AN: I've got a feeling this will be the longest of the five Chapters. Only because there's a lot that needs to be penned down to follow the outline I've got set up. I'm typing this Author's Note before it's even done, but my senses are telling me it's true.

I just realized I can't even comment on the reactions from last Chapter with the way I've set up this typing schedule. I imagine there's a lot of upset people over Erin's death, and I'm sorry, but I really, really had to do it. And yes, I still have to remind myself and you readers that this is a Humor/Adventure Story. I know it doesn't look like that now, but I promise, it's darkest just before the dawn.

If it softens the blow, just pretend I'm a sadist who killed her off to silence all the CobbXErin shippers.

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd make a Crafting Recipe for Tridents.

"If you're going through hell, keep going."

Chapter 162

Wither (Part 3)

[Endward Cult: Northern Division HQ]

Ember came back through the Nether Portal with Lieutenant Leadstripe in tow. Judging by the excited way her body shook, the meeting with Sdrawkcab in Exter had gone well. Better than well. Jade had never seen those light-blue eyes shimmering so brightly.

Ember declared that the Northern Division would be making a big move. Even though Ember had alerted her of this yesterday, Jade couldn't believe how fast things were moving. She'd only gotten a few hours of sleep, interspersed with unsettling nightmares of Cobb and the Beginners that she didn't want to bring up. She always woke up with her cheeks damp.

But things were happening fast. Ember had someone pilot the Asmodeus out of her office—he was no Skipper Lenz, but he knew how to fly—and all higher-ups gathered there to discuss Ember's plan. Ember, Jade, 4Blite, Leadstripe… and Spring?

"Uh, am I supposed to be here?" Spring himself voiced his concern being beside such high-ranking Lieutenants. He was a mere grunt. He was good at collecting Heads, admittedly, but he was still a grunt. 4Blite seemed to dislike him almost as much as he disliked Jade.

"I didn't make a mistake. I called you here." Ember assured. "You showed your mettle fighting the Paragons during the attack on the weapons outpost. Few cultists would stand up to a Hacker. I want to see if your bravery was a one-time fluke or a sign of budding skill. Hence," she sat down at her desk, "why I called you here."

"Oh! Uh, thank you, ma'am." Spring blushed at the praise. "I won't let you down."

"I should think not, because this is big." She impressed upon us the importance of her plan. "Today will be a day marked down in Endward Cult history. 4Blite may have weakened them with his Creeper Herd attack, but this will be the decisive blow. Ringwood will never recover from a Wither attack. That's right." She nodded to Leadstripe and 4Blite's knowing looks. "We're going to spawn a Wither in Ringwood."

"But that's Cobb's home Kingdom."

The words bubbled forth before Jade could stop them, and she was suddenly made aware of the silence as every head swiveled in her direction as if she had just grown a second head. The only subdued face was Ember's, but that was only because she had been told about her relationship with Cobb.

"It is." Ember conceded. "It's also Notch's Kingdom—the one who betrayed Herobrine last and most deeply. It's also the home to the Silver Intent, a group working against us."

"…We have a base here, though." Jade tried instead, not really knowing why she was arguing against this. "We have foundations and hidden chambers we risk exposing by bringing down a Wither. Portals will have to be remade if we move—"

"We will move." Ember stressed. "We'll have everyone out there covertly gathering the Heads of the liberated. After tonight, we'll say goodbye to this HQ and migrate to Lazuli. Then, maybe after a few hundred years, when people refer to tonight as the Tragedy of Ringwood," those words had Jade's mouth tighten, "we'll resettle the ruins of Ringwood and call it the Central Division."

"We should repair the Southern Division first." 4Blite pointed out. "Preferably after we elect an Executive."

"Real subtle, 4Blite." Leadstripe muttered under his breath.

"There'll be time for that," Ember spoke diplomatically, "AFTER tonight's attack is completed."

"Cobb won't be happy about this." Jade spoke out again. "His home Kingdom laid to ruin by a Wither? He'll be devastated."

"What do you care?" 4Blite sneered at his fellow Lieutenant. "Don't tell me the infamous Poisoned Dagger is growing a heart?"

A diamond cutlass flashed out at the same time 4Blite hefted his diamond battleaxe. "I'll cut yours out of you, along with your tongue, if you sneer at me one more time."

"You think you can? Go on, then. I've been meaning to try out my new weapon's abilities."

There was a flash of movement and a pair of light 'clinks' as Ember appeared knelt past the two quarreling Lieutenants with her diamond rapier extended. Jade and 4Blite had both of their weapons knocked completely out of their grip, their prized blades clattering on the floor behind them. When Ember turned to regard them, her expression was thunderous.

"I am not jeopardizing the success of tonight's mission with the two of you bickering like cats and dogs. You will keep silent until I am through relaying your orders for tonight." Her once melodious voice grew low and dangerous. "One more outburst and I'll put you through so much pain you won't be able to interrupt me again."

The two Lieutenants rubbed their wrists where the weapons had been knocked from, but wisely kept silent. They picked up their respective weapons and stored them away before standing at attention. Ember slowly sheathed her rapier before marching back to her desk and straightening her hair. Seeing no more interruptions, she continued.

"Leadstripe. You will spawn the Wither in the Southern District." Ember tossed the Lieutenant the Wither Skeleton skulls and the soul sand. "You will also be keeping an eye on the Wither's performance as it duels the Billionth."

Leadstripe's eyes widened, but, remembering Ember's warning, he kept his exclamations to himself.

"The Billionth will show up." Ember stressed. "And he will fight the Wither. Whether he slays it or not is the real question. Either way it's a win-win for us, but I'd prefer if he's the one to kill it. You'll be on standby, however, in the Western District. Make sure to clear out the second you spawn a Wither. I hear it will go off like a bomb and kill anything standing nearby."

"But, ma'am, the skulls you gave me are—" Leadstripe cut off under the Executive's glare. "Never mind."

"…I'll instruct you more on that later." She said before moving on. "Jade. You will be responsible for the Northern District. After the Wither attacks, the guards will be preoccupied between rescue, evac, and fighting the abomination off. That'll give you the chance to burn the Northern District to the ground."

A flash of concern crossed Jade's face, knowing the friend of Cobb's who lived up there.

"Take a small band of cultists with you and set fire to the bushes and mansions. Spare none of them. I want the Northern District in flames." She ordered. "And as for luring the Billionth to Ringwood—"

"Nowhere_Man, you mean?" Jade suddenly asked, confusing the Lieutenants, who still believed Cobb was the Billionth.

Ember set them straight. "I've discussed it with Sdraw. At this time, we're unaware which of the two is the actual Billionth: King_Cobb or Nowhere_Man. However, it matters little. Since both have been known as the Billionth at some time, they both fulfill the criteria. Ergo, they're both considered the Billionth. Yin and Yang. Positive and Negative. A light half and a dark half."

Those terms had Jade and the others confused. Light and dark—what was she talking about? She didn't speculate.

"As I was saying, yes, we'll be luring Nowhere_Man, the lighter half, into fighting the Wither. He's the one who possesses the means and the power, after all." She complimented. "But to do that, we'll have to use the linked map you secured off them, Jade. We'll have one of us hold it, inviting them to come visit. When they see the destruction being wrought, they'll have no choice but to intervene. And once they've done the hard work and killed the Wither, we'll make our move and secure the star."

Jade didn't nod back. Her mind was still racing with the idea of leading Cobb to Ringwood where a Wither would be killing indiscriminately. He was already so weakened after their confrontation.

Ember turned to the next person. "Spring, I want you leading a group in the Eastern District—the farmlands. I want you to slaughter every cow you find."

He canted his head, looking bewildered.

"Did I stutter? Yes, kill every cow you find. Milk is the only cure for the Wither effect. I expect all of you to bring a few buckets just in case but try to avoid the Wither's path." The grunt with the slicked-back hair nodded, feeling slightly pressured after being told to lead a group, even for as mundane a mission as killing cows.

"And finally, 4Blite, you're with me." The Lieutenant lit up at the importance of being by the Executive's side. Didn't that mean she trusted him more than the others? "We'll be going straight to the Plateau. Just the two of us. And we'll be facing the most opposition. I'm talking Captains, guards, the council, King Miles, Princess Deo, the works. It'll be going into the hornets' nest."

"Will… we be sufficient enough?"

"We will." Ember winked, giving her rapier a pat. "Trust me."

It was hard to believe that Ember was joining the fray. It had to be because her identity was discovered by the Paragons at the weapons outpost. There was no longer a point to keep herself hidden, and she was a powerful resource. She'd have to be considering the confidence she exuded.

"With that, you're dismissed." She concluded. "All of you prepare. Bring whatever items you deem necessary. Leadstripe, I'd like to talk with you a little later about spawning the Wither. And Jade." The parkour master paused while making her way to the door. "I'd like you to stay a bit longer so we can have a talk."

4Blite shot Jade a smug look, thinking she was in trouble for her earlier outburst. Jade stuck out her tongue at 4Blite as he, Leadstripe, and Spring left Ember's office.

The Executive waited until they were well out of earshot before gesturing for Jade to sit. She did so reluctantly, and Ember began.

"You still care for the darker half."

"The who—?"

"Cobb." Ember waved her hand. "You still care for Cobb." She said it as a statement and Jade knew she couldn't lie to her. Nobody could lie to her Soul-Gaze.

"It's his home Kingdom." Jade repeated her point. "He wears Ringwood's colors on his tunic. He's friends with Captain Wynn. It was the first Kingdom he visited."

"All true." Ember said objectively.

Jade threw her head back. "If he doesn't despise me now, he will after we go through with this."

"You still believe he can be won over?" Ember asked seriously. "You said yourself how he rejected your offer. He would never side against his friends."

"I know that." Jade gritted. "You'll also remember I told you he wasn't a threat as much as Noman was. Noman's the Billionth you're looking for, not this dark and light crap."

"You don't believe Cobb has any qualities that make him a threat?" Ember asked instead, making Jade pause. "You don't believe he has any potential? You don't believe he has what it takes to destroy the Endward Cult?"

Ember already knew the answer Jade would give. No matter how much she wanted to convince Ember that he was harmless, deep down, she knew he possessed a sharp mind that earned him the title of Hacker-Slayer before anyone else.

"…No. I believe in Cobb's potential."

"Then what do you think you're doing here, Jade?"

"I don't know!" She suddenly snapped, standing up and glaring into her Executive's face. They hadn't argued like this in centuries, not since she'd been with Jack. "I don't know what I'm doing, okay!? I'm a slave to my emotions! My head is saying one thing and my heart another!"

"Do you regret not taking Cobb's offer?"

"No." Jade spoke honestly. Bitterly. "It never would have worked out. But if there's a better chance at winning him over to our side—?"

"Didn't you already try that and fail?" Ember raised an eyebrow. "You think a second time will work? Jade, honestly, nothing you say could get me to stop this attack. I respect the darker Billionth for his defense of Herobrine, but not enough to stop this. It's happening. And Cobb's not gonna like it."

