Lecra’Moro’s mind worked frantically as Demon tested his mechanical body; he took a single step forward, making several simultaneous movements to acclimate to the new form.
“Hmm … bodies have such a strange movement system…”
Without warning, he sped up, moving quick enough to alarm Lecra’Moro’s own comfortable combat-oriented mind; he cleared the barrier, mace-like weapon cleaving through the air to get tangled in Camellia’s web, yet stone and wood made splintering sounds as they were pulled away from the walls, clearing the path.
Camellia dodged the rapidly advancing machine without much issue, only to be met by an even quicker leg sweep that swept over the blue-skinned warrior’s face and sent the human-shaped girl flying through the opposite door, chunks of wood and stone exploding inward as she was carried through.
He hit Camellia—How can we win? She can survive a blow like that, though, can’t she?
Try as he might, even thinking was difficult after one of his heads had been removed—few Quen’Talrat survived such a deadly wound, and those that did were generally forced to relearn various things, but he was Undead, which granted him a degree of fortitude and stillness.
Having two utterly disabled arms, amputated toes, and one of his heads removed was a rather unfortunate turn of events; it was all done by the blue-skinned creature Jumi’kerune called Tura.
“Excellent movements, my Lord!” Jumi’kerune cheered, closely watching the figure as Demon returned to a stationary position. “... My Lord?”
“Mmh…” Demon’s fist, holding the mace, began to tremble a bit, electricity somewhat erratic between his pieces. “Yes—there are many tweaks and modifications that need to be done, yet—no, this is the best that can be done at this point.”
He couldn’t see Imiunarus but knew he was behind him, creeping further into the room; the Nalvean was likely trying to come up with any solution possible.
Kuska’Mugimi, the Quen’Talrat that was ordered to open him up to see how his physiology differed from the living, gazed at Demon’s stationary figure in wonder as he continued to adjust. Lecra’Moro kept close study of the green-furred woman; she was the key to everything.
“I’m going to cut you free,” Imiunarus whispered through the Nexus, likely unsure if Demon could tap into it. “We need to complete the mission—grab Jumi’kerune and run back to the Empress—we were not tasked nor prepared for this challenge. Is there a way through the barrier?”
Hmm… Lecra’Moro knew more about how things would progress than the small sea-lover behind him. Hold on—we might have a chance. Do you see Kuska’Mugimi, next to me? She has an extra card in her pouch—a device that allows entry through the barriers that she used for me; steal it while she’s distracted.
“... I’m on it.”
Imiunarus had enough time to weaken his right restraint, which was perfect; even at her base--while not a warrior--the green-furred woman was strong enough to at least put up a fight against Imiunarus; his skills were best utilized by working in the shadow of the commotion.
Stay hidden; Camellia should be able to buy us time.
“For? Mmh … She took a heavy hit.”
It was true, but he could still sense she was alright, just recovering after the blow, and transforming back to her original form since her metamorphosis Skill reached its limit.
Demon’s deep, hypnotic voice echoed around the room from the odd contraption. “Jumi’kerune, there is much to be done—prepare the way below while Jumi’calro takes over the plan for the manor.”
“Ah, you are correct, Lord!” the eccentric, elderly Nalvean replied, motioning to the small Nalvean woman with a Thélméthra by her side. “Come! It will take a moment to get the loading bay ready.”
“I was hoping to see the Lord in action,” Hisuki mumbled; he’d only heard her name three times from her entrance. “... The end of that Thélméthra, as well,” she murmured, glaring at the hole.
“Hmm?” Jumi’kerune waved a dismissive hand, moving to a rune engraved console to his right. “Irrelevant! Irrelevant! There is too much to do; the Lord will make quick work of her; I am sure.”
“I … U-Umm, Master Jumi’kerune?” Jumi’calro mumbled, nervously tearing the silk wrapped around his arm while glancing between Demon and the Grand Inventor. “W-What do you wish me to—to do?”
He’d been stuttering and fidgeting the moment things seemed to get out of hand, clearly not able to deal with pressure very well.
