https://youtu.be/Xiix4Mg7EwU

The inside of the train was met with a weak blast of heat as our heroes entered, and it wasn't hard to find seats - it wasn't empty, but it was fairly early in the morning, so aside from the odd person travelling to their nine-to-five, it wasn't very full. So, they were seated promptly, on some of the many chairs covered with grey felt, inside this very modern and well-kept train.

The doors remained open for a short while, and as everyone took their seats, Inigo found himself seated between Makoto and Scarlett, facing Azurine and Silas, who were opposite them. As the doors closed, our heroes looked at one another, before Azurine cleared her throat, beginning the requisite conversation.

"So...we've got a couple of stops before we reach Aurum, right?" she began, crossing her arms. "What do you think we'll find there?"

"The journey plan requires us to move over to platform four..." Inigo murmured. "But our enemies may force us to reroute."

"I've seen how sneaky Libera can be." Scarlett shrugged, looking up. "A word of advice: be prepared for anything. You never know what the Mikado has up her sleeve."

"Oh, yeah?" Silas raised an eyebrow challengingly. "Do they have chainsaw murderers like in the movies?"

"I escaped one of those guys last week." Inigo said, watching calmly as Silas' jaw dropped in disbelief.

"...you're shitting me."

"I wouldn't dare."

"Honestly, all of that depends on whether or not Galileo is on the case." Scarlett added, taking a deep breath. "The Mikado isn't usually quite as ruthless as he is..."

"Tell that to Arc!" Azurine frowned, recalling all the damage that had been done just a couple of nights ago. "...you're right, though. I hope we don't have to deal with that guy again..."

"Speaking of which, you guys defeated him, right?" Makoto asked, tilting his head slightly. "It's been all over the news. It's definitely the first I've heard of a Libera admin being defeated."

"And then Arc happened, and Erdeland received a grim reminder that Libera still means business." Inigo commented, making a 'tch' sound as he shook his head. "So much for the glorious revolution."

"...knowing her, it's likely that factored into her decision." Makoto closed his eyes. "Do you believe the five of us can take her on?"

"Well, it took three of us to beat Galileo..." Azurine murmured. One of the three wasn't even really a fighter on their level. "I think we'll be fine, if you ask me!"

"Perhaps. But I recommend finding more allies. Just in case." Makoto suggested, his tone serious as he crossed his arms, opening his eyes. "If you'd like, I could maybe see if anyone else at Apex is willing?"

At the mention of Apex, everyone else barring Inigo looked at Makoto with raised eyebrows. Azurine and Silas weren't familiar with that group, but they'd heard nothing good about it - to say nothing of Scarlett, who was, in fact, familiar. Makoto was not blind to this, and immediately shrank under everyone else's gazes, looking down at his shoes. "I-I'm sorry?"

"Apex...ain't those the guys who flooded Caerulus?" Silas asked.

"That's what Inigo told us." Azurine scowled. "Who's to say they wouldn't do something worse?"

"Guys, I know Caerulus was bad, but that was an exception!" Makoto protested. "They don't do things like that unless they want to accomplish a specific objective!"

"An objective..." Scarlett murmured, balancing a finger on her chin in faux-thought. "Like...destroying the gang dedicated to getting in their way?"

"...ah."

Inigo looked over to the younger male, placing his hand on his shoulder. "If you're trying to leave Apex, is it really wise to contact them? I feel like that may backfire..."

"Uh...you're right." Makoto sighed, seeming disappointed.

Scarlett, noticing this, smiled slightly as she looked over at him. "Gathering allies is a good idea, though!" she exclaimed, visibly reassuring him somewhat.

"How would we go about recruitment, though?" Silas raised an eyebrow. "Think we could put up an ad on the 'net?"

"We could have Inigo do whatever he did to get those two on our side." Azurine snarked, glancing at Scarlett and Makoto as she spoke before her eyes narrowed, sneaking over to focus on Inigo. "...I'm not sure he's the type of guy who can handle a harem, though."

"What are you even talking about?" Inigo raised an eyebrow. "Sometimes, I just don't get you, Azurine."

"I get it. You seem like a pretty exclusive guy to me." Scarlett commented casually, winking playfully at him and nudging his side, much to his continued confusion. "But while I can see why an enemy might be charmed by you, I wouldn't suggest trying it on anyone else from Libera."

"Just so we're clear, that's a 'no' for the advertising idea, right?" Silas cut in, smiling awkwardly. "'Cause if not, I've got some pretty neat taglines in mind."

"I don't know if any normal people would be willing to join up with us." Makoto murmured. "We're bound to run into someone strong eventually. I can imagine they might seek us out."

"You may not be wrong. Libera has shown they're willing to strike in broad daylight." Inigo commented. "But unless necessary, I'd like to keep unwilling outsiders out of the conflict."

