Broker

Chapter 231

Ishtar raced back to the battlefield. It wasn’t hard to find. The entire forest was ablaze at this point, consuming itself in the inferno. Trees had fallen over and smoke was rising to the sky. She stopped a distance away, looking down at the mayhem and took one last moment to catch her breath. She was confident she’d bought herself a little time with Otis. The stories from Sonya’s memories, the flashes she could retain without her connection to Sonya, what little she’d seen at the camp. It all paled in comparison to the real thing.

That was him in an early state? Damn monster. He truly is invincible, she thought darkly. She glanced over her shoulder, Still, I’m in for at least one more round with him before this is over. I need to keep him away from Liberty.

She exhaled and tilted her chin up. One more status report and then back to it.

“Technocrat?”

Another long pause, <“...that was more difficult than I was expecting it to be. I think the Pandora Committee has a new technopath. I’ve got you on the hero’s communication network. It’s temporary and you probably shouldn’t… talk through it.”>

Ishtar smirked, “No kidding. Good work. Status?”

<”Kingshark is moving on to the fifth site, some of these places aren’t exactly well defended. I mean, compared to what he’s bringing with him. Without the support from the companies Blackrazor crushed, her international compounds are helpless. All that planning paid off,”> He said with no small amount of satisfaction, <”That’s why we’re the big bads.”>

A sense of relief came with the widening smile on her face. The strategy against An Set had been half-cocked, not enough time to plan it out. The Raid had been terrible. But this had been a long time in the making. Painstaking groundwork set to make sure that Liberty was dealt with. The other Heralds weren’t organization builders. Astaroth leaned on his demons and didn’t act in the open. First Wind and Qilin were solitary. Craftsman was a coward and leaned on his connection to Otis.

Speaking of Craftsman…

“Thank you, Technocrat, keep your eyes on things and let me know if there’s more trouble with the mana levels. I’m sure Otis will take care of the bulk of that problem, though,” she said.

“Not a problem, boss. Good to see a plan comin’ together, see you on the other side,” he said and cut the connection.

She called up Blackrazor, “Blackrazor, status report.”

“Mission complete,” he said without preamble. “Both targets have been eliminated.”

She frowned, No notification about Craftsman’s death. My order should have been enough to prompt it, “I think Craftsman weaseled his way out.”

There was a long pause, “...I see. Forgive me. I assumed rupturing his heart would have been sufficient.”

She whistled, “You did fine. Are you sure Halloway is dead?”

“I am standing over his corpse.”

She nodded, Excellent. Even if Craftsman got away, Halloway was the higher priority right now. I can always find that little snake again,

She looked up as lights flashed near the center of the blazing forest, “Purge the rest of the building, destroy her support staff with impunity. If and when you are discovered either by a hero, her, or the round table, make your escape. We’ll reconvene at the scheduled location.”

“Yes mistress.”

“And Blackrazor?” she added.

“Yes, mistress?”

“Don’t beat yourself up about Craftsman,” she said patiently, “Even if it didn’t stick, you landed a death blow on a Herald. Be proud.”

He paused and she heard him let out a sigh on the other end, “Thank you, mistress.”

She cut the connection and turned her attention back to the battle. Time to have a look around. If there was anything more she could do to push events in the direction she wanted them to go, she’d do just that. Ishtar whipped out her hand and a portal formed, time for act two of this little stage play.

Ishtar stepped out of the portal onto solid ground and took stock of her surroundings. This portion of the forest had already gone out; blackened trees and debris were scattered everywhere. A few gunshots rang out and she turned to see a group of Pandora soldiers making their way into the trees at the far end of the ruined clearing. She ignored them, This should be far enough out of the way that he’ll have a hard time finding me.

She raised her hands, layers of hexagonal barriers forming around her in a crystalline pattern. A shield to protect herself in case someone stumbled upon her. She wrapped the barrier in an illusion and concentrated, casting out her Astral Eyes in search of points of interest. Her many eyes opened, spreading across the forest like a plague, hopping from one tree to another.

There.

