Chapter 28

A small detachment of Crows was heading toward the power plant. Naomi followed closely behind Kasca, who kept her head down, clearly lost in thought. The silence in the street kept the small group on high alert for any unusual movement.

Naomi could feel the sweat trickling down her back, the leather of her armor only making the sensation more uncomfortable. She had changed before leaving with the group, wearing the standard Crows' attire. The difference between her outfit and the rest of the group's was that her shirt had long sleeves to conceal the armor. Her katana was strapped to her back with a piece of string.

Her partner wasn't with them, as he was part of another group tasked with heading to the Beach Nest. The sun was high in the sky, its heat directly hitting the group and the asphalt of the large metropolis they were in, but at that moment, it felt like a ghost town. The population was holed up in houses or shops, and the few people they encountered along the way were either corpses or modified bodies.

Kasca stopped in front of a girl of about eight years old. The child had both legs amputated above the hips, with pieces of iron protruding, simulating the bones of her legs, and springs where her joints should have been. Her hands had undergone surgical procedures, with the bones of her fingers replaced by long, thirty-centimeter blades. The child's head had been crushed in several places. The population had taken her life, as evidenced by the deep, long wounds surrounding her small corpse, with pieces of metal and wood scattered among the bodies.

Since seeing the scene, Kasca had grown even quieter, and Naomi didn't scold her for it. The fact that she hadn't been shocked by it was something that made the Crow worry about herself. The street ended at a fork to the right, leading directly to the location the group intended to reach.

Naomi noticed the fence surrounding the objects responsible for the lighting in Pit Two. Five rows of four generators stood at the center of the area, protected by the fence, which formed a large "square." All the buildings and houses were a bit further from the fence enclosing the generator. As they got closer, it became apparent that the area wasn't very large, only the size of a basketball court.

A small group of Ravens was heading toward the power plant. Naomi followed closely behind Kasca, who kept her head down, clearly lost in thought. The silence in the street kept the small group alert to any strange movements.

Naomi felt the sweat trickle down her back, the leather of her armor only made the sensation more uncomfortable. She had changed into the standard Ravens' attire before heading out with the group, but her shirt had long sleeves to conceal the armor. Her katana was strapped to her back with a piece of string.

Her partner wasn't with her because he was with another group tasked with securing the Beach Nest. The sun was high in the sky, its heat beating directly against the group and the asphalt of the large metropolis they were in. But at that moment, it felt like a ghost town. The population hid away in houses or shops, and the few people they encountered on the way were either corpses or modified bodies.

Kasca stopped in front of a girl of about eight years old. The child had both her legs amputated above the hips, with pieces of metal protruding, simulating the bones of her legs. Springs replaced her joints, and her hands had undergone surgery, with her finger bones replaced by long, 30-centimeter blades. The child's head was crushed in several spots. The local population had dealt with her, which was evident from the deep, long wounds on six other bodies nearby, scattered with pieces of metal and wood.

Since seeing the scene, Kasca became even more silent, and Naomi didn't reprimand her for it. The fact that she wasn't shocked worried the Raven leader. The street they were on ended in a fork to the right, leading directly to their intended destination.

Naomi noticed the fence around the lighting equipment of Cave Two. Five rows of four generators stood in the center, protected by the fence, forming a large square. All the buildings and houses were a little distance from the fence. As they got closer, Naomi saw that the area wasn't very large, about the size of a city block.

Wires came out of the generators, heading towards the streetlamps, sending energy flowing into the city like blood through the body. Two buildings stood inside the perimeter of the fence, one right next to the generators, responsible for controlling the machines, while the other was a little further, storing the fuel.

A sharp sound grew louder as they approached, coming from the machines, but Naomi ignored it involuntarily when she noticed the bodies near the gates. Nine Ravens lay scattered, dead on the asphalt, some missing limbs or crushed. In contrast, several of the Doctor's experiments were among the dead, twelve in total.

Something caught Naomi's attention on one of the dying bodies, and she wasn't the only one who noticed. Gunshot wounds to the chest and legs of two dead Ravens.

— "It wasn't a random attack," said one of the Ravens in Naomi's group.

Kasca scanned the dead bodies, her expression unreadable. Behind the fence, the movement of the survivors from the attack increased as they noticed the approaching group.

— "Don't take another step!" shouted a man hidden behind one of the buildings near the generators. Only enough of his head was visible, and he held a gun pointed at the newcomers. "I've already blown a few heads off. I don't mind adding to the count."

— "Nicholas," Kasca shouted back, "Lower that gun and tell me what happened."

— "Kasca?" called out another survivor, hidden behind one of the generators. Recognizing his leader, he shouted, "Kasca's here!!"

