unleashed a loud gust of air, along with his words. "KEEP OUT, YOU ASSHOLES! THERE'S NO VALUABLES FOR YOU TO LOOT IN HERE!" 

In response, the casual drawl of Icaro responded.

"Oh? If that's the case, then what's with the walls?"

The said bandit allowed himself into the area. His own rifle was wielded in one hand, his spread out in a nonchalant manner. Despite the enemy's guns pointed at him, he kept himself in a casual stance. A Few horses trotted through the opening in pursuit, spreading out to counter the officers. Their riders held their portable cannons aimed and readied to fire. Only a handful came through, with the rest blocking the opening from any potential interlopers.

"You do realize that you're just backing yourself up into a corner here, right?" Icaro asked, cocking an eyebrow and readying his own rifle. However, he didn't aim it directly at the mages yet. "With each step you took, you just gave us more ground. We've got you outnumbered and outgunned. Even if you make it past this number, there're more of my buddies on the way. A win-win for us, a lose-lose for you. Just give up already. This town and its precious people won't have to suffer any more if you two just face the music."

"Fuck off, asshole!" Caren shouted back, her aura blazing brightly around her in rainbow colors. "If anything, it's you whose outnumbered-!"

"Caren, quiet!" Stern waved a hand, silencing her while leaving her perplexed. The man raised his hands up in a defensive manner, he placated to them in a calm manner. "Alright-Alright, you got us. But what guarantee do we have if we fork ourselves over that you won't harm the townspeople. IMAC values the wellbeing of our customers, so it'd look bad if we were taken hostage and you proceeded to have your way with them, damn the consequences. Is there any form of good will you can grant us that'll ensure that, if we act peacefully and give ourselves up to you, that you'll leave them alone?"

"Stern, what the Hell?!" The shorter twin-tailed girl venomously snapped. 

"I rather not have a bloodbath on our hands," He spoke seriously, maintaining a cool and collect tone in doing so. "Even if we do repel them, there's going to be a lot of casualties on our side. We lost experienced, dedicated people against them and we only inflicted a small margin of damage to their main force. Exactly how much better are our odds in a town hall, cramped together with little mobility and weapons pointed at us as much as we are pointing at them?"

"Yeah, but-!"

"Vengeance is wasted when you got nothing to show for it, Caren. Pull your head out of your ass and put it on your shoulders. We have a job to do and I suggest we put our wellbeing in behind theirs," Looking over his shoulder, he looked at the disgruntled Police Chief and the confused townsfolk. "Is that okay with you, old man?"

"They killed loved ones and members of our families, so it's not alright," The Chief began, then soberly waved a disarming hand to the officers flanking him, eager to make them lower their weapons and avoid an outright fight. "But, if they can be reasoned with and leave in peace, I'll put the lives of these brave souls to fight another day over gaining petty low belt justice. Especially when there's a low chance of achieving it."

"Thanks for understanding," Stern spoke with a slight smile, turning to stare harshly ahead while Caren gnashed her teeth and dug her fingers into her palms with a powerless frustration. Regardless, the senior officer kept his hands up and asked in a still tone. "What do you say? Prove your sincerity that you're not here to just do us in and have some form of honor?"

Icaro smiled toothily, lowering his rifle. "And here I thought we were gonna have ourselves an early shoot-out."

He took one hand from his rifle, snapping his fingers. On the nonverbal command, the bandits lowered their weapons. There were both looks and sounds of disappointment. But all of them complied, relaxing themselves from whatever preparatory stances they had.

"Follow me." Icaro said, waving towards the newly created entrance. "We'll head to the boss without incident. From there, you'll be able to decide how you want to go out. But if you make me think for a second that you're going to try anything," His eyes flickered with malice, and his calm drawl was slightly tainted by ice. "And you'll be burning along with this entire town. Are we clear?"

"Crystal," Stern replied neutrally, doing his best to hold Caren back from doing something hostile. Even though she shook off any touch he put on her shoulder, she begrudgingly went along with them. Leaving the armed resistance of the townsfolk, they'd wait until they left the premises completely before having some merit of relief. It wouldn't be long after that the companies of hiding police men in other rooms, awaiting to ambush would come out and watch outside the windows the group of barbarians head out. 

Stern could feel both his captors and the people's eyes watching him. He held the voice of reason, something he didn't think he'd have to do unless put in a dire situation like this. With such a tenuous unpredictable series of occurrences, he hoped that whatever message Joch managed to get through was heard. Hands still held up, a nervous smile kept up on his visage as they walked away from the place where the majority of the populace was held. Along the way to meet up with the leader of the bandits, he saw their handiwork on less than fortunate residents. 

Blood pooled around the bodies of innocents that had tried to resist or flee from horsemen and armed attackers. Shops were smashed and structures marred by the onslaught. It made Caren's blood boil, something he had to constantly chastise her with his body language less their intimidating captor turn his fangs back on the people. When they finally met up, he could tell who the chieftain of the Jaguar Bandits was right away. Muscularly toned for a woman, she wore apparel that shown she didn't mind getting up and close with only a few scrapes and bruises where skin was visible. Long haired and bearing a magic broad ax, she was easily someone that could be mistaken as a common thug if saw from behind. 

But her eyes told a different story; an intensity lurked behind the passive aggressive stance she held herself in. And given he regretably had to see the bloodied remains of Joch in a pit, he had to tear himself away from the grisly sight and look ahead with Caren. The latter of which shot daggers from her eyes at the woman but said nothing, thankfully much to Stern's relief. 

