Pricilla was exhausted.

 

She was running on fumes. Lily had put up a desperate resistance, but she was out of strength, magic, and time. The only reason she wasn't already dead was because the thing had slowed down. Most of the crowd couldn't watch, it had been just too brutal.

 

A red fist pulled back.

 

It remained pulled back.

 

The fist quivered. It pulled back another inch.

 

The fist relaxed.

 

Lily was incoherent as she mumbled to herself over and over. Her face looked like a jigsaw puzzle with a few pieces missing. Her arms hung uselessly at her side. The demonic form slowly reached out and gently caressed Lily's cheek. The demon spoke, but not in a raged-filled howl, nor a growling, gravelly voice.

 

It spoke clearly in Reed's voice.

 

"No. I am the one who is sorry."

 

Water flowed over Lil's form and she cried out as her body was forced back into the correct shape. the hybrid cast his eye about until he spotted a healing vial that had been missed in all of the confusion. A tendril of water whipped out to snag it. Bringing it up close, Ryan could see it was a weak healing potion indeed.

 

"It will have to do." He poured it down Lily's throat as Pricilla staggered closer, "Reed?"

 

Ryan surfaced as he motioned toward Lily. Her body flowed along on a pillow of water to come to rest at Pricilla's feet. The crowd was recovering and looking more hopeful by the passing second. Reed's face appeared as he looked down at Pricilla, "Both of us, but not for long." He turned and stepped over to the main entrance, "We can feel it squirming around, trying to get free."

 

Pricilla watched Ryan walk past, "We still can't dent the ward, no useful magic works from the inside."

 

Ryan pulled back a fist, "Then we bash it down."

 

Arthur laughed, "You think we haven't tried? It took several enchanted ballistas firing continuously for almost five minutes to take down the last ward! And you're going to just-"

 

The sound of Ryan's fist impacting the ward reverberated throughout the room.

 

Then another blow.

And another.

And another.

 

Faster and faster Ryan's fist slammed into the ward. Now that they weakened their bestial side, the combined will of Ryan and Reed was enough to safely direct their rage-filled core. They poured demonic energy into imitating their physical core's improved strength and speed, except that it didn't seem to have the same limitations the aura core did.

 

The sound was deafening.

 

The demonic form was a blur as it struck the ward. The ward no longer rippled with each blow, but the entire magical structure was vibrating. Each shot caused it to glow ever brighter. The crowd covered their ears to block out the unrelenting sound. Most just crouched where they were. Pricilla shielded Lily's unconscious body with her own.

 

The ward's repeating magic circles briefly started to blur.

 

Briefly, is the word to describe it, because as soon as the accumulated kinetic energy started to warp the magical sigils keeping the ward in place, it was not long for this world. As soon as the ward failed, the power from all those attacks had to go somewhere.

 

The building exploded.

 

The academy's primary meeting hall disintegrated in a cloud of ever-expanding debris. Fortunately, the kinetic energy was directed outward, but that also included downward as well. It could have been a lot worse since the field released its energy a moment before it failed and released its occupants. The floor, indeed most of the foundation, had been turned into powder. The fall was shocking, but not dangerous since most of the building had been turned into dust. It was more like settling than falling.

 

The rest of the campus was treated to chunks of stone and wooden support beams showering down. The explosion was accompanied by an echoing boom that rolled like thunder into the distance. Some of the energy bounced off nearby surrounding hills and came rolling back. It was a good minute before the sound finally died out. Ryan/Reed had dived to catch his sister before she fell into the pulverized foundation. With his other arm, he caught Pricilla and lifted them both to the lip of the crater. The rest of the captives were dragging themselves and each other out as well, half-climbing, half-swimming.

 

Arthur, the crown prince, flew over to hover nearby, looking down at the three. Ryan looked up at him. There was a tense stand-off, then Arthur landed, "Perhaps I misjudged you."

 

Ryan's face twisted and twitched. He staggered and looked like he was struggling to hold himself together, "Fuck!" He gritted his many fangs and looked at Arthur, "Get everyone away! I need-" He snarled, "TOO MUCH!" He jerked his head about unnaturally fast then locked onto Arthur, "I'm trusting my sister to you. Get her to safety."

 

Arthur nodded as he picked up Lily, "What is your plan?"

 

Ryan turned and started marching down into the pit, "I'm going to sit in this pit and use up as much mana as I possibly can until that drug wears off or I pass out." He glanced around, "SO EVERYONE GET AS FAR AWAY AS POSSIBLE!"

