The scales tipped to one side and Jackson fell to the floor as his transformation disappeared. Using magic, Jackson pushed himself away as the Berserker scythe nearly cut into his neck. This was a short victory as the Berserker moved in.

The scales tipped again, and once more Jackson was in his death transformation. He floated away, putting distance between him and the Beast. It snapped its fingers just as the scales tipped again.

Jackson went flying through a wall as the transformation disappeared again. Jackson hadn’t hit the ground when the beast was next to him. It kicked him high into the air, sending Jackson flying towards the palace. Before hitting the ground, Jackson once more transformed into death. He struggled to regain himself. His mind was racing.

“What? Since when can it use old magic? Did she practice without me knowing? What?”

But before Jackson could riddle out an answer, the beast appeared in the sky above him. It was aiming its scythe for him. This time Jackson blocked with his scythe. They exchange several blows, neither scoring a fatal wound.

“Rot!”

Jackson ordered. Nothing. Once more the scales tipped and Jackson fell to the floor. The Berserker swung its scythe as the scales tipped.

“Shields!”

Several floating energy shields formed between him and the Berserker, each shattering in turn as the scythe touched them. Jackson swung out with his scythe. The Berserker dodged. Another tip and Jackson rolled away from the beast. They tipped, and Jackson snapped his finger to send the Berserker flying backwards. They tipped; Jackson tried to send the beast farther away but his snaps didn’t cause an explosion.

“Cut! Rot!”

Nothing. The Berserker was untouched. The scales tipped again. Jackson blocked the beast’s scythe only for them to tip again. His cloak was cut through and began to rot away around him. They tipped, and Jackson assaulted the beast with his scythe. Despite striking the armor, it did nothing.

“Cut!”

This time the armor cracked across the breastplate. They tipped again and once more Jackson fell to the floor hard. He rolled as the scythe came down. The scale tipped, but this time Jackson didn’t transform. He had run out of time.

“Not now. Cut! Cut! Cut!”

Jackson screamed, tearing apart some of the outer layers. Then the scale tipped again and the damage stopped. Moments later the armor was fully healed and the Berserker was aiming another blow for him.

They tipped again. Jackson snapped his fingers once more, sending them flying.

Jackson crawled on the floor, dragging himself forwards. He felt the cold armor forming on his body, slowly and easing his pain. The Berserker grabbed the Jackson’s hair and pulled back his head. It placed the scythe just under his neck. The scales tipped as Jackson tried to snap his fingers.

“Jackson!”

“Berserker!”

“Master!”

The beast dropped Jackson then turned to the intruders. Jackson turned just enough to see Edward, Angela and Gypsy. They were all pale, their mouths were wide open and they were frozen in horror. Gypsy collapsed; her mouth forced open in a silent scream. Edward was shaking madly. Angela drew her sword and charged.

She looked sluggish to Jackson. The scales tipped as her blade med the scythe. The beast blocked her assault with the handle and forced her to the side.

Jackson felt another card in his hand as Angela continued her struggle.

“Number zero, the fool!”

This was the second time he’d ever used the fool card. Last time he was fighting the dragon. It didn’t cause a transformation, instead Jackson head started to spin. He focused on the Berserker, seeing the battle play out a hundred times. He was seeing thousands of Berserkers struggling against a thousand Gypsies, Angelas and Edwards. Then, he saw it. The path he must follow.

“Edward, you’re a mage, right?”

Jackson yelled, trying to move from his down position. Edward nodded.

“What’s your most powerful spell?”

“I have two, but they both take time to charge. One takes ten minutes while the other takes five. They’re not good in situations like this.”

“Just start one, now!”

Jackson snapped his fingers just as the Berserker was about to inflict a mortal blow to Angela. The scythe was knocked off course as Angela moved in for a thrust. Her blade failed to even scratch the armor. The scale tipped again and Jackson felt his head stop spinning. Angela seemed shocked as her movements slowed slightly. The Berserker sent her flying with its next attack. She struggled to regain her balance as she slid across the ground. They tipped again and Angela was finally able to recover.

The Berserker advanced on her. Joseph appeared and blocked the attack for Angela. Franklin then attacked with a war hammer, driving the Berserker back several paces. The Berserker struck back, in the wrong direction. Jackson looked to Gypsy who had regained her footing and was slowly moving towards Jackson.

Jackson snapped his fingers, aiming the explosion next to the Berserker’s head while Joseph moved in. His golden blade cleaving through two layers of the armor with ease.

“Look out for the chains!”

Jackson called out just in time as the Berserker attempted to wrap one onto Joseph. The hero withdrew, avoiding them. Angela moved in, driving her weapon into the whole Joseph made. The beast knocked her to the side, attempting to wrap a chain around her. Jackson snapped his fingers a moment before the scales tipped again. The explosion save Angela but she went flying uncontrollably. Jackson looked to Edward who had just started the prep for his spell.

“Joseph, we need to buy Edward time to activate his magic.”

“Right! How much time do we need to buy?”

“Five minutes.”

“Got it!”

Joseph once more engaged the beast. Franklin back him up, delivering a powerful strike as the scales tipped again. The Berserker flailed for a moment, missing its mark as Joseph cleaved away more armor. Gypsy reached Jackson. She bent down and tried to grab him under the shoulders. She was almost in tears.

“What gotten into her?”

