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Chapter 30
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The red sky moaned and creaked. Reality blew in like puffs of clouds, and dissipated as silently as they came. Twilight was upon everyone, everywhere, and it burned. Fighting fueled the fire, but the only way to win was to fight.
On one island drifting through the nether realm, darkness and arcane energies swirled around at a devastating rate, and two men stood in the center. Mortar Mage and War Lagoon stood back-to-back as their power tore vile spirits and twisted shrine alike.
Then the entire island blew apart from around Mortar and War. Mortar took a deep breath of air and energy, and pushed out every ounce what the energy he borrowed for that major spell. Or so he tried. Structures turned to rubble and dust as he held on.
His consciousness was slipping.
War Lagoon, as exhausted as he was, noticed this, and caught his friend. “I got you,” he said. “It’s over.”
Then he remembered they reason they’d come here. War turned his head toward the castle. He was surprised, and mildly amused, to see Adamast Cross and Ohm Wire leaping from the doorway, leaving a thin trail of diamond dust and electric sparks.
Ohm Wire and Adamast Cross glided toward the arch-demon for a little payback, and they did so holding hands.
When they had begun their retaliation against the Circle’s leader, before stepping out of the castle, Ohm Wire tried her best to apologize to her lover for succumbing to the demons’ will like she had done. However, Adamast would not have it. She told Ohm Wire that there was nothing to forgive, and that, if she really felt sorry, then Ohm Wire should fight with her, side-by-side, to bring down the arch-demon and end his vile scheme.
They landed on the plateau with Walter and the demon formerly known as Bates. Walter still had his gun aimed at the arch-demon for all the good it would do, but he saw the resolve of the two women and set the pistol down to his side.
His last shot would have to wait.
Walter stepped back, and the arch-demon stepped forward. The surprise had passed, and he replaced every feeling he could with rational thought. The arch-demon could still take these two opponents before him, one way or another. He’d come too far, and no one could beat him.
The battle resumed. Demonic essence and flame met with ice and electrical surges. Adamast Cross took the more offensive stance while her other took the defensive. It was their first time fighting side-by-side like such a duo, but they made it seem so natural in spite of their obvious missteps.
Whenever the arch-demon saw an opening for an attack, he took it. Even squaring off against the novice level dance, he managed to get in a few hits, though he did not keep track of whom or where the attacks landed.
Both sides used an incredible amount of super strength in addition to the elements. Walter escaped from the one island, and worked his way over a couple more, still ready to take a shot with his pistol if it ever became necessary. Really, he was struck by the awe of the moment. It was greater than anything he’d imagined when he and Jeff had left the military and decided to become heroes for a city that needed it.
Mary’s appearance changed again since the League had seen her last. Her hair and facial features became more like a female David rather than how she’d looked upon awakening as a succubus, but the horns and demonic wings remained. Princess Undercut and Walter wondered what it meant, seeing her lighter brown hair and changing physique. Mortar Mage needed a moment to think straight because he was exhausted. Psi Wizard and War Lagoon only watched on as the clash of forces grew stronger with every moment.
When the arch-demon leaped and flew, Adamast Cross was able to keep up with the realm’s changes of gravitational pull using her wings, and Ohm Wire held on, hoping that the her added momentum from their jumps reduced the effort that Mary would need to steer them in the right direction.
The arch-demon changed his fighting strategy, and it seemed like he was finally getting the upper hand in the fight with his new tricks he had to use. But then Ohm Wire and Adamast Cross changed roles between offense and defense. Ohm Wire's blows hurt the demon even more, and the demon knew that he could die if he wasn't careful.
They went on like this for a time, the League and Trash Knuckle staying out of the way even though the latter was tempted to jump in and make this fight all about him. The fighters hopped between a select few islands before the smallest of them crumbled from the strain.
Now. Thought the arch-demon. He jumped back and unleashed a powerful attacks, filled to the brim with darkness and red flames, toward the girls, and he laughed as the explosive strike pushed him further.
Ohm Wire and Adamast Cross both went for the defensive to try and block the attack, but it was too much for them. So it sent them reeling backing toward the castle.
“Take any form you want, choose any powers you like, but even if you could beat me, you’ll never win. Not like this! Not when I’ve planned for everything you can throw at me!” The demonic master of the Circle laughed again, his voice stretching across the realm for all to hear.
