Fraya’s axe smashes another hole in the ground, exactly where I was a moment ago had I not rolled away. Taking aim, I fired a shot, she blocks it, then lunges towards me. Quickly firing a shot into the ground as I jump towards Fraya, propelling myself rapidly past her, soaring towards the higher platform, towards Eyhian.

“Stop running!” Fraya shouts, swinging her axe towards me, sending a wave of energy spiralling my way. Pointing the cannon to my right, firing another shot, propelling myself towards the stairs with the recoil. The energy wave grazes me, barely missing, as it crashes into Eyhian, sending him flying into Loana. I watch amused as they both land on the table, breaking it in half, the guards, as if awakened from a trance rushes in towards them, raising their guard.

Turning my attention back to Fraya, hurling a time bomb towards her, she dodges as expected, bringing her axe up again. “You mis-“ Fraya grinds her teeth, putting her axe up before her face as a barrage of mana missiles fly her way, pushing her back. I continue firing at her, a scattered spread of rounds and stun grenades, interlaced with weak blasts, staggering and pushing Fraya away, keeping her guard up. “You can’t hurt me Red.”

I find myself smiling, adrenaline coursing through me, my body moving by itself, remembering the thrill of the fight. She must have noticed me smiling as well, she frowns, then a look of clarity, “Velik be damned…” Fraya flies into the air, propelled by the blast of the time bomb going off at her feet, she lands sprawled, another round of mana missiles hit her before she can recover, sending her staggering down onto the ground again.

I can feel the stored arcane energy rising, fuelling my bloodlust, a vicious cycle. My arccannon crackles with yellow lighting as I feel it reaching its limit. Red tendrils of arcane spreads out in an intricate web from my eyes, scorching my skin, the tips of my horns glow fiery red, igniting the air between them forming a fiery halo. I lock eyes with Fraya as she straightens herself, using her axe for support. Pointing my arccannon at her, a soft hum fills the room as the arcane energy condenses at the exit of the barrel, a bright arcane ball growing. Multiple panels on the arccannon surface, unfolds and slides apart, increasing the diameter of the barrel as the various valves containing the stored arcane drains. I sensed that familiar sinking feeling in my gut as my feet float off the ground, the dense ball of arcane energy bending light and even gravity around around me.

A white blur flashes before Fraya, “No Red! Stop!” Estellda stands with her twin swords up in a cross before Fraya. Too late! I can’t stop the release. I watch in horror, the arcane ball glows a blinding white, as I desperately try to shift the heavy weapon, attempting to modify the course of the impending carnage. A pale green flashes across my eyes, as a bubble of light appears around Estellda, green light spirals around Estellda as magical glyphs of the same color circles around her in bands.

The arcane ball explodes, the recoil sends me flying towards the wall behind me. A white hot beam fires at Estellda and Fraya, grazing the sides of the bubble, popping it instantly, it hits a pillar point blank, obliterating it, clips another pillar before finally leaving a massive hole in the side of the room. The golden elvish statue original atop the first pillar crashes through nothing onto the ground, sending a cloud of dust and debris into the air.

I land gracefully on my feet, deactivating my arccannon, smoke from the blast still trailing from it. The arcane drain extinguishes the fiery halo above my head as I watch intently, waiting for the dust to settle. A vortex suddenly appears, cutting through the room, sucking in the dust and debris, revealing Estellda and Fraya, both unharmed, as it exists the newly formed hole in the wall.

“Holy… what the hell is going on?” a high voice pierces the room as a healing puddle drops down on Estellda and Fraya. I turn to the voice, a familiar staff wielding pink haired castanic approaches cautiously, stepping lightly through the destruction.