by Andrew Rowe
The purple-haired woman sighed. “Frankly, I’m very disappointed with all of you.” She turned around, pointed a hand at the people on the stage.
Councilor Lanoy managed to struggle to his feet. “It is...not what...you say...”
“Oh? Did you have something to say in your defense, Councilor? I’d love to hear it.”
“Goddess...abandoned us...long...ago...”
“Oh? What makes you say that?”
Lanoy seemed genuinely confused. “Selys has not appeared in centuries.”
The purple-haired woman sighed, shaking her head. “Are the gifts that she has given to you insufficient? Spires filled with magic, and her own children to watch over you?” There was a hint of spite as she added, “Not all of us are so fortunate as to be the favorite children.”
“You call us fortunate?” Lanoy’s voice was clearer now. “You were born with greater power than any human can possibly achieve, Mizuchi.”
I shivered as I heard the name.
No, no no...
“Power, yes. I certainly have that.” Mizuchi laughed. “But you were the ones given freedom. And you’ve squandered it. Turned away from your benefactor at your first opportunity.”
Lanoy tilted his head downward. “You can have your freedom as well, Mizuchi. Let us discuss—”
“There will be no further discussion.” Mizuchi waved a hand downward and a blast of kinetic energy followed her movement, smashing Lanoy into the ground.
As Lanoy struggled to push himself back to his feet, an aura of lightning began to crackle around Mizuchi.
She took a step closer to the councilor. “Your words are empty. Your excuses are insufficient. You are guilty of heresy and treason. I will be your executioner.”
Lanoy traced a hand through the air. A dozen spheres of mana appeared around him, rotating in a circular pattern.
Mizuchi tilted her head to the side. “Really? You’re going to try to fight me?”
“You’re not invincible.” Lanoy snapped his fingers.
The spheres of mana each fired a series of blasts of white light, enveloping Mizuchi entirely.
When my vision cleared, Mizuchi stood in the same spot, completely unscathed. “Invincible? Not technically, I suppose. But I am close enough that there’s no practical difference.”
Lanoy unleashed another series of blasts with similar results, but that seemed to draw Mizuchi’s attention.
That allowed three people in the guest section to stand up and launch attacks of their own from a different angle.
A teacher called on a rain of ice from the above, sending shards of jagged frost in Mizuchi’s direction.
A Guardian jumped forward, blade drawn.
A woman stood and raised a longbow, firing an arrow that glowed with white light.
Mizuchi snatched the arrow out of the air, ignored the shards of ice, and spun as the swordsman arrived.
When her fist impacted his chest, the room shook like thunder.
The Guardian’s entire chest caved on the impact, and his limp body flew a dozen feet before landing at the foot of a table.
Someone managed to scream.
The aura of lightning around Mizuchi continued to grow.
“How are you outside of your spire?” Lanoy demanded. “Who sent you? Tenjin is gone. Is Katashi so vengeful that he—”
Mizuchi took another step toward the councilor. “You needn’t know the details. You wouldn’t live long enough to act on anything you learned.”
I had a few ideas, but none of that really mattered at the moment.
My focus was on getting enough of my will back to speak.
If I could speak, I could activate my necklace and send messages to Derek and Keras.
Elora was already here somewhere, but I knew she wasn’t at her best. She was still recovering from her mana scars.
Maybe, just maybe, the three of them would stand a chance.
I couldn’t imagine anyone else who did.
Lanoy hurled another attack, a more concentrated beam of light. Mizuchi side-stepped that one. Perhaps it might have been powerful enough to harm her if it had connected, but she seemed to avoid it without effort.
The councilor growled, sounding angrier as Mizuchi drew closer. “You cannot be here without the authority of—”
“Enough.” Mizuchi raised a hand. “I might allow a few survivors to spread the word about what happened here. But you won’t be one of them, Councilor.”
Mizuchi vanished, moving too fast for me to perceive. When she reappeared, her arm was sticking through the center of Councilor Lanoy’s chest.
He slumped forward, unmoving.
Mizuchi extracted her bloodstained arm, shaking her head. I thought I saw a hint of emotion cross her face. Disappointment, perhaps. “Traitor. That death was cleaner than you deserved.”
Mizuchi stared down at the body for just another moment, then raised her head and concentrated. The lightning around her lashed out, then forked toward the remaining people on the stage.
I managed a moment of worry for Lord Teft, still struggling to stand.
The lightning never struck.
It arced upward.
We’d all been focusing too hard on the few people who could stand.
No one noticed the one person who was floating above the entire area, now holding a ball of swirling lightning in her hand.
“Hello, Mizuchi.”
Professor Meltlake landed on the opposite side of the stage, tossing the ball of lightning into the air. It dispersed a moment later.
Mizuchi tilted her head downward. “At last.” She grinned, displaying teeth. “A hero arrives.” She clapped her hands together, a shockwave blasting outward in all directions. The few others on the stage who had managed to stand flew backward, smashing against the ground.
Professor Meltlake just floated back a few inches when the shockwave reached her, otherwise unaffected. She turned her longer, more traditional dueling cane toward Mizuchi. “Let the children leave. I’ll give you the entertainment you want.”