"…There'll be hope if you spare the Captain."

Ember's eyes flashed. "What?"

"The Captain. Wynn_Whispers." Jade spoke hurriedly. "Cobb wrote a letter to her after Jolin, telling her he was okay. She's definitely someone close to him. If you were to spare her life, show some consideration to those he loves, he might—"

"Wynn_Whispers is a Captain of Ringwood." Ember argued back. "Letting her live would be inviting rebellion. All of Ringwood's authority figures have to go."

"You owe me for bringing you the information." Jade accused. "You owe me, Ember, for the skull. And the Asmodeus. You owe me this. If we show Cobb that we care about his friends, he'll reconsider. I know he will!"

"His other friends would never go for it!"

"I can work around that. But not if he hates me beyond hope." Jade begged. "Not if he loses Wynn."

Ember ran a hand over her face, frustrated at how her most loyal Lieutenant was against her at every turn on this.

"He'll be more open to give you the Herobrine books." Jade tried instead, playing to Ember's weaknesses. "He'll owe you them for sparing Wynn. He'll gladly turn them over for her safety."

Ember bit her lip. "Just what is Cobb to you, Jade?"

The answer she gave had the Executive reeling.

"He is to me what Herobrine is for you."

Ember bolted out of her seat, her teeth biting down into one fist as she turned on one heel. That answer told her everything she needed to know about this situation. She didn't dare suggest that Jade's feelings were anything less than Ember's feelings towards Herobrine. How often had she argued with others because she prioritized finding Herobrine above anything else? Jade wasn't going to back down any sooner than Ember was.

"…You really know how to hit it where it hurts." She sighed.

"So then…?"

"…I'll consider it." Ember said. And coming from Ember, that was as good as any promise. "You're a fool, Jade, for sticking your neck out for someone like this. But then, I suppose we're both hopeless fools." There was a note of fondness there as Ember remembered the kind of man Herobrine was. "It took you a while, but you finally found the saint that Jack wasn't."

Jade blushed at the comment but made no move to disagree. Even after everything that happened during their confrontation, she still cared for Cobb. There were burnt bridges, and then there were nuked bridges. If Captain Wynn died in the attack, that would definitely be a nuked bridge. Cobb was heartbroken now but would never forgive her if one of his friends died.

There would be a way to patch things up. It'd be tough, but she wasn't one to give up easily. Not on this and not on him.

"One last thing, though." Ember suddenly said, prompting Jade to pay attention. "Stay away from Cobb."

"…Huh?"

"During the attack," Ember warned, "stay away from Cobb."

"Why tell me that? It's not like we'll run into one another."

"I'm saying it for your own safety. Like you said, Ringwood is Cobb's Kingdom. And you two parted on bad terms only a few days ago. There's no telling how he'll react if he sees you, so stay away."

"But he's weak. Heartbroken." Jade countered. "He wouldn't have the energy to fight me." Even if he did, he was too good for that. This was the guy who freed cultists from the Pit and rescued Nephrait after she chased him through the Nether. "If you saw him you'd know what I'm talking about. I'm confident I could overpower him if I had to." Her words weren't convincing Ember. "He's weak."

"You think he'll stay that way forever? You don't think that stealing the Asmodeus and having a hand in this attack after he gave you a chance will set him off?" Jade's silence was telling. "No. The Wither might not be the only monster you'll want to stay out of the way from tonight."

Ember stood from her seat and walked around the desk, resting a hand on her Lieutenant's shoulder.

"Remember this, Jade. Those who seem kindest, are often the most insidiously cruel. Why else do you think, after all you've told me of him, I refer to him as the darker Billionth?"

[Cobb]

I lunged forward with my fishing rod so fast that Jade didn't have the time to react. The hook fastened into the seam of her pant leg moments before I dragged her down and off the flaming balcony. She let out a cry as she crashed into the burning dining room table and then shouted again as her body caught fire.

I knew it wouldn't be enough. Not with her diamond armor. So I fastened the line in her jacket this time, dragging her roughly against the table and onto the floor where she rolled with a groan.

Then I was upon her, spitting and seething as I grabbed her by the neck and slammed the back of her head into the floor. Her hands came up to pry me off of her, her eyes wide and afraid as she regarded the vicious monster before her.

All I saw was red.

Blood: YES! CHOKE THE LIFE OUT OF HER! MAKE HER SUFFER!

She struggled underneath and we rolled towards the burning carpet where the both of us caught fire. I felt detached from the scorching pain as every fiber of my being was focused on fighting Erin's killer. I wasn't an unfeeling husk anymore. I could feel the anger again. I could feel every bit of it as my fingers closed around her neck.

She struggled more violently, her mouth trying to form words I cared little to hear. Her legs flailed. One, I pinned immediately, but the other rose to knee me in the groin. I grunted and she wedged that leg between us before prying us apart like a crowbar. Then her cutlass came and dealt a Critical Hit to my chest.

"You crazy…" Jade wheezed, struggling to her feet while the fire kept burning her. She quickly set down a bucket of water to put herself out along with some of the carpet before scooping it back up. I rushed in and met her cutlass with the blade of my diamond sword. The two scraped against each other as she fought to overpower me.

"Now you have the energy to be mad at me?" She gritted out. "Nothing else I did got a response. What changed?"

"She was innocent you bitch!" I snarled, the venom within causing her eyes to widen imperceptibly. "Why!? Erin never hurt anybody and you killed her! YOU KILLED HER!"

"She was...?" Jade didn't finish as my other arm struck out with Backlash. She caught it by the handle, but that didn't stop the Knockback effect from throwing her back and into the burning wall. She winced before putting herself out again and reconsidering fighting inside a burning mansion. She ducked my shearing swing and made a break for the backdoor.

My fishing rod snagged the back of her jacket again, but she willed it off in a burst of glimmering motes of light and squirmed away in just her purple undershirt.

"DON'T YOU FUCKING RUN!" I screamed as I ran after her before slamming into a hastily made obsidian barrier. Jade's doing. I caught sight of her running past the burning windows and growled before hacking away at the burning wood walls with my sword. The fire ate away at my Health and burned my hands, but I bore the pain, feeling strangely detached from it in lieu of getting Jade.

I tore at the wall like a mad animal, clawing and forcing my way through until I popped out the other side. I took a moment to extinguish myself in the pond before tracking down where Jade went.

I could spot the flash of green in the sea of orange flames from a mile away. She was parkouring through backyards and over flaming hedges, heading toward the plateau. My eyes narrowed as I tore after her.

I wasn't going to let her get away again!

[Noman]

Despite knowing the Boss Mob's weaknesses, this was still proving to be a taxing fight.

Those exploding heads it launched could do a lot of damage on their own, but the Wither Effect made it so much worse. It lasted thirty-nine seconds every time I got hit and would drain half-a-Heart per second. No wonder it was so deadly to standard Crafters, even if they were wearing full diamond armor. If not for my Severe Shield, I'd have been dead ten times over.

That was little comfort for the Crafters I knew were dying down below. One hit would seal their doom without healing potions or milk. I had to finish this thing fast while there was still a Ringwood left to save.

I darted in close with the Bottes Zephyr as the creature let out another alien screech. Any time it focused all three of those heads on me was time the citizens of Ringwood could be spared.

I raised my shield only to flinch when it splintered apart from the first exploding head. That shield had been my partner since Bailey's and had served me well, disarming many a Crafter. I dropped below the second fired head but got struck directly by the last one. I hissed as the Wither Effect drained my Health and fixed the Wither's. My Bottes Zephyr kept me from crashing into the ground, but my Health was looking low. I sacrificed the second of my three buckets of milk and a precious Regeneration Potion. If I ran out of milk, I'd be in trouble. It was my only way to counter that status effect.

The Wither prepared to launch another volley of heads until an arrow struck it in its skeletal main body. I glanced down and saw it was Lenz lending a hand. Floyd was there too, smoke pouring from his body.

I felt a surge of hope. I wasn't fighting alone anymore.

The Wither turned its attention on Lenz and fired a salvo of screaming heads. Just as they were about to hit, the engineer disappeared in a blur of smoke and reappeared being carried by Floyd further east. Another arrow struck the Wither in its leftmost skull. It shrieked angrily.

…And completely missed me getting close overhead.

I flung a pair of high-grade Splash Potions of Healing, dousing the calamity in holy goodness and taking another 8% of its Health Meter. It screamed in pain before I threw myself onto it and dealt a trio of heavy slashes. My Severe Shield's damage output combined with my Sharpness I Diamond Sword took out a large 20% chunk.

That's when it started flashing blue.

My eyes widened as the Wither started to lose altitude but gain a protective layer over its surface. This was the 'wither armor' Herobrine spoke of. Now that the Wither's Health was below half, it would don the wither armor, protecting it from projectiles, and start healing at an accelerated rate. Lenz proved this after one of his fired arrows bounced harmlessly off the creature's skull.

But there was a tradeoff. The Mob couldn't fly AND heal itself. It was already starting to spiral towards the ground. It was heading straight for the Eastern District!

Floyd kept up with his Speed Hack below, but I was hanging onto the monster for dear life, repeatedly stabbing into its back with my sword as we went down. It screamed and tried to throw me off, swinging its heads this way and that in its descent. Some screaming heads detonated in my face, but I kept a firm grip as the rest of the world spun out of control.

As the farmland of the Eastern District came up fast, we passed a pen of sheep that the Wither mercilessly shot heads at. It really did go for any living thing. Craters opened in the fence and grass and sheep died by the dozens. Those that didn't die right away became withered, their Health draining and going to the Boss Mob.

The bottom of the Wither's skeletal ribcage skimmed the tilled farmland and our descent jarred to a stop before I got thrown off. I rolled with the landing and groaned through the withering eating me away.

The creature screamed as it pivoted in place and fired more heads. I raised up my sword defensively only to get pulled out of the way by a blurring Floyd. He tossed Lenz and myself behind him before he sped off again, getting close to the Mob and evading every exploding head it fired. To the superfast Hacker, they must have looked slow-motion.

Floyd lured the Wither far away before letting smoke flow all around his arms. He raised them and shouted in anger, directing his power outwards.

"MultiAura!"

Floyd went off with the force of a bomb, shooting razor-sharp ebony spines in every direction. The Wither took all the ones that would have hit us and screamed as its skulls became riddled with spikes. A huge chunk of its Health went down just as Floyd collapsed to one knee. Then a screaming skull blasted him into the dirt.

"Floyd!" I shouted before running forward, my sword trailing behind me. The wither effect was still eating away at my Health, but I powered through as I got close and slashed at the monster's back.

It shrieked in agony, its Health about to go. It turned and glared at me with all three heads before I reared back with both hands clutching my blade fiercely.

"All life matters." I recited. "Yours doesn't."

