<hr>


    <12/30/1962 – 20:49 | Eldora Tower Fl. 950-F, Eldora City, Junon, Sprawn Valley>


    The rules for interrogating prisoners was more straightforward and simple than Danton initially realized. At first, only mage Sirus and a few other security members and detectives were allowed to question Kite, but it wasn''t long before Danton was requested into the small room of 950-F. Sirus escorted Danton inside, being careful to remind Danton that his Mega-Staff can be a serious weapon. Danton knew he didn''t need to be reminded. The only reason Sirus would invite him towards Kite is because he must be refusing to talk or give them any answers.


    Being difficult is probably not Kite''s objective. The guy is strange, and he has an altered sense of what the concept of fairness means to the world. Danton figured that the moment he enters that room, Kite will suddenly become cooperative, at least to a degree of knowledge. Kite won''t go as far to drop the subject of dark magic. If he did, this would be over by now. But Kite just tried to use dark magic against Danton personally, a threat to harm or kill a member of Eldora Tower. More importantly, Kite just tried to harm a member of the Trujima gang, a friend, an ally, a training partner. Did dark magic really twist his mind that far? Or has Kite always been this way inside?


    Danton had to be patient. There were questions he had himself. Upon entering the interrogation room, he noticed those holographic disks around Kite''s wrists, as they were tied to the back of a chair he was forced to sit down on. Sirus summarized that the blue disks were Leray magic''s form of handcuffs. They work just like any other ordinary handcuffs, but these Light Lock disks are not commonly known to the public, nor should it be. The spell specially targets all possible magic transition that leaves the body. That means that the subject under a Light Lock spell is still protected by the veil, though they cannot produce or invoke any magical power, whether it be Leray format or otherwise. If Kite cannot use any magic because of those cuffs, he isn''t much of a threat anymore.


    The man seemed smug and confident in his expression as he sat calmly in the chair, unable to move his arms shoved behind him. There were a couple of other mages in the same room, surrounding Kite with special staffs aimed at their prisoner. They must be here in case something does go wrong, and that means that those Light Lock disks must have some sort of potential weakness or failure mechanism.


    "So I''m your prisoner now?" Kite asked his question with a happy tone rolling off his tongue. He wasn''t the least bit worried or displeased.


    Danton felt disgusted again, just by seeing what state Kite Fargenst is in right now. The guy isn''t even remotely worried or guilty for what he knew he was getting involved with. Danton knew he didn''t need to spell it out either, but for the purpose of this meeting, he still stuck to protocol. "You''ve been teaching yourself how to use and invoke the forbidden teachings of dark magic, and a moment ago, you tried to harm me with that same magic format. So of course you are a prisoner right now. Letting you out would be a serious danger to society."


    Of course Danton would be disturbed by all of this. He''s been spending too much time with these top government officials lately. "All I wanted to do was let the people of Sprawn Valley realize what potentials they were missing out on."


    Danton clipped the Mega-Staff to the back holster strapped around his clothes, and slammed both of his hands down on the empty floor-mounted table between him and Kite. "You will listen to me while I''m taking to you!" Danton could feel Kite far beyond reach, but he still might be there somewhere. Wake up Kite! "You have any idea how stupid you sound right now? Nobody will ever accept magic that can kill others who get targeted!"


    Sirus added into detail and perspective the severity of Kite''s general situation. "Trying to trifle with us is useless. We know that you''re Leray license was illegally revalidated some time ago. That creates a large gap in time where nobody knew what you were up to, or who you were. You could be anybody for all I know."


    Kite only continued to argue that his claims were correct, even assuming nobody would accept him for it. "You honestly think I used to be a user of dark magic then? I would have never wasted my time with these idiots if I were capable of such things." Kite''s eyes were directed towards Danton, and his disenchantment towards all of Danton''s friends. "Leray magic is a joke. Magic of any kind should only be reserved for those who are brave enough to use the best skills, the best power levels, and endure the worst attacks possible."


    "This isn''t some dark battle royale nonsense Kite. You''re talking about derailing a society that already functions just fine the way it is."


    "How na?ve must you be Danton? Dark magic might be a well-known secret for now, but just imagine what would happen if a criminal group discovered how to invoke dark magic for their own purposes. It didn''t take me that long to figure it out myself."


    Na?ve? Looks who''s talking with that attitude. "We''re here to stop thugs like that, to imprison people who dare threaten the lives of other people and their freedoms."


    "And yet," Kite argued, "just imagine if everybody knew how to use it instead. Forget criminals. The people would be able to use dark magic and fend for themselves. There wouldn''t be any reliance on credit values and other material things. Giving everyone the truth and perspective to choose a more powerful magic level would toughen everyone up. There would be no need for further suffering!"


    Further suffering? What is he talking about? That gap in time where Kite became a ghost, it was a new moment for Danton to contemplate. Any minute now, Kite will be processed and sent to prison on some remote island within the country. But if something horrible actually happened to him back then, this is his only chance to speak up about it. Is that why Kite is so warped? Did the Leray agents monitoring and protecting everyone miss a spot? Kite could have easily gotten involved in a situation where others must have used dark magic to bully him, or something like that... Or Kite could just be completely insane. What''s worse is that he believes he is right to give everyone the sudden power-up of easily murdering other people. It''s like giving an entire town of paranoid people guns and bullets. People who don''t like their neighbor will get carried away. They might even find other more harmful ways of using dark magic, such in the fact that it could break the natural barriers of objects imbued with protective Leray magic. This is nothing short of one large mess.


    Danton still isn''t budging. "You might think that it causes problems now, but just imagine if all of us, you and me included stopped bad situations using our own dark magic. It''s not as complicated as you make it sound."


    "And you sound completely crazy," Danton retorted. "You really think things are that simple? All I hear are excuses you''re using to justify doing something so horrible. Magic is not a tool used to kill!"


