Happy New Year! I'm locked tf in now. Next update may also be fun, I'll finally do character profiles :) Why didn't I do this before you ask... shut up.

Chapter 17: Legal Assassin

Melanie woke up in a cold sweat. Or, to be more accurate, a bucket of water. Jolting awake,

She found herself in a house, her hands bound, and a familiar face looking down on her.

"Fucking Platypus," Melanie grumbled.

"Apologies, it was the fast way to get you up that wasn't the result of injury or other inappropriate action," Zalton explained, blushing a bit at that last comment.

"Whatever. I'm not giving you anything. You of all people should know the tolerance we have for torture. I'm unbreakable."

"Not as much as you think you are." Zalton held up a set of papers. It was the very same set he retrieved from Melanie after their fight.

"I retrieved these after our battle. A part of you wants Xeal gone. But I can't help you if you refuse to cooperate."

"Who said I wanted anything!?"

"You. More specifically. Your body language, your tone around certain subjects. You of all people should know that learning the psychology of an enemy is one of the shadow's greatest assets." Zalton chuckled.

"DON'T ACT LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT I WENT THROUGH!"

"Except I do!" Zalton shouted, shocking the girl. It wasn't like him to lose his chill like that. But sometimes acting out of character is necessary. Including breaking one's protocol in the hopes of saving someone.

"I won't act anymore. We're more similar than you think."

In a puff of smoke, Zalton's form changed. He was no longer the beastman he paraded himself as. Now, he was a demihuman, with messy brown hair, magic hands, and a scar over his eye, one previously hidden by the fur.

"Back during the war. My family's village was destroyed by the humans, who took me and my mother as slaves."

Removing his coat, Melanie froze in horror at the sight. The scars on his arm were revealed, only for it to get worse as he took off his shirt, revealing even more. Whips marks, cuts, burns, rashes. Each mark on his body was one up by another. And that's not even considering what's further down.

"The humans... no. He was relentless. Every morning, every night. He lived for torture. I don't even know what he did to my mother. But when we were saved by the genmu, she was never the same, her mind broken beyond everything."

Transforming back, Zalton put his clothes back on and kneeled to Melanie.

"I know what you went through because I went through worse. And now, an innocent young girl is about to go through the same. Do you truly want that to happen, now that you have the power to stop it?" Zalton asked softly.

/~/

"FATHER! HELP ME!" A girl yelled. She was barely older than thirteen, the princess of the Zail territory. Despite this, she was being dragged away from her family, her brother being held back, while her father stood there, not caring in the slightest.

"TANJI!" The girl stumbled to the ground, a fist hitting the back of her head

"Shut it, brat!"

"DON'T TOUCH HER YOU-" Her brother tried to break free, but her father struck him as well.

"Steel your tongue, boy; it's a necessary sacrifice. For the good of the territory."

"Please… brother."

/~/

"This one is no good either!" Xeal reeled his hand back, knocking the girl off the bed and onto the cold floor.

"Ginny. A word, please."

Appearing in a flash. A girl in black clothes and a mask knelt on the floor, though not after providing the master a robe.

"No chest, too meek, and can't even satisfy me to make up for it."

"As expected, like the last few." Ginny rolled her eyes before continuing. "Might I suggest courting older women instead?"

"Like I repeated time and time. I have a preference. Unfortunately, she only has the meekness." The Lord scoffed in disgust. A sentiment shared by his shadow, though not directed toward the girl on the ground. "Just toss her out. I'll milk Zail dry for compensation." Xeal began to leave, but the girl grabbed his leg.

"Wait… please. Leave brother alone." The girl weakly got to her knees, still holding onto his leg. "I'll do anything. Just please." The girl cried.

"Get off me, brat." Xeal kicked the girl off of him. "Ginny."

"As you command, my lord."

/~/

"I-I"

"It's not too late. If we move now, we can catch him. I just need to know where he's going."

"N-no. A shadow can't go against their magic. I can't go against..."

Her mental blocks are too strong. Apologies for this.

Zalton grasped Melanie's hands and looked her straight in the eye. It was all so sudden, that Melanie's face turned beat red, with Zalton himself looking flushed as well. But he powered through.

"Please. For her sake and yours. Where is Xeals base."

"I-. B-but."

