Lina looked worse than I felt, which was saying something. She was pale, and her usually voluminous hair hung limp around her face. But her eyes were alight with that same divine determination I had seen in Pleasance as she clung to Herman’s shoulder.

A mix of relief and dread washed over me at the sight of her. It was an odd sensation to feel seemingly opposite emotions together, but I was of two minds. I was happy to see her awake again, but I could not ignore that what she was doing was utterly foolish.

“Why did you bring her, boy?” I shouted. “Get her out of here! Now!”

Herman tensed at the harshness of my tone, but he shook his head. “I’m sorry, sir. But she insisted on coming. She saw you through the inn window and––”

“I don’t care! They’re here to take you back, Lina! Run!” But Lina shook her head, her eyes focused on the other girls.

“Uh-oh, Silva,” said Heide with extra sweetness, “Looks like someone got lost again. Were you trying to run away like usual, Lina?”

To my surprise, Lina gave them a weak smile, “As a matter of fact, I’m exactly where I meant to be.”

Silva snorted, “For once. But I guess that makes our job easier. It’s time to go back.”

Silva turned to walk in their direction, but I stepped into her path, blades at the ready.

“Your fight’s with me.”

She raised an eyebrow, “Are you kidding? You still want to keep fighting? In that condition? How are you supposed to protect her like that?”

“Oh, I’m not dead yet.” I felt near to it, that was for sure, but I would not let her take a single step closer to Lina. Nor would I let Heide, who began to creep forward, hungry eyes glued to the discarded flute.

But she was deterred from proceeding further when Ulrich and Dietrich stepped up to stand on either side.

“We’re not gonna let you touch Lady Lina, you hear?” said Dietrich with gusto. “She only just woke up. And this is one fight that she’s gonna stay conscious for! And believe me, her record’s not great right now!”

I shot him a scowl. This was not the time for jokes. Even if it were true.

Dietrich gave me a thumbs up. “Oh, don’t worry, Boss. The blonde one’s all yours. The Sheriff and I are more than enough to take Heide.” He glanced at Ulrich. “Though I’m still not sure if I like the idea of hitting a girl, even if she’s crazy.”

“I ain’t got no qualms about it. A villain’s a villain. You grab ‘er, and I’ll kick ‘er inta next week.”

“I dunno. That doesn’t sound much better…” said Dietrich, looking at Heide’s terrified face. “How about I pick her up and throw––”

“Just keep her away from the flute!” I interrupted. In addition to the gaping wound in my chest, I was starting to get a headache. Ironically, hearing their pointless argument gave me more energy.

Dietrich nodded at that. “Yeah, that makes sense. Good idea, Boss.”

Ulrich was not as keen. “I like my idea better,” he grumbled.

The two renewed their fighting stances, to which Silva rolled her eyes, though her mouth twitched. “You mean to tell me you made friends with these idiots?”

Despite my aching skull, I grinned back, “Yes. But they’re not just idiots; they’re my idiots. And I am their Prince of Idiots.”

A smile threatened to break Silva’s stoicism, but she suppressed it into a scowl, “Prince of Idiots, huh? Finally, something we can agree on.” She renewed her stance, preparing for another Fox Frenzy. “But I can’t let you mess with Heide. That’s my job.”

She looked tired. Sweat beaded her brows, her skin paler than usual. I could not help but wonder if her newly acquired abilities were taking a toll on her. It did not matter; her eyes were sharp, and I knew she would easily overpower me again.

Then Lina spoke from right behind me, “There is no need to fight, Silvie. We can talk this out.”

Silva sneered. “It’s too late for talking.”

Lina’s pale hand appeared between Dietrich and me. She brushed her fingers against his shoulder and then against mine. Her gentle touch filled me with a warmth I doubted had anything to do with her abilities.

“Let me pass…”

However, I did not move, mostly because I did not think my feet were capable of lifting. The other two stayed put as well. I was able to glance over my shoulder and shake my head, which caused another bout of lightheadedness.

Lina stood alone. She looked unstable as she stood without Herman's support. I glared at him.