    "But it should be!" Kite argued again. "We''re supposed to be getting stronger with magic. Yet you and your cohorts have put a limiter on how powerful magic can be. If only you would just stop relying on that stupid veil, it might even be possible to further advance dark magic into a new artificial veil. If we could do that, think about the applications. People could soon learn to live forever!"


    Without even shouting or chanting, Danton lifted his left arm, already complete and charged with an electrical glyphring around his wrist, aimed directly for the moron in front of him. Kite almost looked surprised for a split second. What was he expecting anyway? That idiot really believes in killing people, while vouching for immortality in the same sentence? He''s contradicting himself with his lunacy... But he''s not crazy enough to be irrational. If Kite is getting ideas to generate artificial veils using dark magic that negate the natural veil of Leray magic, then it only makes him far more dangerous than he previously thought. Sorry Kite, but this friendship has been stretched to the limits, and you''ve crossed a very dangerous line. "I already know that whatever happens to you is more up to the council association than myself, but let me be clear, Kite Fargenst. This idea of ultimate power you crave inside of your head is flawed and broken. You will not be leaving here today as a free man. You will not be represented by a lawyer whom will only try to buy yourself time to develop some sinister plan of action to save yourself. I''ve declared you to be a danger to society the moment I stepped into this room. You''ve lost your way, and I don''t know when that happened, or if I had anything to do with it, but you will be imprisoned for your actions, expelled from Eldora Tower, and ejected from this Trujima gang you''ve built up."


    Sirus held a grin of confidence that Danton had the strength to put away the people he''s worked with before. Yes, the mage council does handle these things, but executive decisions made from the champion that happens to align with the council association only speeds up the process. Putting Kite behind bars now is the safest choice to make, no matter how difficult.


    Failing to hold in his laughter, Kite let it out in front of all of them. The fools don''t even understand what influences they can and can''t control. He had Danton and the others asking what was so funny, but Kite had to return to his old confidence in order to explain it. Thirty minutes has already gone by since his capture. "You don''t have any influence over the Trujima gang. They follow my lead, my orders, my influence. It doesn''t matter if you are the champion or not. You can''t control everyone you want to."


    What is he talking about? Mainne, Gleeon, and Vanoss would never put up with this crap. "Whatever man. Sirus, make sure that he can''t—" Danton couldn''t finish his request, because a loud bang sound stole the attention from everyone in the room. Shortly after, a massive crash shaking the entire room for a brief moment nearly penetrated the area outside of the sealed section. Danton didn''t know what was going on - to the other side of this door, but after hearing a couple of screams, cries of terror that could only come from the additional guards of security, it didn''t take much to realize that something bad was happening just outside of room 950-F... That''s why Kite is so smug!


    <hr>


    Chapter Theme Shift: Duel ~ Vampire Knights OST</a>


    <hr>


    Danton reached for his Mega-Staff, but it was already too late. He meant to aim the device towards Kite, but the sliding door opened up behind him, revealing a tall figure that Danton only saw as a blur before his body was lifted off the ground and thrown to the other side of the door. Sirus tried to react, but a strange dark symbol opened up underneath him, sapping mage Sirus of all his stamina and energy in an instant. Sirus collapsed to the floor unconscious, teleported away from the same external symbol. Danton landed on the hard ground back in the champion''s chambers after literally being thrown out of the cubical space.


    It wasn''t clear what was happening yet, but Danton was certain he and the others were all in immediate danger. Danton helped himself back up, turning around to discover who was behind that, an attempt obviously made to free Kite from his magic cuffs... "Gleeon?!" There''s no mistaking that build. Gleeon is a tall strong guy with plenty of muscle to show, even with excellent armor. Gleeon glanced behind him to Danton, confirming his facial identity to the champion further, as Danton suddenly froze. Gleeon is helping Kite? That can''t be! Kite was bluffing earlier about having the Trujima members on his side, right? Gleeon would never resort to killing people with dark magic! "Gleeon! What are you doing?!" Danton hollered despite the moderate distance between his position and the now broken doorframe of room 950-F.


    Gleeon wasn''t happy to talk to Danton at all. He instead generated a small aura around his right hand, and slammed his fist into the ground aiming for Danton. The actions generated a Shadow Wave moving across the floor. Only this Shadow Wave was more luminescent, glowing with a strong red radiance of color and rage. It''s the aura of dark magic, sent straight to Danton.


    Danton had no choice but to immediately react to the situation, using his Mega-Staff to create a Firesurge spell in front of him, hopefully strong enough to intercept the incoming Shadow Wave, but the waves of energy each clashed with each other. Firesurge was consumed immediately, while the dark magic Shadow Wave continued on unhindered. Danton immediately enforced the telekinetic rules he learned earlier, using the magic force on himself to lift his own body into the air, just high enough to dodge that Shadow Wave. Luckily for him, Danton''s actions were quick and precise, as the Shadow Wave moved on to hit a useless piece of flooring tile curving upward.


    Gleeon wasn''t trying to kill Danton, something made very clear as Danton sank back to the ground. Gleeon instead made it to the back of room 950-F, using some sort of unfamiliar magic on the back of Kite''s wrists, breaking the seal on those magic cuffs immediately. So now Kite is free too. Two dark magic users are suddenly loose in the tower. All of the security guards and soldiers from earlier were knocked out and unconscious... Hopefully they are only unconscious.


    Kite and Gleeon walked each other out of that secure room, proving once again to Danton how much more efficient dark energy is against the forces of the veil users. Gleeon figured that Kite had enough of his ranting earlier, so he spoke to Danton instead while Kite hung back, prepared to fight. "Allow me to introduce our backup plan, in the event that you would try and defy us."


