“All hail his Imperial Greatness, Daniel, and her Imperial Greatness, Hekate, for leading us to victory against the invasion!” calls out Balamae’s voice as Shek and Skloe are preparing ingredients for the first batch of baked treats they intend to make. They listen happily, cheering as Balamae continues over the strange, faceless voice that fills the whole Citadel. “With his superior intellect and strength, our beloved Emperor Daniel drove back the hostile invaders! Please join us in celebrating His Grace’s victory and to welcome him home at the eastern gate!”

Suddenly, the golem woman appears before Shek and Skloe, surprising them a little, but they’re mostly used to it. Balamae doesn’t have a face to smile with, but Shek can tell by her voice that she’s pleased. “Ladies Shek and Skloe, I have a favor to ask.”

“Shek and Skloe go to east gate!” says Shek happily. Skloe nods in agreement. “Skloe and Shek celebrate with Ma-Daniel! Make treats later!”

“Actually, the favor I need is to help Daniel. He’s not really coming back yet.”

They both gasp, and Shek asks quickly, “Daniel safe?”

“He’s alright. For now, he’s fighting in the central camp. But, to lure out the intruders, I want them to believe he’s returning to the Citadel.”

“What Skloe and Shek have do?” asks Skloe nervously.

“I’ll protect you with strong magic barriers, but I want you to excitedly greet the fake Daniel and fake Hekate like they’re the real ones. Ideally, while you’re hugging Daniel, it’ll make it easy for them to identify him. Then, you’ll lure him to your private quarters in town.”

“But, not real Daniel.”

“You won’t have to do anything with the fake Daniel. It’ll just be an illusion anyways. We’re trying to trick the intruders so they don’t kidnap anyone like last time.”

Shek hugs her belly gently, which is large and heavy.

She nods. “Shek want help Daniel. Shek love Daniel.”

Balamae nods. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you or Daniel’s precious children. I just want you to act like you’re separating Daniel from the crowd.”

Shek and Skloe nod in understanding.

Balamae teleports them to the entrance of the castle, and they both make their way quickly through the crowds that have gathered. The golems keep the path to the castle clear, so Shek and Skloe are able to walk down the middle. Ahead, entering through the Citadel’s perimeter wall, is what appears to be Daniel and Hekate, but Shek feels strange. She doesn’t feel her usual happiness at seeing Daniel. She feels nothing gazing upon his lookalike, even though it looks exactly like him with his helmet off as he walks in, waving to the many people gathered to see him.

Shek glances at Skloe, who is unsure as well.

Regardless, they agreed to do this to help Daniel, even if it isn’t really Daniel.

They both nod confidently, and they fall into character. “Daniel! Daniel!” They both cheer his name as they jog towards him, and he spots them, hopping down from a buckrokh. “Shek! Skloe! Did you miss me?” The lookalike is convincing, but he isn’t quite the same. Shek still feels nothing for him, but she continues her role.

She hugs him alongside Skloe, and he wraps his arms around her. He kisses both of their cheeks, petting their bellies. It doesn’t feel right, but Shek agreed to allow it. She says as excitedly as she can, “Daniel! Shek and Skloe miss you. We celebrate victory?”

‘Daniel’ smiles warmly. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” He looks at Hekate, saying, “My beautiful Lady, I’ll meet up with you later.”

The Hekate lookalike replies haughtily, “Fine, but you have to spend the rest of the night with me afterwards!”

He nods with a grin, “Sounds good. See you in a bit.”

Daniel then stands up, saying warmly to Shek and Skloe, “Please lead the way.”

The two goblins nod, leading Daniel by the hands towards the simple little town cottage that he provided for them to live in when they’re spending time in town, rather than the Citadel, which is usually when Daniel is out on missions.

They lead him into the townhouse, and ‘Daniel’ begins taking his armor off. Shek isn’t too happy about it, but she plays along. She’s not sure what’s supposed to happen, but she and Skloe have to be part of the plan to help Daniel.

Just as the three are climbing into bed, something crackles behind Shek. She gasps and looks, finding a man in dark clothing with a shortsword, recoiling with shock in his eyes, the only thing visible through the wrapping around his face and head.