He stood several feet back and watched her in concern while he wrung his gloved hands together. He gave me an apologetic grimace, which became a look of shock as he surveyed the rest of our surroundings.

At some point, our battle drifted leftward. I did not notice until I, too, looked around me. I had gained severe tunnel vision during our duel, so I was unsure if Silva or I was responsible.

All was the same, though. The guards had not moved since collapsing. And neither had Albert. The boy’s shock became horror as his eyes fell upon the man.

“Father!” Herman’s voice cracked as he ran and fell to his knees. His shoulders shook as he turned his father’s limp body over. The man’s eyes were closed.

His son looked over him, tears in his eyes. Herman pulled his hand from his father’s head and stared at the blood that stained it. Then he looked up, rage in his young face. “Who did this?!”

Silva raised a finger, “That would be me. Sorry ‘bout that, but he got in my way.” She flashed him a foxish smile.

Herman’s face distorted with inhuman fury. He clenched his bloody fist as he lowered his father to the ground.“You-!” He stood and drew his sword. “How could you!”

I summoned the strength to raise my voice. “Stay where you are! You must not fight while angry, boy!” I had learned that lesson the hard way. I pressed the hand holding Rudolf to my chest and felt warm wetness beneath my fingers. I hated to think what my injury may look like beneath the cloth.

“Shaddup!” said Herman through gritted teeth. Then to Silva, “I’ll kill you where you stand, harpy!”

Silva smirked and glanced at me. She opened her mouth to say something, a taunt or gloat of some sort, but Ulrich interrupted her.

“Listen to yer prince, boy! Yer in way over yer head! Take Albert and go!”

But it was too late. The boy ignored his sheriff and began to charge straight at Silva, sword raised.

He was running to his death. I could tell by the expression on Silva’s face. I would not let her claim another victim!

I heard the other two moving on either side of me as I removed the hand holding Rudolf from my chest and raised it to intercept Silva, praying that my legs would move. They did! However, before I could step forward, Lina threw herself onto my arm and cried, “Stop it! There’s no reason to fight! Please!”

Her hand made its way up my wrist and grabbed at Rudolf, fingers brushing against the broken blade.

The moment her skin made contact with the dull metal, a spark flashed into life with a sharp crack! It only lasted a split second, but I could feel its shock race through my arm. It must have done the same as Lina yanked her arms from me with a cry.

I was helpless as I watched her fall to the ground, my body still stiff from the electricity. To my relief, she looked up at me, eyes wide from behind her hair, which had fluffed back into its usual shape. It may have been wilder than normal as it stood up in several parts. She had gained at least three more cowlicks.

The first words that popped into my head were, “Ow! That stung!”

It did a little more than sting, that was for sure. But perhaps I was already in too much pain to know the difference anymore. I could still feel the spark of Lina’s touch racing through my muscle fibers.

“What was that?” I said aloud.

The spark reached my chest, my very core. And from the depths of that spark, I felt an answer. “A miracle.”

My body was tingling. I looked down at my chest and could feel its pain begin to numb, like before. Yet this was different. This was not a slow spiral into demise but a rising tide of soothing relief. I could not stop a grin from spreading across my face as I looked up.

Dietrich had managed to restrain Herman by taking hold of his arms and lifting him off the ground. No one noticed the dramatic change within my body except for Lina, whose mouth was agape.

“Is that…the lost Holy Sword?! Where did you find it?!”

Silva’s head turned so fast I thought she’d break her neck. “What did you say, Lina? You mean, that’s the real one?!”

My thoughts and voice were one as I said, “You’d better believe it is!”

“As if there was any doubt!” I added inside my head.

It was not just my arms that were tingling. Now, my entire body was filled with electricity. I could still feel the gash in my chest. Blood was continuing to pour from the wound, but it no longer mattered. The grace of Iliana had refreshed me!

I looked at Rudolf in my hand and beheld that it was no longer dull. The gray steel shone as if it had been polished for hours. What was more, the pink within the opal danced with apparent jubilation. I was looking at the Holy Sword.