"Ma'am!" Icaro called out, earning both the axe-wielder and her female accomplice's attention. He stopped his walk, prompting the two Mages to stop as well. One of his hands gestured to them. "They've surrendered."

The woman's gaze flickered in surprise for a brief moment before hardening. "Good work, Icaro. Your business with them is finished, then. Go and help take care of the wounded." Her words prompted a bow of his head before he sprinted off to perform his respective task. She watched him go for a few seconds, then switched her gaze onto the two Mages. Even against the withering glare of Caren, she maintained a firm stance and expression. She folded her arms across her chest, her stare laced with analysis. When she spoke, it was almost too sudden.

"The man in the pit. His Earth Magic was enough to threaten a great deal of my men and keep them from reinforcing the town hall." She raised a slight eyebrow. "Who was he? And furthermore, who are you two?"

"A brave man," Caren interceded quickly, taking a step forward only for Stern to hold her back. It didn't stop her from spitting venomously at Debora from not far away. "Braver than you pack of thugs are, you bitch!" 

"Caren, shut your trap!" Stern hissed at her, pushing her abrasively back from getting in striking distance of the imposing woman. Turning back, he grimaced as he turned to look at the man -who he noticed had died with a smile, much to his relief- and looked back at her. "His name was Joch Hughes, a senior security officer of IMAC. Myself and Caren are regulars in IMAC security. I'm sure you met our colleagues during your enthusiastic ambush.

"Can't help but wonder exactly how cheap it is to buy classified information regarding lucurative deals between bandits and political leaders are. Who sold this town out, along with the professional confidentiality between them, the government and our company? I'm sure our boss would love to know who the culprits were so this kind of thing didn't happen again?" 

Asking this, was his only reason for getting close to the leader of the bandits. While he knew that this was the best kind of delaying tactic, he operated under the assumption the newly minted Phoenix Guild could be covertly piggybacking off their communication bracelets. Through NST they could be listening in on their conversation, and with luck, they could extract information vital to taking this group down and the corrupt politician that made this happen. The bracelets wouldn't give off any sound or visible indication, other than them being a small glow of green showing its on so unless they were familiar with their tech, they wouldn't know of this advanced position used. 

Of course, only someone like Stern with a level head and a calm disposition, could hope to get a bandit spill his guts and gloat over the triumph of their conquest. They were utterly beaten, so what was there to lose?

Unfortunately, the axe-wielder wasn't interested in gloating.

"That," She spoke readily, slightly huffing at Caren's harsh outburst. "Isn't important. What is important is what's happened here." She unfolded her arms, using her hands to gesture to the results of the fighting. "The fact that you managed to survive an attack that destroyed the I.M.A.C.'s defenses here in minutes is impressive. Although," She placed a hand on her hip, pointing a chiding finger at the Mages. "I can't help wonder why there are so many of my rogues are simply hurt rather than killed. I'm not complaining. It just baffles me why you would keep yourself from using lethal force even when your enemy doesn't do the same."

Despite her seriousness, the way she spoke was very casual, almost as if they were discussing the weather.

When her eyes happened to fall on a body of a civilian, a brief scowl was made out of her lips. "I feel like I should apologize for the "extra" casualties on your side. The unarmed, sick, immature or other types who can't fight back... we do try to keep them out of our battles. Every defenseless life claimed here was because they just so happened to be between us and the enemy. Now that the enemy's been dealt, there'll be no more of it. The town can do whatever it wants with the bodies."

She folded her arms again. "But as for you two. As part of the security here, you were instructed to guard this train, presumably with your lives." Her eyes narrowed slightly, her next words laced with frost. "You've failed. You've failed to protect both the merchandise and the cargo. Even if you were to walk out of this place alive, your failure and the loss of life will weigh down upon your back. If your colleagues don't see to that, then your conscience will."

She unfolded her arms again, her hands balling up. She took a step forward, in spite of Caren's anger. The frost vanished. "So I'm going to offer you a proposition. I want you both to join our fold, to pull away from the I.M.A.C. and into the Jaguar. Despite the holes in the progress of your work here, you hold potential. I'd hate to waste it." Her eyes narrowed, a slight frown made of her mouth. "That won't be enough to stop me from acting on the alternative. If you choose to resist, and I'll do everything in my power to ensure you are two more numbers to add to the amount of casualties."

For emphasis, she reached behind her to grasp the handle of her axe with one hand. Her eyes and face darkened.

"What will it be?"

Stern ground his teeth, realizing that any attempt of information gathering was for naught. She was up front and to the point, not beating around the bush about this ordeal. She wanted to use them if only because of their expertise in magic and surprising tenacity to live through precarious situations. Joch was one of their best, next to the chief, so he wondered just how much useful they could be given they had to make a run for safety. 

Balling up his fists, he thought about what the best couse of action could be. Fight? Surrender? What true alternative did they have in regards of this volatile-?

A sudden burst of static followed by the visible figure of a tall stalwart man in burgundy robes wrapped over a crimson dyed, white collared buisness suit. With an angular face complemented by a neatly trimmed beard, the bright eyed man held a sceptre in one hand with a ruby adorned on its top while being a brown staff leading down to a golden tip. Through the spell of Thought Projection, he appeared before their midst and smiled calmly, while performing a polite bow towards the leader. 

"Boss!" Caren quipped out with a gasp, startled by his sudden appearance. Stern was also taken aback, never seeing his overseer appear even if it was only in spirit for such an event. He knew Joch sent out a message, but this response seemed almost extreme, given the circumstances. 