“Oh, no. And deprive you of your motivation? Why would I do such a thing?” Mizuchi turned toward us.
The students.
“In fact, if you’re so concerned—”
Meltlake didn’t say a word. Her cane just flashed and an inferno roared outward, overtaking Mizuchi in an instant. The intensity of the fire was so great that I could feel the heat, even hundreds of feet away.
The flames continued to swirl and smolder for several moments, before vanishing utterly.
Mizuchi turned back toward Meltlake. Her dress had been burned away, revealing purple scales in the place of skin. Only her face and neck looked human.
And those looked like they’d been barely singed. “Hm. You’re not bad, but—”
Another blast of flame leapt out of Meltlake’s cane. She waved her off-hand a moment later, and something within the fire detonated.
The room trembled, the glass roof above us shattering.
A sphere of white enveloped the spot where Mizuchi had stood, then faded.
Mizuchi remained, of course. I could have expected no other result.
But this time?
Her skin and scales both looked just slightly cracked.
Mizuchi snarled and moved her hands together, forming a ball of lightning and hurling it back toward Meltlake.
Meltlake gestured upward. “Wall of Stone.”
The floor of the room cracked as a rectangular section of stone rose, blocking the lightning blast.
Mizuchi charged and slammed a fist into it, shattering the wall into pieces.
Meltlake backed off a step, then flew upward and yelled. “Evacuate as soon as you can move!”
I could see a handful of people in the guest section were doing just that. I didn’t recognize them, but they were rushing for the door.
A couple students had managed to do the same. But only a couple, out of thousands of us.
Mizuchi gestured, and a b
last of lightning came from above, like a true bolt from the skies. It slammed into Meltlake, and she tumbled downward, hitting the floor.
Smoke rose from Meltlake as she stood.
Mizuchi rushed forward, aiming a claw for Meltlake’s chest.
And then that smoke gave way to fire.
Mizuchi’s claw hit the aura of fire and burned. She hissed, pulling the claw back before it impacted.
Meltlake raised her rod and pointed at the center of Mizuchi’s chest. A thin line of white fire of blinding intensity blasted out from it.
Mizuchi blurred and appeared several feet away. “That might have actually hurt me. You’ve become quite the nuisance.”
Professor Meltlake coughed. Blood was streaming out of her nose. She raised her rod again, but Mizuchi was faster.
Mizuchi shoved both hands down, ducking under Meltlake’s next blast, and touched the tiles.
A section of floor beneath them instantly changed from stone into deep water.
Meltlake fell as the floor shifted, before she could react. Her aura of flame extinguished.
Mizuchi, however, stood on the water as if it was solid stone.
She tapped a finger against the water, and it froze solid, entombing Meltlake inside.
I need to move.
I pushed my mind harder, to move faster, but nothing was working. I couldn’t shake myself free.
“Now, then.” Mizuchi turned toward the guest section. “Who would like to be next?”
Meltlake burst out of the ice right behind Mizuchi, her body once again ablaze. “Haven’t you heard how I got my name?”
The water that she’d emerged from was burning.
Meltlake put a hand on Mizuchi’s shoulder, then Mizuchi burst into flames.
Mizuchi roared, her scales cracking further at the intensity of the fire, then swung around and drove a fist into Meltlake’s chest.
I heard a gasp of air from Patrick as his mentor flew backward, smashed into a stone pillar, then landed hard on the floor, unmoving.
Mizuchi shook herself, as if wet, and the flames on her skin and scales vanished. I could see tiny rivulets of blood running between the cracks. She’d been burned badly.
Not invincible, then. But even Meltlake couldn’t put her down.
I needed to do something.
I spoke.
“Necklace...Message Keras. Help...”
The necklace flashed for an instant, then died.
This room had been protected against communication magic, too.
I had no way to call for help.
“How wonderful.” Mizuchi dusted herself off. “That was unexpected. Anyone else?”
A blade constructed from raw mana slammed into the side of her face.
She didn’t even react.
Lord Teft slashed at her neck next, but it failed to break through her skin.
“Nothing but an irritant.” She plunged a hand straight through his chest.
My eyes went wide for just a moment.
Then the body detonated.
The explosion of mana sent Mizuchi staggering back, right into the swing of a second Lord Teft.
Simulacra, I realized with a hint of relief.
Mizuchi growled, swinging a fist as she turned, but the other Teft ducked the strike and jabbed her in the ribs. It was just as ineffective as before.
They can’t hurt her, though. He’s just buying time. His weapons are just mana constructs — they must have taken his real dueling cane at the door.
I need to do something.
I focused my mana, trying to push the power from my right hand all the way through my body and into my Enchanter attunement, but it worked too slowly to be effective.
My friends were clearly struggling, too, but none of them had managed to stand or speak. We couldn’t move in the slightest.
With one exception.
Marissa’s hand was trembling.
She was the strongest of us. Almost strong enough to fight off the effect.
If she can get free...
It was a fraction of hope, not nearly enough. But I had to try.
“Mara,” I managed a feeble whisper. “Take...my...hand.”
