“Helios, how close are you?” Lara calls, clearly starting to panic.

“Sorry, I need a couple minutes.” His mana has only recovered to like 25%. At least the elf at the back is keeping his cool for the most part.

“Should I just go now?” Lara asks.

Helios eyes the crowd, then shakes his head. “Without my grace combo, you'd be below half power.” Lara clicks her tongue anxiously, but takes his advice and stays in place.

We have to hold the boss off for minutes though? With the frontline broken and our main tanks corrupted by the enemy, I don't know if we even have one. But it's not like I can do anything about it.

That's when I get a really stupid idea. Maybe I can. I might only buy two or three seconds, but it would be something. Anything's better than nothing, right? And what do I really have to lose?

“Hey, I have a stupid plan, should I do it?” I speak to Lara and my viewers together.

Lara glances between me and the rapidly devolving scene before us. “Will you be alright?”

“I'll probably die,” I admit.

I pull up my chat window and give it a once over. Of course there's a near-unanimous 'Do it!' from most everyone... except the devs. They mentioned not meddling too much before. Then-

'<[DC]Triangula> Don't leave tower range.'

“Mm.” I nod. It's good advice, I can feel how much stronger the towers make me. And it shouldn't be too hard, my tower's bubble, extra clear to me compared to all the overlapping ones, extends all the way out to the plaza's entrance, beyond where our front line is in the process of tearing itself apart.

“Be careful, Mei.” Lara puts a hand on my shoulder and nods down at me. It's so strange, having to look up to meet her caring eyes.

“I'll do my best.” Pushing ahead, my heart starts to pound at the thought of what I'm about to do. I wonder if it'll get me more viewers...?

As I run toward the melee between the backline defenders and the small mobs that made it through the front, I watch numerous people fly in at the boss one after another, unloading everything they have, some of the powerful moves coming out surely being their Personal Affinities. The boss weathers them, slaying or seriously wounding the attackers within moments, the bodies piling up on either side. The boss joins the mind controlled tanks and healers from the frontline as the rest collapse backward to stave them off even a little longer.

The boss does actually look pretty bloodied at this point. The suicidal attacks are one thing, but as expected in an MMO, the continuous barrage of fire that the mages and archers have kept up through every stage of the battle are what have taken the biggest toll. Xanaad's armor is crumpled and plates scorched black, some sections torn off entirely. Dark particles slowly float out from the wounds building up underneath, anywhere shots have pierced through to its furred flesh.

I reach the back of the melee, glancing to the spiky monstrosities on all sides. Their hairless heads and mouths of jagged teeth with skin in muddled mixtures unnatural colors, ranging all across pink, blue, green, and purple send shivers up my spine. Like goblins from a movie that decided to be a horror film rather than fantasy.

They vary in size significantly, from half my height to much taller, easily matching a taller human men.

There are other creatures mixed in, but with more arms, and limbs like hooks, or big bulky masses, but I don't have the time or attention to really take it in amid the furious blur of motion.

That is, until the first monster turns from its target to stare straight at me.

The murder goblin opens it's huge mouth, jaw unhinging to reveal three tongues, black with decay behind the saws of teeth.

I flinch at the hissing insectoid shriek it emits, mouth opening and closing repeatedly to modulate it into an awful warbling hiss that immediately draws the attention of everything else nearby.

Oh, I'm definitely going to die. I didn't expect the monsters to switch targets before I even did anything. Maybe I should have been a tank, this is a hell of a threat aura...

But in this case, the screaming monsters actually work in our favor. With their attention on me instead of their own battles, the guardians who were struggling before are able to take advantage of the distraction to go all out to cut down a lot of the weaker monsters before they can properly move in to slaughter my squishy, low-level butt.

With the weaker monsters swept aside, the battle starts to turn, at least a little. I push on further, running with the few players who suddenly look encouraged by my dangerous aura for some reason. They fall on the monsters still being kept busy by the other fighters, as much as they try to claw their way through the crowd to reach me.

