Netzach: How did I end up doing things like this...

As the assistant librarians assigned to the Floor of Art heard the voice of their lazy Sephirah complain for easily the hundredth time, a rising wave of noises belonging to footsteps made themselves known to them.

The man with green hair let out a deep sigh in response as he pulled out a blade that he kept by his side, one that belonged to the leader of Dawn Office.

To his right, Elis awkwardly readied the rifle she held in her hands. Sweats could be seen falling down as she stared at her frail arms holding it. Despite carrying the knowledge that came with this weapon, she still refused to believe that she had the strength to use it properly.

Finally, to the far left, Hava calmly prepared the cleaver in her hand. As per usual, her grin was fixed on her face. Despite working together, Elis couldn't help but shiver slightly at the sight of her smile.

It left her unnerved.

Thankfully, that feeling of hers was soon moved to a new direction once the disturbance coming from ahead reached its zenith. The trio standing side by side looked forward, greeting the group dressed in dark cloaks made of feathers.

Without a single exchange of words, the Magpie Fixers each revealed one of their hands, allowing the librarians to witness the sharp claws they used as weapons.

Elis: C-Can we really do this?

Still doubtful of their capabilities, the subjectively weaker member in the chain glanced at her allies, only to be met with a gaze coming from the devil with red eyes. She calmly pointed the tip of her weapon towards her face with an unfazed expression.

Hava: We won't if you keep doubting, so shoot them down and stop questioning it.

Fearing the possibility of getting on her bad side, Elis quickly nodded back before raising the rifle in her hands.

Standing on the opposite side, the Magpie Fixers remained completely still until the one at the front spoke a singular sentence.

"Remember the orders."

With that, the first Scene abruptly began. The amber eyes attached to their masks quickly locked onto their targets, revealing no mercy.

This sudden pressure was immediately countered the sound of Elis' rifle revealing its firepower. She aimed at the Fixer at the forefront and quickly pressed the trigger, sending multiple bullets through their cloak.

The masked target was sent back after enduring many unexpected shots, right past the remaining duo who completely ignored their staggered ally. Upon approaching the librarians standing on the other side, they brandished their claws in unison and pushed further on the offense.

Facing the brunt of that charge, Netzach swiftly moved his blade in a defensive manner and attempted to soften the blow taken, unlike Hava who quietly stared at her foe as she took the attack at full strength.

Her red glare was followed by a piercing strike and a blunt swing, pushing her assailant off of her briefly.

She hurriedly stepped away and, with a wicked smile as per usual, she sent a silent "farewell" to her opponent. The reason behind that gesture was soon discovered via a burst of bullets hitting the Magpie Fixer on the side.

The first bullet took them by surprise, however the second was met with the metal of their claws, sending the projectiles away from the platform they were standing on.

The gaze of death held by the guest brought shivers to the girl holding the rifle in her hands.

Thankfully, the will of the Library stepped in and put an end to the ongoing Scene and separated both sides. The librarians were returned to the right while the still standing guests were sent back to the left.

The leader of the trio was having difficulties keeping a steady footing, a rather normal reaction after being showered by a curtain of bullets.

Standing around him, the duo still capable of fully running ahead into battle silently assessed their injuries before coming up with a follow-up for the next Scene. One of them was examining the feathered cloak they wore, more precisely a certain mark left behind.

"Stigma Workshop. We should report this."

"Follow orders. Retreat only when defeat approaches."

"No bodies must be left."

While this exchange was ongoing, the trio on the other side were also having a conversation... or more appropriately, a certain duo was being given orders by the red-eyed librarian, the third member of the group.

Hava: Finish off the leading one, we'll take care of the others. Stay out of range and focus on support.

Elis: O-Ok.

Netzach: ...Our first lives taken. I can't feel proud about what we're doing...

Hava: That's life in the City, get used to it~

With a reply that would make a certain Grade 9 Fixer think they unconsciously said those words, the assistant librarian who completely ignored the weight of murder on someone's mind spun her weapon between her fingers before running ahead.

At first no one reacted to that action but soon enough, the Fixers working for Magpie Office understood that she was going for a kill and responded with the same action. This was the spark needed for the remaining librarians to get into the battle.

Elis blindly followed the order given to her and sent another bullet towards the staggered opponent. To her surprise, the glare of the mask attached to her target turned to meet her gaze and their body blocked the incoming projectile.