Her gaze opened upon a battered grouping of trees that had been inexplicably untouched by the blaze. Two people danced within them, darting towards one another before retreating to a safe distance. Black Lotus slid to a stop and raised her weapon, tilting it forward slightly. The blade was slick with splatters of blood. Her sleeves were torn and she had cuts across her body. Her dark eyes flicked up towards Ishtar’s astral eye for only a moment before she returned her focus to her opponent.

Ah right, she can sense me, Ishtar thought mildly, What are you gonna do about it, hero?

Black Lotus said something that Ishtar couldn’t hear through the sight-based power and adjusted her stance, raising her weapon over her head and angling it parallel to the ground. Across from her, Dame Kant stood with her posture relaxed and one hand outstretched, two fingers pointing towards Black Lotus. Despite the comfort in how she stood, she was just as bloody as Black Lotus, perhaps even more so. Her nose was the biggest offender, dripping red freely onto the ground at her feet.

The two women took a step, flickered, and then reappeared at the center of their chosen arena. Weapons clashing in a blur of movement. Black Lotus’ strokes coming in at so many varying angles that it beggared belief. It looked like the woman had a dozen arms and six blades, each of them curving in at a different angle. Streaks of luminous inner energy scattered like a million blossoms, falling upon Kant like a storm. 

Kant was not to be outdone, though. Whatever she had done in the time between the raid and now had brought her to a new level of strength. A breakthrough, perhaps? Like Black Lotus?

Black Lotus endured the blow and deflected the follow-up strike towards her midsection, turning her sword quickly to point down at the earth and catch her opponent’s sword with the angle. Then she let her weapon go and it began to glow with her internal energy, hanging in the air as she dove forward to deliver a series of crushing elbows and punches to Kant who suddenly found herself disarmed as well. She forced the woman back, punching and kicking as Kant tried to catch up with the flurry of blows.

Kant ducked a punch, forcing Black Lotus to overextend a punch and drove up with clawed fingers that glowed with the black-red flame. Black Lotus’s other hand snapped out across her midsection and delivered a palm strike to Kant’s wrist. She grabbed on and with a thrum of power that Ishtar could feel even from this distance let out a roar and threw the woman up into the air. She whipped her hand out and called her sword back to her before looking up and launching off the ground.

–

Chunhua ascended.

The fight had gone on far too long. Kant had grown so rapidly in power it was startling. She couldn’t allow the combat to last any longer, though, as curious as she was about the change. She didn’t know how much longer Sapporo would last against Liberty and she needed to be there to back him up. She had barely paid any mind to the noisy chatter in her ear, focused solely on the battle before her.

The distance between her and Kant shrank and she pushed herself, cycling her inner energy as she drew on all the momentum she had been building throughout their melee. She needed to end this, now. Capturing Kant alive would have been best, but at this point she was running out of options. A lethal blow would have to do, perhaps she could keep the woman alive long enough to be treated by Vytal.

“This is the end, Kant!”

“We’re just getting started!” Kant roared back and raised her hand up to the sky. The black-red aura that had been wreathing her this entire time left her body and condensed on her fingertips. She whipped her head back with a savage grin, her wild eyes gleaming as Chunhua sensed her powers spike. Chunhua glowered but kept moving, accelerating towards her target. She whipped her sword back and pushed power into it. She adjusted her grip, the words slipping from her lips with a single breath filled with pink mist, “Fifteen Songs on the Boughs.”

A series of pink streaks of light lanced up from where she swung, sweeping up and towards their intended target. Kant laughed wildly and descended towards her, dodging between the rapidly moving rays and not even blinking as one cut through her thigh and another carved a divot into her waist. She reared that glowing hand back and thrust it forward. Chunhua growled at the overextension, Is she messing with me? She thought and swung, her sword connecting with exposed flesh.

The world slowed for a heartbeat, Chunhua watched the limb sever even as the red light on those fingertips flickered and died. She saw it only a second too late, Kant’s other arm snapping out with that same glow on it. White hot pain exploded in Chunhua’s head as a thumb drove into her eye. Fingertips of cruel fire clawed at the side of her face and she let out a cry of pain, snapping a kick out and losing her concentration. She fell, hitting the ground hard as another shape landed not far away. The pain wouldn’t stop, agony burning in her head. She could feel the foul inner energy trying to spread through her body and focused, pushing it back and isolating it as she staggered to her feet.

