“How is this possible?” Axil demanded. She stared at the palms of her hands like they held the answer she sought and found nothing. The small demoness’ gaze lifted to the half of her corpse that still laid on the ground, unmoving. “You severed my connection to myself? You died… but you lived? This is Lord Sievan’s domain. It should not be possible for—”

Axil’s words froze in her mouth like they’d turned to ice. Her eyes snapped to Noah and bored into his skull with more intensity than his headache. Disbelief played across her features and her lips parted as she took a step back.

For Noah’s part, he had absolutely no idea what was going through her head. The level of threat that she posed had practically died along with her. Even though he wasn’t about to completely dismiss her as an opponent, he was a little more concerned with what had just happened.

Sunder had never managed anything like this before. He’d cut through people, cut through runes — but this was something else entirely. Something about Axil as a whole had been cut through. It was either that or something with her revival had just gone really wrong, but given how exactly half of her body had been left behind when she’d come back, it would be bit too much of a coincidence to pretend the Master Rune was unrelated.

How much of Sunder am I yet to understand? I know I’m still far from being able to fully control the complete strength of Sunder. I just thought it would cut things harder, not do… whatever this is.

Noah’s fingers twitched at his side. If he still access to his magic, he would have been strongly tempted to try Sundering Axil a second time.

I wonder if she’d die for good or if she’d come back at a quarter of her former size. Actually, that might be even worse. She’s manageable right now, but I don’t love the idea of a chihuahua sized Axil running around and trying to nip at our ankles.

Noah broke from his thoughts as Axil grabbed at her axe again and heaved it into the air. She teetered back and forth but kept it aloft by bracing it against her shoulder. She thrust her free hand in Noah’s direction and the axe pitched back. Axil hurriedly re-caught it and steadied herself before settling to levy a glare at Noah.

“Is this a test?” Axil asked, her voice measured and laden with suspicion. Her eyes darted around the square, flicking from Lee to Moxie. “Am I not yet returned to life?”

“Stand still and we can find out,” Lee said, flexing her hand.

“Hold on,” Moxie said as she held an arm up to stop Lee. “Be careful. We don’t know what she’s capable of. It could just be an act, and she could have abilities beyond pure strength. She can come back from death. That’s not something you rush blindly into.”

“Death,” Axil repeated. Her brow creased. Then her skin paled. Surprise rippled across her features and slackened her grip, launching the axe from her grip. Its head crashed down to the stone and its tip caught her in the chin, knocking her head back.

Axil stumbled and grabbed at the growing bruise with a curse. “Damn this body. It’s so weak. Clumsy. I hate it.”

For a moment there, it almost looked as if she had something she was going to say. I’m not sure I can blame her forgetting it after getting clocked like that. But what are we suppose do about this?

Noah studied Axil with displeasure. The situation had not developed at all how he’d wanted it to. Axil didn’t seem like a threat anymore, but he wasn’t about to risk Lee or Moxie by sending them to kill her and find out that she was hiding another trick. He couldn’t do much of anything himself either — his body was still cut from his magic.

Even his access to the Fragment of Self had been blocked. His reaction speed had returned to its normal, human limits. Noah was nothing more than a normal human without any powers until the fog in his mind lifted away.

“Maybe we can throw some rocks,” Lee offered in a low tone. “Throw enough rocks and we’ll eventually hit something.”

“Stoning a demon to death has a certain amount of irony in it, but I don’t think she’s just going to sit around while we fling shit at her. I could always run at her and get her to kill me so I can briefly access Sunder again, but I’m going to get landed in another coma.”

“Absolutely not. We can’t have you pretending to be a corpse while we’re in the middle of the Damned Plains,” Moxie hissed with a firm shake of her head.

“Aha!” Axil exclaimed. She thrust a finger in Noah’s direction again, this time unburdened by the weight of her axe and able to pull off the motion without inflicting bodily injury upon herself. “Give me your rune.”

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Noah stared at Axil. It took him a second to realize she wasn’t trying to make some sort of joke. He squinted. “No.”

“You have to. I need it.”

“Why the hell would I ever give you my rune? You weren’t strong enough to take it from me when you were twice the woman you are now.”

Axil looked down at herself, then back to Noah. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and pressed her lips thin. “That was a low blow.”

“All blows against you are low,” Lee said. “They have to be if we want to hit anything.”

The tiny demoness went to reply but trailed off as her eyes focused on something in the air above Lee’s head. Her lips worked and she was silent for several long seconds before she shook herself off like a wet dog.