 

Stating it that loudly was unneeded, because everyone was already running as fast as they could.

 

Kyle joined Arthur and picked up Pricilla as well. The two men looked at Ryan. He looked back. They all just nodded once, then went about their tasks. The two fled toward the main gate, while Ryan planted his feet in the middle of the crater.

 

Reed thought to Ryan, ~So what's the plan?~

 

Ryan looked skyward, "Just as I said. We burn off mana. The fastest way I can think of." He conjured an ice fog and continuously converted it directly into hydrogen and oxygen." He held his arm up high over his head, "We can give the ice fog some spin and that should funnel it all harmlessly into the upper stratosphere.

 

From Ryan's clawed hand sprung forth a vortex of sparkling crystals that grew, extending ever higher, climbing into the night sky.

 

---

 

Monique, Charity, and Lilith had already reached Ryan's workshop and retrieved the box. It was rather large so they had to drag it back using a cart. Charity had fallen behind, so only Lilith and Monique were nearby when the hall exploded. The color drained from both their faces as they raced to find out what happened.

 

As they came closer, they saw the crowd of people fleeing toward them. The crown prince was in the lead, followed by the remaining guards. They came to a stop in front of the two girls and the cart. Pricilla motioned for Kyle to let her go and she hugged Monique, "Oh thank the gods!"

 

Monique reluctantly hugged back, a little surprised, "How's Reed?"

 

Pricilla let go, "He's trying to wear himself out until the drugs wear off."

 

Arthur looked in the back of the cart and opened the box named 'Betty'. There was a strange device in there, that looked like the strangest staff he'd ever seen. It was more like a long tube made of metal, carved with arcane symbols, and reeked of violence.

 

Lilith helpfully answered the unasked question, "Charity put it together while we were hauling it. She said it's called a rocket-propelled explosive device. I think Ryan meant for us to blow up the ward with it."

 

Monique nodded and looked somewhat relieved, "Glad we won't need it now."

 

Arthur started at it. It took him a few moments to grasp the principles behind its use, "Oh. I think we need it now more than ever." He looked to the guards, "Arrest these women!" He gestured to all four, "Arrest them all and hold them-" He lifted the launcher, "Until I return."

 

Pricilla, Lily, Lilith, and Monique had weapons drawn and aimed at them. They all looked shocked. Pricilla yelled, "Have you gone completely INSANE?" Arthur pointed the launcher at Pricilla, "Have I? I have learned you came from the same place as those other two foul creatures! I don't think I can trust you..." He paned it around, "Any of you." Monique took a step back, "Have you lost your MIND? That's a weapon Reed built that he thought was TOO DANGEROUS TO USE!"

 

"If killing that monster plaguing my kingdom means I'm crazy..."

 

Arthur grinned like he had become completely unhinged. He hefted the launcher upon his shoulder as he eyed 'Betty' with eyes filled with both lust and longing.

 

"Then Call Me A Madman!"

 

Arthur traced a finger along the launcher he had hefted onto his shoulder, "Now I know why Reed loves these things."

 

Pricilla stepped forward, "You can't seriously be thinking of killing Reed! Everything I said about him was because I thought Reed was The Omnilord! I didn't know there were TWO of them! Everything I said was a MISTAKE! He just saved your-" Arthur backhanded Pricilla across the face. She dropped to the ground in a collapsed heap. Arthur looked to Kyle, "If she speaks again, have her killed." The remaining guards all formed up to surround the women, Sir Nubb leading the way.

 

Kyle nodded and eyed the weapon Arthur was holding, "I understand... but sire, I-"

 

Arthur growled, "No! No more cautions! We are saving my KINGDOM! Unlike my father who was going to destroy us all!" He looked off into the distance, "First, we kill Reed. Then we use Lilith as bait to lure in that freak Omnilord." He pointed at Pricilla, "I am going to chain you up somewhere because you are far too valuable to just kill." He then rolls a hand in the air, "Then... maybe I'll kill every halfling bastard in the entire kingdom, just to be sure!"

 

Kyle looked pale, "I-" Arthur gave Kyle a death glare. Kyle swallowed, "Understand perfectly, Sire."

 

Arthur nodded once, "Good. Wait right here. I'm going to handle this... personally." He started walking off toward the growing atmospheric disturbance, "Make sure no one interferes!"

 

Kyle covered his mouth with one hand as he watched Arthur walk away. He was sweating bullets as his eyes darted about as if he was trying to figure a way out of this. Monique just hummed softly to herself. Eventually, Kyle spun to shout at her, "WHAT???"