Across from her, Kant was also standing. Her right arm was gone and she was in the midst of gripping her stump with a glowing red hand. The limb had been severed just above the elbow. The lost limb was nowhere to be seen, likely lost in the inferno that was consuming more and more of the forest.

In Chunhua’s case, she felt warm blood run down her cheek and the corruption digging into the flesh around the spot. The eye was lost and judging by the nature of the energy burning inside her head, it wouldn’t be easy to restore even with powerful healing. She concentrated on it, pushing a little of her inner energy into the wound and recoiled as the corruption crackled back at her painfully. No. It’s not ever going to heal. I messed up.

Kant looked up at her and released her stump with a grin on her face, the bleeding had stopped; “One eye is a good look for you, Black Lotus,” she laughed and waved her severed stump of a limb in her direction, “I hear they make really great prosthetics now! Though an eyepatch might add some mystique!” 

Chunhua clutched at her face as the pain throbbed but forced herself through it. I’m not getting to Sapporo, am I? Damn it.

She panted and tapped her earpiece, “This is Black Lotus. Any mythics available, please go assist Sapporo, I’ve been delayed.”

Kant barked out a laugh, “Finally admitting we’re on even ground?” she said and crouched down to pick up her sword with her one good hand.

Chunhua scowled, “You have my full, undivided attention. Kant.”

–

Ishtar heard the message on the comm.

Well well… seems like you overestimated yourself, troublesome woman. Sonya’s not here to pressure me into helping you either, so I won’t. Get out of this yourself, she thought darkly and turned away. Perhaps I need to intervene with Liberty directly after all. Not enough of her compounds have been dealt with to weaken her to a state that I can let those girls take the glory from Otis.

She paused and turned her sight back to Black Lotus.

She frowned.

She reached up and scratched her head.

“DAMN IT!” she swore, I owe you one, don’t I, you irritating woman! God damn it! She thought and dismissed her barrier. She ignored the startled shouts of a few combatants who had ended up in the clearing with her and made a gesture, a portal appearing. With this, we’re even, though I know right now you don’t remember my debt. Sonya and her silly, soft-hearted deal! She called a legionnaire and gave it a message before creating a fruit and dropping it into its waiting hands.

This is all you’re getting from me, I’m putting my finger on the scale because you’re a necessary part of this, don’t expect more! She snarled and sent the Legionnaire through. She didn’t wait to see whether or not the damn hero accepted her gift or not. It wasn’t important. With Black Lotus delayed she would have to intervene more directly. The plan was still on schedule and she would not allow it to go awry. 

She rose off the ground as a growl and snarl rose up in the trees nearby, Monster formations. Surprised it took this long, she thought and pointed at the hound that leaped out of the trees. A ray of light piercing its skull  as she ascended into the air. She turned her body towards the flashes of copper and gold light in the distance and angled herself, putting on a burst of speed as she left her hiding spot behind.

Alright Liberty, It looks like you’re going to get your wish.

–

Sapporo was bleeding, but he held firm. He stood tall despite the punishment. The pain was just another consequence of his actions. His intent to kill alone was a dishonor on his homeland. The world wanted Liberty to face trial for her crimes, for civilized society to win over her madness. Yet he could not bear her existence to continue for another day. Not when hundreds of thousands of lives were snuffed out in an instant by her cruelty.

He clenched his fists, power pulsing through his body. It wasn’t as much as he had started with, though.

He looked out from where he stood amidst the rubble of the main compound. Liberty stood atop a ruined fountain, her armor bent and broken in places even as her skin remained unblemished, her disgusted scowl still fixed on him. He could see impatience in her eyes. He hadn’t been able to truly hurt her but he had drawn the fight out. He needed more strength, but he didn’t know where to draw it from. He already knew his mindset right now wasn’t compatible with his power, he was weakening himself, but the mirth, the mirth that had been so hard to build after a life of crime… was gone. It died in Tokyo.

“The people of Tokyo can’t dance in the streets forever,” Liberty said with a cruel laugh, “You’re losing steam, while I have only begun to draw on my cult.”

He met her blue eyes and raised his fists.

“Nevertheless,” he said, “A hero never stops fighting.”

Her amusement faded and she raised her sword again, “Then die like a hero, Sapporo.”