    "So you''re in on this too!" Danton pointed. "Gleeon! What the hell are you doing?! Dark magic is dangerous and illegal. It kills the people afflicted by the damage with just a couple of hits!"


    "And that is precisely the reason why I have resigned myself to this pure set of rules," he replied. "I was indeed impressed with your ability to self-improve through such analytic training methods... But not every person is like you Danton. Other Leray wielders like us only strive to become the most powerful, to never once show a single sign of weakness. If you cannot stomach the idea that this new power is necessary though dangerous, then I cannot accept you in the group anymore."


    "Forget about that stupid group and your ideas of becoming powerful! This is treason, Kite and Gleeon! You''ve abandoned the very principles we promised to protect!"


    "I never made such a promise. Meanwhile," Gleeon pointed to Danton with a heavy gesture of rage, "all you''ve done is buddy up with the same people keeping this secret from the whole world! You''re the one who''s abandoned the principles of becoming the stronger warrior, and your own actions are so dishonorable too. It sickens me to look at you now!"


    "I''m stronger and better than you''ll ever be, because I''ve never once been tempted to resort to a form of magic that could ever harm another person. I would never twist my own morals like you''ve done so today!"


    <hr>


    Chapter Theme Shift: Fatal ~ Critical Mass [Out of the Ashes]</a>


    <center><iframe title="Fatal" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Moc1GvjjT4k" width="240" height="120" frameborder="0"></iframe></center>


    <hr>


    Gleeon''s eyes suddenly began to change in color to red, while his hands began to lighten with a red aura. "You think you''re stronger than dark magic? I suppose Kite didn''t provide a very good demonstration then."


    Kite turned to Gleeon and gave him the detailed report. Not every moment went as planned. "I''ve disabled his most powerful summon. He can''t use it for another hour."


    "Summon or not," Gleeon stated, "I will eliminate those who think they can stand in the way of this raw power. Everyone calls it dark magic, but that''s just a deviant twist of nomenclature. If this magic is possible because of the existence of the Leray veil, then it should also be allowed. After all, I''ve learned it in just a few days! Fire Blast!"


    Danton watched Gleeon launch another attack towards him, again converting an ordinary Leray spell into a dark magic energy burst. Four separate spheres of red fiery magic shot through the air towards Danton. The Mega-Staff can absorb a lot of the damage, and he knew this by now. So Danton performed his staff twirling technique, causing all four spheres to dissipate upon impacting the staff, but the force against Danton pushed back on his legs, causing his feet to slide back on the floor.


    "You idiots!" Danton insulted. "What do you ever hope to accomplish by ruining Leray magic for everyone? You would have everyone killing each other for dominance?!"


    Gleeon wasn''t having any of Danton''s flawed logic. Even he can barely hold up against dark magic. He is a champion no longer. "Kite''s ideals do sound extreme, but that is the way nature works. The weak must succumb to the strong! Dark energy is but another freedom that you and your council have sealed away from the world. It''s not as if we''re asking everyone to run around murdering innocent people. Magic is a choice after all, but in a magic battle, a fight to the death will always yield a battle worthy of praise and honor, no matter what the odds are."


    How? How could Gleeon have become so twisted by this? It isn''t possible for Kite to have brainwashed Gleeon like that. Gleeon cares so much about honor, and that doesn''t exist in a world where magic kills everyone on impact! Just look at this carnage! Those guards should have come back by now, but they aren''t sleeping! They won''t wake up because they can''t wake up anymore. Hypocrite! Absolute Hypocrite! And what happened to mage Sirus? Why isn''t he here to help?


    Danton''s heart was pounding in his chest. Here stood two strong warriors ready to kill him. Working together, they could easily kill Danton. What about Vanoss? What about Mainne? Where the hell are they?! "What did you do with Mainne and Vanoss?"


    Gleeon almost chuckled in his response. "Vanoss is involved too now. Don''t you see how many people feel betrayed by your weak Leray veil? I''ve got him on standby right now, unless you want to have him test his dark powers on you too."


    "No!" Danton felt gravity around him intensify as it became harder to stand and breathe. Not Vanoss too! Even him? Such a young swordsman just dedicated to becoming a strong and honest Leray warrior. There''s no way he would ever be converted! Kite did something to him, and probably did something to Gleeon as well.


    "But as for Mainne," Gleeon continued, "she refused to accept this arrangement."


    "I swear to god, if you did anything to hurt her..." Danton lifted his staff to aim at Gleeon despite the increase in artificial gravity pushing him down, while charging a glyphring without releasing its magic. "I will kill both of you!"


    Gleeon''s eyes opened wider, and even Kite''s brows rose from the reaction. Danton would suddenly cross the line of murder over something so simple as hurting somebody else? "Of course I didn''t hurt her... But maybe I should have. That look in your eyes right now, you care even more about protecting other people than you do for protecting your ideas of Leray magic. That said, you''re no different from the rest of the swine working in this building."


    Danton made it clear to repeat himself only once more. "Where - is - Mainne?"


    "I''ve surrounded her entire training room in a modified anti-energy field. She''s trapped inside of there for the next few hours, without any ability to use her magic, as it constantly gets drained to zero percent. She will not escape that place until I''ve deemed it safe to do so. But at least now, you and her will get to die together."


    "So that''s your plan now? Kill me and take over Eldora Tower? Rule the world like some tyrant?!" This is bad. If they couldn''t convert Mainne, then Vanoss and Gleeon really are on Kite''s evil side.


    "Ha! We''ve thought this out more than you think we did. Kite and I both know you''re hiding something within this tower, presumably somewhere near the top floor."


    Dammit! They know about the crystal core!


    "Fun fact of the day," Kite switched. "Did you know that it is possible to transform the energy signature of the veil being transmitted from this tower, and change it to constantly send out a dark energy signature instead? The result would forcibly convert all Leray energy to dark magic energy without as much as a stress on the wielders using it. All of Sprawn Valley could become one full dark zone!"


