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.

Scorched Girl silently observed the scene with unblinking eyes.

Y/N: ...She doesn't seem like she's going to move from her spot.

Malkuth: It should make it easier for us.

The one with the most experience when it came to dealing with beings like the one they were confronting remained silent. One thought was coursing through his mind: "This is too easy, something's wrong".

The small girl made out of ashes had her eyes fixated on the man, sending shivers down his spine. He knew from past events that having her eyes locked on you was one of the few signs indicating who she was aiming for.

Deciding to push the fear of the inevitable to the side for now, his own stare landed on one of the matchsticks. All they had to do was to destroy them and from there, their job would become much easier. His plan was quickly shared with Malkuth, who simply nodded back in return. In their current situation, this was the best they could do to avoid getting overwhelmed.

Soon enough, the familiar sounds of their feet running across the ground below their feet echoed in this grim maze made out of pitiful houses. On the left, the one known as Y/N brandished his sword with a decisive frown and on the right, the ever-so cheerful Malkuth held a smile as she engaged with the small entity in front of her.

Returning to the former librarian, a clash occured between both him and his intended target. One was clearly on the offensive while the other took the opposite action. Seeing the dodge arrive from a mile away, Angela's puppet followed the strings imposed on him and swung his blade, breaking through the defense of the match at a cost.

Y/N: Damn it... can't do anything right with this body.

As soon as the blade landed on his opponent, a surge of pain coursed through his body. As morbid as it might sound, he was growing accustomed to it, accepting that any action that he would take beyond simple movements were going to make him suffer. He could feel the rough edges, the limits of what he could perform.

This visibly weakened state might cause problems further down the line but for now, to his relief, his current strength was capable of dealing with the Abnormalities they were facing. However, he knew in the back of his head that Scorched and to some extend Bloodbath were on the "weaker" side. The thought of confronting a tougher opponent like Nothing There with his disadvantage was giving him cold sweats.

The sound of his sword tearing through the air snapped him out of his thoughts just in time to see the small creation take a step back. Following that, a second strike landed on the frail body of the living match.

Y/N: ...

As a third attack successfully landed on his foe, the librarian stopped himself and looked at what he accomplished. The thing cowering before him was on the brink of death, staggered and completely wide open for an execution. This brief pause was enough to make him notice a slight movement in the corner of his eyes.

The culprit behind this sudden interference was none other than Scorched Girl. Her head was lowered and tears were flowing down her charred face. Faint cries soon followed as she looked into the man's eyes. A form of guilt weakly made its presence known but didn't last long when he remembered their objective.

It was her or them.

The first scene came to an end afterwards. The duo composed of Y/N and Malkuth took a step back to catch their breath and glanced at each other's enemy, assessing how well their ally performed.

Y/N: Is it me or are these things really fragile?

Malkuth: You think?

That realization made him look back at their opponents with a cold eye. It was odd seeing their target just... not attack or retaliate.

Y/N: ...My instinct as an agent is telling me to not get cocky too soon.

The air around them was still as harsh as ever, the smell of fire was invading their lungs with no sign of rest. Forced to endure this ordeal, the Patron Librarian and assistant took a moment to gather their thoughts, planning where to go from there.

Scorched Girl did not budge from her position, wet tears that surprisingly didn't evaporate the moment they landed on her skin ran down her head. Understanding that she wasn't going to be a threat for now, the humans in this melancholic scenery nodded to each other and ran to their respective opponent for a second time.

On the right side, Malkuth was quick on her feet and had no difficulty making contact with the already damaged byproduct. Expecting her arrival, the anomalous being created by the girl of ashes charged in return, brandishing one of its small hands like a spear. The speed it used in that attack was high enough to create smoke in its trajectory.

Caught by surprise, the girl in charge of the Floor of History braced herself and took a step back once the pain made itself known. Her skin was burning through the suit she was wearing, causing a few drop of sweats to form as a way to combat the heat she was feeling in her arm.

Not allowing herself to fall for a second trick, the one previously known as a Sephirah tightened her fists and slammed one of her hands into its body, snapping it in half like it was a twig. Her blood froze for moment as she realized how... easy it was.

She glanced at the ground in front of her feet and observed the result of her cumulative attacks. The match remained motionless for a second. Once the initial shock passed, the body exploded into golden pages that flew into the air like birds. The sight was almost enough to make her forget about the pain she was experiencing.

On the left side, the librarian was ruthless and showed no mercy towards the staggered target. He knew that if he allowed the small thing to recover its spirit, it would go right back to attacking them and he couldn't afford that.

