Explosive

Mikkah’s voice echoed through the prison, tinged with real panic.

“Help me! I’m going to die!”

Together with the strange light coming from their cell, it actually attracted the attention of two lowly demons. One of them was almost as tall as Berus, and his red skin was covered in spiked metal armor. His face was completely hidden beneath an equally spiked helmet, and chains dragged behind him together with his tail. He didn’t talk, or maybe he couldn’t.

“What’s going on?” his colleague huffed.

It was a smaller demon with a pale, white-green skin color. He didn’t have any armor on, but a pair of large, bat-like wings were folded on his back. He looked at both Mikkah and Berus with intelligent, cat-like yellow eyes.

“Be-- The machine started a self destruct sequence. He will explode!”

The red light that came from Berus’ head flickered on and off in an increasingly faster rhythm.

“I have to get out! Now!” Mikkah said again.

The guards looked at each other.

“It looks real to me,” the smaller demon said, and the other nodded in acknowledgment.

For a moment, the smaller one’s eyes flickered to Berus, to the exit of the prison, and back to the cell. It was almost as if he was going through all his orders in his head.

“Alright, alright,” he finally said.

He took the rusty key ring from his tail and slowly walked over to the iron gated door.

“Come out, then. But don’t try anything.”

“And what is with him? He will blow up the castle if you don’t stop him!”

Again, the guards exchanged a glance. Then, the taller one slowly stepped through the door and into the cell. He looked almost fascinated by Berus, and got close to his face.

“Let me see,” the smaller demon huffed, and followed him.

They didn’t pay any attention to Mikkah. They probably thought she posed no danger to them. But with them both occupied, she had enough time to charge her glove.

“Elven blast!”

WIthout another sound, both demons fell over.

“Stop it!” she immediately hissed.

But it took a few moments until the red light stopped. Mikkah waited, but Berus didn’t move.

“Berus?”

He finally got back to his sense.

“This was a bad idea,” he wheezed. “I was actually really close to blowing up.”

“And you almost killed all of us!” Ki-Rai screamed at him. “You! Useless! Piece of Scrap!”

“It was a stupid idea, yes, of course! By Lucine, what were you thinking?” Mikkah shook her head. “I was really afraid you would die!”

“But it turned out fine,” he said to both of them. Then he took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to frighten you two. And I was probably a little hasty with just… doing it. But it turned out fine.”

“If you say so. But don’t scare me like that again.”

“Or me,” Ki-Rai grumbled. “I’m here for a good time, not a short one!”

“I promise I won’t do it again.”

While Mikkah was busy and took everything of value from the guards as she bound and gagged them, Berus slowly managed to get up. His broken body still hurt like hell, but at least he could move again.

“Then, let’s find Iuria. I doubt we can win against the demons as we are now, but we won’t abandon her,” he said. “We’ll get her back, whatever it takes.”

“Of course. But where will she be? She knows the castle, we don’t.”

“Well… I think it is similar to one area in the game, but…”

She rolled her eyes. “Do you know the layout or not? If so, where could she be?”

“Fine. I don’t know.” He shrugged. “If it was easy, we would just do it. But we don’t, so I guess we just have to sneak around and hope we encounter her. Or do you have a better idea?”

“No. It sounds… fine. Better than blowing yourself up again,” she muttered.

“Wonderful.”

They went out of the prison. It was more difficult to be stealthy with his size, and with just how slow he could move at the moment. But they didn’t have the time for Mikkah to repair him. She, too, was hurt, even if it wasn’t as bad as he was. They kept to the shadows, and waited for the few guards they encountered to pass them by. But they couldn’t find a trace of Iuria.

“Maybe she is still in the throne room?” Mikkah asked.

“I hope not.”

That would mean they had to return to the place where he was utterly defeated. Just thinking back to Gyria punching him over and over brought back a shudder that went through his entire soul.

Footsteps drew closer, and Berus quickly grabbed Mikkah and pulled her back into the shadows. Just as he did so, two human guards came around the corner. Their eyes were dull, as if they were asleep, and their movements were just as sluggish. For a moment, Mikkah looked at him, as if asking what to do. He shrugged.

If they were lucky, they wouldn’t notice them. If they weren’t…

One of the guards stopped, and suddenly swerved his spear at them. But before he could call for reinforcements, Berus rushed forward, and punched him. Not so hard that he would die, of course, but enough to push all the air out of his lungs. The man keeled over, and the woman next to him watched without much of a reaction. Before she could do anything else, he also punched her, and she fell to the floor just like her colleague.

“They’re not dead, are they?” Mikkah whispered.

“Of course not. Just unconscious.”

“Good.”

“They were not even a challenge for you,” Ki-Rai spat. “You didn’t have to use skills! You could kill them, but nooooo. You had to spare them. What about a little bloodshed, hm?”

“We want as little bloodshed as possible. I think I shed as much of my mana fuel as I currently can spare,” he whispered back to her.

“No fun,” Ki-Rai said again. “If you at least could get a proper re-match against that general, when you’re healed up! I’m sure we’ve figured that bitch out, and then, with a good weapon, we can…”

“I don’t want that,” he said firmly. “If possible, I would like to never see Gyria again.”

“Too bad,” the demon hissed from above them.

Gyria held herself on the ceiling with her many hands. Her mask shone silver-golden in the pale moonlight. Mikkah immediately started to run.

They had no chance. Berus grabbed Mikkah to shield her from any incoming attacks the demon might throw at them, but thankfully, none came. Instead, he was lifted into the air by her many arms, and that way, the demon dragged them through the castle, all while cackling.

They struggled, but Gyria’s grips were like iron. He had no chance. Even if he wanted to fight back, Berus recognized it was futile. It was probably better to wait for a moment of surprise than waste what little strength he had left.

“I was already tasked with getting you, so this makes it easier for me,” Gyria hummed. “Though the little mechanic was supposed to stay in her cell. Well, no matter. This will be fun.”

With that, she dragged them to the throne room, where Iuria still stood her ground against her father.

“I will never surrender to you! Do what you want, but you won’t break me,” she said.

“Oh?” He let out a low chuckle. “Did you not see what happened to your friends? Can you bear to see it again and again?”

She flinched, but stood her ground. “I believe in them. They’re stronger than you think.”

“I doubt it. That girl is a human, and as squishy as they come. And the machine is, well, there to cause pain and suffering for the soul inside. I’ll show you how it is supposed to be done, then.”

He grinned at her. “I still feel some sort of connection to you, strange daughter. So I will ask you one last time: will you join me out of your own free will?”

She shook her head. “I told you: I will never do that.”

“Haaah.” The king let out a sigh. “Too bad you have the royal bloodline. Without it, it would be easier. Seems like I will have to weaken you.”

“Iuria! You have to run!” Mikkah screamed at her.

Iuria whirled around, and for a moment, she was shocked.

That was when General Gyria made her entrance. She quickly covered Mikkah’s mouth with more hands than necessary.

“I brought you the machine,” she said. “They seemed to have escaped.”

“Oh, no matter.” The king’s grin grew sharper. “This will be a good learning experience for everyone involved.”