"Apologies for my interruption of your civil conversation, Milady," He smoothly interceded, his eyes drawing to hers and hers alone as his slightly flickering effigy stood among her cohorts. "I have an understanding that you ambushed one of my trains, siezed its cargo and harmed my customers among those I call faithful members of my staff. However, I'm willing to make you an offer you can't refuse without suffering an exponential loss to this ambitious venture of yours. It is simple," His voice dropped a decibel and his eyes thinned to sharpen the intensity of his still smiling expression aimed towards her. "Relinquish my goods, my staff, my customers and leave this town. Otherwise I'll take more harsh measures to see that you and all of your men are punished to the utmost degree of the law that enables me to enact. This will be your first and only warning, Debora Salucci."

His presence caused a stir within the bandits that were watching. Bianca was even shaken out of her comfortable stance, her expression relaying disbelief and worry.

"It... it's him!" One whispered. "The head of the Alexander nobles!"

"The Master of the Phoenix Guild..." Another muttered with a more grim tone. Although he attempted to hold himself steady, his rifle was shaking in his hands.

"V-Victor Alexander!" Bianca finished, taking a reflexive step back. It was only a thought projection. But the very sight of him combined with the understanding of who he was more than made up for his lack of a presence. The only reason why she wasn't outright backing away was because Debora was in her midst, and she was still standing strong. It wouldn't have looked good if she ran while her leader did not.

Even so, the chieftain regarded the "ghost" with shock. She was frozen in place, her hand still wrapped around the handle of her ax. She listened to his words in silence, a bead of sweat falling down her face. She hadn't expected for the head of the company to make any kind of appearance, even if it wasn't in person. But projection or not, it was a sign that things weren't going to go as smooth as they had been. With caution guiding her, she turned a sidelong glance to Bianca and gave a slight nod - something that the other woman caught.

"Rogues!" Bianca shouted, swinging a hand out and turning to face the rest of her colleagues. "Aim and ready up! High noon!"

In response, the sounds of rifles clicking and bolts being loaded resounded through the air. Every bandit within the area was now on a state of high alert, their eyes sweeping the area and their weapons readied for any possible hostiles. Their movements were clipped and frequent, driven by their alarm and unease of Victor's presence.

The least unnerved was Debora herself, who met the thought projection's eyes with a hard stare. "Punish?" She repeated, a hint of incredulity in her voice. That was replaced by an edge of heat tainting an otherwise frosty tone. "Such a big word from a little man in his cushy corner office. What could you possibly do against us, outside of sending more of your dogs to die? We have control of this town, your merchandise and even your underlings. What security you had that didn't surrender is dead." She pulled the axe from its holster, leveling it at her side with one hand. "If not for your cowardice, you'd be joining them."

The hand that gripped her ax squeezed the grip to an uncomfortable tightness. Though there was a muscle barely moved on her face, her next words gave her expression the impression of a contained fury. "Now, if you plan on doing something that's actually worthwhile, I'd get on with it if I were you. Otherwise, back the hell off."

Caren was immediately enthusiastic. The once assured and proud bandits were now panicking, all looking around for the eventual reckoning her employer was going to wreak upon them all. Stern looked around with a nervous expression, wondering what kind of idea his employer had by openly declaring war against a small military force. No matter the stretch of resources he had, how could he think to scramble some form of counterattack effectively in the knick of time?

However, the look of a darkening scowl and the diminishing smile showed the diminishing visage of Victor whisper out towards Debora one simple phrase; powerful and effective. 

"You've been warned."

A sudden roar from overhead as a previously invisible plated Skyhawk descended from the sky at high velocity. Putting on its reverse thrusters to rapidly decelerate, a gust of hot wind blew back the proximate soldiers. Opening a ramp from its underbelly came five individuals, two of which speedily leaped off and ran towards the town hall in the center of the overtaken living place. The other three dropped down in dramatic fashion around Stern and Caren. Yui was in her more elaborate black-pink gi top with shoulder-less, fingerless sleeves wrapped around her forearms and her own velvet slacks, crouched in preparation next to Caren while Noriko stood upright with arms crossed and a cheshire grin breaching her face. 

The last was Victor, whom slowly stood up, adorned in his burgundy cloak as seen in his Thought Projection, Scepter in his left grip with gloved white hands balled up in readiness. Standing to his full intimidating height, he looked down and at Debora with a smile that belied the intensity behind his gaze. A burning pair of black-white flames ebbed around his irises, and the intensity of magic could be felt by both mages but only come across as an unnerving chill down the non-mages gathered around them. 

With the Skyhawk hovering menacingly above, and the Guild Master flanked by two trusted associates, he couldn't help but cock his head to the side. 

"Hello, Debora," He spoke eloquently, almost as if she was an old friend despite this being the first time either have seen each other face to face. "I assume you know what's coming next, don't you?"

A Criminal's Edge, A Wizard's Zeal

Time stopped.

Debora could only stare in awe as the three beings came down. The contents of her eyes were kept in their dot form as she gazed at the lead one. She hadn't expected him to make an actual appearance. But not only did he do just that, but he had landed directly in front of her. It had been the perfect opportunity to swing her axe and cut him down mid-air. But for whatever reason, she had been unable to move. Was it his magic aura? Was it his actions, the way he had just moved into her personal space so casually?

The chill down her spine was swamped by a fire burning in her chest. Her free hand clenched itself so tightly that her nails ended up piercing her palm. As her blood ran down her fingers, she met his stare with cold, hard and narrow eyes. The ax was pulled off of her back.

"Yeah..."

