PURGE III

The day finally came.

We waited anxiously in our room pacing back and forth, weapons in hand, waiting for our que to begin our assault.

Dio was to stay in the room at all times, and under no circumstance was he to leave. Of course he protested this, because he had grown. He wanted to test out his powers, and I know how that feels. But nonetheless we persuaded him to stand down.

Just then, a voice materialized in my mind, and it seemed that Mara could hear it too.

“Job! Mara! It’s Hidel! Are you all hearing me?”

“How are you in our heads?!” Mara said bewildered.

“Advanced Communication Magic. I’m a former Royal Knight, remember? But I am a mage at that, and this is a skill native to only us.”

“Wait but Grandma was able to do this and she’s not a mage!” I said.

“Really? I guess she was hiding things from me until the end huh…”

“Guys!” Mara shouted. “I love grandma just as much as the two of you, but we need to get back to our task at hand.”

“Right!” I affirmed.

“Alright, so a slight change of plans.” Videl said.

“Should we be worried?” I asked.

“Not in the slightest! Actually, it’s quite the polar opposite! I’ve found out that most of the guards are neutral in pertainance to this entire matter.”

“So?” Mara asked.

“I was able to convince them to take our side by showing them the atrocities my sister has committed, and her allegiance with both the brotherhood and the risen demons.”

“Nice! So more numbers then!” I said.

“Makes our lives easier.” Mara added.

“So that means you only have to worry about my sister.”

“Your sister? Well this should be easy!”

“Don’t underestimate her. She may be daft when it comes to political happenings but when it comes to a good scrapping, she is extremely strong.”

“Man… if Hidel acknowledges her as that strong, then we should really re-evaluate our plan.” Mara said.

“Yeah, let’s deal with her as quickly as possible.” I said.

“I advise you to do that. The longer she fights, the stronger she gets. So end the fight quickly, while she’s still accumulating her power.”

“Alright!” We both said.

“The attack’s about to begin. I’ll sever the connection now.”

With that, we heard no more from Hidel.

“Dio.”

“Yes Job?”

“Stay inside here alright?”

‘Don’t worry. I don’t plan on moving anytime soon.”

“Good.”

With that, we made our way to the east wing, farthest away from Dio, and where Charlette usually spent her time.

-

We entered a park-like area inside the wing where there were trees and bushes with fruits of all kinds. In the middle was a park bench, and on it sat Charlette.

She looked like a mess.

I nodded at the guards near the entrance, and they excused themselves.

As we approached her, we heard her muttering to herself.

“H-how could this be? I-I-I did everything I was told to do. I kept the peasants at bay, and kept the powerful houses and the brotherhood under my belt through my love.”

That was all that we were able to make out.

She noticed us coming.

“YOU! Please tell me you know where my sister is, PLEASE! I need her here NOW. Everything’s falling to hell.” She pleaded.

“I’m sorry Charlette, but we do not know where Hidel is.” I said.

For all we knew, she was assaulting a house that partnered with those bastards.

I signalled to Mara to stand back, and to keep her hands ready to unsheathe her machetes and attack.

I walked closer to Charlette.

“Charlette.”

“Y-yes my L-lord.”

“With the power invested in me through his Majesty himself, I am arresting you for high treason, domestic terrorism and gross negligence towards the people you were instructed to lead.” I declared

“M-M-MY LORD! I’VE ONLY BEEN DOING WHAT I’VE BEEN TOLD!” She screamed. “I-I WAS ONLY FOLLOWING HER ORDERS! SHE PROMISED ME THAT I’D BE RESPECTED AND THAT PEOPLE WOULD FEAR ME! PLEASE UNDERSTAND.”

“I can empathize with your desire to be respected, Charlette. But if you wanted to be respected, then you shouldn’t have joined hands with The Risen Demons and the Brotherhood of Thieves.”

‘I-I, I JUST WANTED TO BE HAPPY! AND HE MADE ME HAPPY!”

“So you forgot your duties as a leader because the leader of an organization that disrupts social order flirted with you?”

“YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND! LOVE TRIUMPHS ALL!”

“YOU HAVE BEEN BLINDED, CHAINED BY THIS LOVE YOU FEEL”

“No… NO… NO. I’M SICK OF TAKING CRAP FROM YOU! YOU WILL NEVER DISRESPECT MY BOO AGAIN. FROM NOW ON, I AM NO LONGER A BETHAR. I AM A DEMON, AND I SHALL WALK THAT PATH WITH THE LOVE OF MY LIFE”

“MARA GET READY!” I screamed.

She let out a deafening scream into the air.

And with that her eyes went full white.

“BY THE GODS HER POWER’S RISING THROUGH THE ROOF.” Mara screamed at me.

Her eyes, or rather the white void that filled them, were fixed at me.

Every step she took caved the earth in beneath her

“WE CAN’T GIVE HER ANYTIME! GO NOW!”

We lunged at Charlette from different angles.

We had to overwhelm her with our flurry of attacks, after all we did not intend on killing her.

“AGAIN!” I barked.

We attacked once.

And again.

And again.

And again.

“IT’S WORKING!” Mara shouted.

“IF WE CAN KEEP THIS UP WE CAN WIN THIS” I shouted back.

But just then.

Charlette screamed again, and it sent a shockwave all about the room, repelling us into a tree.

“DO YOU THINK YOU’D KILL ME WITH THOSE CHEAP TRICKS?”

“WHAT THE HE-”

Mara just barely rolled out of the way.

Charlette dashed at Mara with her twin daggers in hand.

“LUCKY. BUT YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO DODGE THIS.”

Charlette threw a pocket dagger aimed at Mara’s shoulder.

“I’M NOT A PUSHOVER YOU KNOW.”

“MARA!”

Mara dodged the incoming blade with a speed I’ve never seen from her.

She jumped in the air, and twirled around with her machetes.

Midair, she struck Charlette not once, but TWICE, and it left two HUGE gashes on both her arms.

“YOU!”

Charlette shook her head violently and got up again now, lunging at her with her flailing arms.

She attempted to dropkick Mara.

But Mara not only dodged.

She hit Charlette on her head with the hilt of her left machete.

It propelled Charlette into the ground, leaving a massive crater in her wake.

“YOU! I AM STRONG. I WILL NOT LOSE.”

Charlette began screaming, but this time there was Karma coming out of her mouth.

“WHAT THE HELL?” Mara said in disbelief.

“I'M COMING!” I said.

“NO NEED, SHES MINE!” Mara exclaimed.

I let her be.

“You know, I’ve learnt a little something too.”

She stopped and swung her machetes in a whirlwind like motion, which created hugh gusts of wind.

BLADES

OF

ZEPHYR

Charlette was pinned against the wall, falling to her knees.

“YOU. I’M TAKING YOU WITH ME!”

She seemed to be charging up an attack, a deadly one.

But then she just stopped suddenly.

“MY LOVE!” She screamed.