(3RD POV)

Things were not looking good for the pharmaceutical company, Reunion has them completely surrounded and blocked off all forms of exits and escape routes, they were trapped. To make the situation even worse, the enemies they've encountered before were also stationed around them, led by their leader. 

"With this many people, even the Catastrophe above won't wipe them all out..!" The woman with dog ears on her head said.

"Nevertheless, we should at least try and push on forward! We're already sitting ducks here and I'd be damned to die like a cornered animal!" A man with a shield and mallet added.

"Doctor... do you have a plan?" The Kuranta knightess asked, looking at the masked figure.

"I'm afraid... I don't have any single ideas left... but..." The said figure began as Nearl cocked an eyebrow at the Doctor's trailed response.

"I agree with Ace, we're outnumbered and outclassed but that doesn't mean I'm going to sit here and let Reunion pick us off one by one." Stated the Doctor.

"Even if there is the slightest slimmest chance of escape, I'm willing to take it. Every formation will most likely have a weak point, even in massive numbers."

"We see it, we exploit it then we can finally leave this hellhole of a city. If we can't find one, we make one, sounds good?" Ended the Doctor.

"Not a bad speech..." Senji thought as he continued observing the situation from a different vantage point.

Every single Operators who heard the Doctor pretty much had a morale boost, pushing past any obstacles no matter what, fight tooth and nail should it be necessary. That has always been the creed of Rhodes Island, it would be contradictory for them to abandon that creed now.  Ace, Nearl and Dobermann smiled as they along with the rest of Rhodes Island faced the incoming Reunion forces against them.

"Wisely spoken, Doctor. Your insight is sharp."

"Hey! Someone is approaching our defensive line, alone!" The Guard's warning alerted the heads as Rhodes Island looked to see a woman closing in on them.

Behind the said woman were several silhouettes, there was the deranged kid that they've encountered before called Mephisto along with his sniper accomplice who the boy called Faust, the hooded Lupo dubbed as Crownslayer was also among the silhouettes. There was also the silhouette of a rabbit-eared person along with a large shield bearer with an imposing mask and piercing red eyes.

Back to the woman, her hair was ashen silver and had a pair of horns on her head, black dress and a large sword on her side, out of all the menacing silhouettes, this woman had the most dangerous aura out of them all. The temperature turned up and the fiery air returned and the ground around the woman began flaring up.

"This smell again..."

"If you ask me, it's steel plus sulfur, all melted into one." Ace commented.

"No doubt about it, she's the one who caused all those flames from the city..." Senji concluded, smelling and feeling the heat emitting from that woman.

"Her appearance... everyone! Be on maximum guard!" The young Cautus girl exclaimed.

"Amiya, what's wrong? Who's this woman?"

"She... she's..." Dobermann trailed off as her words died in her throat.

"She's the leader of Reunion, Talulah."

As soon as those words were announced, a sense of dread filled everyone present while they shifted nervously, Amiya and the Doctor glared at the woman before them with a glint of defiance while Talulah herself looked at the Rhodes Island Operators before her with an expression of contempt behind the eyes of hers.

"Amiya, take the Doctor with you." Nearl suddenly requested, her face filled with great urgency.

"What?!" Exclaimed Amiya, not believing the Kuranta's words.

"Don't ask any further! Just go!" Nearl urged on.

"No! I can't leave you here alone, Nearl!" Amiya retorted, refusing to budge.

"Looks like this Talulah is quite an adversary if the earlier bravado is dispelled just with her presence..." Senji thought.

"Not only that... the ground beneath her... it's all melted and burnt just by her flames. Interesting... her fire would be suitable to make more weapons..."

"You've seen the ground beneath her, Amiya! She's no mere person! She's a monster!" Nearl continued to argue.

"We'll be fine! We have nothing to fear as long as we work together!" Amiya continued to rebuke.

"At this point, I doubt working together is going to save us this time. What's more important is if the Doctor dies, our mission is a failure!" Dobermann added.