The swing was swift and the result, well, not so much. To his surprise, the frail match endured the slash of his blade, forcing him to go for a follow-up. On the third try, the entity serving as Scorched Girl's hands collapsed and left behind golden pages.

Y/N: Alright, time to deal with... her?

Malkuth: Time to deal with Scorched... heh?

Both recovered from their victory and turned their gazes toward their final target, only to see it explode into golden pages, following the "footsteps" of her friends. Taken aback by what just occured, the duo approached each other and exchanged a long look, unsure about what just happened.

Malkuth: ...Did we win?

Y/N: ...I guess? I don't know why she just vanished like that.

The city around them was calm and motionless, dead even. The defeat of the small girl was like a switch being flipped, causing the world around them to grow cold. The air that could barely be called tolerable a mere moment ago went on the opposite spectrum and became frigid.

The difference was not enough for them to see their own breath as white mist but it was definitely enough to make them realize what was going on. Now that the one who created this world was successfully taken care of, the reality around them simply returned to a duller state, indirectly telling them: "You won, get out".

Y/N: ...Where's the librarian?

Malkuth: ...I can't see them.

Considering how similar everything looked in this monotone realm, one would expect to find a person that stood out rather easily but to their surprise, nothing popped out. After standing in the middle of the town for quite some time, Malkuth and the weakened librarian relunctantly left their position and wandered in this world that came out of a fairytale.

The houses were no longer lit and all the doors were locked, forcing them outside. Some figures would briefly appear in the corner of their eyes occasionally but would always vanish the moment they became aware of their presence. The life that once existed in this place had long since faded away.

Yet, no matter how deep they went into this strange maze, the captive librarian was nowhere to be seen. They tried to peek through the rare windows on the same height level as them, walk through alleyways and even attempting to force the entrance of some of the residences. Unfortunately for them, none of these actions were fruitful, leaving them bewildered.

Malkuth: When you found that girl... did you have to do something like this?

Y/N: ...Not to that extend. She sank inside the bathtub but we were able to pull her out no problem.

Compared to the first suppression the second one was taking much longer than they would have liked to. They couldn't just leave without the imprisoned employee or else what would be the point? The silence around them was slowly chipping away at their sanity.

Their exploration soon came to an abrupt stop once they turned a corner. Their feet remained frozen in place as their eyes observed the world past the invisible line in front of them. The cold and empty town was warped, distorting in all directions and breaking apart. The floor looked exactly like the night sky above their heads and the houses were completely transparent, allowing them to peek at the border of the "ideal reality" created by Scorched Girl.

With not much of a choice, the duo turned around and retraced their steps. A sigh weakly left both of their mouths. Their eyes awkwardly scanned their surroundings, an instinctual response against the shadows lingering in their blindspots.

The familiar streets definitely didn't help calming their heads. The second goal of their presence here could not be found anywhere, no matter how many times they looked at each area they went by. This stressful experience lasted until they arrived back in the center of the town.

A breeze of warm air flew past them, sending shivers throughout their entire bodies. After lingering within the cold jaw of this dead paradise, the sensation of warmth felt so alien to the both of them. This small change, however, was insignificant compared to their discovery in the middle of the gray city.

A slumped figure was looking at the ground where Scorched Girl once stood, sitting on their knees and silently staring at the invisible remains. The object of their search was at their starting point, almost waiting for their return.

Y/N: Wow, that was a waste of time...

The one wielding a sword rolled his eyes as he realized that their exploration was all for nothing. The Patron librarian, on the other hand, showed a grand smile once she saw the person in front of them.

Malkuth: We finally found them!

Without a moment of hesitation, she ran in their direction, followed by the annoyed assistant. The ex-agent trapped in the world surrounding them was wearing a suit completely covered in ashes, their hands revealing parts of their bones while the majority was covered just like their suit.

"..."

Malkuth: Are you alright?

Her question was only replied by a glance aimed at her. The expression the worker had was akin to death's door, their cheeks were sunken and their eyes were blank. The sight immediately made Y/N remember how Morgan looked like when they rescued her. Unlike her though, the one in front of them was conscious and showed some form on intelligence.

"You killed her, didn't you?"

Y/N: ...

Malkuth: ...

"...I yearned for a comfort that I can no longer obtain. She was there, by my side, sitting down and watching the lit match with me, my happy hope in this horrible world."

The intruders averted their eyes slowly.

"I could light as many of them as I wanted... feel the happiness I lost and she was there, sharing her own match with me."

Y/N: ...You can't hide forever in a dream.

Malkuth: Right.

"...Everything was perfect until you arrived."

Slowly, like a robot coming back to life, the librarian stood up, revealing its entire body covered with cinders. Their eyes drilled directly into the duo standing nearby. Malkuth took a step back and Y/N fully changed into a defensive position.