With most of the trash mobs cleared away from the middle of the plaza, our group approaches the front, where the last of the tanks are burning themselves out, launching ability after ability to stun, delay, knock back, and block off the dozen frontliners and their attendant healers, now turned against us, and the boss coming in right behind, each swing of its axe tearing through, wounding or felling the few who remain, each one putting up a heroic last stand as they weather more damage than I can imagine and stay standing until their shields and armor and life finally give out.

Players who respawn at the towers are immediately rejoining the battle too, pushing back against what seems like the inevitable.

But we haven't lost quite yet. The portal has closed, most of the last wave is gone, and boss is hurt. We just have to finish it off, and it sounds like there's a plan for that, we just need to buy a little more time. We all have a little to give, even me.

When my group is about to collide with our corrupted allies, I throw glances back and forth. We lost a chunk of our healers to that mind control spell, and we don't have too many left. That's why we can't keep up with the incoming damage properly.

I have no idea if anyone here can dispel the mind control, but if there is, they must be working on it or looking for the right opportunity. If I can distract the turned players the same as the monsters, maybe I can create that opportunity.

And there's one more thing I can do. Time to die looking like an idiot.

I pass the last of the distance to the front, charging with the other players all around me.

All the way at the back of the plaza, I can feel Helios' mana approaching the halfway mark. Just have to hold their attention for a little bit so he can cast before we lose too many more people. I'll manage my few seconds as best I can.

Our group crashes against the tanks, pushing them back with the sheer number of bodies, and I hover just behind the frontmost of them. The line holds, a stalemate for only a moment before the massive, mind controlled tanks bash their shields out and throw everyone back as one.

I barely duck aside, past a guy in heavy armor, his mace very nearly catching me in the side on the way. With that group stunned and prone for at least a few moments, dozen others step up to take their places and hold the line, and I'm among them. Time to do my thing.

With no crowd to shield me from their sight, the mix of the few remaining monsters, our turned allies, and the boss itself, all gazes fall on me.

Here goes nothing!

With warning alarms screaming in my head, I watch the burning rage on their faces at the sight of me, and wonder why in the world the Oblivion hate me so much. With all weapons raised and claws outstretched, they lunge as one.

I ignore my body shaking in terror. I kick one foot up behind me, make a goofy pose with the worst grin I've ever faked, and scream, “Pose!” My panic turns it into more of a frightened squeak than anything else.

Apparently that's still good enough, because there's a bright flash of light around me as my Affinity triggers. That was supposed to be the part to get their attention, but... well, at least everyone will get a buff out of it, and I managed to grab all the aggro, so stronger players should have their chance to do their thing while they rip me to shreds.

With the activation of my Affinity, I watch the mob of death bearing down on me, seconds from murdering me in the most gruesome of ways, fumble. Some of the other players do too.

Did I just stun monsters with my cuteness?

I don't have the time to question it, or the mental capacity to do anything else really, because it hardly lasts a half second.

I twirl when they lurch forward again. Striking another pose with a tilt of my head and tears welling in my eyes, I scream, “Cat!”

They fumble again, just long enough for me to whirl into the next position and squeak, “Pencil!”

“Thing!”

“Words!”

My head is going blank. They're like five feet away and my micro-stun has completely lost its effectiveness after just a few uses.

I did manage to buy a few seconds like I hoped. Lots of people got good hits in during the brief window of opportunity. Now I'm going to be violently torn to pieces.

“Good job!” some guy shouts, as he rushes in from behind. Him and a woman in heavy armor put themselves between me and the crowd of murderous players at damn near the last second, the woman rebuffing them with a flourish of her shield during one of the tiny instants they are stunned, while the man glances at me over his shoulder, just for a moment.

He's about average height, with dark skin and short, wavy brown hair. Then he moves on. He leaps forward from standing, vaulting off the woman's heavy shoulder armor with one foot and raising his thick wooden staff high overhead.

