Pacifica was grateful Shouri didn't start the fight in à deux with her, because getting smacked into a stone wall hurt.

This Desmond character was faster than any Resonator she had ever seen in her life. He basically teleported across the roost and swatted her away like a pest.

Rebecca and Taika were next. Thankfully, Rebecca's speed appeared to be a match for the mystery man. They exchanged blows like they were two Resonators. Blazing heels matched human hands; he blocked and parried her kicks, as if they were nothing.

"Mente Offuscata, Piano!" Shouri commanded.

Taika let loose a snap of mental energy to assault their attacker's mind; only he dodged.

"What?!" both Maestro and Resonator gasped.

Rebecca didn't have time to be impressed, and maintained her momentum against the man. He was not only keeping up with her, but also had enough combat awareness to know Mente Offuscata relied on spatial awareness; that was to say, as long as he didn't occupy the space Taika was attacking when she launched it, he could dodge it.

"You're not a Maestro, are you?!" Rebecca grunted.

He grinned with pride. "How astute of you! Of course I'm not a filthy human!"

"Fissare la Ombra, Rubato!" Shouri called.

Taika launched arrows to pin the man down, but now the woman spoke. "Pasticcio, Rallentando." Her voice was cold, robotic, like she wasn't saying the words of her own accord. The mystery Resonator unleashed a wave of sound that evaporated the arrows in an instant.

"Lightning?" Rebecca breathed. She noted the clear tuner in the woman's grasp. "No, null," she whispered.

Desmond landed in front of his own Maestro, with a smirk of amusement gracing his lips. "Well, I do say, it's been awhile since I've gotten a good workout." The man's chuckle was as disconcerting as his presence.

"He's good Sho," Rebecca whispered back.

"Yeah, that's the bad part," Shouri mumbled.

Pacifica rejoined her fellow Resonators in defense of their Maestro. "If we keep him dodging, maybe we can land a decisive blow," the otter suggested.

"Kaira stay with Colette," Shouri advised. The jackal nodded, her sand violently coiling around her and her own Maestro, ready to strike.

Shouri swapped Taika's tuner for Rebecca's. "Scottare, Rubato," he cast to his fire and water elements.

"Go!" Taika shouted, as she let loose another volley of shadow arrows. Desmond dodged again, but Pacifica and Rebecca were ready with blasts of scalding steam. Where they thought they struck true however, the body of their adversary exploded into a swarm of black winged creatures.

"WHAT?!"

There wasn't any time to be shocked. From the swarm of creatures came a fully formed man, who kicked Rebecca in the gut, sending her back into Shouri with unreasonable force. Taika capitalized on the opportunity and fired more arrows.

POOF!

Desmond split his body to avoid the attack. Taika got to learn to appreciate the floor as she was kicked up by her jaw and then slammed hard into the floor, out cold.

"BASTARD!" Pacifica roared, throwing out her water to strike the man. He took the blow in his shoulder, and smirked as he flexed back into it.

"Corrente Elettrica, Fortissimo."

A ball of lightning flew at Pacifica with blinding speed. Even so, she avoided the powerful attack. At least, she thought she did. The ball of lightning turned and sailed right into her as if it had a mind of her own. "AAUGH!" The otter screamed as the max level lightning spell tore into her.

"FUCKER!" Rebecca was back up again and took a swing at the man's head. He grabbed her by the leg, spun her around like a toy and tossed her into the wall. She crumbled to a heap on top of Pacifica's motionless body.

Desmond turned around, only for a fist to barely miss him.

The mystery Resonator backed up, his expression fouling like his opponent carried a fetid odor. "You--need to die," snarled the man.

Shouri held no fear, only pure, unbridled rage. He stood tense, his fists trembling as the yellow rhythm in his eyes glowed so intensely it was almost making the air around him crackle.

"Not if I kill you first," Shouri growled back. Desmond bared his razor sharp fangs at the boy. "I knew I smelled the stench of à deux on you. I thought we got rid of all of you."

The Maestro tilted his head and a blade of sand lunged from behind him. Desmond barely avoided the blow, as Kaira joined the fray.

Colette remained completely stuck in place, unable to move, crying profusely.

"Please… help me…" she sobbed.

For the second time this battle, Shouri got a face full of Resonator as Kaira was easily dispatched, effortlessly thrown into him as if she was a pillow.

"Stay down," Desmond told Shouri. "I'll be back for you," he warned, as he approached Colette.

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Colette suddenly found herself pulled up to her feet and off the ground by a strong hand around her neck. The Resonator man squeezed tightly, choking the life out of the Maestro. Even so, Colette refused to release the fiery harp in her grip.