"You're trying to destroy my hope, my only light in this life. It's mine, I refuse to let anyone take it away from me!!"

Anger formed in the hostage's words, which was the single spark needed to ignite the fire of rage. Their whole body erupted into flames, causing the already tired fighters on the side of the Library to gain some distance. The one they tried to recover was now looming above them with a good head or so taller. The human shape that they once had could no longer be seen, devoured by the blaze.

"Burn all who dare take what's mine!"

Malkuth: W-What's going on?

Y/N: ...They must still be under Scorched Girl's influence, we have to get them out of this place!

As if proving his statement, their surprise attacker swung one of its arms at the ground, causing the reality around them to shake. Following that, trails made entirely with flames coursed through the center of the town like veins.

Angela's unwilling assistant recovered faster than his ally and charged in the direction of the distorted employee before swinging his blade as retaliation. The dark metal swiftly went through the body of inferno, only for the "injury" to repair itself a second later. The librarian began to sweat bullets the moment he realized that he simply jumped into the metaphorical bear trap.

Consumed by its own desperation, the target of his attack fought back by slamming his fists into the ground, where he was standing a moment ago. A few feet away, the unharmed Y/N rolled away and hurriedly stood up, feeling his legs getting sore.

The air around them returned to its original state, burning the librarians' lungs with each breath they took. This wasn't a mere sensation, their clothes were burning with no visible signs of stopping, inflicting their wearers with mild burns.

Malkuth: Y/N, what should we do?!

Y/N: How am I supposed to know?! Angela didn't tell us this would happen!

The one controlled by his puppetmaster returned his focus on their opponent. A scene has successfully passed and with it, to their surprise, a seemingly helpful change made itself known. The large body of flame was growing smaller, making its presence less threatening.

Y/N: ...He's burning his only match.

The employee mumbled to himself and watched their opponent charge at the duo, attacking with its fists in an attempt to send them to an early grave. Both replied with a quick dodge, feeling the blazing arms barely graze their skins. The heat was starting to build up, leaving their internals systems to go into panic mode as they tried their hardest to combat the rising temperature.

Although their enemy couldn't hit them, the same could be said about them. Their attacks were inflicting no damage to the captive librarian, forcing them to rely on the short life span of this odd transfromation, surviving until the desperate person in front of them kill their last match, their vitality. It was a morbid but truthful observation, they were both forced to observe someone burn themselves out.

A second scene passed and the threat they were facing was already halfway dead, leaving behind trails of burnt skin and ashes.

Y/N: ...

The "injuries" on their bodies progressed like a parasite growing stronger. Their clothes, completely exposed to the nigh-intolerable temperature, were also beginning to create ashes. The fabric they were wearing was slowly dying before detaching itself.

The enraged demon they were facing was completely oblivious of its rapidly deteriorating condition and once more led the duel, charging at full speed with pure fury in its movements. Not ready to face an early demise yet, both Malkuth and Y/N replied to the attack aimed at them by dispersing the flames forming the fists of the rampaging librarian.

This, unfortunately, took away every ounce of energy they had. Completely exhausted for multiple reasons at that point, the ones with a somewhat sane mind stared in horror at the shape of the burning human facing them run at full speed for another round.

The third scene passed and the fourth did not even have the time to present itself before the battle continued. Now as small at the duo, the distorted agent aimed for Malkuth but to her surprise, instead of attacking her, it simply grabbed her. Locked in its embrace, she could feel her entire body burn.

"Burn along with your pathetic efforts."

Y/N: Malkuth!

The moment he readied his blade to rescue her, his vision was filled with light, forcing him to cover his eyes. A gust of wind almost sent him back on the floor, leaving behind a temperature so extreme that he could feel his tongue become dry in a mere second.

Upon looking at the aftermath, the words he wished to pronounce became meaningless, worthless. With the exception of the dying flames everywhere, the middle of the town was completely empty. There was no giant rampaging librarian controlled by Scorched Girl and also no Malkuth in sight. All that was left is a pair of books laying on the ground.

Y/N: ...

Slowly but surely, the ex-captain made his way to the books, dragging his feet on the concrete below him. Once close enough, he crouched down and took hold of the remains of both the Patron librarian of the Floor of History and the one they were trying to save.

Y/N: Let's hope Angela wasn't lying for once.

His mission was completed, at the cost of Malkuth's life. The realization slapped him on the back of the head the moment he stood back up. His mind was still shocked after the surprise battle they've gone through.

Now, well, he simply had to wait for Angela to pull him out of this hell. The process could take from a few seconds to a full minute, not like he would be able to determine the exact number.

"...Warmth."

