Several minutes later

Kyle waited within the lavishly decorated office, having emerged through sink within the office’s bathroom. His connection cord lay behind him, taking through the slightly open door. The office wasn’t too large but neither too small, a cosy 6 by 6 meters with a simple desk, utilities and three chairs.

The main door opened to his left, Isaac walked into his office nodding in his direction as he settled behind his desk “Well then, please make yourself comfortable. I don’t believe this should take long.”

Kyle did not sit, instead he simply stood before the desk “The Dungeon Crystal has been delivered as promised.” He informed Isaac, having just returned from instructing Lilior on moving the crystal and cover her tracks but remain within the room they had created for themselves.

“Yes, yes I hear Nix has located it already.” said Isaac as he himself sat down “They will be on their way in a few moments. The navy has already left but ships are nowhere near as fast as Drakes, we should see results within the next hour.”

“You act very calm for one aiding in orchestrating possible murder of your fellow rulers…Should I be worried of this co-operation?” jokingly asked Kyle, Isaac struck him as the type to joke even with the situation. He wasn’t let down.

“Oh my, don’t go blabbering out to the local guard now!” Isaac responded with his own joke, as he took out a strange red scroll “Down to business anyhow. I’m sure it would be obvious but I must mention these anyway. Your guild is not to be seen by the general populace, no citizen is to be harmed and every city guard that gets caught in between you and your targets is to be reported directly to me.” Isaac quickly explained, as if rehearsed.

Kyle nodded “That is acceptable, anything else?”

Isaac looked Kyle straight in the eye “Mostly importantly, leave no witnesses.”

Kyle did not even blink as he responded solemnly “Understood, now we will need some things other than what I previously mentioned.”

Isaac opened his arms wide “Ready to take notes, speak away.” He said with a smirk.

“First is a complete map of each city’s inside, with the locations of each target’s home, most frequented places and nearby guard posts marked.” Kyle began listing off what he believed Birse would ask for “Second is a staging area within each city, somewhere we can leave and enter without being seen or questioned. Thirdly, a complete guard rotation, patrol and stationing timetable.”

Kyle watched as Isaac wrote down every word he said “Lastly, I personally will require to be escorted to each staging area.” When Isaac wrote something, after each period the sentence seemed to disappear. The ink would vanish.

“That all?” Isaac asked, looking up from his magical scroll.

Kyle briefly considered warning them that they will be using portals to get between each staging area “Various structures may be destroyed in the process, is that acceptable?” he decided that was only need-to-know information.

“As long as you don’t destroy the entire city!” joked Isaac as he wrote down the last sentence “That concludes this meet. Everything you’ve listed can be arranged, as for your escort to each area…Ah how discreetly can you move through the streets?”

Kyle smiled mildly as his body shapeshifted to his Elven form “Discreetly.”

Isaac’s eyebrows fully rose as he watched Kyle changed then back “Useful. Well I’ll have the maps and timetables within tomorrow, the hide-outs might require some more time. Once we’ve had all that settled, the escort will be the simplest one.”

Kyle nodded “Then I shall be in contact with you within…two days?”

Isaac considered the question briefly “Three, we can supress the courts for four to five after blockading their forces but I believe it may take you that long to go through with everything and at least three to gets my hands on these hide-outs under the books so…Three days. Erm, how shall we contact you?”

Kyle took out one of the two extra VCDs each of his guild kept with them since the Mage Guilds began their mass production “Simply think of speaking with me and we may communicate through this vocally and visually. You must specifically think of me, it will not work for anybody else.” Kyle lied, sort of. A VCD could only connect to another VCD or as a single-use connection to a portal plate which the one he gave Isaac did not have as each VCD had specific runes that determined its connection. Like a phone number, a magical phone number…

Isaac took the device in hand, looking it over “Runic magic? I was not aware the alliance capable of this.” He set it on his desk and looked back up “Then we shall be in contact soon, before you go though I must ask…” he stood up and studied Kyle’s expression “You offered much and demanded much, yet not once you have asked us to specifically join the alliance. Why is that?”

Kyle smirked “Your answer to me asking such of you, would have been insufficient. Diplomacy does come before and after the battle.” He bowed before suddenly his body alongside the connection cord instantly melted down into liquid which rapidly dissipated into mana.