“Sacrifice!” He calls, landing and bringing his staff high over his head. “Cleansing Flames!” He lands with the base of his staff slamming into the ground directly in the middle of the tanks and healers. There's a burst of white fire. It rolls out from him, licking up at the corrupted players without burning them. It passes in just a moment, and when it's gone... they aren't any better.

With another shout, he whirls his staff up overhead, releasing a second wave over the players. He spins in place, and one runs him through with a sword.

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Bringing his staff back down at his side, there's a third roll of flames, and it works. The dark aura of corruption falls away from them.

The man who stabbed him pulls his sword back, everyone's faces only beginning to show mixes of shock and horror, but the dark skinned healer just grins a big grin as blood runs from his mouth, and says, “Worth.”

He doesn't see the boss behind him at all as it winds up, then cleaves him and much of the remaining force apart in a single swing.

Caught flat footed, the tanks are the only ones with enough armor to survive the heavy blow, the healers being wiped out in an instant.

The way their spirits shoot straight up into the sky, not returning to the towers, I realize that they won't be back to help finish the battle. Besides the ones all the way in the back with long range heals, we're almost entirely out of healers now, aren't we?

The last of the monsters from around Xanaad's feet rush forward, falling upon the rattled tanks before they even have a chance to figure out what's going on.

On reflex, I scream something unintelligible, just to draw attention again, and fling a hand out, casting Curse Field on a bunch of them to remind them I'm here and draw the aggro back onto myself. Give the tanks time to recover.

The monsters change targets. Arrows and magic rain down as they cross the short distance to me, with the last of the melee forces rushing past to take them down. I fall back a few steps. I've done what I can here, it's time to retreat. I'm astonished I didn't die.

Besides the summons, there are only a few dozen of our forces left on the field. The bulk of survivors are the ranged damage dealers, safe up and out of the way as they are. But Helios is almost ready now, mana approaching full so he can cast whatever he's casting that should help us finish off the boss.

That's when I realize I was too focused on the other players. The boss moved the moment I looked away, now it's right there in front of me, winding up; I freeze.

Someone hits me, knocking me aside at the last instant, and takes the blow themselves. I go down, rolling across the pavement and back up to my feet. But as soon as I recover, the boss is already on top of me again. Am I still holding aggro?! I don't freeze up this time. I read the next move successfully, dropping on all fours as it swings across a whole host of players around me, battering them aside.

Cut off from the main body of monsters to pursue me, dozens of guardians collapse in the boss it from all sides, joining their strikes with the ever-present deluge of long range attacks. But it clearly doesn't care about them anymore. After my ridiculous display, its eyes are on me only, and I'm nowhere near strong enough to survive against it.

The next move is too fast. It hits me before I'm even aware the thing moved. It's not a killing blow, practically just a flick of its gauntlet. It still throws me full off my feet, and I feel like all my ribs are broken. I cough and groan, barely able to move at all. It winds up again, before three big men leap over me and slam into it, throwing the boss back a step. The rest of the crowd joins in, staggering it, until it knocks them aside with a single swing of its free arm.

By the time Xanaad raises its fist again to finish me off, someone has me by the back of my shirt and is dragging me away at top speed. A dark blast streaks from the boss's free hand, and I barely twist my broken body aside as I'm sliding, the blow bursting apart the ground where I just was. The next one flies higher. The person dragging me never sees it coming, their body melting away even as they run.

As soon as I'm immobilized again, a half dozen tanky fighters finally join with the recovering gaggle attackers to block the boss in and grab back aggro, eating attacks as it slowly cuts them down, our last healers supporting them continuously. And it looks like they're keeping up with the damage from the boss alone, at least as long as their mana holds out.