The ax, heavy and large, was swung at a speed defying both properties. It was on a path through his head and down to his groin. Throughout the swing's duration, her lips were curled in a feral snarl. She was faintly aware of the not-too-distant sounds of yelling and gunfire from the town hall, concentrated only on the one in front of her.

"I do!"

Victor watched her move in a way only his own trained senses could. In a blur the heavy weapon moved with enough power that it threatened the two members of his staff immediately behind him. He didn't chance their own reflexes in the event they couldn't avoid the shockwave or its destructive nature when it fully connected. So before the ax made a full arch downwards, the Guild Master caught the underside of the ax's head where the handle met. The strength of hers tested with his, causing the ground to the buckled by the power of her swing with his own one-armed thrust upward to contest hers.

With his Sceptre locked point blank on the magic tool, he enacted a forceful ejection of Wind Magic. In a cerulean painted discharge, a fullblown gust to send her and her proximate colleagues flying back a considerable distance. But in exchange, Victor felt an almost equal shockwave strike him physically. His cloak whipped, his hood unfurled and his suit slashed in several places, he skid back on his heels but avoided being entangled with Stern and Caren. 

They were pulled out of the way, thanks to Yui and Noriko's timely intervention. 

"Vic!" Noriko called out, her tone derisive and almost scolding. "That didn't just happen, did it?"

"It did, actually," The Phoenix Wizard replied with a chuckle, wincing slightly from the aftermath of the magic's wisps escaping his frame. "That stung. I think that ax of hers is an absorbant/reflector Holder Type. Didn't think a magic-less human could wield it with such ease, let alone master its potential."

"We're still surrounded," Yui noticed, watching some of the men scramble to take up aim and attack. "How do you wish us to proceed?"

"Please be gentle if possible," Victor responded with a soft tone. "We're not vigilantes, after all. Just responding to an emergency crisis involving our cargo and customers."

"Your choice, boss," The younger mage replied, a sudden glow entering her left eye as her whole body became engulfed in a scarlet flame. In a matter of moments that they let loose bolts or gunfire she disappeared from the visual spectrum, only traced by a comet trail. Each time she'd make contact, her body returned to visibility as a foot launched a fully armored men into the air from one kick to the helmet covered chin. Reappearing to perform a spinning kick to his less armored side, he'd crash into one of his cohorts, followed up with her hammering one arm and then the other like a whip to strike critical points around their necks. 

All of this happened in the seconds they opened fire and attempted to engage the young mage. 

"She's fast...faster than even me!" Caren realized, gulping aghast at the ruthless spectacle of the girl of younger age dancing and spinning around the able bodied marauders. In that space of time she dazed out, one of the soldiers ran towards her with a weapon poised to cut her down before she had a time to cast a spell. By the time she turned to see the blade, it was too late-

-for only her and the swordsman, but not for the instantly appearing Noriko. 

"Sit back and rest," Noriko uttered to both Caren and Stern, her hand catching the sword's flat between upraised fingers. With a sparking focus of Ethernano, it shattered like glass. Pulling back her fist she thrust out, her knuckles barely tapping the man's chest but completely eradicated the breastplate and sending him smashing through one of the nearby buildings. In the rise of dust and debris, she twirled in a darkened arc similar to her student's, though with much more dramatic flare and ease than the younger Phoenix Mage. "We can handle them."

"Uh, sure," Stern nodded, making sure he went and retrieved Caren by the arm to find a good place to watch. It was a rarity to see such skilled wizards in action, and against such strong barbarians made it no mean feat. Their comeuppance was something they both needed to see for themselves. 

With the surviving security officers taken care of, Victor returned his attention to the men regaining their bearings along with their leader. Unfastening his cloak, he set it and his sceptre aside in a flash of crimson; the tell-tale sign of using Requip. Straightening his collar and stretching his gloves eloquently, he began to approach the lot with a humored grin on his face. 

"That was unexpected, Debora. It wasn't nice to use such a mean kind of attack that absorbs my magic and throws it back at me. If you told me ahead of time, I'd made sure to avoid using any spells where your ax can cut it," The head of I.M.A.C. chided with a playful edge to his voice. Readying himself in a forward leaning stance with arms raised up, he let loose a calm yet vibrant aura that was akin to a burning silver. His own eyes ebbed of a snow hued tongues that licked across the edges of his brows. With the overcast of light made present to the assortnment of barbarians, he was generous enough to let them make the next move. "Now, I'm ready for that."

Within the minute, the tides had turned.

As Debora straightened up from her own crouched position (she had done so to keep from being blown off her feet), she heard the yells of her bandits more clearly over the gunfire and explosions. The fire was snuffed out as her blood froze, her ears taking in the commands and cries.

"Concentrate your fire! Use your explosives!"

"Th-they're moving too fast, I can't get a shot in!"

"Damn it!! Hold still, for God's sake!!"

"We got two more in the town hall!! Two more, two more!!"

Just like that, her fellow bandits were forced to turn away from Victor in order to engage the other four threats tearing through the battlefield. But despite the overwhelming numbers, it was Victor's girls that had the advantage. The Jaguar's immediate number was getting exhausted at an alarmingly high rate. At the way things were going here, retreat was becoming more of a necessity than an option. As she straightened up, both hands gripped the staff of her ax like a vice.

But despite logic telling her to pull back, instinct argued against it.

A torrent of emotions swam through her form. There was indignation at his casual attitude, irritation that he was showing such relaxation in the midst of a battle and incredulity that he had willingly discarded his weapon. That part of her wanted to call him out for arrogance. However, another part of her was burning with interest. The potential danger she was in made her lips curl upward in anticipation. That part of her was aware that such movements wouldn't be done without a reason. Had he made himself resistant to the magic-enhanced ax? Had he made himself immune? Or maybe he made her weapon vulnerable to its own death?