“No,” Axil muttered to herself, shaking her head firmly. “No looking. Their canvases are far too distracting, Axil. We cannot be distracted. Lord Sievan gave us a mission. It must be accomplished. I cannot fail. Not again.”

Why is everyone so fucking batshit crazy? Would it be too much for us to run into a demon that’s perfectly logical? One that gives us a firm handshake and fucks off when he realizes that he’s outmatched? Why do I get landed with the one creepy shit that comes back to life as a tiny munchkin and starts talking to herself?

“I’m not giving you any of my runes,” Noah said with a firm shake of his head. “I’ve cut you in half once, Axil. Next time, I’ll do worse. This is your one warning. Don’t test me.”

“But I need one of your runes,” Axil said, her face screwing up in annoyance. “I can’t leave until you give it to me. Those were Lord Sievan’s instructions.”

She spoke with such matter-of-fact confidence that it gave Noah a moment of pause. Axil didn’t even seem like she was trying to threaten them. She was framing her words as if they had to give her what she wanted. Not because she would enforce it, but because Lord Sievan would.

I swear I’ve heard his name before, but my damn head is so foggy I can’t quite remember where. Was he somehow allied to the Belkus guy?

“Remind me who Lord Sievan is?” Noah asked, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

Axil’s eyes twitched.

“You claim to be unaware of Lord Sievan? This is impossible. All who walk within the Damned Plains know of him. He is the Ruler of the Golden City. The watcher of the Black Reaches. The Master of Death. The Eternal End. The strongest living demon within this plane of existence.”

Noah scratched at the side of his cheek. He was starting to grow some stubble. It would probably be time to find a way to shave relatively soon.

I kind of remember something being mentioned about Sievan with regard to the Black Reaches. I think that’s where a bunch of the runes I used to fuel my combinations came from. If he’s the master of the place, then why did he let someone stroll into his land and steal from him?

Also, nobody actually strong is going to stroll around touting stupid ass titles like that.

“If this bloke wants something from me, he’s welcome to ask for it himself. I’m not an unreasonable man. I’m occasionally willing to bargain. I’m not partial to dealing with anyone that tries to send an assassin after me before introducing themselves. Words exist for a reason, you know.”

Axil tilted her head to the side. She scratched at the horn protruding from the side of her face in a remarkably similar motion to what Noah had just done.

“Your words do not make sense. You request for someone to bargain. And yet, when I come to bargain, you refuse me.”

“You didn’t bargain. You tried to murder us.”

“An instrumental part of the process.”

“It most certainly is not,” Noah snapped. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared down the bridge of his nose at Axil. “Or did you realize you can’t win and then decide to pretend you came to bargain from the start?”

“No. I always came to bargain. I told you as much,” Axil said.

“Bullshit,” Moxie said. “You said you wanted to dance with Spider. Then you tried to kill him — but he killed you first. Enough of the lies. I’ve got half a mind to see how far a solid kick to the chest can make you fly.”

“No bargain is complete without blood. Anyone unworthy of my blade would not be worth exchanging further words with,” Axil insisted. Her eyes sparkled with zealotry and she stared up at Noah. “Lord Sievan himself returned me to this place. Your might was so immense that he has taken witness of it. I will fight you no more. To raise my blade against you would be to stand in Lord Sievan’s path.”

I’m… not so sure I like the sound of that.

“I can kick her for you, Moxie,” Lee offered. “I bet I could get her over the top of the buildings.”

“Do you really expect me to believe any of this?” Noah asked, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

Axil blinked. Genuine confusion passed over her features and her head tilted to the other side. “Why would you not? A demon of your immense strength has absolutely nothing to fear from me. I am nothing but a bug in your path. Further fighting would serve no purpose for either of us except for you to spit in Lord Sievan’s face.”

Around the square, a few heads started to poke out of buildings as demons realized the fighting had stopped. There was no doubt in Noah’s mind that these weren’t the only ones to witness the fight.

There were definitely people that had seen what happened. Had seen Axil die and return — and seen him do the same. For several long seconds, Noah thought. Axil had a point if she was telling the truth.

It wouldn’t be long before news spread even further. Every action he did from here on out couldn’t just be a move played by Noah. It had to be one by Spider. A small grin pulled at the corner of his lips as a new idea laid itself out before him.

He’d laid even more of his cards on the table. And, in situations like that, there was one strategy that he was better at than any other.

Alright, Sievan. Let’s play your game and see what it is you want from me.

Axil had set everything up too perfectly for him to not take advantage of the situation.

It was time to double down.