Similarly, Skloe is hit by an attack that nearly stops Shek’s heart, but it bounces off of a glowing layer surrounding the goblin woman. “Wh-What!?” cries out the second attacker.

The Daniel lookalike suddenly changes form, revealing itself to be a soldier golem, and it pounces at the first attacker, the one that tried to hit Shek. Shek and Skloe cuddle together, but the second attacker tries to take one of them hostage, only to be electrocuted. It’s terrifying to the two goblins, and two more attackers rush into the room. “What’s going-!?” The two new assailants are immediately grabbed from behind and impaled below the ribs by two more golems that were invisible in the room, their mouths covered to prevent screams.

Balamae appears in the room suddenly, as if stepping out of thin air, and she approaches Shek and Skloe. “I apologize for frightening you, your Majesties. Please forgive me.”

“D-D-Daniel s-safe?” asks Shek nervously, still hugging Skloe.

“Yes. You did your jobs perfectly, thank you. We’ll begin the questioning of these men and the six we found outside. Return to the Citadel, please.”

Shek and Skloe nod, nervously getting dressed and returning to the castle entrance. There, one of the other golem Mana Guides from one of the other districts is waiting for them, and he teleports Shek and Skloe back into the secured zone, where their ingredients are ready for use.

“Thank you for your help, Lady Shek, Lady Skloe.”

“Sh-Shek happy to help,” replies the goblin queen nervously.

Skloe nods, fidgeting with her hands.

“Balamae apologizes again for the fright you experienced. I will ensure Daniel is informed to comfort you at the soonest possible time available.”

Shek nods, and Skloe whimpers, “Y-Yes, Please.”

***

Hekate cackles as she fires ice rifles in quick succession, passing each one back into the cabin from the turret hatch she’s poking her torso out of. In the cabin of the rover, as Daniel drives, Illianna cranks the recocking handle to reset the crystals inside. “Yes! Flee, you fools! You are facing the dreaded Empress Hekate Fell Lawson! Nothing is more terrifying than-...!”

Just before she finishes, a platinum-colored stream tears across the sky, and flames erupt in a wide swath of destruction. Ryuogriar’s strafe specifically closes the soldiers in, leaving behind a trail of fire. A second offensive fly-by from an orange blur streaks by, and another wall of fire erupts. The soldiers, who were fleeing and avoiding Hekate’s ice shots are now fleeing and screaming as they try to escape the dragons and their fire.

Of course, it would be forgivable to assume that they aren’t dragons, as they’re both in their human forms still, and they catch up to the rover, flying alongside. Hekate shouts over the noise, “Show offs!”

Ryuogriar chuckles, and Geirahoel adds, “That useless dragon was taking too long.”

“Mukori, you did not wait for us,” states Ryuogriar near the window.

“I knew you’d catch up,” retorts Daniel playfully. Daniel steers around a handful of people that are fleeing from the flames, and Hekate shouts, “Hey! I’m scarier than them! I’m just not trying to hurt anyone right now!”

“Mind the shrapnel, Hekate,” calls Daniel. “Geira, Ryuo, we’ll-...” “LOOK OUT!” shouts Vaergraes as she points ahead, attempting to generate a magic barrier.

The warning comes too late. A flash races in, and Daniel can barely see it. It slams the front of the rover, and it’s all he can do to brace himself as the front end crumples, and he can feel vertigo as the whole rover pivots.

He’s fairly sure the rover shouldn’t try to front end flip from a simple head-on collision, however, he is able to crack his right eye open as shrapnel shards of glass and metal spray all around the rover.

‘Below’ him ahead of the rover is a humanoid figure using a magic staff. He can only tell because there are strange, flame- or smoke-like swirls coming from the staff and connected to the rover as it front-flips over the person. He wants to call out for the others to brace themselves, but he can’t do anything but clench, waiting for the inevitable tumble. He can barely hear anything else.

The rover slams the ground, tumbling violently as pieces of it are scattered across the field.

Daniel coughs himself out of his momentary daze or blackout, and he has a surreal feeling, like a dream. He has been in a car wreck before, and as his senses slowly return with the adrenaline kicking in, he recognizes the feeling itself. It helps him begin processing again, and he has to move quickly.