And then I jammed my blade into the central head's eye socket. It burst apart with a tortured, soul-chilling scream, and left behind a pale, diamond-shaped item and a couple of yellow and green EXP orbs that floated into my trembling arms. It wasn't much considering all the damage it caused. Not even a level's worth, though I was level twenty-six. It only filled up my EXP bar about halfway to twenty-seven. A Boss Mob that could destroy so much yet be worth so little.

By the end of the grueling fight, I was left with exhaustion. And then there was its drop. I stooped over and picked it up. It was a pale, diamond-shaped thing. A [NETHER STAR]. The name confused me for a minute before it suddenly made sense. Wither Skeletons came from the Nether, so it only made sense an amalgamation of blocks and skulls from the Nether would drop a Nether Star. It shimmered faintly in my hand. Herobrine said it could be used in beacons to give abilities to others, but I had no idea the recipe or how.

I slipped it into my pocket instead and saw to the others. Cobb wasn't with them and I wondered where the fisherman ran off to.

Floyd was fine. Exhausted, but fine. He downed a bucket of milk to save himself from the withering effect. It was the Wither's final attempt at claiming a life, and it failed in that too. I just saved myself the trouble and bit into another of my precious Notch Apples. It wouldn't cure the wither effect, but it would help counteract it, refilling my Hearts and keeping me from turning into a pile of gear in the dirt.

"We… we did it!" Lenz cheered. "We beat that monster!"

"Pretty sure Noman did most of the work." Floyd chuckled weakly. "But yeah. We stopped those Endward bastards."

Just because we somehow all made it out, I wasn't going to chastise him for his language this time. And he was right. We foiled the cult's plans. Ringwood might still have suffered a blow, but it was nowhere near as long as the Tragedy of Nitebane had been. It was spawned and killed the same day.

"…Where's Cobb?" I asked, looking around. "I didn't see him with you. Did he…?"

"I don't know." Floyd shook his head. "He ran off to the Northern District. He must be worried about Wynn and Erin." He tried to reach for something, but his arm wasn't listening to him anymore. "Ah, you check for his blip. I can't right now…"

After that, Floyd fell back into the dirt, his Hacker Speed's cooldown taking effect. He wouldn't be able to move for a while, but it hardly mattered now that the Wither was vanquished. We happily chewed on some steak, congratulating ourselves for our victory.

Only suddenly, an ominous ringing sound rent the air.

"…What was that?" Lenz asked as he stood up and turned to the west.

We all stared out in the direction the sound had come from, an eerie silence coming over the farmlands.

Then, as a loud explosion ripped through the air, our worst fears came to light when we spotted another dark shape rising from the distance.

"No…" I breathed out, watching as the dark shape spat screaming heads towards screaming Crafters. "NO!"

"Those sons of…" Floyd bit back a curse as he tried and failed to move, his head slamming back into the dirt helplessly. "They summoned another one!?"

"H-How many skulls did they have stored…?" Lenz tore off his goggles, his pupils dilated and trembling. "It took all of us just to conquer one!"

"I have to go after it." I shot to my feet only to wobble before I could take off.

It wasn't just the exhaustion. I threw all my energy into slaying that Wither without once considering what to do if the Endward Cult spawned another. It had never even crossed my mind. I was too focused with dealing with the threat I could see. I didn't stop to consider what came after. And now that there was an after, after my mind had already convinced my body that the threat was gone, I was struggling to find the morale to go back out there.

Also, I was running low on milk. Flying off to face that thing without any cure for the Wither Effect would be suicide. Floyd must have thought the same.

"Ugh! You need to restock on milk. I've passed through the Eastern District numerous times." He glanced off to the side. "There should be a pen of cows just past that—" He cut off and I followed his gaze.

The pen he was looking at was empty. Not a single cow to be found.

"It… it has been broken." Lenz reported, pulling his goggles back over his eyes. "And it is not just that one. Several pens have been broken open and are bare of any farm animals."

"That can't be right!" Floyd cried out. "The pens here should be full of cows! Did the Wither kill them?"

"Something is not right about this." Lenz said to himself, looking at the surrounding pens.

"…I can't wait anymore, Floyd." I grimaced as I got to my feet. Milk or not, I had a job to do. Notch wouldn't let all those people die.

"You can't, Noman! Not without milk. Here." Floyd and Lenz each turned over their buckets.

"But what about if you get withered?"

"In our condition, I doubt we'll be able to get close." Floyd grimaced. He still couldn't move while his Speed Hack reset. "You're our best bet. That's why we carried these buckets for you."

They had a point and there was no sense wasting anymore time when lives were at stake, so I humbly accepted the four buckets of milk and took to the sky with the Bottes Zephyr.

While I was up and could see the Wither tearing up the Western District on the whole other side of the Kingdom, I couldn't help but notice the vacant pens scattered around. The Eastern District raised all kinds of animals, and it was those I saw when I flew west. Pigs, sheep, rabbits, chickens. They were all accounted for. A few may have died as the Wither shot out screaming heads, but there were still some animals left alive.

But no cows. Not a single cow.

The Wither wasn't one to target one living thing over another. Something else was killing the cows. Something that sounded a lot like the Endward Cult.

[Central District]

Ember looked to the Western District where the second Wither was busy demolishing the ugly, run-down side of the Kingdom. The Crafters who had flocked there for safety when the first Wither blew up the Southern District were now regretting it as screaming heads blew them apart and inflicted them with the deadly Wither Effect.

She and 4Blite had a good vantage point over everything from the plateau. They saw the Lighter Billionth steer the calamity towards the east before dispatching it, and, would you look at that, he still had some scrap left in him to fly to the rescue and fight the freshest abomination. How heroic. And predictable.

"Good timing, Leadstripe." Ember nodded at how quickly the second Wither had spawned. Leadstripe fulfilled his role well, even if he was nowhere near where the first Wither died and therefore couldn't get the star. "Looks like I was right to bring more than one Wither."

"Sdraw has had XoX farming long before he got a Looting Sword." 4Blite commented beside her. "He gave you all the skulls he had, but should we be wasting them like this?"

"It's not a waste. Take a look." Ember gestured to the burning and ruined districts in every direction. "Ringwood is finished and we'll get a star by the end of it. Best not to put all our eggs in one basket. This way with three Withers, we're bound to get a star on one of them. And if the Billionth is willing to do all the heavy lifting killing the things for us, who are we to stand in his way?"

"Sometimes I forget how scary you can be." 4Blite complimented with closed eyes.

"Flattery will get you nowhere." Ember smirked as she watched the Lighter Billionth—Noman as he preferred to be called—meet the second Wither in the air. Both he and it were dealing and taking damage, but he had to be winded and low on supplies. He might even die before the third one comes out. "Let's get to work."

Ember and 4Blite crept across the plateau and past the Guard Barracks. It was pandemonium with the Captains shouting for calm and order and trying to marshal their forces in response to the latest Wither. All their hope when the first one spiraled to the ground went up in flames when the second one reared its ugly heads.

Ember and 4Blite paid the Barracks little mind. They ignored the Palace as well. They went for the prison. It was funny how little the guards cared for prisoners in times of crisis. The Wither could rip through them bodies and all, and the guards wouldn't bat an eye. They weren't even trying to evacuate. Instead, all the prisoners watched the burning and destruction from their cells—some with relish—praying that the calamity wouldn't turn its attention on them.

Ember and 4Blite walked right up to the front gate where a skeleton crew of guards awaited them.

"Halt, citizens!" One shouted. "We know you must be panicked, but civilians aren't allowed up here. Please evacuate to your designated—" He cut off as he recognized 4Blite from the wanted posters. Which meant the woman with him was also a…!

He never finished that thought as a series of quick flicks with her rapier had Ember reduce the guard and his two companions to a pile of gear.

"By my blade, I hereby free your souls." She whispered to herself as she stepped over the piles while 4Blite picked up the Heads behind her. He'd run out of Inventory space if he kept at it. Better to let the cultists spread throughout Ringwood worry about Head gathering duty. There would be plenty to collect.

Stepping inside the prison, she spotted two guards to the right and four to the left. She jerked her head towards 4Blite and the two while she sped towards the group of four. They turned and cried out, fumbling for their weapons at an obvious threat.

The first one's armor meant nothing to Ember's rapier as it simply slipped through his defenses. A sharp jab here and there and finished with a kick. The other one was braver, rushing in and crashing his sword into Ember's. Not only didn't the thin rapier break, but Ember overpowered him with ease, pushing the blade into his guard and then lashing out with a backhand that snapped the man's neck like a twig. Her EXP Levels were leagues ahead of these meager guards. She simply walked through them with an occasional flick of her rapier and they all perished on the wind, their EXP flowing into her but doing little for her massive levels.

"Before you were bound, but now you are free." She whispered. "Free from this accursed realm of Mobs and suffering. A brighter life awaits you. The Next Life."

On the other side, 4Blite was swinging with his Battleaxe, finally testing its properties. Tinker's Battleaxe had a Knockback effect despite lacking the enchantment, so 4Blite found himself launching guards into walls and metal bars where bones cracked and snapped audibly. He kept a cold expression as he dispatched them like one would crush bugs.

4Blite opened a door and walked into one of the cell blocks. Prisoners watched him with interest as his heavy melee weapon fell again and again, none of the guards able to stop him.

"4BLITE!"

The Lieutenant's cold expression broke for a second at the ear-splitting shout. A sword cut through his guard and landed a hit against his diamond armor, earning a chorus of 'ooohs' from the audience of prisoners. 4Blite fell back a few steps and watched his opponent with caution.

"Captain Iron_Lung."

"IN THE FLESH!" The Captain screamed in his usual way, a diamond sword at the ready. "YOU CULTISTS GOT A LOT OF NERVE BREAKING INTO OUR PRISON! I BET YOU'RE TO BLAME FOR THOSE MONSTERS OUT THERE!"

"Your powers of perception are frightening." 4Blite drawled. "This is Ringwood's end. I hope you enjoy it in your last moments."

"TALK IS CHEAP!" Iron_Lung lunged forward with his sword and the Lieutenant diverted it with his axe handle before lifting both arms to deal a devastating chop. Iron_Lung struck, but 4Blite weathered the worst of it, bringing the axe head down hard on the Captain's shoulder.

He collapsed into the stone floor and the prisoners cheered, but he quickly rolled out of the way of the next attack before swiping at 4Blite's legs. The Lieutenant's center of gravity trembled, and he had to step back to steady himself.

Iron_Lung pressed, sprinting forward with all his might and delivering a solid blow to 4Blite's sternum with a cry of "KNOCKBACK STRIKE!"

4Blite grit his teeth and managed to slash out with the recoil, knocking the Captain back at the same time. To the prisoners, it looked like the two repelled one another, the both of them smashing into opposite ends of the cell block.

