The door behind us slammed shut.

The man who took away my Mommy glided across the ground to end Racheal.

“You aren’t getting me again! Sound Shot!” Racheal slammed her hands together, creating a sonic wave that pushed the assassin’s blade’s aside.

My feet moved on their own. A furious fire was heating my insides.

I grew aura wings and slammed into the attacker. “Where’s my Mommy!?”

He’s going to tell me even if I have to hurt him lots and lots!

“You know Betrayer too?” asked Racheal, firing sound shots at the incoming bladed tendrils.

Phoenix spread out her wings. Her eyes glowed and grey energy coated her body. She screeched at the RiftRipper.

“Such things only work on mortals.” Tendrils came out from under his cloak and sped toward me.

“Sound Shotgun!”

My ears bled as a powerful sound wave zoomed past me and exploded into the ceiling.

Rubble buried Betrayer and stopped his attack.

“Get out of here! I’ll hold him off!” yelled Racheal.

No. I’m never going to lose anyone else. I will protect Racheal.

My tattoos glowed and I summoned up a black book wrapped with chains and with red swirls on the cover.

This must be Racheal’s book. I’m going to make sure her story continues.

I slammed my hands together. “Sound Shotgun!” The sound wave blasted Betrayer at point blank range.

Did I just use Racheal’s power!?

“Awesome hit, Annie!” Racheal lifted me into her arms and made a run for the door. “We have to get as far away from him as possible.”

“We’re an awesome team!” I exclaimed, firing sound bullets at his incoming tendrils.

Two tentacles came out from the ground and wrapped around Racheal’s legs.

I fell out of her grip and landed on my booty.

Racheal was slammed against the wall before being thrown aside into the kitchen of the house.

My shadow rose up behind me and grabbed onto me. “Your mother is dead. Try to leave this place and you will be forcibly reunited.”

Mommy…

A sound shot hit my shadow’s face and Racheal stood by the door way, bloodied up.

I can heal her as soon as we beat this guy.

A single blade went into a rift and came out of multiple rifts around Racheal.

If I hurt him, then she’ll get hurt too. What do I do?!

“You shouldn’t throw your life away,” said Betrayer, gently caressing her body with his blades.

“Why did you kill Richard?” asked Racheal in tears.

“A job. One you will not speak of to anyone,” said Betrayer.

An old woman with black bark as skin and dark circles over her eyes appeared between Racheal and Betrayer. Her corrugated forehead and permanent frown gave her a heavy gravity of negativity. “Get out, boy.” She clawed a spatial distortion into existence and swung it around, slicing all the tendrils around Racheal.

The RiftRipper sunk into the ground as a shadow and left.

I rushed to Racheal’s side and spit on my hands. “I’ll get you healed up in no time!” I exclaimed, rubbing her wounds.

“Holy shit that was a rush!” exclaimed Racheal, hugging me.

“Thanks for saving us, Village Chief,” I said with a bow.

“Oh, I’m just an Old Bat,” said the woman, slicing off bits of her skin and expanding it to fix up the house.

Racheal looked up. “Ancient One, do you have any idea why Richard was killed?”

“Betrayer is a RiftRipper who seeks to bring ruin to ISEKAI.”

“Then why go after Richard? He didn’t even have powers.”

Old Bat crouched down to the boy’s bloodied body. “Such a shame,” she said, shaking her head.

Racheal crouched over. “Oh my god! His guts are spilling out. This is disgusting!” she exclaimed with a giddy smile, putting his intestines back inside him. “I can feel his insides. I never got this close to him befoe.” Her bottom lip quivered. “Wow! My hand is in an actual corpse!”

Old Bat chopped the air, instantly distancing Racheal from the body. “We must respect the dead,” she said sternly.

“I am respecting him! I’m in complete adoration!” exclaimed Racheal with big eyes.

I went to the body. “Maybe it’s not too late.” My aura wings coiled around my hands. Energy radiated from my palms.

My powers are getting stronger and stronger. I didn’t even know I could do this.

“You’re wasting your time,” said Old Bat with a solemn look.

