-Callen-

  I breathed heavily and slammed mana into another veil, killing another elf. Tears and desperation were close at hand, as I had no chance to save Reesia or check on her in the heat of the battle. I was already reaching my limit balancing breaking the immortality shields and avoiding the persistent blink and you miss kind of lethal threats that relentlessly poured down on us.

  A moment's distraction caused me to miss the knife stabbing for my throat, but Paladin Korin intercepted it with his body while cutting down the attacker. However, for the first time since this fight began, Korin, who had stood at the front, suffered a critical injury. In the next moment the man went berserk, slicing through 3 elves before more injuries accumulated, slowing him down. I wheezed, but I was determined not to let this chance go to waste. I didn’t have enough mana to crush all the veils simultaneously, but the way the void interfered with runes might be a promising effect.

  Ever since I got affinity projection using Sis’s affinities, I had never given using it with void affinity any investigation. I expanded my mana zone to encompass as many of the elves as possible and activated void projection. I stood still, fully focused, concentrating the energy onto the elves. An arrow ripped off my already prosthetic arm, but I completed the skill. Immediately I noticed the veils dissolving like acid had been poured on them. I held the skill longer as my mana reached a critical state, letting go at the last moment before complete exhaustion.

  While my vision was blurry, I noticed the still-living elves panicking and running away while the undead collapsed. The vanguard of the elves had been dealt with, but the three chiefs were still mid-combat with Nightshade. I could feel Nightshade’s strength beginning to fade as the last of her stored mana started to bottom out. The last of the giant flowers was ripped in half with a flaming sword as the three elves cleared the path to us.

  I looked back at the ballistas, but the damage from the elvish archers left the castle looking more like a ruin that had been used as target practice for a division of artillery. It was hard to tell how many guards had given their lives, but it was a grim reality. Still, despite the damage, one bolt launched from the castle only to be knocked aside by one of the elves. The only thing between the elves and the civilians was an exhausted and critically wounded Korin and one of his companions. I pulled out a flare to signal the naval evacuation when I finally felt Callia urgently reaching me. "Reinforcements," I paused, reaching over to Nightshade, conveying the arrival of additional help.

  I pushed myself back onto my feet and limped up next to Korin.

  “More help has just arrived; we just need to hold long enough for them to get here.” My voice was weak but conveyed hope. I pulled out my hammer that I hadn’t needed with all my focus on completing kills. Korin nodded slightly and spoke firmly despite the blood soaking his armor.

  “Then we shall hold until the end.” I took a moment, throwing caution to the wind as necessity pressed in. I dumped all my stat points and immediately felt swollen with power as my mind struggled to adjust.

  The elves seemed to have observed enough, choosing to rush us. Korin and his companion each took one, leaving me face-to-face with the third. He was fast and incredibly skilled, but now I could finally keep track of his movements. I tried to bring my hammer up to block his attack, but I crushed my grip, only awkwardly flailing about as I narrowly avoided the attack. I tried to jump back to make space and accidentally sent myself flying into the castle. The elf smiled greedily, seeing me flail about awkwardly. He pressed his advantage, pursuing me at full speed.

  In no time at all my previously restored condition was getting nicked apart. I expanded my mana zone, intending to break the man's veil, but I found it far more durable. I bounced across the ground as my duck was a millisecond from being too late. The bridge of my nose now sported a fresh cut across it horizontally. I slid on my back and tried to push myself up when the sword was thrown into my gut, pinning me to the dirt.

  I reached to grab the handle and free myself, but the elf had closed the distance, giving a swift kick to my face, knocking me back into the dirt. I coughed blood as the elf's boot pinned me to the ground. He grabbed the sword and ripped it out, adjusting his aim to run it through my heart. I created an airburst but messed up forming the rune, using most of the little mana I had.

  The blade dipped down only to be intercepted at the last moment. A thin sword dove between me and the elf, pushing the blade aside. The elf immediately recoiled, facing the newly arrived threat. I clutched the hole in my stomach as I saw Eland and seven other knights rushing in, restoring the balance at a key moment. While it wasn’t decisive against such dangerous enemies, it was enough to make the fight fair again. I force myself back up while saving the mana I did have for the right moment. One knight with a spear clipped the elf's hand, and while nobody else could see, I saw a finger severed.

  The elf didn’t notice as I grabbed the finger and concentrated void energy on it. The veil melted bit by bit until suddenly the elf collapsed as nothing but shriveled skin wrapped around ancient bones. The other two, seeing that one perished, immediately withdrew and ran for the walls. My strength gave out, and I fell to my knees. A faint sound echoed above the ringing in my ears, and I noticed Crescent running towards me as I slumped forward. We had done it. We had stopped the elves! As I passed out, Crescent’s embrace was the last thing I felt.

  Queen Karia Arrested

  The moment Karia saw Callia dangling helplessly in Harlanou’s grasp, a feeling of outrage she had suppressed for years surged uncontrollably. There was no time to think as Karia broke through the mana barrier and seized the woman's face. Karia gave no heed to the political implications as she gave her last rational order to her son to have Callia treated and protected in her study. With the extras cleared out, there was nothing to stop her as she hammered the stunned and confused Harlanou into the pavement.

  The woman's confused and desperate sobs crying for her to stop and mercy went unheard as more and more bones cracked and the stone path was reduced to rubble. Systematically, Karia made sure that every bone in the woman's body cracked as she stomped again and again. It was only stopped when members of the royal guard surrounded her with weapons drawn. Karia felt she could take the whole lot of them, but where the Royal Guard went, the king wasn’t far behind. Leaving the woman lying in the dirt, beaten to a pulp, had burnt enough of her hatred to comply for now, but she knew this was going to blow back on her hard.

  She was brought to the royal audience chamber while her husband waited on the throne. In his lap was Queen Vienne, who wore a sweet smile like she had received the best news and was eagerly awaiting the payout. Karia immediately understood that this whole confrontation had been sparked by her, because it was always Vienne causing trouble where none needed to be. Of course Karia only suspected such, as the woman was skilled enough to thoroughly proxy any of her actions.

  The king barely paid any attention, focusing entirely on and teasing Vienne in front of the entire assembly. All kinds of nobles from various regions assembled quickly at the news of Karia’s rampage, or so it had been described. Karia’s eyes narrowed as the limp body of Harlanou was carried in on a stretcher. For the first time since the spontaneous hearing began, the king looked at Harlanou before Karia while narrowing his eyes at her.

  “You’ve been obedient enough for me to ignore your troublemaking for years. I thought you had adjusted sufficiently to living in my house, but seeing this, it's now clear that I have been far too lenient. By my order all of Queen Karia’s servants shall cooperate with Queen Vienne’s investigation, and in a month a trial will be held. Should you try to run, Karia, I will have my mages track you down, and I’ll personally take your head. Wait in the dungeon, and once a month passes, I promise to be lenient in my ruling.”

  The room was filled with hushed whispers and not-so-quiet gossip as the onlookers drank up the verdict. Had Karia been able, she would’ve turned everyone present into a bloody meat paste. Sadly the pressure coming from the elderly king promised that she stood no chance. She swallowed bitterly as the guards took her to the dungeon.

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