Only Far More Slowly.

John had half expected the woman to fall away from him with that same dead look in her eyes. However, as his hand touched her face and his mana poured through her body, the **** collar around her neck seemed to fail her; a brief array of emotions overcame her… then only fear and horror, as she began to scream.

There was a clattering behind him as his allies all sought to follow him out of the room at once, jostling for position. John waited for them to arrive; with the woman downed, the sound of footsteps was now more distant. Apparently reinforcements were still a ways off from this initial pair.

"Layla, I know that we are surrounded by cells and that complicates things since you don't know these people," John began, casting his eyes in the direction the woman had come from. "Can you try to guess which direction our enemies have come from?"

"Having never encountered any of these auras before makes tracing them difficult," Layla admitted as she strode up to stand beside John. "But… the traces of mana that were upon the body you brought me? The closest signature I can find to that mana is on the first floor, and on the western edge of the building… heading this way."

"Then we head in that direction. Anyone who stands in our path falls," John commanded, turning himself down the hall. There was a brief murmur of some dissent from Moira, but John tuned it out entirely. Sophia stepped up beside John as he began a rapid pace toward the far hallway, where the sounds were coming from.

"Father, I am by your side. With this power you have gifted me, let us harvest a blood price from those who dared to strike our nest," Sophia swore, metal clanking as her still half-translucent wings fluttered with the emotions her face did not quite show.

"Stay with me, whatever happens. When we get past these Cabal fools and find the Albidians further inside… we're going to need to work together."

Four - no, five more came running at them from around the corner. All of them were wearing those **** collars, all of them had the same dead look in their eyes. John growled and pulled back his blade, tossing it forward while trying to remember his practice despite his enraged mindset.

One rune on the sword glowed, and rather than spinning end over end, the sword quickly straightened itself as his mind told the blade its path, rather than his arm. The approaching ex-Cabal members attempted to dodge the path of the throw, but the hallway was narrow, and John's mind had never been sharper. The blade whirled to the left and cut deeply into the armored chest of the nearest man, his cry of pain coldly unemotional as he crumpled to the ground.

227 DMG!

John willed the blade back out of the body to strike again, but before it had moved, a blast of light and a streaking purple spell both launched over his shoulders. They were timed almost perfectly with a streak of golden feathers from Sophia. The attacks together drove forward, striking down the remaining targets as John's blade returned to his hand. John turned briefly to see Moira and Vallya, both with their hands out behind him and nodding confidently… Sophia offered him a sadder nod.

"We are with you, all the way," Moira vowed, lowering her arm and raising up her shield. "Let me lead the way, John… I will be your protector."

"And I your eyes," Layla swore, stepping in closer to John… very close, actually - riding his arm more closely than Sophia, though her mind was clearly focused ahead. Sophia remained silent, though she flexed her wings as they continued forward.

The voices began to grow more distant. Only once, as they descended the stairwell to the first floor, did they encounter another group of foes. Three more Cabal members wearing collars around their necks tried to demolish the stairway as they descended, but Sophia remained aloft as her wings solidified into golden-feathered glory. Before the others had even hit the ground, Sophia's rapid and precise strikes had secured their landing - by the time John righted himself and stood, the ex-Cabal were on the ground, bleeding from a half-dozen vital strikes each from glistening feathers. John finished them off effortlessly, dashing toward them with quick thrusts of his blade before they had a chance to cast any dying spells.

"You would make your Mother proud," John swore, softly and sadly as Sophia landed beside him.

"I can do nothing less," Sophia agreed, flexing her wings. Moira and Layla extracted themselves from the rubble in time, and began to stride forward.

"There is a large source of mana up ahead, and I do not think it is only because they seem to be gathering in a large room," Layla noted, gripping John's elbow tightly. "They are preparing something."

No sooner had Layla spoken those words than a wave of reality-altering magic flashed across their group. As it did so a notification arose from his powers.

Trap Barrier has been activated!
Cabal Trap Barrier: Only the owner of this Barrier may exit this Barrier at will, unless level 60 or above!

"They're trapping us, making sure we can't escape… and they are likely keeping the Order out as well, when they eventually arrive," Moira noted. Despite her steadfast tone there was a note of fear that she couldn’t entirely keep out of her voice.