I glance back toward Helios. Even in my state, I can feel that his mana is full, the power in the air building with his next spell. Maybe ten, twenty seconds left. Looks like my diversion worked way better than expected, and I didn't even end up dying. Mostly thanks to a ton of last second saves by other players, but still.

Yet. Haven't died yet, I remind myself belatedly. Though I should retreat now since my part is done. Get out of harm's way while Lara and Helios do whatever they have planned. Just... need a healer. I'm barely struggling my battered body upright when one of our few backline healers comes up to get me.

“Thank god, you're not critical,” he's saying as helps me up and starts casting. Within moments, my injuries are repaired, and I'm back on my feet. “Come on, we have to get you- Shield!”

There's a booming explosion of darkness against the healer's snap-cast shield spell as he spins to cover me. The defense breaks and he's sent bouncing away across the ground, injured but alive. He stumbles, working his way back to his feet quickly, while my gaze returns ahead. Even surrounded, the visor of Xanaad's helmeted head is locked directly on me.

I'm still holding aggro? My heart starts to sink. It's just like earlier with the bush monsters, isn't it? Its aggro is totally locked. This boss is going to keep coming until I'm dead. Stupid cursed Title...

“Come on Helios...” I mumble, already turning to run, trying to get any space I can. Xanaad charges another spell, blasting the ground at its feet. The wave of expanding darkness blows away the entire force surrounding it, many of them staying down this time when the damage overwhelms what the healers can mend.

As soon as the boss moves to advance though, a wave of summons crashes into it, a whole troop of large dog creatures. But they don't last, it cleaves through them with a single well placed swing.

The moment it's in the clear again, it hunches low, then leaps the forty foot gap between us like it's nothing. Its dark axe raised high overhead. It's such an unexpected sight, I flinch, then throw myself aside to dodge, even though I know it won't be enough. That small delay screwed me. But the boss never lands.

There's a shriek, like a the roar of a monstrous bird fired from a railgun. A kind of booming bass layered over tearing metal.

The first lance of fire lands dead against the boss's abdomen, blowing it sideways right out of the air. It crashes to the ground in a heap with more shots already following. From my spot on the ground, I look back to find the attacker.

It is a man who looks like fire. Red hair, red clothes, glowing red tattoos in his skin itself. He's a Mirin, the elemental race. He stalks forward, one hand raised as he rapid fires those absurd magical bolts, peppering the boss, with every hit sending melted fragments of armor skittering away across the ground, the huge creature staggering heavily on every shot, until it hits the side of a tower, further shots pummeling it against the immaculate stone surface. My mouth falls open, seeing this man suppress the rampaging boss single-handedly.

Not quite single-handedly, I realize when I notice the two healers in tow, hands raised to cast continuously. I look back to the fire mage himself, his name tag appearing.

Flare – Self Destructor

Below his name, his health bar is rapidly depleting. The healers at his back are the only reason he doesn't fall over dead inside of five seconds. But they can't even begin to outpace whatever is burning through him. The mage continues to fire, shot after shot blasting Xanaad. It can't move or fight back at all, until Flare simply stops, collapsing dead to the ground.

Holy...

There is silence for just a few moments, but we can all feel it, the boss isn't done yet. That... was just the first phase, wasn't it? This thing is a multi-phase raid boss.

----------------------------------------

From the dust, there is a clatter of heavy metal, Xanaad standing once more. Its armor falls away entirely, revealing the scruffy, purple-black fur beneath, already torn and burned from the battle. Without the helmet, its head is misshapen, a neckless, rounded lump set upon its shoulders, and hairless, with leathery gray skin. Two gleaming black eyes and no nose. The lipless crack of its mouth appears to run all the way around its face.

Below, it's humanoid, with muscles as thick as I am wide. The thing could hold my entire body in one of its hands. Dark particles pour continuously from its numerous wounds, but somehow, the terrifying aura is only growing stronger. This must be the second phase. Then, Xanaad opens its mouth for the first time.

As soon as I see it, I can't unsee it.

