Shaska puffed on her cigar, her scowl deepening, matching the blood dripping down her face. She lifted the massive support beam onto her shoulder with ease, her muscles tensing as she squared her stance. “Heh, been a while since my blood’s pumped like this!” she growled.

Across from her, Tributelle spat out the cigarette stub from her mouth, frustration flickering in her eyes as she struggled with her shattered wrists. Despite the pain, a wicked grin crept across her face. “Heh, maybe we really don’t have anything in common. I’m having a blast, mom!”

Tributelle’s voice was laced with venom, but there was a glint of genuine excitement in her eyes. She flexed her legs, then vanished in an instant, teleporting directly toward her mother with an Aether Flash, aiming for another crushing strike. Shaska’s instincts kicked in, and this time, she was ready.

"Batter up!" Shaska bellowed.

With a feral roar, Shaska swung the support beam like a baseball bat, the sheer force of her blow cracking the air with a thunderous BOOM. She caught Tributelle mid-flash, the impact sending her daughter rocketing backward through the air. Tributelle’s body became a blur as she sailed across the city skyline, smashing through buildings like a meteor, leaving a trail of dust and rubble in her wake.

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In Kapade Boutique, Lulupo and Gabo were glaring at each other. Rima just stood there, still confused. “Mr. Lulupo…?” she asked.

“Rima, darling, you need to get out of here. I’m afraid this will become ugly very quickly,” he replied, lengthening his hair.

“Oh, Charlie, does it have to be ugly? It’s been so long and I’d just love to catch up,” Gabo said, throwing off his cloak with a crooked smile, revealing the bright pink number he was wearing underneath.

“Oh, Gabo, that dress does not match your hair,” Lulupo said, assuming a fighting stance.

“It’s Gaborielle. I’m a woman, just like you dress as,” Gabo responded, assuming a fighting stance of his own.

“Mr. Lulupo, who is this man?” Rima asked again. Gabo bristled at the word “man”.

Lulupo gritted his teeth. “...an ex-compatriot of mine. We… fought alongside each other some time ago. I mean it, Rima! You must get out of here!”

Gabo wasted no time attacking. He launched forward and delivered a mighty kick to Lulupo’s cheek, sending him to the other side of the store with a loud crash. Rima fled, but Lulupo stood up, spitting out a tooth.

It was then that Tributelle came flying into the boutique, crashing through the ceiling and several racks of clothes. The air in the boutique was now filled with dust.

“Ugh,” the shopkeeper groaned. “First the Unclean, then fighting queers, now flying scalies…”

Tributelle once again stood up through the pain of her broken wrists. She wanted to dust herself off, but couldn’t due to the pain. She looked around and locked eyes with Lulupo and Gabo.

“Hm, both of you are wanted. I’ll be sure to turn you over to the Losanian feds after I’m done with my current engagement,” she said.

She bolted back into the city with an Aether Flash, leaving Lulupo confused. Once again, Gabo seized on the opportunity and lunged forward. He let out a startling yell as he planted his stiletto heel in Lulupo’s gut, drawing blood and sending him flying through the wall and into the street. Lulupo was once again quick on his feet and assumed his fighting stance.

“Gabo! Why are you even here?! Have you come to torment me further after we–”

“Broke up?” Gaborielle asked, stepping through the hole he made. “Hardly. I’m here for my new business to put an end to this oppressive world order instituted after the Great War. I’m here to usher in utopia.”

“Utopia?” Lulupo asked. “You’ve always been off… but never like this! Never to the point of literally claiming womanhood and now saying you want to bring about ‘utopia’!”

“That’s right, utopia. Does the name ‘Balthasar von Ragnar’ ring a bell?”

“Isn’t he… isn’t he the one who slaughtered his own noble family in the Dammerung Kingdom twenty odd years ago?” Lulupo asked.

“Correct,” Gabo responded. “And during his time in self-imposed exile, he discovered the works of the great philosopher Triegel… he realized the true horrors of the world, horrors that were brought to bear in the Great War! Countless lower class lives lost, and for what? The squabbles of nobility! And now… the future, this postwar future, will be equal. And I… I am one of the messengers of true equality.”

“Messengers?” Lulupo retched, bemused. “Ugh, never mind. Why are you even attacking me?!”

“Consider it payback for our last encounter, darling,” Gabo responded.

