Deceit tried to pretend that she was Ibis.

“Where are we,” she asked.

One of the soldiers turned back to look when he heard her voice, and he screamed. Their armored vehicle screeched to a halt, and they got out of the car.

“This fucking witch is still alive,” one of them screamed.

He opened the car door on Deceit’s side, and she promptly stuck out her palm. She pushed it right into his face and ripped out his skull, vertebrae intact.

Deceit paused, skull in hand, and knew that her cover was blown. She smiled at him, nostrils flared, and tried to play it off like she always did.

“‘Sup.”

Ace never believed for a second that she was Ibis, but Deceit didn’t care anymore.

The other soldier ran off screaming, and Deceit threw his skull to the ground. She got out of the car, but Ace stayed inside, knowing he was safer in it.

“Let’s go,” Deceit commanded. “It’s time.”

“I’m not going,” Ace said.

Deceit closed the door and Ace worried about what she was up to next. She tore off the door on the other side, and dragged Ace out by his hair, kicking and screaming. “I’ll forgive you for killing Amity if you just apologize,” Deceit said coolly.

Ace let out a long stream of insults, most of them ending in bitch, and Deceit laughed.

“Never mind,” Deceit giggled. “I could never be angry with you.”

Ace had tired himself out. There was no one to help him, as most of the streets were empty. Everyone had either evacuated or was at the front line, trying to destroy the rest of Deceit’s forces.

Deceit stared down lovingly at Ace and loosened her grip.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

Ace was in shock. He had never heard her say that in his life.

“ Y-you’re w-what, ” he exclaimed.

“I’ve been so sloppy. All of this could have been avoided from the beginning if I just made you mine.”

She pushed Ace down to the ground and Ace was shaking underneath her.

“I want to be with you forever."

The words Ace had uttered earlier now struck fear into the very depths of his soul, and he started to cry.

“No, no, no, no,” Deceit consoled him. “Don’t cry baby, it's okay.”

She wiped the tears off his face, but they still came, the terror still strong.

“Don’t kill me,” he cried.

“I won’t kill you,” she promised.

“W-what?"

“I could never do that. You never left me. I love you.”

She ran her fingers through his hair and Ace shuddered in disgust and fear.

“You could have killed me with that sword in the forest but you didn’t."

She kissed him on the cheek, and this just made Ace cry louder.

“I know you’re overwhelmed with emotion right now,” Deceit smiled. “But with our marriage, we will be together for eternity.”

“Let me go, please."

“It's okay to get cold feet on your wedding day."

She placed her hands around his throat and started to choke him. Ace flailed around, but the grounder was too heavy for him to move one of his arms, and he was already exhausted from the continuous fighting.

“I won’t kill you,” she whispered. “I’ll make you so weak, you’re about to die, and then I’ll be inside of you. ”

Ace squirmed harder underneath her, crying harder and gasping for breath. He couldn’t focus as the screams of his cursed objects rattled his head, and soon he passed out. Deceit quickly let go and checked his heartbeat.

“This is the first time I’ve ever been happy someone is alive."

Deceit took her time enjoying her victory. She squeezed Ace’s shoulders and played with his hair.

“You got kinda hot now," she said to herself.

Ace awoke again, and quickly she knocked him out with a hard smack to the face.

“Go to sleep. You probably haven't gotten enough these past few days.”

“I’ve finally found you,” Mary Sue bellowed.

Deceit turned and there she stood.

“Get off him,” she commanded.

“I’m so tired of all these people chasing after my man,” Deceit screamed.

Mary Sue was filled with disgust and grimaced. Deceit cracked her knuckles and neck and giggled. Bones burst forth from her body, creating armor around her body. All her generals could do the same, testing the limits of their hosts.

Deceit did not do it often, as she was quite fond of the ability Ibis had, and wanted to take care of her host as long as possible. Now she didn’t want to, as Ace would be her last one.

Mary Sue’s eyes glowed gold, and her ring emitted a soft glow.

“Whatever stupid trick you have won’t work,” Deceit screamed.

Mary Sue had her own armor as well, which enhanced her own abilities, and those of every other astral in the Defense Program that owned one. Her Ring of Fealty glowed bright, and pure gold and silver streamed forth from her body. She, unlike the others, wore two instead of one.

Her suit of armor took form around her. It clung to her body, a black form-fitting suit, and it emitted a soft glow around her. Mary Sue rarely used her rings, because she had no reason to.

For the first time in her life, she was not relying on luck alone.

She wanted to make sure that Deceit stayed dead this time.

The rings were only good for ten minutes. Anyone could use them longer than that, but at that point, they would just be damaging their body. Unas felt Mary Sue’s presence and called out to her.

Come to me. Do you want power? Revenge?

She did. More than anything, she wanted to be powerful and never forgotten. Mary Sue wanted Deceit to suffer for hurting her friends, her family, and her second home. Unas didn’t care for her. The moment Ace came to, he would leave her, not wanting to be anywhere next to her greedy soul. She was just Pepsi when he wanted Coke.

Come to me. I will give you what you want. What you need.

Mary Sue stuck out her hand, and the sword crashed right through the window and into it. Deceit roared like a lion, the glass windows from the shops shattering around her.

The Amazonian and the demon would have their final showdown.