The prisoners actually reached out their hands from between their cell bars and cushioned 4Blite before shoving him back into the fight. The cold Lieutenant didn't thank them for it and instead reared both hands back to deliver a crippling blow to the Captain as he was being encumbered by his side of prisoners.

Iron_Lung saw the strike and quickly ducked as 4Blite tore through the cell bars and knocked two prisoners into the back wall of their cell. He brought the axe head to his center fast, however, to send Iron_Lung's blade scraping off.

The Captain then spun with a jump, lifting his sword back and allowing white stars to dance off the surface before he struck.

"CRITICAL STRIKE!"

The slash caught 4Blite along the side of the head, obliterating his diamond helmet and allowing his snow-white hair to spill out. He fell back from the attack, rolling against the stone floor and skidding to a stop in the center of the room.

The prisoners called out for him to get up while Iron_Lung approached the dark-skinned man cautiously, his blade at the ready.

"YOU'RE A NANCY, AREN'T YOU!?" Iron_Lung insulted. "NOT SO TOUGH WITHOUT A MOB TO DO YOUR FIGHTING FOR YOU!"

4Blite glared past his scar with dark purple eyes. "I am a fearsome warrior. And I don't require a Wither to kill a loudmouth Captain."

"BIG TALK COMING FROM A DEAD DUCK!" The Captain rushed forward to finish the job, but 4Blite surprised him by shedding every bit of armor he had. He was going in defenseless. "GIVING UP!?"

In reply, 4Blite drank a Potion of Invisibility and vanished.

Iron_Lung's eyes widened and he slowed to a stop, his sword still held up. He scanned the surroundings but found no sign of the Lieutenant. He wasn't even wielding his Battleaxe. He was fighting invisible.

Suddenly, Iron_Lung felt a sharp push from behind him that nearly sent him off balance. He quickly recovered and swung out where he got hit but struck nothing.

Another shove from the side. This one did unbalance him and sent the Captain stumbling into cell bars. Hands reached out as the prisoners held him fast, but the Captain broke free with a few swings of his sword.

When he turned back around, it was to witness and axe head crashing down on his face.

He covered his face and screamed, then screamed even louder when the axe was mercilessly brought down on his knee next, the impact between the diamond edge and the stone floor shattering it. Iron_Lung crawled away, blindly swinging at his surroundings while the invisible Lieutenant kept his distance. He watched coldly as the injured Captain tired himself out before falling back and nursing his head.

"YOU LILLY-LIVERED NANCY!" Iron_Lung roared. "YOU HIDE BEHIND A POTION! COME OUT AND FACE ME LIKE A MAN! HAVE YOU NO HONOR!?"

"Of course I do." 4Blite spoke coldly from behind. Iron_Lung whirled but he was too late as 4Blite was already completing his swing. The diamond Battleaxe struck and the Captain was killed in a shower of gear. The prisoners roared in approval, some even applauding the action.

A bucket of milk materialized from thin air, the holder tipping it and drinking deeply before Lieutenant 4Blite reappeared. The axe moved to rest against his sleeveless shoulder as he gazed upon Iron_Lung's lifeless Head.

"I'd suffer great dishonor if I couldn't even kill one Captain."

The Captain then turned to his audience of prisoners, his expression stern. He slipped his armor back on as he addressed them.

"You've bore witness to the cult's strength. It's outside your barred windows, laying siege to the Kingdom that locked you here and left you to rot." The prisoners settled into silence to hear his words over the sounds of a Wither's screams. "You've bore witness to my strength, as I've slain this Captain in one-on-one combat." He pocketed Iron_Lung's Head to show off the accomplishment to Ember. "I have the ambition and strength to seize an opportunity when I see one. Do you?"

4Blite's dark purple eyes roved the anxious crowd. He spotted Ringwood's most notorious criminals. Men of strength and villainy who wouldn't say no to more murder. They would be useful subordinates. It was only a matter of controlling them.

"Your only way forward lies endward, but I alone am the Crafter who will free you from this prison and spare you the awful fate befalling the people of Ringwood as we speak." The screams from the outside seemed to magnify at his words. "Swear your loyalty to me and my ambition. Lend me your strength, and I will show you a Minecraftia that bends knee to your presence. Grip your cell bars and pledge your allegiance to me. Do that, and I shall break the chains that bind you."

Up and down the cell block, prisoners yelled in assent and grabbed their cell bars as if straining to bend them open. They waved hands and howled for the Lieutenant to free them. They shouted their loyalty to 4Blite, swearing to follow his command so long as he got them out of their cells and gave them a weapon.

The Lieutenant never cracked a smile, but he surveyed the prisoners won over to his side and offered a subtle nod of approval. He had only one thought.

Let's see Jade one-up this.

[Cobb]

I sprinted out the burning gates to the Northern District and my eyes zeroed in on Jade circling the plateau to the west side. She shot me a glance over one shoulder before taking a sip of something. By the burst of speed she put on, it was a Potion of Swiftness. I sprinted after her as she parkoured up the dilapidated buildings of the Western District.

I was breathing heavily through my nose and teeth, the huffing and puffing like the steam of a coal-engine as I tried to run her down. When I got close to the building she scaled, I kicked off the ground and grabbed with sharp nails, clawing up wood and stone and caring little for how it bruised my fingertips.

Jade had willed her green jacket back on and it was that which I saw slip over the building's edge. I parkoured after her and by the time I hoisted myself up, she was already two more buildings away, heading south.

The wind blew through my hair as I gave chase, jumping across gaps between streets, using lampposts as springboards, or else grabbing ledges to hoist myself up and over. Jade was doing all that and more, out-parkouring me every step of the way and gaining more distance with that Potion of Swiftness.

We were hopping over the rooftops of Akasha, playing a game of tag that neither one of us cared to lose. All that mattered was we were having fun together on our date. She paused to show-off, giving me a chance to catch her…

I shouted through the memory and then shouted at her.

"YOU KILLED HER TO HURT ME!" I accused, spit flying. Jade's head turned slightly. "AFTER EVERYTHING YOU DID TO ME, YOU SAW ONE MORE CHANCE TO TWIST THE KNIFE! SHE WAS AN INNOCENT HOUSEKEEPER!"

"You never brought her up before!" Jade called back, leaping across a street and rolling with the landing. She slowed down without realizing in order to talk. "How was I to know she was a part of your World?"

"YOU BURNED WYNN'S MANSION!" I screamed next.

"I was looking for the Captain! She wasn't there! I wasn't going to kill her!" She added quickly. "I stuck my neck out for her! You owe me!"

"THE ONLY THING I OWE YOU IS A PUNCH TO THE FACE! LOOK AT EVERYTHING!" I threw my arms out to the ruined Kingdom just as an explosion rent the air. Turning to the source, I slowed for a second to witness a second Wither rising from the streets, shooting off more screaming heads. It was close enough that I could see its full Health Meter.

I went back to running after Jade, my arms pumping furiously.

"LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID!" I screamed in anger while the fresh Wither leveled buildings and withered Crafters. "YOU THINK I OWE YOU FOR HAVING A PART IN THIS!? THIS IS SICK! JUST LIKE EVERYTHING YOU DID TO ME!"

"You had a part in it too!" She called back, vaulting over a railing and somersaulting off a balcony. "The skull was just lying there, but you left it lying there! You could have been a part of the winning side, but instead you let me go, all but ensuring today happened! This is as much your fault as it is mine!"

"BULLSHIT!" I spat, whipping out an ender pearl and throwing it across five buildings. I took the damage, but I closed the distance enough that we were one building apart. Her eyes widened at how close I got.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN TWIST THE KNIFE ON THIS!? I LEFT ONE SKULL! ONE! THE CULT HAD FIVE MORE TO SPAWN TWO WITHERS!" No matter how hard she tried, I wasn't going to despise myself from this. The Cult had the skulls. Farmed them ever since they grabbed the Looting Sword. If anyone should be beating themselves up, it was Noman, and yet he was out there fighting those things to make it up.

As soon as I thought that, I watched the Wither recoil as something struck it in the air. The first Wither was gone. Noman killed it and would kill this one too.

"HOW MANY MORE WITHERS DO YOU HAVE!?" I shouted. "I'M ACCOUNTABLE FOR A THIRD OF ONE, BUT EVERY ONE AFTER IS ON YOU AND YOUR PSYCHO DEATH CULT! AND YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR IT!"

"Ha! You'll have to catch me first!" Jade scoffed, bouncing off a low building and dodging a stray Wither projectile as it sailed through the air. "How many times have I parkoured circles around you, Cobb? I'm a parkour master! You'll never catch me! No matter how hard you try, you'll never close the distance!"

I tried snagging her jacket with my fishing rod, but she was beyond my range and getting further away. I'd have to use my ender pearls just to keep pace, and that cost me Health.

Instead, I plucked a different projectile from my belt and waited until Jade was mid-jump before spraying them like buckshot.

Snowballs. Saved from the Spleef Challenge of the Parkour Games.

Jade squawked as one of the frozen ice balls struck the small of her back. They didn't do any damage, but her forward momentum suddenly increased when she least expected it and she found herself overshooting the lamppost she was aiming for. Instead, she impacted and slid down against the wall of a building before catching herself on a ledge.

She then fell all the way when I divebombed and snagged her ankles. The pair of us plummeted to the street and landed hard on our backs, the air driven from our lungs and our bodies arching in pain.

Blood: KILL HER! GET UP AND KILL HER!

I forced myself through the pain as I swung my diamond blade down where her neck had been. She may have rolled away, but the Sweeping Edge's radius still scored a hit. Her Protection IV Diamond Armor took the brunt of the damage.

"Never should have given you that enchantment…" She rolled her shoulder.

"You never should have done a lot of things." I answered coldly before lashing out. Her cutlass came up to parry.

We were training on the Asmodeus, pushing each other to grow stronger. Jade would cut white crescents in the air with her cutlass and I'd just be happy to watch her verdant tresses bounce with every swift movement. Her presence alone was a comfort I couldn't express in words.

I drowned it all out with a cry of exertion.

"You never should have gone after my friends!"

*CRASH*

"You never should have lied!"

*CRASH*

"You never should have killed and schemed and framed!"

*CRASH* *CRASH* *CRASH*

"You never should have stolen our airship! EVEN AFTER WE LET YOU LEAVE WITHOUT A FIGHT!"

There was a resounding crash as diamond met diamond, the two blades scraping as our strengths contested. Jade's face was screwed up in concentration… and remorse.

"YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE KILLED ERIN OR HELPED SPAWN A WITHER! YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE ACTED LIKE YOU GAVE A CRAP ABOUT ANY OF US!"

"AND YOU NEVER SHOULD HAVE PLAYED WITH MY HEART!" I snarled before whipping out Backlash, the edge catching her shoulder. She was knocked back, but my bobber fastened into her undershirt before I yanked back with all my might and swung her smashing through a door and into a building. I ran in after her, picking through broken bits of wood and placing a torch to see in the dark.

