The mask of kindness President Gillis wore dropped and the tension in the room rose. John wasn’t worried. Only a few of the soldiers and men in dark outfits had cleared a dantian. Only one other being in his full sense range was above Wood, and that was Amber. As had been true since his old master, Ahn, disappeared, no human could challenge him. And that was even truer now than it had ever been.

President Gillis began to threaten and browbeat John, switching between yelling and trying to reason. She even began to cry once. He ignored her until she stormed out of the room.

John got up to leave but was asked to wait. Moments later, a man entered the room. He didn’t shake John’s hand, and he looked like he hadn’t slept in days. He said, “I am Sanjeev Chandrachud, President of India.”

John asked, “Burata?”

The President stopped short. “Yes. Bharat. Or Hindustan. Previously Bharata. Do you speak Hindi? I speak Marathi and Bengali as well.”

“I’m not sure.”

A confused look crossed the President’s face. “Okay. Well, we’ll continue in English then, I suppose. I guess it doesn’t matter with the NCS translating anyway. I shall have a seat. Please, join me. I must speak with you.”

As John sat, he said, “I go by John,” to complete the introduction.

“Yes, I know. Allow me to put on the telly.”

The president picked up a small device and one of the screens began to show footage of John, Amber, and Hubaba fighting the horde of demons led by Ukaraaz. The next scene showed Petar Kostov killing a dark one outside of Reims. The next showed John fighting dark ones in New York and Paris, then fighting the horde led by Muzaran in Yemen.

‘Watch the next one closely, please,” requested President Chandrachud. The next scene to show was of a shaky camera and a man being woken from bed and told he had to evacuate. The demons were approaching. The man refused and asked about his wife and kids and was told they were still safe in London. The man took out two cases from the closet as many people entered the giant bedroom and tried to convince him to evacuate.

The man ignored the pleas and opened both cases. One had a long rifle and the other two golden handguns. The man said, “I will not flee Bharat Mata. I will fight. I will die. Royal blood runs in my veins, but that is not why I stay. I couldn’t be prouder to give my blood for this great country. Send all the staff and guards to safety if they wish to flee, but I will not.”

The scene cut to the man waiting in front of a beautiful and extremely large estate. Demons could be seen approaching from the distance. The man, holding the rifle, said loudly, “Thank you, my friends, for staying and fighting with me. Fighting for your country.”

Once the demons were near enough, a war cry was let out by the man and the fifty or so people that stayed to fight with him, both servants and guards. They loudly yelled out, “Bharat Mata,” as they charged the demons. Once the man’s rifle was out of ammunition, he dropped it and pulled the two golden handguns from his hips and fired both until a Copper demon cut his head off.

The president used the little device to turn off the screen and said, “The same footage is playing on every channel around the world. Footage of victory. Of hope. Besides the last footage you watched. He was the last prince of the great Rao Dynasty. We haven’t had official royalty since the seventies but that still means something. He volunteered for that. To die, and have it filmed.

“So many fled or flee my country that we needed something to get them to stay or return and fight. He had a lot to live for. He was very rich. He was the majority shareholder of three large and successful multinational corporations. He still volunteered. There’s no resistance to the demons in India now. There’s three of the Gold generals there, and twenty-four of the…Silvers, is it? The G40 won’t send more troops to be slaughtered. The demons can destroy whatever we send at them while it is high in the air. There’s nothing that can be done.”

The president peered deeply into John’s eyes, and the man could no longer hide the desperation in his own. “I beg of you, accept the deal the g’athu offered us. I don’t care whether you pass leadership to President Gillis or me or anyone else. Keep it yourself. I just want my family to be safe and the people of my country to stop being massacred. I beg of you. I will get on my knees if I must.”

That speech tugged at John’s heartstrings. President Chandrachud was nearly a broken man. He was drowning and looking for a hand to grab. John felt terrible as he couldn’t give the man the help he wanted.

If Lilly thought it was a bad idea for humans to make a deal with the g’athu, then it was unquestionably a bad idea. Maybe making a deal with the demons would be better for humans, but not nearly as good as fighting all the invasions and, in the end, standing victorious.

John said, “I’m sorry, but I won’t. I will fight the demon invasion in your country. If you have a plane available, I’ll fly there now.”