Gypsy asked, her voice shaking.

“I don’t know. She’s acting odd. Like a different person.”

“A different person? Could there be two?”

“I don’t know. But we need to do something quickly. Or we’re all going to die.”

The scales tipped again and the Berserker sent Franklin flying with the snap of its fingers. Joseph blocked an attack only for the scythe blade to hook and his guard. It tried to pull Joseph sword from him, instead Joseph lost his balance. The young hero tried to strike out at the beast, swinging his blade as he fell. The Berserker skipped back then snapped it fingers again. The explosion occurred on Joseph’s back and drove him into the ground. The scales tipped.

Angela appeared behind the beast, swinging for its neck. Her blade bounced off it again. This time Jackson was too slow to stop the chains as they wrapped around Angela’s neck. She blushed and started to pant. Joseph jumped to his feet only to quickly block an attack from Angela. She was faster than Joseph and kept him on the defensive. Gypsy reached out a hand towards Angela, who swung in the wrong direction. She attacked thin air, then turned on the Berserker. She looked even more confused as the Berserker redirected her towards Franklin and Joseph. The scales tipped.

Edward continued to charge his spell while the others fended off Angela and the Berserker. It was quite one sided. Franklin and Joseph didn’t want to hurt their friend who was now being used as a human shield.

“We need to get that chain off her.”

Jackson said, watching the struggle. Gypsy nodded. The scales tipped and Gypsy reach for the Berserker. It panicked and sent Angela to one side. Franklin then taggled her to the ground and started to struggle with the chain. Joseph moved to confront the Berserker as the scales tipped again.

Sword and scythe echoed in the streets as they struck one another. Jackson took aim. Joseph blocked a blow, then countered with an overhead. The young hero was breathing heavy. The scales tipped and Joseph started to glow. Jackson snapped his fingers and the scales exploded.

Ms. Jinx ran over to Jackson, tears in her eyes.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…”

She wasted no time and started trying to heal Jackson. Gypsy continued to try and support the hero by creating illusions while Carley healed Joseph from afar. Finally, Alice started sending in fireballs and other random spells. The Berserker stepped back. It looked from person to person. Taking in each of them in turn before charging past Joseph.

Alice screamed in terror as the beast swung for her. Joseph intercepted, stopping the blade just short of his friend’s chest. It pulled the scythe forwards, cutting into Joseph’s back. He began to rot from contacting the blade and screamed in pain. Carley made an inhuman sound as she moved to aid him. She ignore the danger as she attempted to stop the rot from taking hold. This earned her a kick straight to the head, knocking her to the ground. Jackson snapped his fingers, blinding the beast while Alice escaped. Ms. Jinx tried to go to Joseph’s side but was stopped by Gypsy.

Franklin let go of Angela and swung his hammer into the Berserker. The impact got the beast away from Joseph but Angela moved behind Franklin and impaled him. Her sword went through his stomach. Franklin roared as he turned on her. With one mighty blow he knocked her to the ground and removed the blade him his gut. Gypsy released Ms. Jinx who moved to heal the two downed heroes.

Jackson continued to snap his fingers, driving the beast back. He looked to Edward who seemed to be nearly done.

“Come on, come on, come…”

Jackson repeated. The Berserker snapped towards Edward for the first time. It looked like it was about to charge. Jackson snapped once more, knocking to the ground at the cost his hand. Jackson’s hand bled from the recoil as Edward unleased his spell.

“…Now strike down my enemy!”

The world turned white. Jackson shielded his eyes. For a long moment no one moved.

When Jackson opened his eyes, the Berserker was nowhere in sight. Instead there was a massive hole where it had been. Joseph slowly got to his feet; Carley was supporting him. Alice moved to their side nearly in tears as Ms. Jinx finished healing Franklin. Angela sprinted to Jackson, her face still blushing.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to…”

“We know. It was old magic.”

Jackson calmed Angela as she wrapped herself around him.

“Who knew the pipsqueak had that kind of power though?”

Angela joked, squeezing Jackson.

“Yeah, I thought he was useless.”

Gypsy joked. Her voice was hollow as she spoke. None of her normal confidence.

Jackson smiled for a moment. Then he felt it. No one had time to react as the Berserker jumped from the hole, roaring like a crazed monster. It armor had been burned away to the final layer and it was no longer carrying a scythe nor did it have horns. It was now sickly slender and much faster. It started with Edward, driving him into the ground with a single hit before charging into Franklin. It stuck Franklin into the air then grabbed him be the leg and slammed him into the ground. It then snapped it fingers and knocked Alice and Carley to the ground. Joseph barely with stood it.

He moved to intercept the Berserker as it started to charge Jackson. Jackson thought he saw the beast smile as it backhanded Joseph to the side. It then leaped on top of him and started whaling on him. It then kicked off him and knocked Ms. Jinx to the floor before kicking her away with ease. Finally, it grabbed both Angela and Gypsy by the neck and held them until they passed out. It dropped them both before glaring at Jackson.

A thing, long blade formed in its hand and it pointed it at Jackson’s neck.

Then, the Berserker was forced back as a stranger stood between Jackson and the beast. She had long golden hair tied in a ponytail, bright blue eyes and fare skin. She couldn’t be much younger than Jackson, wearing plate mail armor. She pointed a familiar golden sword at the beast and spoke.

“Enough, this is not the way!”