A flash of green stumbled up a staircase and I dove over a couch to give chase. As soon as I reached the second floor landing, however, I got a face full of splash potion and felt my strength drain away.

"You're so easy to fool." Jade taunted before lobbing a Splash Potion of Slowness to complete the paralysis. With no other way to dodge, I fell backwards and crashed down the flight of stairs. The Slowness Potion splashed harmlessly a few stairs up. Jade clicked her tongue but stepped down the stairs through sips of a Potion of Strength. "Did you think I was helpless and running scared? No." She spoke lowly. "No, I'm through being helpless and scared. Not since I killed Jack have I been a weak, sniveling housewife. No different from that housekeeper, ErinRunner."

I gnashed my teeth at the cruel reminder before Jade kicked me across the room with her potion-enhanced strength. I crashed into a bookcase and slid to the ground, something in my side throbbing painfully.

Jade advanced and I flicked Backlash out. "B-Bobber…" I groaned past a busted rib. Jade sidestepped it lazily before swiping at my torso with her cutlass. White stars erupted off it in a brilliant crescent slash, the Critical Hit shaving off three Hearts.

"But I'm not weak like Erin was." Jade repeated the name, knowing it would hurt. "That's why I'm still here and she isn't." Another slash as she cut aside my fishing rod. I swung my Diamond Sword, but she deflected my weak efforts and rewarded me with a knee to the gut. "All my conquests have made me the woman I am today. I'm a Lieutenant. And if you can't accept me for who I am, then this relationship was doomed from the start!"

Her hand reached out and closed around my neck, her Strength lifting me up against the wall like I was a ragdoll. The Weakness Potion she hit me with made me too weak to fight back. All I could do was slap feebly against her arm.

"You doomed this…" I accused, my legs kicking futilely. "You doomed it the moment you came into my life."

The fingers around my throat relaxed and she lowered me slightly, her amethyst orbs growing softer and somber. She leaned forward, close enough that I could feel her hot breath on my skin.

"It wasn't all bad though, was it?" She whispered sensually. "We had fun."

And then we were kissing. Surrendering ourselves to each other just to forget about Carys and all the wickedness of the world. We explored one another's bodies, lips, and let passion and desperate want take command. The sensations. The moans of pleasure. Being in her embrace was the best feeling in the world and all I wanted to do was make her feel the same. Make her feel a fraction of the love she was showering upon me. I wanted to prove that I loved her as much as she loved me. My heart yearned for it.

I turned my head aside as she tried to kiss my lips. The message was clear, and she slowly withdrew, her hand still pinning my neck to the wall. She let out a disappointed sigh.

"I really wish you would see things my way." She said as if it meant something, her hand reaching for a Weakness and Slowness Potion. She was going to paralyze me. "Maybe you just need some more time to cool off."

As she prepared to throw them at me, an explosion rocked the side of our building. Two screaming heads pelted through the rubble—a pair of stray Wither projectiles.

They struck the both of us and we got hurled across the room and blasted back outside into the street. We slid to a stop and groaned as bistre-colored particles swirled around us. The Wither Effect.

Above us, the Wither screamed and flew by, still engaged in heated combat with Noman. They were heading to the Southern District now.

Both Jade and I stirred to our knees, our Health Meters slowly withering, but I was faster when I threw down a bucket of lava. Jade screamed as the molten magma poured over her leg before she scrambled backwards on hands and knees. She poured her water bucket on reflex and the two source blocks canceled each other out, leaving a solid chunk of obsidian where the lava had been.

We were still getting withered, however, and Jade was still on fire and with no water to put herself out. Instead, she drank from a bucket of milk just as I did. All of our status effects cleared up. Not just the Wither Effect, but her Strength buff and my Weakness buff. She realized her mistake but was too covered in flames to do anything about it. She lost her splash potions too. Instead, she got to her feet, groaning past injuries, and shambled away.

"Need time to cool off, Jade!?" I taunted.

I made to go after the burning Lieutenant but cried out as something painful throbbed in my side. A broken rib or something. I fell onto my side and watched as the alley she fled down got sealed up with obsidian. She wasn't going to make the chase easy.

I ravenously tore into some steak and waited for my Health to tick back up and for the pain in my ribs to subside. All the while, I kept my eyes fixed on that obsidian-blocked alleyway and the fleeing Lieutenant beyond.

[Floyd]

Lenz half-carried, half-dragged me to a barn to recover from my Hacker Speed. The stupid cooldown was a real burden for situations like this. How other Hackers relied on Speed consistently was a mystery.

After I was laid down, Lenz wanted to stay and guard me, but I insisted he provide Noman backup in dealing with that second Wither. As an archer, he was better equipped to fight without getting withered.

"I'll catch up. Just go!" I urged, not wanting to hear his excuses. I could handle myself and Noman needed the help. Reluctantly, Lenz nodded and hurried out.

After that, I sat in the barn for a while, cursing my own inability to fight right away. Crafters were out there dying by the thousands—I could hear them through the walls!

…Wait. Is the Wither even around the Eastern District? I thought it was to the west.

I closed my eyes and listened carefully. There was shouting and screaming. But also triumphant laughing… and swords clashing! The Wither screams and explosions were distant by comparison. What was going on out there?

It took a few more moments before I finally regained feeling in my body. I shot to my feet, chewed on some steak, and poked my head outside to see what the commotion was all about.

My eyes widened and a flash of anger and smoke emanated off my body at the sight of those black leather caps.

Cultists were roaming the farmlands, breaking open pens of cows and slaughtering them all. They were exclusively going after cows and suddenly the empty pens from earlier made sense. They were cutting off Ringwood's source of milk so that anyone withered would most certainly die. It wasn't bad enough that they set off a pair of nukes in a populated Kingdom, but now they were taking away our only chance at a cure…?

I wanted to rush them with my Speed. I really did. Instead, I settled for launching dozens of MultiAura spikes at their backs.

The cultists cried out in alarm and then fear when they saw the smoke radiating off of me. "H-HACKER!" One of them cried out before running away. The others followed and fled towards a greater group of around fifty cultists. I moved to chase after them but stopped when I saw some armored Crafters beat me to it. And at the front was…

"Circle around them!" Brett ordered as he doled out splash potions. "Don't let these heathens break Ringwood's spirit! Fight for the honor of the Silver Intent!"

"What he said!" Courageous_Cara agreed as she fired arrows into the cultists. The other Crafters—who I assumed were also Silver Intent members—were holding their own despite being outnumbered two-to-one. That was a difference a Hacker like me could make up for.

"Cara! Brett!" I called out while hurrying over, my iron sword swinging. They saw me and recognition dawned, but then that was subsumed by a flash of fear when they noticed the dark smoke.

Right. I only revealed I was a Hacker after we left Ringwood. They don't know.

"F-Floyd?" Cara fell back a few steps and I stilled like I was approaching a skittish deer. "You… you're a Hacker—What…? What are you d-doing here?"

"I…" I trailed off, trying to pick the best and least amount of words to explain everything. How much did they need to know?

When I turned to Brett and saw the silver-haired man's reluctance and confusion, it gave me an idea on how to calm them down.

Hackers think themselves to be supermen. They never show weakness to Crafters. So if I want them to relax around me…

I bent knee and knelt before Brett, the show of subservience shocking him and Cara. It was the opportunity I needed to get them to listen to me.

"Sir," I stressed when talking to Brett, "Soul and I completed our missions to Zeppil and Akasha. We had to return, however, when we learned that the Endward Cult might spawn Withers. I'm here to help however I can."

The quick report and the submissive gestures worked wonders in calming the two down. We were also in the middle of a warzone where thorough explanations had no place. Later, when the threat was dealt with, there'd be time to properly report on the things we dealt with… and I could properly castigate Brett for his lousy information on cultist activity in the two Kingdoms he sent us to.

"You should be—" Brett cut himself off as he looked around the battlefield and to the cultists fighting his Silver Intent members. I could se his mind working a mile a minute as he took stock of the situation. "…Show as much of your Hacker smoke as you can while fighting. If we can demoralize the cultists with a Hacker on our side, the disparity in numbers won't matter."

"They're targeting cows." I reported urgently, rising from my kneeling position. "Milk is the only counter to the Wither's deadly status effect. They're making it so we all die."

"We saw." Brett nodded. "One glimpse of those black leather caps and we knew who they were. We thought we could surprise them with a sneak attack, but it's almost like they were waiting for us."

"Someone must have spilled our location." Cara added, shooting arrows into a cultist's body. "They knew we were here. They brought the equipment to kill more than just cows."

I bit my lip, realizing that was one of the tidbits of information Soul and I shared with Jade. She had taken an interest in the anti-cult Silver Intent. We thought she wanted to lend a hand—We were so stupid!

I took out my anger by diving into combat, my Hacker smoke so thick it was churning. The cultists saw and scattered like skittles, unwilling and unprepared to duel a Hacker. The most I did with my powers was shoot out MultiAura here or there, just enough to scare them off.

Jade kept talking about 'Next Life' and how 'death wasn't the end', and yet these cowards were running like they didn't believe it. Maybe that was just the difference between the grunts and the higher-ups.

"Where's Jade!?" I suddenly demanded, knocking a fleeing cultist back with an ordinary sword swipe. "You're the Northern Division, right? Bring Jade out here! She's got a lot to answer for!"

"Jade's busy at the moment. Can I take a message?"

I whirled around and felt the sounds of the world die away. Only the man's words stuck out, strangely magnified.

"Guh, am I unlucky or something? This is the second Hacker in as many weeks." He narrowed his eyes, a spark of recognition crossing his face as he tried to place me. I placed him in half the time.

Orange slicked-back hair. Blue eyes. Iron armor. Dark-grey undershirt with the sleeves ripped off. Black bondage pants. Dark blue sneakers. A white bandana tied round his neck.

"Flawwed_Floyd? Holy crap it is!" Spring_Fever called out in surprise. "Man, I never knew you were a Hacker. It makes me wonder why you ran away when I killed your friend…"

Those memories replayed in my mind. The day we first learned of the Endward Cult. The day when we were hunted down. The day when Soul and I lost Silent and our trio of friendship forever broke. The dark smoke swirled around my body more viciously, my turbulent emotional state making me lose control. Faced with Silent's killer, my fury bubbled, my anger radiated, my rage spiked higher and higher, with no place to go, until... until...!

MultiAura detonated with the force of thirty bombs—larger than any MultiAura before it—and sent thousands of jet-black shrapnel in every direction, piercing cultists and Silver Intent members alike.

[Central District: Palace]

"How did the prisoners get loose!?" Wynn jabbed with her iron rapier, targeting one reckless prisoner's joints.

It was bad enough with those abominations tearing up the streets and the Northern District going up in a manner that would put the Blaze of 420 to shame, but now the inhabitants of the prison were spilling out onto the plateau. The force of guards rallied to destroy the three-headed Mob and head rescue and evacuation now had to divert their attention to the mass breakout. Some of Ringwood's worst prisoners were free to terrorize once again and it couldn't have come at a worse time.