Figures dressed in black emerged from both houses and behind the generators. Ravens and Ravens, injured, moved toward their leader, many with hastily bandaged wounds or simply bleeding.

Naomi remained silent while the members of the group began to break off to tend to their injured comrades. Kasca, with the same enigmatic expression she'd had a few minutes ago, headed toward Nicholas. The group watched in silence as she moved.

— "Twelve survivors," Kasca said to the Raven, who seemed to shrink before her, even though he was twenty centimeters taller.

— "Yes," Nicholas replied awkwardly. "The attack was very sudden. We were caught off guard."

— "Now's not the time to lick our wounds," Kasca cut him off sharply. "First, separate our dead from the others and take them to the building with the fuel barrels."

Naomi took a few moments to understand what the Nest leader meant. But the way the Ravens handled their fallen comrades—some were treated with care, while others were treated almost with disgust—made Naomi realize what Kasca meant by "separate our dead." Still, she decided to ask.

— "Aren't all these Ravens from your Nest?"

Kasca, who had been paying attention to her Ravens following orders, turned to Naomi. The leader's expression had shifted, her lips pressed tightly together, and her eyes looked deeper than usual.

— "Five," she replied, controlling her voice. "The others are traitors."

— "Ma'am!" exclaimed a young man, no more than seventeen, with a long cut from his temple down to his chin. "What's going on?"

The other Ravens didn't stop moving the bodies as ordered, but their attention was clearly on Kasca. The young man's question mirrored everyone's thoughts.

— "Finish what you're doing," Kasca said, managing to regain her calm. "I'll tell you everything once our fallen are where I told you to put them."

Her leader's response was accepted without issue, motivating the Ravens to get back to work. Naomi silently approached Kasca, who was making her way toward the building with the generator controls. The Raven leader leaned against the window, looking out toward the buildings, her eyes searching for any signs of another attack.

Naomi leaned beside Kasca, briefly glancing inside the house. The room was cramped, containing only a wooden chair facing a control panel with dozens of levers, each with a small piece of paper underneath it, listing which parts of the Cave each controlled. Behind the control panel, small red wires ran toward the generators.

Standing next to Kasca, Naomi spoke.

— "Your men held up well, even with the surprise attack."

— "Everyone I send to handle the generators is trained for possible attacks," Kasca replied, indicating the machines that constantly emitted the high-pitched sound. "It's one of the most important points of the Cave."

— "Has there been any attack from the other Nests?"

— "Not until today," Kasca said, raising her left arm to indicate one of the bodies on the ground. "Not until today."

Naomi nodded, remaining silent beside her, letting the sound of the generator fill her head as she analyzed the situation. She picked up the underlying tension in Kasca's words. Even before the chaotic situation, there was a clear tension between the Nests, hidden from the population but present nonetheless.

And upon realizing this point, she understood why two Nests had joined forces; they had been tainted for a long time. Of course, many questions remained unanswered, but Naomi knew that the coming hours would be clarifying—and full of carnage.

"We need to secure the generators," murmured Kasca.

Kasca, the leader of the Crows, snapped Naomi out of her reverie, making her pay attention to her colleague once again. Kasca was watching Nicholas along with another Crow carry one of the dead toward the location with the other bodies; only one fallen remained.

"Yes," Naomi agreed. "Having lighting during the night would be a huge advantage. And honestly, Kasca, I don't believe this situation will last until the end of today. By tomorrow, either they or we will be dead."

"Unfortunately, Naomi," said Kasca, stepping away from the concrete wall of the building. "I have the same feeling."

The other Crows watched Naomi curiously; they hadn't been introduced, and the way she spoke to the leader so casually was puzzling. If Naomi were in their place, she would have the same reaction. She turned her attention back to the pair who were starting to carry the last dead body. The boy from earlier, along with a Crow of similar age, lifted the dying man. Naomi assumed the young girl was the boy's partner, judging by their similar age. She watched his face turn red as he struggled to lift the fallen comrade, when the front of his forehead exploded. Pieces of flesh, bone, and brain flew in all directions.

Naomi took a moment to process what had just happened when the sound of gunfire filled the area. They were under attack again. She saw the girl, who had been helping her partner carry the body, throw herself between the two dead Crows, using their lifeless bodies as protection from the hail of bullets tearing through the sky.

Kasca jumped into the house behind her using the window, landing on her backside but refusing to waste time thinking about anything. She immediately grabbed the vial of Berserker and dropped a drop into each of her eyes. The brown liquid burned like a hot iron, drying her eyes instantly, and a long tear of blood ran from each eye. She shouted to Naomi.