“Do it, Annie! Oh, I hope he comes back as a zombie!” exclaimed Racheal, bouncing in place.

Phoenix hopped into the old woman’s arms.

“Why did you bring these dangerous creatures into my village?” asked Old Bat, glaring at Racheal.

I raised my voice while staying focused on healing. “She’s with me! Phoenix is looking for her family. I heard you kill Cuckatrices in this village. As a Guardian Angel I demand you put an end to this violence.”

The air distorted around me as Old Bat laughed. “Haven’t even introduced yourself and you’re already making demands. You will learn respect, girl.”

Racheal rushed up to Old Bat as she turned away. “She wasn’t trying to be rude. She’s just a bit overwhelmed is all. I mean…we did just witness a murder,” she said, biting her lip.

“Yeah. I’m mega sorry for being rude. Every second counts. Her husband and six children were all taken from her. We just want to reunite her with her family,” I said, bowing down. “Oh, and my name is Annie.”

“Annolette?” Old Bat’s eyes widened. “Was your mother an Aquis?”

“Nope. She was part MerMaiden though,” I said.

Old Bat put her hand on my head. “The Aquis can take whatever form they wish, my dear. Your mother is indeed a legendary being.”

But she’s dead now.

Old Bat collected my tears as they fell and contorted space to grab a bottle from the kitchen. She collected the tears in the bottle. “You shouldn’t be wasteful.” She reached into her pocket and took out a glowing scale. “You’re going to need all your energy if you’re going to bring back your mother.”

The glowing scale. Then she is alive!

The tattoos on my body glowed and water came from my hands.

Old Bat sliced my arm with her fingernail.

The blood mixed with the water and sealed up the wound.

“You are indeed a gifted child,” said Old Bat with glowing eyes.

Blood spurted out from the corpse. It coughed.

Wait. I did it. He’s alive!

Racheal hoisted me up and snuggled me. “You didn’t tell me you were a necromancer!” she exclaimed, rubbing cheeks with me.

“I had no idea I could do that! I just gave it a shot and it actually worked!” I exclaimed, kissing Racheal’s cheeks repeatedly.

“I’ll consider your request after you prove your loyalty to the village,” said Old Bat.

“But what if her family is killed tomorrow morning for breakfast?” asked Racheal.

“This village is maintained by rules. Defiance of the smallest degree can create cracks. Those cracks can spread and then it all comes crashing down. This girl’s arrival spelled doom for Sunny Village. I won’t allow the same to happen here.”

How does she know about that? Ugh. That doesn’t matter right now.

“Please. I beg you!” I exclaimed, pressing my face to the ground. “I already saved one hero’s life. I will fight for your village, just please save her family and all the animals trapped here!”

“There is no hope for this village. It’s kept together by loyalty and consistency. This conversation is over.”

“Wait, don’t go!” I grabbed onto her cloak.

“Insolent child,” said Old Bat, glaring at me.

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“There’s a forest covered in slime. Lots of heroes died there. One of the heroes, he died protecting me. You have contact with the other village chiefs, so please warn them.”

“A hero that dies so easily isn’t worth concern.”

“Please tell them.” I looked up at her in tears.

“Where is this forest?”

“It’s uh…somewhere on this island. I’m not exactly sure where. What is this island called again?”

“Abandoned. We live miserable lives but better to live in misery than to die in glee like those poor fools at Sunny Village.” Old Bat swirled out of existence.

“Annie! Come here!” yelled Racheal from the other room.

“Richard isn’t just back to life. He’s more muscular. You turned the little twerp into a hunk,” she said, rubbing the resting hero’s muscles.

“How did I do that?”

“No clue, but it’s awesome! You’re so magical!” exclaimed Racheal, making a little jingle with her fingertips.

“Racheal, you gotta tell me what she meant when she said this village is hopeless,” I said with a super serious look.

Racheal scratched her head. “You’re safer the less you know, honestly.”

I grabbed her hands. “Please, tell me.”

“Old Bat and the heroes, we lost the fight. This village is owned by the Love Dictator. The meat, the animals captured, are for his soldiers. Messing with that could put everyone in the village at risk.” She raised her hood and turned away. “I’ve said too much.”