Elis: E-Eh?!

A cold sweat fell down her face and as she raised her weapon to try a second time, she watched the Fixer escape from the arena. By the time she was prepared to fire another bullet, their presence was fully gone from the platform.

This, thankfully, worked in her favour and allowed her to move her attention towards the remaining guests. Both were busily fighting against Netzach and his first assistant, leaving them exposed for a stray projectile.

...

Hava: Look at that, one's gone~

In an almost taunting manner, the girl wearing Olga's page calmly relayed the Fixer's retreat to both of his remaining colleagues as she parried an approaching attack. Sadly, she was met with a cold silence from her opponent as they swung once more their claws.

It was clear as day that they were true "citizens" of the City judging by the clear lack of care for others, something that she herself couldn't deny to be. To be able to live in the Backstreets, you have to lose many things.

Almost fueled by these lost portions of hers, Hava parried an incoming slash, retaliated with a downward slash before finally swinging a kick in her target's left side.

As she did so, she immediately realized, at least to her, how sluggish she truly was. Her final hit was successful but she could feel the experience gathered in the Key Page she was wearing conflicting with her own experience.

The result of her hit, in spite of that, was the final nail needed for the Magpie Fixer to follow the orders given to them. With a slippery motion, the Fixer flew out of range and began retreating, fleeing out of Elis' sight.

The assistant librarian who dealt the final blow to the the second guest briefly glared in their direction before pulling back the hand she used to hold the cleaver. Then, she swung at full strength before letting go of her weapon, sending it directly into the cloak of the final target.

Clang

As they turned around, what they saw was the red eyes of the the grinning ex-employee before a flash of light formed behind her. It was quickly followed by a bullet being sent into their outfit. Standing behind her, Elis had her rifle raised.

"We follow orders."

Upon seeing that they were cornered from almost all directions, the final masked member of Magpie Office mumbled to themselves before swinging their claws in Netzach's direction. The Sephirah blocked the incoming swing, allowing the guest to slip away.

With no weapon in hands, Hava could barely attempt to block their path, leading to the masked person to calmly jump above her head.

Hava: ...Tch, not fair.

She clicked her tongue at the feat performed by the cloaked guest. There wasn't much she could do against somebody who could move like that and so, she turned around and picked up her cleaver on the floor.

Elis: ...

Unlike her, however, the easily pressured ex-agent aimed her rifle towards the exit and pressed the trigger.

...

...

Click

Elis: !

She tried a second, third, fourth and even a fifth try. The reason she stopped at that number was due to the lack of a guest on the platform they were standing on.

Elis: ...

A bead of sweat formed on the girl's face as she realized that the outcome of this reception was far from a victory.

Hava: We didn't get a single one. Talk about a bad first impression.

Netzach: I'm fine with this. Maybe we won't have to receive them ourselves...

Hava: Hm, I need to stretch myself so I'll pass on the lazy option.

Elis: I-Is miss Angela going to be angry at us?

Hava: I doubt it, they'll return.

Elis: R-Really? How can you be so sure?

At her question, the worker with red eyes turned her head towards her and flashed her a smile that showed not a single care in the world... her usual expression for those who knew her.

Hava: Experience~

At that point in time, the duo next to the girl with at the minimum a few screws loose tried their best to ignore the obvious foreshadowing and remained silent before making their way back alongside Hava.

Unfortunately for them, said screws loose may have given her a correct guess.

Those words of hers soon returned to haunt the Library, like a premonition coming true. Many days later, her assumption was proven right for a certain trio who knew of their upcoming guests.

...

...

"The orders were followed sir."

Crow: ...

One day, all it took for said foreshadowing to become reality was a singular day. Now, the trio made of Roland, Angela & her unwilling assistant were forced to see yet again the invitation revealing the room known as the Magpie Office.

Standing within it, a small group of masked Fixers were completely still, their masks staring silently at their leader. Behind him, the librarians could clearly the many files pinned to the wall, all connected with strings like an intricate web.

...And there, placed in the center of everything, was the invitation. Everyone could notice its presence and made it clear what the intentions behind this meeting are.

However, the man named Crow remained unfazed by it and continued by looking at the closest Fixer.

Crow: Everyone, as you already know, our exploration of the Library has ended with poor results.

"Nothing valuable..."

"No salvage."

"No casualties."