He’s hanging upside down, with Vaergraes next to him in the passenger seat. Illianna has already freed herself, having flopped to the roof of the rover, which is now the ‘bottom’. She wearily scrambles forward, calling, “M-My Lady!”

Vaergraes coughs, replying, “I’m alright.”

An explosion rattles them, and Daniel coughs as well. “We need to move!” He pats his chest, finding the hilt of a knife, and he pulls it free, cutting his seatbelt, doing his best to land as carefully as possible as he drops from his seat.

He then helps Illianna get Vaergraes down. They all have scrapes and cuts, but thankfully, no broken bones. “Illianna, the door,” calls out Daniel.

He is acutely aware that Hekate is nowhere present, but he has to get free to figure out what happened to her. He prays her god-like strength will protect her, or that the feldroks of the past are looking out for her, but he can’t do anything until he frees himself.

Illianna uses a spell to blast the driver’s door free, and Daniel climbs out, using the rover to support himself.

The air is heavy with smoke, which only exacerbates his cough and clouds the area. He draws his pistol, as well as Nemaisol, which seems to actively be resisting him. “Please, Nemaisol. Please help me…” He coughs, and the sword finally slides free of its scabbard. He keeps Nemaisol in his hand as he crouches down, helping Illianna and then Vaergraes out of the vehicle.

A glow draws his attention as they’re checking over each other, and his instincts crawl. He places himself in front of the two Uhl’tall with Nemaisol at the ready, and a lance of energy streaks across the ground, slicing through the dirt and exploding it, only prevented from bisecting the three thanks to Nemaisol’s negation of magic attacks. The proof is the clean cuts through the remains of the rover, with a gap only where they’re standing.

Daniel asks over his shoulder, “Y-You two alright?”

“Yes,” replies Vaergraes. “It’s… her.”

“Her?” asks Daniel, coughing.

His blood runs cold when a very familiar voice cries out in pain; Geirahoel. She emerges from the smoke, one of her wings tattered, and she crawls towards Daniel.

“Geira!” Daniel pushes through his own pain and bruises, running to the orange dragon.

Stolen novel; please report.

“D-Daniel! Stay back!” cries out Geirahoel.

A figure suddenly flashes in with a long staff-weapon. One end of the staff has what appears to be a magic crystal, glowing with various colors of energy, some of which swirl around the crystal in smoke-like auras.

The other end of the staff is a metallic blade with a rainbow gradient that shifts with magic energy around it.

Daniel snaps his arm up as he comes to a stop, pulling the trigger as fast as he can cycle his finger.

The attacker is wearing what Daniel would describe as assassin’s clothes, similar to a video game on Earth. While not the same, and lacking the wrist daggers, the hooded light armor accommodates the assailant’s speed and agility, while obscuring their facial features. She is attempting to spear Geirahoel in the back, but is forced to shift to defense as the bullets of his pistol ricochet off of a barrier.

Daniel loses track of his remaining shots, and his pistol clicks as the slide locks back, his last shot spent. He flinches at the realization, and he shoves the pistol into its holster, gripping Nemaisol as he moves closer to Geirahoel. The woman stalks in a cautious circle.

“Geira, talk to me,” calls out Daniel without looking at her. “Tell me you’re okay.”

“D-Daniel! I-... I’m sorry!”

Daniel is biding his time. He’s anticipating a certain move. He has no idea who this woman is or what her capabilities are, but she can move lightning fast.

The crystal on the staff glows, and he shifts his weight, changing direction in that instant.

The spear appears next to him as the woman flashes towards him, and he winces as he feels it slash his side, avoiding impaling him completely by a narrow margin.

Thankfully, he gets what he wanted. She stumbles, and he closes in on her, elbowing her chest. His own body is sore and weak from the wreck, as well as the fact that she just injured him further. She is caught off guard by Daniel’s ability to suddenly keep up with her, but he’s just a normal human.

And now, at least for the moment, so is she.

Daniel does his best to slash Nemaisol through the spear, and she narrowly avoids him cutting the polearm in half. She tries to dart away, but Daniel stays close, keeping Nemaisol within a few feet of her.

She seems to be flustered, but she’s still a better fighter than Daniel. She suddenly switches tactics, using the loss of momentum of one of Daniel’s swings to parry as she spins, briefly abandoning her spear as she grapples his arm. She loops her own legs up and across his chest as she all but wraps herself around his right arm, yanking him down like a martial arts master. This places her in an armbar with Daniel, and he cries out.