“Gabo, how could you?!” Lulupo cried as Gabo’s hands dripped with blood.

“We’re mercenaries, are we not? Collateral damage is part of the job!”

“Mercenaries! Not child murderers!” Lulupo exclaimed, tears in his eyes. “That’s it! I’m at my limit! I’m turning you over to the feds!”

“I was on my way to federal prison when members of the fledgling Minus World liberated me. If only you knew what horrors the government of the United Provinces has covered up, and what horrors they continue to perpetrate every day! Do you know what happened in the Hispo-Losanian War? A complete lie!”

“I’m not interested in that!” Lulupo shouted. “I get you’re an insane cultist now, but why are you here?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Four other assassins and I are here to kill Ta’Gup XIV as part of a revolution. The Panipuri Kingdom is but the first step to a liberated, equal utopia. Minus World will soon topple the United Provinces and the Global Federation to institute a newer, more equal world order. The only leader the world needs is Balthasar von Ragnar!”

“Well, Gabo,” said Lulupo. “I’m afraid I’ll have to stop your little Minus World cult in any way I can. The Provinces may have done awful things… but surely forcing everyone to be ‘equal’, whatever that means, isn’t the answer.”

Gabo just laughed. “If only you knew… There will be no need for separate countries or kingdoms under King Balthasar von Ragnar. No heaven, except on Caldris. Nothing to kill or die for. No Holy Order even. All will live life in peace!”

“I just think you’re crazy, Gabo,” said Lulupo.

Gabo scowled, squaring up again. “It’s Gaborielle, bitch. Allow me to beat some respect into you before you die.”

The two dashed forward at each other, then performed a high kick with their legs clashing in the air.

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Zinnia weaved gracefully through Ubitsa’s wild axe swings, her movements fluid and effortless. Each swipe from the hulking brute sent out razor-sharp Aether shockwaves that cleaved through nearby buildings, reducing walls to rubble and leaving deep gashes in the street. Panicked screams filled the air as civilians fled in terror, narrowly avoiding the devastation.

“Sir, you are causing a lot of unnecessary damage,” Zinnia said calmly, her tone almost motherly. “You might seriously injure someone.”

Ubitsa’s breath came in ragged gasps, sweat pouring down his face as he let out a booming laugh. “Girlie, you better shut that mouth before I carve you in half!”

Zinnia simply sidestepped another one of his massive swings, her expression as neutral as ever. “Sir, you are trying very hard, but you have yet to succeed,” she noted, her voice unbothered by his threats. “I have yet to even counter, and yet you seem to be exhausting yourself.”

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Ubitsa roared in frustration, his fury mounting. He swung his axe with all his might, but Zinnia leaped high into the air, landing lightly on his broad shoulders. She peered down at him, her tone still cool and collected.

“Sir, I’m genuinely concerned for your health. What exactly do you hope to accomplish by fighting me like this?”

"Utopia!" Ubitsa bellowed, his face contorting with zeal. He grabbed Zinnia by the ankles, yanking her off his shoulder and slamming her into the ground with earth-shattering force. The pavement cracked beneath her, the sheer impact shaking the street.

“I am CHOSEN! FOR THE FUTURE!” Ubitsa screamed, his voice cracking with madness as he raised Zinnia and swung her through a brick wall, the debris exploding around them. Her Aether enhancements protected her from being pulverized, but the force was enough to make even her sturdy body shudder.

"King Balthasar shall lead the way!" Ubitsa roared again, lifting her high and smashing her into the ground once more, causing her to bounce off the cracked street. He leaped into the air, bringing his axe down in a vicious arc, but Zinnia rolled away just before the blade buried itself into the earth.

Zinnia touched the blood dripping down her forehead and got a good look at it. “Ow…” Meilong rolled her eyes at how long it took for Zinnia to realize she should be in pain.

Zinnia turned to Ubitsa. “Sir, I am very concerned for you. A mentally stable person does not believe in utopia.”

Ubitsa let out another furious roar, lunging at her with his axe raised for another bone-shattering strike. Zinnia moved like water, effortlessly dodging and using Meilong to slam into his head with a thunderous thud. She flipped forward, her movements precise and graceful, landing behind him with a sweep of Meilong that knocked his legs from under him. Before he could recover, she delivered an Aether-infused kick to his back, sending him face-first into the cracked pavement.