Lecra’Moro caught Imiunarus using the side of a table as a platform, digging his claws into the wood and pulling himself up to get high enough to sneak a hand into the bag around the distracted Quen’Talrat’s waist.
The small metal slab; quickly, before she returns through the barrier! Her’s is attached to her necklace; it...
“I … I can’t find it—Gah! She’s moving away!”
Jumi’kerune finished tapping and tracing a few places on the console nearest to the right wall, causing it to peel back, revealing an elevator that would take them to the lowest levels of the maze-like tunnels, expanded by their Thélméthra pets. “The Ender Protocols,” he replied, glancing back at the Quen’Talrat. “Kuska’Mugimi! Hurry! You must trigger the release mechanisms from outside.”
“R-Right…”
With their one-ticket getting away and Imiunarus about to draw attention to himself, Lecra’Moro made a decision as Camellia smashed through a wall in a rage beside the door, not even bothering with the weaker substance.
Demon’s attention was pulled to the eight-legged creature as a web began twisting around the mace in his hand. “... You will not leave this place!” she roared.
Her mind was a frenzy of emotions, making it difficult to reason with, which had Lecra’Moro a bit unnerved; her sisters were far more orderly, but that didn’t mean Camellia wasn’t. Something had really gotten underneath her exoskeleton to have the deadly creature in somewhat of a panic.
“Your species was always rather resilient,” Demon commented, blurring into action again to kill Camellia; there were noticeable gaps and miscalculations with his movements, though, and Camellia was beginning to understand the strange turns and twists the mace’s spins made.
However, Kuska’Mugimi’s attention shot to Lecra’Moro in shock as he applied pressure to his right hand, tension causing the mostly broken strap to snap. “Heh—You thought you were safe,” he grinned, using his newfound leverage to rip the rest of his restraints off, and lurch forward.
“W-Wha … No! G-Get away from me!” she cried, stumbling back in a panic, which caused Imiunarus to dive behind a nearby shelf to not get stepped on.
Lecra’Moro’s attack was successful, snatching her necklace with his good hand and ripping it off, throwing it behind several random objects for Imiunarus to find. It couldn’t be his focus, though, or they’d get suspicious, and so he dove on top of the woman before she could get behind the barrier.
She struggled to get him off, but he was much larger and stronger than her, being weak and below average size for their race, his weight pinned her to the ground. Left stump holding down her right arm and left reaching for her head to rip it off—it would be easy … except…
“Lecra’Moro?!” Imiunarus screamed in his mind, but he already knew what was coming—it was something he planned for.
Time slowed in his mind as he watched the blue-skinned warrior exit the battle area where Camellia and Demon were locked in battle, devastating any furniture, shelf, or device in their path, small, dagger-like weapons appearing from the smoke he generated to carry him off the Quen’Talrat.
This was it—the end of his second life; it was a strange and wild ride, but he performed his task to the best of his abilities—it just wasn’t enough.
* * *
Frustration coursed through Imiunarus’s Undead veins; he’d activated his minimal cloaking abilities that weren’t anywhere near Camellia’s level, and she was an Elite Warrior, not an Assassin.
He tried to get the item Lecra’Moro wanted him to get, but the blasted cancerous furry beast kept shifting and tensing as she looked at Demon and Camellia, beginning their fight again.
She at least knew that she had to draw Demon’s attention—at least, he hoped she was doing this on purpose. The girl was more than capable of multi-tasking to a near-impossible degree, but things were swiftly spiraling out of control.
Lecra’Moro’s last moments flashed before his eyes; the massive brute of a Quen’Talrat Elite Hunter’s hand was seeking to find the proper grip to rip one of Kuska’Mugimi’s heads clean off.
“Imiunarus, Camellia,” he muttered, displaying a wicked, crazed grin that could match Camellia’s, yet he sounded at peace. “Let the others leave—they’ll pull back, thinking we’re all going to die by Demon’s hands. Remember…”
The blades of the blue creature hit his damaged right side, throwing him back and exposing his ripped open chest as Kuska’Mugimi scrambled into the barrier.