    "It is?" Danton wasn''t sure about that. Sirus never said anything about that kind of potential. But what would happen if it were used this way?


    "I see... So your buddy didn''t tell you everything. Basically, it would automatically make it easier for everyone in Sprawn Valley to use dark magic at their own command. We can finally unlock the true power of the veil, giving everyone the destructive power they want to have, and all without blocking the consequences of their own mistakes. This is the way magic is supposed to be!"


    They''ve both gone crazy. Danton knew it by now. There was no possibility of turning either of them around. They''re both a serious threat to Eldora Tower. Shutting down the veil would have been the right choice after all, but it''s too late for that now. Unless Danton could somehow destroy the both of them, at least disable their powers for a good moment of time... But how? How did those soldiers use the Light Lock spell?


    Gleeon took a step closer, totally fearless in front of Danton''s non-threatening staff, using nothing but false magic. "This is your very last chance to change your mind and join us. Leray magic is just a simulation Danton. But behind that vault door you have somewhere - lies the real magic, unlocked with all the potentials. We are going to find it with or without your help."


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Danton exhaled through his nose and stiffened his focus. He''s all alone here. Fighting two against one without taking a single shot of damage isn''t going to be easy, but there is no choice. Eldora Tower is the heart of Leray magic. These losers want to take away the magic that everyone loves, and control it for their own selfishness. "I''m not going to let that happen!"


    Danton unleashed his Quantum Beam from the staff, but as fast as the blue flash of light was, Gleeon and Kite were both out of harm''s way, evading something so quickly and easily. Danton missed with his threat, but at least any Leray magic he does use won''t kill either one of them.


    Kite summoned his supply sphere, containing both Dire Sabers which he now held in both of his hands. The supply sphere usually fades away into a phased dimensional pocket of space, but Kite instantly slashed the device intentionally, causing it to fall apart from the air it floated into. Why would he disable his own supply sphere? It''s simple enough. Those things can be used as tracking devices. Another trade secret the government was keeping from people. With both blades now ready and aimed at Danton, Kite prepared himself for real combat. "Gleeon? Back me up. It''s time we take out the new master of our simulations."


    "Must I really need to help you with this?"


    Kite knew Gleeon was just being rhetorical, and he charged off on foot, faster in speed than before from clinical practice. Danton wasn''t capable of figuring out what to do in time. Kite slashed his swords into Danton, and even though he partially blocked the hits with his staff, using a one handed weapon to block dual wielding was ineffective. Of course, every time Kite struck Danton, they both knew that only ordinary Leray damage was being done. So Kite backed off to momentarily charge dark energy auras into both of his sabers, causing them to glow red with auras. Danton now realized where this all ends.


    Danton thought fast, shooting a Power Blast from the end of his staff towards Kite''s feet. The shockwave is powerful, but also directional. It sent Kite and Danton flying back and away from each other, though both managed to get back on their feet quickly. As Kite attempted to get close with his new blades of death, Danton managed to summon the Luminous Artemus in his other hand, causing the device to transform into a phased sword in the same moment. Danton would need both of these to stand a chance against Kite, but he is hardly the biggest concern.


    "Ragh!" Kite shifted hand and hand, striking towards Danton with another sprinting charge, but Danton was at the edge of his nerves, blocking or dodging every single strike. How he became so fast wasn''t clear to Kite right away, but just a single strike on Danton would be all it takes. Kite sped himself up, becoming reckless in knowing that Danton won''t ever use dark magic himself, and after several attempts at dodging, Kite finally landed the end of his right blade through Danton''s left leg.


    Danton winced in agony, sinking to the floor with a sudden drop in stamina. He nearly lost all breath from that painful stab alone, but Danton fought back even while sinking. He invoked more magical energy from his staff and locked Kite in place. His entire body and all movement were suddenly frozen, the magic of telekinesis. Danton knew he should have just used that earlier, but even this power has limits, both on time and number of targets per invocation. Kite just needs to be far away, so Danton supercharged the kinetic force from the front of the aura surrounding Kite, and then let go. The results catapulted his entire body far away from Danton like a slingshot, and his swords dropped to the ground from the unexpected force.


    Gleeon watched in humiliation as Kite made a fool of himself, being shoved into the side of the metal wall several meters above the ground. "I knew you would slip up eventually. I''ll take care of this myself." Gleeon knew Danton could hear him from their distance, but it wouldn''t matter. Danton might be able to control the flow of a few atoms and molecules with that staff, but he can''t control more than his own weight. "Maelstrom!" Gleeon unleashed a ton of energy at once, causing his eyes to glow red while the floor under Danton was blasted with a surge of red energy, some of which were vertical beams of light.


    Danton was caught up in all of it, forcing real time damage to penetrate his body and cause great harm. The sudden blast of energy to him immediately weakened Danton, causing him to stumble in place. Nobody had their energy scopes running, but Danton didn''t bother. It doesn''t matter if he monitors his health or not. Another couple of stray hits is all it takes to die here. All that thing will tell him is a report of unknown response error. Forget holding the building together. This has to end right now! "Rush Assault!"


    Danton created an aura of speed around him, using this speed and reaction time booster to instantly throw projectile spells towards Kite, while running in to beat up Gleeon, but despite Danton''s initial hits to Gleeon''s body with his sword, Gleeon barely had any reaction at all. He soon reacted by creating his personal Void Edge around him while fighting back with his bare fists. The close fight soon changed direction, as Gleeon caught Danton''s left wrist, twisting it until he dropped the sword staff. Danton tried to fight back by punching Gleeon, but the man was a brute, taking any kind of punishment.