"H-h-elp… me…"

As her vision began to fade, she thought she saw… light. Was this the light of her end? It certainly was a warm and inviting light, not the cold embrace of death.

Yes, light returned to her eyes as she suddenly fell and was able to breathe.

Desmond flew backwards away from the sting of the radiance that emanated from Colette's person. His confident mien cracked into rage, as a new voice graced the humble castle roost.

"I ask of you: what is it that you desire; why have you taken hold of this Blaze Lyre?"

Red feathers fluttered to the floor as a small girl knelt before Colette. Great red wings graced her back, to match the streaming tail feathers that flowed behind her. The blues of her top and leggings were in perfect contrast with the reds of her eyes and hair.

"H-help me…" Colette repeated as she pointed at the Resonator man who regarded the trembling Maestro with disgust.

"Now you really have to die," snarled the enemy Resonator.

The Blaze Lyre stood and faced her new adversary. "A vampire? I thought your kind was wiped out in the 800's," spoke the phoenix calmly.

The newly identified vampire shook his head and shrugged. "Tales of our demise were greatly exaggerated." Desmond grinned. "You truly are the Phoenix of Legend. Not many in the modern era would recognize my kind."

"You entered my roost and assaulted the one I picked to be mine. I hope you're ready to meet Lord Cielto--he's waiting for you."

With the preamble over, the Blaze Lyre extended her wings and flew at the vampire. Yet another hand-to-hand skirmish broke out. Though unlike Rebecca, the Blaze Lyre was far more demure, and had to use her wings to make up the difference in height. Even so, the Ethereal was doing just as good of a job as Rebecca did with just her fists and legs.

Unfortunately Desmond already demonstrated his martial prowess and was easily swatted away the flying Resonator's blows.

He grabbed the phoenix by her neck and slammed her into the wall.

"GUH!" the ethereal gasped.

"Idrante, Fortissimo," the enemy Maestro commanded. Before the Blaze Lyre could make another move, bursts of water erupted from Desmond's hand and the Ethereal crumbled under the effectiveness of the attack against her element.

"Luce Lunare, Fortissimo!"

Desmond turned to dodge, but found no attack heading his way, instead the ball of lunar energy crashed into ceiling, breaking a hole in it.

"Raggia del Sahara!"

Desmond threw himself back into the darkness of the hallway, hissing as light filled the roost.

Shouri stood on his knees, covered in sweat, breathing hard, Taika and Rebecca's tuners in his grasp.

The lunar and fire foxes glared down the vampire with hate in their eyes, the sun streaming in with great brilliance.

"Tch…" He glanced over his shoulder down the stairwell. "You can have this one… for now."

And with those chilling words, the vampire Resonator turned into a swarm of bats and vanished deeper into the castle.

After a tense moment of glaring at the Maestro who remained, she crumbled to the ground like a puppet cut from her strings; unconscious and unmoving.

Shouri let out a breath--his one concern remained. "Paci!" He rushed over to his fallen otter, but thankfully, he found relief, as when he reached her, she stirred and rose.

"Ow…" she groaned. "Sho?" She met her Maestro's concern, and he tackled her into a tight hug. "Is everyone okay?" he asked as Taika and Rebecca joined them.

"Head hurts." The water element shook her head.

"Yeah…" Taika agreed.

"I think she could use the heals more." Rebecca pointed to the proud phoenix who lay by the wall, completely soaked and as still as the assaulting Maestro.

Shouri grunted, rubbing his own head. "Probably we all could. Taika, if you would--La Bella Vita, Rubato. Heal everyone up, starting with yourself."

While Taika got to work restoring the battered crew, Shouri studied the fallen phoenix. Colette crawled over, still wildly unsteady after her near-death experience at the hand of an actual vampire.

The phoenix stirred before Taika ever reached her. "Nnuh…" She lifted her head from the ground. "Not my best performance, I'll admit," she groaned. Upon catching sight of Colette the bird perked up. "Colette!" The Ethereal tackled the Maestro, wrapping her up in her arms and wings. "I'm so glad you're okay!"

"H-huh?!" Colette yelped.

The Blaze Lyre held the Maestro out by her shoulders. "I'm sorry I didn't wake up sooner! But it's okay! We're together now!" beamed the bird.

"What's going on?" Colette asked, hopelessly confused.

"Uhhh, Colette, I think she's implying… uh… you're her Maestro now," Shouri pointed out, though the dread in his voice was dripping harder than a broken faucet.

Colette stared at her guildmaster, then to the phoenix embracing her. "But she's…"

"The Blaze Lyre, of the Orchestra of Heaven. It is my solemn duty to serve you until your final breath. I hope we can be great friends Colette!"

After everything that happened today, the scholar had enough. There was one easy way to escape all this.

She fainted.

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