"The Order will not be kept out," John swore. "And if they think that they have trapped me in here… they are sorely mistaken."

John raised up one hand and cast it to the sky, releasing a burst of mana. He wasn't exactly sure how to use the technique, but the same could be said of many of his other spells… but the effect was instant, and a wave rippled from him that mirrored the one which had just washed over all of them. The notification that popped up in front of him was only a second confirmation.

Field of Judgement Activated Successfully!
Barrier subjugated. Control transferred to user. Beings with a positive alignment may leave freely or be banished. Beings with negative alignment must defeat the user to escape.

"This place is ours," John promised, clenching his fist as he pulled his hand down.

"John… what did you just do? This Barrier feels… righteous. Almost holy," Moira whispered, looking around them. "Something I never thought I would say about an Albidian Barrier."

"All I did was mark the gravestones of their tomb," John replied in a dead voice, striding forward across the tiled floor.

Nobody seemed to find a proper response to that statement, only following behind John once more. There was no secondary wave of reinforcements; John wasn't sure if Piirin had been unable to save any more of his allies, or if they had decided to stop sending in the former Cabal members as cannon fodder when they saw how ineffective it was. They made it all the way to a stairwell, only passing cell after cell filled with prisoners. Some had grown curious, standing by the windows to their cell and peering out as best they could…

Most were still lifeless, sitting in a listless silence without as much as a glance at the sounds of combat.

It wasn't until they eventually ran upon a door, constructed similarly to those of the cells around them, that they were **** to a halt. It was solid steel, and Layla immediately identified it as enchanted… a moment after John's blade had already done the same, leaving only a thin scratch in the door's workings.

Beyond the tiny, barred window at eye-level, John could see several bodies moving around; however, the slit was so tiny that he could not make out any particular features… until a set of eyes leaned right up against the door. Two brown-tinted irises met his own, and though he couldn't see the mouth, John was somehow certain that the person was smiling. At the corners of the window gap, liquid metal seemed to be flowing around the door. Some of it trickled in and immediately repaired even the tiny scratch his blade had left.

"Well, well, well… not very often our prey drops itself into our cells. I should congratulate you on your bravery, John Newman - but I feel more inclined to pity you for your foolishness. The entire Order at your back, the Moon Clan as close allies, and apparently some very talented mages at your beck and call… yet you would stride in here without any of their formal aid?"

The man laughed, a bitter echo that cast through the small window with a booming reverberation. He closed his eyes and half-turned to the others in the room, though none of them made a sound. When he turned back, his gaze was deadly serious.

"You are a fool, John Newman."

"Tell me, at what point after I commandeered your Barrier did you decide that bluster and bravado was more effective than actual combat expertise?"

"Well, well, I can appreciate the brave face," that man swore, drawing back and clapping dramatically. As he stepped backwards, John caught glimpses of what looked like a suit collar and jacket, complete with tie. "But you must realize you're contained within our cells, where we can hold you indefinitely, should we wish to."

"I already took control of your Barrier," John said, narrowing his eyes. "We can leave any time we want through the ordinary school. You're the one stuck in here now."

"Metaphysically, yes… physically, however, although this is not our primary base, these cells are designed to hold prisoners against all intrusion… or escape. Furthermore, my friend here is making sure that this door is all but impervious, applying the full weight of his abilities to this door and repairing even the damage that Warden friend of yours could inflict. You have no chance to get at us, John Newman, and even if you could, we are prepared to handle you while my ex-Fateweaver deals with regaining control of this Barrier."

"He's… he's bluffing," Layla whispered, half-surprised. "If he thought that they could take us in a fair fight, he'd be coming after you right now. I think he's scared."

"A fair fight is the last thing we should expect," Moira warned, but something glistened in her eyes. "That man in the suit… he was giving orders to the others when they attacked me. We don't have much information on their membership, but he's either the leader of the Albidians or the highest ranked member present for this mission. Considering the importance of the Rose and yourself, John, I'd wager the former. He has no idea how we got in here unnoticed, nor how we freed up Lerianna so easily. He may even know about Mithra's escape by now… John, the advantage is ours, but how do we get through this door? One of them is a metallomancer, which will make tearing this door down nearly impossible. He held me without issue; I doubt that we will be able to break in easily… if my father arrives before they can pierce your barrier, he will be able to destroy this door, no matter how they reinforce it."