The group agreed on this matter, and soon after, the train stopped, the doors opening as the announcer called out: "Welcome to Nummus, Aurum. This train terminates here."

None of them needed any further reminder to stand up, so they did so, exiting the train while they looked ahead to see the station before them. Much like the rest of Aurum, the ground was pristine and white all over, while the walls and the extravagant roof were gold, with windows strategically placed to fill the interior with the golden glow of sunlight. Many people exited the train, and a few entered, with a large amount of the populace wearing fedoras. Without a shadow of a doubt, this was Aurum.

https://youtu.be/pjKsNuCRha4

Upon exiting the train, Inigo's jaw instinctively clenched, as if preemptively annoyed, which he was right to be as every Spectrum immediately felt dozens of eyes on them. He put his hood up and walked ahead, choosing not to engage, and Scarlett followed suit, remaining close to Inigo while giving a little wink to a bespectacled gentleman who very quickly grew flustered and angry, but otherwise avoidant. Azurine, conscious of all the judgemental stares, hid behind the much larger frame of Silas, who seemed more confused by the whole ordeal than anything else. Makoto found himself gazing back at one man, the two of them eyeing one another's suits and scrutinising them ruthlessly before tipping fedoras at one another in approval.

They didn't waste much time here, though. As they made their way through, moving further into the station, through the crowds and down an escalator, they found themselves moving towards a gilded sign pointing towards "Platform 4". They drew nearer, only for Inigo, who was in front, to suddenly stop, extending his arm outwards as he closed his eyes, listening.

"Something wrong?" Scarlett spoke up first, stepping closer as she raised an eyebrow. She, too, began to listen closely before she heard what Inigo had picked up on. The smooth, slimy voice of a young man, presumably well-versed in the field of snake-oil salesmanship, who seemed to be talking to someone indistinct.

"...yeah, yeah, I've got the hostages...no, they ain't got enough...kill them? I dunno, boss, maybe we ought to let them go...yeah, I'm sure they ain't with Libera, I asked..."

Listening to all this, Scarlett raised an eyebrow, turning to face the other three as she pointed to the sign. "Sounds like a hostage situation..."

"Right in the open? That doesn't sound very smart..." Azurine murmured. "Aren't there any security guards on the scene here?"

"Must be on break. Or otherwise busy." Silas sighed, shaking his head. "Well, thankfully, that's what we're here for."

"I suppose we're already here." Makoto commented, stepping towards the platform with his arm extended. "I hope I'm not wrong in thinking we should intervene."

"You're not." Inigo shook his head slowly, watching as Makoto's weapon - a silver-bladed, orange-poled naginata - materialised in his open hand. "Tread with caution, though. We could be in for a surprise."

"What, do you hear a whole army of guys?" Azurine raised an eyebrow, only for Inigo to shake his head.

"No. Worse." he replied. "There's only one."

"Uh, what?" Azurine stared strangely at Inigo. "Wouldn't you rather go for a single guy than a crowd?"

"Hmm...let's think of it this way." Silas raised a finger. "Would you rather face Galileo or his goons?"

"It's kind of like how they do things in Libera!" Scarlett added eagerly. "Unless it's really urgent, the strong guys like Coyote and Galileo tend to bring a smaller pack with them. Those who aren't being led by them aren't as confident, so they believe in safety in numbers."

"So if there's only one guy..." Azurine murmured, before giving a pout. "He's probably dangerous, isn't he? How should we do this?"

"In situations like these..." Inigo murmured, placing his hand on his chin as he gazed at the sign. "It's best to test the waters."

.........

https://youtu.be/v9V5aByfeCM

Inside the platform was a most peculiar scene. On the ground, multiple civilians of all shapes and sizes were kneeling, their hands tied together by simple rope and their mouths covered with cloth. One particular individual had his face frozen in shock, staring at his own severed hand on the ground beneath him, blood dripping from his wounded stump.

Standing over all the people was a tall, thin man with fair skin and dark hair, wearing a black pinstripe suit and a snazzy fedora. Looking down at his phone screen with his dark blue eyes, he sighed, putting it in his pocket before turning around to face his captives. "Alright, alright, friends, you hear that? I know organised criminals." he said, his voice almost playful. "And they want me to kill you! Now, I like to think I'm a pretty merciful guy, so I'll give you all one last chance. Five million varia. Sooner, rather than later, please."

"A-Are you mad?" one woman exclaimed, her voice defiant, yet tinged with a hint of desperation. "You took everything we had on us!"

"Sorry about that, miss." the man wagged his finger, shaking his head with a small smile. "I've got a bit of a quota here, so I'm gonna need a lot more people to come over or I'm gonna start removing clothes." With a flip of the hair, he added, "Your clothes, sorry to disappoint."

