“You have to listen to me, Mila.” Isabel wasn’t done grumbling. Despite the dangerous situation, she was unhappy enough about Mila’s stunt to complain directly.

“But of course, my dear,” Mila hurried to agree, not really meaning her words. If the situation called for it, she would do it again.

 

With Mila taking the lives of two overseers, the battle quickly turned tides. The three remaining mages did their best. She expected them to flee, but they stood their ground. Their haggard attempts at stopping the intruders lost potency as the now five elite fighters circled around the platform while taking potshots at the blood reservoir. One of them had failed to dodge, reducing their numbers.

 

But the overseers's refusal to fall back even now made Mila vary. They didn’t strike her as religious or otherwise zealots. The defenders also fought till their last breaths, but she could tell it was due to fear more than the belief they would be rewarded.

 

Isabel forced another lance away. She grunted in exertion. “You made them mad.”

 

“Indeed,” Mila scanned the surroundings. She frowned, before double-checking. “Something is wrong. We have to gather up. Give them a sign.”

 

“You can whistle as well. Why do I have to do it?” Isabel pouted, not too happy to take all the showy actions to herself. Despite that, she let out a piercing whistle - a prearranged warning of danger.

 

The reservoir absorbed another blow from Laura, who had used Mila’s assassinations to attempt to destroy their target. It left another scar on the dark metal, but it was clear it would take many such blows for the damn thing to give in. Seeing the results of her labour, Laura gave up and retreated - so did everyone else. She did destroy more pipes on her way back.

 

Mila, under Isabel’s watchful eye, ran back to their healer. She wasn’t injured, but the stress on her muscles was mounting. It wasn’t pleasant, to say the least.

 

The defenders were happy to see them retreat, while the Military just looked on in confusion. After all, Mila and the rest had done more than they had in the fight.

 

Upon reaching the backline and entering the tunnel they had arrived from, Mila was greeted by Ugum, who did a check-up on her. A healing energy entered her body, soothing the sour, overtaxed muscles.

 

“What’s wrong?” Verte was the first one to speak as Laura entered the tunnel.

 

Mila opened her mouth to speak, just to be interrupted by Amy and Violet.

 

“Someone tripped my traps.” “I smell trouble. It’s the boy and the beauty.” - they spoke at the same time.

 

“How did you know?” Laura looked at Mila in surprise.

 

The group began preparing to leave the tunnel before Oscar and his chaperone arrived.

 

“No, that’s not what I-”

 

A terrible roar shook the tunnels. Mila pressed her ears shut while searching for the source. Another soul-shaking bellow followed. Neither was it a sound of a beast nor a human. 

 

Only then did a monstrosity crawl into the large hall. It barely fit through the tunnel. Only vaguely, but it was resembling a human. But only the looks indicated the origins of the frankly saddening creature.

 

It yowled again - in pain and mindless rage. The veritable mountain of muscle and mana moved with blinding speeds now that the tunnel walls didn’t constrict its movements.

 

“What the fuck is THAT?” Virr and most others stumbled back in fright.

 

The monster shot towards the Military forces, tearing apart everything in its way - be it a ruined, hastily erected fortification, dead bodies, allies or anything else that happened to come across its naked, bulging body.

 

Mila did not miss the controllers at the back. A trio of tamers who struggled to keep the beastly parody of a human body in check.

 

This was forbidden. Controlling humans was taboo. It required breaking their minds and personalities. To wipe their most precious and formulating memories to keep their egos in check. It wasn’t right.

 

And furthermore, it wasn’t just controlling this pitiful creature. The real monsters behind it had also boosted it with drugs and magic. On the creature's naked skin, Mila could see barely gleaming tattoos. More akin to engravings, these tattoos gave the creature durability, strength and more she couldn’t recognise.

 

This… This was a work of years of experimentation and hard work. A heresy against the nature itself.

 

The once-human’s bloated, overgrown body was too fast. The creature reached one of the Military’s elite fighters and tore her in half in no time. There was no finesse to its movements at all.

 

The few surviving defenders cheered. The overseers jeered and sent a haughty, satisfied, yet regretful look to the surroundings. They also backed up from the gruesome brutality unfolding before their eyes.

 

No… Mila narrowed her eyes. The overseers were planning on running. Was the creature uncontrollable?

 

“Mila,” Isabel nudged her side. “What about the Oscar and that Inquisitor?” She glanced back - partly to avoid looking at the frankly disgusting creature. The fact that it had been once a human made it much worse.

 

And yet, it wasn’t as terrible as what had happened to Silinth. Mila finally spoke. “I’ll try to get rid of the three controllers. You all try to follow but don’t engage with the creature. Its body is probably more durable than any inquisitor. It’s not natural.”

 

Mila left the tunnel, once more fueling her spell to hide her presence from anyone and all. Before leaving, she heard a couple questions aimed at her, asking what the creature was. Mila had suspicions, but she didn’t want to confirm them. It was better to not know.

