We have to go too far to know how far we can go.
"Shay!" Mica shouted, and instantly he was by my side. He pulled me gently towards him, but it was no use. The wolf whimpered anxiously beside him.
"He won't wake up," Rolo declared, his voice pained but steady.
Mica, uncharacteristically demanding, almost forced an answer from the kid. "What?"
"They are in Shay's consciousness," the kid said. "It was a wise decision; in reality, we would have little chance against the mage. I only hope he has more experience in the battlefield of the mind than the mage..."
Mica was silent for a moment before asking a question he wished he hadn't. "What happens if he loses?"
"I'm not sure," the kid said.
Mica's fingers clenched into fists. "Haven't you played with danger enough?!"
"I'm glad you're so worried about me, but it's unnecessary," I said with a smile and opened my eyes.
Mica looked as if he was torn between crying and slapping me. Alex licked my face with wolfish enthusiasm. Okay, wolf instincts and all, but it was still gross.
"Ew, dude," I grinned. "Don't get all warm and fuzzy on me!"
I sat up. "From what I could see, I hadn't been unconscious for long."
"Maybe for a minute," Mica said.
"Is it over?" Rolo asked, struggling to stand.
"Hm," I replied neutrally.
Mazen sat up and gave me an irritated look. Perhaps the thought had crossed his mind again to see if I could say his name before he finished me. Then he dismissed it, but I think it was only because he was afraid more people would find out. It's less of a problem as long as I'm the only one who knows.
Mica immediately tensed, and Alex let out a growl from the back of his throat.
"Relax," I said, patting the wolf's side. "I've already taken care of everything."
At last, Mazen took the hint and showed some willingness to rid Lilinette of his doppelgänger. The dark mage muttered something magical under his breath, his doppelgänger gave him a withering look, and then he was absorbed by his own mirror.
It is a testament to Mazen's stubbornness that he could even fight with himself.
The mirror landed with a sharp thump. Mazen stood up and called it to him, and the silvered glass flew obediently into his hand. Then he hid it in his cloak.
I jumped up too, and we stared at each other for a long moment. Alex growled again, but I waved him off. Mazen finally pulled himself together and spoke.
"I admit defeat, Fifth King."
Everyone stared at the mage, probably wavering between the possibility that he had gone mad or that they had heard him wrong. I just nodded my acknowledgment. Mazen turned his back and walked off with tight, authoritative strides, his cloak fluttering silently around him. I couldn't help but marvel at how someone could leave a losing battlefield in such a superior manner.
But the next moment, he realized the real enemy had been hiding all along.
"What a shame!"
"To be humiliated like this by a filthy mongrel!"
"We are disappointed in you, Mazen," I heard, and a sulfurous stench filled my nostrils. "Tell me, what has driven you to this?"
Mazen turned to the twins, eyes wide. He was momentarily paralyzed, perhaps hoping it was all an illusion.
"I thought you'd turn up soon," I said, directing my gaze at them. "Vultures always come after the fight."
The twins merely grunted. Pitou held the cursed sword against Des' neck, and Liou held Alice's limp body. The familiar scent of the seer's blood made my stomach churn.
The situation was dire: Rolo and Willingham were badly injured, Mica and Alex were exhausted, and Lilinette looked paler than usual. Mazen wasn't at his best either, likely drained from summoning his reflection. I could tell from the fact that I managed to dominate his mind despite his resistance.
"Oh," I heard. "Isn't that little mage who got away?"
Rolo's whole body froze.
"Brother, he doesn't have any magic left!" said the other gleefully laughing. "We should settle our unfinished business first, right?"
"Be patient, let's close the more important deal first," Pitou replied.
I glanced at Rolo, and he met my gaze. Willingham was in bad shape, but Rolo had patched him up enough to survive. Alex growled furiously at the mages. Mica had drawn the daggers he only used when his life depended on it—he too sensed that the real battle was just beginning. Lilinette was beside us in an instant. I glanced at Mazen, who had regained control of his facial muscles and was watching the amused mages with seething fury.
"You have no chance; you're all exhausted," Liou said.
"We have the sword and your brother's life in our hands," added Pitou.
"But we are merciful."
"We offer a deal:"
"Your brother's life for yours," Pitou said with a devilish grin.
"Which will it be?"
Alex growled more fiercely, baring his huge fangs, but the two mages remained unmoved.
"Shay!" Des cried. "No! Don't you dare…!"
Des's words were cut off as the sword was clamped so tightly against his throat that blood began to gush from under the blade.
"Shh," Pitou warned silently. "It is not your decision, hunter."
"That's right," Liou agreed. "Let your brother decide your fate."
"So?" Pitou asked, looking at me from under his hood. "You save him at the cost of your life…"
"Or would you rather watch us execute the last member of your family?" finished Liou with a grin. He already knew the answer.
"All right," I said, as my friends looked at me in disbelief.
I merely gave them a look that conveyed I had a plan. They would have loved to try to stop me, and I knew it, but I silently, without words, asked them to trust me.
