“Leave the bird, Two. Help me with the humanoids.”

“Don’t have to ask me twice. That thing is scary! Too big and fat for me to swallow.”

“Can you take care of the warmind?” Four asked. “I think Sweet’s been sent elsewhere, so as long as the warmind’s gone they can’t get her back. The rest will be sitting ducks.”

“Leave it to me.” A pool of darkness swam past Four, towards the ruckus.

“So that’s the warmind down… second priority is the archer.” Four faded into the shadows.

***

Kaukau nervously glanced around at his comrades before surreptitiously waving his hand. All four corpses of their numbered opponents, including that of the giant, were sucked into his holding space.

His actions almost went unnoticed, but a certain eagle-eyed elven archer knowingly raised an eyebrow at him.

Kau shrugged at Beth, who rolled her eyes back. “You do you, Kau. I’m heading back to the defensive line. Don’t want them to crumble without me.”

With a grin, Kaukau nodded and turned away, just in time to see Tin fall into a…void? Whatever it was, it had eaten up Tin faster than the warmind could even react. And if even Tin, whose detection capabilities were among the best of Boomtown, hadn’t noticed the attack… then the rest definitely hadn’t as well.

With eyes wide open, Kaukau shouted at the top of his lungs, “Get back! Something just kidnapped Tin!”

Even as his words rang through the air, a horrific howl from behind him froze his blood. He twisted his head back around just in time to see Milton lunging at a man garbed in all black with two daggers in his hands.

Between the two, falling to the ground, was Beth. She clutched at her stomach as a hideous purple web expanded outwards from a deep knife wound.

Kaukau watched in horror as Beth raised a glowing hand and covered the wound with it, to no avail.

Whatever was poisoning Beth, her healing spell wasn’t enough to deal with it. Kaukau opened his golden book and started the process for a healing spell of his own to try and help her, but before he could complete it, he too found himself sinking into the ground—into a pool of darkness.

“Wha—What?!” Kaukau canceled his healing spell and instead channeled all his mana into his golden book, but before he could do anything his golden book disappeared and he found himself falling through an endless darkness.

“...Not again,” he murmured before everything ended.

***

Boom leaned in and punched Zero’s ribcage, then dodged to the right as his opponent tried to do the same to him. After posturing around a bit, Boom went for a quick jab.

Patience was not one of his strengths. It had never been, but in this particular moment Boom was fighting every urge in his body to just try and punch Zero into submission like he’d done with every other opponent he’d ever faced in his life.

Instead, he danced along the edge of Zero’s range and only tried for a jab or hook here and there. Just often enough to keep Zero on his toes, no more.

He continuously threw fistfuls of his hair around the battlefield as they moved, igniting it to blast away hundreds of puppets at a time.

“Aren't you going to come kill me, Zero? Or are you going to wait until all these puppets are wiped out?”

Boom continued to taunt Zero as he retreated. All he needed was one moment, one moment in which Zero just left himself open enough for Boom to make his move.

And just a few seconds later, as Zero lunged forward in an effort to grab Boom by the neck, Boom saw his opportunity and took it.

He ducked under the lunge and grasped Zero by the waist. With a huff, he twisted his core and threw Zero to the ground.

Before Zero could pick himself up, Boom dropped and gave him a people’s elbow to the back, then crawled his way up and wrapped the same elbow around Zero’s neck.

“Surrender or I’ll have to kill you!” Boom shouted. “I don’t know if you used to be one of my men, but I’ll treat you like one and give you a chance to re…to… admit your wrongs!”

“The word’s repent, you idiot! And I will never!” Zero managed to choke out.

Hearing Zero’s words, Boom sighed and reached into his pocket with his free hand. As one might have predicted, he pulled out a cigar.

“Then you leave me no choice.”

“You can’t kill me!” Zero clawed desperately at Boom’s arm, but no matter what he did Boom’s position was just far too advantageous.

“Not through normal means, no. I don’t know what you did to make your body the way it is, but you’re right, I can’t just punch my way through you. But unless you figured out a way to not have to breathe…”

Boom lit the cigar and began to puff and puff, right in Zero’s face.

“Hm. One’s not going to do it, huh?” Boom pulled out several more cigars and lit them all.

“You’re twisted! You’re sick!” Zero bucked his hips and squirmed about as his head began to feel empty and light.

“Repent!” Boom shook Zero’s neck as he continued to puff.

When Zero didn’t respond, Boom shook him again. “Hey, no holding your breath! Just repent, little piggy!”

Boom huffed, and he puffed, and he blew the cigar smoke right into Zero’s face. Soon enough, their entire vicinity was filled with smoke.

As Zero tried to breathe, all he could inhale was smoke—he hacked and coughed as his face and lips turned blue.

“This is your last chance, Zero!” Even Boom’s words were choked out, as even with all of his experience hotboxing, he was finding it hard to breathe with all the smoke in the air.

“Go…to…hells.”

Boom felt all the strength leave Zero as his body slumped.

“I’m sorry but I’m going to have to make sure you’re properly dead this time.”

Without Zero actively putting up any resistance, it was easy for Boom to snap the corpse’s neck.

“Ah…dammit.” Boom wearily pushed himself to his feet and staggered out of the cloud of smoke. The weight of all the years he’d lived felt heavy on his shoulders.

“I’ve never had a victory feel so shite before.”

He looked towards the heavens. “If only Karasu were here, then at least I could beat some answers out of him. But I bet that punk god is getting his butt handed to him by Tori… wait.”

Boom raised a hand to block out the sun. “Well I’ll be. Is that the crow god himself?”

With an angry growl, Boom cracked his knuckles and back, then punched the ground to launch himself forward, towards the crow god diving towards the ground. “KARASU!!”