Many faint voices could be heard from the group gathered in front of the Operator of Magpie's Office. Said Fixer, without a word, glared in their direction and silently ordered them to shut up.

Crow: ...And as much as I would like to take it in stride, it looks like we're running out of time. I've heard reports that she has moved her bloodlust towards us.

After hearing the words coming from their leader's mouth, the previously tense atmosphere increased tenfold.

Crow: Some of the Magpies have begun to be picked off. I've ordered the remainings to scatter.

"What should we do sir Crow?"

Sensing that the situation was dire, one of the Magpies broke the silence and asked for orders. Time was running out and they all knew it, they couldn't afford to waste it.

In response, the man with a slightly golden cloak turned around and, for the first time, focused on the invitation pinned to the wall.

Crow: However, it seems like luck is still on our side. The Library has given us a way out.

Without glancing back at his subordinates, Crow continued his speech.

Crow: With this invitation and the information we have gathered from within, this will be the one chance we have to finally put a leash on that monster.

A long & drawn-out sigh soon followed his trail of thoughts. This, probably, allowed the man to remember the many presences behind him. As he turned around, the Operator reached for a scythe resting by his side, a weapon that made him stand out from the rest of the Magpies.

Crow: Today, we will reap.

"Sir Crow, should we overwhelm them with numbers?"

"Shall we pluck their bodies?"

Crow: No. As desperate as we are, the safe future of Magpie Office will remain my priority, above all else.

"What are your orders?"

Crow: Half of you, you are coming with me. The remaining, also scatter, scatter as far as you can. Magpie will survive, no matter the cost.

"...Understood mister Crow"

Half of the remaining Magpies bowed in the direction of their leader, who now held the black piece of paper in his hand. His eyes were looking at the books of the day, the one light that would lead them to the next step.

As he did so, Angela's assistant could almost feel like the amber eyes resting within the bird mask of the man's face shine brighter.

Unfortunately, the brief time they had before the arrival of the guests came to an end before he could confirm what he saw.

Next to him, Roland let out a sigh.

Roland: Talk about a stupid decision. Thankfully, this is working in our favor.

Angela: They seemed quite confident that the Library would save them from their situation.

Roland: ...I doubt that an ex-Wing's secret is what they're looking for.

Y/N: If they really wanted to survive, they should have just ran away. Why are they coming back?

The director's assistant spoke to himself as he tried to understand why the Fixers would risk their lives a second time inside a place they clearly knew was deadly. Were they truly that desperate?

He couldn't understand.

Roland: I'll go warn the other Floors.

As the ex-employee grew frustrated over the seemingly foolish choice made by the Fixers of Magpie Office, the Grade 9 Fixer calmly made his way out. The sound of his footsteps helped the overthinking assistant to snap out of the loop he trapped himself in.

Angela quietly glanced in his direction for a moment before deciding to leave the room. The final member left soon followed her, not wanting to be late like the previous time.

...

...

"Everything is still pristine."

"It all looks salvageable."

"Focus on the orders."

Crow: All of you, shut it.

Done with their constant mumbles, Crow swiftly ordered them to keep the annoyances to a minimum. The pressure put on them definitely did not help with his patience.

The Magpies quickly fell silent upon hearing their order.

Slightly exasperated by the team he had behind him, Crow sighed and adjusted the mask covering his face just in time to greet Angela's sudden appearance. Soon after, her assistant made his presence known for everyone in the entrance.

As per usual, the duo quickly went through their lines.

Angela: Greetings dear guests, I am-

Crow: Angela, we know, no need to remind us.

...Or at least tried.

Crow: We're not here to talk, we both know that. We have an urgent business, so get out of our way.

Angela: ...

A frown formed on the director's face. The lack of manners from the guests' side was quickly followed by a retaliation from the AI receiving them.

Sensing the growing tension between them, the ex-captain slowly walked past his "employer" and tried to strike a new conversation.

Y/N: Uh, I know that you're all in a hurry but I have to ask: why are you all coming back? Don't you know what the Library is capable of?

Ignoring the glare coming the machine behind him, her unwilling assistant tried to understand why they were so willing to risk their lives once more.

It was a question he always wanted to ask to the few survivors in the past who were able to escape from their fate temporarily but he never had the opportunity to say it. After all, their reasons were obvious: the Library took people dear to them.

The faces belonging to Lulu & San briefly reappeared in his mind.