Kyle opened his eyes to find himself still sitting in the position he had left his body in “That went well.” He stated while standing up, glancing around he saw Karnage, Soren and Lilior still there but…something was wrong.

“Well I had wondered where you’ve been hiding…” mused Io who stood to his left, glancing around curiously. Her expression was solemn, her mood seemingly still depressed.

Kyle immediately turned around to face her “E-Elder?!” he exclaimed in surprise.

Io glanced at him “I wanted to ask-” but stopped speaking as she suddenly turned to stare at Karnage “You…”

“What’s…going on?” mumbled out Soren as each of the others stared at Io with confusion.

“I’m not sure…” responded Kyle as he stepped in between Io and Karnage “Elder Io?” he asked the wide-eyed Elf as she stared at Karnage with utter bafflement, stepping in between them seemingly snapped her out of the daze.

“Huh?...” Io blinked once, twice before regaining her composure. Only to blinked out and back into existence in front of Karnage “You-”

Kyle suddenly surged, appearing to Io’s side with his arm raised between her and Karnage. His claws and fangs had appeared, his entire body was aflame with Frostfire and his eyes glowed menacingly “What is it you’re after?” he demanded.

Io glanced at him, back at Karnage and then settled back on Kyle “My apologies…I…originally followed you here to speak privately. I wanted to know more…on the lich’s end.”

Kyle continued to gaze down coldly at the young Elf “We only know of Scythe’s demise through my meeting with your Goddess.”

Io snorted “She is not my Goddess, she is the deity of the common fools who still follow her. Mainly the three Courts.” She turned back to staring at Karnage who now looked back in even more confusion than before “You feel it too…don’t you?” Io asked.

Kyle glanced back at Karnage, seeing her nod slightly “Feel what?” he asked, also confused.

“I’m…not sure, it’s like…a pull. Like I’m being pulled to her…” Karnage explained.

“Another…Impossible…I’m the last…” mumbled out Io as she stepped away.

“Last of what?” asked Soren as he glanced in between all of them.

“She is the same as I, the same as my brother. The last of our kind. The High Elves.” Io explained, intently staring at Karnage.

“High Elves?” repeated Kyle in surprise.

“You’ve gotta be shitting me.” mumbled out Soren.

“What’s a High Elf?” asked Lilior as she hovered down in between Kyle’s ears, in her fairy form of course.

“High Elves are one of the rarer Elven houses, me and my brother were the last of our kind…Who are you?” Io asked, disbelief in her tone.

Karnage glanced between Kyle and Soren for support, unsure how to answer.

“She is a Summoned, just like me and many others on Barik. We come from the realm of the banished, the mana-less realm.” Kyle explained before asking “What’s so different with being a High Elf anyway? No offence Elder, but you just look like a young Tundra Elf to me.”

Io’s eyes suddenly focused on him, annoyance clear in her tone as she spoke “We are nothing alike. Us High Elves live for tens of thousands of years, mere cold Elves live at most to a thousand. Also our affinity for magic is entirely different, Tundra Elves have affinity for Ice, Water and Wind while us High Elves have an extremely high affinity for Dark and Light while being the only race capable of fully using Spatial magic!”

“Special?” asked Soren, thinking he was repeating the word.

Io groaned “Spatial!” She corrected before continuing on to explain ”Space manipulating magic, the ability to move, bend and change the space around us.”

“Why are you the last?” Karnage asked “What…happened to the rest?”

Io’s eyes briefly widened before she glanced away and down at the ground “We were…Exterminated.” She spoke almost in a whisper “Before there were dozens of Elven clans…Now only three truly survive…Night, Forest and Tundra…The High Elves…The Lunar Elves…The Dusk Elves…And so many more…” she held herself as she continued to tell “The Human Dominion at its strongest, hunted each one of us down. Only me and my brother survived, sheltered by the weaker clans as ones of their own offspring…”

“Elves were persecuted before Durga’s Quest…” mused Kyle, remembering Dagon’s history lesson.

Io solemnly nodded “That was centuries ago.” she looked up at Karnage “I never imagined to ever meet another…”

“But…how am I a High Elf?” Karnage asked in confusion “My body isn’t…my real one? I’m a Half-beast right?”

Kyle was the one to answer “Our bodies were catered around our true race, your body may be Half-beast same as mine but same as Spirit Beast blood runs through my veins High Elf blood runs through yours. Our Souls are also the same, unchanged by the body switch.”