John thought over his options, eyeing his party members. Lerianna was strong, Sophia more so thanks to her newly gained levels… but he doubted that even their combined efforts could tear it down, with how well that last blow landed.

…Their combined efforts…

"Sophia, that technique… the one I told you about, the one I used with Maera and Mithra in our training sessions that I can't use very often… are you ready?" John half-whispered, being vague enough that it didn't matter if they heard him. He wasn't sure they had any way to stop him, but against foes of this measure, he would take no chances.

"I… yes, I believe I know which one you are referring to, Father. It would be an honor to join your efforts now."

"Good. Less than half an hour to deal with our enemies… let's make sure not a single one of them is left standing by then."

John finally turned away from the steely gaze of the man on the other side of the door, locking eyes with Sophia as he willed his mana into action. He reached out and clasped her hand - an unnecessary gesture, but a comforting one, their iron-clad grip growing only stronger as John watched Sophia's form begin to glisten… then disperse.

John nearly gasped as the particles flew into him, feeling something like a growing awareness within himself. His mind flickered briefly, body shivering and soul quivering as his Twin-Soul Resonance ability enacted its full effects across his very existence. John let out a slight gasp as he felt the full change of his technique. Much like with the Mind level, he could hear Sophia's thoughts now. However, instead of a separate voice within his mind, they felt like thoughts of his own. Then there was his body…

His muscles tightened, toned, and grew taut with anticipation as he returned his gaze to the man on the other side of the steel doorway. John's eyes solidified in a luminescent crimson hue, though he couldn't see it himself. Every part of his body seemed to teem with untapped energies, like lightning flooding through his body. He met the gaze of the man in the suit, a wicked grin crossing his face as his bloodlust rose to yet-untapped peaks. John's eyes sharpened, a predatory gaze coming into them as his face shifted slightly - his facial details became sharper, more defined, like Sophia's graceful features.

From John's back came the most noticeable change - two golden wings sprouted slowly, growing until they nearly filled the hallway. They were somewhat translucent, but unlike Sophia's it was not due to being partially formed; they were entirely ethereal, golden and phasing through the walls around him as if the physical realm did not concern them. The red glisten of John's eyes intensified, and it was hard to tell if it was an effect of the transformation or the reflection of the golden glow now filling the hallway.

"Last I checked, I wasn't the one hiding behind a door. A door that, may I add…" John began, punctuating his words with a solid punch with all of his newfound might. The punch stung John's hand… and crippled the door. That door heaved and buckled, a metallic tearing filling the air as it bent and gave way before his strike. Although the metallomancer was giving it his full effort, John's fist left a firm and very well-shaped dent in the metal, and the door was slow to begin recovering. As silence filled the air again, save for the sound of slowly rebounding metal, John let his grin grow a little bit wider.

"…is absolutely not saving you from what is about to unfold here." As John's voice grew more confident, the suited man fell back, stepping away from the door while shouting orders to his men.

"All of you, into formation, battle-"

John didn't let the man finish his sentence, too eager for blood, too enthralled at the prospect of enacting his vengeance. With Sophia's anger and rage added to his own, he felt as if he could burn down the whole world… with her strength added to his own, it didn't seem so far out of reach. John struck the door with five more solid blows - two each almost atop the hinges, and one more at the center of it. His first four blows bent the entire metallic door further and further out of the frame, crippling the integrity of the whole thing and rending the air with the metallic screams of a structure never designed to withstand such ****. The final blow sent the door rocketing forward, flipping end-over-end as it flew free of its hinges.

It would have connected with the suited man easily, save for the metallomancer's efforts to very noticeably fling the door to the side of the room, unable to deform all of it in time to render it harmless. It clattered to the floor a few feet away, slowly liquefying as the metallomancer pulled what he could of the enchanted metal into a large, hovering orb in front of himself to use in the conflict that was increasingly imminent.