"Do something, Viper!"

But no order was needed. Naomi had already dashed toward the street as soon as she realized Kasca had used the drug. She remembered Kasca talking about the time it took for Berserker to take effect, and she was determined to hold the front line until the other arrived. She wouldn't leave her alone.

Running as low as she could, Naomi pulled her hood over her head and drew her katana in her left hand. The Crows, seeing her advance, immediately began shooting, providing cover for her.

Naomi had no time to think. She leapt over the dead bodies in front of the gate, noticing that the girl among them was shooting frantically at the four enemy Crows. Her heart thundering in her ears, Naomi identified the four figures just behind the remains of what had once been a car.

The confusion of shouts and curses from both sides mixed with the hum of the generators. The quartet that had initiated the attack realized Naomi's approach and shifted their attention toward her.

Instinctively, after years of fighting armed people with only blades, Naomi dove to the left, aiming for the entrance of a building. She felt her body crash into the wooden door, which gave way under the force of the impact.

The wood creaked and splintered, breaking in two. Naomi passed through the gap, shards flying in all directions. She fell to the ground, disoriented by the event. She hadn't expected that. Opening her eyes with a grimace, she found herself staring into five pairs of eyes. The inhabitants of the house looked at her as lost as she felt. Tightening her grip on her weapon, Naomi waited for any hostility from them. But when she saw nothing but fear, she stood up.

Without wasting time, she sprinted down the corridor ahead of her. The gunfire outside continued fiercely, but it seemed that Naomi had been forgotten—at least for the moment. The hallway had several doors leading to rooms, where people were hiding desperately from what was happening.

Naomi felt her mouth dry as she passed the second-to-last door in the hall. The room where a group of children huddled in the left corner had a window, and through it, Naomi could see the four Crows shooting from behind the car wreckage.

Naomi had no time to care about the children. There was no way of knowing how many enemies there were, but she would make use of the advantage she had gained. She was about to do something reckless, but Naomi didn't care. She felt alive, enjoying putting her life at risk. She reached down to the knife strapped to her thigh, throwing it the moment the blade left the sheath.

The deadly object spun in the air several times before hitting the glass. Shards flew everywhere, but the force of the throw still drove the blade deep into the forearm of the first Crow beside the window.

The glass explosion took the enemy group by surprise, and Naomi wasted no time. She leaped through the window almost simultaneously with the moment her knife pierced the arm of another Crow. Holding her katana with both hands, she gritted her teeth and made an arc with her weapon, striking without difficulty at the neck of the first Crow.

Naomi felt the resistance of the neck bones for a few moments before they broke with her strike. Her weapon left a long gash across the back of the enemy's neck, causing the head to fall forward due to the lack of resistance from the bones that held it to the spine.

She released one hand from her weapon, pulling the knife out of the dead Raven's arm. Naomi noticed that the remaining three had recovered from her surprise attack, but she used the movement of her body to take down another. Turning sharply, she drove the knife's blade from top to bottom, striking the stomach of a female Raven.

The attack easily cut through, creating a long "gash" in the enemy's belly, and her intestines spilled onto the ground. Naomi had taken down two Ravens using the element of surprise, releasing the knife after finishing the movement that ended her opponent's life, then turning toward the remaining two. The farthest Raven immediately aimed her revolver at Naomi, who, in turn, shifted her body to dodge the shot, narrowly avoiding the bullet.

Naomi felt her eardrums ring when the shot was fired. She thrust her katana forward, her head still buzzing from the sound of the shot, but her attack was blocked by the other Raven, who used his short sword. The vibration of the blades against each other felt oddly nostalgic to Naomi, who didn't hesitate, positioning herself between the two enemies. She knew there could be more enemies around, so she needed to finish this quickly.

The female Raven who had fired at Naomi, realizing her proximity, stopped using her gun for fear of hitting her partner and swung the butt of the weapon at Naomi, aiming for her armored torso.

Seeing the weapon's handle approaching her face, Naomi prepared an upward strike but felt something scrape violently against her ribs, realizing the Raven who had blocked her earlier was now stabbing the side of her body. If it weren't for the armor, she would have died, but Naomi dared to smile before being struck in the mouth by the weapon's butt.

The taste of blood filled her mouth as her body was thrown back by the force of the blow. In that moment, Naomi felt her instincts as a Spearpoint return, and using the motion from the impact, she released one hand from her katana and grabbed the wrist of the Raven who had tried to stab her. With a swift motion, Naomi pulled the Raven toward her body. Surprised, the man was carried along by the movement, crashing into the female Raven.