There was only one way to find out.

"You have that much faith in yourself, hm?" She mused, licking her lips. "I'll take that bet."

Then, she ripped forward. Her smile was unrestrained, her eyes' contents had rhrunken, and her ax was once more in motion.

Another mighty blow was swung down upon Victor, followed by several more. The massive blade of Lacrima twisted and turned, flying to its target at superhuman speeds. It was only matched by her body, a whirlwind of ferocity and violence as it matched the weapon's pace. She continued to wear that fanged smile as she attacked, her mind set on destroying the man in front of her.

Victor couldn't help but admire the woman's physical ability. He could only wonder what was the result of not being a magician and doing nothing but grooming one's build and stamina to its prime. Each swing followed with another, all coming in rapid pace that made him move just as quickly to avoid each lethal attack. Not only would his own substantial aura do nothing against this kind of weapon, it'd be used as fuel in a catalyst for a more destructive attack. So there was only one alternative. 

Attack where the ax couldn't reach. 

"Light-Make," The Guild Master intoned, clasping his hands together and unveiling an elaborate gleaming surface of white trim with wings spread outward with a dazzling glass mirror upon its front. Such a beautiful work of art was put directly in the path of her impending weapon's stroke. "Seraphim Mirror."

Upon hitting the surface, the Ethernano formed glass cracked and most of the spell shuddered wildly upon connecting. When the weapon absorbed its contents, effectively whisking away the shards into pieces she'd find no Wizard behind it. Through bought time of using his barrier spell, he cast Transparency, effectively rendering him invisible to his opponent. And thanks to the proximate combat of his nearby allies, he could formulate his plan in full splendor. 

Just as only half a minute went by, Victor appeared out of his transparency above his opponent. With a hand coated in rays of luminous majesty, he released what could be described as a Hard Light projection that'd hammer straight into Debora and the earth surrounding her. A flashing shockwave in its entirety, it'd splinter the soil and bludgeon her durable armored form. If he had timed it right, he'd have completely bypassed her weapon so that she didn't get a chance to absorb or release a magic wave back at him. 

Landing behind her, he palmed his hand and stretched out a column of light into a dazzling appearing sword; the Banishing Ray Sword. With this weapon in hand, he pulled it back and thrust it from a distance, aiming to pin her to the ground and end their fight before it could get out of hand. It all depended if his prior spell had any effect, however, but he hoped that he could simply restrain her so its edge was meant to physically wrap and lock her in place; rather than cut, as it ought to do. 

"I suggest you surrender, Debora," He cautioned, his smile still ever present as his confidence never wavered from their exchange. "I haven't gotten where I am through mere scheming and entitlement. My experience as a mage is not one to take lightly; once I was offered the title of Wizard Saint to which I have no need of. My command over a privatized Guild and a international company, as you can see, is enough for you to realize who I am and what I am capable. So again, I urge you to kneel while you have the chance to beg for forgiveness."

In the fading smoke and from her grounded silhouette came a strained yet frigid voice.

"Kneel? To you?"

She sucked in breath, clenched her teeth, closed her eyes and tensed her muscles. Then, she let out a rising yell and pulled forward. There was only a second of resistance from the spell around her, its foundation squeezing her form. But unfortunately for it, that lasted only a second. The light was shattered, her rising body throwing the fragments away from her frame. She exhaled before straightening herself up, glaring at Victor. The ax was sparkling with the light's energy - energy pulled from a deftly timed block from the first attack that shoved her down.

"Experienced and powerful, you may be." She acknowledged. "But arrogant and conceited, all the same. Was your plan to win this a glorified bluff? Did you think that after hearing scary words and seeing a taste of your power that I would submit?" She spared a glance to the other enemies fighting her bandits, scoffing. "You must have me confused with these bitches you brought with you. I know who you are. I know what you've done, and that is the very reason that I fight. I don't expect someone sitting at the high end of the social pyramid to understand it. But at the very least, I hope you understand this."

She brought her weapon up to bear, her eyes narrowing and her lips curling into a sneer. "I am Debora Selucci, head of the Jaguar and a survivor of the bottom. If you're that desperate to make me heel, you're going to have to try a lot harder than that."

Victor's countenance sobered upon seeing Debora's indignant spout of outrage. Closing his eyes, he sighed, relaxing his form as he dissipated his Banishing Ray Sword. Through the use of his ring, he began to communicate with his other colleagues. 

"Noriko, Yui, what is your status?"

"We've managed to route most of them, they seem to be regrouping with the others and are making a run for their gathered cargo."

"What's the verdict, boss?"

"Ensure that you follow them with caution. Victoria, Christina?"

"We also beat back our enemies around Town Hall. They were tough, but it seemed like this was a secondary objective so a show of force was enough to route them."

"We're making sure that no others come harm our customers, Master Victor." 

"Good," He spoke aloud, his vibrant aura showered in a majestic column of light that shuddered the earth and shook the foundations of the town. Clasping his hands together with fingers entwined, his glowing irises stared hard at Debora. With renewed vigor his body unleashed a palpable visage of contempt and determination. "Then allow me to show you a bit more of what I can do!" 

"Light-Make, Heaven's Iron Horse!" 