He didn't care if the one who forcefully brought him back to life was staring, if his luck allowed him to save a handful of people from the hell the Library was, he was ready to take any punishment.

...Though, maybe he wouldn't be the one to receive the punishment. After all, she had many people close to him to inflict her anger on, some who had yet to be awakened.

Crow: ...You're her assistant.

Y/N: Uh, yes, I'm-

Crow: We know already.

Y/N: Right...

An awkward silence began to float around the room as a clearly felt stare was scanning the ex-agent from head to toes. A few drop of sweats formed on his face in response.

Crow: So you really weren't lying. I thought you all finally lost it.

"No sir."

"We followed your orders."

The nameless Fixers standing behind calmly replied to their boss' remark before watching him raise his scythe.

Angela: What are you-

In the following instant, a flash of light grew in the entrance. At first, the one who had yet to truly fight was confused by what was happening. Then, as everything cleared up, her eyes saw the cause behind it.

Standing in the middle of the room, Crow was holding his weapon with both hands, glaring at her assistant, who was clearly struggling to keep up. The curved blade was barely inches away from his neck, stopped in place by a thin layer of skin with a wide grin on it.

Crow: The invitation was right, the Library will save us. Why fight for a Wing's secret when we can collect our true way out?!

The cold professionalism of the man in charge of Magpie Office was long gone, replaced by a maniacal attitude that didn't even bother trying to hide its true intentions.

The worker's face grew paler as the demon aiming for his life continued to yell.

Crow: That bitch will finally drop once we drag your body to her!

The only thing the assistant librarian could do against this surprise attack was trying to push the man away with Shy Looks' "shield", only to be forced back into a defensive posture. He wasn't able to break out of the clash.

...And so, someone else put an end to it.

Snap

A singular noise rang throughout the entrance and, in the blink of an eye, the fixers present were all gone. The man with a pale look after an almost swift meeting with death soon collapsed to the floor after his struggle was met with empty air.

With his ass on the floor, he quickly looked around until his eyes landed on the director. One of her hands was raised.

Y/N: W-What happened?

Angela: I've sent them further inside the Library.

The rapid breathing of the ex-employee was answered by a cold voice coming from his superior. She then made her way over to him before reaching for him.

It was then that he realized that he was no longer standing on his own feet. He hurriedly wiped his face with the sleeve of his outfit before grabbing the hand offered to him.

Y/N: ...Thanks.

As soon as he was at his full height, the machine began to inspect his body, looking for any signs of injuries. Without a single complaint coming from the one being examined, she soon came to the satisfying conclusion that he was completely fine.

...Or at least, that's what she believed. The reason behind her assistant's silence was the frigid gaze she aimed at him. She was barely hiding an anger that made him freeze up.

Y/N: ...

Angela: ...

The both of them remained close to each other, with only one by choice. The ex-captain was forced to feel the director's hands digging into his arms as she kept looking at him.

His eyes met hers and as he took a deep breath to calm his nerves, he asked the question they both had on their mind.

Y/N: T-That invitation... was I in it?

Angela: ...

It was now her turn to take a deep breath to quell her wrath. The last thing she wanted to do right now was to unleash it onto the already shocked worker.

Angela: It won't matter soon.

Her tone of voice made it obvious that she wasn't going to continue the conversation. With her assistant still in her grasp, she snapped her fingers once more and sent them both away from the entrance, where the guests couldn't reach.

...

...

Y/N: ...

Roland: You'll have to get used to it. That's how life works in the City.

The words of the man in a black suit flew through one ear and out the other. The unwilling assistant's mind was preoccupied by the stack of books piled next to him. All of them held the same name with the exception of few named after the named guest they received.

It was Angela herself who brought them to him, she did so with a smile on her face. In the eyes of the former agent, what she did was basically offering their severed heads to him with a proud look.

It was a demonstration of the consequences for what happened earlier. He didn't have the energy to push them away, the only thing he could do was simply stare.

Hava: Don't worry, a few birds don't compare to a curtain of bullets~

Y/N: Yea, you did great.

He weakly mumbled in return, bringing an even bigger grin from his interlocutor.

Hava: Aw, you were watching~? In that case, I'll have to try slightly harder next time.

Roland: You mean you weren't trying?

The Grade 9 Fixer curiously asked, earning him a long stare from the devilish girl standing not too far away.