The man deflated and cast his eyes down. “You barely won your fight against just one of the generals. Your friends don’t seem as willing to fight as you are. With the demon army and three generals now arrayed in Bharat, the g’athu are our only hope. The bloodshed would end immediately. There’s nothing I won’t do if you agree. Anything within my power to give, just ask. Please, I beg of you.”

John sighed. Before he could reply, Lilly burst into the room. “Adon, holy shit, it’s the fucking Butchers! We have to get the fuck out of here now. They already have teleport technology. They could all be here in the blink of an eye. All of them. Adon, you hear me? We must go. Now! Seriously!”

As Lilly ran to him, John said, “The g’athu aren’t your only hope. They’re a false hope,” to President Chandrachud as the man got up and exited the room with his head bowed in defeat, ignoring John’s reply.

Lilly tugged on John’s arm, nervously trying to get him to move. John already felt guilty for sitting in comfort and not fighting the demons in India, he wouldn’t run and avoid the g’athu. Lilly saw his face and gave up trying to pull him. She crawled on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck and placed her head on his cheek.

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“Adon, you don’t understand. It’s crazy that they sent Butchers. I already told you, they’re not like other g’athu. This planet’s completely fucked. There’s nothing you can do. I promise you. I’m not underestimating you or overestimating the Butchers. He’s going to win. Everyone else is going to die. There’s no sense in us dying along with them. Whatever happens, don’t attack one of them, regardless of tier. Please.

“And we really must go. I’m begging you. Please. I can’t lose you after I just got you back. I need you. You’re the only thing that helps fill the hole in me. I love you so much.”

Lilly leaned backwards to look at John. “Please, Adon. You really don’t stand a chance. Let’s go. Please. Everyone fears the Butcher for a reason. Listen to me!” Lilly grabbed John’s shoulders and started to shake them.

Something clicked in John’s mind. Bits of information came together. He held the little device that controlled the screens out to Lilly and asked, “Can you bring up a map of the country we live in? And the one above it? The country we fought Ukaraaz in?”

Lilly gave him a confused look and asked, “Why?”

“I thought of something. The demons weren’t going south. Their scouts were found outside the city to the west. There were much bigger populations to the south, right? The invasion that started in Africa didn’t head to the highest populations, they went east and then right into Fortunate Arabia. The one that started in the far east headed west to Burata.

“The African invasion didn’t go up and around to Rocky Arabia. They crossed the water. The shortest path to Burata. I think Ukaraaz was heading to the g’athu on the other coast of our country. Is the last demon invasion still heading towards the g’athu in Burata?”

Lilly scowled and said, “Who gives a flying fuck? This planet’s doomed. You think tenth ring demons can stand against the Butcher? Even if the seventh ring ones could use all their tech, the Butcher would just laugh at them.”

Near John, nearly causing him to jump out of his seat, the invisible Amber asked, “What’ll happen to me if the Butcher is as…as bad as you say he is?”

Lilly laughed. “Oh, sweetie, you’re a Natural. You’re fucked in every outcome of every situation. You’ve been living on borrowed time since the day you were born.”

John was about to reply to that when one of the soldiers in the room said, “Here, sir,” and brought a map up on a screen. It showed the three demon invasions. Where they started, ended, and where the remaining portal was currently.

John thanked the soldier and got up to point out on the screen what he was talking about. “See. Two demon Golds told me they had a time limit and that we didn’t want the g’athu to win. Why would the demons head towards the g’athu unless they meant to fight? Can someone bring the President of Burata back? He doesn’t need more of his people to fight. He needs them to flee. Our enemies will fight each other. We’ll kill what remains of our weakened enemies.”

The President of India, the United States, and many other rulers entered the room and sat around the table. Lilly insisted the Butcher would destroy the demons with little effort. She also said once the demons found out they faced Butchers, they’d give up Terra, turn their tail, and run back to the NetherRealm. More leaders trickled in, all argued about various points.

John was happy to know President Chandrachud called for a general evacuation of his country, which was just putting an official stamp of what was already happening without his approval.

The group argued for a long time. President Gillis and many other rulers browbeat John and tried to force him to take the deal the g’athu offered.

Lilly started to threaten and browbeat the rulers. She was very good at it. She smiled and winked at John, and he realized she was trying to be a supportive wife, even though she thought he was taking the wrong path.