Just as quickly, she is forced to roll free as Vaergraes and Illianna launch magical attacks, only hindered by their attempts to avoid hitting Daniel. The assassin rolls up to her feet, reclaiming her spear.

Just as Daniel is climbing to a standing position, Geirahoel, having scrambled to him, grabs his waist.

“Daniel! You can’t! You have to run!”

“No! Not while you’re in danger!”

Daniel shields his face instinctively as a powerful magic blast hits Illianna’s barrier, shattering the barrier. Vaergraes moves to defend Illianna, and Daniel begins to realize that this attacker is at least as powerful as Vaergraes, which is a high bar.

“Where is Hekate?” asks Daniel.

“I don’t know! She disappeared in the smoke!”

Daniel cycles through his magic bag, finding a semiautomatic rifle. He also hands Geirahoel a healing potation. “Geira, Mukori, take this. I’m going to help those two!” He pulls himself free of her, and she tries to object, but she quickly drinks the potation.

Daniel takes a knee, coughing again as his ribs burn. He does his best to steady himself with the rifle, taking aim. The attacker is trying to close the distance on Vaergraes and Illianna, and he opens fire.

Now, the attacker’s on defense, needing to focus on a barrier, and their shift in posture suggests whoever it is found this surprising, since the rifle is slamming the barrier harder. Daniel stops firing briefly to dig in his pouch, and she makes her move.

Daniel springs to his feet, barely having time to grip Nemaisol and prevent it from returning to its sheath.

He doesn’t have enough time to avoid the attack.

The spear finds its mark this time, and Daniel flinches. He is at once in a duality of thoughts.

He knows he has been stabbed. He’s certain of it. He knows pain is searing through his nerve endings in a bid for response from his brain. He knows blood is leaving the wound.

In contrast, he also doesn’t feel anything. If anything, he feels cold around the point of impact, rather than pain. And yet, cold doesn’t feel right either.

Again, the surreal feeling has returned, and reality doesn’t feel real anymore. He has what he wanted in his hand, but it was foolish to try to get it.

Maybe.

Motion catches his eye as the attacker draws closer, grabbing his chest and using him as a human shield. Daniel coughs up blood as the spear is removed from his torso. His vision is fading, and his mind is becoming foggy.

No, one last thing. Do one last thing, Daniel.

He draws his hands together as Nemaisol falls to the ground. He pulls them apart with the last of his strength. And, the last conscious decision he makes, though he can’t even be sure he carries it out, is to reach behind him with his right hand.

***

“DANIEL!” screams Geirahoel. Her body bursts into flames as she begins panting, fire rolling from her mouth as she prepares to unleash every ounce of her magical power. “You’re not leaving this place! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you! I swear to all who will listen, I will kill you!”

The assassin keeps Daniel between himself and the three magically powered women, who are keeping close to defend each other. Vaergraes and Illianna are losing magical power, and Geirahoel is prepared to use the last of her own to annihilate the assassin, but the only thing holding her back is Daniel fading in the assassin’s arms.

Suddenly, a fast movement swoops in. A humanoid figure with grey hair and a grey tail pounces onto the assassin’s back, biting seemingly harmlessly and catching the assassin off guard. The assassin screams, a confirmed female voice, and just as quickly, the newcomer kicks in a forward flip reaching his hand out to touch Daniel’s shoulder as he flips over the assassin’s head. With this touch, a swift magic spell takes place, swirling smoke around Daniel and the newcomer; none other than Choul.

Suddenly, Daniel falls lifelessly out of the air, while Choul is in the grasp of the assassin. Daniel tumbles on the damaged field, free of the assassin, but still bleeding profusely from his newest wound and not making a sound.

Choul uses his toe to kick Nemaisol up into the air, and surprisingly, it moves, flipping up into perfect reach…

… for the assassin. Geirahoel watches in disgust and horror, until the assassin tries to snatch the sword before Choul does, only for the sword to suddenly drop and yank the assassin to the ground, screaming as the sword begins electrocuting her. Additionally, an explosion erupts from the assassin’s hip, mostly consisting of smoke and shrapnel as the assassin cries out, knocked free of the sword electrocuting her. Geirahoel recognizes the explosion as one of Daniel’s creations. He must’ve slipped it onto the assassin in his last conscious moments.