"Shay...!" began Des, but no more words came out of his throat. He continued to speak without sound as the twins giggled in amusement. Des's eyes pleaded with me, but I just sent him a gentle smile.
"Everything will be fine," I assured him.
His eyes watered as he screamed soundlessly.
"I hear you have near-immortal healing powers," Liou began.
Pitou removed the edge of the sword from Des's throat. Des would have moved immediately if not for Liou's spell. He looked up at me—he could only move his eyes. He continued to plead with all his strength.
"What do they teach hunters?" Pitou asked absently. "A precise cut on the neck?"
The sword swung, slicing the air with a whistle. The next moment, a tremendous scream erupted. Flames danced up from the sword onto Pitou's arm, who dropped it almost immediately, clutching his burnt hand. The cursed blade clattered loudly to the ground.
Alice seized the moment.
"Eat this, shitbag!"
I heard the deafening sound of the Angel's Scream. Although Alice missed the mages, he forced them back. Despite his severe blood loss and weakened state, he pointed his weapon at them and crept closer to Des.
The blood-red hoods fell from the two mages, and I finally saw their faces. They were similar yet opposite: Pitou had brownish hair and ice-blue eyes, while Liou had nearly impossibly blond hair with brown eyes.
"As I thought," I grinned wickedly. "If my bloodline is dirty, isn't it the same with you, half-breeds?"
Meanwhile, I picked up the still-flaming sword, but the fire did not burn me.
"Impossible!" cried Pitou.
"What have you done with the sword?!" Liou demanded.
I flicked the cursed blade, and the flames instantly vanished. Mazen had collected many books on this blade. If he hadn't kidnapped me, I might never have discovered why the sword consumed all who tried to wield it before my brother. That was Aleshio's stipulation for his most dangerous weapon: it could be used only by those the sword itself chose or by those Aleshio deemed worthy—the disciples he had taken.
"Time to fight, brother," I stuck the sword in the parquet floor in front of him and then slapped him across the face.
The trance broke, and he immediately picked up his weapon and jumped up. He gave me a piercing look that suggested another unpleasant conversation was coming. I turned to the twins.
"I think it's not too late to introduce myself," I began with a sly half-smile. "My name is Shaytan, seven letters with the meaning of the devil," my grin widened. "I am the Hueless King, the last disciple of the First King, Aldo Aleshio Baldasarre."
Pitou and Liou's eyes widened in disbelief, and Mazen and Lilinette exchanged glances.
"And these," I pointed behind me, "are my famiglia and my allies."
After overcoming their initial shock, the twins pulled their lips back into manic smiles.
"You can be anyone's bastard or apprentice…" Pitou began.
"But you can't beat us!" Liou continued.
"We have the ultimate magic!" they said in unison.
They held each other's hands. The next moment, a multitude of figures emerged from their shadows. Though they looked human, their faces were covered by black mist with a single huge eye spinning wildly in the middle. Every part of their bodies was covered in dark armour, and their fingers ended in sharp claws. Humonculi.
My friends stepped up beside me, and Mica punched me in the shoulder—I think he broke a few bones.
I gave him an apologetic smile, but he was off towards the homunculi. He leaped up from one clawed hand and dipped his dagger into the darkness that had engulfed the body—to no effect.
"Buy me time," Mazen whispered to me.
I clawed and tore at the darkness, but each time I caught the malleable essence, it returned to its original state. They were annoying toys, that's for sure. There weren't enough of us, to fight so many homunculi at once. As they had us occupied, one of them had got close to Mazen.
"Watch out!" I shouted at the mage, but he was concentrating so hard that he couldn't hear my words.
At least that's what I thought at the time. Then, before the shadow could reach Mazen, a familiar figure appeared in front of him. A boy with tongues of blue flame dancing across his skin. Felis fought the homunculus with all his might, but still mostly dodged its attacks and tried to distract it from his master.
Mazen stopped muttering.
"You're late, Felicián."
"I am deeply sorry," he said as he dodged another attack.
"Close your eyes!" shouted Mazen.
In the next moment, a burning blue light filled the room and I could hear the screams of the homunculi all around me. Then, when that light faded, I saw the thousands of mirrors floating all around the room... I understood: Mazen was absolutely certain that Felis would come—he had used his magic to amplify the light of his flame.
The twins didn't seem surprised. As soon as I glanced at them, I knew the homunculi served only one purpose: to weaken Mazen. The dark mage was panting heavily and looked dangerously pale. After summoning so many mirrors, I was not surprised.
The figures of Pitou and Liou had disappeared from sight—they were fast like the fae. I was perhaps the only one who could grasp their movements. I saw them glance at each other and then shoot out straight at Mazen. I don't know if they were expecting my intervention. Maybe yes, maybe no.
I grabbed Liou's cloak and threw him away. I spun around to catch up, but I couldn't reach Pitou—he was running unstoppably towards Mazen. He pulled his hand back and attacked. His claws smashed into the glass of a mirror. Mazen was still breathing hard and could only manage a weak glance at the half-blood mage.
"Too bad for you, Mazen," said Pitou.