The Guard Barracks were beset by the prisoners without warning. They were initially unarmed, but those with intellect or skill easily procured a weapon to fight. Armored guards were swarmed by the tide of bodies and Heads toppled on both sides. It was all the guards could do to hold the line and keep the prisoners from breaching the palace.

Captain Private_Showers and Captain Wynn_Whispers shouted out commands in the midst of combat, but the discipline the guards usually upheld was lost in this desperate chaos. Every small skirmish between guard and prisoner was a battle of survival. No one had time to worry about how everyone else was doing. And no one could be spared to reinforce the Kingdom against those floating abominations. The prisoners were keeping them confined to the Palace.

"Gah! Where the hell is Iron_Lung!?" Captain Showers demanded, his Fire Aspect sword setting a prisoner alight. "We have to force our way through!"

"We can't!" Wynn gritted, her rapier skewering a prisoner by the neck only for a new one to appear wielding chunks of rock as weapons. "There's no way through! We need to fall back and protect His Eminence!"

King Miles and Princess Deo were back in the throne room along with the council. They had been in the middle of a council meeting when the first deadly Mob appeared. The only warning had been a low, ominous ring before the subsequent explosion in the Southern District. Then the fires started in the north. Wynn wanted to drop everything and see to her housekeeper, but His Eminence ordered her to organize the guards into parties to deal with the flying abomination first. She agonized over Erin's safety, but she had her orders. She only hoped Erin would be smart enough to take cover in Cobb's outhouse with the secret bunker. The fires wouldn't reach her there.

But with the prisoners blocking the way out and engaged in brutal combat with the guards, Wynn's new top priority was getting her king to safety. Captain Showers knew the same.

So, with one final parry, the two Captains disengaged and allowed other guards to take their place. They hurried back to the throne room where one of them would escort His Eminence, the Princess, and the council down the emergency escape tunnel. The other would stay behind and man the defenses.

However, when they reached the throne room, the two Captains went rigid witnessing the scene before them.

Piles and piles of gear lay strewn across the throne room. Heads stared up vacantly. The councilmen and the contingent of ten guards tasked with protecting them were all dead.

The only ones left were the King and Princess—cowering atop the throne and trying to look as small as possible—and one woman wearing diamond armor, with waist-length burnt orange hair and a diamond rapier.

The woman—Ember_Waves—tilted her head to watch the two Captains. Her piercing light-blue eyes settled on Wynn.

"Ah, welcome." Ember turned to face them and away from the King and Princess. "I didn't think all the Captains would be here. Guess I sent my Lieutenant to your house for nothing." She muttered to herself.

"Get away from His Eminence!" Wynn screamed, running straight in without regard for her own safety. She had to. Her King was imperiled by this mysterious woman who already slaughtered the council. She swore an oath to watch over King Mann's heir and serve by his side. To protect him and all the kings after him. That was the oath she took to repay King Mann's overabundance of kindness.

She wouldn't let this woman lay a finger on His Eminence!

Ember raised her own rapier in a fencer's salute before leading with one foot and parrying Wynn's initial jab. However, the parry had come so quick and with such force, that it knocked the Captain's weapon cleanly out of her hand. Wynn watched it spin out of sight and clatter upon the floor before Ember advanced, this time pressing the tip of her diamond blade to the Captain's neck.

"Is that all you can do?" Ember asked in disappointment. "Or will they make anyone a Captain nowadays?"

Wynn kicked back so hard she flew ten meters away and towards her discarded rapier. Ember made no motion to follow, content to wait with her rapier still held ready. Once Wynn picked her weapon back up, she took a moment to consider her next attack before lunging.

Diamond and iron swatted one another in a series of swift and powerful strikes. Wynn kept a tight grip this time, refusing to allow her weapon to get knocked away twice, but that only meant her arms were feeling the brunt of Ember's wrenching parries. The orange-haired woman's strikes held a strength that belied her supple arms; Each one had the Captain feel like her arm was ripping out of its socket.

She was also a better fencer. She engaged, parried, thrusted, and extended with masterful footwork. Her knees bent and her feet performed quick half-hops that put the Captain on the defensive. After a few short moments, Wynn's arms were numb while Ember looked as fresh as a daisy. She rotated her wrist, the point of her rapier forming dizzying loops. Wynn had the idea that Ember wasn't taking this seriously.

After Wynn fell back from another powerful thrust, Captain Showers stepped up, swinging his sword to try and burn the mysterious woman. However, Ember merely backpedaled out of the way, her eyes regarding the pair of Captains idly.

"Who are you!?" Captain Showers demanded.

"Oh, I think you can guess." Ember replied while reaching one arm back. She pulled out a Wither Skeleton skull and waved it. "I'm the one behind spawning those Withers out there."

"The Angel of Death?" Showers guessed, earning an irritated frown from the woman.

"That's actually the worst guess you could have led with." Ember stored the skull back in her pack. "Pay attention." She addressed Wynn when she said it. "I'm the Endward Cult Executive of the Northern Division. The one and only Ember_Waves. You," she made it a point to single out Wynn, "are going to want to remember that name. It's the name of the cultist who let you live."

"Wynn." Showers whispered. "She might be telling the truth. She's formidable enough to be an Executive."

"We have to get her away from His Eminence." Wynn whispered back. "I'll go right, you go left. Knock her to the side if you can."

He nodded and the two Captains spread out to surround Ember. The Executive kept her eyes on the ground, her peripherals just barely keeping track of the two.

When Wynn dashed, Showers followed suit. The pair moved swiftly, their weapons swinging and thrusting to impact the Executive simultaneously. They'd surely knock her away.

*tink*

It came as a surprise then that Wynn's thrust was stopped cold by the very tip of Ember's rapier. All of Wynn's strength stopped in its tracks, her grip sliding forward from the sudden resistance so that her wrist struck her guard.

As for Showers, he was currently held in the air by Ember's other hand. Wynn could see the crushing force behind Ember's grip on Showers' neck. It had his eyes bulging, his mouth struggling to take in air, and his legs violently thrashing off the ground.

"May you find peace in the Next Life." Ember intoned before she squeezed tighter, fully crushing the Captain's windpipe before bringing her rapier up to skewer him through the stomach, heart, and head in quick succession. On the third hit, he burst apart in a shower of gear and Wynn fell into it, eyes wide and in a state of shock.

It was that quick. The death of Captain Private_Showers.

Before Wynn could even think about avenging him, she cried out as Ember skewered through her upper thigh. The pain of that wound was then overridden when the Executive stomped down hard on her other leg's ankle, the bone splintering with an audible crack.

The ivory-haired Captain rolled onto her back with tears in her eyes as she clutched her ruined legs. Her iron rapier lay forgotten beside her. She fought to stifle the agonized scream, not wanting to give Ember the satisfaction.

"Wait right there." Ember threw out before she returned to the central throne and the King and Princess still cowering there. Wynn demanded she stop, but the Executive didn't listen.

"I hope you've made peace." Ember said as she stepped towards the two royals. Princess Deo trembled in terror, but King Miles put her behind him and stepped forward to meet the Executive. He was clearly terrified of the woman who had so effortlessly bested his top Captains, yet he faced her with resolution.

"Spare the Princess." He spoke, making Ember pause. "Kill me if you must—I'm the one you want—but let her go. She's not ready."

"I'm already sparing that one for the Billionth." She jabbed with her rapier towards the Captain desperately trying to claw to her king's aid. Wynn only paused upon hearing Cobb's number. "I can't spare another. Rest assured, this is not the end. Only a new beginning—"

"I beg you!" He implored, bowing so that his forehead touched the floor. "She's immature! She's innocent! Killing her would be like killing an infant! Please! Kill me, torture me, do whatever you want with me, but let her live!"

Ember closed her eyes and let out a wistful sigh while Wynn kept trying to claw her way over. With her ruined legs, it was all she could do.

"Fine." Ember relented. "Just this once, I'll show mercy."

"Y-You will?" King Miles asked hopefully.

"I give you my word. On Herobrine's honor," Ember pledged, "I will not kill Princess Deo. Is that good enough for you?"

The King bowed lowly. "You have my gratitude."

"No!" Princess Deo cried, hugging King Miles tightly. "Don't Miles! Please don't give up! Ringwood needs you!"

"Ringwood needs you." Miles spoke reassuringly, turning away from his doom to hug Deo tightly. "My time is… it's over. But you're still needed here." He tilted her chin up and pressed his lips to her forehead in a show of comfort. "Remember N.D.Y. It's your turn now to lead."

Deo wept, her face falling to the floor, yet she nodded to show she understood. She wanted so desperately to promise that she'd lead Ringwood with honor, but she couldn't speak past the lump in her throat. She just kept nodding, her tears dripping onto the throne, as Miles walked to Ember with his head held high.

Wynn cried out. "Please don't!" Her ruined legs couldn't support her. "Your Eminence—Miles…!"

"I'm proud of you, Wynn." King Miles looked to her and nodded in approval. "I know you did all you could. Please don't blame yourself."

"No… No, please…" Wynn begged, forced to watch as Ember raised her rapier.

"I couldn't have asked for a better Captain. Please, look out for Deo." The King closed his eyes for the final time. "Watch out for her. Watch out for Ringwood."

"Don't—!"

Her cry fell on deaf ears as Ember struck with a flurry of thrusts, jabbing the king in his stomach, heart, and head in a similar manner as when she dispatched Showers. King MilesPerMinute died in a shower of gear, his Head falling to the floor where Ember stooped down to pick it up.

"Not many men are willing to accept their departure from this world so courageously." Ember noted to the pair of distraught women. "MilesPerMinute. A true king of men. I'm glad I could offer comfort in his finals moments." She stored the king's Head in her backpack like some sick trophy before strolling in front of the weeping Princess. She looked up in confusion as Ember leveled her rapier at her. "You're next."

Wynn's eyes snapped open and a strangled cry burst forth while Deo babbled in hysterical tears.

"B-B-But y-you gave your word! You said—!"

"I said I wouldn't kill Princess Deo." She agreed. "However, with the king and council dead and only one heir to speak of, Ringwood tradition dictates that the monarchy falls to you. With Captain Wynn as my witness, that would make you," she canted her head to the side, "Queen Deo, wouldn't it?" Ember watched as all the blood drained from Deo's face. "I never made any promise about sparing a Queen, now did I?"

"STOP IT!" Wynn screamed, all manner and grace abandoned as she clawed across the floor. Ivory hair fell before desperate amber eyes as she watched Deo die with a shriek and a stab.

"I hope the two see one another again." Ember commented as she stooped down to collect Deo's Head as well.