Dobermann's reminder struck a chord over who's more important to save here, the Doctor who is busy contemplating on what would be the best course of action. If even Nearl is panicking then it means Talulah's powers is most likely off the charts. Even if the entirety of Rhodes Island decided to retreat, Reunion wouldn't stand around idle.

"What are they going to do now?" Senji wondered, standing over the upcoming battle.

"We're staying." The Doctor stated, much to Nearl's shock.

"What?! Doctor, have you gone mad?!" The Kuranta voiced out desperately.

"Maybe I have because of all this chaos but what I know is that I'm not allowing anyone to die today as selfish as it sounds." Retorted the Doctor.

"I'm with Doctor on this decision! Rhodes Island will not abandon anyone, or sacrifice anyone!" Amiya firmly stated, adding her opinion.

"Doctor, I don't know if the mission objective is crammed into your head but we have to get you out of this hellhole safe and sound! Hearing you say all this is ridiculous!" Dobermann said.

"So?! I'm not letting anyone who've risked their life for mine just to die!" The Doctor retorted.

The argument quickly became more devolved and heated over time as they went over what to do in this situation. Some Reunion members found amusement on Rhodes Island's argument, some laughing sinisterly at their supposed helplessness.

Talulah, the supreme leader of Reunion on the other hand, decided she won't have Rhodes Island bicker any arguments any further. She raised her palm and the air itself around her began to coil around on her hand and began to heat up at a rapid pace before flames were ignited. She's heard enough words from the traitors' mouths, the searing flames alerted the arguers of what she was going to do.

"Silence." Talulah stated as she fired her Arts towards its targets.

"Get down!" Ace shouted as he along with everyone ducked down.

"...What... what is it this time?!" Nearl coughed out.

"Her flames... it almost got to us, had we not dodged it, we would have become nothing but charred bones..!" Ace stated.

"Everyone fall back! The entire block is melting!" Dobermann ordered as Rhodes Island began to spread out to avoid getting burnt together.

"Just what kind of monster are we fighting against?!" Nearl questioned.

"Snipers! Take aim at the enemy, don't let her cast her Arts!" Ace commanded as the said snipers shot their projectiles.

"Resistance may bring hope to this land but... it will not change your fate." Talulah said as the projectiles melted before they could reach her.

"Chernobog has already attained liberation. Reunion's work here is done and your group has proven to be quite an interesting one." 

Just as Talulah said that, the flames within her palm grew stronger, brighter and hotter as her action was an indication that she wasn't going let a single member of Rhodes Island go. Before anyone could say anything, Amiya ran up to the Reunion leader and used her Arts which Talulah blocked by using her own and was overpowering Amiya's.

"Amiya!" Nearl yelled out.

"Oh? A rabbit stands up against a dragon... interesting." Senji thought, standing up and ready to intervene.

"...Die." Talulah said as her flames began to burn Amiya's Arts.

"You... will not... hurt them..!" Amiya gasped out but determined while Talulah remained silent.

"I will... never allow you to do that!" Amiya declared, her Arts continued to strain against the Reunion leader's.

"...Oh?" Talulah quietly exclaimed, noticing her flames were being pushed back slightly.

"I must... protect everyone..!" Amiya choked out.

"Amiya is... holding back the enemy's Arts... all by herself..?" Dobermann wondered.

"And ineffectively that is." Senji noted, materializing a katana from thin air as he watched Amiya's Arts whittle away.

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Despite all her efforts, Amiya was quickly getting pushed back by Talulah, her Arts had already deteriorated to the point it was aflame, Nearl, Doctor and the rest watched on in horror as Talulah's fires almost reached its targets. However, all things will change soon.

"Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin" An unknown voice called out to Amiya.

The rest of Rhodes Island watched in bewilderment as they see a young man holding onto a katana descend into the battlefield before slashing downwards and away all the flames with his weapon. However, to their eyes, it is as if a gigantic waterfall appeared out of nowhere and put out all the flames with ease.