    Gleeon had a hard time blocking or intercepting Danton''s worthwhile speed, blaming Kite for teaching him how to move so quickly, but it wasn''t a problem. Gleeon continued to passively drain Danton''s MP energy for each and every moment of physical contact that was made. Gleeon eventually drove his fist into Danton''s face hard enough to knock him back into the air. Gleeon also took advantage of the moment with his other free hand, grabbing Danton''s Mega-Staff and claiming it for himself.


    Danton knew as well as Gleeon that items cannot be transferred this way, and he had to ignore the bruising pain in his right cheek to stand back up and reclaim his Mega-Staff. He did so by activating a hidden magical function on the device, a Leray-based signal that causes the holder of the Mega-Staff to receive a powerful electric shock with a power level of eight.


    The trick worked. Gleeon was suddenly zapped with magic electricity coming from the end of the Mega-Staff, forcing him to drop the device to the ground. Danton used that opportunity again to invoke kinetic magic, shooting the Mega-Staff through the air and catching it back into his hand, but just as Danton succeeded, Kite came out of nowhere, and used a Flash Kick on Danton''s abdomen. That time, the Flash Kick was Leray damage only, but Danton was quickly losing the fight before him, now stuck on the ground again in excruciating pain. Even in between dark magic and Leray magic attacks, the existence of real time damage can multiply the pain level of ordinary Leray attacks received. Right now, Danton could barely move at all. Now Kite and Gleeon were standing together again. Both of them held their arms and hands out and open, aimed at Danton while their personal auras of red evil energy built up around them. The process wasn''t quick this time, a tell that Danton was about to be done for.


    "Let''s just blast him with a double Dark Beam and call it a day."


    Gleeon nodded in agreement to Kite''s simplicity. It''s what they both should have done the first time. Even Danton cannot fight the raw power of dark magic. This alone is proof of the difference in power levels, and it will soon be unlocked for everyone!


    "I think you''ve proven your point Kite!"


    Danton couldn''t move from the pain in his chest, but he knew that voice wasn''t from himself, Kite, nor Gleeon. Standing a distance to his left was the man making his appearance, Vanoss Highdrow. He doesn''t look too happy, but him being here right now really proves that he is also for team dark magic as well. How could they do this to the world?


    "We don''t need you for this!" Kite yelled from his distance. Neither he nor Gleeon stopped the durational charge of their ultimate dark magic spell. It takes a lot of time and concentration to execute, but can also break through any shield barrier and beyond. "Back away Vanoss!"


    Vanoss could clearly see who was winning this fight, but what is this all really worth in the end? It was only a few hours ago when Vanoss learned the truth, straight from Gleeon and Kite. Their ability to use dark magic so easily is impressive, and it really does suck that the top leaders of the nation, including Danton himself subjected everyone to the lies regarding dark magic. It''s the more powerful source, the better choice if they''re aiming to become the best.


    But even now, Danton isn''t using dark magic for any reason. He isn''t fighting back with that kind of raw power. Even if he doesn''t know how to, he would have learned to himself if he were really interested. This isn''t about defending the right for people to use dark magic. No, what Kite and Gleeon are doing is far simpler than that. They''re about to kill Brash Danton, and they don''t need to! "I said that''s enough!" Vanoss screamed at both of his teammates, and dashed forward to stand himself directly in front of Danton. Gleeon and Kite naturally did not approve.


    "Get out of the way Vanoss!"


    "What are you doing?!"


    Vanoss T-posed in front of Danton, vouching to protect him from any harm. He would be the new fighter from this moment on. "There are people who want Leray magic to be their only option, even after learning the truth. You can''t force me and Danton to use dark magic for the rest of our lives. I won''t let you!"


    "Move fool!" Kite kept his aura charging, as did Gleeon, but Kite wasn''t going to let Vanoss suddenly stop them just because he changed his mind a second time.


    Vanoss... You weren''t swayed by their lies. Still, get out of the way! "Vanoss!" Danton coughed afterwards, evidence that his previous encounter must have damaged some of his internal body structures to a small degree. His stomach felt like it was doing backflips in his place. "Don''t let that blast hit you!"


    Vanoss held his position. One single burst of dark magic won''t enough to kill him, and Danton needs to be safe for just a little longer. "I''m defending Leray magic to my last breath! You are not going to take Leray magic away from us!"


    "Have it your way!" Kite ignored that warning. He knew all of the energy would be wasted if they stopped their charged spell just to prevent Vanoss from taking the injury. Either way, Danton looks like he is in bad shape already, and this spell is therefore overkill, but Vanoss will make for a worthy lightening rod. He''ll eat his own words. Synchronized with Gleeon, they chanted the spell name while releasing their ultimate spell. "Dark Beam!" Their auras combined together, forming one large red beam of energy. For a spell charging that long of a time, one would think a beam of dark magic would be underwhelming. However, this beam of dark magic has a power level of 15 on the scale, and carries three times the deadly force of a bullet to any vital organ when used in the outside world, comparatively speaking.


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    Chapter Theme Shift: Resolution [Reprisal] ~ Borislav Slavov [Crysis 2 OST]</a>


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    Danton flinched; afterwards it felt like time had stopped. He couldn''t bring himself to believe it. It wasn''t possible, yet the situation in front of him declared otherwise. The large red beam of energy traveled from one end of the room to the other side, drilling a large hole straight through Vanoss''s chest. Blood drops splattered everywhere on top of Danton''s arms and face, as Danton quit breathing.


    The pain felt so intense, Vanoss knew he couldn''t stand up much longer. After looking below him to the damage, his eyes began to spin at the sight. A three-inch hole replaced a chunk of his upper chest, his flesh mangled and bloody. The impact hit one of his lungs, causing him to cough and spit up blood while collapsing to the ground trembling.


