The black cab stops in front of a large iron gate that had been smashed open by a totaled SUV. Smoke still rises from what remains of the wrecked SUV's engine and the vehicle's head lamps flicker intermittently. The SUV's doors have all been left open, signifying that the occupants had left the vehicle in a hurry. I hear the sound of battle coming from further inside the compound. The party has started then. Hopefully everyone will be too busy to take notice of a gatecrasher. 

I disembark from the cab after checking my gear one last time and the cab immediately departs to hide itself somewhere nearby. Droplets of rain begin to fall and I see the flash of lightning in the distance. 

"Transmigrator, the helicopter from the Standart has been repaired is now on its way to the manor." The Voice rasps, "I have triggered a thunderstorm to slow the helicopter down and buy you some additional time. Hurry."

I pick up the pace, staying low. The white ORPO uniform might stick out like a sore thumb against the darkness of the encroaching night, but as long as I don't activate the core and keep out of direct line of sight, I should be able to avoid alerting any guards until I make my move. I easily pass through the well-manicured grounds complete with elaborate rows of rose bushes, finding the injured bodies of maids and butlers scattered here and there.

The Hero and his companions have already started cleaning house. Good. Less opposition for me to deal with. All I need to do is to follow the trail of carnage. I snort at the rose bushes surrounding me. If the servants wanted to suck up to the mistress of this place, they really needed to learn to be more subtle about it. Not that it matters now anyway. 

The manor looms ahead of me, a self-evidently new building masquerading as something much older. A roughly three story, rectangular structure, its Elizabethan style facade had been painted in dull, dirty beige to give an impression of age. The effect is however ruined by the shining window fittings and the overall lack of wear and tear. On the roof sits a flagpole bearing the colors of the von Amsterg family. 

I make it through the rose bushes and see that there is a large open field between me and the massive double doors of the manor, so huge that they look as if they had been built for the use of giants. Were the von Amstergs originally giants? Something I had to remember to ask The Voice later. In the middle of this field, flanking the asphalt path to the manor's entrance, were a pair of illuminated fountains.

Scattered between the fountains are several more wounded butlers and maids, creating a trail leading all the way up to the manor's entrance. I see the Hero and his companions charge at the entrance, but they are repulsed by the remnants of the manor's staff led by a tanned young man wearing a suit and the loli vampire I recognize from The Voice's briefings. Since the man at the entrance is not Trietel and given the fact that the manor's staff are all following his orders, that guy can only be Nicky. 

Not that Nicky and the staff are making any real contribution to the fight against the Hero. From my cursory examination of what is going on, the loli vampire would probably be able to solo this entire encounter. Her body is a tidal wave of spiritual power and she does not bother with using exotic abilities against the Hero and his companions.

Instead Loli moves at lightning fast speed, simultaneously engaging multiple opponents at once. Every blow of hers that connects sends someone flying to the ground in a heap. I notice that Delinquent is already on the ground bleeding, with his arm bent the wrong way. The Hero desperately takes a swing at Loli with claws extending from his hands but Loli easily dodges and counterattacks. The power in the Hero's spiritual core surges and his body flows backwards like a receding tide in an attempt to avoid the blow. 

But its no use. Loli is simply moving too fast. Just as the Hero is in the middle of retreating backwards, Loli darts around him and sends several punches straight into his back. The Hero is rocketed forwards from the force of the hits and face plants at Nicky's feet, who gleefully takes the opportunity to tear the Hero a new asshole. 

Big Tits surges her spirit core and tosses her summoned sword high into the air, thousands of hairline cracks spreading across the blade. The blade shatters, the shards peppering a wide area before they explode, sending a massive blast shock wave across the grounds. The force of the explosions send me sprawling to the ground and rip open huge craters in the lawn. When I look back up, I see the bodies of several members of the manor's staff lying insensate in the craters. Loli herself had been caught in one of the explosions and is staggering backwards, blood staining her clothes. 

Magic Police Girl rushes forward, her saber drawn and infused with her magic. She brings the saber down on Loli, aiming straight for the neck. The saber slices through Loli's neck easily, far too easily. As the blade parts Loli's skin, the wound immediately heals right behind its passage, leaving not a single mark. Loli does not miss a beat and punts Magic Police Girl into Big Tits, and the two of them go down in a tumble. 

This is bad. Hero and friends are faring much worse than I thought they would. They will not be able to keep Loli and Nicky off my back if things take much longer. 

"I don't see Brocon or Trietel." I whisper to The Voice, "You have their location?"

The Voice urgently replies, "There is another open field at the rear of the manor. Trietel and Heroine Von Amsterg are there right now waiting for the helicopter to arrive. Hurry."

