“No.”

  Jack, to their right was wheezing with laughter. Uriel, on the other hand, calmly met their eyes from across the table, her hands folded in front of her as she delivered her response.

  “They’re fucking legends! And here you worried about them rejecting you—”

  Uriel continued with a flat stare, cutting Jack off mid-sentence.

  “We won't be able to meet all of your demands. Ghostslaying is expensive work, and I can’t guarantee you top-of-the-line equipment. On the subject of artefacts, corpos usually negotiate the right to obtain any artefacts acquired in the course of a mission. That being said, I may be able to keep an eye out for some of them if the opportunity arises.”

  “They’re extorting you!” Jack said, howling with laughter. The Australian Ghostslayer was still doubled over and struggling to breathe.

  Evantra was sure that she noticed an eyebrow twitch as Uriel continued to respond to their terms.

  “That being said, we can equip you to a reasonable degree. I can show you the ropes, but my commitments keep me busy, especially with recent developments. Our commitments will keep us busy. But before I get into it, here’s my first piece of advice.”

  Evantra felt something change in Uriel’s voice.

  “Don’t go after ghosts. Not as you are now. We’ve both seen too many a magical girl or guardian overconfident in their skills, who met their untimely ends. You were only able to overcome the poltergeist because of the advantageous matchup, it’s limited tech and a whole lot of luck.”

  A cyberskeleton is ‘limited tech’?

  Just how bad do poltergeists get?

  Uriel relaxed, and Evantra watched as Jack gave her an approving smile.

  Besides that... what’s the bet that she was one of those people herself?

  “We have one condition,” Uriel said.

  Evantra, Noelle and Ben watched as Uriel's irises flickered. The large black screen taking up the bulk of the wall across from them blinked to life.

  “We would like your assistance with a mission,” Uriel paused, glancing in turn to each of them. “All three of you.”

  Evantra, Noelle and Benjamin exchanged looks of surprise, before turning back to the Ghostslayers sitting opposite them.

  What could two top-of-the-line slayers want our help with?

  “Seraphim is interested in one of Demeteria’s head researchers. Doctor Antoine Venn is an expert in the occult. He has numerous projects assigned to him, but Seraphim is particularly invested in his work on microrituals.”

  Evantra noticed Noelle flinch, and Uriel’s golden irises snap to the subtle motion. They had heard that name once before. He was the researcher in possession of the Trove Seeker.

  And it was clear that Noelle seemed to know him.

  Microrituals?

  “He was also a researcher who worked on Project Darwin.”

  Evantra’s eyes widened. She watched as Noelle straightened, wordlessly communicating her shock with a glance.

  “Pardon my intrusion, Amitabha. What is this ‘Project Darwin’ that you mentioned?”

  “From the limited information Seraphim has on the research, it seemed as if the UK had assembled a team of specialists to study rituals and their applications. It seems clear that they enjoyed some successes. Especially considering that many of the megacorporations’ head researchers, and even some executives, could be traced back to the lab. For our purposes, whatever they achieved in 2150 has somehow allowed Evantra to retain and access the magical girl system. Even after the system’s disappearance, fifty years later.”

  It was just like what Adeline said.

  The best source of information would be someone who’s worked on the project before.

  Presumably… he’s still alive because of Elysium’s Immortality treatment.

  “The catch is that Antoine’s research lab is situated on Mars. Far away from other megacorps’ prying eyes.”

  Noelle's eyes were downcast, and Evantra thought she could glimpse two emotions in her friends eyes.

  Anger.

  But underpinning it...

  Fear.

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  “Jack and I are going to be tied up on other assignments. With the thinning of the Veil, Ghostslayers will not be left wanting for employment. You can see why your help would be valuable for this mission,” Uriel said, turning towards Noelle. Evantra watched as she blanched, the blood fleeing from her cheeks.

  Someone capable of evading optics and digital eyes, one of Demeteria’s very own, and a skilled tech specialist capable of supporting us. I can see why she’s so interested in getting our help.

  If there are any corporations with access to corpo identities... it would be Seraphim.

  Frankly, I’m surprised that Uriel wasn’t able to gather any additional information about Project Darwin. I always assumed that Seraphim of all corporations would have access to the information. But then again… I suppose this is how Seraphim goes about getting the information that it wants.

  “Antoinne’s research might be able to give us some insights into your ability to access the magical girl system… and perhaps the means of regaining our powers.”

  Uriel’s optics flashed, and she turned smoothly to face them. She rose from her seat, and came to halt before them.

  “It’s getting late. We’ll give you some time to speak to your families, I know you’re worried about them. We’ll meet again tomorrow once you’ve made your decision.”

  Noelle had set her jaw, and a familiar fire burned in her bright green eyes. Her fists were tightly clenched beneath the table. Benjamin was silent, but eventually, he directed a slight nod towards Uriel, indicating his assent.

  ***

  Benjamin Yang’s apartment was located a short distance away from Bastion’s city centre. A single, flea-bitten couch adorned the living room, along with the humble dining table with a few worn wooden chairs. As sparse as it was, Benjamin kept it neat and tidy, and there wasn’t speck of dust that Evantra could detect.

