5 SUVs? That's like how many, around 40 goons? Sweat starts to bead my brow. Fate is certainly escalating hard and fast.

"I estimate that Nicholas and his strike team will arrive at the campus in roughly 15 minutes and have informed Mrs Alley accordingly." The Voice reports, "What will you do, Transmigrator?"

Get your head back in the game man, or you just might lose it. "What are the chances of the concert goers against Nicholas without my intervention?" I ask.

The Voice takes a moment to consider before replying, "On paper, Nicholas is not likely to succeed. Mrs Alley has followed your instructions and armed the available teachers and campus security. Mr Matsui is present and has contributed several of his own enforcers. Inspector Scott stands ready for action. Mr Gallant's sister and her powerful bodyguard will be able to contribute to any fight. Finally, the Hero and all three Heroines are in attendance at the concert. This is a force that Nicholas will find very difficult to beat."

"I sense a 'but' coming." I remark dourly.

The Voice rasps, "Good guess Transmigrator. If Trietel intervenes in favor of Nicholas, the picture changes entirely. I have analyzed Trietel's performances during the rehearsals and have concluded that he is capable of directly attacking the spirit. A rare skill, one no doubt granted by Fate. Out of all our allies present, only Mrs Alley and the team she is leading will be able to resist Trietel's magic, thanks to your preparations. Unfortunately, Mrs Alley and her team also possess the weakest combat strength in comparison to everyone else present."

I hiss in alarm, "You're saying that Trietel can take down everyone else without a fight?"

"No," The Voice replies, "but he will be able to suppress or control the crowd, allowing Nicholas and his strike team to defeat most of our allies at their leisure. Once that is done, Mrs Alley will be thoroughly overwhelmed. We cannot allow that to happen Transmigrator."

"Any chances that Trietel is not working for Nicholas?" I plead, grasping at straws.

The Voice laughs mirthlessly, "With the amount of power Fate is pouring into this scenario right now? Almost zero."

No kidding. It looks like I'll have to crash this party, regardless of the risk.

"Alright. This is what I'll do." I tell The Voice, "When Nicholas and his gang gets here, I'll hide and let them launch their attack against the concert. Once that happens, I'll hit them from the rear. Hammer and anvil. Boom."

"Not looking to save the day by yourself, Transmigrator?" The Voice rumbles in amusement.

"That's the Hero's job. Not looking to put him out of work." I grunt as my figure fades back into the darkness.

....

The SUVs charge into the campus at high speed and skid to a stop in front of the main building. Men in suits begin to file out of the vehicles in a quick rehearsed fashion. Its clear that they are from the same group that I had tangled with so many times in the past. So this pretty much confirms it, Nicholas is the one behind the militia.

The big difference this time is that the militiamen are not just carrying swords. All of the militiamen are wearing gas masks, making them almost indistinguishable from each other. More worryingly is the fact that a few of the goons are also carrying what appear to be grenade launchers of some sort. Things are getting too hot and nasty for my taste.

"What's up with those launcher thingies?" I whisper to The Voice urgently.

The Voice rasps, "Single shot break loading grenade launchers. Nicholas has brought along tear gas grenades to subdue the concert goers. Between the tear gas and Trietel, our allies will not last long."

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Damn it. As the strike team begins to storm the building, I follow behind, taking care to remain hidden. The strike team marches relentlessly towards the main hall, the sound of the power drill and howler monkey growing louder and louder in my ears. Trietel has already started working his magic then.

The team stops at the doors of the hall. The militiamen carrying the teargas move up and crack the door ajar before launching their grenades into the crowd. At that same moment, the screeching of the howler monkey is suddenly cut off and the only thing continuing to play is the power drill's greatest hits.

Cries of confusion and distress come from the hall, but they are oddly lethargic and listless. The drone of the power drill becomes increasingly oppressive, seemingly muffling the noise that the crowd is making. One of the militiamen peeks into the hall and turns around to give his comrades the thumbs up. At this signal, the entire strike team draw their swords and rush into the hall, leaving behind one of their number to guard the entrance.