“... Jumi’calro can do what the Empress needs, and the left leg of Demon’s body is un…”
His voice cut off as the blade tore through multiple organs.
A smile was on his lips, or at least Imiunarus thought it was a smile as his shaking hand lifted, trying to grasp his killer. “H-Heh—in the end—I am happy to have met my fate by you … Tura…”
He was severed from Imiunarus’s personal network, and he died for a second time; his glowing internal organs sent greenish smoke billowing out upon being ruptured, mixing with Tura’s darkness.
Everyone but Demon and Camellia stared at the swiftly withering Quen’Talrat as the light in his eyes and torn open chest faded, followed by the rapid decay of his fur, skin, muscle, and organs, ending with his cracked bones.
An internal fear touched Imiunarus’s chest as he watched the Death Energy fade, and the blue-skinned assassin jumped into the shell out of fear of a last, deadly attack from the Quen’Talrat.
“Hmm,” Jumi’kerune rubbed the side of his face, “Fascinating … but we have things to do!” he stated, clapping his hands and ushering them below. “No more delays! Oh, and the sooner you complete the required schedule, you may join us, Jumi’calro—What a day!”
Imiunarus watched them go in a partial daze; the blue-skinned creature took one look at him, quickly penetrating his stealth feats as the battle between Camellia and Demon was taken through a wall and into another room. After a moment, he rubbed his arm, glanced at the fight the two creatures were having, and turned away, retreating below with the baby Thélméthra, Hisuki, and Kuska’Mugimi.
He spared my life … No, Camellia!
“They can’t escape! They can’t!” she cried. “Mmghhgh! This thing is so frustrating! Why is it so tough?!”
We have to let them go … Focus on the left leg! Lecra’Moro said the left leg wasn’t completed; it’s a weak point! I’m going to grab the boy and carry him out…
Camellia must have taken another hit because she didn’t respond, and moments later, another explosion sounded with Demon’s laughter. “Is this all you have, Thélméthra Princess? I watched you hunt throughout your life, and you are capable of so much more…”
Imiunarus’s gut tightened, and he sped into action; he was now alone in the room with Jumi’calro; if they just managed to get him, then it would be worth it—he could free Princess Tal’tamine.
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Snatching the metal tablet the size of his clawed hand, he found it surprisingly heavy; tucking it under his arm, he dashed out from behind the equipment, causing the young Nalvean boy’s eyes to widen.
“W-What?! Where did you…”
Before he could tackle him, Jumi’calro made a swift pattern on the console, causing an earthquake to rumble the floor beneath Imiunarus’s feet, but it wasn’t enough to deter him, and he tackled him.
It wasn’t difficult to overpower the boy, holding him down.
“N-No! You—You don’t understand! I have to go!” he cried.
“You’ll be going somewhere!” Imiunarus forced a smile while flipping him over and grabbing nearby wire to wrap around his back; it was shockingly thin and flexible yet appeared to have outstanding durability.
He managed to loop it around as the boy continued to plead with him.
“Y-You don’t understand! No! The whole castle—the Ender Protocol is in place! I … I accelerated it! We don’t—d-don’t have time for this!”
“Then you can stop it!” Imiunarus growled, pulling him upright.
“N-No. I can’t! Only Master Jumi’kerune h-has those codes! I accelerated the—the … no…”
He trailed off as the door that led below started to close, Jumi’kerune’s voice echoing around them as the shaking increased. “... Hmm, a pity, boy—your mother hoped you’d be something, but you made mistakes ‘till the end. Perhaps my next great-great-great-grandson will be brighter. Hmm … perhaps another experiment is in order there—Oh, exciting!”
“P-Please don’t abandon…”
He cried out as Imiunarus slapped him, pulling him away from the consoles and any potential dangerous action he might be able to make.
Jumi’kerune’s tone fell a little. “Oh? Well—this is not looking well—Lord Kazan’aru, forgive my lack of detail … I see—very well—your will be done, always and forever.”
What is he talking…
Another rumble, far more powerful than the previous, shook both Imiunarus and Jumi’calro off their feet, and the boy gasped, “N-No, Master! The Judicus Protocol?! W-Why?! I’m here!”
