Tess blocked another blow from Chariel before twisting to disengage. The deity seemed unfazed by his thwarted attack before catching the next blow from Charles, who had been coming at him from the side.

Tess took the opportunity to utilize a series of magical bolts as Charles kept the focus on him. Each projectile went precisely where she had intended, only to find each deflected or slashed just before impact.

The explosions of magic and energy, and the further sheer pressure caused by the physical clashes of weapons was devastating their surroundings. They had long since spilled from the cottage, which was missing large sections from it and what remained threatened collapse. Anyone with a functioning mind had fled the fortress, and those that did not were caught in the crossfire of the battle. Sadly, that included many who, for one reason or another, were unable to flee. Though every blow and every miss carried impact, Tess was unable to spare a moment for those people as Chariel kept applying more pressure.

She was confused by just how well Chariel was handling both of them without any issue. The openings they had been creating for the other to strike at vanished the instant they were targeted. It was as though he knew where they would be attacking without needing to see it. She paused as she watched the intense exchange just ahead of her.

Every move that Charles made, it seemed as though Chariel was already moving to intercept it. Each clash sent sparks flying. Though Charles grimaced from the effort, Chariel seemed bored as she watched. It was then that the insight hit her. He could read them because they were still utilizing the System to assist on their end. The System which Chariel had created, and thus placed within it the attacks that they were utilizing. In order to be unreadable, they would have to break free.

That was easier said than done. After all, Chariel was not going to let them out, nor would he stop the ongoing battle to allow them the time to do it themselves. Someone was going to have to keep Chariel from finding out what the other was doing. That someone right now was Charles.

Tess focused inwards, feeling for the energy of chaos, the energy of divinity, that was now a part of her. It still felt strange to think of herself as equal to a deity, but that was going to have to wait. She found it swirling within by following the trail she had linked to her blade. Immersing herself mentally into the swirling pool, she looked outwards, seeking the connection that bound her to the System.

A myriad of colors swirled through her mind’s eye, all streaming in from beyond her as they coalesced within. As she observed it, she gently reached out to touch various colors, seeing the connections that were bound to her. Each brought forth images in her mind and the complex feelings that reflected the nature of her relationship with that connection.

A deep red connection stood out as particularly intense. As Tess focused on it, a surge of emotion interrupted as images of Charles and her flooded forth. Many were moments of peace, stemming from the period where she would confide in his seemingly lifeless merchant form here within the Tutorial. She allowed herself to be drawn in by the imagery, reflecting on those moments when the world was less complex.

“-ss! Tess! Don’t let the power consume you!”

She gave a curious look towards Charles. He never said anything like that. He was just the Tutorial merchant. Where did this come from?

“Come back!”

“It’s too late for her.”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

The other voice shattered the image. Chariel, she was supposed to be fighting him. Another color that glowed a vibrant blue revealed itself. Grabbing onto it, she remembered the early days of struggling against the obtrusive interface of the System. This was what she had been here to find. Looking outside of herself, she focused on the equally vast swirling pool that marked Charles.

Next to Charles, an even more sizable vortex loomed menacingly over. From both, she saw the similarly vibrant blue connection. She grabbed both, dragging her own blue connection around the other two and tying them all together.

“What?! What is she doing?”

Tess could not explain how she understood what to do at that moment. As she raised the mental image of her hand and brought it down on the knot she had created, everything split exactly as she needed to. No details were left where they were not meant to. She brought her focus back outside of herself.

“What did you do!” Chariel shouted, now standing over her.

Charles had been knocked away, and now the angry deity was about to run her through with his blade. Infusing the Witchblade again, Tess desperately and clumsily swung it to deflect Chariel’s move.

It was partially successful, as instead of piercing her heart his blade dug into her shoulder. The pain was intense as it seemed like her armor had offered no defense at all. Not even the regenerative effects of her cloak were kicking in, which meant her arm was practically useless at the moment. None-the-less, she smirked in triumph.

“I broke your control over both of us.”

“It’s not possible. I had those connections secured,” Chariel growled, attacking again.

Despite fighting one handed, Tess felt surprisingly good now as she once more crossed blades with Chariel. In fact, she noticed that he seemed slow compared to before. Gaps in his guard began to appear, allowing her to slip in a few hits.

“Yet I broke them all the same,” Tess countered after slicing into his left thigh.

Chariel stumbled back as he put space between them. It was clear to her that he no longer intended to remain here, where he no longer had an advantage over them. Reaching out, she found the energy within and this time did not lose herself within its depths. She spread it out, forming a shell around the place they were. A sharp attack came at a point from within the shell.

“No! How? This is not how it should work!”

Tess could see the fear and confusion on the surface, Chariel’s facade of calm and anger was broken. Unfortunately that unlocked the desperation and he charged at her.

“No.”

Charles intercepted his originator, stopping well before Tess was in danger. With a seemingly effortless flick, something that until just a few moments ago was beyond him, Charles disarmed Chariel. The deity’s mystical blade spiraled through the air and buried itself in the ground.

“It’s over,” Charles declared.

Tess stepped up next to him. Together, they stared down at the deity that had been a looming threat. Now, he almost appeared to be helpless as he cowered there on the ground.

“It wasn’t supposed to go like this.”

“The many others who’ve died because of your actions thought that too,” Tess said.

“I implemented order, control. Those who aren’t deities will never be able to control divinity! I had to save them from themselves!”

“And when something threatens that, you just eliminate it?” Tess countered.

“I’ve always done what’s needed to protect everyone.”

“Well, it’s over now. Shut down the System. It’s time to let the people advance when they’re ready.”

“You’re going to let me go?” Chariel asked in disbelief.

“I’m not the one you’ve wronged the most,” Tess answered.

With that, she turned away.

“It’s time for us to go,” Charles stated.

Tess sensed the opening of a portal, which she allowed to leave the shell she had constructed, and Charles stepped through with Chariel in tow. When the portal closed, a great pressure seemed to fall from her shoulders and she let out a sigh.

“It’s done,” she said.

“Is it?”