Last Drop of Hope, Chapter 19 (Patreon)

An alarm blared, and Kazuma jolted awake, screaming in panic. For a few seconds, he struggled against the bunk restraints, until he remembered where he was and managed to fumble at them enough to get them off. He didn’t waste time rubbing his bruised shoulders, and instead pushed himself through the corridors towards the cockpit.

“What’s going on?” he gasped, looking out the viewscreen. Belzerg was dead ahead of them, completely covering their field of view. “Did they find us!?”

“They found us 15 minutes ago, but it doesn’t fucking matter!” Lan shouted back. “Now strap yourself in, we hit atmo in less than a minute!”

“What!? How long was I out?!” Kazuma gasped, his groggy mind trying to catch up.

“Less than an hour,” Alice said, grabbing Kazuma’s hand from behind. “Come on, Big Bro! Leave the pilot to her work!”

“But if they found us, we need another illusion, we need-”

“They’re five minutes out and that bucking your feeling is us hitting atmo so the fuckers can kiss my exhaust! Get out of here!” Lan ordered, and Kazuma was yanked away to the hold against his will. Despite the fact that Alice looked like she weighed maybe 40 kilos, she was certainly far stronger than Kazuma was.

He found Dust and Rin in the back, holding hands and looking grim, while Lolisa watched Alice strap Kazuma in anxiously.

“How are you feeling? You were getting close to Mind Down,” Lolisa asked urgently, leaning towards Kazuma in her straps.

“Groggy, but OK I guess,” Kazuma muttered as the ship began to vibrate and buckle. Gravity began to reassert its hold on him, and he felt his stomach leap up into his throat.

Alice just took her seat grimly, and Kazuma noticed she was wearing her power armor again. “What, do we expect to be boarded?”

“No, but Lan says to expect hostile fliers. And aerial combat is not my forte,” Alice told him.

“Should we like, man the turrets or something?” Kazuma asked hesitantly.

Dust snorted. “We have a gatling gun we can use to shoot out the hatch, but we’re a smuggler, not a fighter. I wanted to put some cannons on this baby, but, well, I couldn’t afford it.”

“And it would have ruined the stealth,” Rin said in exasperation. Then she let out a squawk along with Kazuma as the ship shuddered violently.

“It’s fine, people, but it’s a furball down there,” Lan’s voice said over the intercom. “There’s a massive air battle going on between ShopWiz, NyteTech, and Santomon.”

“Who’s winning?” Kazuma asked, wincing at the news.

“Right now? ShopWiz is getting bent over. Wiz never did want to spend as much to stay on top of the light combat stuff,” Lan said with a heavy sigh. “But we’ll make it to the ground, at least. Just in time for- SHIT!”

This time the jolt was so violent that Kazuma tasted blood, and the ship spun violently for long enough that he blacked out for a few moments. When he came to, alarms were blaring, and wind was ripping through the ship. There was smoke everywhere, and Kazuma’s eyes burned and watered as he gasped for breath.

He didn’t have long to think, however, as someone grabbed him, pulling him close into a soft and warm embrace. “I got him!”

“I have the others, get out!” Alice’s voice shouted, and a chill went down Kazuma’s spine as he realized it was Lolisa holding him.

“Hang on!” Lolisa urged when Kazuma started to squirm. “We’re bailing out!”

He didn’t have time to contemplate that further as he was rushed through the smoke, then out the back of the ship. He wrapped his arms around Lolisa in a panic, causing her to gasp in pain. “Not so tight! My wings!”

Blinking, Kazuma loosened his hold, watching as Lolisa’s tiny wings flapped frantically. They didn’t look large enough to allow them to fly, but somehow she was slowing them as they went towards the ground below. As Kazuma looked, there was a loud boom and a bright flash, as the burning wreck of the Faitifore smashed into the upper level of the city, punching a hole into it and tumbling down into the darkness of the undercity.

Even as Lolisa strained to slow their descent, Kazuma took a moment to look around him. The gray, smog filled air was even more stained than usual as the city around him burned. Above them, shapes flitted through the smoke, and explosions and flashes of light filled the air as the air war raged. Below and all around them, there were the sharp reports of rifle fire, the hiss of lasers, and the deep thunder of artillery.

“Aim for the hole!”

Looking directly above them, Kazuma saw Alice, the thrusters of her armors jet pack roaring at full capacity, a frantic Dust and Rin clinging to her, as an unconscious and bleeding Lan lay in Alice’s arms.

