Chapter VII

It wasn’t long after Rotana Vesh witnessed the raw destruction brought upon Ankalla that he noticed the hummingbird appear in his periphery. Sensing the biological power within the little creature, he knew instantly that it was Leiolai, and the way she fluttered around him indicated that she wanted him to follow her. Vesh could only scoff to himself, realizing that the changeling’s appearance must have been Rei’s means of warning him, for even a man as pious as he couldn’t help but to momentarily doubt his Goddess’s word after bearing witness to the strength of King Markreas Iiji. He was stunned and terrified, wondering just how it could be possible for the Kosah-Rei to win this battle, but Leiolai silently reassured him that they had Rei’s blessings, and that Tali had indirectly foreseen their victory. It meant that Keskivaara would almost certainly succeed in cursing Markreas and igniting him with the Teritus, so reaffirming his faith in Rei, Vesh spun on his heel and began pursuing the hummingbird, all the while barking orders at Rei’s Teeth to hold their ground at all costs.

“Have faith in your Goddess!” he roared. “Believe in Her and She will smite these animals before they can touch you!”

The hooded Teeth cried out in response, ever loyal to Rei, Tali, and Vesh as they drew their weapons and infused them with mana, prepared to meet the charge of the Ijirians head-on. Vesh grinned to himself, heeding his own words and telling himself that their warriors would find a way to survive as he continued in the opposite direction, down the corridor and towards one of the few lifts within Ankalla. He rode it up to the third floor, where Leiolai soon led him deeper into the fortress before coming to an abrupt stop after rounding a corner where he found Tali standing silently at the top of a large staircase leading down to the second floor. The Voice glanced over her shoulder at his approach just as Leiolai perched herself atop it, surprisingly refraining from changing back, indicating that this small and swift form still had a purpose.

Vesh slowed down, regarding the young woman with curiosity. “Lady Firrik, how may I help you? Not fifteen minutes ago you told me to hold my position down on the first floor, yet now you summon me up here? What changed?”

Tali’s eyes flickered with an emotion he couldn’t quite identify, but when she answered his inquiry, her voice was as upbeat and calm as ever. “I’m uncertain about a few things, Vesh, because while I know as an absolute fact that we will survive this battle, I have still never seen even a glimpse of it in my visions. As such, I do not know why Rei has presented us with this obstacle. I do not know what benefit there is in facing down King Markreas and the Masters.” She laughed softly before turning her head to face forward once again as she gazed down the dark staircase in front of her. “However, on my way up here, it suddenly occurred to me what I should be doing—I want to talk with Ilirianna again.”

Vesh cocked an eyebrow as he moved forward to stand beside her. “Why? Do you think this is her turning point? She didn’t seem terribly pleased with us when I met her at the wall, but then again, she was among the King and Queen, so who knows what she was feeling deep in her heart.”

“True,” Tali muttered. “And I think this is a golden opportunity to figure out where she stands. I’m going to have Leio lure her upstairs, but I only want to speak with Liri, not anybody else, and if Stellareid is anything to go off of…”

“Caeli will be by her side,” Vesh grunted with irritation, understanding where she was going with this.

The young woman nodded. “Exactly. Uma, Quill, and Barron are still unaccounted for, and Leiolai isn’t fit to hold Caeli off without sacrificing herself in the process. That’s why I need you, Rotana, to take him on—even kill him, if Rei allows you to. And since the Goddess has confirmed your survival, you should be able to go all out—to not have to fear your own death. I trust in Keskivaara to effectively manage the first floor, so I’m going to have Leio take Liri to this staircase where you’ll be waiting. Let her pass, and if she isn't alone, kill her company.”

Vesh glanced sidelong at her, seeing the determination and conviction in her features. Without Rei’s guidance, Tali was taking matters into her own hands and trying to forge her own results. He trusted her with all his heart, so if this was the job she had for him, then this was what he would do.

Rei’s Voice was absolute.

And besides, even without my Goddess’s command, this is something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time. If Rei is giving me the go-ahead, then I will be more than happy to guard this staircase with everything I have.