“That denies all laws of biology and DN-” Soren was about to say when Kyle cut him off.

“Gods and magic exist.” said Kyle as he glanced his way “Does science even matter anymore?”

“I mean-” Soren was cut off again.

“I want to know more.” announced Karnage, gently lowering Kyle’s arm as she stepped closer to Io “Please, tell me more.”

Io studied Karnage’s eyes “I am by no means a teacher, my brother…Ao taught me everything I know yet…I can always try, for one of my own kind.” For the first time, Io smiled warmly.

Kyle cut in "Karnage wait, think this through first."

Karnage glanced at him "Think what through? Kyle I can finally figure out what the hell I am..." she was confused by his statement.

Kyle looked at her eyes as she stared at Io, hope and impatience was what he sensed from her. He clenched his hands containing himself as he told her "Can I speak to you? Privately?"

Karnage glanced between him and Io, unsure what was going on "Yeah...Okay..." but she agreed that something was wrong, at least with him.

Kyle glanced at Io "We shall be back." then at Soren and Lilior "I'll send you two back to the others, wait there." he told them and they only nodded in response. Kyle slashed his claws at the empty space ahead of himself, surprising Io as a rift opened. Each adventurer and fairy stepped inside. Lilior changing to her Fae form as she did.

Kyle stepped out of the rift, finding himself in the Spirit Realm. He was surrounded by jungle, thick foliage, vines and branches giving little room to stand in. He briefly saw Soren and Lilior step out of the rift before disappearing, he had told Celica to send them both their way.

Lastly he watched as a worried Karnage stepped out, the rift closing behind her as she turned to face him "Kyle what is...going on? Why are you so persistent about this? Don't you want me to find out more about my people? My race?"

Kyle stared back at her with deadpan eyes "Mindy, if I had you choose...between me and that. Which would you pick?" he suddenly asked causing her eyes to widen in shock.

"I don't believe this...why? Why would you have me choose?!" she demanded to know.

"Because empires do fall in one day. I cannot protect you if you yourself stand in my way." he solemnly told her.

Both stared at each other for a long moment, Kyle cold and expressionless, Mindy confused and annoyed. She broke the silence first "What are you up to?"

He shook his head "I cannot tell you, you couldn't stomach it. Worse now that you're a High Elf."

She understood his meaning even if mildly "Why? Why do you have to go so far? Is killing more people really needed!? Is this what you really want or is it Birse?!"

Kyle smiled coldly "Yes it must be done, the Courts have gotten in our way one too many times already. No more."

"Am...Am I in your way too?" she then asked, her eyes reddening.

His expression darkened as he responded "In my way?...Hah...Ever since I fell in love with you. If it wasn't for that...I would have left the alliance for dead. Who would you have sacrificed? The Alliance or the Empire? Who will you sacrifice? The people who fight alongside your own guild, or your very people?"

Karnage shook her head "I...I can't choose like that! Why? Why do more people have to die? Why can't we just stop the bloodshed!?" she was in tears now.

His smile wavered "I cannot make the choice for you, I've already made mine. The Empire will fall one way or another."

"Kyle please...There has to be another way!" she exclaimed, her tone and expression pleading.

He laughed now, a cold dreadful cackle "This world will never learn unless there is bloodshed. Each race, each faction, each damn kingdom will learn the hard way."

She held her mouth as she silently wept, staring into his cold distant eyes "You've changed..."

Kyle chuckled at that "I have, I very much have. I finally drowned my fear, accepted my hatred. I'm the monster I'm supposed to be." he responded with Spirit unwillingly affecting his voice, he continued to ramble on "I've surpassed my cowardice...I've achieved what even Sly couldn't..." he glanced down at his clawed hands before looking back up at her, his eyes glowing blue with Spirit "Ymir was right, I need to embrace my demons. I've had enough of holding back, enough of trying to change."

Kyle stepped closer to her as both stared into each other's eyes "The gloves are coming off." Frostfire burst alive all over his body, flowing upward rapidly "So pick, if you cannot live on with a few meaningless lives on your shoulders then what else is there to say between us?"