“Y-yes ma’am,” Lolisa gasped, her wings fluttering madly, but Kazuma didn’t think she’d be able to keep it up, and the thrusters on power armor didn’t last all that long. Frantically, he dug into his pockets, pulling out  his Adventurer’s card. “Come on, come on, come on…there!”

He stabbed his finger down, and knowledge and power rushed through him. “Feather Fall!”

He nearly lost his lunch as he and Lolisa zipped upward, her efforts to keep them aloft now allowing them to easily stay up. He did slap Alice as he went past, casting another spell. He would have tried again, but he felt suddenly woozy, the world spinning as energy drained out of him.

“Oh shit! Kazuma!? Kazuma!?” Lolisa’s voice called, as if through a distant tunnel, but Kazuma couldn’t hear her. Blackness enveloped him, then something warm press itself to his lips, and energy flowed into him.

He gasped, and found himself staring into Lolisa’s frantic eyes, her lips pressing against his in a frantic kiss. She hastily pulled back, blushing and looking guilty. “I’m sorry! It’s the only way I know how to transfer mana!”

“It’s…OK,” Kazuma said groggily, though he was feeling a lot better. “Guess I pushed it too far…”

“Here, we’re almost-” Lolisa stopped and grunted as they hit the ground in the blackness of the undercity, which was lit only by the light of the burning wreck of the Faitifore.

“We made it,” Kazuma croaked, leaning his head back in exhaustion. Lolisa slumped against him as well, her wings drooping as she panted, both of them simply happy to be alive.

Then the wreck exploded, debris spraying everywhere, and Kazuma and Lolisa both screamed and clung to one another.

“ENOUGH!” a deep, echoing voice bellowed, as a monstrous dark figure clambered out rom under the rubble thrown about by the crashed ship. “Who DARES interrupt my duel?!”

Slowly, the hulking cyborg turned, red eyes piercing the darkness as they locked on to Kazuma and Lolisa, who were frozen in fear. “What’s this? A succubus? And a human? Well, I suppose every battlefield has its scavengers. Enjoy your meal, demon. Perhaps I shall have work for you later.”

Lolisa shuddered, pushing Kazuma up to his feet, and staggering to hers. “Um, t-thank you, General Beldia, I was just…um, this human, he has mana, and it’s been so very long…”

“I understand,” Beldia said magnanimously. He turned his back to them. “Enjoy. I have a Crusader to fight.”

Crusader? Kazuma’s mind was reeling, uncertain of what was happening.

“Wait…” Belida turned back around, his eyes narrowing as the head floated in the cracked tank. “You came from the ship. And I do sense mana from this boy. What are you…never mind. I’m afraid you’ll both simply have to die. Easier to interrogate a corpse.”

“BELDIA! STAND AND FACE JUDGMENT, TRAITOR!”

The general froze for just an instant, and Kazuma thought he saw fear in the CEOs eyes. Then he spun, his blade whipping into a low guard position as he crouched down.

“It cannot be,” Beldia gasped, his machine body shuddering and trembling. “Not just a high noble, that voice-”

From atop the still burning Faitifore, a figure emerged, clad in armor and wreathed in flames. Blue eyes that shone with righteous rage locked onto Beldia, blonde hair whipping behind her in the wind. “Beldia, once known as the Knight Verdia, formerly of the kingdom of Belzerg! You betrayed humanity itself, turning your back upon mankind, and embracing evil! For your sins, there can be no forgiveness!”

“Sins?! Who dares judge me?!” Beldia roared, standing up straight and pointing his sword back at Alice. “None who now live have the right!”

Leaping from atop the ship, Alice landed in a cloud of dust, her machete drawn and held at the ready. “I am Iris Stylish Sword Belzerg! And I claim the right of the Crown to render judgment upon you, traitor! By the honor of my name and the sovereignty of my crown, I sentence you, Beldia the Dullahan, to Death!”

Beldia leaned back, his head looking up towards the ceiling as he laughed. “You! You claim to be queen? A child, who was absent from her lands for how long? Your ancestors were more powerful than you, girl, and fled before me! They could not judge me, and neither can you!”

“I have one advantage they did not,” Alice, no, Iris? Snarled.

“And what is that?” Beldia demanded, his tone dripping condescension.