Though the blade remained broken, I felt its divinity would defy such limitations. I pointed the blade at Silva, Silbermond held in my other hand, ready to serve if need be.

“The time has come for me to purge the poison within your heart! With the Holy Blade of Iliana, you will be free of the False Hero’s control.” At last, I would have my friend back.

I expected Silva to tremble and spasm as Gertrude had when Lina had purged her, but Silva only tilted her head with a look of profound confusion. “Huh? Have you lost too much blood or something?” She looked at Dietrich, “Hey, big guy, heal this idiot already before he completely loses it.”

I did not understand… Why was she so blasé about being exposed to Iliana’s sacred power? Why was it not working?! Perhaps the hold on Silva's heart was far stronger than that of which Rudolf was capable?

But then I heard Ulrich say, “Mr. Prince, look at the other one!”

I looked to where Heide had been, only to find her gone. I searched and found her kneeling on the ground only a few yards from her flute. But her eyes were no longer on the instrument; they were affixed to Rudolf.

She was trembling, which gave way to spasms, her mouth moving without sound. Her expression was one of sheer terror. If it was working for Heide and not Silva…then…then…

Silva’s expression was furious. “What do you think you’re doing to her? Enough!”

I said nothing as I stared at Silva. I had tried to deny it since our meeting, yet I knew the truth in my heart. And now, faced with irrefutable proof, I could deny it no longer: Silva was working for the False Hero willingly. She had killed those guards––my subjects––without remorse…She had chosen the path of evil for the sake of ambition.

The Fox was wicked, after all…

Her voice pierced through my despair. “Hey, moron! Didn’t you hear me? I said enough!”

I snapped into focus as I watched her take the stance for Fox Frenzy. She was no longer playing around. I readied myself for Wolfstanz, prepared to meet her again.

Lina gave another anguished cry, but from the ground, she could only watch as we charged at each other. She tried to say something, but her desperate voice was lost beneath the clangs that erupted between us.

Thanks to Rudolf, I felt I was back to full strength—stronger even. Still, the sheer speed at which Silva unleashed her Fox Frenzy was nothing short of monstrous. She appeared, then disappeared in the blink of an eye, spinning leftward and rightward, slashing and thrusting with the ferocity of a wild animal.

Though she only wielded a single blade, it felt like she held a hundred. Her battle cry rang in my ears louder than any strike. I met her yell with one of my own. Each strike fueled my growing rage towards her betrayal. I caught every single one of her attacks, or rather, Rudolf caught them in the air where its missing blade was supposed to be.

It felt as if the blade controlled me more than I controlled it. It was not long before Silva was on the defensive. She danced and weaved between my swinging blades, taking extra care to give Rudolf’s invisible blade a wide berth as she tried to find an opening to strike.

As our battle continued, I saw the sword's color begin to change. What was a silvery gray was gradually becoming redder and redder until it shone crimson. The invisible section of blade began to glow the same color until I could see it in its entirety. It was as if it were made of a substance which resembled fire. Yet it felt more divine than that! I could hardly stand to look at its glory. So, I watched Silva instead.

Her weariness was growing, as I could tell by her ever-paling face. Yet she managed a smile all the same: “So, this is the Holy Sword, huh? Have to say it’s impressive, Anno, but is it enough? Can you protect Lina with just a gimmick?”

My thoughts echoed in my skull, “‘Just a gimmick?!’ I’ll show you ‘just a gimmick!’”

Rudolf’s blade burned more intensely as I slashed. To my shock, the stream of light extended in length, lashing at Silva like a whip. She had no choice but to leap back, which gave me a window to finish this fight at last.

I dropped to one knee and tucked my blades at my side as if to sheathe them. Rudolf’s heat warmed my side, though it did not burn in the slightest.

The time had come to show Silva the attack I’d kept secret from her for four years, ever since Master Marzell taught it to me on my sixteenth birthday. I could only hope against hope that I could end it with this final attack. And with both Silbermond and Rudolf in my hand, it would be lethal.