Wynn couldn't take it anymore. Her King's dying wish and she couldn't even uphold that. If she was to die, she was going to take Ember out with her. She screamed through the agony of two ruined legs as she swayed to her feet, her rapier clutched tightly. She'd put all her strength and skill into her next attack and gouge out the Executive's eyes. She ambled forward, picking up speed, and screaming to the heavens as she—

A battered and barely conscious Wynn was unceremoniously dumped into one of the now uninhabited cells of the prison. Her iron rapier was tossed in after her, the metal clattering against the floor to rest beside her. The Captains arms and legs were broken and her Hunger and Health were barely hanging on. Ember had carried her—a practical corpse—from the Palace to the prison, dispatching any guards that attempted to stop her.

Ember shut the iron door, taking notice how Wynn's bleary eyes tracked her. The amber orbs were unfocused, though. Barely clinging to consciousness.

"Must be weird getting thrown into your own prison, but you'll be safer here." Ember said while reinforcing the cell with obsidian. The walls wouldn't be broken so easily. When she was done, she bent down to look the Captain in the face. "Remember Ember, Captain. Remember the one who had you dead to rights and let you live. Make sure Cobb knows it too."

And with that, the Executive turned and left.

Outside, the prisoners and guards were still fighting. Ember paid them little mind as she took out soul sand and the final three Wither Skeleton skulls. 4Blite caught sight of her and hurried over.

"You're doing that now?"

"I'll give you time to warn your new 'minions'," she stressed the word, pointing to the prisoners still assaulting the Palace on the Lieutenant's orders. "Be quick about it. I'm only giving you three minutes before I set this thing off. Make it clear that anyone who stays on this plateau is as good as dead."

"But the guards—"

"The guards will get swept up by one last Wither." Ember explained. "Now you've got two minutes and fifty seconds. Run along." The Lieutenant quickly turned, shouting orders to the most powerful criminals of the bunch and leaving the weaker ones to be warned last. Ember ticked down the seconds in her head as she gazed from the plateau, spotting a dark shape flying above the Southern District.

The Lighter Billionth was still fighting.

[Noman]

I gulped down my second bucket of milk since fighting this Wither. It was impossible to fight these things without one and I was glad Lenz and Floyd gave me theirs.

I corralled the second Wither towards the Southern District. It was already mostly destroyed, so keeping the monster there would minimize damage. Also, hopefully everyone in the area had evacuated.

I darted over screaming heads and threw down two Splash Potions of Healing directly onto the center skull. The Wither's Health dipped below the halfway mark and I mentally applauded before getting a face full of projectiles.

The blow to the head knocked me for a loop. I felt myself numbly falling, the world seeming to spin as I clung to consciousness. My armored back struck a rooftop and I weakly groaned before taking another swig of milk to cure the withering, followed by an Enchanted Golden Apple to replenish my Health. I was down to my last one.

I could at least weakly smile when I saw the second Wither sink down to the ground, its wither armor activating in a desperate attempt to heal itself. It would be vulnerable to ground attacks now and easier to pin down. I just had to get back to it before it could fully heal.

I staggered to my side and crawled on hands and knees before a familiar and ominous ring played over the wind.

"No, no, NO!" I cursed, my eyes scanning the ruined Kingdom for the explosion. It happened on the plateau.

A third Wither was summoned and it started firing at the Guard Barracks, the Palace, and the prison. I couldn't see anyone up there from the roof, but there must have been. Why else would the Wither level the Palace and Barracks?

I numbly turned my head to where the second Wither was floating at ground level, laying waste to more of the Southern District and firing screaming heads at anything that breathed. I wasn't even finished with it, and the cult spawned another one. It was like exhausting myself finishing a race only to learn that there was another ten miles to go.

I felt aimless as I looked upon the pair of Boss Mobs. My morale drained, wondering how I could possibly finish both of them with how exhausted and low on supplies I was. I thought I'd have the others as backup, but I was alone again. I had to do it all alone, and I-I just couldn't! I was just one Billionth, and I was past my fourth wind.

I need help!

As my head hung, defeated, an explosion ripped through the air, followed by a pained scream from the Wither. My head jolted up, thinking there was a fourth Wither to contest with.

Instead, I watched as explosive arrows started peppering the Wither on the plateau. Explosive arrows. That meant it was…

I traced the arrows' point of origin and found a familiar face perched atop a nearby roof. He turned to face me, his mismatched eyes narrowing and half his face obscured by a black facemask.

"Need a hand, 'chosen one'?" Ciro_Che mocked, though he kept firing the Yanhua Gong at the third Wither. The explosions ate away at the Boss Mob's Health Meter and dissuaded it from targeting the Crafters on the plateau.

I flew over to Ciro, confused on what to feel. When last we met, he tried to kill me and stole the Voda Shlem. I didn't know whether he was friend or foe. He seemed to read my mind as he pointed to the Wither near the plateau.

"There isn't a moment to waste. I'm here for those things, not the artifacts. This is my Kingdom too. I've got to protect it." He glanced down forlornly. "For Notch. So will you let me help, 'chosen one'?"

I only needed a moment to make up my mind. Two Withers might have been too much for the artifacts I held, but Ciro had artifacts too. Together, we could fight as many Withers as they dared to send out. The Billionth and the Millionth. Working together.

"I hope you brought milk." I warned before grabbing him and kicking into the air to get closer. "You're going to need it."

[Cobb]

I glanced up as I heard a low, ominous ring. I vaguely remembered one preceding the second Wither's explosive summoning and knew what would happen now, even before it happened.

The distant explosion confirmed it.

That was the third Wither. Or was it? Maybe the cult spawned more Withers earlier and they were just taken out by the guards or something. There was no guessing how many they had on reserve, but Jade would have that information.

Jade. Jade. Jade. The Lieutenant that could infiltrate any guild. The woman who would stoop to anything to gain a Crafter's trust only to stab them in the back and twist the knife viciously. And hadn't she said something like that?

'You know why most backstabs result in murder? Because you're betraying a person's trust in a way so unforgivable that, well, you'll never be able to backstab them again. They'll never trust you again.'

She would know all about that. She was the leading expert on backstabs, selling guilds out to the cult, leading fresh spawns to their doom. She was responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of Crafters. She said as much. And it looked like she'd been adding more to her body count.

I looked upon her handiwork as I meandered down the alley she fled down. Piles of Crafters that got in her way. It wasn't a Wither that did it—there were no craters to indicate a projectile withered them. No, it was her. And it looked like she was strong enough to kill again.

I thought she would escape, but maybe she was leaving me a trail of bodies to follow. I couldn't figure out what she was trying to do, but as angry as I was, I wasn't going to walk into a trap again. I was going in prepared.

I picked through the gear of the fallen and chanced upon a Potion of Regeneration and a Potion of Healing II. Nothing much else of worth, but the potions would come in handy.

"Sorry, guys." I spoke to the Heads staring blankly back at me before pocketing the bottles. "I need these more than you do."

I kept following the trail, winding down run-down alley after run-down alley. This was a part of the Kingdom I never visited often. It was full of ratholes and out-of-the-way paths. Jade would probably know them better, being a Northern Lieutenant.

Then again, what did I really know about her? How was I any better at judging what she'd do? I never would have thought she'd do this! She was no more than a stranger I couldn't predict.

I stopped at a narrow moonlit alley, my ears catching a familiar, feminine voice.

"You just can't let me go, can you?" Jade's voice echoed as I stepped further into the alley. Where was she? "You had no problem letting me run away in tears back in the forest. Yet here you are, pursuing me all across Ringwood. Speaking of, I gotta ask, how the heck did you guys get here so quick without an airship?"

"I'm not doing this." I spoke coldly. "I'm not chit-chatting with you like this is a typical weekday. You're nothing to me now. Nothing but a girl I'm itching to punch in the face."

"…I really hurt you, didn't I?" Jade spoke wistfully. "I guess… I'll just have to hurt you a little more."

A shadow loomed over me and I leapt back just before Jade's cutlass bit into the street. She jerked her head up and her amethyst eyes were fierce as she pressed forward.

"You know what I loved about you?" Jade spat, the words being hurled like daggers. "How good you were!"

My blade met hers, but she lashed out faster in a multitude of white crescent slashes. Each one had the force of a Critical Hit behind it. I blocked as many as I could, but she still managed to snake her way into my guard.

Just like she snaked her way into my heart!

"You playing the hero made it oh so easy for me to play the damsel. At least in the beginning." She kept taunting, her swordsmanship keeping me on the backfoot. She spun with a flash of her blade and forced me to duck. "Later on, there were times when I was in peril. I'll always remember how gallant you were, saving me from the hole I hid myself in the Wailing Vale. Or how you got back up over and over so the Angel of Death wouldn't fight little old me! It was sooo romantic!" She laughed.

"Shut up!" I hurled back, overextending and earning an elbow to the cheek. I rubbed at the pain, my eyes narrowing. I couldn't keep making mistakes like this.

"I really thought we had something special!" She laughed derisively. "I thought for one shining moment that you'd choose me instead of your stupid friends—the fair-weather ones who wouldn't frame or kill for you if they had to. I actually thought you'd choose me and I could finally have the love I was cheated out of when I married that sack of Jackshit—!"

She cut off as I threw an ender pearl to the side. I warped, losing a few hearts, but she was unprepared for the Sweeping Edge slash at her back. She recoiled with a cry, but whirled around with another humorless chuckle.

"And your creativity!" She crowed. "Oh, Herobrine, your creativity could make me swoon! You always find some ridiculous new way to fight! You always find a way around a problem! That's your strong point! But it's also your greatest weakness. Because it means your basic skills—the skills polished by the greats of Minecraftia—are sorely lacking!"

Jade side-stepped a slash, the Sweeping Edge catching her jacket only, before she bounded to the alley wall. Then, when I moved to go after her, she smirked and kicked off so hard she became a missile. Her cutlass scratched at my tunic, shredding off a portion of durability, but before I could even turn, she was bouncing off the other wall and coming back for me.

That was why she chose this narrow alley. She could parkour off the walls, rebounding like a rubber ball. I barely blocked her next swipe, but it hardly mattered when she could kick off right back into me. She struck my back hard and I fell to the ground, my green-dyed tunic losing more durability.

"How do you expect to stop Ember, Cobb?" Jade asked as she parkoured from wall to wall. She was a blur as I tried to track her path. "You can't even beat me!"

I spun at the sound of her voice and clotheslined her with Backlash. It threw off her momentum and sent her somersaulting up the alley's edge. But at the end, she twisted her spine like a cat and her feet touched the building. Her legs coiled like a spring before kicking off, bouncing from wall to wall in a dizzying display that allowed her to pick up power. I could catch a diamond gleam as she prepared her cutlass and ricocheted closer and closer.

"YOU CAN'T WIN!"

Her scream came at the last as a wide crescent slash struck me head on. It carved through my chest, tearing my tunic to pieces along with a good chunk of my Hearts. I was propelled away and my back impacted the alley's end while Jade merely skid to a stop. I groaned as I slid to the ground, fumbling at my belt for a potion as Jade dashed towards me.