With her eyes on the scene, Scarlett was the first Spectrum to enter the fourth platform, walking in right on cue while quietly whistling a tune. The man raised an eyebrow, turning around before gazing upon Scarlett, his expression contorting into a wolfish smirk as he scanned her up and down. "Oho, and speak of the devil." he said, standing up straight and looking down at the woman, wiggling his eyebrows. "Hello, hot stuff~"

"Heya." Scarlett replied, giving him a wave as she did her best not to focus too badly on the terrified captives behind him. "I hope I'm not intruding on anything, am I?"

"Not at all, sweetcheeks." the man shook his head, grinning a little more widely. "I'm just trying to get some money for my boss. Thinking of taking some of these guys' clothes, since they won't surrender their earthly possessions to my cause. Did I mention I know guys in Libera? Because I totally do."

"Really? That's so cool!" Scarlett giggled, pretending not to be disturbed by this man's entire mentality as she looked behind him, feeling a flash of empathy for the victims that she did her best to hide.

"I know, right?" the man laughed. He was totally nailing this! "But you know, I'm thinking...if I'm gonna be collecting clothing, I might profit more with some more...chic threads. Why don't you help a brother out?"

He looked down at her with a gaze that could only be considered predatory, and Scarlett let out a nervous chuckle in response. If only she wasn't so darn spiffy, she wouldn't be subjected to such creepy come-ons. Nevertheless, she regained her composure, shaking her head. "If it's money you're after, look behind you!" she exclaimed, pointing at the poor sod who was missing a hand. "You cut off that guy's hand, didn't you? Those can sell pretty well on the black market!"

"...no kidding?" the man furrowed his brow in thought, considering all of this, and as Scarlett studied his expression closely, she managed to pinpoint the exact moment the lightbulb went off in his head. A devious grin on his face, he turned around, facing his prisoners joyously. "Good news, folks! You can all go free! But it'll cost you an arm and a leg!"

The victims gazed up at the man in horror as he came closer, letting out a dark, sinister chuckle. Scarlett watched him, stepping to the side while making sure not to draw more attention to herself, and right when the man held out his hands, about to summon his weapon, an electrified blue streak sped into the platform, rushing right past Scarlett and ramming into the man's back, nearly knocking him off-balance.

He turned around to see who the attacker was - Azurine, who had charged in, her body crackling with blue lightning and her red hair rising up slightly. She let out a loud whistle before returning to looking up at the tall, evil stranger, glaring at him in turn as he gave her a sore look. "You're going down, scumbag!"

https://youtu.be/5MeUCG-7n-8

The man raised his hands frivolously, chuckling awkwardly as he examined Azurine. "Hey, now, ladies, there's enough of me to go around." he mused, only for her to glare even harder, entering a battle stance. He prepared himself to fight, only to be met with a harsh, searing slash from behind. He groaned slightly in pain, looking back to see Scarlett, holding her crimson cutlass wreathed in magenta flames. She wore her signature impish wink as their eyes met once more.

Realisation briefly flashed in his eyes, but before he could do anything with it, Scarlett and Azurine both went on the attack, Azurine remaining barehanded as they surrounded themselves in their respective elemental energies. As Scarlett struck him from one side with elegant twists and turns, slicing at him with her sword and delivering the odd kick to his side, Azurine assaulted him from the other, moving from side to side quicker than he could keep up with, moving in at random intervals to blast him with rapid, weak shocks from her palms.

The man clenched his teeth, surprised and offended to be handled so roughly by these two. He tried to think of a way out of this, and in a hasty manoeuvre, he raised his hands, calling forth his own weapon - an enormous chainsaw. He turned around, and the flat of his weapon collided heavily with Scarlett, smacking her onto the ground.

She leapt to her feet, watching the man swing his weapon wildly in a mad attempt to hit either of his attackers. Naturally, they were careful not to get hit, but this put them both on the defensive for now. He focused on Scarlett, a look of betrayal in his eyes as he brought his chainsaw down on her.

She leapt out of the way of his strike, and the rotating teeth of the weapon left a huge dent in the rocky floor. Just as he prepared to attack again, however, a sturdy stone barrier rose from the ground, protecting Scarlett as she stepped back. She looked back to the platform entrance to see Silas had entered, approaching the scene leisurely with his axe held over his shoulder.

"Cavalry's here." he quipped, drawing the weapon while the hatted man glared at him. This wasn't fair. This wasn't fair at all!

"Hey, now, this ain't right! I can't take on all three of you!"

"Sorry, man. Them's the rules." Silas replied, stepping closer and gazing at the man. Being roughly the same height as him, but much beefier, he was quite imposing in the criminal's eyes. He clenched his teeth in fear, his chainsaw beginning to crackle with black electricity as he moved in, immediately beginning to attack Silas.

