Right Behind You

Koharu barrel rolled in the air, another arch of lightning cracking past her. Her ears rang from all the noise, head aching like she’d been whacked with a rubber mallet.

The Warlock pinned both elbows back, the storm entity above him doing the same, its glowing blue eyes narrowing at her.

She flicked her hand up, opening a portal in front of herself as two bolts of lightning flashed towards her. They disappeared into the portal, zipping out one encircling the Sentinel and sparking against its hoof.

She landed on the grass, casting up a portal on either side of the Warlock. The man threw his hands down, lightning launching from his hands and throwing him backwards as a beam of light zipped across the portals.

Almost, she thought. He jumped early. Next time we can fake it and catch him when he lands.

She startled as Ezequiel’s giant stone body crashed beside her, stone and dirt spraying.

“Zeeq!” she said, turning as Kiyomi descended from the air.

A cloud of red smoke curled around her, her blade held out to the side.

“We asked, Koharu,” Kiyomi said. “But you just refuse to-”

A swarm of black birds descended on her. She raised her arms, teeth baring as the birds swirled around her, faster and faster until she couldn’t be seen inside.

Koharu and the Warlock looked up as Beltran descended, his black wings flaring open. He aimed at the Warlock with his rifle, firing and punching a hole in the man’s shoulder.

He growled, the storm entity’s lip curling above him. He raised a hand, and Beltran smiled.

“Made ya look,” Beltran said, landing beside Koharu.

Koharu raised a hand against the gust of wind as Beltran’s Griffyn swooped in from the side, clutching the Warlock in its claws and carrying him away, the storm entity fading into mist.

“That’ll keep him busy for-”

A bolt of lightning flashed, striking the Griffyn and dropping it with a trail of smoke.

Beltran winced. “Never mind.”

Koharu rushed to Ezequiel, his Golem’s red eyes still glowing. She placed a hand on his giant finger, the tip larger than her whole torso.

“I’m fine,” Ezequiel said, his gravelly voice low. “Just taking a break, that’s all.”

Kiyomi shouted, bursting out of the tornado of black birds with a flare of red light.

“Kiyomi, you damned bitch,” Beltran said, raising his rifle to her. “I never did like you, just so you know. I saw this coming.”

Kiyomi chuckled, the red glow in her eyes fading. Her hair was black now, just like it was in the real world, her eyes brown instead of blue.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen, Bel,” Kiyomi said. “Ignacio was supposed to die before ever getting this far.”

“You’re evil, Kiyomi,” Koharu shouted, her hands flaring with blue-light.

“You’re a traitor, is what you are,” Beltran said, stuffing his hand into the pocket of his jacket.

“And you’re a fool, Koharu,” she said, massaging the bridge of her nose. “You fell for a boy you met a handful of days ago and-”

Beltran opened his jacket, a another swarm of shadowy birds streaming out and swarming around her.

Koharu glanced at Ezequiel as he sat up, staggering to his feet. He turned to her, the side of his stone face cleaved off and glowing orange, revealing the boy inside.

“Beltran,” he bellowed, “where the hell is Ace?”

“Fighting the Hallowed Titan,” Beltran said.

He closed his jacket as Kiyomi slashed the swarm with her blade, scattering the birds.

Koharu glared at Beltran. “What are you doing…”

She was about to say “here.” But the memory of the coin landing on tails flashed into her mind, silencing her. She clenched her jaws.

“You’ve already lost, Ezequiel,” Kiyomi said, twirling her blade. “Just. Surrender.”

Beltran stepped in front of Koharu. “Go,” he said over his shoulder. “Go get Ace. He might be in trouble.”

“But what about-”

Lightning banged behind her, and she turned to find the Warlock standing up in a swirl of white smoke, the grass around him burnt to a crisp.

“Get out of here, Koharu,” Ezequiel said, turning to her.

She could see the boy inside the Golem’s head. Just the right half of his face, covered in ash. His eye wrinkled as he grinned.

“We’ll be right behind you,” he said.

She jumped into the air as a bolt of lightning struck where she’d stood, her blue light faltering as she soared higher.

“I’ll be right back,” she shouted.

Kiyomi stared up at her, tome materialising in her other hand.

“Go!” Ezequiel shouted, charging for Kiyomi.

Beltran saluted her, popping three shots at the Warlock as she turned, and zipped towards the Hallowed Titan.