Alice drew something from behind her back. “A gatling gun with anti-material rounds.” The deafening roar that followed and the blinding flash of light had both Kazuma and Lolisa diving desperately for cover.

After what felt like an eternity, the sudden silence and stillness was utterly unnerving to Megumin. She looked up from where she was crouched over the Aqua, who was shivering in the now ankle deep water and looking small and frightened.

“I-it finally stopped?” Aqua whimpered, hugging herself and looking around.

“No,” Megumin said grimly, lowering the visor of her helmet. “It has just begun. Bull Frog’s Strength!”

“Hoost says we got bad guys comin’ in!” Komekko declared, flicking the safety off of her pistol.

“Watch the exit!” one of the soldiers called.

“No,” Yunyun said quietly, her eyes flicking between the air vents. “They’re blackhats. They won’t come in the doors.”

“Hoost says they got a sonic drill,” Komekko said, and pointed to a section of the ceiling. “There.”

“Right. You hold here, I’ll deal with them up top,” Megumin declared, and headed for the hatch. She heard splashes behind her, and saw Yunyun hurrying along. “I said you-”

“I’m not letting my little sister go alone,” Yunyun said firmly, her stutter vanishing as her eyes began to glow a sinister shade of crimson. “I’m a Crimson Demon too, remember?”

“Fine, but you better stay and protect Aqua, Komekko!” Megumin ordered. The littlest demon nodded, putting herself between Aqua and where she knew the drill would come down.

Together, Yunyun and Megumin raced up the steps towards the hatch to the surface.

“They’ll have it guarded,” Megumin said grimly, gripping Gram in both hands.

“Obviously. I have a solution for that,” Yunyun sniffed, raising a hand from which inky shadows dripped.

“Oh? They’ll have infrared and LIDAR,” Megumin pointed out as they reached the exit hatch.

“And I have a spell that only Crimson Demons can see through. Wiz had it in one of her Grimores, and it only requires Intermediate Magic,” Yunyun stated.

Megumin nodded slowly. “Have you tested it?”

“No. But it’s the best shot we have,” Yunyun said with a fierce smile. “Ready?”

Megumin nodded, and they popped the hatch.

“CONSUMING SHADOWS!” Yunyun cried, and a black mist spread out of the open hatch, completely filling the air. To Megumin, it just looked slightly opaque, not even as hard to see through as smoke or fog. However, the blackhats began to fire wildly, and she grinned. Apparently, they couldn’t see through it at all.

“ZEPHYR STEP!” With her sword raised to a high guard, Megumin blasted out of the bunker, several rounds pinging off her armor. The rounds didn’t penetrate, and she was too hyped up for the pain to even register. She swept towards the first three man squad, who clearly couldn’t see her coming, dodging out of their stream of fire, then coming in from the side. The first two went down before they even knew she was there, her sword carving through the high tech metal with little resistance. The last one swung their weapon around, firing blindly, but Megumin’s sword swept up from groin to left armpit, and they went down in a spray of gore.

Yunyun hadn’t sat quietly in the tunnel as lightning struck underground, blasting two blackhats off their feet. They struggled to rise despite their suit’s built in insulation, and Yunyun picked them off with a green crescent of solid elemental energy, the Wind Blade cutting through the first layer of their armor and into flesh and bone.

There were dozens of blackhats though, and despite the obscuring fog, there were enough of them that they were still a real hazard. A few of them also seemed to decide that friendly fire was worth it to take out their foes, and started tossing around grenades like they were on clearance. One blast knocked Megumin off her feet with a wail, as while Zephyr step did increase her speed, it seemed to make her vulnerable to unstable footing.

Forcing herself back up with a snarl, Megumin zigzagged around more blasts, clashing with another squad of blackhats. The spell Yunyun had cast seemed to be wearing off, but they still struggled to locate her, and even their drug enhanced and carved reflexes couldn’t keep up with the layed buffs Megumin had on her. Snarling with fury, she felt Gram take more lives, and took a deep satisfaction in it. These were the monsters that had hunted her people for generations. Vengeance was hers, and it tasted like iron and death.

There was a sudden scream as Megumin finished off her latest target, and her head whipped around. Yunyun blasted a blackhat off their feet with a fireball, but her left arm was dangling and mangled, blood splattering her robes, a mask of pain and rage on her face.