 

Monique just shrugged in a suggestive way that made her breasts jiggle for the guards, "Oh, just wondering if you understand the man you are following is completely insane."

 

Kyle rubbed at his upper lip, then looked off in the direction that Arthur left, "He's... he is just tired. That's all. As soon as we all have a good night's sleep, things will be different in the morning."

 

Monique just smiled.

 

---

 

Ryan stood in the middle of the remains of the building, venting mana into the air in a vortex of gasses as he tried to burn up his remaining mana. Slowly, by inches, he could feel the powder the Omnilord had hit him with slowly weakening as he regained control of his body.

 

Arthur made his way through the devastated Academy, striding closer and closer to his prey. ~Yes. I will finally fix everything in this damn kingdom. And I'll also have access to Reed's workshop, so I'll have access to all his weapons! Yes! My Father has been an idiot! Maybe I'll leave him in the coma for a few extra weeks. When I get him back up, I'll show him how things always should have been done!~

 

He climbed up to the edge of the crater that Ryan stood in.

 

Arthur aimed the launcher down into the pit.

 

---

 

Kyle waited until Arthur was out of line of sight, then took a few steps after him, "This... This has all gone wrong! We need to-" As he turned around Sir Nubb was already there, stepping up to stab a dagger into Kyle's gut. Kyle just blinked, looking all confused as the man grinned down at Kyle, "That sounds like traitorous talk to me." This caught the other guard's attention, "Arthur said he was having concerns about you. But don't worry..." He pulled the dagger out and Kyle dropped to the ground clutching his stomach, "I'll-"

 

Sir Nubb never got to finish, because a long needle was sticking out of the side of his neck.

 

As the rest of the guards turned, Monique was already in the middle of them, twisting her body in ways that only someone who was boneless, or an experienced shapeshifter, could move. She wasn't pulling any punches as daggers flashed in her hands slicing open throats while she effortlessly avoided counterattacks.

 

Charity on the other hand was throwing darts into anyone Monique didn't immediately incapacitate. All of her targets, including Sir Nubb, froze in a matter of seconds as the paralyzing agent took effect. In the moment the guards took their eyes off the prisoners, they had already lost.

 

Monique was finishing off the wounded, "Did it not occur to any of you we might rearm at Reed's place?"

 

They did not intend to take prisoners.

 

As Charity closed in on Kyle, Pricilla moved in between the two, "No! This is all my fault! I thought... I didn't..." She started to cry as she fell to the ground next to Kyle, "None of this makes any sense!" She sobbed, "Why is nothing happening like in the GAME?"

 

Lilith, who just stood there up until this point because everything happened faster than she could react, finally started to move as she loomed over Pricilla, "Oh YES. This IS all your fault! Now stop blubbering and Grow UP!"

 

Pricilla looked up with tears streaming down her face, "I'M ONLY TEN YEARS OLD!" She turned back to Kyle and put her hand on his belly, trying to close his wound with what little energy she had left, "This place is HORRIBLE! I WANT MY MOMMY! I HATE BLOOD! THIS IS NOTHING LIKE THE GAME! WHY IS THE PRINCE SO ANGRY ALL THE TIME? I WANT MY FAMILY BACK!" She looked at her hands covered in Kyle's blood and collapsed into a blubbering heap, "I Just Wanna Go HOME!!!"

 

Monique, Charity, and Lilith all looked at each other, then back down at Pricilla.

 

Monique ran her fingers through her hair, "Damn it!" She looked at Lilith, "You watch over her!" While gesturing towards the saintess. Then Monique grabbed Charity by the arm and yanked, "C'mon! We've got to save Reed!"

 

Charity looked back at Pricilla briefly before the two broke into a run.

 

Kyle held a hand to his barely held-together stomach, mostly because he was afraid if he stopped, his wound might tear back open. However, his eyes were focused on Pricilla, "I don't... understand. You-" He reached out to place his free hand on the traumatized saintess' shoulder while looking up at Lilith, "How did everything get this bad?"

 

 

 

 

Lilith didn't have an answer, but she sure wanted to find one.

 

---

 

As Monique and Charity came around the corner of a campus building, they spied Arthur, standing on the lip of the crater. It had been a long time since the two had worked together in this capacity, but old habits die hard. They were ready to fight. They had been a deadly duo back on the battlefield, and this was going to be no different. Arthur wouldn't know what hit him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arthur pulled the trigger.