Karnage is left speechless as she fearfully stared into his wide, emotionless eyes. She saw the fearless and shrewd man she saw before but...alongside him was much more. She now understood that he did change, he got over his fear, he accepted his anger and finally brought out his true self. The person she knew, she didn't know at all. She realised then, why they hadn't told her much of the plan to begin with. Soren was right and Kyle agreed beneath his mask. She was a liability.

But she couldn't, she didn't want to give up on him yet "Kyle...if you really have any feelings for me left. Stop this...stop it all...Please come with me!" she begged "Leave that guild of maniacs! Please..." she reached out to his chest.

Kyle suddenly grabbed her arm "I won't betray my guild, my family. Not for anyone, not for anything and...Even if I do still have feelings...not even for you."

Karnage flinched as he did, leaning away in fear which she then hated herself for doing so "Then...what now? After everything...After trying so hard not to become the monster...Why Kyle? Just why?!" she screamed at him, pulling her hand out of his grip.

He briefly continued to look at her in silence, before glancing away "Because it takes a villain to save this damn world. So the villain I'll become. You still have to choose, your friends are with the alliance and your people might just stand against them. Yet you cannot choose, can you?"

Karnage's gaze fell, she stared down at the grassy ground "How? How am I supposed to choose? If it means the other dies...I'm...I'm not you..."

Kyle sighed as he looked back up at her "Then I'm sorry, you never needed to choose between those two. Only between me and them. I'll make that choice for you." he stepped in closer "Mi-Karnage...there could never be anything between us...You wanted to see beneath my mask? Well here you go, take a good long fucking look."

Kyle suddenly pushed her into the rift that he opened with a tail of slime behind her, immediately closing it after she passed through.

Dead Man's Sea

Three Hours Later

Nix rode with the other seventeen Champions, each one mounting a Drake while several others flew behind them. One of the Drakes, the largest of the pack had a spherical aquamarine-blue crystal core strapped to its back. They had been flying for hours but the navy was already in sight, half way through the sea they were half-way their to Barik. The small continent wasn't even visible over the horizon yet.

The Drakes were extremely fast flyers, so much so that it took the armada of battleships six hours to reach here and the large Drakes took half as much time.

Nix lead the Drakes on a fly-by to the front of the armada, announcing their presence with several Draconic roars that made the wooden structures shudder alongside their inhabitants. He then moved to fly alongside the navies, keeping pace while above them. He stood up from his Drake as suddenly crystal white draconic wings appeared on his back, he stepped off the Drake's head and flew down to the front of the lead division of ships.

The three navies together made a massive armada, a fleet of fifteen thousand Wood Elf ships and two smaller fleets of twenty five hundred ships from both the Night and Tundra Elves. Making up an armada of twenty thousand battle ships, what the people of Chaoz called 'The Elven Crusade'.

Most of these ships were untested in battle, old only from time and seeing little use. The Elves manning the ships were mostly the same, having seen little conflict other than a few skirmishes with the Dezol, wild Mer clans or sea monsters.

Nix called out to each one of them, shouting at the top of his draconic lungs and infusing his voice with mana "I am Nix Luna, Champion, Son of Luna the Dragon Queen and Ao Il'tel Hero of all Elves. I command you all, end this foolishness and return to protect our home!"

Yet no ship showed signs of stopping, the entire armada keeping its heading for Barik.

Nix grimaced as he ascended back up to the Drakes "Stop them." he told the Drakes and his fellow Champions. The unmounted apocalypse of Drakes immediately swept down upon the ships, easily bursting through their barriers with dragonfire and landing on their decks. All but the Dungeon carrying Drake and the ones who carried Champions, sensing their rider's wavering.

Nix eyed the others before speaking "It is up to us to make these young fools realise their faults, that more war will only bring our homes, families and friends to destruction. We do not need to kill, only disable their vessels! So I ask this of you one last time, my comrades. Will you join me in battle?" before suddenly plummeting down while roaring out a battlecry "For Il'tel!"

The other Champions bit down their guilt and anxiety, before roaring out the same and following through with the command.

Nix swung his Bo staff, engulfed by a fiery golden aura. Each swipe sinking an entire ship, even damaging ones ahead. As he flew over he would breath golden flames, blasting the ship's front wide open and leaving it to sink. The Champions followed his lead, slicing, bashing and swiping open ships' hulls and leaving them to sink. The Drakes did something similar, just much more viciously.