"Please. For me." In a puff of smoke, Zalton returned to his demi-human form and gave a charming smile. He never considered himself charming; just looking down was a constant reminder of why that's not the case.

But if there was a sliver of a chance, he had to take it.

"The Xeal Territory's capital. He's returning there." Melanie finally answered with a sigh.

Shit that worked!? I should do that more often... no Zalton, focus.

The capital? His manor. He's either so confident that we'll lose, or there's something there. Escape tunnels!" Zalton shot up, piecing the puzzle together.

"You got it. Under the manor, far beyond the secret room you destroyed, is a system of tunnels that go who knows where. However, there's a path in the forest where you can cut him off. I'm sure your evolved birds can easily catch up. That's all that I could give. Sorry."

"No need. I'll be sure to tell your contributions to my lord. After everything is said and done. We can give you the life you deserve."

Disappearing into the shadows on the floor. Melanie is left alone, pondering everything that just happened. But it wasn't her betrayal of Xeal that shook her the most. Nor was the suffering of Zalton on full display. It was the last thing Zalton said to her.

"What... is the life I deserve?"

/~/

"WHERE IS SHE!?" Ivyred yelled.

The man he was holding looked worse for wear. Despite being in an active battle, Lloyd wasted no time in interrogating the enemies he defeated. And there were a lot—too many. Lloyd was stronger than he imagined.

Nothing was holding him back, even more so now that his daughter had been kidnapped and his wife injured because of it. He was out for blood, and the only thing stopping him now was the bandits currently attacking his village.

"I… don't... know." The bandit answered, taking each moment to grasp for air before Ivyred released him.

"Damn it! Where's Zalton!" Ivyred yelled as he cut down another attacker.

"You called?" Zalton asked, appearing out of nowhere on Tsubasa. Under most circumstances, he would never answer the call from someone other than his master. But in the dire situation that they were in, along with Lord Ivyred being a trusted confidant of Master's, he decided to break protocol and appeared anyway.

"Sweet king of wisdom!" Ivyred swore.

During his shock, one of the bandits moved in, thinking it'd be the perfect time to attack. Buy Ivyred stretched on his hand, catching the wrist of the bandit and twisting it, forcing him to drop his dagger.

"Apologies for the scare I had no time to waste. How are things going, my lord?" Zalton asked, trying to hurry the conversation along. Just because he was in a hurry, however, didn't mean he had an excuse to be impolite. That was a personal standard of his.

"We got most of them on the run, but that's only for the bandits. I have reasons to believe that we're facing a similar force to the ones we encountered during the wave. Their aggressiveness toward me specifically is too suspicious for it not to be." Naofumi answered.

"Understood." Zalton nodded.

"Never mind that. Where is Xeal!?" Ivyred demanded, only to catch himself. "Apologies."

"No worries, I understand. As for the situation, I borrowed Tsubasa from Atorie. Delia, Keel, and Tebba are ready to move. Along with Alia and Zeal. I just came to pick you up."

"I can't leave now. There are too many people and things to guard an-"

"I wasn't referring to you, my lord. Ivyred, we need to move now." Zalton reached out his hand, shocking the two of them.

"Zalton, are you crazy? He can't just leave."

"Unfortunately, this has been made personal. He's also the strongest here, so I need him. With him by our side, we may be able to stop him. Or at the very least escape with Rishia."

"Is he that strong?" Naofumi asked, only to receive a nod from Zalton.

"But my territory. I can't abandon it."

"Your people will understand. And you have my Lord here defending it. Xeal needs to be dealt with here and now. And I need all your support in stopping him."

Zalton continued to hold out his hand, but Lloyd looked over to Naofumi, still conflicted over the matter.

"Fine. I trust your judgment, Zalton." Without warning, Naofumi grabbed the bandit out of Lloyd's hand and kicked the lord into Tsubasa's feathers.

"Lord Iwa-"

"There's no time. Save your daughter; I'll handle things here." Raising his hand into the air, every one of his allies suddenly got a green glow around them.

"[All Zweite Boost IV!]"

"There. Xeal couldn't have gotten far. Find him now."

"No worries. I have an idea of where he might appear. Your Ivyred."

"I… no. I'm ready. Let's get moving." Lloyd order.

"Alright then, let's go!" Tsubasal dashed off under her Lloyd.

