The day of the match was upon me before I knew it. I had spent the few remaining days before hand getting acquainted with the new Mana Stage and performing light sparring sessions and training. I felt confident I could win. The students and faculty of Avalon Academy were gathered in the school's auditorium while Headmistress Olivia Estill was conducting the opening ceremony.

After the ceremony had concluded, the group of students and staff would be invited to watch the match between me and Angelica. The battle would not only serve as the grand unveiling of the newly constructed Mana Stage but also as a celebration to kickoff the school year. In my humble opinion, the beginning of the school year was nothing to celebrate. According to the school board though, another year of cohabitation between humans and Otherworders was more than worth the cost of the new Mana Stage and my admittedly impressive contract.

I sat next to Grace on a bench inside the room that housed the Mana Sim-pods dressed to the nines in my costume and mask. Any moment now, I would be called to enter one and load into the Mana Stage. For now though, I was enjoying the brief moment of reprise before the battle was set to begin. I glanced over at Grace. She had dark circles under her eyes. "Have you been sleeping well, you look tired?" I asked her. She dismissed me saying, "I'm fine, I've just been busy lately." I didn't doubt her in the slightest. As my manager, she had been rather busy preparing everything for today. “You should go ahead and take a nap now.” I said, as I stood up. “But I need to watch the match.” She protested.

“What’s the point?” I replied. “There’s no way the great Judas would ever lose to a lowly demon girl. Get some rest while I mop the floor with her.” She looked at me as she smiled. Her forked tongue briefly flicked out and licked her upper lip. “I will, good luck.” She always does that when she lies, I thought as I laid down in the Mana Sim-Pod. The pod was surrounded by a gel-like cushion that lined the inner walls. I could see Grace standing there as the top half of the pod lowered and closed around me.

When I opened my eyes, I was inside a large wooden manor. More specifically, I was in the foyer atop a large staircase overlooking the entrance. Looking out the manor windows, I could see portions of the town that had been replicated. “Look who finally decided to show up,” a voice behind me said. I turned around and saw a purple haired girl standing behind me. She was wreathed in a beautiful black dress and would have looked like an elegant party goer if not for the black collar and chain around her neck. “Oh, it’s just you” I said as I audibly sighed.

The person standing before me was none other than Lauren, the college student and wannabe actor that often played the part of Judas’s servant in our productions. “I’m surprised you're still kicking around. She stepped forward and poked me in the chest whilst saying, “What the heck’s that supposed to mean? I’m here because I’m talented. At least miss Grace recognizes that.” I rolled my eyes, which was apparently visible through the mask and warranted a kick in the shin from Lauren. Before I could return the favor, A small drone flew through one of the open windows and positioned itself in front of me. The red light atop it indicated that the camera it possessed was not active.

The drone's arrival meant that the first act was about to begin. Raids were as much of a battle as they were a play. Certain sections were scripted to provide a narrative and story the audience could follow. “Look Alive Lauren” I said as I straightened my shoulders and ran a hand through my white hair. “I know, I know” I could hear her muttering behind me as she recomposed herself.

The drone's light switched to yellow, then several seconds later, green. I leaned against the golden railing of the balcony that overlooked the manors foyer. Moments later, a zombie-like figure clad in shiny black armor slammed the doors of the manor open. “My lord, a trespasser was seen near the outer gates. A black haired girl dressed in white” he said in a gravelly voice as he dropped to one knee and bowed his head.

The Zombie's name was Nightingale and he was one of four undead soldiers that I had created using more mana than the typical zombie or skeleton and given a more powerful artificial soul. Because of this, he possessed some autonomy and could initially think on his own. Nightingale, Black Hawk, Crow, and Kingfisher were the four primary undead that I used as mini-bosses and the four that my fans were probably the most familiar with. They all had more complex artificial souls that allowed them to exhibit personalities and problem solve to a degree,

I looked down at Nightingale who stood below me. “You say she’s reached the outer gates?” I asked, sliping a hint of anger into my voice. Nightingale raised his head from its bowed position and nodded. “Yes my lord.” “Then why is this trespasser not already dead?” I asked. Nightingale stood up and placed his gloved hand upon the hilt of his holstered sword. “I will see to it that she is killed”

“You had better, or else her corpse will replace your own in that armor.” I dismissed him with a wave of my hand. The drone's camera switched off and I relaxed my shoulders. The first scene had gone off without a hitch. From here on out, Angelica would be progressing through the town of undead soldiers as she headed towards my location. I chanted a short incantation and activated the spell possession. My consciousness drifted out of my body and shifted into that of a distant skeleton. A skeleton with bony wings and a pointed beak. Another of my so-called mini-bosses, Crow. I clenched my bony fingers as I became acclimated to the body.

Before me was the town's outer wall which had been blown apart. A young demon girl in a white dress was dancing around the battlefield, firing off rays of light from a gilded staff. As a practitioner of holy magic, she had a leg up against my necromancy but I wouldn’t let that deter me. I began drawing skeletons out of the nearby houses and ordering them into rows. While many of my stronger undead soldiers had their own personalities and abilities, I would often possess them and fight in their bodies in order to bring the characters to life for the audience. It also allowed me to keep tabs on the Hero’s progress. I took a second to enter the headspace of the character I was playing before stepping out of the shadows.

“So you are the intruder that dares to trespass into Lord Judas’s domain.” I said, my voice was sharp and loud like nails on a chalkboard. I flapped my bony wings and lifted my frail body into the air. “Archers fire” On my command, several skeletons pulled crossbows out and launched a volley of arrows at Angelica. She spun her staff before slamming it into the ground and yelling “Heavenly barrier.” A dome of light surrounded her and the arrows bounced off harmlessly. “You are crow correct? Any follower of Judas is an enemy of mine.” she said as the light barrier dissipated.

She fired a beam of light at me that I narrowly dodged. The skeletons reloaded their crossbows and took aim once again. They fired another volley at her while she was distracted launching attacks at me. Before any of the arrows could hit her though, she swung her staff and deflected them. her reflexes were scary. She launched a ball of light at the skeleton archers which exploded on contact and sent charred bones flying in every direction.

I swooped in and swung my clawed hand at her. Bony white talons collided with her golden staff and sparks were sent flying. “Give up evildoer, and allow yourself to be cleansed by my holy light.” Did she honestly think that would work? I grabbed the staff with my hand and held it in place. The gilded weapon stung like hell, likely due to Holy magic infused within but I refused to let go. Before she could wrench the staff out of my hand, I swung my skeletal wing down on her.

The wing struck her side and sent the petite girl flying. She spiraled through the air before crashing into the side of a building. I dropped the staff, or tried to but before I could, my left hand that had been clutching the staff splintered and broke off. I guess the Holy magic infused in the staff was more potent than I thought.

I began to approach her crumpled form while stretching my wings out. The body of Crow had gotten pretty banged up but it wouldn’t be too hard to repair. As I grew closer to her, she managed to pick herself up and lean against the wall. “Don’t think you’ve defeated me” she said while clenching her fists. “Haven's gaze falls upon us. Nine gates fall. Four kings rise. Bequeathed in Holy Light I walk upon the mortal plane. Gilded Saints Armor.

Her body began to flicker and glow as shining golden armor started to form around her. The armor seemed to shimmer as she took an unsteady step forward. A golden sword that appeared to be made out of the same material as her armor had also formed in her hands. I bared my talons as I leapt forward and slashed at her. A blinding flash of light was the last thing I saw before I awoke in my original body.