Mara’s eyes turned toward me. Then I heard her grunt with effort, as she began to make the monumental effort of moving her hand toward mine.
We were lucky — we had already been in contact when I’d tried to teleport us out of the area with my circlet.
Her hand wasn’t far.
But every inch felt like miles.
I struggled with every fraction of my own strength to move my own hand toward hers.
On the stage, Mizuchi finished battering another Lord Teft, which exploded on her like the last.
Another glowing arrow struck her from behind, but it simply shattered against her scales without effect.
One of the house guards charged from one of the sides of the room, jumping through the air and swinging a gleaming blade.
Mizuchi pointed a finger, and a tiny beam of light pierced through the guard’s chest.
The guard landed, took a single ineffective swing with the glowing blade, and then collapsed.
“I’m so glad you’ve all decided to provide me with a hint of entertainment, at least.” She spun, catching Lord Teft’s conjured weapon. “But alas, all good things come to an end.”
She yanked the phantasmal dueling cane out of his hands, and plunged it into the very much real Lord Teft’s chest.
He fell backward, clutching at the bleeding wound.
Move!
My hand slid an inch.
Marissa’s hand moved two inches more.
Our fingers brushed against each other.
Mizuchi turned toward the fallen group on her stage. “I suppose I should clean up this mess.”
She waved a hand. A wave of fire blasted outward, engulfing the still-struggling bodies on the stage.
Teft managed to roll off the platform and avoid the fire, landing hard on his back.
The others were not so lucky.
I heard screams.
I really hoped that Elora wasn’t one of the people on that stage. We weren’t exactly friends, but I still needed her help.
Move!
Our hands slid further, but not quite enough. My strength was waning. My mind was burning.
Cecily leaned over and toppled into me. Her weight pushed me further.
My hand landed on Marissa’s.
I activated my Arbiter attunement, shoving every bit of mana I had into Marissa.
Her aura flared, then changed.
It was burning orange as she stood.
“Mara, box,” I managed to whisper.
But I was too late — Marissa was already moving.
Mizuchi hopped off the stage, turning her head downward toward Lord Teft. “You fought well, all things considered. You have my respect.”
She raised a hand, which shifted in form into a blue-scaled claw. Then she swung it down at Teft’s neck.
“Star descends from sky!”
Marissa slammed a glowing fist into Mizuchi’s face.
Mizuchi stumbled back just a step, staggered by the strike.
And, at the point of impact, the cracks that Meltlake had made began to spread.
“Interesting.” Mizuchi cracked the knuckles on her claw. “A student? I didn’t expect any of you to be able to struggle.”
“Lot of folks underestimate me.” Marissa shifted into a fighting stance. “Lot of folks lose.”
“Oh, how delightful. This one thinks she’s a fighter.” Mizuchi lunged with a claw, so fast I could barely see it.
Marissa just shifted her head slightly to the side, then brought a knee up toward Mizuchi’s gut.
Mizuchi responded quickly, blocking with her own leg, and then stepped back. She tilted her head to the side, examining.
Marissa didn’t give her a chance for much analysis. She swept a hand out in a chop. When Mizuchi didn’t bother to block, Marissa reshaped her shr
oud into a blade just before it impacted against Mizuchi’s shoulder.
A thin line of red appeared across Mizuchi’s scales.
Mizuchi turned her head downward, inspecting the damage. Marissa had hit her on the right shoulder.
“Impressive.” Mizuchi turned her eyes back up to meet Marissa’s. “I think I’ll kill you next.”
She swept out with a claw again, but Marissa side-stepped the strike and responded with a jab of her own.
Mizuchi caught Marissa’s hand.
And squeezed.
Marissa screamed, smashing Mizuchi with her other fist.
Mizuchi barely seemed to feel the impact, but she let go.
Marissa’s right hand was a bloody mess. She cradled it against her chest, breathing heavily.
“That was a truly exceptional effort, and you should be commended for it.”
I tried to move again, but I had no strength left. I’d given everything to Marissa.
I had to keep trying anyway. My eyes searched from side to side, searching for something, anything I could use.
Another glowing arrow of light flashed from the guest section.
Mizuchi turned, caught it, and hurled it straight back at the archer.
The archer ducked out of the way, drawing another arrow.
Marissa punched Mizuchi in the spine with her good hand.
Mizuchi hissed, spun, and swung a kick at Marissa.
Marissa hopped backward, ducked, and then swung her good hand upward in an arc, launching a shockwave of cutting force.
It hit Mizuchi with no effect.
My eyes settled on something — the mana regeneration bracer on Patrick’s arm.
It had a store of my mana inside.
If I could get to it...
I couldn’t move, but I could still feel the auras of my objects against my body.
The mana regeneration bracer was an obvious candidate, but everything I’d enchanted myself had a bit of my own mana in it.
I wasn’t wearing much. Most of my items were in the Jaden Box. I’d been afraid that anything unusual would be taken at the door.
But I did have my phoenix sigil and my mana watch.
It only took the slightest sliver of my mana to connect with their capacity runes.
And then, rather than pushing mana into them, I began to pull.
