All eyes were on the massive twenty-meter thick beam that was being forced into the skies. Spell formations spread out over the entire Xelur citadel, redirecting the energy from expanding outwards and killing everyone, and pushing it towards the heavens.

Multiple layers of spell formations contained and directed that rampaging magical energy.

As some started to falter, other magical runes took over.

The skies of the Densaou ring of fire, normally dark from the ash and the volcanoes discharge now had a pillar of pure soul energy rushing up above the Citadel, past the three Flying Citadels, through the heavens and tearing those clouds apart.

The ripples of energy made the clouds open, revealing the skies above as the energy stream finally lost energy and started to dissipate across the skies.

The ground below was bathed in harsh light that came from that massive pillar.

Esa felt her heartbeat shaking at the sight of that power, the very air was screaming with the pillar’s rise.

Malsour and Induca were thrown backwards by the wave of power, Malsour used the force of the blast, flapping his massive wings, trying to escape the Citadel. 

Induca followed him closely, protecting him and throwing up a mana barrier behind her.

Just as the spell formations started to weaken, again a stronger force took over, trails of air circled the pillar, creating a spiral, these air streams were made from magical runes, they rose along the pillar, the spell formations around it became more solid, rotating slightly as they forced the energy up and away.

The air currents solidified, a spiral encompassing the pillar of soul energy.

Esa’s eyes moved to the kill log, Jekoni’s name appeared.

She felt as if the world had stopped, Jekoni was a spiritual imprint. If that imprint was destroyed then there would be no way to recover him.

The last of the energy pillar was hurled upwards, the world seemed to become dark as Esa’s eyes adjusted to the new landscape in front of her.

Sunlight poured in from above through the hole in the clouds while ash that had covered the skies came raining down.

None of the artillery cannons fired, none of the attack spells were released. The Battle had stopped, all in a state of shock.

Esa’s breath stopped in her chest, her heart beating heavily as four more names were added to the kill log.

Anna Killed by Soul Energy Bomb

Dave Killed by Soul Energy Bomb

Suzy Killed by Soul Energy Bomb

Steve Killed by Soul Energy Bomb

Esa looked to the Western Citadel, the landscape showed signs of the heavy fighting over the last few months. The walls were broken and the castle was in pieces. Bodies lay across that desolate wasteland.

Pain turned to anger and hot tears that silently fell down Esa’s face.

She didn’t blame the Xelur, she hated them, but she didn’t blame them for this. All of this, the fighting, the event the portal’s opening, all of these things all of the death and destruction, the struggle for power and the twisted minds of those within Emerilia and the other aggressive species.

All of it, was all just a show to watch, a way to pass the time for the Jukal Empire.

They think of us as sport, of nothing more than an interesting side show. Esa’s anger built hotter and hotter as she gritted her teeth and tightened her fists.

Fuck them and their Empire! Pain lanced through Esa as the faces of her friends she had lost flashed behind her eyes, people of Emerilia that had died for their families, to defend their homes. Those that had lived in oppression under the Jukal their entire lives, not knowing the truth. She thought of the players that had died in previous generations.

Their deaths, their dreams and hopes, all of them had been cut off by the Empire.

I will not stop, not now not ever, until the Jukal Empire falls. I swear it.

“Give the Xelur terms for surrender, if they don’t take it, destroy them,” Esa said over the commander’s party chat.

***

Bob sat down heavily in a chair, his face slack and pale as if he had received a killing blow and was waiting for the end. In front of him a screen floated.

Lady Air took a sharp intake of breath as she saw what was on the screen.

It showed a video loop of Steve melding with the soul array.

Dave trying to get everyone out, but Anna and Jekoni were too close. As the others were thrown backwards Anna and Jekoni, instead of running stepped forwards, working with Dave, Steve and Suzy to bring the rampant soul energy under control.

Jekoni sacrificed his body, melding with the soul energy, Anna, Dave and Suzy used spell formations and whatever they could to try and stabilize the energy.

Then there was a flash of light, the soul energy shot upwards instead of destroying the Ctiadel, but there was no one within the Citadel. 

Jekoni, Steve, Dave, Suzy and Anna’s name’s cascaded down the kill logs.

Bob paused the video, refining the video, it showed Anna her image rough and fuzzy.

Anna looked to be at peace, a breeze came through the citadel, like a statue of sand Anna’s body was reduced to dust, her sword fell to the ground, sticking into it as the necklace she had been holding fell next to it.

“The backups!” Bob yelled out, light filling his eyes as he disappeared from the laboratory in a teleportation spell.

Air looked at where he had been sitting blankly.

“Air, we’re about to wake this one up,” Venfik said, reading through her thoughts and her want to follow Bob to help and console him.

Air paused, all of the people in the room were looking at her, not knowing what had happened to Bob or why he had left so quickly when he’d just finished one of the first stages to getting the players of Emerilia out of their simulation and gain their freedom.

“Very well, shall we set up the conference room?” Air asked.

“Yes, Lady Air, everything is ready for you,” Venfik said with a nod.

“Good, then let’s go talk to our first customer,” Air’s voice was rough and her eyes red, in a way she had just lost a sister.

***

All of the Jakan commanders were looking to Fire with respect and awe on their faces. Water opened a book and started to read and make notes, he’d been pulled from the Ice Planet within the Nal system for this meeting in hopes that the Jakan would come to Emerilia’s side and help to fight off the other invading races as well as the people within the Event Of Myths and Legends.

“We will need a bit of time to think over this,” the Jakan commander said in a respectful tone, looking to the other commanders around the table that nodded in agreement.

Fire was about to talk again when Josh’s voice came over a private party chat.

“Dozens of Light’s Legions have appeared in the skies over Emerilia, the Angel Generals are being dispatched across the planet to gather them together. We have reports of them converging on Markolm.”

Fire and Water looked to one another, the shock in their eyes falling away to reveal a chilling gleam.

The longer Light had her angels near her the stronger they could become.

Right now they were too wrapped up in fighting off those coming from the portals as well as the event’s creatures and people.

Emerilia was in a state of chaos and there was little that they could do.

“What’s the plan?” Fire asked.

“All Flying Citadel groups are to move from portal location to portal location, securing control of the portals and set up mana shields around them so that no one will be able to exit them. We need to kill this invasion and fast before we can deal with anything else. I’m sending half of the Gudalo Flying Citadel group to help assist with suppressing the portal groups. I’m also going to send out the mages and engineers to those areas where we can win quick victories. I want another two groups of Flying Citadels operational in no more than six weeks. We’ll use all of the resources the Stone Raiders can buy from the simulation, or through Dave, or through Emerilia.”

Water nodded silently, clearly the fight had reached a new level, now was not the time to hold back anything.