"Who..?" Talulah questioned as she and Reunion watched the young man dematerialize his weapon.

"He made the fire disappear... with water that came from nowhere..?" Ace stated, still shocked.

"Amiya! Are you alright?!" Nearl and the Doctor rushed to the said girl who was on one knee.

"Her excessive use of her Arts has started to affect her Oripathy." Senji said to the Kuranta who looked at him.

"Get out of here unless you want to die." Senji added, summoning another katana, its hilt themed after a fire.

"Wait! Are you crazy?!" Nearl rebuked.

"I'm doing this for a bunch of strangers who I met today, I do believe crazy is far below what I'm going to do next." Senji replied.

"But-"  The knightess started but the blacksmith glared at her, stopping her.

"I do not like repeating myself. I. Said. GO." Senji ordered as the temperature seemingly drop despite Talulah's Arts.

"...Good luck." Nearl said quietly before she carried Amiya back to Rhodes Island, Senji simply turned around facing the entirety of Reunion.

"Talulah was it?" Senji questioned, cracking his neck, getting ready.

"...Who are you?" The said woman demanded since extinguishing her flames was no easy feat.

"Youngsters these days are so rude, don't even return an answer to an elder's question." Senji rebuked, unsheathing his katana.

"You talk too much." Was all Talulah said as flames began to gather around her hand again.

"Please, brat. That should be my line." Senji retorted as he sharply breathed in the air despite the ashes floating around.

Senji's pupils shrank as he continued breathing air into his lungs, he readied his katana which began to glow as if fire was swirling around it. Talulah narrowed her eyes at the lone man who managed to oppose her but it doesn't matter since her flames were already fired at the blacksmith. However, what the man did next was unseen nor heard of in all of Terra.

"Fourth Form: Blooming Flame Undulation." Senji chanted as he twirled his katana in a circular motion, leaving fire behind.

Talulah's flames collided with Senji's fire which the former's failed to break through the Senji's newly formed flaming shield, Reunion looked on in complete silence over the fact that someone managed to block their leader's flames, flames that can melt through anything.

"They say your fire is powerful enough to burn this world into ashes, I'd like to change that fact." Senji stated, talking as if blocking deadly fire is a daily thing for him.

"..." Talulah was also silent, musing over the fact that someone managed to stop her flames.

"Now come, let me show you why the blacksmith is the master of fire." Senji declared, pointing his blade at Talulah who simply ordered her troops.

"Crownslayer, Mephisto, Faust. Unleash your forces against him, then pursue the traitors." 

"As you command, Lady Talulah! Everyone, it's time we have vengeance against the damned traitors! Faust, you come with me as well!" The mentioned boy stated.

"Very well, Lady Talulah." Crownslayer affirmed, walking forward along with her minions.

As she watched her subordinates mobilize their troops for their assault against the lone blacksmith, Talulah simply stood atop a piece of rubble, mulling over the apparent fact that the man somehow stopped her flames. She looked upon the incoming battle, a dark glare aimed towards the person who bent her pride of her flames being the strongest and deadliest.

"If you claim to be a master of flame, then let's see what you can do against a number like this." She said sinisterly.

With the commands set in motion for Reunion, Senji simply stood there and continued calmly breathing in air, a glowing orange aura faintly seen surrounding him as he held the katana known as "Kyojuro" in his hand. Senji's eyes darted around the battlefield, observing each and every one of the Reunion members ordered to take his life.

Crownslayer took the initiative first as she rushed towards Senji before suddenly vanishing into thin air but the latter wasn't impressed nor surprised. The blacksmith simply took a sniff of the air before blocked a backstab with his blade, surprising the Reunion ringleader instead, but her shock was short-lived as Senji kicked her back before intercepting Crownslayer's minions.

Senji dodged several strikes from the assassin's grunts before he swiped his blade horizontally, cutting across the Crownslayer's troops before dodging a bolt aimed at his head. Senji sharply breathed in more air before his pupils contracted once again and he raised his blade into the sky before sending it straight down and chanting.