There’s a crackling explosion behind Geirahoel that startles her, and she glances, only to find Ryuogriar snap a person’s neck, with Hekate wiping her face. The other person is similarly dressed to the assassin that just took down Daniel, and this one is weakened by Nemaisol, Daniel’s sword that Geirahoel was certain only he could wield. Choul lunges to the side quickly, and a blast hits him in the chest, knocking him in a tumble towards Geirahoel. She is stunned for the last moment. The grey dragon calls out, “Quickly! I can’t finish him!”

Geirahoel needs no further words. She inhales deeply, but instead of breathing fire or creating a firelance, which the wounded assassin braces for, she ‘spits’, pouncing to Daniel to cover him with her body.

The assassin was able to block the spitshot, clinging to consciousness from the wound on her side from the grenade explosion, but it’s not a normal flame. It’s a trick she decided to try after Daniel explained the elemental magic guns he made.

What she ‘spit’ is a concentrated pocket of magic, as well as ignityal -the highly volatile flammable biofluid that serves as the core fuel to her firebreath-, and a reactive mix of her venom, all pressurized by her spitting action.

A second after she covers Daniel, and the assassin tries to move, a violent, colorful, and fiery explosion blasts the area, shaking Geirahoel as she clings to Daniel, trying to protect him. She can feel her dress tearing and burning away, but her body will remain.

The spear clatters to the dirt and gravel, its blade pinging against Nemaisol, which is the moment when Nemaisol vanishes, reappearing in the scabbard on Daniel’s hip. A charred body stumbles back, all but hissing as the last sound that can leave its lungs and cross its lips. Or, what remains of its flesh around its teeth.

The arms dissolve into ash in an instant, and one of the legs does the same, causing the body to fall with a hapless flop to the ground.

The assassin is dead, finally.

However…

“Daniel!” screams Geirahoel as she sits up. Her clothes are in tatters, but she doesn’t care. She only wears clothes because it’s proper in her human form. And, she wears the dresses she wears because she likes how they look, and to her (secret) delight, Daniel likes them, too.

But, now is no time for delight. She shakes Daniel’s shoulders, crying, “Daniel!” Tears are pouring down her cheeks, and she does her best to try to stop the bleeding, but he hasn’t moved or shown any signs of life for a long time.

Hekate crashes into their personal space as she drops next to Daniel on his other side, crying out, “Daniel! Don’t you dare! Wake up, Daniel! You don’t have my permission to go!” Both of them are already sobbing, and Ryuogriar stumbles towards them, unable to form thoughts.

Vaergraes and Illianna remain at a distance.

Choul coughs as he sits up, watching them. “What are you doing!? Heal him!”

Geirahoel shrieks at him, “SHUT UP! You didn’t protect him! How could you not protect him!? You have no right to speak!”

Still, Choul insists, “I don’t get it! He doesn’t have time! Heal him!”

“It won’t work!” snaps Hekate. “Daniel doesn’t have mana, so he can’t… he can’t…” She begins sobbing, hugging Daniel as his blood stains her lightly armored combat dress.

Geirahoel hugs Daniel’s hand, kissing it and trying to awaken him, too. Without magic, his only chance is natural healing. They don’t have any time to move him.

“H-Hekate! We need to teleport!”

“I can’t!” cries Hekate. “That… person did something to me!”

Vaergraes replies quietly, “Magic nullification. The spear’s blade has it as well.”

Again, Choul insists, “What do you have to lose!? Someone heal him! Please! I beg of you!”

Ryuogriar’s face twists in anger as Hekate and Geirahoel glare at the grey dragon. The platinum dragon walks over to Daniel, standing over Hekate and Geirahoel. She begins casting healing magic on him, chanting as calmly as she can, though she’s barely holding it together herself. She doesn’t even know why she’s trying…

Daniel coughs, startling all three of them. Hekate cries, “D-Daniel! Daniel, we’re here!”

“Keep going!” insists Choul. “Please!” The area around them is still obscured by smoke, but he, Vaergraes, and Illianna are alert for anyone closing in on them.