Hava: I'm sure a Fixer like you would understand that notion.

Roland: ...I guess everyone has a reason-

Hava: Come on, don't get too stiff, we should all go for a drink. We all need something to break the air~

Roland: Haha, now you speak my language.

A wide smile formed on the Patron Librarian's face. Although he did not participate in the reception, he wasn't about to miss a chance to get himself drunk.

With the help of a few encouragements, the duo was even able to convince the last person in the room to go along with the idea. Said assistant nodded along, thinking that he needed a way to move past what occured.

Would more people come after him? He didn't know but worrying about it wouldn't change anything.

As they all walked outside of the room, the group immediately noticed a few more assistant librarians standing in the hallway. They exchanged a few looks until one of them spoke up.

Cereb: ...So is game night cancelled?

Y/N: ...Yea, I need a breather, we'll continue tomorrow.

Zophia: In that case, don't mind if I come along

The blond woman casually slipped between the trio like she was always there to begin with. Dana, who stood in the back, let out a sigh before giving a look towards the ex-captain.

Dana: Are you sure that you're alright?

Y/N: I just need to change my thoughts.

Dana: ...If you say so.

With a brief farewell, the girl working under Yesod's orders walked away... only to begin telling something to Cereb. What is was though was a complete mystery, the distance between both groups was large enough for her words to be barely audible.

Y/N: Try to not pass out drunk this time.

Hava: I won't... at least if you're there to keep me in check~

Y/N: Do I have to be the babysitter?

His exasperated tone of voice caused the girl with brown hair to let out a genuine laughter. As she did so, she lightly tapped his ribs with her forearm. He quickly retaliated with a weak slap against her arm.

Zophia: Let's hope Netzach isn't already passed out on the floor.

Y/N: I'm sure he must be annoyed by all of you going down to his floor just to ask for beer.

Roland: I try to not go too often.

The claim made by the one assigned to Keter's floor made the remaining people following along chuckle. An expression of embarrassment showed on Roland's face but was quickly hidden by said person as he turned his head to the side.

Y/N: At least remember to clean up your mess. We don't want Yesod getting angry again.

Zophia: He needs to let himself loose once in a while, I swear my head's gonna explode one day because of him.

Y/N: ...I'm sure you could just tell him that.

Zophia: No thanks, I've got a lifetime's worth of yelling from my boss by doing that during my office worker days.

Y/N: Maybe you can tell it to someone else. Hod would surely listen at least.

Zophia: I'll think about it.

This exchange was the only one made by the librarians slowly making their way down to the Floor of Art. As they arrived to their destination, what they saw was, as expected, a sleeping Netzach.

Elis was sitting in the corner of the room with a book in hands. On top of her head, what looked like a small green slime or a luminous being was resting there.

Y/N: ...I've always wondered what those were.

Hava: They're calmer than that slime girl, that's for sure.

Y/N: Yea, much more...

Memories related to the Abnormality they were talking about emerged with those words. However, they did not last long as they made their way inside to begin their victory party.

They were there to have fun and forget about what was on their mind, at least for a short period of time.

[Magpie Office - 2nd fight]

Books needed: Book of Y/N

Number of Acts: 1

Number of enemies: 4 (3 Magpie Office Fixers & Crow)

Number of Floors allowed: 1

Number of librarians allowed: 4

Crow's Stats & Passives:

[Rarity: Gold]

[HP: 77]

[Stagger Resist: 36]

[Speed: 2-6]

[Resistances]

Slash/Slash Stagger: Normal/Normal

Pierce/Pierce Stagger: Endured/Endured

Blunt/Blunt Stagger: Normal/Normal

[Passives]

Speed I: Speed Dice slot +1 (Cannot overlap)

Hoarding: At the start of the scene, have a 50% chance to draw an additional Combat Page. [Cost 5]

Scavenger: When an ally dies, add a copy of the Combat Page with the highest cost in their hand in this character's deck for the Act. [Cost 6]

Focused Preparation: At the start of the Act, reduce the cost of all Combat Pages in hand by 1. (Cost is reset after use) [Cost 6]

Crow's Combat Pages:

[Pecking - 3 in Deck]

[Salvage - 2 in Deck]

[Feathered Smack - 2 in Deck]

[Pluck The Body - 1 in Deck]

[Coarse Respite - 1 in Deck]