"The Idol has been disabled by Trietel." The Voice informs me, "The militia are now carving their way through Mr Matsui's enforcers."

Its time for me to act. I draw the stun gun and calmly walk towards the remaining militiaman at the entrance. He immediately spots me and predictably starts spazzing out ineffectually. I fire both sets of prongs from the stun gun straight at the militiaman and his body thrashes about convulsing. I follow up by smacking him repeatedly in the head with the baton. Once I am sure that my opponent is down for the count, I strip the gas mask from his face and put it on before venturing into the hall itself.

Slaughter is what greets my eyes. The enforcers that delinquent brought are mostly wounded or dying, the ground slick with their blood. The previous cries of fear from the crowd have mellowed to an indifferent grumble as they take in the bloodshed happening before them. A few members of the audience lie slumped on the ground, impotently complaining about the tear gas. The surviving enforcers clumsily back off in an attempt to regroup but they look like they are having trouble staying awake and on their feet, never mind fighting off the strike team.

Casting my eyes on the stage, I see Trietel continuing to conduct the orchestra while wearing a gas mask of his own. The Idol lies unconscious at his feet while the orchestra continues to play at the incitement of Trietel's magic, eyes red and gasping in discomfort from the gas.

The militia are taken by surprise by a sudden charge mounted by the teachers and campus security. They are forced to give ground to the staff, stumbling backwards, but it does not last. Soon, the blades of the militia begin reaping their toll against the Academy staff and the militia presses forward once again. I don't see Alley anywhere. She must have cut and run. Her colleagues will do the same if the casualties continue to mount.

My course of action is clear. I need to get to Trietel and disrupt whatever he is doing, bringing the rest of my allies back into play. I activate the core and wade into the rear of the militia, driving my baton unerringly into their heads. The heaving mass of bodies parts before me like the sea and I carve a path through it, not bothering with the stragglers. Taking out Trietel comes first.

The militia finally gets wise to the threat I pose and a group of them throw themselves against me. But they are still caught off balance between me and the Academy staff and sandwiched between the two of us, they fall easily to my baton's pummeling blows. Just need to keep pushing forward.

Then all of a sudden, the power drill mercifully stops. The enforcers immediately regain their senses and throw themselves into the fray. I see the blaze of magic as Big Tits summons her oversize sword and starts cleaning house. I make one more push and I am through the crowd. Did the Hero deal with Trietel?

What I see on the stage is a completely different story. Alley, the last person I expected, is wrestling with Trietel on the stage, trying to subdue him. Trietel responds by kneeing Alley hard in the stomach, causing her double up and collapse. But the damage has already been done. With Trietel's spell broken, the orchestra scatters in panic and my allies are mounting their counterattack. Trietel looks around briefly before jumping off the stage and vanishing into the combined mass of the crowd and gas.

I reach the stage and carry both Alley and the Idol backstage. Both of them should be able to recover in safety here. Before I am about to leave, I hear a gasp from Alley as she manages to come to her senses.

"I thought that you would have run off by now." I remark.

Alley grimaces in pain, "Don't think I wasn't considering it. I may not be a saint, but I take my responsibilities seriously. And I have a responsibility to all the guests here after getting them involved in whatever you pulled me into."

That's surprisingly noble actually. I realize that after all my time interacting with her, I never bothered to actually get to know the person behind the blackmail target.

"You OK there?" I ask.

Alley waves me off, "Go back to whatever you came here to do. I'll be fine. Kira will also be safe with me here."

The Voice suddenly barks in alarm as I am heading back to the stage, "Transmigrator, the Hero has failed to protect Heroine von Amsterg. I am bringing the cab over right now. Return to the entrance of the main building at once."

From the dungeon to the mire. I break into a run and hope we are not too late.