Instead of looking surprised at my stance, Silva grinned. “So, I finally get to see the Wolf Cross, do I? I knew you were holding back on me all these years. Bring it on!”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

I obeyed without hesitation. Wolfskreuz: Doppelkreuz.

With Rudolf supplying me with extra power, I blasted forward and past Silva, slashing her with the Double Cross. When I came to a stop, I heard the distinct clatter of a falling blade. I breathed a sigh, not of relief but of sadness.

“I’m sorry it had to end like this, Silva.”

“I’m sorry, too.”

Before I could sheathe my sword, she appeared in front of me, Reynard ready to slash. I raised Silbermond to defend myself, only to find that the blade had been sliced clean off, leaving only about a foot of my cherished sword.

The sound of a falling blade I’d heard before was not Silva’s, as I thought. It had been my decapitated Silbermond. It had not registered when she set Heide free that Silva was now capable of cutting through steel. There was no denying that she was amazing.

Silva’s expression was inscrutable once more. “All that build up and that’s the best you could do? What a disappointment.”

I heard gasps around me, but Lina’s scream stood out. “Silvie! Don’t!”

I did not have time to raise Rudolf as Silva struck.

Reynard sliced diagonally through my skin once again. This time, in the opposite direction as her previous cut. My entire body spasmed as I lost control of my limbs. My swords fell from my hands and clattered to the ground before my legs gave out.

I fell to my knees. It was as if invisible strings suspended me. I watched Silva swipe my blood from her blade and turn away as she sheathed it.

“Your journey’s over, Anno.”

Then, I lost sight of her as the rest of my body fell forward. And the next thing I knew, I was face down on the cobblestone.

I heard people shouting. They may have been calling my name, but I could not tell. Nor could I respond. My tongue felt too big for my mouth.

Silva was saying something, but it was as if she were speaking a different language. Any strength Rudolf had given me was now gone.

All I could tell was that I was lying in a growing pool of blood.

Then I heard Lina’s voice, “You heard her, Dietrich! Save him!”

Footsteps, though I felt them rather than heard them. The darkness was growing around me.

“Fool!” a voice in my head said, “All that power, and you still lost! What a waste of time!”

I had to agree. I was a fool. I let Pleasance burn to the ground and allowed Gertrude to be recaptured by the False Hero. What few victories I had achieved, such as imprisoning Heide, had been undone by Silva in an instant.

Why am I such a failure of a prince?

“That’s what I’ve been wondering about! Why did you and that imposter bother to wake me up?”

Imposter? What was I thinking? I could not tell if I was conscious anymore. If I was having a conversation with myself, I must not be.

“That’s right! And since you won’t take me seriously, I’m not talking to you anymore, loser! Goodbye!”

I was utterly confused. Never once had I ever thought about calling anyone a “loser,” let alone myself. Though, I supposed I deserved a reprimand.

I felt a pair of hands on my back.

“Don’t worry, Boss. I’ll fix you up.” Dietrich’s voice was as warm as his hands, though there was strain in both. But I could feel his healing touch begin to work its magic, even as darkness clouded my vision.

“Is he going to be alright?” Lina’s voice was little more than a whisper. “Oh, Anno…this is all my fault.”

Silva scoffed, “You’re giving yourself too much credit, Lin. It’s his fault for being so stubborn. He made things way too complicated as usual. C’mon, let’s go. Hero’s waiting for us.”

“Not until I see that he’s okay!”

I could almost feel Silva roll her eyes. “Fiiine. But I want to be gone before he wakes up or this whole mess starts all over. Keep doing your thing, Deborn.” There was a pause. I heard more footsteps approach me. “So that really is the Holy Sword, eh? Dual-wielding isn't my style, but Anno won’t be needing it. And it would probably be put to better use if it were in the hands of someone stronger, right?”

A surge of energy filled me. Whether it was from Dietrich’s healing touch or panic at the thought of Rudolf falling into Silva’s hand, I did not know. Whatever it was, I felt my bloody fingers shoot forward and seize Silva’s booted ankle.