Vesh smirked to himself. “Killing Caeli would be my pleasure.”

***

Ryokumo took a deep breath, the sound of Ilirianna’s footsteps fading away as the Princess bolted up the stairs and vanished from sight. Meanwhile, Vesh’s rumbling laughter was grating on his ears, making him wish it would be as easy as shoving his wind-infused blade straight through the cultist's gut. Unfortunately, as he was so brutally shown in that burning street of Stellareid, his magic was not fit to combat a rock mage, and especially not one as strong as Rotana Vesh. Regardless of whether he won or lost this fight, it was going to be tedious and exhausting, but even so, despite the fact that there were more effective opponents within that fortress to kill this man, Ryokumo was glad that it was going to him. He had to remind himself that there were three important variables that made this match differ from the one in the Fifth Ring.

Firstly, Ryokumo was a graduate of the Academy and had honed his magic even more than he had back then. He had trained and practiced, gaining experience through his hunt for Quill Tyrus, and had always hoped a moment like this would come.

Secondly, Vesh used the civilians of Stellareid against him, but there was nobody else in that hall aside from the three of them, leaving the cultist without a means of riling him up the way he had before.

And thirdly, as well as most importantly, Ryokumo Caeli was not standing alone.

At his side, Album Luz had drawn her mana as she bent her legs and prepared to support him. She was the Master of Light, the one who took out Lunara in the middle of the night and who had now strengthened her power via the Luz ritual that changed her body to a pure white. Album had never been more powerful than she was now, so while her magic did not hit hard enough to shatter the rock, that didn’t mean she wouldn’t be a ridiculously valuable asset.

I trust her with my life. She’s one of my best and oldest friends, and I have fought by her side for many years now. I know she can do this, and I know I can do this if I have her with me. Vesh can stand there cackling like a cocky madman, but I don’t care what his stupid Goddess has told him. If Rei says he’s going to live, then I’ll just have to defy a deity…

“Oh Caeli,” the man finally said after ceasing his laughter and turning his armored head down towards Ryokumo. “You’re a joke of a man, you know that? No matter how much time passes, Aeyir Malloway’s death is always the first thing you bring up. Did you really care about that boy as much as you claim to? I’ve come to think he’s just a convenient excuse to justify your hatred for me. What can you actually tell me about him? You knew him for barely a week…yet you scream his name like I stole your best friend from you.”

Ryokumo clicked his tongue with disgust. “I don’t need to have known him well to understand that his death was unfair. I probably couldn’t say as much about him as you, and that’s what makes me so fucking sick. I truly loathe you, Vesh. There are few people in this world I wish death on as much as I do you, for even among the Kosah-Rei, you are fucking scum. Scream about your dear Goddess. Shout all about how honorable you are and how much you wish to help this Empire, but I know it’s all bullshit. You just want to murder people. That’s all you are. A killer.”

Vesh shrugged casually, brushing aside Ryokumo’s accusations as if they meant nothing to him, but then again, the wind mage hadn’t expected them to. Speaking with him was just wasting time, and he knew that, but he supposed he wanted to say these things one last time.

Vesh wouldn’t repent.

He wouldn’t come to regret anything.

Deep in his heart, right to his very core, he believed he was in the right—that the blessings of his Goddess justified all of the cruel things he had done with the Kosah-Rei. Vesh would laugh and sneer and ridicule right up until the moment he lay bleeding on the floor.

Aeyir… I hope, if there is an afterlife of sorts, that you’re watching this. I haven’t forgotten you. I haven’t forgotten your face or your dreams of attending the Academy or your concerns for your little brother. I regret that I can’t put names or faces to the victims of Stellareid, so if you wouldn’t mind, may you represent them for me? Every hope and future this man has taken, I will avenge. I will rid this world of Rotana Vesh, once and for fucking all…

He spared a quick glance at Album, her black eyes already directed his way, as if having been waiting for him. Understanding passed between them, as did a silent promise to give this everything they had. They had each other this time, and Ryokumo knew that would make all the difference.

