Kuina's blade was dripping with blood. The bodies of men littered the stone floors of the fortress. She was breathing heavily, crimson splattered across her chest and cheeks. Her count was rising fast. The system chimed softly in her mind.
"Current kill count: 2,037. Level: 3,499."
Another stab. Another scream. Another step closer to godhood.
Then everything stopped.
The air grew cold. A man dropped from the upper floor like a shadow. He landed with grace, not a sound, and stood tall. His silver armor was elegant but deadly. His eyes, pitch black with slits, locked on her.
Cory.
Kuina barely had time to react. His fist collided with her gut, so fast the wind itself seemed to scream. She coughed up blood and flew back like a ragdoll, slamming into a pillar that cracked on impact.
"Level up," the system whispered. "Level: 3,500. Warning: Incoming threat. Cory. Rank: 8,000."
Kuina blinked through the blood. 8,000? That was double the cap she thought existed.
Cory tilted his head with a cold smirk. "Just because I'm the Vice Captain doesn't mean I'm weaker than the Captain. I hold power you've never imagined. And now? Your little slaughter spree ends. Rest in peace, ginger."
She growled. She tried to summon her sword back to her hand. But her fingers were shaking.
Through her internal vision, the system tried to offer clarity. She scanned her core arsenal.
"Main abilities: Resurrection, Cloth Manipulation, Enhanced Strength, Blade Enchantments."
That was it?
Her heart pounded. Maybe her anger helped her surpass limits... but Cory's power was absurd. A different league.
Somewhere else in the battlefield, chaos erupted.
Piper lunged toward Molly, fist igniting in blue flame. But before she could connect, a beam of red light sliced through the air. Mortis had fired from a rooftop. Molly didn't dodge. She vanished.
Appeared a foot to the left.
Piper gasped. "The hell?"
"Lucky bitch," Mortis muttered.
Piper conjured a swirling blue orb in her palm and threw it with rage. "Aqua Pulse!"
Molly caught it. With her hand. Then casually flung it back.
It hurled toward Piper's chest.
The transition was sharp.
Back to the ground.
Cory turned to the surrounding soldiers.
"Gentlemen," he announced calmly. "You now have the honor of executing the ten captives. Right in front of our little goddess."
Kuina's eyes widened. Her neck twisted toward the stage. Ten women, bound, barely conscious, hanging by restraints.
The timer above them blinked.
"Time left: 1 hour 36 minutes."
She tried to rise. Cory held out his hand and whispered.
"Bind."
A dark rune formed around Kuina's body. She froze. Completely. Even her eyelids trembled.
He leaned down near her. "Don't move. The show is about to begin."
A soldier approached the first captive. Raised a jagged blade.
Kuina screamed.
"NO! YOU SON OF A BITCH!"
The sword plunged into the woman's stomach.
Blood poured. Her body twitched. Eyes rolled.
The sword pulled out.
Kuina's heart shattered. Her own blade pulsed black, humming like it was alive.
She couldn't move.
Meanwhile, the energy orb was about to hit Piper, but Mortis dove from above and deflected it with his horn.
"Lucky again," he spat.
Molly looked mildly amused. She was now behind Piper.
"Go help her," she whispered.
Then she rammed her fist into Piper's shoulder.
Piper crashed downward, spiraling, screaming.
She landed near the stage, at the base of the execution grounds.
Cory looked at her with bored eyes. "Another insect."
Mortis tried to follow. Molly grabbed his horn.
"No no no," she purred. "This is between Piper and the ginger."
"Let me go, you plastic-faced bimbo!" Mortis growled.
She licked his horn.
He moaned. "Fuuuuck... yes... you know what you're doing, baby... oh god... yes..."
Piper pushed herself up. Her legs shaking. Blood dripping from her nose. She was surrounded. Male soldiers circled her, weapons out, grinning.
She looked left. The captives.
She looked right. Kuina. Frozen. Bleeding.
Something inside her snapped.
"My goddess... my woman... she's in danger..."
Piper's body ignited in blue aura. Her necklace glowed. Her fists clenched.
With a scream of primal rage, a wave of energy burst from her, knocking back every man around her like rag dolls.
"NO ONE TOUCHES MY GODDESS!"
She turned to Cory, pointing at him with murder in her eyes.
"You ugly piece of shit. Get away from her."
Cory raised an eyebrow. "You're even more pathetic than she is. Alright, runt. Come on."
Piper charged.
Mortis groaned as Molly kept stroking his horn.
"Stop! Why are you jerking me off instead of helping?"
"Because drama is sexy," she replied coldly. "And the ginger will win. She just needs motivation."
"You insane barbie doll... I like it."
Piper yelled, "AQUA BLAST!"
She hurled multiple glowing blue spheres at Cory.
He exhaled.
A wave of darkness blew them aside like leaves.
Then he vanished.
Reappeared in front of her.
Headbutt.
Her body dropped.
Unconscious.
Kuina screamed.
"PIPER!!!!!"
The bind spell weakened for a second. That was enough.
Kuina roared and broke free.
She dashed toward Cory.
But behind her, another soldier sliced the second captive across the stomach.
The woman choked and bled out on the spot.
Kuina froze.
Cory took the opening. His boot connected with her ribs.
She slammed into the wall and crumbled.
System alert.
"Fatal injury. Heart rate critical. Emergency state activated."
A soft voice echoed in her mind.
"Emergency override available. Breathe into Piper's mouth. Transfer 2,000 levels. Dragon Power unlocked."
But Kuina was unconscious.
Piper stirred. Her eye opened slightly. She had heard it.
She groaned, tried to sit up.
Cory appeared above her.
"Oh no you don't."
SMACK!
His palm slapped her so hard her cheek swelled instantly. Her aura died out.
"Magic sealed," the system whispered.
Mortis shouted from above, "Hey! That was overkill, man!"
Molly blinked. "Guess I have to interfere after all."
She cracked her knuckles. Her heels clicked on the stone floor.
Fade to black.
To be continued.