"Third Form: Blazing Universe!" 

The blade swung downwards left behind a huge torrent of flames, completely pushing back the Reunion troops in front of Senji before he blocked another strike from Crownslayer, sparks were created as the blacksmith grazed the dagger of the assassin and avoided bolt from Faust. 

The reptilian boy was noticeably getting annoyed at the constant dodging before a red aura surrounded him and his crossbow before he took aim again at the blacksmith with narrowed eyes. Senji already saw this coming, quickly sheathing his katana before swiftly drawing it out again to perform a deadly Iaijutsu move which sent Crownslayer backwards.

Before he intercepted Faust's shot with his blade.

"Impossible..!" Faust muttered, getting frustrated that someone managed to deflect his attack.

"D6! A2! E5! Surround him!" Mephisto ordered as his troops rushed forward to deal with the blacksmith.

"Fools..." Senji murmured, breathing in again.

"Fifth Form: Flame Tiger!" He declared, rushing forward in a torrent of flames that shaped into a tiger.

Senji charged into the incoming troops before a gigantic explosion occurred as the flames tore through the armor and clothes of the Reunion grunts that were unfortunate enough to be the first ones to get hit.  

"Just a single move was able to wipe out their forces?!" Nearl said with shock as Rhodes Island was nearby trying to deal with the Reunion forces on their side.

"How powerful is he..?" Dobermann muttered.

"How?! How did this nobody stop them all?!" Mephisto screeched, completely pissed off.

Faust was now perplexed along with the rest of Reunion, this change of situation had proved to be unexpected when this lone man dared stand up against the entirety of Reunion with just a blade. He was certain one or more of his ballista bolts would have landed on him but those proved to be close to impossible as his shots was deflected every time.

Senji looked around, continuously cutting and slicing down Reunion grunts that came to him, he looked around for the annoying bolts that he had to dodge and deflect more than once. Breathing in sharply again once he located the shooter standing in the far back but surrounded by more grunts, Senji simply raised his blade again before flames surrounded him.

"First Form: Unknowing Fire." 

With a flash, Senji charged forward and through the Reunion troops in front of him, the force of the charge so powerful it threw several grunts into the air and shattered the unbroken windows in the momentum. Faust's eyes widened in slight panic as the blacksmith suddenly appeared in front of him with his katana ready to cut, the sniper attempted to shoot again but Senji's blade had already been unleashed, seeing no choice, Faust tried to block the attack with his weapon.

But that effort proved to be in vain as the slash destroyed not only his crossbow but left horrible burn marks on his hands.

"FAUST!!" Mephisto yelled as Senji grabbed the sniper by his throat before violently and uncaringly throwing him back into Reunion's grasp.

Now Senji is in the middle of the entire Reunion force, surrounded by troops all around him, the blacksmith showed no sign of fear nor changes, simply boredom and annoyance. He dematerialized Kyojuro and summoned another katana from nowhere, this one he called "Tanjiro". 

"Surround him! Don't give him any time to fight back!!" Mephisto ordered as his troops rushed forward again along with Crownslayer's.

"Third Form: Flowing Dance." Senji announced before he vanished, much to Reunion's shock.

Senji reappeared right in front of the Reunion troops, swinging and bending his blade in a winding motion along with his body, as if dancing in a flowing pattern while slicing everything in his path. The grunts stood no chance against this move as the blacksmith's movements proved to be too quick to catch on.

"First, the hooded ringleader and the sniper and now that runt's soldiers. I thought he had a death wish earlier but this?" Dobermann questioned.

"He's just dancing around them as if it was nothing." Ace remarked.

"I've gotta admit, in all my career when joining Rhodes Island, this far exceeds my thoughts." He added.

"Not only is he pushing Reunion by himself, the swords in his hands seems to boost his performance as well... just as a reminder. Everything here is recorded, no?" Dobermann said.