  At the far corner was a mattress situated on the floor. Beside it, and by far the most significant feature of the apartment, was a table containing all of Ben’s tools, which he used for his techie jobs.

  It seemed as if his networking efforts at the Training Grounds had proven to be lucrative. Evantra was also surprised to see what looked like a toy mech from Hephaestus Robotics.

  “The corpos pay almost as well, if not better than the Ghostslayers. Their children must have their toys, Amitabha.”

  “Thank you for having us over, Ben. As Evantra’s eyes passed over Noelle, she watched as the girl’s eyes softened.

  The young man monk that they had met just two months ago had always presented himself as bubbly and with an endearing sense of humour one might expect to find in someone twice his age. There was something else in the apartment that was clear to her.

  For all the challenges they had weathered, Evantra and Noelle had gone through them together.

  They had Carmen and Lucas to depend and rely on. They could always expect to return home to the bustle of a family going about their life.

  Not everyone was so lucky.

  They settled on the couch, as Ben pulled up a chair to sit with them.

  “Ben, how did you get involved with Jack and Uriel?” Noelle asked.

  Ben paused, interlocking his fingers as he let out a slow breath.

  “My monastery came under attack by veilcreatures. We were saved by a magical guardian. One that had lost his powers but had become a Ghostslayer just like Uriel told us. We eventually became good friends, and he entrusted me with a responsibility.”

  He gently shook his head with a hint of sadness in his eyes.

  “He was an ally of Uriel and Jack’s.”

  Was.

  “I spent some time finding my feet, taking techie requests, which was how I encountered Noelle, before eventually stumbling across the Training Grounds. That was where I eventually found them.”

  “What did he want you to deliver?”

  Noel nudged Evantra sharply in the side, provoking a wince. Benjamin Yang's sad expression broke, and he broke out into a laugh.

  “Some things never truly change, Amitabha. It is no offence, Noelle. Here.”

  From within his robes, Benjamin extracted a single item. Evantra stared at the shifting metallic cube comprised of innumerable smaller counterparts.

  With every minuscule contact that Ben’s fingers made with it, the cube shifted as if in response to his touch.

  CATALYST DETECTED

  ? Catalyst of the soulforger

  Evantra winced again when Noelle drove her elbow into her side.

  “Ouch! Cut it ou—”

  Evantra realised that she had subconsciously extended a hand in the direction of the cube.

  Oops.

  Noelle’s eyes were murderous, and they held the silent threat that she was not to touch the artefact. Evantra slowly retracted her hand with such sadness that Benjamin broke out into a laugh.

  “Soulforger. That’s what the system identifies it as.”

  Benjamin and Noelle stared at her in surprise.

  “You know what this is?”

  After a brief prior deliberation with Noelle, they decided to share the nature of Evantra’s abilities with him. Uriel and Jack’s trust in him to reveal their natures, compounded by their own experiences with him had sealed the deal. Evantra had taken some convincing, but she was quickly realising the value of Carmen, Millie and Noelle’s lessons.

  They caught Ben up to speed on her abilities and how Evantra used artefacts to unlock skills and rituals. They also told him about the circumstances of her awakening, as well as the events that occurred in Wisptown.

  Benjamin’s eyebrows shot up in surprise when he heard about the Veilcreature that Evantra had glimpsed in the lost territories. What prompted her to ask him about comprehensive bionetic detailing. Then, he was struck speechless at the mention of sentient revenants entering from Avalon.

  “I see. My friend told me the same. In the bloody halls of Shangri-la, he encountered a sentient yaoguai. He was unable to communicate with it, but the creature entrusted him with this artefact.”

  His expression twisted, and he clutched the artefact to himself before hesitantly extending it towards her.

  “If you can harness its abilities—”

  “No, Ben. It’s yours to keep. He intended it for you. Besides, we still don’t know the full extent of the uses of these artefacts. Maybe Uriel and Jack will be able to tell us.”

  Evantra felt physical pain as she uttered her words. Noelle slowly lowered her elbow which was poised for another strike, giving a discreet nod of approval.

  Benjamin nodded with a hint of gratitude, his shoulders sinking with a degree of relief.

  “If your task was to deliver the artefact to Uriel and Jack, do you plan to return to your monastery?” Noelle asked with curiosity.

  Benjamin likely shook his head with a pained expression, his lips drawing into a tight smile.

  Ah.

  “I wanted to determine if they were trustworthy. Now that they have openly revealed their natures to us, it seems as if my task is complete. But when I offered it to them... they rejected it. Saying that it was meant for me. Why they’ve done so, or where I go from here... I am not sure.”

  Evantra’s eyes fell on Benjamin’s cybernetic arm.

  It would make sense that Uriel would have some knowledge about bespoke cybernetics, seeing as she has some of them herself.

  Perhaps she thinks Ben can utilise it somehow?

  As for where we go from here…

  “I think I can help you with that,” Evantra said as she stood to her feet, casting one final glance around Benjamin’s cold, dark apartment before meeting his eyes.