I nod to myself and continue my ingress into the manor's grounds as the rain grows heavier. Taking care to stay clear of the battle raging in front of the manor's entrance, I skirt around the edge of the building and make my way to the field The Voice was talking about. A large empty field with a building, most likely the servant's quarters, situated by the side and penned in my the perimeter wall that separates the manor from the public road. I peek around the wall of the manor and take the scene in.

Right in the middle of the field stands Trietel, holding an umbrella, with Brocon by his side. What gets my attention is that Brocon is not restrained, no ropes, no shackles, no handcuffs. She just stands obediently by Trietel's side, with a completely blank expression on her face. It was as if she had been lobotomized and was now only capable of standing about drooling. 

I focus and examine Brocon's spirituality. At first glance there seems to be nothing wrong with it, Brocon's spirit core is functioning perfectly normally. But within her nimbus I see flecks of foreign spirituality I recognize as Trietel's embedded within it. The flecks of foreign spirituality swim freely within the nimbus, occasionally attaching themselves to Brocon's spine or head before going back to aimlessly swimming about. Was that how Trietel had suppressed Brocon? Removing her capability of conscious thought and movement?

This makes things rather more complicated. I cannot count on Brocon to assist in her own escape. Worse still, ever since I arrived at the field, Trietel has been casting his eyes about, looking for something. Or someone. Its as if he somehow knows that someone else is there with him and Brocon. I won't be able to approach them safely like this. Trietel will likely detect me as I am sneaking up on them. 

Nothing for it then. If Trietel is able to detect me, then I'll have to get rid of that annoying capability of his. I draw the grenade launcher and range it at the duo. Took off your gas mask a bit too early eh? Let's see how well you do after breathing in tear gas. I activate the artificial core and pull the launcher's trigger.

Trietel's eyes immediately go wide with alarm and he turns to face me. The launcher makes its distinctive firing noise and the grenade lands right at Trietel's feet. A cloud of white gas immediately envelops the duo and I hear Trietel sputtering as it takes effect. Brocon on the other hand remains standing stock still, as if all was right in the world. 

I pump spirituality into my legs and rush forward into the cloud of gas, relying on the powers to protect me. Sensing the location of Brocon, I grab and carry her on my shoulder as I run towards the perimeter wall. Once I leap over the wall, I'll be at the main road again where The Voice can pick us up to make our getaway. 

Trietel however has other plans. I sense him rapidly approaching from the rear and juke to the side, narrowly avoiding a flying kick. Trietel lands in front of me, his umbrella neatly closed, gold framed spectacles glinting coldly in the moonlight. Raising the umbrella like a rapier, he thrusts at my head with it and I dodge to the side, forcing me to retreat backwards. 

Clicking my tongue in annoyance, I toss Brocon at Trietel to free both my arms. Trietel's jaw hangs open in surprise and he drops the umbrella in order to catch Brocon's body. I take the opportunity to draw my stun gun and as Trietel is adjusting his grip on Brocon, fire the prongs at his leg. Trietel's leg spasms and gives way as I charge forward with my fist aimed at his head. 

Trietel grimaces and falls on one knee, letting go of Brocon's body in order to meet my attack. As my fist drives towards his head, Trietel's hand snaps upwards and catches my fist. His hand clenches hard, trying to grind my bones to dust, but to no avail. Trietel's other hand forms into a fist and arcs towards me, but I return the favor, catching it with my free hand. With one last fruitless attempt at breaking my knuckles, Trietel slips out of my grasp, backs up a few steps and calmly regards me. 

"Mr Greer," Trietel says in his cultured, urbane voice, "the day we met, I knew there was something special about you."

"How did you know who I am?" I question, while risking a glance at Brocon's inert body. The Voice is not making any complaints, so it means she's fine. Probably. 

Trietel's wolf ears twitch as he replies in amusement, "A wolf never forgets a scent, and in these days of peace, not everyone walks around with the scent of fresh blood on them. You had killed recently before we met, hadn't you?"

I grunt in response, "Sharp. What're are you doing here, kidnapping a student then? Not the kind of thing a teacher should be doing."

Trietel squares his shoulders and says, "My duty. To my patron. My savior. The goddess. And the same thing I suspect that you are here to do as well. You came at the order of the Tyrant, didn't you?"

Goddess? Tyrant? What in the world is he talking about? Never mind about that now though. 

I point at Brocon's body and ask, "Are you going to let her go or not?"

Trietel just shakes his head, and picks his umbrella back up. The lightning flashes once more, illuminating both of us in its stark glow. 

"Fine, your choice. Lets rumble." I pronounce while drawing my sword. 

Trietel twists the handle of his umbrella with a click and pulls. The body of the umbrella falls away, revealing the handle attached to a long thin wooden rod. 

"I have been a teacher for several years Mr Greer," Trietel says while performing a few experimental swings with the rod, "you know the most important thing I have learnt?"

I snort, "Educate me please, Mr Trietel."

Trietel points the rod at me while flaring his spirit, "Spare the rod, spoil the child."