It has always been a common staple in Rhodes Island's battle conduct to record all forms of battles the company does on the field in the forms of Battle Records, let it be drills, covert missions, escort missions and large operations like this one. 

The task is specifically given to an Operator who does not partake in the fight but records the fights instead. With how the Doctor has been commanding and Senji's fighting this whole time with techniques that can be seen as inhumane, their endeavors will net them more than enough Battle Records for strategic and offensive uses.

"Yes, once we get out of here, we will have to evaluate the records extensively, especially that swordsman's records." Ace replied.

"The way he fights alone is completely off the charts of any expert swordsman I've seen throughout my life." He added.

Back to the one-sided battle, Senji continued charging through the masses with little to no regards to their wellbeing, he fights against a whole army while gaining their ire. The Reunion soldiers themselves aren't faring any better against the blacksmith, having their bodies cut up and stabbed.

"You!" The more deranged ringleader of Reunion, Mephisto is right in front of Senji.

"Oh, it's the brat." Senji commented.

"You demon! What have you done with Faust?!" 

"Demon? Been quite a while since someone called me that." Senji remarked before pointing his katana at Mephisto.

"As for your friend, I merely gave him a new scar to go by with." 

"You bastard!" Mephisto cursed before Senji suddenly appeared in front of him, crouching down to meet his eyes.

"I do believe that title belongs to you, no?" Was what he said before he threw a punch straight into the boy's chest.

"GAHK!!" Mephisto choked out as he was flung back from the blow.

Senji looked back to see most of Reunion now looking at him with a slight sense of fear and anxiety and apprehension, seeing how he singlehandedly decimated their numbers, they're more cautious now. 

Talulah was impassive but slightly impressed by his skills, that doesn't mean she's going to let him be, she gathered flames at her palm again, this time, her fire will surely melt through steel. Her torrent of fire was thrown towards Senji who stood there, unconcerned before he allowed the flames to cover him completely from head to toe.

"Shit!" Ace cursed, seeing the blacksmith getting covered in flames.

"At that rate, even the medics won't be able to save him..!" Nearl interjected.

"How unfortunate, but for a blacksmith like you to hold this long is impressive..." Talulah remarked as she watched her flames continued to burn.

"Perhaps I should say this again." Senji's voice broke out from within the flames, shocking everyone who stood nearby, both Reunion and Rhodes Island.

"Impossible..." Talulah muttered, eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"I said it once and I will say it again, the blacksmith is the ultimate master of fire, we temper the flame, we use the flame, we make them our tool."

"And you, brat. Your flame is no different from an average flame used for a hearth." Senji stated as he reappeared through the fire without a single bit of injuries or burn on him.

"But I will say, this flame is good enough to be used for tempering steel." He added before Talulah's fire swirled around him before it moved towards his arm.

"Though I am not Jubei, the invincible swordmaster."

"Though I am not Hanzo, the great spymaster."

"Though I am not Abe-no-Seimei, a caster unknown to this world."

"Though I am nothing more than a swordsmith, why is it that you cannot hurt me?"

"You could never figure it out, and so you have lost."

As Senji declared those words, the flames around his arm disappeared to reveal a glowing and burning white hot katana blade that was the realization of his ideal sword, the sword is one that can purge resentment, cut through bonds, fate, causality, and destiny, and slice through the idea of karma itself and the world.

"I once sought to forge the ultimate blade."

"Not a sword that cuts through flesh, bone, or the living."

"I sought a blade that terminates enmity..."

"A blade that severs bonds, severs certainty, severs karma." 

"That is to say, to free one of one's fate."

The air around Senji began to heat up on its own, the winds picked up and the ashes and dust around the blacksmith began swirling around the flame. As Senji said those words, the glowing blade in his hand seemingly burn brighter and hotter, everyone around the blacksmith were completely mesmerized by the sight as none of them moved.

"Uncountable times of toil to reach this moment."

"Forging thousands of swords to create a barrow of blades."

