I could see why Crimson Shadow had tried to ambush us at every possibility now. There was a certain… excitement to it. Having the advantage while your target was unaware. Not exactly a trick - but something almost adjacent. While the giant zombie chased after Wolf et al, Ren and I were practically exploding to make ourselves known to the others.

It didn’t take long before we got what we wanted.

Eager to catch up to the necromancer and have their share of the glory, seven figures dropped down from the wall in rough groups. Before they had a chance to set off, their focus was immediately grasped by the most attention-hungry of us all. Moi.

Standing proud and tall, I held my cape out to the side as if I were about to tussle with a raging bull. I drew the horned ire of their realization, but acted before they had the chance. Amateurs, compared to yours truly.

“Abra-cadabra, assholes!” I said with a manic grin, swishing my cape away to reveal the most dazzling protégé a magician could ask for.

Her first trick bloomed from the end of a high-caliber sniper rifle. A solitary clap that blew the mind of one of the gathered audience. Their healer, no doubt. An efficient trick was the one that had the highest impact, and there could be no greater opener than hobbling their survivability.

Cape went over in a swirl to obscure Ren. up to deflect a leveled ranged attack from the one who had almost killed me not a few minutes earlier. Couldn’t rush a finisher like that - you had to earn it. As I completed the motion, I revealed that my cannon had replaced the elf.

A jet of flame washed over the hell-bird that I switched with, as I arrived behind the group at arms-reach. One of them had vanished. The second of my doves fluttered around the face of the caster and I couldn’t wash the grin from my sorry face.

I bathed myself in the turmoil. Supped at every increasing Dazzle icon as if each were a five-star review. I was a paragon. Unmatched. Destined to rise above all.

Yet, I wanted more.

Spear twirled in my hand as they clocked I was now in amongst them. Cannon fired off confetti. hit the man with the crossbow. He immediately dropped his weapon and clutched at his face, clawing at his eyes.

Or at the gray shapes these mannequins all had in lieu of a detailed face, anyway. Sketchbook time. A wave of calm swirled through me as my demonic energy started following the script. Only a few lines to remember, but plenty of choreography we had to get right. At least, unless I wanted to lose my head.

Ducked the swing of a large axe, while my spear blocked the lunge of a sword. Clang. Chair out, I stepped upon it to level a head-height kick at one gray head. Crunch. Dropped back to the floor and rolled to avoid the axe kicking up sticky mud. Twirled the spear to create room, switching to a dagger which I threw, before going back to the spear.

Mundane cards burst out from my belt and circled this little group of rough sketches that were trying to get the better of me. Bang.

I turned my head to see Ren atop the wall, currently fighting the rogue who had vanished. Blood on her side, but she was now holding her own. Using the rifle to block the quick jabs of their daggers. Although I allowed her to be in danger, I would snap back at any heckler that dared interrupt her work.

Curtain flashed up around me as my cannon fired empty again, and I was gone. Invisibly, I ran over to the wall. Ren dropped to her stomach and rolled away from the rogue, holding her rifle flat between both hands. With the boost from a handy chair, I grabbed onto it, and she assisted me in coming up to meet her assailant. Couldn't see me, but could sense my presence. Bound in blood and love.

Invisibility dropped as I spun up three magical cards in front of me. His lunged stopped so that he didn’t lose the arm in my meat-grinder. Still, he fancied his chances.

“Got the attention of the big guy again,” Ren notified me.

We’d have to wrap this up then. Power meter was almost full. We had some bullshit to do and a day to win.

Cards spun out in front of each other, hovering in the air in a vertical column. I gripped at the empty air below them as if they were a sword and made to swipe at the fuzzy shape of the rogue. No surprise that Ren was still in full sparkling definition, while my enemies had been reduced to drab props.

Sparks rang out as my faux weapon clashed with his. Off in the distance, my two Ice Imps started to pelt the giant zombie with their slowing ice attacks. And what of the spellcaster I had been harassing with my bird? The crack of glass, whispered elven word, then blast of the rifle behind me was a tale that I didn’t need to view to understand.

The second crack of a whip circling around my midsection was something of an unknown. I gave the rogue a brief shrug before I was yanked from the top of the wall. Ren followed me down, landing into an expert roll across the mulched earth, while I just landed on my back and lost the air from my lungs.

She followed her acrobatics by standing and following through into striking my assailant with the butt of her rifle. Hah, butt. In trying to regain my composure, I found that there was a familiar warmth running down the side of my head. Old habits died hard, but my skull was-

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Thoughts vanished as the cloaked mannequin representing the rogue jumped down from the wall, intending to land on me with both daggers entering my soft and ever-tiring form. I blinked once, and every spear or pointed weapon appeared around me, standing proud and pointing to the sky.

Normally something that would slide away or be knocked from position by any weight put upon it. The damp mud did him a disservice. Impaled, sprays of gray zig-zagged down upon me.

A blast then knocked everything over, like we were playing bowling, but chose the wrong end of the alley to stand. It loosened up the lasso to the point I could roll away free and gather up some air into my body. Loved that stuff. Ren was slightly bloodied, but had used the confusion to roll atop my restrainer, pushing the rifle against their throat like a bar.

went up in front of her to deflect a thrown attack. Jaw clenched together at the attempted interruption, I brought up my own crossbow. Fired, turned, dropped. Another raised and fired. Flipped it into the air and it switched to a loaded one. Caught it and fired.