“Don’t…you …touch it… Silva.” I raised my head just enough to glare at her legs.

Silva let out a grunt of irritation, “Iliana’s Golden Curls! You’re testing my patience! I’m taking the sword, and there’s nothing you can do about it. Now, get off!”

She jerked her leg from my grip. My hand fell limp to the ground.

“Please! Don’t let her take me!” The voice in my head was loud and distressed. Its inflection reminded me of someone I knew.

I thought you weren’t speaking to me.

“I thought you were going to win. And yet, here we are.”

Sorry.

“I’m sorry, too, for ever having faith in you.”

Silva was right about my stubbornness, but even I knew when I was defeated. And so, I resigned myself to Iliana's will. It was up to the others to do what I could not. I prepared myself to finally slip into the darkness that had threatened my vision for a while, but then the back of Lina’s bare feet appeared in my sight line, standing between me and Silva’s boots. Her nightgown shimmered around her, ankles and I could feel light and energy radiating off her like the midday sun.

“Stand down, Silvie.”

“Stand down?” Silva still sounded annoyed as she said, “What? Are you going to fight me, too, Lina? I’d like to see you try.”

“I don’t understand you anymore, Silvie. I thought Anno was your friend. But you struck him down in cold blood!”

“What can I say? I guess I’m not as good a friend as you think. I’m fine with that.” Silva sighed, “That sword’s going to be mine either way. So, move, or you’ll end up like him. The Hero won’t mind a cut or two on that pretty face of yours.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“You think I’m bluffing?” Silva moved toward Lina.

Lina gave a cry of pain. “Ow! Let go of me! Silva!”

I heard frantic movement about me and cries of shock. Dietrich’s hands left my back, and I pictured him standing straight, fists raised.

“Let her go!”

But everyone froze as Silva spun Lina around and pressed herself against Lina’s back. “You’ll stay where you are and keep that idiot alive if you know what’s good for you! The other two, bring me the Holy Sword, or I’ll slice her! Preferably, the one with hands.”

Ulrich stomped a hoof with a whicker of frustration.

Though I was spent, Silva’s threat spurred me into action. All I could do with my ruined body was drag my splayed arms beneath my torso and use them as support to raise my head to get a proper look at the scene above me.

Silva had an arm behind Lina’s shoulders, with that hand maintaining a firm grip on her left wrist. She had Reynard pressed against Lina’s neck with the other hand. Lina looked more surprised than afraid as her now-golden hair waved about her.

I drank in the sight. Silva was looking menacingly past my line of sight—no doubt looking at Dietrich and Ulrich.

Then her eyes met mine. All menace vanished from her face as she looked down at me with a grin so gleefully mischievous that she looked the epitome of a fox. Silva’s exposed fingers squeezed into Lina’s skin as she shook Lina’s wrist, so the other woman’s limp hand waved at me.

“I’ll be taking that sword now, Anno. And Lina, too. Watcha gonna do about it?”

I watched Lina’s hand and swallowed again before opening my mouth to reply, though I could scarcely form a thought. To be honest, there was nothing I could do.

Heide appeared next to Silva, flute in hand, though she was leaning away from Lina with twitchy wariness. That was until Lina’s hair reverted to its usual red, which fell back around her face as usual. Heide sighed in relief and returned the serene smile to her face.

“That’s better. Well then, shall we kill them, Silva?” Her eyes glittered with bloodlust.

With Heide and Silva working together at full strength, I could not see any of us emerging victorious from this battle.

Silva gave a start, “Of course not!” She gave Heide a concerned look. Then she glanced at me. “I mean–– What would be the point? We’ve got Lina, let’s just go back.”

Heide’s expression turned ugly as she leered at Lina with a murderous grin. Silva’s eyes widened in shock. She opened her mouth. But before she could say anything else, there came a chittering giggle from somewhere I could not identify.

“Sorry, girlie! I can’t let that happen.” The voice was high and childlike but with a sinister edge that made the hairs on my neck rise.

Silva looked around, “Who said that? Show yourself!”