"If you still can't live with my choice, then let this be the end of it! I'm done trying to convince you!"

I drank the Health Potion before lobbing an ender pearl past Jade. She ignored it and put on a burst of speed instead, intent on killing me before I warped. She was really going to kill me. Her eyes said it all.

I threw out my bobber and hooked onto her jacket with the hopes of pulling her down.

That's when the ender pearl hit and warped me to the other side of the alley. I was disoriented slightly, but I felt resistance and my arm getting pulled in another direction. I looked up and saw that, after warping, my fishing line was still attached to Jade's jacket. The sudden change in pulling direction from the front to the back had the parkour master's legs shoot out from under her before she fell onto her side. She recovered fast, her eyes showing confusion at what I just did.

The gears in my head started to turn and I uncorked my last healing potion. Regeneration. I downed it fast, watching as the damage healed up.

"Nice trick." Jade complimented before parkouring off the walls again. She wasn't going for me at first, she was just picking up the necessary momentum to end it in one hit. "Too bad you didn't learn enough parkour from me. Then you might be able to do this!"

"It's not just what I learned from my allies," I spoke slowly, grabbing items from my belt, "but what I learned from my enemies."

"Ha! Fair enough! I did teach you lots."

"I'm not talking about you."

She only had a moment to wonder what I meant before I scattered as many ender pearls into the alley as I could. I could hear the surprise in her voice.

"That's… Carys' move—!"

"Warp Raid!"

Anything that scythe-toting maniac could do, I could do better. I wasn't stealing her move. I was improving upon it, adding my own personal spin. I prepared Backlash, my wrist ready to flick.

When the first pearl landed, it warped me above Jade. My eyes flashed as I sent the hook hurtling into her jacket. She snarled and twisted out of the way, rebounding against a wall and aiming for me… or she was until the next pearl touched down elsewhere. Her eyes darted, lost on where I was.

That was when the hook finally snagged her by the collar of her diamond chestplate. Her eyes widened as she felt the pull. She twisted her spine, swinging her cutlass as I reeled her in. Then I was gone again. But the hook remained fastened to her, so it warped right along with me. I pulled again, harder, and Jade felt the whiplash as her body got pulled in two different directions for a moment. She cried out as her neck jarred painfully and I felt something in my arm strain.

She let gravity take hold and tried to touch down on the street, but another warp had me above her and I yanked up to rob her of the reprieve. Once again, she felt the pull in two different directions, the whiplash sending her body jarring and the tension in my arm growing tighter, like a rubber band stretched to the breaking point.

I warped again.

"You can't keep this up! You're not Carys!" Jade screamed. "You lose Health every warp! You're pulling your body apart!"

"I can take it if you can!" I grit my teeth, the Regeneration Potion working to repair what was lost, but not by much. Another pearl landed and I lost another chunk, but I pulled the line hooked onto Jade even harder, the whiplash jarring her body so bad that her legs swung out from under her. Her hands tried to reach around to get her chestplate off.

"Let me go!" She screamed. "Let me go!"

"Feeling torn apart!?" I screamed as her body jerked in two different directions again. The final pearl landed and I found myself on the street below Jade with my arm feeling like it was about to snap. "NOW YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL!"

I yanked down with all my might, uncaring for my low Health or how some tendon got torn in my arm. Jade's body flipped in midair, her head jarring so much there was a deafening crack before her body went limp and was sent speeding towards the street. She crashed down hard, her body bouncing off the stone once before coming to rest on its side. Her diamond cutlass clattered noisily to the side. Her legs and arms were limp and her neck was bent at an unnatural angle.

I screamed through my teeth as pain lanced up my arm. Pain enough for my arm to go dead and Backlash to slip free. I supported it with one arm and took stock of my Health. One-and-a-half Hearts. I quickly devoured some steak to fix what was gone as I approached the prone Lieutenant.

I kicked her onto her back and straddled her before grabbing her cutlass with my one good arm and, using the handle, slugged her hard in the face. I put every last bit of strength into that one punch, satisfied by the crunch of a broken nose as payback for all her treachery. She coughed in pain, but her arms and legs refused to budge. Her spine must have twisted on that last whiplash.

Actually, screw it. I was calling that move Warplash. Carys eat your heart out.

Anyway, with how oddly her neck was angled, she wasn't moving anything anytime soon. Straddling her, I held the edge of her own cutlass to her neck, breathing harshly through my teeth and glaring down at her.

"You're finished!" I hissed. "Done! You've lost! Just like I said you would…"

She coughed again, her breathing labored as she fixed me with those amethyst eyes. I could tell she wanted to reach out and throw me off, but she couldn't. She was too broken.

She looked so small and weak curled up in that hole. Yet I was glad she was alive. She hadn't fallen victim to the Wailing Vale's curse. All my perseverance to find her paid off. I wasn't about to lose someone precious.

"You… got me." Jade spoke, her voice distorted unnaturally from the bent windpipe and the shattered nose. It only magnified her broken image. "But so what? Even when you win, you still lose."

"You got that right." I said furiously, thinking of Erin and the state of Ringwood. "We lost a lot because of you. But now it's done."

"So kill me, then." Jade suggested. It made me pause, my grip on her cutlass faltering. "You won… You beat the two-faced bitch." She coughed painfully. "So finish me. It's what you want."

"...You have no idea what I want." I accused. "You never did. Otherwise you would have taken my hand."

"Ha… Ha…" She tried to laugh only for her breath to hitch. "Too good. You still don't have it in you to kill me? After everything I did? You're too good!"

"Shut up." I warned, pressing the cutlass tighter against her neck.

"M-Maybe you just need a refresher. Let's see," she mock pondered. "I sold you all out. I killed a bunch of guilds and newbs—oh, and that pathetic couple at the Wailing Vale."

Blood: Kill her! Kill her now!

"Shut up."

"Oh, a-and then I killed that nervous housekeeper."

"Shut up!"

"I brought Ember the skull. I stole your airship. I broke your heart. Ah, but even with a broken-heart, you could never kill a defeated foe in cold blood. Because you're just too good."

"SHUT UP!" I screamed, lifting the cutlass only to bring the handle down on her temple. Cruelly. The alley became punctuated with meaty impacts and my crazed screaming.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT THE FUCK UP! MONSTER! BITCH! SHUT UP! I HATE YOU! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOU ANYMORE! YOU BLEW IT! YOU BLEW EVERYTHING! SO SHUT UP! SHUT UP, JADE! SHUT! UP! WHY WON'T YOU SHUT UP!?"

Inventory (Cobb): 1 Book {Mission Update}, 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Boots, 1 Diamond Cutlass, 1 Fishing Rod {Backlash} [Knockback II, Luck of the Sea III, Unbreaking III], 1 Diamond Sword [Sweeping Edge III], 1 Banner {Beginners}, 64 Cobblestone, 51 Cobblestone, 1 Bed, 5 Coal, 18 Flint, 12 Jungle Wood Logs, 56 Jungle Wood Planks, 2 Torches, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Clock, 2 Buckets, 1 Milk Bucket, 11 Ender Pearls, 1 Ender Chest, 9 Gunpowder, 26 Steak, 22 Rotten Flesh, 1 Book {How to Kill Stuff for Numb Nuts}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Mobs of the Nether}, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}

[EXP: 29]

Inventory (Floyd): 1 Mob Head {Creeper}, 1 Iron Sword, 1 Diamond Helmet [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Chestplate [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Diamond Leggings [Projectile Protection IV], 1 Iron Pickaxe, 2 Iron Ingots, 2 Sticks, 31 Coal, 20 Torches, 1 Fishing Rod, 1 Furnace, 19 Steak, 1 Crafting Table, 1 Minecart, 1 Bed, 1 Boat, 1 Diamond Boots [Projectile Protection IV], 16 Gunpowder, 16 Ender Pearls, 2 Ender Pearls, 1 Splash Potion of Invisibility {6:00}, 1 Bucket, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}

[EXP: 33]

Inventory (Lenz): 1 Leather Boots [Dyed Brown, Curse of Binding I, Unbreaking III] {Weak}, 1 Shears, 1 Lever, 9 Redstone Torches, 1 Bed, 8 Redstone Repeaters, 3 Redstone Comparators, 18 Blocks of Redstone, 2 Hoppers, 3 Pistons, 2 Sticky Pistons, 48 Cobblestone, 1 Compass, 25 Gunpowder, 1 Bow, 18 Arrows, 12 Jungle Wood Planks, 1 Crafting Table, 8 Ender Pearls, 38 Steak, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Book {Airship Piloting 101}, 1 Book {Notebook}, 1 Book {How to Kill Stuff for Numb Nuts}, 1 Book {Advanced Mob-Slaying}, 1 Book {Mobs of the Nether}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Daymonte Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Ringwood Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Akasha Entry Pass}

[EXP: 15]

Inventory (Noman): 1 Diamond Sword [Sharpness I], 1 Diamond Chestplate {Severe Shield}, 1 Leather Boots {Bottes Zephyr} [Dyed White], 1 Flint and Steel, 1 Bow [Infinity], 1 Milk Bucket, 1 Milk Bucket, 5 Buckets, 2 Cobblestone, 1 Bed, 1 Crafting Table, 16 Ender Pearls, 5 Ender Pearls, 1 Nether Star, 28 Steak, 1 Phantom Membrane, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Healing II, 1 Splash Potion of Regeneration II {0:22}, 1 Book {Citizenship Information}, 1 Paper {Zeppil Entry Pass}, 1 Paper {Akasha Entry Pass}, 1 Arrow, 1 Map {Minecraftia}, 1 Enchanted Golden Apple, 1 Diamond Helmet, 1 Diamond Leggings, 1 Diamond Boots

[EXP: 26]

AN: How -

Cobb and Wynn: AUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!

OKAY! SORRY! SHEESH!

Like I said. This one's the longest yet. Lot of back and forth and even more Withers. They really don't leave that much EXP considering how tough they are. Going in, I was originally gonna have just one Wither. But then I thought, 'This can't just be a rehash of the Tragedy of Nitebane. This needs to go a step further.' And I don't know if any of you have tried fighting three Withers back to back on survival mode, but it's HARD. You need milk or you're dead.

Writing the fight between Cobb and Jade was a lot of fun since I had Cobb using all his knowledge and experience and resources. Snowballs, Lava Bucket, Ender Pearls, Bobber, Backlash, Parkour, Sweeping Edge. He's pulling out all the stops.

We also got to see the Endward Cult side of the attack. They're formidable, and I think the witch hunts are going to go after Ember now instead of Jade. RIP ErinRunner, Iron_Lung, Private_Showers, MilesPerMinute, and Deo.

This Chapter was done around August 22nd, 2020.

FAV. FOLLOW. REVIEW. PM. OC. FORUM. DISCORD. SERVER. POPTARTS.