I lifted up Phoenix. “You have a mom back home. I bet she loves you a lot.”

“Yeah, she did. Raised me all on her own,” said Racheal, wiping away her teary eyes.

“Well Phoenix loves her kids just like every other mother. They’re probably sad and scared without their Mommy.” I gaze up at her with teary eyes “Please, tell us what you know.”

Racheal closed her eyes. “Breaking the rules here and getting caught…is a very bad idea.” She grabbed a vase and tossed it to the ground.

The vase shattered without a sound.

“But I’ve never been caught,” she mouthed to me, followed by that adorable grin.

I grabbed my chest.

My heart is racing. She looks so radiant.

Racheal crouched down and picked up her book from the floor. “I’m going to rescue her family. You can monitor my progress from here. Just uh, promise me you won’t look at any of the past pages. I’m sure there is some stuff in there that would freak you out.” She handed me the book.

I set the book down. “I’m going with you.”

“I’m the only one who can move without a sound. Either you stay behind or I’m not going. This is a big gamble for me, but not doing anything, well…then I wouldn’t be a hero.” She forced the book into my hands and held herself with shivering arms. “It always bothered me. Those poor animals don’t have a chance in hell at survival. It’s not a horror film; it’s a fucking snuff film.” She looked up and smiled at me. “Thanks for inspiring me to do the right thing.” Her shimmering eyes gazed into me.

She’s beautiful.

I patted my cheeks. “Alright, you can go. Buuuut, you gotta do something first.”

“Make you a promise I can’t keep? Not gonna happen. The place has CatBoy soldiers surrounding it. I’m quite likely to die.”

I shuffled my feet and wiggled around. “Umm, ya gotta kiss me first. For um, luck?”

“Sure thing, little sis.” Racheal crouched down and gave me a little peck on the lips.

I lowered my shoulders and rolled my eyes. “I meant a real kiss.” I stuck out my tongue a bit.

“Sure thing. After I come back,” she pushed my tongue back into my mouth with her gloved fingers.

“Hold up.” I exclaimed.

“Every second counts Annie.”

“You need Pheonix or you won’t know the right ones to save.”

Racheal stopped in place and clenched her fist. “A great and wise man believed that everyone deserves a chance to live a cherished life. I’m going to free every Cuckatrice in that wretched building. I want to carry on the legacy he started.” Racheal reached into her cloak and pulled out a red mask that looked like a face with missing puzzle pieces where her eyes were. “Time for Amanda Panda to kick some ass!” Racheal rushed out of the building without a sound.

I sit by the sleeping hero and followed Racheal’s quest in my book. She snuck past the guards and made her way inside the building.

Let’s see if this works.

I bit my fingertips and placed them on the book.

If I could see Braven’s past, then maybe I can see her present.

I place my fingers on the book and close my eyes.

I open the door after making sure to silence it.

Just another day for Amanda Panda!

Inside are some guards, hiding their adorable cat ears under police hats.

Ugh. I’m the reason this place has so many guards. No worries, Racheal. You got this.

I silenced my footsteps and pointed in the distance.

I created a loud explosion sound at the very back of the building.

The guards rushed to the back area.

Wow. So far so good. These powers really are super rad.

I ran down the hallway in total silence.

How am I going to free all these animals? Oh, what am I thinking!? If I do, then Old Bat will know its me! Annie really shouldn’t have had that conversation with Old Bat. Oh well. Time to be a hero.

I placed my hand on the first Cuckatrice door. My sound wave blasted it open.

I nearly vomited upon entering the room. It smelled like feces and dead bodies.

Ugh. Can’t believe I used to eat these guys.

I grabbed my stomach. The room was totally dark.

These poor birds have probably never seen the sun.

I take out a flash jelly from my cloak and put it on my hand. The area lights up.

The birds are all scrunched up together, with barely enough room to move around.

The birds looked up at me and rushed toward the door, singing a melody of joy.

I put an imaginary silencer on my finger and fired at the birds as they fled.