“Up here!” said the voice with another giggle.

How I wished I could follow Silva’s gaze as she looked upward, face contorting into confusion. “What are you supposed to be?”

The voice giggled in response. “You’re pretty strong, Silva Red Fox. Too strong for your own good. The Hero needs time to grow in power, but here you are, messing everything up!”

“I know that voice…” whispered my thoughts. Its tone filled my spine with chills.

Silva looked defiant. “And who are you to say I’m messing anything up?”

It was Dietrich who choked out an answer, “Astrid.”

Meanwhile, I was doing my best to rise. I was tired of being left in the dark like this. Dietrich had healed me enough that I only felt as if I were on the verge of unconsciousness rather than death. I began to push myself up but found my arms giving way beneath me. But I was caught by a pair of arms who held me steady as they lifted me to my knees.

“I’ve got you, my prince.” Herman’s nervous face appeared. “I’m sorry. If I hadn’t lost control of myself…”

I did not blame the boy in the slightest, but I was far too distracted to tell him that. My eyes searched for the source of the child-like voice. It did not take me long as I saw a strange figure squatting upon a nearby rooftop. It appeared to be a little girl holding a hammer twice her size across both shoulders, which did not interfere with her cape as it flapped behind her in the wind. She stared down at us with wild pink eyes that shone beneath the helmet covering most of her face. A shock of pink hair spilled from underneath her helmet.

Her mouth was contorted in a toothy grin, which widened past the borders of her helmet at the sound of Dietrich saying her name.

“That’s right! The one and only Astrid! I thought I recognized that boyish optimism. So, it is you, Kentaro! How lovely to see you again!”

Dietrich did not flinch as he pointed up at her. “The name’s Dietrich, you little gremlin! And don’t you forget it!”

Astrid giggled, “Call yourself whatever you want, Kentaro. I’m not here for you.” Her crazed eyes shifted back to Silva and Heide while she tapped the handle of her hammer against her shoulder like a twig. Her smile turned into a toothy scowl. “Everything was going so well until you decided to show off. Now it’s all ruined!”

“What are you talking about?” said Silva, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She removed Reynard from Lina’s throat and pointed at the strange child.

Astrid’s smile returned, though she grumbled her next words: “Doesn’t matter. I guess it’s my job to fix everything, as usual. Why am I always stuck with the grunt work?”

She stood and leaped off the roof with a series of midair somersaults. Taking her hammer in both hands, she raised it above her head and smashed it into the ground as she landed.

“Bärenwelle!” She shouted with manic glee.

The cobblestone street trembled and cracked beneath the impact, causing all of us to almost lose our balance. However, the only one of us who fell was Heide, as she was too focused on protecting her flute to steady herself. She landed on her backside with a grunt of pain.

“Heide!” cried Silva and Lina together. As the ground stilled, the two broke apart, with Silva keeping a tight hold of Lina’s wrist.

With another giggle, Astrid charged, raising her hammer to take another swing.

As the hammer swung downward, Dietrich dove forward and caught the head with both hands, which halted Astrid’s attack, “Oh, no, you don’t!”

I knew Dietrich was capable of immense strength, yet even he struggled to hold the hammer at bay. Every sinew of his muscular arms quivered with effort.

Astrid’s smile did not falter, “Careful, Kentaro, Urs doesn’t like it when people stop his rampage!”

“Why do you keep calling me that?!” grunted Dietrich.

“Because, that’s your name,” said Astrid with a mocking smile. “At least, that’s what it was before your time as the Demon King. But, of course, you wouldn’t remember that, now would you.”

I could only see a part of Dietrich’s face from this angle, but his shock was obvious. “Before I was the Demon King? What do you mean––”

“One sec.” interrupted Astrid, who leaped back just before a pair of hooves landed on top of her. Ulrich grunted and tossed his head, staring down at her with disdain.

“Of all the creepy things I’ve seen today. You’ve gotta be the creepiest. And that’s sayin’ somethin’.”