The mirror gave in to the other mage's power with a terrible sound. First, it merely cracked, then it shattered to pieces. The room was filled with a sharp crash as one after the other, the summoned mirrors fell to the floor and exploded into splinters.
"Don't you dare touch Lord Mazen!" shouted Felis.
Although his blow missed Pitou, it prevented the half-blooded mage's attack from reaching Mazen. Felis fought with the moves of an experienced street fighter, moving instinctively to follow up the punch with a kick. Pitou easily avoided that too, and even smiled. Meanwhile, the withering movement of the half-destroyed homunculi became ragged and slow, and the bodies born out of the darkness began to fade. Pitou decided to return to his twin after all, and they linked hands again. They summoned more homunculi.
"Felis," I began, "Protect Mazen!"
Mazen was already collapsing from exhaustion, but Felis persisted.
"You don't have to tell me," he said.
"You have each other's backs," I told the others.
"Don't give me orders, dumbass," Des shouted back, but he joined Mica.
They didn't hesitate for a moment: they had complete confidence in each other's abilities. Mica was watching Des' back while he tried to slice the creatures of darkness to bits. Alex stayed with Alice, who, though half-conscious from the loss of blood, still managed to poke holes into a few homunculi. Rolo moved to Lilinette's side.
"I don't need the help of a wounded kid," the woman said sharply.
"Really?" asked Rolo, as he retrieved two vials from the hiding place of his cloak.
With a sudden movement, he tossed the liquid in the air, and then with a flick of his fingers, he ignited the compound—temporarily incapacitating the homunculus nearby.
"Even if this kid could make such beautiful flames?"
Lilinette was stunned—not just by the flames, but by the fact that the kid was using both hands.
"Your hands..." she began, uncertainly.
"You're not the only one who knows a bit of magic," said Rolo, "So, are you going to use my flames or not?"
Lilinette grinned, and after a few spells, an elemental born of flames was battling the shadows.
Liou and Pitou, however, were just getting warmed up. Two huge snakes slithered out of their shadows, with fangs as long as my arms. One of the beasts struck me several times, I dodged its ugly head for a while, then looked to find the other.
Alex was wrestling with a pair of homunculi, and Alice was trying to keep another one from catching the wolf. Plus, the giant snake seemed to be starving for wolf meat. I pushed Alex out of the way, so the giant snake caught me, then the snake slammed its head against the wall.
I pierced his head with my hand. I could feel the hot mixture of my own and the snake's blood burning my skin. I almost sucked it into my pores. I inhaled the scent, which made me dizzy for a moment. It was the moment I finally let the monster loose. The cruelty of a fae and the bloodlust of a vampire was unleashed in me—it ran through my veins like poison and burned me.
When I crawled out of the dead snake's mouth and stood upright, the other, seeing his companion dead, swore vengeance against me. It rose, and I knew that the next moment it would strike down. Des sliced the head off with a precise slash, and Mica hunted down the homunculi that was about to attack the paladin in the process.
A moment later, however, the beasts that Des and Mica had been battling before my rescue were upon us. I dodged the blows and struck. I heard the crunching sound as my bones gave way to my own strength. I punched, I mauled the homunculus whose protection finally gave way. I tore the shard of life from its stinking guts.
I didn't even notice when the dark tendril wrapped around my ankle. In a moment shorter than I could comprehend, I found myself in the belly of another homunculus. It was dark and smelly, and the sticky juices burned my skin. In any case, it's easier to break out of the inside of a homunculus than to destroy it from the outside—provided you're quick enough to find the shard of life before you're digested.
When I crushed the red stone, the homunculus shook—probably when it hit the floor. As the acidic inferno continued to try to digest me, I decided to take the shortest route out: using my claws to dig my way out of the corrosive guts. When my prison then opened up around me and I could breathe again, I grinned. I ached all over, and some of my skin was still missing for moments thanks to the stomach acid.
The dark mages must have sensed trouble, or just noticed the mad smile on my face—I'm not sure which, but they immediately conjured another shadow. This time it was a huge wolf, snarling as it started towards me. No sooner had I crawled out of the belly of the homunculus than the wolf attacked.
When the fangs dug into my shoulder, I laughed. At the same time as it attacked, I pierced my hand through its skull. I could see the shock in the half-blooded mages' eyes—I wasn't sure what it was for. I knew only one thing: I wanted to kill them.
During the fight, I had analyzed their powers. I laughed again, and then I simply stepped in front of Pitou, and with a powerful punch, I separated the annoying twin pair. The mage hadn't even had time to come to, and I was already pinning him to the floor with my full weight.
"You know, I wanted to kill you so bad for a while," I told the tiny mage in an almost ecstatic tone, "I am so happy you came to me willingly."
Then sank my teeth into his neck. He cried out in pain, screaming and screaming as the creatures conjured from their shadows were already weakening.
"Even your blood is disgusting," I remarked, scowling.
Liou glanced at his brother, then took flight instead—I was getting too close. It didn't take long, Des decapitated him with a beautiful cut. Pitou blinked flatly, the loss of blood making him barely aware of the world around him. I just knelt over the limp body, unable to wipe the grin from my lips.