“For a man who calls me arrogant, you certainly love the sound of your own voice, Caeli,” Vesh growled, his hand jutting out and allowing the rock protecting his body to expand outwards as it began to take the shape of the war hammer he used in the Fifth Ring. “We’ll see who's laughing in the end when Rei strikes you both down.” Making that declaration, he spun the hammer around and gripped it in both hands, whatever expression he was making concealed beneath the emotionless stone wrapped around his head. “Go on. Give me your best shot.”

Wind surged around Ryokumo’s feet, the final indication that the conversation had ended and the battle had begun. He tightened his grip around his own weapon, pulling his right arm back as he angled the point of the sword towards Vesh’s chest. At the same time, Album’s hands turned from flesh to pure white energy that drastically increased the lighting in the otherwise dim corridor.

Then they acted.

“Luminey!”

“Proto!”

Album released her beams of light straight at Vesh’s head as Ryokumo blasted off the stone ground, scattering dust and small particles of debris in his wake as he crossed the roughly fifteen yards between them in the blink of an eye. Light magic would only burn away the rock at a power level that Album couldn’t quite reach, so they had already decided Ryokumo would be the primary attacker. Her job was to make sure that Vesh couldn’t rely on his vision, but any large-scale strikes would also blind Ryokumo. Therefore, she would be primarily relying on condensed attacks like Luminetta, knowing the damage would be minimal to everything but his eyes.

And it’s a damn good thing rock mages are so cumbersome! Ryokumo cheered in his mind as Vesh’s large form failed to move before her bolts struck him all across his broad torso and armored head.

Ryokumo drew his sword back, reaching Vesh a mere half-second after the light as he flew towards his exposed neck and swung his sword down to strike it. The wind propulsion fused into it allowed him to make a more powerful contact, and to top it off, he cast Corsikei, creating a shockwave between the blade and the man that rattled his massive form and caused his legs to crumble from the impact. Vesh dropped to his knees, but the armor didn’t break, causing Ryokumo to lean into his momentum and continue down the corridor behind his opponent. He spun around, sliding his feet against the ground and skidding to a halt, but without breaking stride, he shouted,

“Condite!”

Ropes of wind formed around Vesh’s kneeling body in a hopeful, yet futile, attempt to hold him down long enough for Album to send another few attacks at his head. Yet, Vesh’s strength won out as he forced himself to his feet and snapped the ropes around him with little effort. Bolts of light flashed through the corridor while Ryokumo cast Proto to launch himself back into the action, his sword surging with power once again.

He saw the man spin around at the last second, his war hammer swinging upwards to try and smash Ryokumo dead in the chest—an attack that would be unquestionably lethal should it have landed. However, where Ryokumo and Album lacked the force to break his armor, Vesh lacked the speed to keep up with Ryokumo’s reactions. The wind mage corrected course, latching ropes of wind onto a metal firelamp on the left-hand wall, allowing him to alter his trajectory and fly cleanly over the hammer’s arc.

Album didn’t allow such an ideal opportunity to pass her by, so while Vesh was distracted trying to knock Ryokumo out of the air, she put her hands close to each other, filled the space with a ball of light, and snarled,

“Solisei!”

Ryokumo knew from the stories she told that this was the spell she used to finish off Lunara. It was a powerful beam of light that would nearly fill the entire corridor and one she feared using with her old friend present. But she was quick on her feet, so when she noticed him so high up that his body nearly touched the ceiling, she must have concluded he wouldn’t be struck by the attack. Energy exploded from her hands, ripping through the hallway and completely engulfing Vesh within it as it destroyed firelamps, burned away carpets, then reached the wall at the end of the corridor and smashed it apart. Ryokumo grimaced at the blinding brightness, as well as the terrible heat that nearly touched his skin in the brief moment it existed before extinguishing.