    Danton wanted to scream, to stop time where those murderers stood, but he couldn''t do much of anything. His movement abilities were slowly returning to him, but the shock of watching Vanoss dying right in front of him was too much, and Danton''s natural instincts took over. He waved his hand aiming at Vanoss, causing his energy scope to appear. Danton already thought the worst was to reveal itself. Vanoss just got hit by a powerful dark magic spell.


    The health value wasn''t zero! But Danton could see it ticking down at an alarming rate while his body rested on the floor, blood seeping into both sides of his shirt. Twenty-five, twenty-four, twenty-three... It''s dropping so fast. Vanoss is still going to die without medical attention. Where are the rest of the guards?


    Kite lashed out at the moron on the floor. It doesn''t matter how impressive it is that Vanoss wasn''t somehow incinerated. "You idiot! That''s what you get for rejecting the power of dark magic! You stand in our way, and you''ll die a slow and painful death!"


    "Forget it," Gleeon refreshed. "Vanoss made his choice, and Danton made his choice, each independently of each other. Let''s just get this over with. Booooof!" Gleeon was suddenly shoved into Kite, blunted by a bright force of glacier and stone from the side. Both him and Kite were knocked into the ground, but the damage was minor. "Who the—"


    "You''re through, you sick, disgusting vermin!"


    Gleeon reset his stance quickly, forcing himself to try and get over the confusion. What is Mainne doing up here? "Didn''t I lock you several floors below?"


    Vanoss was barely keeping it together, but he was still conscious for all of it. He couldn''t speak though due to his inability to breathe properly, and it caused his coughing to escalate.


    "You would dare kill all of our own people, our friend just because you want to become more powerful? I think I can see enough in front of me to get the picture. The two of you really are evil, and that warped magic you''ve both been using has also fried your brains." Mainne felt so relieved she got up here in time. Danton was sill okay. He''s hurt, but Vanoss actually looks much worse. From this distance, it wasn''t easy to confirm.


    Danton gasped from the epiphany. This was Vanoss''s idea! He wasn''t just protecting Danton from imminent doom; he was buying time! That anti-energy field Mainne was trapped in must have been constantly powered by Gleeon''s energy reserves, but having him participate in that last energy blast drained his MP levels too low to keep that field going. Vanoss knew that Mainne would be set free just as soon as Gleeon used that large spell. But he shouldn''t have to die over this! "Stop them Mainne! They''re after the veil. They want to make all magic dark magic!"


    Kite didn''t even speak or hesitate to waste any time. He jumped in front of Gleeon, and activated another Sylph Wave. The airborne shockwave of dark magic zooned through the air at a high speed, but Mainne was even faster than all three of their spells. She held out her sword, and immediately used the iceberg she created earlier as fuel to intensify her blade with ice elemental magic. The ice surrounding her sword changed the entire shape and size of the blade, causing it to become larger and stronger as a single weapon. She then shoved it downward into the incoming Sylph Wave as hard as she could. Ultimately, her plan worked to disrupt Kite''s attack. Despite Sylph Wave using dark magic, its power level is lower, and a powerful ice blade is one of Mainne''s specialties. Ice abilities familiar to her generate a higher power level when Mainne uses them, because she''s had them invoked over a decade of experience. That''s how she gets stronger with Leray magic, with hard work and practice. But this, this is another dimension in the wrong direction.


    Kite stopped, assessing the situation besides Gleeon. Mainne was almost an equal fighter against Danton, putting Entiene aside, and Danton isn''t really out of the fight yet either.


    Alarms sounded through the entire building again. Danton hit his personal alarm switch a second time, assuming that security must not all be fully aware of the situation in this room. Part of this is Danton''s fault for disabling the active monitoring in the first place. But with Danton beginning to recover, and Mainne already at full stamina, this fight will finally be fair! "I''ll handle Gleeon! Mainne! You take Kite Fargenst!"


    "You''ve got it!" Mainne held her fists tight, waiting for either of them to make a move... But they were standing still, almost backing up in hesitation. Is a fair fight really that threatening to them?


    Kite glanced around quickly, realizing the situation and the timing of their impact. The vault at the top of Eldora Tower can''t have solid security. But in this case, a full building lock-down will make this impossible. Kite only escaped custody last time because of Gleeon, and that fool Vanoss switched sides a second time... "We''ve wasted too much time!" Kite tried to talk through his teeth so that only Gleeon would hear him through the sound of the alarm system.


    "I thought the plan stated we could easily take them both."


    "Something''s wrong," Kite warned. "They should be backing down even with Mainne here."


    "Hey assholes!" Danton called both of them from over here, holding his Mega-Staff high in the air while releasing magic. In the process, he slowly generated a large yellow glyphring above him. "I think my pet wants to see if you''re still on the menu!"


    Gleeon turned around, sure enough to blast Kite with his own dark magic. "I thought you said Entiene was disabled!"


    Danton stretched his voice to reach them again. "I have a spell that cuts summon recharge time to nothing, and I used it during your interrogation while nobody was looking." Unfortunately, Danton knew this was all an elaborate bluff. Summons are always disabled after they fail for two hours, no exceptions. But Kite and Gleeon don''t know anything about it. They only know what they think they know in magic. If they were really focused on Leray magic just like everyone else, then this bluff would immediately fail. Oh, and this light show? It''s just a light show. Entiene takes a ton of MP energy and duration to summon. I''ve bought you a moment of time Mainne. Use it now!


    "It''s too late!" Kite put away one of his sabers, keeping the other in his left hand. "We can''t fight all three of them that quickly. If we get captured by the guards, it''s all over!"


    "Then what do you propose we do? This was your dumb idea!" Gleeon nearly punched Kite in the gut, but it was only an aggressive nudge.


    Kite took all of his surroundings in a panic. From here, it looked like Mainne was charging some sort of powerful spell, one that would be effective at any range. Her hand is glowing so brightly that it hurts to look at. "Time! We can live to fight another day. Outside Maneuver!" Kite took off in speed, causing Gleeon to follow him, but their direction took them away from Danton and Mainne, practically towards the edge of the cylindrical metal wall in the side of the room.