Through a quick gesture, and rapidly assembled parts materialized through glaring prism of many colors, shined a rapidly speeding train minus the cars it'd normally be tethered to. Aiming to ram her with it through bludgeoning impact this was used primarily to blind her from his other actions he'd perform. Such as him moving with adept speed to her left flank, already forming a beautiful white wing attached to his right arm -the Angel's Wing- and slashing an arc of searing laser heat at her body. Jumping upwards with a pulse of magic escaping the soles of his feet, he'd clasp his hands together and form what could be seen as a monstrously sized vessel capable of housing the entirety of the town and then some. 

"Light-Make, Heaven's Ark!" He declared loudly, letting the enormous ship aim to crush her underfoot with its behemoth bulk and durable light constructed integrity. 

"What the hell?!"

The train had been avoided with a leap. The white wing had been parried. It was the sudden materialization of a ship above her head that caused that thought. For a brief moment, her body froze in alarm and horror, her heart nearly stopped and choked sounds coming through clenched teeth. She was correct to assume that he would come at her with more force. But to use this much? It would've been sensible to use against an army instead of one person. But at the same time, it showed just how far Victor was willing to in order to ensure that she was heeled.

If she didn't do something quick, she was going to be crushed.

She ran over the bodies of the fallen, raising her ax up just as the ship met the ground. In that moment, all of her body's strength was ripped away under the size and weight of the construct. It would only take a second for her to fall to her knees and then to the ground before the thing smashed her completely. In that second, she felt her temperature rise to its maximum. The sweat from her pores felt like they were drenching her person, mingling with the screaming of her muscle and bone. As she felt to her knee, she knew that whether she lived or not would depend on a miracle.

But fortunately, fate smiled down on her; the Lacrima blade's edge cut into the hull, surging with absorbed power.

Feeling a moment of opportunity, Debora shut her eyes and pushed as hard as she could. The more inches that the blade took, the easier it was to carve through the hardened light. The full swing caused the pent-up energy in the blade to be released in the form of a shockwave that sliced cleanly through the body of the ship. The two halves would crash around Debora just as she fell into a crouch, obscuring her and the entire area in a storm of dirt, dust and debris.

For a few seconds, all was silent - save for the violently shifting storm.

Then, a form caked in dirt and blood threw itself at Victor.

"Incredible," Victor breathed out, witnessing the complete bisection of his largest Light-Make construct. Such a substance was not an easy thing to crack yet her weapon was able to not only absorb its make-up but also turn it against it within a matter of seconds. As the hull smashed and created a tidal wave of dust and forceful winds that utterly smashed the trade center while buckling violently the adjacent structures beyond, the air grew still for a few moments afterwards.

Then, she leaped out, swinging away as if nothing happened. 

Leaping away from her latest lunge, he culminated both of his arms in swirling maelstroms of dazzling white rays. Forming the Divine Ray Fists, he lunged forth and smashed both fists, clasped by the wrists, towards the Lacrima fueled weapon, unleashing a Hard Light blast to knock her back with its intense discharge. Even if parried, the force was considerable and would buy him time for the summoning of a cauldron of dozens of colors to flow between bare spaced palms. 

Clapping them together, he unleashed them into a pyre of destructive fiery light towards her while crying out loud, "Rainbow Burst!" 

He had deduced early on that there were limitations to a Holder Type when it came to absorption of Ethernano within any spell its edge came into contact with. The reason that theory was made fact was that she didn't simply absorb the Ark before or tried to do that with the Iron Horse before that. She has to release the pent-up energy, otherwise the Lacrima will shatter or the weapon itself may combust in a chaotic overdrive of power. Even her own magic resistant armor plating was only as good as her body could take the shockwaves that shook her frame. Trained as she might be, there was only so much punishment she could take. 

With that mindset, even as he launched the Rainbow Burst spell, he fired a second spell from a glowing pair of beams from his eyes. The Searing Glare would add a great thermal potency, aiming to burn away her defenses or at the least chip away at the magic absorbant attributes of her weapon. If this didn't work, he knew he'd have to try a much more drastic means of disabling her means of defense and offense. 

Which ultimately cause a potential cataclysm within the given area; one thing he wanted to avoid most of all.

He would find no resistance.

The form that he met was hurled back to its regular position, continuing to fly back even as he unleashed the duet of spells. In the haste of things, he could've assumed that she had crumpled under the force of his strikes and finally surrendered. But a closer look would warrant him with a body more feminine than the one that had challenged him. There was no ax in hand, the visual features were different and the armor worn had been long shattered before the present time.

It hadn't been Debora that had thrown herself at him, but the corpse of a bandit that had been thrown at him.

Debora herself was right behind him, her ax raised over her head and her eyes glaring daggers into the back of his head.

Like the body she had thrown, she was covered in dirt. The shockwave of the crashing ship halves had hit her, decorating her skin and clothing with a blend of bruises and blood. Even if his attack hadn't hit her, it had did some form of work on her. But from the way she moved and the intense feel of her countenance, it wasn't enough to keep her from continuing to fight. If that didn't do it, the roar that ripped from her lungs as she swung the ax down would speak volumes.

For a moment, Victor felt completely duped. In his haste to assume his enemy was coming, the silhouette was a false one. His attacks were thrown and only when he saw an unarmed unconscious body be torn asunder by his spells that he realized his error too late. The sensation of metal tearing through his shoulder flowing through the spinal column, heart and lungs made an instant of pain into one that dimmed completely. A shower of blood and goore was let loose by the woman who had utilized a fake-out effectively through the dust cloud formed by his own spell she wrecked through. 

