Everybody’s weapons were drawn. And most weapons were pointing towards me.

“Everyone, step away from General Scott,” I said.

To my surprise, everyone did. It was a little concerning, though, that Alex didn’t step back closer to me. No, she backed up, making sure she was a safe distance away from everyone. With a quick chant, a Mana Shield appeared around her.

General Scott raised his hands placatingly.

Abelino did not look pleased. He glanced at Alex. “Tell your man to stand down.”

Alex was watching me. “Explain,” she said.

I repeated what Samantha told me, my gut sinking as I realized just how screwed we were. “You were just telling me about the Military’s connections with the Mentalist Cooperative. The moment General Scott touched Abelino, he mind-controlled him.”

Abelino laughed. “So this is Daybreak’s game. I never understood why you wished to be here. Now I see. I truly have no fight with you. Leave now, before you try my patience more.”

“Alex,” I hissed. “Trust me. We can’t let them go.”

Alex looked contemplative. “How confident are you?”

Well? I asked Samantha. If you’re lying to me, I will never forgive you.

Samantha said.

I repeated Samantha’s words to Alex, and to the security guards surrounding me.

It seemed that despite the numerous weapons drawn and readied, nobody actually wanted a fight.

“This is how Daybreak has been operating since the Schema first appeared,” General Scott said, crossing his arms at his chest. “They love casting blame. But they are the ones who merged with the Crucible, which was the real mind controlling organization. Don’t make eye contact with either of them.”

“This is your last chance,” Abelino said. “I do not want to use force.”

“Do you have a spell to remove a mind-controlling influence?” I asked Alex, at Samantha’s suggestion.

Alex slowly nodded her head.

I reached into my Interdimensional Pouch and drew my Vampiric Blade. Everyone’s gaze was immediately drawn towards the D-rank weapon. It seemed they were finally taking me seriously.

Abelino and General Scott were both on the other side of the table. The table was big—a circular table about 10 feet in diameter.

Since nobody made a move to attack me, I took out my two knives next, and strapped the sheathes around my waist.

“Capture him,” Abelino said, waving at the guards around me.

The guards immediately moved to surround me, but I was already gone. I still had +50 in Agility, which was enough to rush around the table towards General Scott.

But the moment I started moving, Abelino made his move.

Up until now, I had no idea what Abelino’s class was. I had assumed he was a mage, or something, because of his Magician’s Battle Robes.

Judging from what happened next, I was clearly pretty far off-base.

Abelino shimmered for a split second, and then suddenly, there was a second Abelino, completely nude, in front of me. The clothed Abelino passed the naked Abelino a pouch, and naked Abelino quickly drew a sword from the pouch and stood next to General Scott.

Meanwhile, my blade swung towards General Scott, but General Scott had had plenty of time to prepare. He wore a helmet, now, and he held a sword ready, pointed my direction.

My blade crashed loudly against General Scott’s armor, just under his armpit. One more solid strike in the same spot, and I would pierce his armor.

Abelino’s immediate defense of General Scott, combined with General Scott’s willingness to turn his back on Abelino, only served to prove Samantha’s suspicions. Fortunately, some of the People’s Unity Government guards looked confused, unsure of what to do.

Before I could attempt a second strike, two American soldiers stepped between General Scott and myself.

If they thought that was enough to stop me, then they would have to think again.

I wove between the body guards easily, jabbing them each in the neck for a non-lethal take-down.

But now, there were two naked Abelinos standing between General Scott and myself.

They didn’t seemed concerned about their nakedness at all. They each held an E-rank sword.

I sliced towards the neck of the nearest one, and to my surprise, the Abelino I was attacking deflected my blade easily.

The man was even faster than I was, even with my +50 Agility.

Following the combat shadow, I dodged backwards, barely escaping the blurred sword of the other Abelino.

The blade continued in a whirlwind towards me, and I had to put another 20 points of mana into Agility just to keep up.

If I wanted to escape alive, I would have to keep this battle short.

With 70 Agility added to my usual Agility stat, I was finally faster than the Abelino clones. It felt as though we were dancing among statues.

I pressed my attack against the closest Abelino, trying to circle around towards General Scott.

But a third naked Abelino clones appeared between me and General Scott.

And every clone was moving incredibly quickly. Fast enough to give me pause, even with my boosted Agility.

Help me out, I complained to Samantha. What’s the weakness?

Samantha laughed bitterly.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

I retreated slightly, lowering my hand towards my Interdimensional Pouch.

The three clones were no idiots. They immediately pressed their attack, three blades slicing through the air from three different directions.

I continued backing away, until I delaying until I could draw my second sword with my left hand: Ghost Biter.

Then I poured 30 more points into Agility, raising it well past 100.

I was acutely aware that my time was running out.

I spun through the whirlwind of blades that were attacking me, deflecting one blade with my Vampiric Blade, and then at the same time, decapitating the nearest clone.

The other clones looked shocked as the clones’ body dematerialized, but I continued through my charge before they could clone themselves again.

With only two clones attacking me, I was able to make even quicker work of them.

Deflect, stab. A second clone down.

With such ridiculous Agility, I could keep my movements simple.

The last naked clone rushed around the table towards Alex, but I blocked his path and stabbed him through the heart.

There was only one Abelino left, and he was rushing with General Scott towards the exit, while the soldiers in the room were positioning themselves between me and the last Abelino.

Fortunately, it seemed, nobody was disturbing Alex, who stood with a Mana Shield around her, and chanting something.

You have to bring the last Abelino back to Alex, Samantha said. If he is in range for a long enough time, the mind control will be broken.

Abelino and General Scott were only moving at General Scott’s fastest speed.

I shoved my way through the guards that were blocking my way, and caught up to Abelino and General Scott in a matter of seconds.

Abelino split again, and the clothed Abelino charged me this time, while the naked Abelino retreated with General Scott towards the Teleportation Circle.

Fighting the clothed Abelino was much harder. He fought with exactly the same style as the other Abelinos, but he was equipped with what was likely a full set of D-ranked items. He was still slower than I was, but there was no longer a significant gap between us.

To make matters worse, he it wasn’t trying to kill me. He seemed content to delay me, focusing on parrying as best as he could, and retreating slowly.

Time was my greatest weakness in a battle.

Recognizing this, Samantha had me charge forward, letting Abelino’s blade stab into my stomach, and then I grabbed Abelino’s wrist, and I sliced off his hand with Ghost Biter.

I ignored the sharp pain in my stomach and I wrapped my arm around Abelino’s neck, shouting to the dozens of guards, “Stand down! Or I’ll kill him.”

While the guards paused in indecision, I walked Abelino back to Alex.

Alex’s Mana Shield was flickering, and I was vaguely surprised it had lasted so long.

Abelino squirmed in my arms, and I rapped him on his head, hard. It took two knocks before he fell unconscious in my arms.

I glanced at the uncertain guards around me. “The General mind-controlled Abelino!” I shouted. “I do not want to fight you. We will remove the mind control, and then we will leave.”

From the best I could tell, General Scott and the Abelino clone had vanished in the teleportation portal with the General’s guards. It had obviously been the case that a mind-controlled Abelino created mind-controlled clones as well. Hopefully, if the original Abelino broke free, it would free the last Abelino clone from mind control as well.

I stood next to Alex in the middle of the City. The guards around us were gathering in numbers, but nobody attacked.

Just a few second later, Alex finished chanting, and I saw a burst of mana fall into Abelino’s body.

“It’s done,” Alex said. “Wake him up.”