Imiunarus’s stomach twisted as green flames began leaking out of small faucets in the ceiling, dripping down JadeFire. “Oh—Ri’bot licking foot sitter!” he shouted, scrambling to his feet and throwing Jumi’calro’s babbling figure over his shoulder. “Where’s the nearest exit?! Where is it?!” he shouted, rushing past the growing flames that were beginning to catch.
The entire area would be a crater of ash, including the stone when this was done; the amount of fire that was spreading above and now across the whole castle—it would be less than rubble, and not a single piece of evidence would be left.
His mind fearfully returned to the two young ladies he’d preserved above; Fini and Giliri didn’t deserve this fate—to be forgotten, presumed runaways from the Military Core. For some reason, his mind was lingering on them rather than himself, but his task to capture someone that could help the princess returned his focus to the objective at hand.
“... If you want to live, then tell me how to get to the 2nd-story! There must be a way.”
“W-Wait … You—You won’t kill me?!” he asked, chest heaving against his shoulders.
“... I need you—Now tell me where!”
The heat gathering around him was becoming uncomfortable, and the smoke of the disintegrated items it ate through was making Jumi’calro gag. “I … I … over—over there…”
He pointed at a console that was near a growing pile of FadeFire.
Gritting his jaw, Imiunarus rushed to the place, unbinding the boy in his hurry; they’d die together anyway at this point, and there wasn’t a flicker of hope that he’d be able to navigate the maze on his own. “Hurry!”
Jumi’kerune’s disappointed popping tongue sounded across the lower floors, causing an echo. “Tsk, tsk, tsk…”
“Y-You aren’t giving me a choice, Master!” he shouted in despair. “I—I don’t want to die! I—I’ve never even slept with a woman yet…”
“Nalvean women are overrated in any case,” Jumi’kerune dismissively replied. “I’ve conducted multiple studies on it, which you’ve had the data to overlook.”
Imiunarus’s brow furrowed in disbelief. “What is this conversation?! Hurry!”
“T-There…” he paused, slick eyes growing large and mouth dropping open as Demon’s chuckling voice drew nearer.
“Hmm? Thinking of escaping, are we, Jumi’calro, Imiunarus?”
Camellia! I have what we came for, but you need to stop him! Camellia!
The looming figure of Demon’s colossal form moved through the JadeFire as if it were useless mist, causing it to spread with the gusts he generated.
“I don’t think you quite appreciate the effort that went into your education…”
Imiunarus used every Skill Point and Attribute Point he had into speed and perception; it was his only chance if this mission was going to be a success—and it had to be, after so much loss.
Demon’s strange hums rattled around Imiunarus’s skull as he drew nearer, omens twisting his gut with the pressure of impending death that gripped his chest—the same feeling he had when Camellia slowly, painfully, bled him dry in the dark forest night. Still, Camellia was silent, either too far away to catch his cries or something else because he couldn’t get in contact with her.
“Do you recall the time you were twelve?” Demon mused. “The moment you were introduced to the Nalvean underground and what murder was? What an unforgettable experience that was for you,” he laughed, drawing closer. “The feelings of mortality—Do they grip the dead the same?”
Jumi’calro trembled next to him, unable to move as Demon casually drew back his mace, towering figure illuminated by the sickly flames.
No … If I’m going to die, then this time—it will be for something!
* * *
Camellia’s head was a mess as she laid in the rubble of someplace Demon had thrown her through, legs twitching a bit with her building agitation; prey that could talk to you was the most aggravating thing in existence she decided.
Demon’s constant taunts, bringing back dozens of memories of her time while alive to distract her—in truth, everything was grinding on her mind and making her reactions dull.
The moment she learned her mother had a fourth daughter and that she was brainwashed into following something utterly against their nature was horrifying. Her sister was actively and joyfully working against the Empire—against their family, and after her mother told her that it was a new age for them—they no longer had to fight one another.
Shaking the piles of stone off herself with a bit of effort because of the thick blocks encasing her, Camellia took a deep breath, pumping it out through her legs and separating the dust that was drawn in with it, rejecting it.