Landing a few feet in front of Album, Ryokumo gathered his bearings, still able to somewhat make out the sight before him. He knew they were relatively deep into Ankalla, so unless the beam went all the way through the building, it wouldn’t have opened up to the outside, preventing natural lighting from filling their surroundings, keeping everything dark. On top of that, Album loaded the hall full of mana, so it was a near certainty that Vesh had taken some damage to his armor.

But before his eyes could fully adjust, Ryokumo processed the massive silhouette looming over him a little too late. The war hammer’s head was swinging down to crush his skull, so he frantically turned his lips to cast something, and was eternally grateful to the fact that Album was faster.

Her hand grabbed the back of his tunic and yanked him away, the hammer passing barely an inch from his nose in yet another close call before smashing into the floor. Ryokumo recovered before Album had even let go, his free hand jutting out as he cast Corsikei. The subsequent shockwave hit Vesh dead in the chest, failing to knock him off his feet but succeeding at staggering him with the force of the impact. Ryokumo capitalized on this, casting Proto to close the distance, spinning midair to turn his feet towards Vesh before planting them on his chest, casting a second Proto, and using the force of the spell to send him flying onto his ass. Album bathed him in light once Ryokumo cleared out of the way with another, albeit weaker, version of Solisei.

When Ryokumo landed, he returned to a defensive stance, his sword out in front of him and angled up to the right while his features tensed in utter concentration as he gave every ounce of energy in his body to winning. His thoughts and movements were instinctual, his mind was in a state of pure focus, and his breathing was steady despite all of his physical exertion.

He wanted to win.

Desperately.

Hiriech and Stellareid left such a vile taste in his mouth, one that had lingered ever since the moment he learned of the events in the Aquesen ballroom, and one that grew all the more bitter after he was forced to flee his battle in the Fifth Ring. He wanted to wash it away, to feel like he had finally accomplished something, and because of that, he persisted no matter how many times Vesh walked away from an attack or how many times Ryokumo himself nearly died.

So when the light cleared and the wind mage saw that Vesh had climbed back up, his daunting presence sending an involuntary shiver down his back, Ryokumo simply accepted it and attacked once more.

Wind and light versus rock was a battle of attrition, but two mana supplies were superior to one, even if Ryokumo and Album had to exert more power than Vesh did. Eventually, they would beat him down, even if it meant they had to stall until reinforcements found their way up there. Ryokumo would accept the help of other mages if it meant ensuring Vesh’s defeat, but in his heart, he wanted it to be him, so there was a selfish piece of him hoping that nobody, not even the Masters, would intervene. Album was all he wanted to need, so he fell into a pattern of combat, casting Proto to ricochet off the walls and ceiling of this confined space, using Corsikei as his most powerful spell to stagger Vesh, relying on Nex to block attacks that needed to be blocked, and wrapping Condite around the rock mage to give Album the openings she needed. She repeatedly blinded him with Luminetta, used Solisei when Ryokumo succeeded in getting high enough, and cast Ilumine if she needed to change her position, though Vesh had clearly identified Ryokumo as his primary target and as such, had not gone on the offensive against Album yet. It was unclear whether he was underestimating Album’s strength or whether he was simply as obsessed with killing Ryokumo as Ryokumo was with killing him.

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As the battle was waged, Ankalla trembled with the aftereffects of the other fights taking place within its halls. Koroha and Nakoma should have already engaged Barron and Uma, Markreas had gone in pursuit of Keskivaara, and Rennigan would have hopefully tracked down Quill. Aside from them, the soldiers of Noctalus and the Korrei-Tarr were clearing out the Teeth under the leadership of Toranei, Alharo, Miklan, and Nigreos. Everybody desperately wanted the Kosah-Rei eradicated, to never have to fear their combustion magic stealing loved ones or leveling cities to the ground. Their destruction was imperative to Ijirian peace, and Ryokumo fully intended to pull his weight, to contribute to that defeat.

But the fight remained at a standstill, no matter what they did.