    Mainne unleashed her powerful spell towards her enemies, but Kite intercepted the attack in time using a dark magic powered Earth Glave. Mainne used a horizontal whirlwind attack combined with a standard Earth Glave, but even with that, she only put a crack in the protective Earth Glave Kite set up using a stronger form of magic. Evading more damage, Kite and Gleeon both continued towards the edge of the wall, as if they were going to phase through the corner and escape that way. What are they doing?


    Danton canceled the fake summon, mostly to conserve what remaining energy he had left, but also to figure out what those two were up to. Mainne began to follow them.


    "Stand clear," Kite ordered. He aimed his arm at the end of the wall, charging powerful dark magic energy at the structure. It took a few more seconds than either of them were comfortable with, but Kite finally unleashed a magical blast of energy, powerful enough to blast through the solid wall of the building. The blast displaced metal fragments from the area with the deafening sound of the outward explosion, while launching the broken piece of wall away from the tower. This hole was at least thirteen meters forward, leading all the way outside of the tower itself. Dark magic ignored the rules of protective material, which is what this tower was made of. Doing this much drained a lot of Kite''s energy while depressurizing the room. Gleeon was running low too, but they needed to move now. Those mysterious Light Lock disks are more powerful than they look.


    "You want to jump out of here from this height?" Gleeon wasn''t stupid enough to jump to his death. The Leray veil protects people from falling off structures, but that rule only works for about 800 feet in altitude acceleration. After that threshold, real time damage can set in. After 1,000 feet, it''s most likely instant death. And this tower is far higher than 1,000 feet at this level.


    "No you idiot! We jump, then teleport before hitting the ground." Mainne was about to catch them on foot! "Move!" Kite dashed for the new exit he created, assuming Gleeon to follow behind him.


    As Mainne nearly caught up to them, she watched in confusion as they both jumped through the exit of the hole, leaping into the air, the high altitude off this tower at which none should survive, but Mainne got closer to the edge. Surely they had some way of not being killed by their own jump?


    Teleportation via personal symbol and aura transference isn''t an easy thing to accomplish, but Kite managed to figure it out by studying one of the mages in secret. He showed Gleeon how it works, but he was still a rookie at teleportation. Either way, Kite knew that he would at least survive this, and that''s because he isn''t going to hit the ground. Again, teleportation isn''t easy, but teleportation usage while in mid-air is practically unheard of. In theory, there isn''t any reason why it shouldn''t work. All you have to do is focus, and block any fear that you might come to harm. Concentrate! Concentrate on the energy displacement and geographical location. "Teleport now!"


    "What?!" Mainne saw another disbelieving solution to her enemy''s problem. Gleeon and Kite both became surrounded in this bubble aura, with a large teleportation symbol opening up beneath each of their bodies. They''re teleporting away in mid-air, free falling to a different destination entirely!


    "Mainne! Get over here!"


    Mainne could hear Danton''s call, but she couldn''t divert her eyes until the impossible was confirmed in front of her. About halfway to the ground, both Kite and Gleeon disappeared in their bright auras of light... They''re really gone!


    "Get a healing orb now!"


    Mainne''s attention shifted immediately. Danton wouldn''t call for a healing orb without reason... "Vanoss!" Mainne rushed back to the center of the room, where Danton was holding Vanoss up slightly, checking his vitals that were still rapidly depleting over time. The health signature only continued to drop as the poor man slowly bled out all over the floor, and on Danton''s clothes. Mainne reached in her pocket for the spare healing orb she knew she had, and handed it to Danton.


    Danton powered the orb over Vanoss, trying to get the device to heal him, even a little, just enough to buy time for the medical teams on their way up here. "Vanoss! Hang in there! You''re not dying on us!"


    The man was beyond weak from blood loss and rapid organ failure. The Leray veil was doing nothing to heal Vanoss in the slightest, and his eyes were barely staying open.


    But he was still awake, able to see the two people towering over him. Everything he saw was fuzzy with light displacement, but Vanoss knew that Danton was holding him, Mainne desperately trying to help. If Kite and Gleeon aren''t here, it must mean they won. Danton and Mainne proved it, that Leray magic is still better than dark magic, if they can just use it right. They protected all of this with their lives. Even Vanoss did. He protected Danton successfully. "Le-ray, magic..." Vanoss struggled to speak. He was amazed at himself for being able to do so, but exhaustion was kicking in fast, and he suffered lightheadedness from hell.


    "Don''t speak," Danton commanded. "You''re not dying Vanoss! You''re not dying!" It was no use fighting back the tears. That fleeting look in his eyes, Vanoss was quickly slipping away. Blood continued to float up through the sides of his mouth, and now into the white spots in his eyes.


    "You saved, it... Thank - you." Vanoss felt heavier by the second, until the weight of everything suddenly smothered him and his senses. It felt like drowning, his entire body''s blood drowning every nerve. Everything became dark and heavy. But this isn''t the end.


    Danton couldn''t do anything! Vanoss just continued to weaken, until his last trembling moment. His eyes shut by themselves, and through the grip Danton was holding him up by, the pulse suddenly stopped.


    Mainne lost all her strength in her legs, watching Vanoss die, despite the medical orb failing to do its job. Vanoss''s energy scope turned grey, a deadly sign that the owner isn''t biologically active anymore. Tears streamed down Danton''s face, leaking into Vanoss''s corpse, but Mainne felt the shock too, covering her mouth and forgetting how to breathe. Vanoss can''t die! He can''t die!


    The sound of both doors to all emergency lifts were suddenly forced opened by security teams and other members, all rushing towards the center of the field for Danton''s personal protection after the alarm was triggered for the second time today. It almost felt like a cliché to both of them, the timing of their late arrival after the commotion had settled down. If the medical team were just a minute sooner, Vanoss wouldn''t have to die! Maybe they could still save him.


