Gusts of burning wind buffeted Slimantha. The slime summoner’s long brown hair whipped wildly. She stood upon the red brick road, a calm smile upon her face. Her beautiful brown eyes were on the Sword That Splits the Heavens as said weapon and its wielder, Latril the Crow, continued their descent toward her. Wicked flames ran along the massive silvery blade. Her hair continued to whip wildly from the burning gusts radiating from the nearing weapon. The red brick at her feet charred. Bleakfyre shook.

She balled up her right fist, that same calm smile still on her face. Her long brown hair still whipped wildly in the burning gusts. Viscous blue enveloped the fist balled up at her right. She drew her right fist back. The Sword That Splits the Heavens was almost upon her. The air burned. The imposing weapon’s flames raged. Her hair whipped. However, that calm smile still sat prominently upon her face. She threw a punch.

Her slime-engulfed fist met the Sword That Splits the Heavens, and the sword lost. With a sharp popping sound, the mighty sword shattered. Silvery swords fell like rain, glinting in their descent. The gusts died down. So too did the heat. She still smiled. Her right fist had landed against Latril’s gut. The viscous blue vanished from around her fist, and she drew said fist away from Latril.

Latril’s golden sword eyes bulged, the look on her face a mix of pain and disbelief. The swird woman’s cheeks bulged out too. Then her lips parted, and silvery sword essence exploded forth from between them. The pained woman stumbled back, her legs wobbly.

“How?” Latril murmured, taking another shaky step back. She swayed unsteadily and then dropped to her knees. Silvery sword essence leaked from both corners of her mouth. “Even the Sword That Splits the Heavens”—her golden sword eyes grew unfocused—“wasn’t enough.” She collapsed to the charred red brick road.

Behind Slimantha, at the roadside, Black’s shadowy barrier vanished. The witch fell to her knees, panting heavily. Sweat poured down her face. She dropped down further and propped herself up via her hands and knees at this point. Her black feline tail twitched. So too did her black cat ears. She continued panting as she looked at the lush green grass beneath her. After a moment, she sat back onto her heels. Her pants lessened. She glanced up at the crows. Said crows were retreating, the ducks giving chase. She smiled. Soft pants still slipped out from between her lips. Her cute black cat ears gave another twitch.

“Serves them right,” Mimi said from behind the exhausted witch. She thrust her large bosom out haughtily, her beautiful golden eyes on the retreating crows. She glanced at the fallen Latril and placed her hands on her shapely hips. “Serves her right too.” A smug smile showed upon her face. She then glanced back—glanced back at the mayoral building. Her jaw dropped, and then her eyes rolled back. She collapsed to the lush green grass, having fainted at what she had seen. Her beloved mayoral building was in quite the state of disarray, having been cleaved in twain by the Sword That Splits the Heavens.

Slimantha glanced at the now-unconscious Mimi, and then her beautiful brown eyes went to Black. “You OK?” Slimantha said. She then flashed Black a friendly smile.

Black glanced at Slimantha. Cute little pants continued to slip out from between her lips, but she managed to give Slimantha a weak smile back. “I’m”—Black wobbled a bit as she climbed back to her feet—“fine.” She continued panting. “Just need more time to catch my breath.” She wiped her forehead with the back of her right hand. “Keeping that barrier from getting bisected really took a lot out of me.” Her cute black cat ears drooped for a moment before perking back up. Then she blinked, and her cat ears twitched. “Anyone seen my hat?” She glanced about.

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“Here it is,” Samuel said from beside Black. The petite cat woman, who had short black hair, turned to face him. He held the black witch hat out to her. “Here you go.”

“Thanks,” Black said, reaching for her black witch hat. She stopped short though. Her lovely brown eyes shifted to Samuel’s face. “Why don’t you put it on me?” She leaned forward, her black feline ears twitching. Her black cat tail gave a playful swish.

Samuel blinked, and then his blue eyes went to the top of the cream-skinned cat woman’s head. “Sure,” he said, reaching out with the black witch hat still in his hands. He stopped short though. “Why do I have the sudden urge to headpat you?” He blinked again. “I hope that didn’t sound odd.”

Black smiled and leaned closer to Samuel. “Go ahead and headpat me,” she said. “I don’t mind.” Her black feline tail swished playfully behind her. Her black cat ears gave another twitch.

Samuel reached out toward the top of Black’s head with his right hand. His hand neared the dark locks of her short black hair. Her cute black cat ears twitched in anticipation. He pressed his hand against the top of her head, and she closed her eyes. A soft rosy tint came to her cheeks. He gave her a gentle headpat.

Black cracked her right eye open and glanced at Samuel’s face. A smirk came to her lips. “Headpat me harder,” she said, pressing her head against Samuel’s hand. Behind her, her black cat tail swished.

“I-I”—Samuel pulled his hand away from the woman who may have been enjoying the headpat a little too much—“think that is enough headpatting for now. Here.” He set her black witch hat upon her head, and her black feline tail gave another swish.

“Thanks for fetching my hat,” Black said, straightening up. She flashed Samuel a smile and then held her right hand to her chest. “I will forever remember our headpat.” A few laughs slipped out from between her lips. “Seriously though, the headpat was nice.” Her black feline tail swayed side to side.

Slimantha’s black shoes lightly sounded against the red of the road’s bricks as she walked over to Latril’s fallen form. She came to a stop, and her footfalls fell silent. An unmoving Latril lay at her feet.

“Is she dead?” Samuel said, stepping up to Slimantha and Latril. A certain cat woman, Black, followed him over. His blue eyes were on the swird woman lying upon the red brick road.

“Her?” Slimantha said, her beautiful brown eyes also on the swird woman. She crouched down to get closer to Latril and then checked for a pulse. “She’s fine.” Slimantha stood back up. “She just needs to sleep it off.” Slimantha glanced at Samuel and smiled. “Probably should take her to Doc Sabbatical’s Clinic though.”

“Speaking of Doc Sabbatical’s Clinic”—Black glanced at the unconscious form of Mimi still lying in the lush green grass at the roadside—“we should probably take Mimi too. Seems she fainted.” Her black feline tail swished behind her.

“I’ll summon some slimes to help with the transport,” Slimantha said. She then turned away from Latril’s unconscious form and thrust her palms out. A pair of blue slimes—large blue slimes—appeared in front of her.