***

Album had been terrified of the Battle of Ankalla from the very second it was suggested as a means of finishing the cult. The wounds she received in Stellareid never even began to heal, almost certainly due to the fact that erasing Lunara took away her chance for closure. The Kosah-Rei didn’t lose, no matter how many cards were stacked against them, so with a mysterious whistleblower selling them out, Album was certain that something was going to go wrong. But they reached the fortress without issue, confirmed the presence of almost all the leaders, then breached the walls in a matter of seconds. The Teeth crumbled in the face of Ijirian superiority, and now she found herself facing Rotana Vesh, one of the people responsible for whispering into Lunara’s ear and turning her against them. She didn’t hate Vesh the way Ryokumo did, for in her eyes, he was interchangeable with the other five. They were all just enemies, people who had wronged her and stolen from her the happy life she had been hoping for. In fact, Album had not even spoken to Vesh since her time in Aquesen, for she had never encountered him in Stellareid.

He’s the face of the movement. I realize now that Firrik has more sway than we believed, but Vesh is the one who has publicly taken the reins. To kill Vesh is to take away the supposed saint the people of the northern countryside worship—to rattle the image of the Kosah-Rei as an indestructible force. If I could do that… If Kumo and I could prove they're mortal, then maybe it’ll be the beginning of the end. But… Album gritted her teeth with frustration. Is he mortal? I mean, he just won’t go down!

She had no idea how long they had been facing him, but they weren’t making any progress in shattering that armor. Perhaps Ilirianna really had been mistaken pitting them against such an inconvenient adversary, but she had been so confident that they could handle him. She didn’t want to let the Princess down, and she wanted more than anything to see one of them just die, but she couldn’t quite fathom what they were supposed to do aside from hold him off until either Iliriianna returned from handling Tali and Leiolai or another Master arrived to tilt the scales.

We need to change our approach, but we don’t have many options in our arsenal… The only thing I can think of is… She hesitated, knowing it was risky but might also now be a necessity. I could try getting in close. With enough power, that armor will crack, and I’ve sensed his increase in mana every time I’ve hit him with Solisei. He’s had to reform parts of it multiple times already, and that’s a huge mana drainer. Eventually, he won’t have anything left, so if I could hit him with Solisei from barely a foot away, the damage might just be enough.

The main problem with that strategy was that a single hit from Vesh’s war hammer would mean death, and Lichto, her shields of light, did not have enough energy or mass to stop it. There was only one way to survive in close quarters and that was by using Gilou. It was a minor form of Ilumine that would turn parts of her body into light, effectively allowing physical attacks to pass right through her. Her brother, Eko, was masterful with that spell, but it was one Album had only started to learn after she was appointed the Master of Light. Because of this, she had never been forced to use it in true combat, and against an opponent like Vesh, one slight miscalculation was instant death.

Is it worth the risk? After all, he’s not going to run no matter what. He’s trying to protect Firrik from us, so he has no choice but to hold his ground. We can hold out for reinforcements and that would guarantee he’s beaten. Taking a risk like this might be unnecessary, but… Album grimaced, subconsciously casting her spells and backing up Ryokumo as he took most of the risk by getting in close. Vesh and the Kosah-Rei have always had tricks up their sleeves. It’s never easy, so the longer Vesh is alive, the more opportunity there is for a trap to be triggered or for something to go awry elsewhere in the fortress. We didn’t consider speed to be of high importance here, but what if it is? What if there’s some bigger plot brewing? It’s not impossible… It’s even likely…

Album came to her conclusion.

Her experiences in Stellareid scared her far too much to play it safe.

So she acted.

***

Goddess, Rei, must it really be this dull? After all this time had passed, I honestly expected something more impressive out of Caeli and Luz, but it’s just the same old tiresome tricks. Caeli just can’t breach my armor, and Luz, despite being the Master of Light, can do no better than blinding me. But even that’s useless when I can sense their mana signatures. Was this really Ilirianna’s plan to defeat me—to put me up against two of the least offensive magics? If that is the case, if Caeli really can’t be any better than he is, then I would ask you, my omniscient lady, to allow me permission to finally finish him. Fate has tied Ilirianna to us, so we do not need Ryokumo Caeli around. I do not wish to question your word, but why not let it end?