Adamast stood, and a massive cloud of reality blew where the demolished island once floated before the cloud vanished. Through it, Adamast, could see a fraction of the discord back in the mortal world.
War Lagoon held up his friend as they flew toward an island to rest. Neither one of them could go very fast, even assuming that Mortar was fully awake, which he was not.
Three spirits came to meet them. War Lagoon sighed, and prepared to fight with what little strength he had left.
“Wait,” mumbled Mortar Mage.
The three spirits were different from the rest, and yet familiar to him. Mortar could sense that before opening an eye to examine them. They were the ghosts of all three mages who had joined the League a few days ago.
“You have freed us from a terrible fate,” they said in eerie unison.
“I’m glad to help,” Mortar said.
Genine's ghost said, “You have only begun to free yourself. Do not blame yourself for what has happened to us. Be free, Mortar. Fight another day, and another after that.”
“I plan to. Thanks. Rest in peace, my friends.”
Max said, “And you, when the time comes. But, that's not today. Get to safety first. This realm is unsafe, and will soon disappear from Paragon's reach. However, if that crystal is not stopped before then, Paragon will fall, its people turned as we would have been. No, it will be worse for them."
Sean said, "Go now. Let someone else save the world for you. You’re not as alone as you think you are.”
Two more spirits joined behind them. War and Mortar knew them as two of their number, from years ago. One shot his head up in a rapid nod, and the other gave them a thumb up, before the two bumped their ghostly fists.
Then the spirits all vanished into the beyond — into the eternal realm, as Mortar knew it.
Another reality cloud passed overhead, revealing the red beams hovering over Paragon.
“We have to end this,” said Mary, her ice armor shedding and leaving the undergarments that the lesser demons dressed her in. “Are you alright?”
“We do.” Kyra said. “Something has to be done to save everyone, and end this nightmare.” Her voice was more pensive in tone, and then she was facing the crystal inside the castle.
“Somehow, I don’t think Bates is going to let us tamper with that toy of his in peace, or whatever his real name is. I could really use one of Walter’s plans right about now.”
“Go then. Keep him busy, and I’ll figure out what to do.”
Mary nodded solemnly, and took a step in the direction of where the arch-demon was standing. Kyra walked into the castle. Before Mary could leap forward, however, the arch-demon laughed again.
“No buttons or force will help you. This isn’t some fairy tale or poorly written television show where the climax resolves itself because you want it to. The only thing any of you can do now is choose how to die.”
Kyra flinched when he said that. There was one thing the arch-demon did not understand, and it looked like it was her turn to do what others had done before her.
“Go get him,” she said to Mary, placing a hand on the crystal. “Goodbye, my love.”
Mary had prepared to jump, but turned suddenly. She watched in horror as Kyra sunk with the crystal, its supporting platform descending. The floor closed before Mary could reach the love of her life. Water entered the chamber as well.
She pounded on the floor, but it would not relent to Mary’s strength. “Open up!” she cried. “Don’t do this to me.”
“Mary, listen to me,” said Kyra, whose voice barely carried through the floor and currents of water between them. “You’ve already sacrificed yourself once to save me from becoming a succubus. Phoebe sacrificed herself to mend my mind and bring back your powers. And then there were Max, Sean, and Genine, and other people. I understand now how important the greater good is, and I know of only this way to protect it. So let me do this. Let this be the last sacrifice anyone has to make. Bring down that asshole so no one else has to pay the ultimate price.”
“Kyra, damn it.”
“I know, my love. I know.”
Kyra wrapped her arms around the crystal and cried into it. The dark chamber, hardly lit by the crystal several times her size, echoed with the sound of water pouring in at a few places and passing her ears. Time was brief, but it was slow.
Drowning sounded like a terrible way to go, but it was enough, wasn’t it?
Kyra examined the crystal, and found a few jagged edges where she could cut herself with some effort. Then she looked down at her hand. Water was flooding the chamber. Her life was ending one way or another.
Yet, she shook. No amount of reason could prevent what she needed to do next.
Rage boiled in Mary like she had never felt in all her life, even when she and the rest of the League lost Judy. This time, she was going to do something about it; this time, the asshole was going to pay.
She gritted her teeth, and ran to the edge of the doorway. With a wordless yell that could be heard across the realm, she leaped at her adversary.