With the barrier removed, John got a clear look into the room at last, which appeared to be the school's cafeteria, though it was devoid of tables or vending machines. The man in the suit was now standing behind the others, using them to distance himself that much farther from the approaching Gamer, who now strode through the doorway. John took stock of the surroundings as the others followed him and lined up at his sides.

There were six of them in total: the suited man, the metallomancer, and four others. One man was flickering intensely, as if his entire body was shifting spaces without visible moment. Another was covered from head to toe in glowing tattoos that reminded John a lot of Willow, except these were not connected; in fact they looked more like his runic carvings than tribal tattoos. One stood tall with a body built like a Viking, and a shield and axe that could've fit the part, though he had no beard to speak of. The third was an odd sort of man; he stood tall and proud with the rest, but his skin had an oddly metallic glisten to it, and he stood stoically, face unmoving even when the door nearly slammed into his leader.

"You killed the love of my life," John shouted, so intensely that one of the men actually took a step back. The room started to heat up as he willed the Shard's aura into an offensive one, invisible flames licking at the air around his foes. "You kidnapped three people from my most sacred place, and you left Mithra in shambles. You don't get to leave here alive."

"Now, now, that was all business, John. No hard feelings," the man in the suit said, a dark chuckle escaping his lips. Despite John's destruction of his enchanted door, despite his call for his men to surround him and protect him, he was maintaining an air of confidence. "But you must understand, you were sitting on a gold mine! Such wonderful creations, unseen before you, completely unheard of. Barrier creatures that hold their shape in the real world, why the possibilities boggle the mind! You could have your own army, your own harem, your own slaves, your own entourage… judging by your reference to your 'lover', I'm guessing you already made at least a couple of those."

Joined as one, John could feel the first divergence in his will and Sophia's - Sophia wanted to strike the man down even for such a remark. John allowed him to keep talking… to dig his grave even deeper. The man's face soured only slightly when John showed no reaction.

"Seriously, you think I wanted to off her? All we wanted to do was make the lot of them nice and obedient, forget about their little old lives. Instead your little 'lover' decided to attack us, and between her and the rabbit slipping their bonds, they did a real number. The cunt put my alchemist in the morgue, and we've spent the last hour healing up the shit she did to Orthannk over here. Just ask your little playboy bunny how their attack on us went. We were never even going to come back for the others; we only needed one, the other two just wouldn't stay out of it. Seriously, of all the things to grab out of that little world of yours… a catgirl, and a rabbit as a bonus? Do you have any idea what their kids would sell for at auction? Just because people don't have magic doesn't mean they aren't **** for their fetishes, degenerates with more Mana Gems than common sense. One or two litters of those to the right **** perverts could buy an arsenal like you’ve never-"

"Enough."

John's word reverberated, in a way that he doubted came entirely from his own voice, no matter how loud he had shouted it. The room fell silent… and the fire in his veins only grew stronger.

"All of you… leave him to me," John swore, teeth clenched so tightly he thought they might shatter. "Take the others, do what you will. He is mine. He will die… slowly. And I will make sure he knows why. I will show him what it means to truly regret. I will teach him by hand the true depth of his mistakes."

"You can't hope to-"

John had his blade in motion before the man had even started speaking; by the time he was cut off, the edge was perhaps a few inches from the man's head. To the credit of his soldiers, the metallomancer managed to react only just quickly enough to prevent John's blade from striking true. Metal embraced the sword, engulfing it, and hiding it away…

Just in time for John to activate three of the blade's four runes. The Rune of Rupture blasted away the mana controlling the liquid metal around the sword. That metal fell away immediately, limp and without direction, leaving the blade hovering in the air. John willed the sword using its Rune of Puppeteering, placing it at the center of the now-scattering group. The Rune of Channeling activated a moment later… just in time to detonate a series of six Fire Orbs at each of the blade's major points. Damage notifications popped up all around John, but he wasted no time in reading them. The explosions did their job, scattering the Albidians surrounding their leader. Before the others could protect their leader again, John was rocketing forward, eyes locked on the smoke-hidden figure of the Albidian leader.

"End them at all costs! Spare no effort, heed no call for mercy! Wipe them from the face of this earth, cull their souls from this endless cycle!"