Naomi positioned the tip of her katana between the man's ribs, and as their bodies collided, the enemy's flesh met the weapon's tip, which pierced through his skin, muscle, veins, and finally his heart.

The Raven died vomiting a large amount of blood, which splattered on Naomi's clothes, soaking her garment immediately. Naomi no longer paid attention to the man impaled by her weapon; her focus was on the last target. She slid one hand to the pouch with poisons and salves attached to her back, grabbing the first vial she found and removing it.

With a quick motion, she threw the open vial at the female Raven who was about to shoot at her. She watched the vial cross the distance between them, recognizing which one it was. Cat's Eye. It wasn't lethal, but it made the eyes highly sensitive to light, enabling the user to see in the dark, though the excruciating pain it caused during the day would be unbearable.

The female Raven instinctively raised her arms when the liquid hit her face, then curled up in pain as some of the substance entered her right eye. Seeing the opportunity, Naomi kicked the dead man in the chest, with her katana still embedded in his ribs. The impact sent him crashing to the ground, freeing the weapon.

The last female Raven rubbed her eyes violently, causing her weapon to fall to the ground. Between her fingers, she looked at Naomi. Her eyes were extremely red as Naomi thrust her katana firmly forward, the blade slicing through her fingers, destroying her eye and brain in the process.

Naomi pulled her katana back, feeling the weight of the woman against the weapon. When a person dies, their body softens and feels heavier with the muscles relaxing, and to make things worse, the smell of urine and feces that followed made the entire situation even worse. But Naomi didn't care about any of that, quickly swiping the blade downward, making the blood on the metal fly onto the floor.

Excitement overtook her; she was feeling useful again, the sensation of becoming a Corva once more left her fascinated. The time spent frozen had taken away her confidence, and even though she had faced opponents in recent days, nothing compared to facing her own kind. She realized she liked killing; the feeling of power she experienced in those seconds was indescribable. She turned, searching for more enemies—there couldn't be just this, and she needed to prepare. As she surveyed the street in front of her, she knew she was as crazy as any Corva. Naomi didn't know it, but at that moment, the Viper began to be born within her.

The street was empty, and the sounds of gunfire ceased. Something wasn't right, Naomi thought, and with long strides, she headed toward the center of the avenue, feeling the eyes of the Corvas behind her, filled with expectation. A strange respect emanated from them as they had witnessed how she dealt with the adversaries.

Naomi noticed that the young Corva, whose partner had been killed in front of her, had survived and was running to join the others. With her fingers tingling from the battle, Naomi reached the center of the street, turning to face anyone who appeared. Sweat ran down her body, her hair stuck to her neck and forehead. She held the katana with one hand, the blade's tip lowered, when the second wave of enemies appeared, making Naomi's blood freeze, and a nervous smile spread across her lips. Several people who had undergone experiments were heading toward her, along with other Corvas.

A man with both arms replaced by long blades, and pipes emerging from his skin, fired toward Naomi. She gripped her weapon with both hands again, watching the man leap toward her body in a supernatural way, clearly showing that his legs had also been altered by the Doctor.

"Duck," said a low voice.

Naomi felt a shiver down her spine; she recognized Kasca's voice, accompanied by an unnatural coldness. She threw herself to the ground heavily, just in time to see the insanely large blade of the Corva pass over her head, striking the man with the body modifications mid-air. The blow was so powerful that it sent the opponent's body flying, semi-sliced in half.

Quickly getting to her feet, Naomi saw Kasca right behind her, holding the blade still extended. Both of the Corva leader's eyes were filled with blood tears, and her pupils had expanded to the extreme, covering her entire iris. Madness hung in the air around her face. Her thin arms were veined, the force needed to hold such a piece of iron aloft straining her body. Naomi knew that if she hadn't ducked, she would've been sliced along with the other.

"Not bad, Viper," Kasca said with a smile, while pointing her sword back at the opponents who began running toward them. "I'll take care of these, you take care of the Corvas."

Kasca could feel madness trying to take over her emotions with every beat of her heart, but she was used to Berserker, managing to maintain at least some of her sanity. She stopped paying attention to Naomi but noticed her companion running toward the enemies, alongside other Corvas from their Nest.

Kasca gripped the hilt of her weapon with both hands, feeling blood start to drip from her cracked nails. She raised the blade above her head with the tip toward the sun, dragging one of her feet forward to bend her body. She saw the people who had suffered at the hands of the Doctor rushing toward her frantically. Then, she brought her weapon down with all her strength.

The blade became a gray blur that struck a woman with metal protruding from her body, knocking her to the ground belly-first, while her body was cleaved in half. Guts flew in all directions along with blood and pieces of flesh. Kasca felt her arms vibrate with the impact of her strike, and a snap came from one of the fingers of her right hand.