Vesh was bored, but Tali had ordered him to hold off any of Ilirianna’s companions while they spoke, so he was confined to that corridor, just in front of the staircase, by his loyalty to Rei. Of course, he wasn’t going to underestimate his opponents. After all, they had managed to crack his armor a few times, forcing him to reforge it with repeated castings of Custou, but still, it wouldn’t matter. They physically could not kill him. Rei’s love and blessings were wrapped around his body, and they were a stronger armor than any rock he could conjure.

That was why, even as a powerful casting of Corsikei launched him onto his back, shattering small parts of his armor in the process, Vesh just grinned to himself, took the inevitable light assault by Album that followed, then crawled to his feet with his rock forged anew. He was annoyed that he hadn’t yet landed a successful blow against Ryokumo, and he mainly attributed that fact to Album’s presence. She had, after all, been the one who yanked him away from the war hammer attack near the start of their duel. Given the stalemate, perhaps it would have been smart to change course and try to kill Album, but Vesh opted against it.

She wasn’t really a threat in the grander scheme of things, and it was actually quite beneficial for the Kosah-Rei to have her serving as Master of Light. This was due to the fact that she was pathetically weak by a Master’s standards. Of course, that wasn’t to say Album wasn’t dangerous in her own way, but compared to Acostav and Eko before her, she was hardly worth his attention. If Album died, her position would probably be filled by a more experienced Luz and that wasn’t helpful to them. Therefore, he would spare Album and put all of his efforts into finally killing Ryokumo Caeli.

Vesh pulled his right arm up and deflected a wind-powered strike with his forearm, using his sturdy legs to keep himself upright and launch Ryokumo backwards. The wind mage, naturally, landed on his feet, his eyes never straying away from the war hammer he now returned both hands to grip. Ryokumo and Album could land as many hits on him as they wished, but all three of them knew that a single strike from such a powerful weapon would leave them as nothing but a shattered pile of flesh and bone.

“Are you two tired yet?!” Vesh sneered with an amused cackle. “All of this effort, all of this mana, and for what?! I’m still standing, Caeli! I’m still alive, and there’s not a damn thing you can do to change that!”

Ryokumo blasted off the ground with a quiet Proto, closing the distance between them in a second, but this time, Vesh decided to toy with him. He allowed Ryokumo to land another shot with the sword as he ground his feet into the floor and took yet another wind-propelled strike, this one landing dead in his chest. He felt the powerful force behind the attack, so Vesh tensed his muscles, strengthened his armor, and remained in place, gazing down at the furious and frustrated expression Ryokumo now directed up at him.

“Would you like to try again?” Vesh growled. “I don’t think Aeyir’s satisfied yet.”

He wanted to rile him up. Ryokumo was an emotional person, and it wasn’t hard to get him to lose control. He made countless mistakes in Stellareid because Vesh screwed with his feelings, and while it was a little bit harder to do without some cannon fodder, he knew it was still a solid strategy.

Vesh swung his war hammer upwards, expecting Ryokumo’s subsequent Proto backwards and out of range. It was merely a move to show off his control over this situation, but he was slightly thrown off by the sudden flash of light that followed. Expecting Album to cast that powerful beam attack she’d been relying on, Vesh braced himself to weather the assault. It nearly always broke the armor to some extent, so he’d have to reform it quickly.

Hmm? That’s strange…?

Noticing a discrepancy in the airborne mana, Vesh changed course. Instead of trying to remain immobile, he brought his hammer up over his head and slammed it down towards the sudden mana signature right in front of him. Album hadn’t cast the beam attack, rather she flashed across the distance between her and Vesh. He had no idea why Album would want to fight him in close quarters, but he certainly wasn’t going to complain. It was at least something new, a change in the tedium, so despite his desire to spare her life, the reactive, instinctual part of him went to crush her skull. And yet, his hammer phased right through the signature, as if she had lost her physical form.

The previous expected beam came right after.