Astrid regarded him with a tilt of her helmeted head. “Huh, you’re weird. I don’t like you.” With a heavy thunk, Astrid placed the hammer, head down, upon the ground, “I think, I’mma kill you, now.”

She removed her thick leather glove, shoved it into the belt at her waist, and seized the hammer’s handle again. Then she leaped back to avoid another kick from Ulrich.

The arm which held the hammer began to quiver. And then it began to grow. In under a second, the arm was nearly twice its size. Another moment, and it had doubled that. Her veins and muscles contorted like eels writhing beneath her pale skin.

Astrid’s arm looked like it belonged to a being ten times her size; the hammer looked far more fitting in her giant hand. She would look comical if not for the aura of menace that radiated from this child. Despite this imbalance between the arm and the rest of her tiny body, Astrid’s small feet remained stable as she wound the hammer and prepared to strike. The steel screeched and sparked across the stone ground.

For a moment all was silent as the hammer hung in the air. All were struck dumb as we stared. Then the hammer began to move forward.

“Bärenfänger,” said Astrid.

Though the hammer itself remained the same, the sheer power of Astrid’s swing made it feel as if it had grown to the size of an entire mountain as it hurtled toward the poor sheriff, who could not get out of range quick enough.

The attack was too fast and overwhelming for Ulrich to do anything but rear up out of defiance. But then Dietrich caught the hammer. I could feel the strength of impact from here as a shockwave from the impact pulsed through the air like a peal of thunder. And yet Dietrich held strong as the cobblestone cracked beneath his feet.

Astrid did not look worried as she pushed against his resistance. It only took a moment more for her to overpower him as the ground finally gave way beneath his feet. Dietrich's knees buckled, and then he and Ulrich were swept away in the hammer’s wake.

Both landed on the ground several feet away and did not move.

No! I tried to rise, but my legs would not obey me. What was more, Herman was paralyzed with fear. Never before had I witnessed such an immense force. Silva was but a gentle breeze compared to the typhoon that was this strange child.

Like watching a full-grown tree shrink back into a sapling, Astrid’s arm returned to its usual size. “Told you Urs wouldn’t like it,” she said as she returned her glove to her hand and shouldered her hammer once more. Astrid began to walk towards us as if she were strolling through a field of flowers and relishing crushing each one underfoot. “Now, if you girls would just come quietly, there shouldn’t be any more problems.”

Silva pointed Reynard toward Astrid, saying, “If you want to take them, you’ll have to go through me!”

But Astrid had leaped high into the air, hammer at the ready so that by the time Silva pointed the sword at where the child used to be, the steel head was already coming down upon the top of her head. Silva’s eyes shot up, her exhaustion all the more evident on the face.

She shoved Lina away from herself. Lina stumbled toward me and Herman. We managed to catch her before she fell, but my eyes remained on Silva, who, for a final split second, fixed me with a foxish grin. Her mouth formed words I could not hear.

“Bonk!” said Astrid as she tapped the top of Silva’s head. It appeared to a touch as delicate as a raindrop, and yet Silva crumpled beneath it.

Astrid used this contact to push herself into another aerial somersault toward Heide, who had no time to react and land a second tap on her scalp.

“Bonk!” Astrid said again. And Heide, too, crumpled.

Astrid launched herself once more and came to land behind the two unconscious girls, her back to us. Heide’s fingers remained tight around her flute. Even in sleep, she was graceful as she lay atop Silva like a princess embracing her knight.

All that remained were Herman, Lina, and me––and, in my current state, I barely counted as a person. We clung together and stared at Astrid in awe as she slung the hammer over her shoulders, flaring out her cape before turning her head to give us a sidelong grin. Her eyes, as crazed as ever, bounced between the three of us.

“The balance has been restored. All is as it should be.” She bent and pressed her hand against the girls’ arms. “Take care of Rudolf. You’ll need all the power you can get for the journey ahead. Have fun, Hero!”

Astrid’s final giggle lingered in the air as she, Heide, and Silva disappeared.

All that remained was an eerie stillness. Like the moments after a brief yet devastating storm.