Alec and Azrael raced through the panicking throngs, pushing their way towards the western gate. Both were fleeing the chaos at the center of the city, and were hoping to reach the gates before Holy Empire tried to lock down the gates. Apparently everyone else had had the same idea, or at least that’s what it felt like.

As the two escapees tried to flee from their persuers they had to constantly fight against an ever growing tide of madness. People, both players and NPCs were streaming towards the gates, pushing and shoving each other to try and be that small bit faster. One thing led to another and soon people were actually fighting each other in their haste and panic, while others made use of the general chaos to break into storefronts and set random carts alight.

Alec and Azrael soberly and silently pushed past it all, more intent on reaching the gates than on what was happening around them. The ever-growing anarchy around them also made for great cover, people, fights, flames and smoke making a perfect screen under which the two of them escaped.

The situation at the west gate was worse than Azrael feared. Rioters, fearful citizens and angry players pressed in at them from all sides. Guards stood protecting the barred gate, shields and spears turned towards the jampacked crowd. For Azrael, the situation reminded him of floodwaters trapped against a dam. Eventually the dam would break and the people would flood out. The only problem was that it might take too long.

“Lets try another gate” Azrael suggested.

It was more important to get out of the city right now than to use the shortest route home. Alec, though, shook his head.

“The other gates will be just as bad.” He said “Let’s try to get out here. We’re still in guard uniforms and I can probably use my position as the Head of magitech to get us past.”

“Weren’t you arrested?”

“They don’t know that.”

Azrael could only agree. Alec’s plan was the best that they had so far and what he’d stated was right. There was no guarantee that the other gates were any better.

Azrael nodded and the two pushed their way through the remaining crowd.

“Make way! Coming through. Let us pass.”

Azrael moved through the crowd, making way for Alec behind him. There really wasn’t much space between people and more than once he was afraid that someone would start a fight with him because he pushed past them.

Eventually though, they made it to the front lines, a row of shield bearing guards blocking the way forward.

“Bit crowded on this side.” He joked with the nearest guard “Mind letting us through?”

“Halt! No-one is to pass this line. Any attempt to do so will be seen as obstruction of peace and justice. Offenders will be tried by the Saintess and the Holy Empire.”

Alec pulled out a badge from his [Spatial Toolbelt].

“Alec, Head of magitech engineering. Let us through.”

Azrael saw the guard do a double take, before starting to sweat profusely. Azrael too slight pleasure out of it. The guard was now probably rapidly trying to decide whether to let them pass, or offend a higher ranking member of the Holy Empire and stick to his orders. Around them tensions were mounting, and this guy was feeling it.

A figure dropped down behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I’ll deal with it” a female voice said.

Azrael recognised the voice and didn’t wait to see Sophie’s face to appear from behind the guard.

“THEY’RE GOING TO KILL US ALL!” Azrael shouted, while launching a [Fire Bullet] into the air.

The present situation around the gate was fraught with tension. Anxiety, fear, impatience; they were all just brush wood waiting to be lit. Azrael’s [Fire Bullet] was the spark that lit the fire.

Someone screamed and all hell broke loose. From one moment to the next the scene underwent a sudden change. Like fireworks Skills were used in rapid succession all around him. Mages, Aura users, Swordsmen, Shamans and a whole range more activated their Skills and turned upon each other. Azrael grinned. In a deeply primal way, it was beautiful. The Beast inside also rumbled in approval.

Ice spells and fire spells flew through the air, while wind and lightning crackled between the crowd. Weapons; Swords, spears, knives, axes, fists, glowed in all colours of the rainbow, coated in either aura or mana. Runes filled the air, some summoning great arcane works, while others exploded or faded when their casters were interrupted midchant.

Alec, Sophie, and the guard all stood and watched slack jawed, watching both him and the chaos he had just unleashed. Azrael punched the guard in the face. His face was annoying.