As his lifeless remains struck the ground, one could notice something very off. Twinkling sparks of light escaping the pores of his skin, the fabric of his blood covered suit and even his mauled remains. Soon an entire crescendo of rising light dissipated his physical frame completely and left nothing in its wake other than a physical imprint of where he once was. Even as she'd take in the sight of her fallen opponent's form evaporating, she'd hear a slow clap emanate behind her. 

"My-My, that was well done. Bravo, Debora! Bravo!" He sincerely congratulated her, this one seeming to be unmarred by the effects of their battle save for the tears of the initial wind blast that was deflected upon him in the beginning. Walking towards her till they were but a handful of meters away, he placed his hands behind his back and smiled in a pleased fashion. "I had no idea that you'd be able to beat my Holy Double so quickly, and with stamina to spare. Your equipment must be state of the art to have withstood my Holy Ark which begs the question where you acquired it from? But, I digress, if you wish to continue our scuffle, we can...or we can have a civil chat and discuss things of the future like rational civilized adults."

All of it had effectively killed the sense of triump Debora felt.

She was left staring in shock at the imprint where the double used to be, her mind swimming with thoughts.

"Th... that was a double? This entire time, I was just fighting a copy, while the real one was watching from the sidelines?!"

Even as he congratulated her for her "victory", she couldn't turn around to face him. Only one hand was left to hold the ax, her freed hand shaking lightly. Although her eyes remained widened, her gaping mouth slowly closed. She lifted her gaze to stare forward, mulling over what happened. The silence between them lasted for several seconds - time that would seem to take up an eternity. When she spoke, it would be in a near-monotone under her breath.

"I was made a fool out of."

Her mouth smiled, but her mind did not. She chuckled - a sound that would reach Victor's ears. That alone made it sound like she was getting jolly from a very humorous joke. But as she laughed lightly, her free hand clenched itself into a fist. Her nails pierced her skin, and blood ran down her fingers to stain the ground underneath. It would last only a few seconds more before she turned to face him, her face one of humor. But despite what it looked like, her clenched fist would make it clear that she was anything but amused.

"You want to "discuss things"?" She asked rhetorically, slowly relaxing her free hand. "After all that talk of punishing me to the fullest extent of the law, you're wanting to talk?" She slowly took in a breath, slinging her hand out and ridding it of excess blood. "All right. I guess I can humor you, seeing as you went out of your way to humor me. What could you possibly want to speak to me about?"

Her humiliated and subtly enraged attitude wasn't lost to Victor. He knew that by revealing himself in a patronizing way, he'd have cut deep into her pride and her sense of accomplishment. In a way, he had given her something worse than an unseen attack that could've crippled or taken her out without her knowing how. That would've been a mercy compared to what he had done now. Even as she shed blood on her own volition a second time, he could tell this was a very high strung woman who only emoted when there was a need to. 

But still, if anything, he didn't get to where he was without taking risks. 

With a wave of his right hand towards her, he proclaimed sincerely, "Yes, but that is because I didn't know you and that you were simply an evil in needing of being taken care of due to the deaths of my staff members, customers and damages done to both of the aforementioned. I only came here to rectify the mistakes made and ensure there wouldn't be a repeat of what happened. It's what the Phoenix Guild has for a purpose when I created them; where I.M.A.C. security can't deal with it, they can solve the problem on a more long term means. 

"However, when we fought, I got to have a taste of your resolve, your skill and your physical prowess. Your ability to push on past what one could expect of a human who has no magic to lean upon aside from your incredible arms and armor is astounding in of itself. The fact that you could take me off guard, even by extention of it being a double, speaks volumes of your potential. So, instead of simply killing you needlessly or worse, letting you rot away in a cell for years while your talent erodes I have a solution.

"Come, work for me," He beckoned, his hand curling in a come hither gesture while his eyes twinkled with enthusiasm. "In whatever fashion you feel suitable, I in turn shall see your potential maximized to the best of its ability. You know as well as I do that you can only do so much in the Underworld, regardless of high tier equipment and man power. Eventually, whether it is I or someone else, you will suffer casualties too great to make the merits of your labor seem fruitless. How long do you think you can continue to perform as you are in twenty years time? Thirty? Do you wish to exert yourself when you've passed your prime? 

"I'm not simply asking you take a post for penance sake, or to be redeemed of your crimes outright. I want you to choose a far more productful lifestyle that'll better fulfill your talents as well as ensure a brighter tomorrow. That is what my goal is; to ensure a lineage is left behind that isn't war or madness, but of hope and promise for a better future. Isn't that what living as a free living being, mage or not, is all about in Earthland?" 

Had it not been for the way he presented himself, Debora would've laughed at him.

Instead, she found her smile fading and her expression shift into confusion. The spark in his eyes did its best to convince her that all of this wasn't some way to lower her guard. The anger she felt was tempered by a sense of bewilderment. Just why would a businessmen willingly associate himself with a bandit? How could he so easily ask for her services, as if she was simply another colleague of his? Any other noble wouldn't dare allow himself to interact with the likes of her, on pain of fear or disgust. What exactly was this man thinking?

"...you do realize what you're asking of me, don't you?" Her voice quiet. She gave him a hard stare and a skeptical scowl, but made no move to attack just yet. "You're asking me to willingly put myself beside a noble, someone who makes a living out of keeping others beneath their heel. You're asking me to abandon the ones under my command and into your hands. You're asking me to fall to a life of servitude after a life of independence, a life of servitude to someone I don't care much for."

She started taking steps towards him, maintaining a slow and almost casual gait. Even as she neared him, however, she didn't raise her ax. "What, then, is stopping me from saying no?" She pressured. "What is the key that'll convince me into giving you my life? I am many things, Alexander. But "easy" is certainly not one of them."