Tusbasa began to run, barrelling through every enemy he came across. Along the way, both Zeal and Tebba showed up, carrying Alia, Keel, and Delia with them. It was a small strike, for sure. But it should be enough to deal with Xeal and end his terror once and for all.

/~/

"Are you through that already!"

"Trying my lord!" A soldier answered.

He and Xeal were in a wagon, booking it toward the territory, where their victory would be certain. By now, Xeal thought the shield hero should have been overrun, thanks to the added forces from the church. That, and Melanie also should have succeeded in killing that pesky beastman and retired his important documents.

The only issue he had now was Rishia. The second she reached the cart, she got her mouth free. She covered herself in a dreifach level barrier, preventing him from having any fun. Even worse, her mana reserves are extraordinarily insane. She had been holding the spell for ten minutes now, with barely any signs of stopping.

He knew she was a prodigy, being one of the very few people in this country to hold every magical attribute. But to this extent at a level while just barely under level thirty is ridiculous.

"Have you gotten contact from Melanie yet?"

"No, my lord, she seems to have gone sile- hold on." Putting out a crystal ball, the knight saw a message float across the screen.

"It's from Melanie. But the magical signature is different."

"The platypus. Start the divination."

"Understood." Flowing his magic into a crystal ball, the image of Zalton appeared on the screen.

"It's a bit unprofessional to show myself like this. But since you'll be dying soon, I have no qualms." Zalton threatened with a big smile on his face.

"I take it Melanie is dead then?"

"No. But I got everything I needed out of her, so she might be soon enough. Unless you want to do a trade? Your shadow for our Rishia. We do the trade; let everything slide. And your title as lord goes unharmed."

"I don't make deals with the Demi's. You can kill that bitch for all I care; I'm taking my prize whether you like it or not." Xeal replied with a smug grin.

"I see. So I take this as confirmation that you'd like to do things the hard way. Correct?"

"If that's what you desire to hear, then yes. Tell your master we're doing things the hard way."

"Understood then. [Fast Puppetry]" Suddenly, several threads of darkness shot themselves from out of the shadows and tied themselves around the wheels of the cart. Being slowed down to a sudden halt, Xeal and his soldier flew out of the wagon and crashed to the ground below. Rishia was also launched, but her spell prevented her from hitting the ground.

"Why that demi?"

"Boss, three filolial are approach-!" The soldier yelled before quickly receiving a kick to the face.

"Sneak attack!" Zalton kicked the soldier away, thrusting his tanto at the lord. But Xeal quickly drew his weapon, a blue machete, and blocked the hit.

"Oh, and before you say anything. I wasn't the one sneaking you."

"What!?"

"Looking behind him, he could only get a glimpse of Lloyd, as he trusted his rapier into his back. His armor, however, prevented the blade from going through.

"[Zweite Magnitude!]"

Stomping on the ground, Xeal caused a rumble in the earth. Zalton lost his footing but lept back before Xeal could do anything. Lloyd, however, was elbowed in the nose and slashed across the neck as he slowly regained his footing. But as soon as the wound appeared, Zeal appeared behind him and placed a hand on his neck.

"[Zweite Heal!]"

"Why you!"

"[Holy Aqua Seal!"

Xeal went for Zeal and Lloyd, but he was forced to block a water spell from Alia as she covered their escape.

Healing Lloyd. Zeal leaped away as he went in for an attack. Thankfully, his attacks were slow, and she was able to successfully escape and regroup with the others.

"Damn. He's tougher than I thought." Ivyred thought, still feeling the phantom pain of his neck being sliced open.

"One wrong move, and it may be your life. Move with caution, and never take your eyes off him, not even for a second." Zalton explained.

Dashing forward, Zalton thrust his blade at Xeal, but the lord caught it and swung his machete, aiming for platypus's neck. Zalton though fell back, his arm still getting cut, but he powered through the pain, using the moment to take Xeal's hand off of his and roll back to safety.

"[Third Cycle: First Quarter." Thrusting his blade forward. A black energy shot out, piercing Xeal through the shoulder. The lord, however, powered through the technique and ran forward for another attack.

"Switch."

"Flame Arrow!"

Zalton disappeared into the ground, avoiding the blade once again, as Teba unleashed an arrow powered by Alia's flame, piercing through his armor.

In a grunt of pain, the lord removed the arrow, only to grumble as he saw Delia, Keel, and Lloyd moving toward him.