With Album’s hands a mere few feet from his body, he found himself viciously assaulted by a far more powerful and intense version of this spell than he had yet to face. He could feel his armor chipping away, being shaved apart by a heat that was rivaled only by the strongest of fire magic. However, he relied on Rei’s blessings and, instead of using his mana to reforge his armor, he released the war hammer and shifted to a brawler’s style.

His right fist powered through the blinding light, his goal to strike her in the head, but while the beam ceased as suddenly as it began, Vesh’s hand once again failed to hit her body. This time, he was just barely able to see why. Album’s head, and only her head, had abruptly turned into energy, his fist passing harmlessly through the ball of light resting atop her shoulders.

A Corsikei to the back both further damaged his armor and confirmed that Ryokumo had flown overtop and was now flanking him. He was hit with indecision as to whether he should heal his armor or continue with an offensive against Album, with his inevitable decision being chosen by Rei.

His Goddess promised him survival, but she had said nothing about the survival of Ryokumo and Album. Therefore, if he couldn’t die, but they could, then it served to think that he was better off attacking rather than defending. In his eyes, that was the only way anything would be achieved.

So Vesh attacked, leaning into the momentum of Corsikei and attempting to use his left fist in an uppercut aimed at Album’s chest. Her head snapped back to flesh, and instead, it was the spot near her heart that became light, allowing Vesh to once again pass through her. But, she had already revealed her trick to him, so he swung that same fist upwards, hoping to cleaved through her shoulder from within, but milliseconds before his hand touched any flesh, it, too, became light, and before he knew it, his arm was free from her body, and she was unharmed.

Perhaps I underestimated you, he internally remarked. Or perhaps this version of the spell is nothing compared to what Acostav could have accomplished. Who really knows, Album Luz.

Vesh persisted, realizing that Album must have to actively be changing the parts of her body that became light. Therefore, if he could attack faster than she could react, eventually something would land. And while he knew her less than he did Ryokumo, he wondered if perhaps she could become just as emotional as her dear friend.

“Is this truly all you have, Luz?!” he screeched, watching as his right fist passed harmlessly through her skull while his subsequent left jab for her stomach did the exact same. “I would have expected more from the Master of Light, but then again, you were their last resort! Compared to Acostav and compared to Eko, who really are you?! What fucking right do you have to take their places when you’re so much more pathetic! You’re a Master in name only, my dear!”

A part of him expected the nearby Ryokumo to react more strongly in Album’s defense, but it was as Vesh thought this that he realized he could no longer sense Ryokumo Caeli. In the span of a second, two possibilities crossed his mind.

Either Ryokumo used Album as a diversion to pursue Ilirianna, or he distorted himself and was waiting for an opening to attack. Regardless, Vesh couldn’t care less. Any distorted attack would be deflected by Rei’s blessing and if he abandoned Album, then Vesh could simply kill her and make him regret it. So, knowing that Ryokumo was inconsequential, he shoved the young man from his mind and pressed his wild attacks and rambling against Album. He couldn’t quite make out her expression due to how often her head became light, but he felt like her phase shifting was slowing, indicating that his taunting might have been working.

“Come on, strike me with more than that!” Vesh shrieked. “Don’t you think your family would have beaten me by now?! Even the two-second Master, Eko, would have assuredly ended this a while ago! Yet all you can do is hold the defense and use spells that hardly break me! You’re an embarrassment to the name Luz—but a beacon of support for the Kosah-Rei! You have my thanks for preventing a more fitting Master from filling your seat! You. Are. Powerless!”

With that final roar, the silent Album did as he expected and failed to keep up with the barrage of attacks. Whether his words got to her or she became fatigued, he wasn’t sure, but to his wild pleasure, his right fist jammed into Album’s stomach and sent her body tumbling through the air like a ragdoll before she slammed into the ground and went still.