“NO!” the winds carried Megumin across the field, and they whispered of death. She took out two blackhats that targeted Yunyun, her sword meeting little resistance, but then her blade rang with a peal like a great temple bell as one blackhat raised a dark sword to meet hers.

Her foe looked up, and their helmet was emblazoned with a death’s head. The rage drained away, and Megumin felt only the miasma of horror and dread.

“Crimson Demons…” a dry voice rasped like the call of the grave. “Strange that you have taken up the blade. No matter. Today, you join me in death.”

“FUCK OFF!” Megumin screamed, jumping back, and attacking again from another angle. Her assault was fruitless, but Yunyun launched a bolt of flames at the Death Knight’s back.

Megumin grinned in triumph, then gasped in horror as the flames splashed off as if they were nothing but smoke.

“Intermediate Magic. Weak. Let me show you a true spell,” the Death Knight hissed. It raised its off hand, which pulsed with a sickly green light. “DEATH COIL!”

It had been ages since Beldia had seen a Belzerg take the field of battle. He had not participated in the Fall of Eris, where the last King had battled Sylvia, and fallen. It seemed that time dimmed even his memory, because while he remembered the power and mastery, he had forgotten something.

He had learned the ways of war.

Belzergs were born for it.

The initial assault from the gatling gun had caught him entirely by surprise. He’d expected an assault with high end magic, powerful artifacts, and ferocious strength. What he hadn’t expected was that this supposed queen would deny his attempts to close with her at every opportunity. The one disadvantage his current mechanic body held was that it was slow. It was durable, yes, moreso than even his long rotted and decayed physical body had ever been, but all the armor and metal didn’t make him a speed demon. Sure, he could run faster than most men, faster even than a blackhat at a sprint, but he couldn’t outpace a Belzerg.

The infuriating little girl used every advantage that her void designed power armor gave her, namely its mobility. She flew away with her jetpack, taking up positions on buildings or piles of rubble and hosing Beldia down with her gun, then retreating when he attempted to get close to her. When he tried to fall back, she turned out to have a variety of grenades, which she used to harry him out of hiding, lest he get backed into a corner.

While his armor was tough, nearly unbreakable, it wasn’t invulnerable. He was wearing down, and slowing down, and his one weakness was that he lacked any sort of meaningful ranged attacks.

What he did not lack for was dead bodies. Which meant he did have a stream of disposable minions. He raised up the corpses of his forces and sent them at the Belzerg, but he knew it was little more than a stalling tactic. The best he could hope to raise was a Death Knight, but he didn’t have the time and ritual materials to make sure that happened. Instead, he mostly got zombies, ghouls, wrights, and occasionally something nastier like an allip.

They were all swatted aside by the Belzerg’s guns, or her bare fists if they actually got close enough to bother her. It was extremely unlikely that low level undead could have damaged the girl if she were naked and unarmed: Belzergs were weaned on dragon's blood and manticore milk, and cut their teeth on griffin eggs and harpy hearts. This girl wasn’t the most intimidating example of that blood line that Beldia had seen, but she was a canny one.

Eventually, however, the girl ran out of ammo, and she discarded her weapon without a second though. However, the multiple wrecked vehicles provided her with new options, and Beldia soon found himself weathering plasma blasts and even the main gun of a hover tank, the little girl ripping the turret off its mount and wielding it like a rifle despite how comically oversized it was compared to her.

That was when something gave way, and the Ice Dragon’s Crystal Heart cracked at last. Beldia’s head topped out onto the floor, and his body fell over, apparently useless.

Grimly, the girl drew a dark blade and closed on him.

Which, of course, was exactly what Belida had intended. If she’d stayed back and continued to fire at him from afar, he might have been in serious danger, though it was questionable if even a plasma cannon could do him in.

Come to me, Belida willed. Rise! Rise and bear your burden once more!

“Now you die, traitor! For the blood of my brother, Jatice! For the blood of my mother, Alice! For the blood of my brother, Ka…Kazu…”

The Belzerg stumbled, going to one knee, clutching her head in one hand. That was when Belida struck, as his armor exploded into ricocheting shards of adamantium, and the skeletal form of his ancient body burst forth, taking up its head and swinging its black blade.

Of course, even whatever was wrong with the girl wasn’t enough to actually completely incapacitate her, and her sword rose to meet Beldia’s. He expected a strong parry, so he was not ready when his blade sheared through hers to his utter astonishment. That was all that saved the girl, as she danced away, back out of his reach.