 

Explaining what had been likely done to the poor person would have shaken their spirits. Mila had seen a creature like this before. Long ago, in a dream of hers…

 

And to Mila’s distaste, it had been fighting on their side. So desperate had been the forces her host fought for that they went too far and paid for it. Aaers had not stood for it. After the battle, the creature, the creators and the woman she inhibited all had been killed for sins against nature. That was how that dream had ended - with regret and a wish to redeem themselves.

 

Now, the sinful experiment had been revived. Mila spent a moment feeling the air. She wondered if the gods and the world would reject the creature.

 

But no such luck. Whoever had done this had done their preparations. This place appeared to be hidden from the eyes of higher forces.

 

And that was an interesting bit of information. Mila prodded her inner world, seeking for a response. She didn’t hope the damn spirit would respond, but there it was. Feedback in her mind affirmed her suspicion - this place was isolated.

 

Mila didn’t want to admit it, but this was reassuring. However, with the feedback also came a warning not to rely on it as it would hurt her body and spirit.

 

Of course, a little irreversible damage to her was better than them all dying. Mila watched with grim seriousness as another two fighters from the Military fell. Then, three of the remaining few defenders died, too.

 

Quickly, the place devolved even more - chaos and fear enveloped them all. It was perfect for someone like Mila. The countless little clashes, screams and death masked her advance. And not just from those who were already here.

 

“THERE!” Oscar’s voice competed with the cacophony of other noises. “SHE IS THERE!” He pointed at Isabel. “THE OTHER MUST BE NEARBY! ASTRA!” 

 

But Mila knew Astra would not respond. The Inquisitor released a howl of anger and charged the abomination in front of her. The woman looked possessed in her fervour to rid the world of the horror defiling everything she believed to be sacred.

 

Bolts of colourless mana shot one after another at the creature - all aimed at what should have been vulnerable spots. But the creature endured. Even after losing an eye, it did not recoil. Its skin ruptured, and blood shot out of the wounds to add to the pools of the red liquid on the ground. But it stood ready to fight back.

“ASTRA!” Oscar did not understand why his companion had lost her cool.

 

But Mila knew. The woman was a member of the Temple. She treasured nature. Her very being refused to co-exist in the same place as the creature.

 

Which left Oscar on his own to get the revenge he so craved. The boy gritted his teeth and gave orders to the troops that they had brought along.

 

Mila could only shake her head. The fool was mixing up the priorities. He had sent his subordinates after her group. They could do more if they started to destroy the pipes than chasing after Isabel.

 

“Ah!” Mila let out a small breath of surprise. A large bolder smashed right where she had planned to pass. She returned her attention to the fight between Astra and the abomination. 

 

Their attacks were too devastating for the limited space they had. Astra was currently running through the air around the creature, bombarding it with her signature bolts while the horror responded by chucking every object it could get its disfigured fingers on at the woman. And Mila didn’t miss how those projectiles blocked the escape paths.

 

Another correction had to be made. Mila jumped and kicked the wall to vault over a deep puddle of the pooled blood. Almost all the ground was now covered in mana-rich liquid.

 

It was hard to avoid stepping into it, but Mila had to. Splashing around in a puddle was a sure way to give away her position.

As Mila closed in on the trio struggling to control the creature, she realised she would be slower than the overseers. They had abandoned all pretence of superiority and shamelessly steeped over their own surviving people to escape the devastating fight behind them.

 

It left Mila in a difficult position. Because both sides duking it out would not let them leave. Furthermore, they were now the weakest party in the hall, making them prime targets as no one liked uncertainties so close.

 

To prove Mila right, Oscar had gotten the remaining two elite fighters and the handful of troops to listen to him. They were now also chasing after Mila’s group. 

 

At least Astra was still reliable. Mila noticed the Inquisitor had been shooting a bolt at the reservoir now and then - each time making a sizable dent. The creature and overseers now tried to stop her.

 

It gave Mila a chance. With Astra gathering so much attention and Oscar and his goons chasing after Isabel, everyone had forgotten about her.

 

When the creature mindlessly threw another large boulder and the remains of the pipe system at Astra, Mila knew it was time to act.

 

The impromptu projectiles landed near the creature's handlers, splashing the blood, splinters and dust in the air, blinding everyone in the vicinity. 

 

Mila wasn’t immune to the sudden blindness. But by relying on her other senses, she dashed forward. Her targets were right there. She didn’t need to kill them all. Just one handler would be enough for their arrangement to collapse.

 

There!

 

Mila materialised behind the group. She had used everything she had for this move to succeed. Never before Mila’s movements had been so smooth. Despite her body protesting, Mila had succeeded.

 

The dagger smoothly entered the handler's back, reaping his life. Mila took his mana and proceeded forward. Her next target was another overseer. The one had shot the lance at her. He had hit Isabel, and that could not be forgiven.

 

Mila gleefully slit his throat. More mana joined her growing pool. Only now the enemy began to realise what was happening among their numbers. Before they could mount a defence, she could…

 

“Aaaah…”

 

A pain-filled scream chilled Mila’s heart. She recognised the voice. How could she not? It was Isabel.