A Rising Star of the City

Ch.13: Scorched Girl

All around a certain duo, the air was hot, intolerable even. The smell of ashes was floating in the wind, causing the librarians to unconsciously let out a cough out of instinct. The sensation they were experiencing was akin to suffocation, throwing their bodies in emergency mode despite the clear lack of smoke around them.

In an attempt ignore the invasive scent attacking their nostril, one of the intruders pinched their nose while the other covered their face with the sleeve of their outfit. It didn't seem much at first but it allowed them to think straight without their brains fearing that they were running out of oxygen.

The duo standing side by side was composed of the Patron Librarian of the Floor of History and the assistant unwillingly working under Angela's orders. The latter was holding the sword they have grown used to by now while the former wore a dark suit and gloves, her hands tightened into fists.

Y/N: God, this is even worse than when I was dealing with her during the Lob. Corp. days. At least back then, I could breathe without feeling like I was inside a crematorium.

The man let out a second cough and removed his hand from his nose, slowly getting used to this hostile environment. All around them, grey and monotone houses were looming above their heads, forming an odd maze made with artificial constructions.

In the center of this town, a small figure looked back at them. She looked like a small child completely burnt to a crisp. Inside her body, a large matchstick was present, impaling her. The Abnormality stood silently, her solemn eyes staring at the newcomers with signs of fright.

The only thing she knew was that they were here to put her down, giving her a good reason to act unwelcoming. Standing by her side, small matchsticks were dragging their charred bodies across the concrete. The tip of their head was now nothing more than a shadow of what it used to be, what was once a beautiful match shining greatly was reduced to a faint ember within the ashes.

Malkuth: She's holding onto the charred matchstick, like it's her only hope...

Y/N: She burned herself out with dreams that she will never obtain.

While the Patron Librarian demonstrated some level of pity, the man standing next to her expressed no such thing, instead remembering the screams of the unlucky employees who were caught in her explosion. He knew her shtick, he knew that the moment they dropped their guard, she would go on the offensive and turn their bodies into a scorched portrait.

Unsure about how to proceed, the odd duo stood by each other's side, making sure that their opponents didn't try to corner them.

Y/N: Doing alright Malkuth?

Malkuth: Don't worry, I'm just... mentally preparing myself.

He asked his question for a good reason. After all, this was the girl's first battle after waking up from her slumber. In addition, her previous job also kept her at a safe distance from Abnormalities, meaning she had no experience when it came to suppressing Abnormalities with her own hands.

She knew that and was thankful to see the librarian standing next to her, someone who could teach her ropes. This was ironic, considering how the roles were reversed back in L Corp.

This small moment she took to ponder on that was not left unnoticed by her foes. Sensing an opportunity, one of the matchsticks charged ahead. The ex-Sephirah widened her eyes and watched one of the Abnormality's byproducts get kicked by the one on her side. A visible expression of pain formed on his face as he looked down at the leg he used to kick the animated match.

The bottom of his outfit was now nothing more than ashes clinging to the rest of the unharmed cloth in desperation. The burn was not enough to be dangerous but it definitely was plenty to make the both of them focus on the task ahead.