Ryuogriar continues using healing magic on Daniel, now using both hands and channeling as much of her energy as she can muster, creating an eerie, ethereal and swirling mist of golden green magic. Daniel seems to be breathing, if slowly, but it’s more obvious than a moment ago, and as Hekate and Geirahoel watch, urging him to return to them, they both gasp. Ryuogriar opens her eyes, and they all watch as one of the more obvious cuts on his cheek closes before their eyes.

“I-It’s working!” cries out Hekate. “It’s-It’s really working!” She laughs in relief, though she’s still sobbing as well. Geirahoel cries, throwing her weight onto his chest.

Choul sighs in relief. “I kept wondering why you all said that…”

Everyone looks at him, not understanding what he means. Choul replies gently with caution, “I obviously don’t know him too well yet, and it’s very faint, but… I detected mana in him the day we met.”

This shocks the five women, who, to their knowledge, have always known Daniel to lack all magic entirely. Wenlianna even confirmed that they were able to quantitatively define it with the artifact under the castle of the capital of Mornistae.

In spite of that, even the grievous stab wound is closing, including the internal organs. It seems like it’s draining Ryuogriar, but he is healing before their eyes.

“Potations!” cries out Hekate. She begins digging in her bag as Geirahoel shifts to cradle Daniel and sit him up a little on her lap to make it easier to feed him the potations.

They bicker about how to feed him the potations, but ultimately settle on being cautious, pouring it into his mouth slowly.

Vaergraes jogs up as Ryuogriar begins losing strength, “Let me take over, Lady Ryuogriar.”

The platinum dragon in human form nods, slumping and dropping to her knees as Vaergraes takes over the healing magic. Vaergraes has the most magic of anyone present, except Hekate, if Hekate’s magic wasn’t blocked. Ideally, it’ll be enough even for the inefficient healing of Daniel, and Illianna asks as she keeps watch, “Could this have been the case all along?”

Hekate shakes her head. “No. He said he has had potations before, but they didn’t do anything at all.”

Ryuogriar points out as she catches her breath, holding Daniel’s free left hand with both of hers, “As long as he recovers, we can figure it out later. Choul… I’m… I’m sorry I doubted you.”

Geirahoel flinches. She glances at Choul, but she doesn’t say anything.

Choul replies gently, “I have no grudges or regrets remaining. I live to serve my Liege, now. And, I obviously need to get stronger… to protect him more adequately.”

Geirahoel hugs Daniel more firmly in her lap, cupping his cheeks with her hands. “I still don’t forgive you… B-But… I… You… You did… get him away from that assassin.”

“Who were those people?” asks Hekate.

Everyone shakes their heads. “I don’t know,” replies Vaergraes. “But, their mana is… surprising. I had thought the only remaining human-kin with that much magical power was an elf.”

Choul adds, “I know of whom you speak, Lady Archpriestess. These two did not fight in the manner of Senn. It was more like a demon-kin.” During his remark, Choul claims the spear of the fallen attacker, and Hekate points at the one she and Ryuogriar finished. “Let’s store that one. When we can, we can revive him and peel every inch of skin off of him before healing him until he answers all of our questions.”

Geirahoel growls, “I’d rather the other one…”

Choul perks up. “Looks like he had his own plans.” He lunges to the one Hekate fought, gripping the back of his skull just as he was starting to lift his head. The man flinches, though Choul can unfortunately do nothing about it.

Illianna is there in an instant, sprinting to them. She borrows the spear from Choul, finishing the assassin once more.

“How…!?” starts Hekate.

Illianna states, “We should retreat from here and regroup, now that Daniel is safe.”

Vaergraes nods, “I-I think I closed all of the internal and external wounds, but… That took most of my magic as well.”

Ryuogriar pets Daniel’s cheek, saying tenderly, “That we can heal him at all is worth it.”

“One thing, though,” starts Vaergraes as she looks at Choul. “How were you able to manipulate Nemaisol?”

Choul scoffs and smirks as he shrugs. “That last spell? That was the last of my mana. If I understand correctly, Nemaisol simply hates magic. If it makes you feel better, it did shock me.”

The others stare at him for a moment in disbelief.

***