***

Ryokumo was crouched roughly ten yards away from where Vesh and Album were fighting, a distortion spell wrapped around his body as he lay in wait for an ideal chance to strike. He hadn’t been prepared for Album to get in close, and while he hated the thought of letting her anywhere near the threat of that hammer, he also had to remind himself that she was a powerful mage and Master. She could hold him off, so Ryokumo fell into line behind her, used that casting of Solisei to get behind Vesh, then staggered him and hid. Album was using Gilou flawlessly, but the concentration it took to maintain that state would not allow her the opportunity to attack. He would have to carry that weight, and the abundance of mana in the air would hopefully allow him to use Disto and Proto in tandem without Vesh sensing his approach. Yet, it took every ounce of self-control in his body to not rush out there and try to beat Vesh bloody for what he was saying to Album.

How dare he ridicule her like that?

How dare he try and make her feel insignificant and powerless.

She was the Master of Light and she was more than deserving of that role!

After all, which Luz was it that escaped Stellareid with her life, because it certainly wasn’t Acostav or Eko! Don’t you diminish what she’s accomplished! Don’t you claim she doesn’t deserve her praise! You’re nothing but a crooked, vile monster! You are nothing, Rotana Vesh!

It was then that Gilou failed and Album’s body went flying into the air as Vesh screamed out his victory.

“You. Are. Powerless!” the cultist was snarling.

Ryokumo’s eyes went wide, terror flooded his body at the thought that Album may have been killed on impact, and before he’d even realized it, he had cast Proto, his body blasting the ten yard distance with his sword drawn back to aim for a cracked pattern on the back of Vesh’s neck.

“AND I AM UNKILLABLE!” Vesh roared.

The wind-propelled metal of Ryokumo’s blade struck home, tearing through rock, flesh, blood, and bone before Rotana Vesh’s head flew from his shoulders in a splattering of blood. Ryokumo exhaled sharply, the shocking sight rattling him as he nearly lost his footing upon hitting the ground. He had fully expected his sword to bounce off the rock, or for Vesh to do something that would deflect him, so as Ryokumo skidded to a halt in that second floor corridor of Ankalla, it was like his brain shut down while he gaped first at the collapsing form of the man’s body then at the ball of rock laying not far from him that was his head.

W-what?! I just…? That landed?

His shoulders lowered as the point of his blood-covered blade aimed towards his feet.

“He’s…dead,” Ryokumo muttered. “He’s… Is he?”

“Kumo…? What happened?”

Hearing Album’s weak voice over his shoulder snapped him out of his stunned state, flooding him with relief as he turned around to see his old friend dragging herself to her feet, her features contorted with confusion as her right hand was pressed tightly against her stomach where she’d been hit. He could just barely identify the meager healing magic she was using, assuring him that she was fine.

“I…don’t know,” he stammered. “My attack just landed. I killed him, Album.”

Limping over to where Ryokumo was standing, Album’s eyes went wide as she processed the sight of Vesh’s body and head laying in separate spots. A nasty feeling struck Ryokumo, for it was never that simple when it came to the cult of the Kosah-Rei, so he sprinted towards the severed head and knelt down before pressing his hand against it and sending a very small Corsikei through the armor. The rock shattered, its pieces scattering around the head, and sure enough, that was the bearded face of Rotana Vesh, his eyes open and lifeless—the ghost of his final grin still slightly visible in the turned corners of his lips. That still wasn’t enough, so Ryokumo opened his senses for traces of biological magic, wanting to ensure that this wasn’t some poser, but…

“It’s him…” he whispered. “No biological magic, no bullshit tricks, no nothing… Rotana Vesh is dead! We fucking did it!”

Euphoria rushed through his body as he jumped to his feet and sent a sharp kick into the side of Vesh’s head, sending the small orb through the air before it hit the ground further down the corridor.

“We did it, Album!” Ryokumo cheered, spinning around with a massive grin on his face. “They’re mortal! They can be killed!”

Album was beaming as well, a powerful sense of relief passing between them as they gazed at one another before crossing the small gap between them and embracing with a gentle hug so as to not hurt her wound.

There had been no trap.

There had been no trick.

After all that time, and after all the many people who had been murdered, Rotana Vesh was finally dead.