The entire head opens up, rings of teeth running the whole way around its maw and the spray of writhing tentacles that seem to burst straight up from its throat. It speaks by grinding its tentacles over its own teeth to create a distorted wail of flesh only vaguely reminiscent of words. “Yoouuuuu....”

It advances. Without the heavy armor, it eats the distance between us instantaneously. I manage a backstep. A single shocked step away before the three clawed fingers on its hand close around my torso. It hardly squeezes, but it feels like my entire body is going to pop in its grasp. I can't move or struggle at all.

I am so dead.

Better late than never, there's a faint pause when Helios activates his next big spell. Another enormous magic circle spreads over the entirety of the field, immense power flowing through me all at once, and I can feel the way my defense increases, the monster's grip not hurting as bad as before. Not that it helps in this situation.

With ranged attacks still landing all across its body, the boss's grip begins to inch tighter, and I fully expect death this time.

When it doesn't come, it's not because of another last second save. It just... doesn't finish me off. It could crush me in an instant. Instead, after sweeping away the surrounding Guardians with hardly a care, Xanaad holds me aloft. I swear its horror face is smiling. “Miiiinnnnneeee...” it death rattles at me.

My consciousness buckles. The next thing I know, every muscle in my body is strained to the limit, back arched and eyes rolled back. I'm briefly aware of the edges of a crystaline, pink and white tree jutting out in all directions, its branches a million razors. I can feel where the tree comes out of me. Grows out of me, from beneath my skin. It only lasts an instant before the whole thing shatters away into nothingness, like an illusion.

Xanaad hisses, tentacles spraying forth in pure rage. Its grip tightens further, and I can feel my body breaking. Whatever happened, it's not happy. It's finally going to finish me off.

A party, thirty strong, comes in for another save, collapsing on it from all sides, running through its legs and torso with dozens of weapons at once. A huge stone golem slams into it from behind too.

But the furious thing doesn't falter even a single step. I just hope the end is quick. But yet again, it stops. When I look, dumbfounded how I've cheated death so many times, I realize why.

Xanaad is turning its gaze from me to look at one particular tower. It's just one of many holding a dark green crystal. Is that the one I showed up on? The one I'm bound to right now?

Is it not killing me because it knows I'll just respawn?

All my blood runs cold.

It keeps me in one hand, and finally deals with the guardians it was ignoring. It spins, axe sweeping in rapid blows to carve them up, far faster than when it was still armored. A couple blunted blows from the flat side is enough to break the golem to bits. How much more punishment can it take? Without its armor, the wounds all over its ten foot frame are spewing out black mist at an incredible rate.

A hundred archers and mages continue to pummel it with every passing moment, and our defenders, many respawning from their deaths earlier while Xanaad has been distracted with me, now stand in its way. And the whole remaining army of monsters has been finished off. Unless it has something more prepared, we'll win. More than that, it threw the battle to chase after me.

But it won't kill me.

Throwing its head back, its horrible aura stops the breath in my throat. Then it looks right at me and screeches, “Suuufffeeerrrr!” My brain explodes again. The crystal fragments fill everything. I don't know if I even hear the screams.

Then it hits me again.

And again.

And again.

I cry out, a shriek I can't contain.

But it keeps going. Everything blurs.

Eyes unfocused.

There are bodies everywhere.

Can't think.

Can't see.

I can't take this.

I'll break.

Crystal glass rips from my consciousness over and over again.

I don't want to slip.

But it hurts.

It's all too much.

I just want to hide and make it stop.

There's a gap.

It's just a moment, before I'm back. Because I refuse.

I don't care how bad it hurts. As Mei, I'm better than that. I don't need to hide from the pain.

As soon as my will wrenches my awareness back up from the darkness below, I'm staring at the notifications in front of me.

You have been corrupted.

You have severed your connection to the tower.

You have abandoned the Guardian defense of Lenarlil.