There are too many of them.

I fired silencing shots from all my fingers at the fleeing birds, hoping that I didn’t miss any.

“Hey, what was that!” yelled a guard.

Shit! Looks like I did miss one!

I mimed a grenade and threw it outside, through the wall.

“It’s coming from outside!” yelled a guard.

With Annie by my side, I’m finally no longer alone. I can feel her reading everything I’m doing right now. Oh, I hope I don’t think anything embarrassing, like about how cute her butt is. Damn it. I’m no good at this!

I peeked out from the prison cell and saw that I had at least forty more doors to bust down.

How am I going to get all of them to safety? There’s no way. But I gave them a chance to escape. The rest is up to them.

I ran by and blasted the doors open one by one. There was a guard who noticed me, but only one.

He turned to holler to his allies, but not before I tossed a silencing air dagger into his throat.

I rushed up and pile-drived him to the ground, making a disorienting low pitched demon laugh.

He got scared and reached for his knife.

I put on my invisible sound gloves and punched him repeatedly, making little squeaks at each impact.

This is too much fun.

He sliced my thigh with a hidden dagger.

I winced in pain before placing my fingers in his ears. “Sound Burst!”

A symphony of fireworks went off in his head, busting his eardrums and knocking him out.

Oh, yeah. All in a day’s work.

“You again!” yelled a voice.

I turned around to see four armed guards, including our resident CatBoy general: NeedleStack.

NeedleStack was wearing spiked bondage gear around his arms and legs. His chest was covered by a pink frilly apron. And he had that cute little sailor cap on, dignifying him as a general. His whole body was covered in fuzz and his head was shaped like a tabby cat, complete with a cute little pink nose. His jade eyes glared at me.

I’m going to die! Better make it flashy!

I grabbed the sword from the downed CatBoy and ran my hands up it. “Sound Imbue, Cacophony.”

I quickly put a sound barrier around my ears before clashing swords with the first CatBoy.

The sound of a jet engine burst out from the impact. It still rattled my eardrums and disoriented me but the other CatBoys, even the general, were on the ground with blood gushing from their heads.

I turned to run and felt a prickle in my foot.

Not good.

The tiny splinter in my foot expanded into a thorn. It kept expanding till it was coming out of both sides of my feet. I collapsed and my mask fell off on impact.

No! No! Amanda needs her cursed mask. I need it or I’m going to piss myself in terror!

“Don’t move or I’ll expand the next one,” said NeedleStack with grating rough voice.

I could feel a slight prickle on my chest. And then I felt my undies get soaked.

“I surrender,” I said, wiggling my legs in excitement.

I’m about to die again. Mmm, what a crazy rush!

He turned me over with his stiletto army boots. “If it isn’t the jewel of the village?”

“You say that like it’s a compliment. I’m only the jewel because I’m the only hero here without an angel.”

Yeah. Don’t let him learn about Annie.

“If you were any other hero, I would have killed you. But you’re a legend! Racheal: the Silent Symphony!” exclaimed NeedleStack, twirling a long metal thorn.

“Glad to see someone appreciates me around here.”

NeedleStack pierced my leg with the metal thorn. “Why are you stealing from us?”

“Girls do crazy things when they’re in love,” I said, forcing a smile.

He turned the thorn, making me gasp in pain. “Test my patience and I will kill you.”

“I’ve wanted to free the animals here for a while, just didn’t have the courage.”

“Then there must be a new development.” His smile widened. “A new angel perhaps?”

“More than that…the Betrayer was here.”

NeedleStack’s eyes got wide. “Then you best be careful.”

I am abruptly brought back into my body.

Racheal is in danger. I have to go rescue her!

I get up from the bed to see a large shadow looming over me.

Betrayer!

“Don’t get in my way!” I yelled, starring daggers at the massive RiftRipper.

“You were shaking so I brought you back to awareness.”

His tendrils spread out, blocking the exit to the room.

“I will give you a choice. Heal the girl or reunite with your little sister.” A portal opened up in his chest.

What should I do?

I broke down into tears. “Why are you testing me? Why did you hurt my mother!”