Silas, clenching his teeth, took the hit standing still, his free arm out as he felt the weapon and magic repeatedly sawing at it. He was always good at taking hits, but this...felt strange. He felt his shield being quickly chipped away at. "A chainsaw, eh? And he's imbued his weapon with lightning Natura, too!" he observed. "This guy's optimised for rapid shield removal! Even I ought to be careful!"

He took a deep breath, not wanting to take too much damage, but as he stayed in place, drawing his attention, Azurine summoned her azure rifle and took a few steps back, aiming it at the back of the enemy's head before firing a thin stream of blue lightning, causing him to shudder just long enough for Silas to raise his foot and stomp down, smashing his toes.

He let out a blood-curdling scream, and Silas jumped back, slamming his axe onto the ground right before the criminal. From the impact, rocks rose up around him, quickly clamping around his feet and anchoring him to the spot. He turned to face Scarlett with a quick nod. "Alright, do your thing!"

Scarlett nodded in turn, and while Silas and Azurine kept a very close eye on their enemy's position, Scarlett stepped closer to him, standing to the man's side and leaning closer, caressing his chin, her fingers laced with magenta shadows that on contact, spread to the man and formed a dark shroud centred on him, obscuring everyone's sight except for Scarlett's.

While the man was now confused and beginning to panic, the three of them went on the attack once again, Silas unsummoning his axe and covering his hands with makeshift rock gauntlets. Their assault was relentless, with Azurine's shocks, Scarlett's blade and Silas' fists leaving him with little room to counter. At one point, he tried surrounding himself in a crude dome of lightning, just to get them to back off, but Silas, ever the valiant defender, summoned his axe again, stepped back further into the shadows, and brought it down on him, keeping it there long enough to start grounding the voltage, taking the brunt of the damage and allowing Scarlett and Azurine to keep striking him.

While all this was going on, Inigo, who had been poking his head through the entrance periodically, sauntered into platform five, watching the commotion and surveying the situation. Whoever this criminal was, he was sufficiently distracted, so now was the time to act. He turned his attention to the hostages and summoned his violet cane, kneeling down and taking aim as though he were holding a sniper rifle. He had to calculate this perfectly to avoid harm - just the right amount of power, at just the right place.

"...calculation complete." he murmured to himself, as multiple thin blades of wind formed on the tip of his cane. One by one, he took aim and shot them like bullets, and they soared through the air, sharply slicing through the ropes joining the captives' hands together before quickly fizzling out. Rinse, repeat, libertas.

Meanwhile, Makoto flew into the fourth platform on wings of light, spear in hand as he beckoned the captives to escape while the man was occupied. Though hesitant at first, they rose to their feet, gratitude and relief on their faces, and followed him as he took some of their hands, guiding them to safety.

Once the cloud of shadows faded away, the man was, positively, a wreck. His clothes ruffled, his hat fallen on the ground, his lungs begging for air. But his shield had yet to give out. He looked at the three Spectrums before him, clenching his teeth as he tried to figure out his chances. "...m-mercy..." he murmured. "I-I'm just doing this for the boss, honest!"

Azurine and Scarlett quickly pointed their weapons at him, causing him to whimper audibly as it became clear that they had the power here. Scarlett raised an eyebrow at his words, shaking her head gently. "And who's this 'boss' of yours?"

"He-he's just, uh...Libera! You know, he's in charge of those guys!"

"Don't you know the Mikado is a woman?"

The man let out another, pathetic-sounding whine as he listened to her, shuddering as he felt Azurine pressing her gun up against his back. "N-No, don't hurt me, I'll tell you!" he stammered. "H-He's not in Libera, but he's with them, so it's basically the same! Ever heard of...the Carrion Kingpin?"

Azurine and Silas exchanged a glance before shrugging and shaking their heads. Neither of them were familiar with the name, after all. Scarlett, however, pondered on this for a little while, humming. "...so this is the Tori-tachi's doing?" she asked, wondering if she should take him at his word. He knew the correct epithet, but... "Does the word 'Ravener' mean anything to you?"

"...the kid? Y-Yeah, he's, like, the boss' pet hitman..." he murmured, before dread suddenly spread across his face. "...and he's gonna kill me now."

He looked around the place, noticing that his hostages were no longer where they had once been, and his face grew pale as he considered his options. His chainsaw disappeared, and he fell to his knees, raising his hands in surrender. "...p-please don't hurt me..."

Scarlett looked back at her allies in turn - Silas, then Azurine, then Makoto, who was by the platform's entrance, and then Inigo, who watched from the fifth. What were they to do in this scenario?