Without wasting any time, she made a new move, spinning her body on its own axis. The circular strike hit several other enemies, who threw themselves at her in a disorganized manner. Wherever the blade passed, limbs were severed, and blood soaked Kasca more and more, while she heard more cracks from her limbs.

Bruises blossomed across the Corva's skin, with her bones cracked and muscles hurt from using the weapon. She noticed, from the corner of her eye, that Naomi and the members of her Nest were fighting fiercely against the enemies. Satisfaction filled her, alongside the madness of Berserker. She laughed frenetically while parrying a blow delivered by a boy who had both arms replaced with long blades, and spheres sticking out of his skinny muscles, intended to drastically increase his size.

She drove the tip of her sword into the ground, absorbing the blow with the broad side of the weapon. Her body slid backward as both her arms vibrated from the impact. Kasca saw one of her fingers break while holding the hilt.

Grinding her teeth to the point of cracking her left molar, Kasca lunged forward, thrusting her blade, which easily pierced the boy's body. Then the Corva spun her body to the right, making the metal tear through the boy's ribs, disemboweling another opponent who came next.

Kasca then let herself be consumed by madness, allowing Berserker to take over her senses. She only saw her sword swinging wildly from side to side, and with every move, a new body fell lifeless to the ground or was thrown into the air with intestines and organs flying around. The Corva was drenched in blood, and pieces of flesh stuck to her body. She didn't know how many she had killed, but her body didn't seem to care, and the blade continued to fly from side to side until, finally, her left knee buckled.

Kasca had long passed her limit, feeling the pain intensify. The effect of Berserker was starting to wear off. She had completely lost track of time and saw almost helplessly as a woman, whose jaw had been replaced with a metal prosthesis and razor-sharp teeth, jumped toward her face.

Just before her face was disfigured, something dark collided with the woman mid-air, throwing her body to the ground. Kasca saw Naomi lying on top of the other, her weapon buried deeply in the woman's chest. The Corva, wearing the strange black armor, turned with a tired smile on her face and said:

— Is this all you've got, Guillotine?

The provocation sparked something inside Kasca, and she stood up, feeling every inch of her body protest with the movement. Breathing heavily, she noticed the amount of dismembered bodies around her — at least twenty. Satisfied, she spoke:

— I've done a hell of a job, Víbora. Better get away if you don't want to be another piece of meat on the floor.

— I've already finished with the Corvos, — Naomi replied, standing shoulder to shoulder with Kasca. — A little help wouldn't hurt, would it?

— Just try not to get sliced in half, — Kasca said, smiling intensely.

— I'll say the same.

Kasca charged again, making a straight-line move in front of her. She realized something passed under the blade, and the figure attacked a man who managed to dodge the long sword, which in turn struck two others.

With every strike from Kasca, Naomi always passed close to the blade, to the point of near insanity. Together, the duo ripped through each enemy in a deadly dance. Neither of them knew it, but that moment would later be known as The Dance of the Corvas, as those watching could only observe both of them dismembering true abominations of flesh and metal.

Kasca realized there was only one enemy left when the weapon slipped from her hands, as only two fingers on one hand weren't broken. But Naomi didn't let her partner get hit, throwing herself at the man's legs. The young woman struck the man's shins with her back, producing a loud cracking sound when the enemy's body toppled. Naomi turned and shouted:

— Now, Kasca!!!

Kasca, using only the remaining fingers, grabbed the long knife strapped to her waist and leapt at the man, screaming at the top of her lungs. The blade sank into his forehead, killing him instantly.

A long silence took over the street when The Dance of the Ravens finally ended. Gasping, Naomi kneeled, staring at the other woman, who in turn turned to face her. They both locked eyes, and then they screamed at the top of their lungs, a roar of victory, a roar of triumph. Finally, both collapsed on their backs, exhausted.

— How are you? — Naomi asked, gazing at the blue sky.

— Practically all my fingers are broken, and several bones are cracked. — Kasca laughed tiredly at her own condition, watching as her fellow Ravens rushed to help her.

— I can assure you of that, Kasca — Naomi said. — We struck a mighty blow against Doctor. We slaughtered an insane amount of the experiments.

— It was fun — Kasca commented, still somewhat under the effects of Berserker.

Naomi lay there, breathing heavily, turning her head to see the other woman being tended to by the Ravens. The leader was truly respected by them, and the young woman completely understood why. After all, the ferocity with which she fought was intense. Naomi felt her heart pounding in her chest. She had fought alongside a Raven with a name.

— Truly — Naomi murmured quietly, so no one would hear. — It was fun.