The force of her blow reverberated through the street, and Ubitsa let out a grunt as he pushed himself up. Zinnia, already poised and calm, was there to meet him. She leaped high and brought her heel down with crushing force onto the back of his skull, slamming him into the ground once again.

Zinnia crouched beside him, tilting her head with a look of mild concern. “Are you alright, sir? Do you want to keep going?”

Ubitsa coughed, blood trickling from his mouth, but still, he turned to face her, eyes wild with disbelief. “Who… who are you? How’s a damn broad like you so strong?”

Zinnia blinked, unfazed by the insult. “I am not strong, sir. I am one of the weakest women from the Orinoca Queendom.”

Ubitsa’s face twisted in disbelief as he staggered to his feet, his massive frame casting a long shadow over Zinnia. “Feh! False modesty is unbecoming of a warrior!” he roared, raising his axe high.

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Ren pressed herself against the cold stone wall of the alley, her breath coming in short, panicked bursts. She peered out just in time to see the madman on the hotel roof, casually puffing on a pipe that reeked of something foul. Smoke billowed out around him like a noxious cloud.

"I don’t know who that guy is… but I need to stop this crazed gunman before he kills anyone else," Ren thought, clutching her rifle tight. She glanced up, catching sight of the police sniper’s corpse tumbling lifelessly from its perch and crashing into the street below. Her heart raced. "And the police are less than useless…"

Kandar, completely unfazed by the chaos he’d just created, exhaled a thick cloud of Happy Happy Grass smoke, a lazy grin spreading across his face. Down below, officers stormed the hotel in a futile attempt to catch him.

“I’m in deep doo-doo,” he muttered to himself with a chuckle, before sprinting to the edge of the roof.

Ren’s eyes widened as she saw him leap ten stories down without hesitation. "He’s crazier than I thought!" she shouted in her head.

In mid-air, Kandar fired a grappling hook from his sleeve, catching onto the neighboring building’s ledge. He swung effortlessly, still holding his pipe and rifle in one hand, his body swaying like a pendulum before he smoothly ascended, the grappling hook retracting with a mechanical whir.

Ren couldn’t help but marvel at his agility. "It’s like something out of a comic book," she thought, half-impressed, half-terrified.

Perched on the new rooftop, Kandar surveyed the scene below, considering his options with an almost childlike glee. Should he gun down the swarm of police officers now gathering on the street?

“Nah,” he mumbled, scanning the crowd through his scope. “Not enough ammo for all of them.”

He took another drag from his pipe, the embers glowing faintly in the wind.

"Should I go for the soon-to-be crowned king? Mmm… a little far off," he mused.

His gaze drifted to the alley where he’d spotted Ren moments earlier. A slow, malicious grin spread across his face as he adjusted his scope.

"Or should I go after the girl who interrupted my smokin’ time?"

Before he could finish the thought, a bullet whizzed past his face, shattering his pipe mid-puff. His eyes flared with fury.

“Eep!” Ren squeaked, ducking behind cover as quickly as she could. Kandar’s grin widened into something more feral.

“Well, well… Looks like I’ve got my answer,” he growled. "No one messes with my Happy Happy Grass time and gets away with it."

His eyes glowed with Aether, and he scanned the city through his scope, seeing faint outlines of people’s Aether signatures moving through the buildings. There were the jittery shapes of police officers trying to storm the building, and panicked civilians fleeing the chaos. But there, hidden in an alley across the street, was the brightest Aether aura he had seen: Ren.

“Let’s see where you are, ya little twerp.”

His rifle thrummed with Aether as he lined up his shot, locking onto Ren’s glowing silhouette. "Here’s what you get for making me waste my Happy Happy Grass," Kandar muttered, pulling the trigger.

The rifle’s deafening crack echoed through the streets as the bullet tore through the building Ren was hiding behind. It passed just inches from her head, grazing her ear in a near-miss.

Ren screamed, clutching at her bleeding ear, eyes wide in terror. She saw the bullet embedded in the wall behind her, the sharp hole it left in the concrete. Her mind raced.

“H-how?! Is that some kind of potentia?!”

Her thoughts were cut off by another bullet whizzing past her, this time slicing a lock of her hair clean off.