While the guard fell backwards onto Sophie, Azrael grabbed Alec’s wrist and pulled him towards the gate. Already the fighting had broken past the shield wall and the gate was straining from the barrage of spells. Azrael didn’t wait though. Instead, he pulled out a streamer of void energy and blasted it at the gate, forcing it outwards.

The spell went through the massive gate without resistance. Wood, nails, rune wards and strips of metal were all pulled along by the chaotic energy and blasted outwards.

Azrael passed through the hole in the gate without hesitation, followed shortly after by Alec and a massive mob of wild players. On the otherside, the wood and metal that had formerly been the gate now formed long vicious spikes, ready to impale anyone coming the other way.

Like a dam breaking, the resistance at the gates gave way to the massive flood of people spilling out, rushing out, onto the bridge. Neither Azrael or Alec looked back, not when others raced past them, nor when the sound of fighting moved onto the bridge, or when the bridge itself shuddered and started to collapse behind them. There was only one single minded focus – the gate at the other end of the bridge.

They were barely twenty meters away when a person streaked past them, overtaking them. Azrael didn’t take his eyes off of the gate, but out of his periphery he watched the man race towards the shore – towards safety. He never made it past the arch of the gate.

As if suddenly caught in a net the man stopped, stumbled and fell to his knees. Azrael used [Wind] to bring himself to a screeching halt. Alec ran past, passing through the gate unhindered. He stopped on the otherside.

“Why’d you stop?”

“The gate pass. I don’t have a gate pass.”

“Oh, here I have–“

“Not so fast.”

Azrael turned around to find Sophie landing on the bridge behind him. Her clothes were singed, ripped and in otherwise tatters, though her hair was immaculate as always.

“I’m not letting you go again.” She stated.

“Is that a love confession?” Alec asked from the background.

“Alec.” Azrael warned.

Sophie leant to the side, to look past Azrael and at Alec.

“Head Engineer, Alec. You will also be coming with me.”

Azrael almost blurted out ‘That’s what she said’, before realising that nobody did that anymore. He could feel Sera facepalm at his stupidity, but he let that slip past his attention as he slowly began weaving his mana into a spell. The problem was he needed more time.

“So, you catch me again and I escape again?” He asked “What will that achieve?”

Sophie narrowed her eyes at him.

“The last time was an oversight and a lack of attention. This time, Sam, if that even is your name, you won’t escape. Even if I have to watch you personally to ensure that.”

“So, you’ll watch me personally?” he asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

“If need be.”

“Even when I sleep?”

“If I have to.”

“What about when I change, or go to…”

“Yes! If I have to.”

Her face had gone slightly red, but her eyes redoubled their glare.

“Pervert” he stated.

Her mouth opened slightly, but he didn’t care. He’d completed his spell, the mana framework stabilised in his hand. It wouldn’t hold long without a more stable medium, but he didn’t need it to.

Azrael took a step backwards and pretended to stumble. Sophie saw her chance and lunged at him. He let himself fall, wincing as he landed on the hard stone, but didn’t have more time to think about it as Sophie came up on top of him.

She landed full force, aiming the pommel of a dagger at his head. He waited for the briefest of moments before bringing his legs up and using them to throw her over his head. As he did so he grabbed her and tapped her shoulder, applying the spell he’d prepared to her.

The moment before she went sailing through the air over him he smiled at her.

“Tag, you’re it.”

Carried by her own momentum and the force of his legs Sophie flew straight towards Alec, the crafter panicking at having a person suddenly flying straight towards him. Sophie never made it that far though, the wards of the gate reacting with the spell Azrael had marked her with. The entire ward focused solely on her, suddenly determining her as the largest threat.

Invisible ropes raced out, wrapping around her and tying her down. She fell, uncontrolled onto the ground, joining the other bound person from earlier. The person suddenly found the invisible ropes gone from himself and sprinted away.

“It’s more stuck in the mud than tag.” Alec commented, but Azrael ignored him.

He walked up to Sophie, and leant down, whispering in her ear.

“I don’t think it would have worked out between us.” He said “I’m not sure I like being on the bottom, and I’m definitely not into rope play.”