Yet no matter how hard they tried it was difficult to suppress their powers, several crew-mates and soldiers were caught in the destruction. The panic, the fear and the confusion making it harder for the Champions to lessen causalities, the soldiers that tried to fight back made it even worse. Over all it became a one-sided massacre, the Champion's overwhelming power was unmatched and the Drake's vicious strength unparalleled.

But that was why they had the Dungeon core in the first place, set to respawn the dead onto the ships at the back of the armada...That's what Nix thought as he bashed through another ship, swinging to the side as a fireball flew at him. Shattering the spell on contact with his Bo staff.

He glanced around suddenly, almost in a panic as he noticed something missing...The Dungeon Core carrying Drake was gone.

Nix spread his wings and ascended into the sky, he began to scan over the sky and sea looking for the core. Until he saw it. The Drake's wings were frozen solid as it struggled to remain afloat, half drowning down into the sea while being surrounded by battleships. Nix didn't even think twice of what had happened, he turned to rush in the Drake's aid but...It was already too late.

The battleships had noticed the drowning Drake, they had noticed the very obvious bright blue dungeon core on it's back. In a panic, afraid and confused. They opened fire on it. Several dozen magic infused cannonballs barraged the large Drake, causing it severe agony and...shattering the Dungeon Core on its back to dissipating shards.

Nix didn't wait to be shocked, he immediately roared at the top of his lungs "Cease the battle! Return to me!" he shouted while ascending into the sky. With some struggling due to their bloodthirsty mounts, the Champions managed to swerve them up and after a few minutes regrouped with Nix who seemed panicked. "Spread out! Stop the Drakes! We're retreating!" He commanded them all, not explaining why. Which they didn't require, as each Champion only nodded in acknowledgement before turning towards the several dozen Drakes still in a frenzy.

Nix looked around, his expression pale as he watched the Drakes tear men apart with their claws and fangs, burning entire ships to charcoal. This was a race against time, it may already be too late but he willed himself to at least try. He could still save many. Nix also rushed down to one Drake, grabbing it's jaw as it descended down upon a mage.

In the meantime.

Fleet Admiral Zelt of the Forest Court navy stood at the top deck of his vessel, gazing in baffled awe as Drakes tore his ships and men asunder.

"Why...why do they attack us!?" exclaimed one soldier to his left, also gazing out in shock.

"I don't know..." was all Zelt could say, his eyes wide and expression pale as he held onto the railing fearing his trembling legs would fail him in front of his men.

Nobody noticed, nobody saw as a shadow rose behind Zelt. Not until it was too late.

The glint of a blade was followed by the splatter of blood as Jacky slashed Zelt's throat wide open, kicking him off the deck and down below where the Admiral choked over his own gushing blood. Gasps of terror followed as each man and woman above deck turned to face the Wraith, only to watch in absolute fear as it melted down into the ground and disappeared.

Fleet Admiral Zelt lay on the floor of his freshly scrubbed main deck, now splattered red as he took his last bloody breath before going completely still. And suddenly the entire ship exploded.

Above the battle...

While the battle stagnated into damage control below, everything was already too late.

The Bloodpack Mercenaries were flying high up above within Lilior's Chariot, manned and made invisible by Steph. Seren and Woody wore the Mageks who mounted the two Griffins which carried the Chariot. Inside Steph stood focusing on the crystal core embedded into the vessel. Vain, Rico, Sparta, Cherry and Death sat around the table waiting, in reserve in case something went terribly wrong.

Birse stood at the helm, watching the battle begin, unfold and end through the many monitors ahead of him.

They were all awaiting the rest to return from their separate tasks and after several minutes of waiting each did so. Jacky was the first to arrive, appearing out of the shadows before speaking "It is done, Zelt is no more. Witnesses were dealt with." he announced to everyone.

Skill arrived next, wind-walking through the back door "Theon down, no witnesses." he announced before falling in line with Jacky.

Last arrived Ch carrying Jane as she held onto him, they flew in with his large brown-feathered wings which disappeared once he touched the floor. Jane immediately let go and stepped away from Ch "Sol'ial is dead, no witnesses." she said before both her and Ch moved to stand next to Skill and Jacky.

Finally Birse turned to face them "Well done, stage-one has been flawlessly completed. The enemy's military leadership will fall into chaos, their soldiers riddled with despair. Their populace will tear itself apart." he announced humorously "Now...onto stage-two."