Kandar cackled from his perch, reloading with an almost casual air. “Third time’s the charm,” he said, his voice dripping with sadistic glee.

Ren's heart pounded in her chest. She knew she had to move. Fast.

Panic surged through her as she darted from the alley, sprinting through the labyrinthine streets of Shahar. Behind her, the city was erupting into chaos—civilians ran in every direction, screaming, as the battles between Worldwide Smoke and the assassins raged across the capital. And now, the crazed gunman was after her.

Kandar lined up another shot, but Ren was moving too fast, weaving between buildings and cars, her mind racing to figure out her next move.

"I need to find cover! Or he’s going to kill me for sure!" she thought, her pulse thundering in her ears. She ducked behind a cart just as another shot rang out, sending splinters of wood flying.

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Corcoran continued to lay down a jazzy groove on his bass, and everyone in the vicinity continued to dance amid the carnage in the streets of Shahar.

“This is bad,” said Roxanne, chugging her drink. “This is really bad.”

“Honey, how are you able to do that?” Andy asked.

“I just move to the rhythm! I incorporate it into the dance!” Roxanne replied.

Andy stared at her. “Are you drunk?”

“Sweetie, I’m always drunk.”

Roxanne felt the gears in her head start to turn though, just in time for Corcoran to bolt over and jam his knife in her gut.

“Roxie!” Andy cried.

“Sorry, man, was she important?” Corcoran smirked, twisting the knife before yanking it free. Roxanne gasped, doubling over, her hands instinctively pressing against the wound, but her feet—still moving—betrayed her, dancing even as her blood hit the pavement.

Corcoran dashed back over to his bass and continued to lay down the groove again. Andy was enraged, with tears streaming down his face, but he and Roxanne couldn’t stop dancing.

Corcoran laughed, then exclaimed “I think I’ll play with you all for a while! Been a hot minute since I’ve had a good street performance!”

Carne made a note of what Roxanne had been doing from across the street, i.e. continuing to go about her normal day while moving to the rhythm of the music. Then, he got an idea. “I gotta save Roxanne before she dies! Hm…”

Still naked in the cauldron of mashed fruit, Carne moved to the rhythm and slowly climbed out (thankfully covered by the mashed fruit where it mattered most). He looked over at his clothes, where the gun Shaska had given him lay in his pocket. Carne slowly danced over to his clothes and reached for the gun, raising it to the beat of the music.

As he took aim, though, Corcoran looked up from his musical reverie and locked eyes with Carne. And in the blink of an eye, Carne was also stabbed in the gut, and Corcoran quickly resumed playing as Carne dropped his gun, continuing to dance to the music in spite of the pain and blood loss.

Andy finally calmed down a bit, processing what Roxanne had been trying to tell him. Keeping in time with the music, Andy drew his own gun. He had never (intentionally) shot a gun before, and trying to aim while dancing made it even harder.

“Feel the beat…” he thought as he aimed.

He pulled the trigger, but due to his rhythmic swaying, he missed Corcoran’s head and shot right through the strings of the bass, snapping them and preventing the tiny man from plucking another note.

“You bastard!” Corcoran growled as he drew his knife. “Do you have any idea how much it’s gonna cost to get my bass restrung?!”

He lunged at Andy, but was shot out of the air in the nick of time. Andy turned to face his wife, who was coughing up blood while holding the gun Shaska had given her, smoke billowing out the end.

“Leave him alone… you son of a bitch.” Roxanne’s voice was barely a rasp, each word torn from her lungs like they weighed a ton.

“Roxie!” Andy cried as she ran over to catch her. All the other patrons of the restaurant were too stunned by what had just happened to help. Carne, on the other hand, stumbled over to Corcoran, who was rising to his feet, then fired a single shot through his head. Corcoran collapsed for good, with Carne falling right on top of him.

“Doctor…” Carne mumbled. The Shahar doctor ran over to him. “The lady’s type O… I’m type AB... please…”

The doctor picked up Carne, and Andy brought over Roxanne for immediate surgery.

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As the fights between Worldwide Smoke and the assassins of Minus World raged on, Barabar made his move. The revolutionary forces marched on Shahar, and soon, shelling on the city walls began. The soldiers poured through the gates of the city, which had been pried open by Shaska some time earlier, unleashing their wrath on the unprepared populace. The time for war had finally begun.