Demon … it’s all Demon … they couldn’t have done any of this without him—he did this to my sister! I will have her return to the order! She must!
The rubble blew out as she threw them out with her powerful legs. “Demon!” she yelled, pressurized air hissing out of her joints and backplates.
Extending out her web again, finding the network to bring it back under control, she scanned what parts hadn’t been severed. Demon was unlike any creature she’d ever faced, able to know precisely where her thread was, destroying critical connections to scramble the essential senses she utilized.
He threw her into unknown places and tracked her movements as if he were Azalea, picking apart every twitch her body made and countering while making it look simple. The angering part was how often he talked about the talent of her sisters, which she lacked, and coupled it with past events to illustrate his points.
It was a tactic to create an opening—it was simple enough to recognize that, but knowing the trick didn’t help the tightness in her muscles at his words.
Finally, she found him … He was back in the room with Imiunarus, and he’d actually succeeded in getting the person they needed! The barrier was down, too! She could go after her sister—the issue was the entrance was sealed.
Eight legs blurring into action, Camellia raced through the destroyed walls to rejoin the fight; if she calmed down, then it would be over sooner—there were quite a few cracks in her exoskeleton, and she was beginning to feel each blow, though. If she was going to win this, she had to calm down and think—it’s what her mother would do.
Past lessons her mother gave returned to her mind, linking the dozens of other thought processes that stitched together, creating her perceptive environmental network. Observe. Analyze. Plan. Execute.
However, her hearts trembled as she entered the range of Imiunarus’s Nexus range within the dampening field, still active.
Camellia rushed around the green fire, skittering across the ceiling, walls, and floor to get to Demon; the giant stood over the pair, mace swinging down to crush the Nalveans with a low chuckle.
Imiunarus sent one last request to her, voice surprisingly calm as he shifted his muscles as if to jump, only to use his tail to smack Jumi’calro away from Demon’s glowing weapon.
His final emotions held calm Camellia’s twisted mind. “... Camellia, he’s been manipulating us the entire time—yet I succeeded—Lecra’Moro and I did it together. Jumi’calro will join us if you protect him—this is your part, Camellia … it was a pleasure getting to know you…”
The Assassin’s frame was flattened, causing a ripple effect to cascade through Camellia’s being—she’d lost both the soldiers the Empress entrusted to her.
“Pointless struggle!” Demon chuckled, drawing back his weapon again.
Camellia did something she didn’t think was possible—her kidnapped sister would take secondary priority, and it was all because of her two fallen companions; a few of the humans told her about such things as friends, but she never understood it until now. Her two friends had died to execute their mission—it was up to her to complete it.
Drawing what few threats that remained in the area toward the pair, Camellia pulled Jumi’calro away as she spun in a circle; it was the first time Demon was unguarded, and she took full advantage of it, abdomen smashing against Demon’s left leg.
“What?!” he yelled, Jumi’calro barely escaping the blow as Camellia calculated everything with precision, mind finally settled and focused.
The electricity connecting the piece to the body broke, releasing a sharp discharge that she narrowly avoided, bristling hair across her frame warning her of the counter-attack as Demon tumbled to the ground.
JadeFire was expanding, and Jumi’calro took the hint, running to the nearby elevator that he fiddled with to start.
“No!” Demon shouted, but Camellia’s legs were already at work, disarming him, throwing all of her charged momentum at the part, causing it to break off and fly through an open hole.
She winced as he grabbed one of her legs with his free hand, crushing it and sending her flying toward the JadeFire, but her webs caught her mid-flight, and she launched back, crashing into him.
They tumbled into a wall, and she released a spray of web to net Demon’s struggling frame as a bolt of electricity shot to his detached leg, drawing it back in, yet she interrupted the flow with another leg, causing a shock to pass through her frame, but it was quickly grounded out by her system.
Spinning in a sharp circle, she whipped Demon’s wrapped body into a whirlwind, drawing a bit of the JadeFire from the vacuum; the silk was burned through, sending him launching deep into the underground through walls.