Satisfied by her answer, Victor waved a hand as he explained further, even as she approached him. He cautiously ensured that he'd keep his magic on hand in case she was considering cutting him down if his words didn't follow through. But he was bold, and he didn't want to let this chance slip up. 

"You can take your men with you, even as you're employed by me," Victor assured her with a nod. "You'll find that I have no slaves under my employ, but honest good workers who have a myriad of talents that help benefit I.M.A.C. If you understand the gains you'd partake in becoming part of my company as not just a security staff, but as a small military unit that could scout out locations for future expansion and even help clear malicious creatures who'd keep advancing a problem. You'll be paid considerably for the time spent, and will also become part of a credible resume you can utilize in future careers you wish to pursue.

"I'm not what you'd think as the practical noble. I don't live comfortably and I don't let others do work I cannot do myself. If I so wished I could have lived in lavish luxury. My family's wealth would've guaranteed that. But I didn't settle for less, I wanted far more. This world needs to progress and unify itself, to do so my company will see to it that we are all internationally growing in far better technology and access to magic to improve less than fortunate lives. Soon, everyone will see a dynasty of wealth and prosperity, as well as discovery and science as never before. 

"But I cannot do that alone. The Phoenix Guild is just one group of like-minded individuals who can assist me in doing what I cannot in every place at all times. I am but one man. But together, with people like them and you, Debora, I can succeed what I couldn't alone. So joining me won't simply benefit yourself and your crew, but the rest of Earthland as a whole," He finished with a hand outstretched towards her, anticipating her answer after his passionate declaration to her. 

Prior to the speech, Debora stopped just out of arm's reach of Victor.

Halfway through his speech, she closed her eyes and lowered her head. Her bangs overshadowed her eyes

"He speaks the truth. But from the mouth of the politician, the truth is as much worth as spit. As far as I know, he could be twisting and turning the picture to how he sees fit. The very fact that he was able to trick me into believing I was actually fighting him explains more than he wants to admit." Her grip on her ax tightened. "Considering that, he should be dealt with here and now, while I still have the strength to fight."

After a few seconds, it relaxed once more.

"But his trickery along with what I've seen of him here... I don't know how much more he's capable of. He was able to produce a clone that could project that much power upon me, and he doesn't even look the slightest bit exhausted. Even slicing his Ark in two didn't keep me from getting injured. Should I choose to win this fight, I'd be risking my life in a gamble I'm more likely to lose more than anything. I probably wouldn't make it far, should I try and escape. I would have a higher chance if those bandits remained, but..." She huffed derisively. "Justified as it was, they fled without warning. I can't believe Bosco would even deem them worthy of the name Jaguar."

She raised her head, opening her eyes and looking at him once more. The look in her eye seemed to convey her being unimpressed by his words. But then, a small, coy smile was made from her lips. "Everyone seeing a dynasty of wealth and prosperity, hm?" She mused. "That sounds like a ridiculous pipe dream, something that only an immature child would strive for."

She chuckled, taking one more step forward. Her hand, wounded and bloodied from her nails, reached out to gently take his. "This will cause quite the complication on my end of things. But it's better than the alternative. Victor Alexander..." She bowed her head, the next words spoken with dry humor. "Please take good care of me."

"I have no choice. The only way through this is to learn and see."

"I'll do what I can, Debora Salucci," Victor answered sincerely, shaking her hand empathetically, understanding she's in a vulnerable state. Releasing his grip on her, he spoke towards the ring and inquired aloud. "Did you get that?"

"Yeah," Noriko replied, her foot placed upon Icaro's back whom she had soundly beaten along with the many other fleeing members of the Jaguar Bandits. Loot was messily scattered along with tied up horses and torn apart artillery placements. Yui had already gave most of them a good look of her eye, rendering them immobile and disoriented. None of them were going to try and escaping anytime soon, which left the older magician to inquire with a head turn over her shoulder at the nearby settlement that had become Victor's battleground. "You sure about this boss? I don't think many people will take kindly in having us employ known criminals under the IMAC name."

"I'll work around the legal issues, Miss Hayate. Just make sure that you play nice with her."

"Play...wait, what?!" Noriko shrieked, making Yui do a doubletake followed by a snicker at her master's expense. Pulling at her hair, she hissed into the ring. "You're expecting me to work with the marauder that tore your train in half? The same bunch of people who killed your employees and innocent customers? All in the effort of gaining loot, you want me to help these sorry louts?!"

"Are you incapable, Miss Hayate?"

"Hnnnnnngh!" Noriko exclaimed with teeth biting down on her lower lip while bowing her body back dramatically. "Nooooooo!"

"Good. Then once I make the arrangements, be prepared to work side by side with them in a purely platonic manner you'd expect to if working with other associates of IMAC."

"I hate you," She sneered lowly, dragging a hand down her face as a dour expression spread over her face. "Vic!" 

"Give my best to Yui, Noriko!~" Victor sang tauntingly out, before lowering the ring away and turning to Debora with a confident smile on his face. "Don't mind her, she's a real professional when working in the field. Just do note that she has reservations when working with people of a not like-mindedness. Other than that...I have a feeling you both will come to respect one another."

"I only respect the strong and stable." Debora answered curtly, moving her ax back into the holster on her back. The coy look was replaced by a look of curt stoicism as she lowered her arms to her sides. "And considering from what I've seen here, I'm inclined to agree. I can only hope that they choose not to get in my way."