Thud and a groan. I turned my eyes to the side to see that Ren’s mannequin had turned the tables. Given her a bloody nose with a headbutt and was trying to choke her out with her own weapon.

I was there before I had the chance to think, as if I had turned into a streak of purple lighting. Empowered card circled him, cutting through his throat before he had the chance to even address me. Strength left him as shock overrode his bloodlust. Ren head-butted him back, and I pushed him off with a kick.

She seemed lightheaded. One hand to help her up, the other with a healing potion in hand.

“Keep it. You’ll need it more.” Her unfocused eyes went past me. “Shit, dodge-”

No, I was too slow. We both received the wide swing of the great-axe. Something empowered - probably one of the Player’s key skills. Thankfully, I took the brunt of the damage - unintentionally, of course, but I’d fool myself into thinking I saved her on purpose.

Right leg severed straight from my body. The deep gouge split through muscle and broke through most of the ribs on my back - almost severing my spine. Due to Ren’s positioning, she took a deep cut to one thigh and a second over the shoulder. Mostly force damage from the aftereffects of the skill as she was flung across the ground.

The cannon fired its final blast of confetti, covering my failing body with as much fanfare as it deserved.

I played a quick game of hide the knife as he looked between my faux corpse and the elf loading up a bullet in her rifle. Turned out it was in his eye socket. Shuffle on the chap who had gouged his own eyes out. Sleep. I withdrew the Blade of Shadow, stepped over, and pushed it through the parts he needed to survive. A pool of gray soaked into the welcoming mud. A new home.

The shadow of our pursuer drew closer. Eyes ablaze, he had started summoning groups of zombies - too far out to be a threat, but the intention was to catch us out eventually, while he was literally punching down.

That just meant I needed to be on his level.

Back over at Ren, I helped her to her feet. Still unsteady. I brought her in for a brief kiss, soft despite the pain and viscera that painted this picture. “I need you to go somewhere safe.”

“Leaving me again, trickster?”

I smiled, my eyes glowing bright purple. “I need you alive for the finale, but I have to be the biggest asshole for a hot minute.”

“All eyes on you.” She smiled and gave me a nod.

I’d just have to trust that she could do just that. My place was ready for me and would take only a moment to set up. A rush of air and it was done. Sent two cards out to the distance to refresh the Imps. Roger had come off cooldown and now one of the recently slain enemies was running off to enjoy himself. Now I was up high - although not quite face level to my opponent.

Closed my eyes. Full power, but this time it had to be different.

Activated my Domain and I was flooded by a warm feeling. Elation. There was no real audience, much to the chagrin of all involved. A Guardian, however… that was something worth impressing.

My hand raised, and I pursed my fingers together. One obnoxious over the top trick coming up. All I needed was the chance.

Sometimes magic broke the rules.

As the necromancer lumbered forward… I stood there, shaking, hand extended. Blood completely soaked through my white gloves. Arm running with the stuff, actually - a pool had been steadily forming on the roof below me. We had intended for this to be a group show where we could all be on the stage… but I had stolen the limelight once more.

Couldn’t have done it without them, of course. Even now, they slowed the advance of the titan zombie while fighting off the groups of summoned zombies. I could pick them out even from here. Seemed tired, but they fought on. Each second they bought got me that closer to my goal. Left hand brought another healing potion up to my mouth as more blood dripped from my hand. If anything, I’d like to thank Ren for the inspiration.

And I would, later, if I survived this.

My Domain was expanding, I could feel it. While not the usual purpose, I liked to think a true showman could turn any precipice into a stage. My position atop one of the few houses still standing was illuminated by lights in the sky. Two rows slowly alternating between purple and white light. Some of the broken parts of the building were now repaired by waxed wooden planks.

The outpost below even had a few dozen haphazardly placed chairs, as if any audience could stomach either the giant zombie, or what I was about to do.

Glass clattered down to the ground as the fifth potion hit my lips. Or was it sixth? Tyler had just about reached the outpost now, despite the protestations of my security team. I hoped for a little longer, but you worked with what you had.

Every part of me ached. Blood started to run from my ears. My nose. Elbows and knees started to stiffen up. It was as if I was funneling my very soul away. Perhaps I was. I shuddered and downed another health potion. Considering how much I hated the taste, this was altogether a rather unpleasant experience.

Ren was safe, in prime position. I could feel it.

First foot over the outpost wall. Tyler had taken a modest amount of damage. Would love to Shuffle that motherfucker, but couldn’t right now. Wouldn’t need to after my first attack as one of us would be dead.

Shadow washed over me as he blocked out what little light the overcast sky provided. My spotlight kept me illuminated, however. Another potion in my shaking hand, and I dropped to my knees. Not enough strength to hold me up anymore.

I blinked away the blood from my eyes to see the cracks running down my arm. Crimson and purple intertwined. The harsh zaps of my arcing electricity actually hurting for the first time, as if my skin was now hyper sensitive. Maybe it was, as what I thought was sweat running down my torso was just more blood. How much of the stuff did I have?

Yellow eyes bore down on me as two giant fists raised up in the air. “Valiant effort, but otherwise useless. Do you have any last words for the Lady?”

I looked up at him and grinned widely, my whole body prickling and shaking.

“Yeah…” I chuckled, convulsing with pain.

“Is this your card?”