?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????i??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????g???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????h?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????t?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????h??????????????????????????????????????????a????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????v????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????e??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????m????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????e?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????a??????????????????????????????????????????????????????n?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????i?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????n??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????g???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????.?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????G????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????a?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????z?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????e??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????i???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????n???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????t???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????o???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????t????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????h??????????????????????????e????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????a???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????b????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????y????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????s????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????s??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????u???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????n???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????t????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????i???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????l?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????y???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????o????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????u????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????r???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????s??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????a?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????n?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????i????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????t????????????????????????????????????????????y????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????c???????????????????????????????????????????r??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????u??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????m????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????b??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????l????????????????????????????????e????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????s??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????i??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????n???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????t??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????o????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????m???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????a???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????d??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????n???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????e????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????s???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????s????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

“W

“

How is she moving?” Daphne asked

“So this is the power of the void.”

“Who I am I speaking too?”

“Thousands of years and people never change.” my voice was twisted, I was still awake, but I wasn’t piloting my body. ?“You’re not our stray, I presume.” ?I swung my arm wildly at Seijuro who dodged leaping from the stage to the ground below.

“That could have been nasty.”

“Master.. Seijuro..”

Bishop Schwein had been sliced clean in half by the attack that had been meant for Seijuro.

His top half collapsed onto the table, turning the white cloth red.

“I see no reason to give my name to a pile of corpses.”

“Void Magic Third Form: Sanguine Orthrus”

A magic circle of red light formed at my feet and spread to encompass the entire village.

From the circle a giant red hound emerged. It was enormous, easily the size of a house.

I walked over to the beast it lowered its head and nuzzled me playfully like a puppy would with its master. ?“You hungry girl?” the beast howled. ?“Well, it’s your lucky day eat till your heart’s content.”

The beast turned to face the citizens of Shikishima, growling and tensing its muscles.

“I’ll take care of this mongrel.” Daphne said using her wind armor spell dashing towards the beast.

“There’s no need Daphne, this is what I’ve been waiting for, I’ll bend the void to my will.”

“You will listen to me Void spirit.”

“Get em, girl.”

The beast bounded towards the nuns and children with ferocious speed effortlessly ripping them apart

They scurried in all directions like the cockroaches they were. ?Their torturous shrieking and the sound of their limbs being torn apart was like a sweet melody.

“Submit void spirit, Levis Dolor.”

The prince’s favorite spell encircled me, binding me in a battle of wills, only this time the result was different.

“You think such weak magic can bind me don’t be so arrogant.”

What had once been searing pain was now little more than a tickle, and with a single stroke of my hand I nullified the spell

“Unbelievable you nullified my spell like it was nothing.”

“This will take greater preparation.”

“We’re falling back Daphne, Maya.”

“But sir, what about the other sisters and the children?” Maya asked.

“Leave them, they’re of no consequence.”

“These are your people you can’t leave them.”

“Maya we’re leaving.” Daphne said.

“But I Can’t.”

“Leave with us or stay here and perish with the rest of peasants. Your decision.” Seijuro said.

“You’re not going anywhere...” I fell to my knees, my body felt like it weighed a million tons.

Damn it not now, Mari why is your stamina so abysmal?”

“Lux Itinerantur” ?a golden portal materialized before the prince and his two underlings My creature was just about done eviscerating the treacherous citizens, their body parts and guts where strewn all over ground.

“This isn’t over Prince of Hyogo, I’ll level this entire country to get to you.” ?Seijuro wore his signature smirk once again before stepping into the portal. “You’re welcome to try.” ?The portal vanished and my beast followed suit. ?Mari’s body wasn’t strong enough to handle a full possession.

The red sky cleared and where screams had howled in the darkness of night came a deafening quiet.

The once peaceful village of Shikishima had been deprived of all life and was now little more than a tomb.

Mari would slumber for three days before rising to greet the horror of what took place that night.

===================

Thank you to my patrons for supporting me.

Empress of Iron

Patrick Frake