He attacked with a blast of wind pressure from his swing alone, but Tsubasa landed in front of the group and dispersed the wind with his magic. He then threw his yo-yo, hitting Xeal in the face, before wrapping him up and dragging him forward.

Xeal quickly broke out with his strength alone, but it was already too late. Delia was the first to attack, delivering a powerful kick to his face. When she landed, she gave Keel a boost, allowing her to knee the lord in the chin and then grab him, using her therianthrope strength to toss Xeal into a tree.

Finally, as he got up, Lloyd was the last to attack, making another attempt to stab him through the heart. The blade went through this time, thanks to the magical wind he boosted it with. But it wasn't enough to put the lord down.

Xeal, meanwhile, did not like that Lloyd pierced through his armor. Kicking his fellow lord away, he got back up and stomped the ground again.

"[Zweite Earth Spike]"

Instead of a simple earthquake this time. The ground rose in the form of spikes. The three of them retreated, giving Xeal enough time to take out a healing potion. What he didn't expect, however, was for one of them to rush into the field to try and stop him. That person was Alia. Swift as the wind, she weaved through the stone forest, letting the vibrations going through the ground act as a guide. Before long, she reached Xeal and attacked with a stone-covered kick. But Xeal simply caught the attack and raised his weapon.

"You're going to have to try a little harder than th-" Xeal began to boast, but Alia's tail shot forward, wrapping around his neck. The lord tried to swing his machete, but his arm failed to move as Tsubasa wrapped his yo-yo around his hand again.

Shit, he rewound it already? No, it's the same string. It must be his magic thread.

Worrying about the yo-yo later, he tried to use his other hand, only for Delia and Keel, and rush in and hold it down.

"Tebba, now!" Delia ordered.

At her command, Tebba unleashed 3 arrows, each one entering Xeal's neck. The lord gasped for air as Zalton came in for a finishing blow, but he began to focus. Slowing his breathing, he brought both his legs up and wrapped them around Zalton's arms, his blade mere inches from his head.

Swinging the platypus at high speeds, Zalton crashed into Tsubasa, making him lose his grip on his yo-yo. With his arm free, he swung his blade, cutting through Alia's fur and slashing Delia across the face as they narrowly escaped a lethal blow.

Wasting no time, he quickly splashed the potion on his neck, healing up the wounds. He then took out another, drinking it quickly to further speed up the process, while the main party regrouped.

"As the source of my thy power, I order thee. Let the true way cleanse all and heal my allies of their injuries. [All Dreifach Heal]!" Zeal chanted.

As the spell was cast, everyone received healing, their wounds closing up in an instant. Reaching into her dress's pocket, she pulled out a mana recovery potion and downed it as well, recovering all her spent mana.

"We can't hold him down; he's too strong." Keel huffed.

"Agreed. Our main mission now is to retrieve Rishia."

"As if I'd let you. You, get up already!" Xeal shouted.

"Y-yes. S-sir."

The knight accompanying Xeal limped over and began to glow along with his lord.

"As the source of our power, we order you."

"Cooperative magic. Earth, no water, no... it's light. They're doing a light spell!" Alia called out.

"Teba, stop them. Zeal, Alia. Defenses up now!" Zalton ordered.

"Yes sir. Dragon Vein, hear our petition and grant it."

Zeal and Alia began to chant as the Teba began firing arrows to disrupt the spell. Getting in front of his soldier, however, Xeal tanked every hit as they continued to chant.

"I can't stop it!" Teba exclaimed, doing his best to hide his panic.

"Just get behind me!" Alia shouted.

"Let the true way be revealed once more!"

"Let the way of all things be revealed, and strike our enemies with a purifying light!"

Xeal and his soldier held out their hands. The light in the area dimmed as light gathered in front of the two in a blinding ball of radiant energy.

"Cooperative Magic: Sanction!" Casting the spell, the beam of light shot forward, melting through any tree or rock it came across, in its journey to reach the party.

"Spread out quickly!" Lloyd ordered.

"Stay here; we won't make it out in time! Alia!" Zalton exclaimed. For the first time, the chill shadow of theirs panics. And that was a cause for concern.

"I can't finish; I need more-"

"[Dreifach Magic Guard!]"