Hubaba eventually arrived and entered the room too, adding little other than he had heard many times by both chosen and other Forsaken at Second Point the g’athu couldn’t be trusted.

Lilly was asked why she never mentioned the Butchers in the reports she previously provided if that type of g’athu were so terrible. She said, “All the g’athu look alike. You tell them apart by the tech they’re wearing. I’ve only seen pictures of g’athu without any tech on the news. The footage I saw of the one here earlier was wearing tech I’ve never seen the likes of. It’s the Butcher. I’m certain. I informed all of you when I knew myself.”

One ruler asked, “How are you so certain we can’t trust this, uh, type of them?”

Lilly laughed. “Oh, they can be trusted. G’athu can always be trusted to do as g’athu do. If you make a deal with them, I trust you’ll all get what you deserve. Believe me, I wish things were different. You all owe me a lot of cash and crystals I can’t collect if you’re all dead.”

Lilly went back to urgently whispering in John’s ear they needed to leave, Terra was doomed, and whatever else he did, to not attack or antagonize the g’athu.

As the group argued, a lady burst into the room and said, “The g’athu diplomat just appeared on set. So far, it’s just standing there and ignoring the reporters. What should I do?”

President Gillis said, “We better go inform it…him. Let’s go. I’m not going alone. You’re coming too, John. You can tell him. I’m sure as hell not going to. That thing scares the hell out of me.”

Lilly, with an extremely concerned face and worried voice, said, “John, please. Please. Don’t go. Fuck these clowns. Let’s get out of here while we can.”

John knelt down and hugged his wife. “I’m sorry, Lilly. This was my decision. I must inform the g’athu. I’d feel better if you left. If this Butcher is as tough as you claim, I’m not sure if I can keep you safe.”

“Oh, fuck you, Adon. I’m your wife. My place is by your side, even if you’re being a fucking idiot. I’ll come back if I die. You won’t. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve you haven’t seen, and you could need my compulsion. It’s worked on the other kinds of g’athu.”

John squeezed his wife a little to show her his great affection and his appreciation for her sense of duty. He said, “It is good having my wife back. You’re still my greatest treasure.”

Hubaba said, “The Wood g’athu in the auditorium was just replaced with a Bronze.”

John extended his senses and could feel the Bronze. It felt heavy and dark.

“Amber, if you’re still here, and Hubaba, no one needs to follow me. This was my decision. Feel free to go the other way.”

Amber’s voice sounded off from behind John, “Oh, shut up. I’m going. It’s only one Bronze.”

Hubaba said, “Me as well. This is my planet now too.”

John’s heart swelled, and he walked out of the room with his head held high as he was led to the auditorium, taking his shield out of his ring on the way. He liked the shield. He thought it deserved a name. He decided to name it Defiance.

As the group walked on the stage, John saw his first g’athu. He saw a statue head of Kazthun before, but it was not a good replica judging by the g’athu he saw hovering above the stage.

The g’athu had a plumb-shaped head and indents covered in smooth skin where eyes should be. It had one abyssally-black eye in the lower middle of its forehead that looked bulbous and fake and as depthless as the cold-dark. It had no noticeable nose, and its head was smooth and hairless. Under where a nose should be was a thick stalk of skin hanging down that turned into three tentacles. And many other tentacles hung down from its cheeks like a beard.

The thing’s skin was a grayish blue. It was roughly human shaped, about the size of a Gold demon. It had arms and legs but instead of hands and feet it had giant clumps of flesh that turned into three thick and stubby tentacles with one smaller tentacle off to the side. On the hand-tentacles were strange devices, though its feet-tentacles were bare. It wore bulky purple armor, and its tentacle-hands were crossed over its chest.

From its back extended six thick and jointed blades that somewhat looked like spider legs. On its chest, mostly hidden by its crossed arms and tentacle-hands, was a shining blue light.

Other than on its face, there were large and grotesque bumps on the exposed flesh of the rest of it – its neck, tentacle-hands, lower legs, and tentacle-feet.

Even just as a Bronze, the g’athu had a dark, heavy, and daunting presence that evoked a response and feeling in John like only Betrayal and Sublime Sunshine had caused in him so far. He felt nervous. Fear began to grip his heart.