“Calm yourself. Nothing I do is personal or maybe…” His body contorts into an unnatural shape “all of it is?” His tendrils turn to face him. “What do you all think?”

“I don’t know where that portal leads! How can I even trust that my sister is there?” I asked, stepping up to him.

“Silence!” His shadow spread out like wings. “And listen.”

There was no mistaking it. I could hear her sleeping on the other side. My sister was in there. She was alive.

“Serving your kind is in my genetics. But how I do so.” He twisted his body into a thin spear and then reformed behind me. “That’s entirely up to me.” He opened up the portal in his chest again. His head fell off his body and looked up at me from the floor. “Have you decided?”

I held my shivering body.

Tumble was alive. I have to see her. But if I don’t save Racheal…she’s going to die. Racheal and I are going to make the journey together! Yeah! I’ve decided.

My lip quivered. “I…I want to see my little sister again!”

Wait. Why did I say that? I can’t just leave Racheal to die? Can I?

My hand was already in the portal. I reached out for Tumble.

I’m not going to abandon either of them.

I reached into the darkness and gripped her arm. I then pulled with all my might and fell back on my butt.

“Not playing by the rules.” His body loomed over and became jagged. “That calls for a penalty.”

My right arm was gone. It got separated from me when he closed the portal. But I wasn’t wounded. There was just a fleshy stump, with functioning veins.

My arm was over there but not separated from me.

“New decision: stay here or fight me to get to your hero.”

I wiped my tears and stood up. “I’ll fight you if I have to.”

Betrayer’s body contorted into hands that clapped robotically. The shadowy tendrils blocking the door then snapped back to his body. “That courageous spirit shall lead you to ruin if left unchecked. Just as it did for your mother. Sacrifice is the lifeforce of this world. Do not forget that.” He spun into a single dot and then out of existence.

I ran to the scary building. I slammed into the door three times before it opened up.

I ran toward Racheal but massive spikes suddenly grew around her, making a wall that blocked her off.

“Ah, this must be the little angel,” said an oddly dressed CatBoy. “I am NeedleStack. Known for being the most powerful of the CatBoy generals.”

“I don’t care who you are! Stay away from my Rachie!” I yelled, creating a sound blast with my hand.

NeedleStack at me and grinned. “You are all that stands between me and my final gold star.”

“He’s not lying. He’s the one who took over this village…the village he once was raised in!” yelled Racheal.

“Then let me heal her and I’ll go with you.”

His eyes popped. “Really?”

“I swear!”

What he doesn’t know is I have my tail crossed. Hee-hee.

NeedleStack shrank the spikes around Racheal.

I went to her side and immediately got to healing her wounds.

“Hey, Big Sis. I think we can take him down together,” I said softly.

“Too dangerous. And he lives here. We can’t just beat him up and escape. There’s no escaping them.”

I grabbed her hand. “Then we won’t beat him up. We’ll kill him.”

Racheal’s eyes got wide. Her mouth quivered. “Really?”

“Yeah. It’ll be our secret…our unbreakable bond.”

Racheal seized me in a hug. “Let’s do it.”

“I’m not deaf, you know,” said NeedleStack, his hands coated in tiny thistles.

“Then you were already warned,” I said.

“I’m no longer keen on taking you in alive,” said NeedleStack, tossing the thistles my way.

I clapped my hands, pushing the bad pointies aside.

Racheal kicked off the ground, and sliced NeedleStack’s chest.

A thorn grew out from the wound and pierced Racheal’s shoulder.

I slammed my hands together and created a soundwave.

“Die! Prickly Poison.”

My legs burned with pain.

Racheal’s shadow suddenly stood up and sliced off my legs.

Oh no! Not the Betrayer too!

“This battle has been delayed.” Betrayer dived into NeedleStack and opened up his cloak. The two of them then vanished from sight.

“That bastard will be back! You have to heal!” yelled Racheal, tearing the spikes out from my severed legs.

He saved me. But why? My head is dizzy.

“I’m honestly feeling pretty tired,” I said.

Everything went black.