Jumi’calro’s elevator only now started to move, and Camellia rushed inside, causing the Nalvean to whimper, eyes bugging out as he pressed against the wall; his silk ripped as they began moving up at a rapid speed.
The whole castle was in shambles, walls moving and revealing nothing but flames beyond while they rose level by level, eventually reaching the 2nd-story.
Camellia shot web out of her abdomen, entangling the shrieking Nalvean, likely thinking she was going to eat him, and placed him on her back with sticky thread; two of her legs were too damaged to use at the moment, but she managed.
Imiunarus and she’d been in this area before, allowing her to use her acute sense of direction to navigate where they’d come from. She raced through the hallways, and it seemed the flames hadn’t reached this point yet.
However, halfway out, the floor exploded ahead of her; JadeFire covered Demon and his burning weapon as he laughed, rising up to intercept them; Camellia went right for the imposing figure, determination set.
The web she’d been slowly gathering around herself since getting to the 2nd-landing expanded like a spring to launch and twist her around the charged weapon’s sharp jab, landing on the ceiling and passing the obstacle.
“You thought … Hmm … You’ve calmed, I see…”
She soon left the fiend behind, but not long after, her senses picked him up again moving through the hallway below; he was gaining on her.
Camellia decided to go on the offensive with the barriers down, she’d been preparing it for a while, and it was time for it to be put to use. Jumping into a side room with large ceilings that connected both the first and second level, she threw Jumi’calro’s bundled form onto the roof.
Demon was quick to intercept her, pausing at the broad doorway, just large enough for him to fit through. “He-he-he—You certainly are a resilient species; I’ll say that.”
JadeFire was her only obstacle with the fiend; she’d discovered a means to fix that, though. She launched a bundle of silk at him that he tried to swat away with a laugh.
The moment it neared the mace, she used something Violet had invented as a child; it was one of the few things she learned from her sister that she managed to perform.
It exploded in a mass of thread before sending another signal through the thread attachment, causing it to constrict around Demon; he understood her plan from watching them for a lifetime; the JadeFire would burn through it in seconds.
Yet, what he didn’t expect was the next level of the skill that she’d gained from the Empress’s network, helping her bridge the talent part she struggled with; small bursts of constricted air twisted it into a cyclone, stripping the JadeFire off his form and sending it back into the hallway.
“Oh … Something copied?” he asked in surprise. “You never could match…”
Ignoring his jab, Camellia threw Jumi’calro at Demon’s chest, expanding the sticky silk around him into another net, linking the two; it was a move he wouldn’t expect.
She jumped on him as he became entangled, and before he could break free, she wove silk faster than she’d ever managed before, only able to accomplish it because her Undead form allowed her to bypass the pain of the process. Layer by layer, she wrapped the two together, using it as a wedge to break apart Demon’s limbs and harden them in casts.
“... Ha-ha-ha! You have exceeded my…”
His laughter faded as she entombed him in the thick, hardened thread, pushing Jumi’calro back to the surface as the web wove around him.
She was panting, body feeling spent—almost all of her energy reserves were used on this last push; it was the plan she’d come up with the moment she started to think clearly and noticed how the limbs reacted when separated.
“W-What is happening?” Jumi’calro asked in shock.
“I saved you…” Camellia gasped, pushing herself to gather the pieces of Demon’s disassembled form and place them on her tired back. “... C’mon … before the JadeFire does what Demon couldn’t…”
He numbly followed her as she broke a section of wall, limping out of the manor and picking up the two Nalvean females Imiunarus favored—it was the least she could do.
We did it … We captured Demon, too … We did it…
She guided Jumi’calro and the panicked Nalveans around the grounds and over the nearby wall; JadeFire was now spreading across the manor, showing signs that something was dreadfully wrong underneath the foundations as parts of the earth crumbled, displaying the flaming chasm below.
Camellia eventually had to carry Jumi’calro, moving at a slow, methodical pace to evade Nalveans—she didn’t have enough strength for stealth or the ability to hide those she took. Still, it was a victory—even if it came at a sacrifice.