    Mage Sirus showed up too, using a teleportation symbol to get back into the room. Whatever Gleeon did to him forced Sirus to sleep, simultaneously warping him into a very dark space with no light. That''s particularly bad, because if you don''t know where you are on a map, you cannot teleport to another destination. Turns out it was one of the unused rooms of Eldora Tower on the lower levels... But Sirus couldn''t be proud of himself for getting back up here, because this scene looks like a colossal mess, a failure! That''s Vanoss over there, and that energy scope...


    "Move over! Let us through!" The medic teams already had a stretcher on wheels, and mobile medical tools used for severe injuries unrelated to ordinary Leray magic incidents. In this situation, they would treat a dying patient as if they were shot with a bullet in a vital organ, since that is practically the similar of this situation.


    Danton forced himself away, putting faith in the slightest chance the medical team could save Vanoss and revive him, but it didn''t feel possible at this point. Mainne held on to Danton''s left shoulder for closure, but she was now in tears, worse than Danton was a second ago.


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    Chapter Theme Shift: SF Track 12 ~ Malfador Machinations - Space Empires OST</a>


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    Everything fell silent. That''s what it felt like anyway. He simply didn''t care to process any of the noise around him. That image of his best friend dying in front of him, bleeding out into his arms, he can''t wipe it from his mind, not even for a single second. Danton held his face in with his hands, unable to do anything else.


    As a minute ticked on, Vanoss was injected with something and moved onto the stretcher. The team proceeded to try and restart his heart with battery operated electric paddles. They must have hit the man seven times on full power, but even with all of those spasms, nothing worked. Vanoss wasn''t coming back, and it didn''t take long for his energy scope to fully fade away from existence. That''s usually another sign that it really is too late no matter what they do.


    Sirus wanted to push Danton or Mainne for information, but he couldn''t even think to say a single word in front of them right now. They don''t look like they want anyone to speak to them. Vanoss is dead, and somebody had to kill him. It was Gleeon who Sirus remembered seeing, at least a blur of him. It had to be Gleeon. The surveillance will prove it anyway, but Kite was there too. They must have been together using dark magic, but to think they would actually use it on their own friends...


    Danton found a nerve to move again, but only towards the stretcher. The medical team had already given up and declared the time of death minutes later, but Danton refused to leave Vanoss''s side, same with Mainne.


    "They both found out about dark magic, even teleportation through such indirect means..." Sirus glanced at the massive hole in the wall, something that could only be caused by dark magic or lunar magic. Since those two are presumably alive, it was most likely dark magic, but they must have escaped by teleporting away in mid-air. Why would they jump off the tower to teleport? Sure, it buys them a good consumption of seconds to concentrate, but—


    "Sir?"


    Sirus snapped out of his thoughts. One of the surveillance workers and head of security was here to see him. He would deliver the statement good enough for Sirus to pick up the pieces from here. "Yes? Did you get a fix on where they went?"


    "No sir. That''s the problem. Their teleportation symbol cannot be traced."


    "But that''s impossible. Every teleportation symbol can be traced, no matter what. The only way to bury that trail is with time."


    "But there''s more," he explained. "Gleeon Miao and Kite Fargenst used their teleportation powers while in free-fall. We trace the linked paths of teleportation symbols by picking up precise readings on the residual energy levels left on the floor of each location, but..."


    "But this time, there was no floor." Sirus came to the conclusion only after that explanation. Those two are sharper than they look. "This isn''t good. Kite and Gleeon are now considered to be high priority public enemies. I''ve already made that declaration to the council in secret, but they''re still a major threat to the public. And I need to have an idea of where they might have ended up. I can''t lose them!"


    "It''s no use sir. If we can''t trace their symbols, then we can''t figure out where they went."


    "Hm..." Sirus had a harder time thinking right now. It''s not easy trying to solve a tiny clue filled mystery after somebody important just died. The morale in Danton and Mainne just flatlined alongside of Vanoss, and while they might want to find Kite and Gleeon to exact their revenge, nothing good will ever come of it. That''s the problem with dark magic. When it gets out of hand, only dark magic itself can push it back. Wait, the free-fall... "Get me a line to the council chairman."


    "You figured it out?"


    "Yes, but this information isn''t for everyone."


    "Yes sir!"


    Maybe he feels insulted? It doesn''t matter. Kite and Gleeon ended up in the middle of the ocean. It''s the only possible explanation. If they were in free-fall from that height, teleportation or not, they can''t change the rules of gravity and acceleration of velocity due to gravity. If they teleport above anything, they''re still going to impact with the same force, which from this initial height is deadly. But those two are crafty, and they must have planned this back-up strategy if things go wrong. Teleporting above a large body of water would save them. Their impact would still hurt like hell, and likely cause an injury or two, but Gleeon and Kite could have survived that drop by teleporting to the ocean, somewhere close to shore.


    A teleportation symbol suddenly opened up close by to mage Sirus, revealing a man who recognized him immediately. It''s one of Sirus''s old friends, apparently dropping by to investigate why a large chunk of metal was blasted outward from the tower. Surely people would have seen that if they were anywhere on that side of Eldora City. "What the hell happened here? Sirus?" The man took a long moment to collect his thoughts and reply, something alone that was a bad sign. Sirus never needs a moment to think or talk about something. Begging the question, Sirus was still going to explain it all, again.


    "Damn this day Kalvin. Right now, I think I''m going to put in my request for time off."


    "It''s that bad?"


    "Actually," Sirus soon changed his mind. "I think I know a pair of people that may need it more than I will." Sirus had to let the victims be for now. The only thing they can do right now is work things out with Kalvin''s assistance.