Grow your numbers.

"It's great to see you, Alice! Delphi!" you call back. With a deep breath, you can feel your morale grow by the moment. Things don't seem entirely in your favour, yet you can feel the presence of your allies. Not everybody is in this room, but in a sense, everyone is here. Some are back in Avana, and some at Castle Phoenix, but you know they're cheering you on, and if you can't protect them, there's no sense in calling yourself anything-King. You squeeze the handle of your sword before whipping it to the side while simultaneously muttering the words, "Flare Blade". A surge of power rushes down your arm and up from the blade of Lauo in a burning fury of crackling pink.

Elok still floats above--sword in one hand, the other a magical cannon. He peers down at you with unbroken focus. Every aspect of his body has been designed, from its shape, to the power it's been given. He's taken everything he's learned from both you and William, and perhaps even others, to bend the laws of reality farther than they ever have before. The very essence of Goa has been twisted into his design--the class, the spells, the everything. He's like a hacker who was able to increase his level in an MMO to something far beyond what's meant to be possible.

Yet in this moment, you don't feel afraid. There's a specific sort of confidence burning deep within your chest. You know you're going to win, because you have to win. Losing here isn't an option, as if you do, everyone dies.

He makes the next move. Like a falcon, he dives down towards you with a sweeping strike. You dodge deftly beneath it, with your burning blade grazing over his conjured sword as you turn it into a sort of parry. Your counter-thrust is dodged by him soaring back up and around, and as soon as he turns, he fires another blast from his arm cannon. This time, instead of dodging, you slice it in half. The energy splits, bursting past either side of you as you continue to watch him intently. You do your best to ignore all the chaos in every direction--the attacks going right past you, the sounds of battle almost deafening.

Again he strikes. This time, you hold your ground. If you keep dodging, he'll just keep taking to the air again. When his sword meets with yours, the **** is incredible, but you manage to remain standing. His face moves uncomfortably close to yours as the struggle begins. Back and forth, you attempt to cause the other to slip.

"Here you are again... on your own," he hisses through clenched teeth.

"If you still think I'm alone, you're a fucking idiot," you grumble back.

"Go ahead. Distract yourself. Make a mistake. One wrong move and I'll cut off your head."

"Good thing I have a pretty good healer." You then twist your sword, not to get an attack in on him, but to allow him to strike you. Your opponent grins as he pushes through with his advantage, cutting deep through your shoulder as you at least dodge to the side, but you continue your plan through the pain. With your other hand, you push right into his chest. Then with flared nostrils and widened eyes, you scream, "Have a taste of your own bullshit!" Then you unleash the beam you absorbed from the golem earlier.

You fly backwards from the burst, but that's nothing compared to your opponent. Elok soars through the battlefield, knocking away both enemies and allies alike. He crashes and tumbles all the way to the far wall before the impact stops him. There he sits, looking up with a dizzied expression and smoke rising from his torso. The entire front of his suit has been torn open, and his strange flesh has been singed. It didn't put a hole through him like you had hoped, but it's certainly something you enjoy seeing.

While you stumble forwards, Amara runs up and places her hand upon the wound. "Take this," she says. "Major Heal!" She casts a comforting warmth over your injury, causing the pain to fade, and the bleeding to cease.

"Thanks again," you say.

"That was very reckless. If he had removed your head, my healing--"

You brush the loose bangs from her forehead before cupping your hand around her soft cheek. "Don't worry, Amara. We're finishing this, and soon."

She blushes. After a moment, her worried expression turns into a smile. "I know we are."

"Listen to me, damn it!" calls Allie once again from above.

The poor girl lowers her head in defeat as once again her words fall on deaf ears. Perhaps they're listening, but it's impossible to tell if they're considering what she's saying seriously. She squeezes the railing before turning her eyes up again, but this time, she notices someone beside her. Alice lands with Delphi fluttering above, binding her with magical purple bands like a marionette. They vanish when the two arrive however, and Alice places her hand on the other's back.

She then turns to the crowd below, and does the same. It's a louder voice than you've ever heard from her lips. "She speaks the truth!" Alice shouts. "I was one of you as well, but I was discarded. Elok Daven thought I was a defect, and I was thrown away like a piece of trash, yet here I am now. I am here to fight against our oppressor! Think of him not as your creator, but an owner of slaves to be overthrown!"

Elok looks over with a furled brow. "So annoying," he says. The cannon transforms back into a regular arm, and he holds the hand up in the balcony's direction. "Like annoying bugs on the wall. I'll have to squash you myself."

Whatever spell he's going to cast, you're not going to let him. With another Bunny Hop, you strike with the tip of your sword. While he dodges enough to catch the strike with his own weapon, you throw your weight forwards, sending both of you towards the tree. As you near, a branch struggles to stretch its way from the wood. Peony seems to have trouble manipulating this ancient tree, but she's doing so regardless. It grabs Elok and pulls him in against it, freeing you from you struggle in the air. Then, you plant your boots against it and Bunny Hop again, this time landing on the railing right between both Alice and Allie.

"What are you doing up here?" Delphi asks.

You take a deep breath and hold a hand to your head. Not meaning to ignore your friend's question, you have a lot to focus on right now. You turn to face Elok, and you can see he'll only be trapped for seconds longer. "Aris. I have a question."

"What is it?" she says within the chamber of your mind.

"Invisible Ties. I know it's a link between those I share a bond with. But... the ALICEs. They're people too, and they're similar to both the girls behind him. Is there any way to reach them, even a little bit, with the power you've been giving me?"

"... I don't know about that. I think, maybe? If I do try, I don't think I'll be able to do much more. That might drain the last of my energy."

"As much as I'd like to check in on everyone more, I have faith in them. We need to focus on the now." You hop back, and you place your arms around the shoulders of both Alice and Allie. "Do your best, Aris. Reaching them or not could decide the outcome of this war."