"Delia wait!" Teba reached out, but it was too late. Delia had lept in front of the crowd, holding the beam back with her leg. It was too much to handle, however. She felt her flesh begin to burn, and even the bones in her foot were cracking under the pressure, but she held firm.

"Give us the power to overcome the obstacles before us! Cooperative Magic!"

Moving quickly, Tsubasa threw his Yo-yo, wrapping it around Delia and dragging her back to the group. The second she left, the beam continued its course. But Alia and Zeal slammed their hands on the ground, finishing their spell.

"[Stone Barrier!]" Drawing in the earth around them, the barrier formed around them just in time as the beam hit.

Zeal and Alia funneled mana into their barrier, and Xeal and his soldier did with theirs. The barrier held firm for a bit, but they could feel the heat getting hotter and hotter as Sanction threatened to melt through.

"I can't hold it!" Alia wheeze.

"Just keep going!" Zalton encouraged. But Xeal was quick to laugh.

"This is what you deserve for daring to stand in my way! Be purified by the heavenly light, and burn in the everlasting hellfire; that is the underworld!"

"M-master. I c-cant keep this u-up." The soldier wheezed heavily.

"Shut up and hold it!"

"I… c-can't." Falling to the ground, the spell ended; an explosion of light engulfed the barrier, cracking it a bit but leaving it relatively unharmed.

Alia and Zeal fell to the floor as well, though still conscious. Taking a potion out of her pocket, she handed it over to Delia; he downed it in under a minute.

"Alright… I'm back and ready." Alia breathed heavily.

"Take it easy for now. How's Delia." Zalton asked, looking over to the bunny.

"Unconscious. I'm also no medic, but I know feet are supposed to bend that way. So it's either broken or completely shattered." Teba answered.

So that leaves me, Keel, Tsubasa, Lloyd, and Teba. I'm not liking these odds.

Zalton looked toward his team, then over to the barrier walls. He could sense Rishia's shadow, her body lying on the ground as she finally ran out of energy for her protective spell. He hated situations like these, but he knew what took priority.

"Every-"

"We need to retreat," Lloyd stated.

"Wh-what!? What about Rishia?" Keel exclaimed.

"Only temporary for now. I love my daughter. But I can't let you throw away your lives." Lloyd bawled up his fist. Everyone knew this was a hard decision for him to make, but understood where he was coming from.

"If that's what you desire. You all can retreat." Zalton stepped toward the edge of the barrier, his sword ready.

"I'll try to hold him off as much as possible. Contact my lord, and-" Zalton flinched as he felt a hand on his back, only for him to calm down as he realized who it was.

"Don't worry, Zalton. I still got some fight left in me." Alia announced as she stood by his side.

"Same here, I'm ready to go!" Keel added.

"We just need to get Rishia out of here. We can beat him up later!" Tsubasa cheered.

"But-"

"Don't even try saying it, Ivyred. We're not leaving anyone behind. We're just stubborn like that." Teba added with a sigh.

Hearing the refusal to back down. Ivyred's frown turned into a grin as he picked up his sword.

"If you say so. Let's do it!"

"I haven't used much support magic, but I'll do what I can. Hopefully, this can help bridge the gap." Zeal explained as she began to chant.

"He's probably fully healed by now. So we're aiming for grapples. If we can pin him down like before, we can swoop in and get Rishia. Is the plan understood?" Zalton asked.

"Right." Everyone answered.

"Then we break. [Zweite-]"

The barrier was suddenly pierced, a vine shooting through and wrapping itself around Zeal's neck. In an instant, the filolial was dragged away, crashing through the barrier, and causing it to collapse.

"Zeal!"

"Get down!"

Zalton was quick to guard Alia and Keel from the falling rocks, as Lloyd and Teba guarded Tsubasa and Delia, respectively.

"Zeal! Are you-" Alia called out, only to stop herself, as tears immediately began to form in her eyes.

"Crying? Are you okay? Did something—oh god." Zalton choked, his eyes wide with terror

Everyone's eyes traveled upward, following a falling red trail, resting on the same image. Zeal's body hung from a vine, limbs draped without resistance. Her wings lay on the ground, with blood dripping from a large gaping wound in her chest.

Her neck snapped and crooked, her expression blank, and her eyes lifeless. Her status being removed from their party only confirmed what their eyes had already. Zeal was dead.