Y/N: ...

A single word emerged from behind him, causing his back to stiffen. Slowly, his head turned to confront whoever was present. Standing near his nearly charred body, a certain small girl made of ashes stood there, facing the lone victor.

Y/N: ...Take another step and I'm throwing that sword into your head.

Not in the mood for a rematch, the librarian glared back at her and spoke with a voice filled with venom, intimidating her to the best of his capabilities. She did not react to his words and stepped closer, closer and closer until... she just stopped in front of him.

"Please take care of him."

A bead of sweat fell down the worker's face as he realized the request given to him.

Y/N: ...I'll try, I'm not a babysitter.

Expecting the conversation to come to an end right there, the librarian was about to step away to keep a healthy distance between the both of them but was slightly taken aback by seeing her follow him.

Y/N: Uh...

His grasp on his sword tightened, ready to send a swing her way if she tried something.

"...Please, don't abandon your match..."

Following her words, a small object fell down on his shoes, catching his attention for a moment. It was a small and feeble match that one would find anywhere, not sentient unlike the ones he faced.

His fingers slowly took hold of the offering that he remembered receiving during their meeting in the cage known as Lobotomy Corporation. It was a blast from the past for the ex-agent, a farewell gift.

One, small hope that has yet to be burnt into ashes.

Y/N: That's a little too optimistic for this type of story.

Those were the only words he gave her in return along with a single pat on the head before his body vanished, called by the AI in charge of the Library.

Now on her own in this "ideal world" of hers, the small Abnormality sat down in the destroyed and depressing town, looking at the remains of the battle that just occured. She was in her perfect world but all alone, with no one to share her finally found happiness. She would forever rot in this prison, by herself, unable to demonstrate the joy the many employees who worked with her tried to make her express.

In this monotone world, she will freeze all alone, gazing at the warmth she will never obtain.

...

...

Roland: Is everyone alright?

Y/N: ...

Malkuth: ...

The both of them were silent, sitting in their chair and reflecting on what just happened. By their side, a librarian wearing the suit belonging to the Floor of History was bowing towards them repeatedly.

???: I'm so sorry, please forgive me!

Y/N: It's... fine, it wasn't your fault.

The ex-agent softly calmed down the new addition to the Library. Malkuth's first assistant was a man with short red hair, a pair of pitch black eyes staring back at him with an apologetic look. The rescued worker couldn't remember the events that unfolded in Scorched Girl's world but he didn't need to, his body simply felt an immense guilt towards the both of them.

Y/N: Why don't you introduce yourself instead? This conversation is not gonna go anywhere if you keep apologizing.

???: R-Right.

The new assistant dusted off his uniform and revealed a bright smile that easily rivaled Y/N's fake one.

???: I'm Cereb. I hope we can all get along!

Roland: You seem like a cheerful one~

Y/N: I'm Y/N.

Cereb: Oh I know, I would never be able to unhear miss Angela yell a name with such intensity.

Y/N: ...Don't remind me about that.

A sigh escaped his lips as he remembered the scene that followed the moment he returned. He didn't have time to say a cool one-liner before getting "tackled" by the pale librarian, who went ballistic upon seeing him covered in burns and ashes.

"Roland help me!", he remembered the small cry of help he sent towards the Fixer. Sadly, Angela's glare quickly made the uninvited guest go from "Give a moment" to "You're on your own, sorry".

Y/N: Whatever, I'll deal with her, just get used to it.

Cereb: I will!

A solid handshake soon followed, officially marking the end of Scorched Girl's ordeal. Roland and Y/N soon stood up and made their way to the entrance.

Roland: Phew, I wasn't even participating and even I got tired. I'm gonna go take it easy for a while.

Tap.

Roland: Heh?

As he was about to reach the stairs, a hand suddenly slammed down onto his shoulder, stopping him dead in his track. Curious, he turned around and saw Malkuth look at him with a wide smile and a shadow covering her eyes.

Malkuth: I was hoping that you would help me arrange the books here, if you don't mind. After all, I did ask you nicely the last time we talked~

Roland: O-Oh right... I...

His glance shifted back to the stairs, where he saw Y/N turn around and give him the biggest grin he could muster along with a peace sign, a perfect posture telling him "Now we're even~".

Roland: Y/N!

This was the last word he was able to say before the girl behind him dragged his body further away from his escape. His final sight of the stairs was also accompanied by Y/N giving him a formal salute, as if honoring a dead man.

Scorched Girl's suppression completed.

Y/N's existence has been stabilized.

???'s existence has been stabilized.

A new exclusive Combat Page has been added!

(Expect the Abnormality battles to be written like this, I hope you all don't mind.)