"Many paths, converge here."

"Enduring desires, flow here."

"Unjust deaths, gather here."

"My whole life has been for this single swing."

Everyone could feel it, the swirling of the flames and wind grew stronger and more violent as Senji ended that aria, the blade seemingly roared along with the gale that was formed alongside the weapon.

Senji's grip tightened as the sword in his hand continued to burn brighter than ever, what's more shocking is the fact that the ground around him is also melting, burning despite there being nothing to burn, the sword turned brighter and everyone knew what was coming.

"Everyone, find a cover!" Dobermann ordered as Rhodes Island scrambled to find a place to shelter them from the heated wind and flames.

"Tch, all troops fall back!" Talulah commanded as the gale was practically turning into a hurricane that revolved around Senji. 

"The heart of the blade is here!" Senji roared through the winds and flames.

"Accept this blow from my Tsumukari Muramasa!"

With one swing, the earth in front of Senji is cleaved into two before the air around the area began to twist, contort, time and space begins to fall apart as the gigantic slash mark is slowly lighting up before it starts cracking everywhere. Fire began to burst out from the ground before a moment of silence is given then, everything went into hell.

The flames that licked the surface abruptly rose to a titanic degree in both size and temperature before the fire burst out from the ground and all the way across the city of Chernobog, blinding everyone's sights in white and red. The ground exploded to give way for the unrelenting flames within it and the fire soon reached to the sky, over the cityscape and soon into the clouds itself.

Rhodes Island did their best in trying not to get swept up in the violent hurricane that was formed by one swing, they held onto anything that helped, poles, buildings, or even tried to stab their weapons into the ground to hold them down. Thankfully, it worked.

However, Reunion was on the more unfortunate side since the swing was completely directed at them thus they took the full brunt of the force, screams of terror, pain and agony filled the air as bodies were flung into the sky and fire. 

Worse of all, the flames doesn't seem to stop until it rose up even higher and broke into the Catastrophe that both Reunion and Rhodes Island had miraculously avoided during the battle. The fire reached into the chaos above and swirled and twisted the sky into a red hue before the base of the flames grew brighter and brighter before an explosion ended it all.

Everything was silent next, the gale died down and the city of Chernobog was once more silent and dead, the buildings were completely ripped apart along with the road, the force of the slash had tore them apart earlier just by how powerful the swing was. Rhodes Island was faring better than Reunion, with most of their numbers dimmed and gone, they were completely shaken.

"Wha... what the actual fuck?" Ace cussed as he gazed at the devastated city.

"How did he... no, WHO is he?" Dobermann said with the million LMD question.

"Amiya..?" Nearl called out to the said girl who was looking up.

"The sky... the Catastrophe..." Amiya stammered as the rest of Rhodes Island looked up with her to see what was mesmerizing her, and they too were soon mesmerized.

The sky above was completely blue, the sun was shining down on the city of Chernobog and the former violent Catastrophe was gone, more specifically, it was entirely pushed apart, dispelling the chaos completely and allowing the sun and the blue sky to shine down again. The sight had not only stunned Rhodes Island but Reunion itself, an act like this was inhumane, no.

It was completely unbelievable yet Senji made it believable.

"Talulah." The blacksmith started as everyone looked at him, hand shooting into the air and catching the white haori.

"Your flames are weak." Senji stated, the katana in his hand shattered into pieces before his free performed the thumbs-down gesture.

With that line said, the blacksmith walked off, back to the direction of where he was originally going, the warehouse. After all, he still hasn't gotten his materials and shipment, Senji left the area and left behind the group of stunned and fearful Operators and Reunion members.

"You... just who are you?" Talulah demanded, slightly shaking as she was partly caught in the blast, small burn marks covering her arm as she glared at Senji.

"Hmm... me? Nobody special, I'm just a passing by blacksmith." Was all Senji replied with before he continued his way through Chernobog.

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I guess including some Kimetsu no Yaiba theme is quite a surprise, eh?