“Oh no, not now, my dear,” Beldia chuckled, and extended his hand. Grasping tendrils of darkness shot out, pulling the girl back towards him. “There’s no running away now.”

He raised his sword, even as the Belzerg snarled her defiance. Just like so many of her ancestors had.

Before the vile verdant missile could strike Megumin, the ground under her feet erupted. She was knocked backwards in a spray of water as the concealing darkness vanished, and a beam of sunlight pierced the cracked ceiling overhead to illuminate the battlefield. The Death Knight let out a wail, then its armor crumpled, a wisp of spirit rising up from the body.

“STOP FIGHTING!”

All the blackhats present froze, looking up as Aqua stood atop a geyser, glaring down at them.

“Why are you all fighting!? You’re all mortal! You’re all people! You’re following a stinky undead, don’t you realize that!?”

“Aqua!? No!” Megumin gasped, struggling up to her feet. She raced over to Yunyun, but her sister stood, a look of shock on her face as she flexed her left hand. Her wounds had been washed away, not even leaving a scar.

“That’s the target! Seize her!” one of the blackhats shouted, pointing at Aqua. Several stepped forward, water lapping at their boots, their weapons raised.

“Sir! What’s that?!” another called, and several whirled, their weapons raised.

A massive horde of shambling corpses, some of them NyteTech, others ShopWiz, came forward in an endless wave. A mixed group of both NyteTech and ShopWiz forces were running ahead of them, panicked looks on their faces. One straggler, a NyteTech blackhat, was limping along, his armor damaged, unable to keep up. The undead wave had nearly caught him, and swearing, he turned, firing wildly. He was brought down by a dozen zombies, disappearing under endless ranks of the dead.

“Beldia,” Aqua snarled, her fists balling in anger. “How could you do this!?”

“Sir, what do we do!?” one of the blackhats cried, and Megumin turned towards them, readying her blade.

“Wait,” Yunyun said gently, putting a hand on Megumin’s shoulder.

“Why!? We can take them, then escape with Aqua!” Megumin protested.

Slowly, Yunyun shook her head. “I don’t think we’ll have to…”

“Enough! I’m sick and tired of this! The dead deserve their rest!” Aqua raised both hands over her head, her face purple with anger. “SACRED TURN UNDEAD!”

A wave of brilliant blue light sprang forth from Aqua, washing over the battlefield. Wherever it touched the undead, their bodies dissolved into dust, their armor and weapons clattering to the cavern floor.

With a moan, Aqua suddenly toppled over, and Megumin had to leap through the air to catch her. She landed with a heavy splash, Aqua cradled in her arms. “Aqua!? Aqua?! Please tell me you’re ok!”

“Sleep now, need prayers,” Aqua mumbled. “Nap time.”

Then the useless idiot started snoring, right in the middle of a battlefield! Megumin looked around, clutching Aqua to her, realizing she was surrounded by enemy blackhats.

“The…that water,” one of them mumbled, and her gun slipped from her fingers, clattering to the ground.

Another blackhat ripped their helmet off, kneeling in the mud not far from Megumin. Gingerly, the elf reached down, caressing a flower that was rapidly growing in the new stream bank. “It’s…it’s real. And…and it’s healthy…I can…I can hear its song…”

Another blackhat slowly bent over, sucking down a long gulp of the spring water. He looked up at the sky, blinking in shock. “It tastes…good. I’ve never…not even the best wine or whiskey…it’s the best thing I’ve ever had.”

“She is Aqua!”

Megumin nearly jumped out of her skin as Yunyun jumped up atop a pile of rubble, pointing down at the slumbering Goddess. “Last of the gods, the only hope for this world! Would you sell her out for money!? Look at this! She is giving you water and life, for free. When would NyteTech ever do that?!”

“Sorry, girlie,” one blackhat said, raising his weapon. “But the pay is too-”

Three of his comrades' rifles barked at once, and he went down in a spray of blood.

“Fuck off,” one of the killers growled. “No amount of money could buy this. And the boss just sold us up the river. You saw those walking corpses! Re-life tech my ass, that’s a zombie virus, and she just stopped it!”

“It can’t be that simple,” Megumin mumbled, feeling dazed.

Yunyun turned to her and grinned. “Sometimes…sometimes it's better to make friends than war.”

Amulet blazing like a star, Tina rammed her shoulder into Beldia with reckless abandon. Her former master wasn’t bowled off his feet, but he did stumble, and his sword wobbled, missing the Queen by mere inches. Claire was right behind, both guns blazing, bullets biting into the horrid body with sprays of dark ichor.

“Your Majesty!” Tina gasped, and tossed her axe towards Iris. “Take my blade!”

She scooped up a fallen riot shield, and whirled to face Beldia just in time for his sword to send her staggering back.

“Thank you,” the Queen gasped, clutching Tina’s weapon in both her hands. “He is as strong as his reputation claims. My attack was unwise.”

“We have your back, my Queen,” Claire said grimply, ejecting empty magazines and slamming fresh ones home. “We’ll take him down.”

From the moment that ship had crashed into the undercity, Tina had known that what she had been looking for her entire life had finally arrived. Something within her, and especially within her amulet, had reacted to Iris. When she had declared herself Queen, Tina had known it to be true, and her heart had sung for joy. She’d looked to Claire, and both of them had been in silent agreement: This was what they had been longing for. A purpose, and a worthy one.

Blocking that blow for Iris had felt more right than anything else she had done her entire life. It was like up until now, Tina merely existed. Now, she was living.

Beldia chuckled darkly, resting his great sword on one shoulder. “So, was this your pathetic plan? Lure me out, and attack with the last dregs of old bloodlines? A noble endeavor, but a fruitless one.”

Saying nothing, Tina simply steadied herself, and prepared for the next assault.

“HEY, ASSHOLE!”

Beldia stepped back, pivoting towards the new voice. A young man with ragged clothes, blood on his face, and a mad gleam in his eyes stepped forward. Behind him, Cecily was leaning on the shoulders of a succubus, a manic grin on her face.

“You again? Do you desire death so greatly, young man?” Belida inquired with a sneer.

“Have you ever heard of type disadvantages?!” the boy cackled, his laughter carrying more than a hint of madness. “Because let me tell you, I’ve been playing RPGs my entire life! So when you get to hell, TELL THEM KAZUMA SATO SENT YOU!”

“How banal. Rise, my minions, and take care of that gnat,” Beldia said, and with a flick of his hand, several fallen corpses staggered up and towards the insane boy.

“BIG BRO!” the Queen wailed, but the madman was undeterred as the zombies shambled towards him.

“Like that’ll work! Ready, girls?!” Kazuma demanded.

“You know, for a demon, you’re pretty cute,” Cecily giggled, her eyes sparkling with fever. “How about a hook up later?”

“M-maybe after we don’t die?” the succubus stammered nervously, trying to move her head away from Cecily’s despite holding the other woman up.

“THAT’S THE SPIRIT! READY, YOU MAD BASTARD!” Cecily screeched, and raised her hand to grab the boy’s extended arm.

“CREATE, WATER!” Kazuma shouted.

A stream of water gushed out, splashing over Beldia and the undead.

Belida frowned and stepped away from the blast. “Really, Dullahans might be weak to water, but such a low level spell-”

“BLESSING!” Cecily cackled, and a blue glow washed over Kazuma, running down his arm, and infusing his own spell.

Instantly, the undead began to wail, their flesh dissolving to dust as the Holy Water washed over them. Beldia swore and tried to charge the boy, but he let out a bellow of agony as the spray hit him, staggering so that he nearly dropped his sword.  “That’s…not…enough…to end me!”

“BUT I AM, NOW!” Iris barked, and she shot forward, her axe raised on high. Tina was right there with her, swinging her shield like a club, as Claire darted in from the side, her shots taking Beldia right in the back.

The body rumpled as Iris carved through both kneecaps in one blow, and the head bounced to the ground, a cry of anger and shock escaping Beldia’s lips.

“WHAT?! NO! YOU CAN’T JUST COMBINE SPELLS LIKE THAT, THAT SHOULDN’T-ARRRGH!”

A final spray of water washed over Beldia’s head, then the succubus had to catch Kazuma as he collapsed to the ground as well. Then Iris slammed into Beldia’s head, her axe carving it right in half. There was a snap, a wave of black energy erupted from Beldia’s head as he screamed in impotent fury and anguish.

Then, there was nothing left of the CEO.

Tina sank to her knees, unable to stand any longer. She gasped for breath, looking around the devastation of the battlefield.

“Is this…victory?” she panted.

“No,” Iris said, rising up with the gore stained axe in one hand. “This is just the beginning.”