“Oh fuck yes,” Thana cackled and got up. Rolling her shoulders, she took a few steps. “You know, not having my lungs punctured is a very nice feeling.” She swiftly tied her robe close, hiding her pale body from view. “FUCK, it’s weird not being in pain… oh fuck, oh Christ, you non-existent cuntwaffle, this is weird.” She slapped herself – hard. “Ah there it is… there is… shit, I am so defective…”

John was barely listening to the maddened girl. He was by Rave’s side. Finally no longer being sat on or getting choked, she was coughing and stabilizing her breathing.

“I will get you out of here,” John promised in a whispering tone. Rave wanted to answer but her voice was nothing but a dried-out whisper.

“Cute, but I need her, if she is gone you can leave. I think that’s how these things work?” Thana rubbed her forehead, as if she tried to remember something, then shrugged. “And I can’t wait anymore, need my fix of bloodshed, you have ten more seconds. Ten,” the pale girl counted down. “Nine.” John made his preparations as quickly as he could. “Eight.”

‘Undine, heal Jane,’ he instructed.

“Seven.”

‘Mono, you give her all the mana she needs to do that.’

“Six.” Blood started to run from Thana’s fingernails and spread over her hands, defying gravity. “Five.” John jumped to his feet as Undine started spreading her mending slime over Rave’s wounds. The techno lover seemed a bit grossed out by the process. “Four.” Aclysia took position in front of John, raising Ashkandi. “Three.” Gnome prepared herself, Sylph and Salamander nodded at each other. “Two.” John sent a party invite to Rave. “ONE!”

Thana threw her left arm outwards, drops of blood flew towards John and his group, taking the form of thin needles of crystallized crimson. Aclysia blocked most of the projectiles with her body, Sylph and Salamander tried to block the rest with wind and fire, but they failed and so they crashed in John’s shield. 100 points of pre-charge were gone immediately.

The blood used for the attack didn’t just vanish. Instead it quickly made its way back to Thana. John had no intention of ending up on the receiving end of an endless assault of ranged attacks. “Aclysia, Gnome!” John shouted and the two went to attack the much smaller girl in a melee engagement.

Playfully, Thana side-stepped Ashkandi. Aclysia couldn’t turn around the blade in time for Thana to stomp on the flat of the weapon forcing both it and its wielder to the ground. Simultaneously, she leaned backwards, Gnome’s punch flying past her nose. “Too slow,” she half sung, half laughed. The blue tips of her white hair trembled.

“Try me then!” Sylph said, being right next to the bloodmage’s head. With her Agility the tempest elemental was the only one who had a stat superior to Thana’s physical ones. She was only a slight bit faster, but she was still faster. Sylph sent a wave of electricity into Thana, pumping out all of her mana at once. The thunderstorm she created was a blinding flash in the otherwise dimly lit room.

Yet it only proved to amuse Thana. With wild laughter, she grabbed Gnome’s hand, still extended in the earlier punch. Turning the earth spirit into a flail, she twisted around. Sylph may have been slightly faster, but this caught her off guard. Two elementals were slammed to the ground, one under the other.

Thana was now fully off balance, creating an opportunity for both Aclysia and John. The Artificial Guardian ripped her sword from the ground and quickly aimed a strike at the enemy’s chest, John prepared a Mana Ray. If they could, they would capture Thana alive, but they did not have the luxury to prioritize that.

Ashkandi was on a collision course with Thana’s contorted torso. Seeing the blade coming for her, Thana grabbed it with both hands. The sharp edge cut deep into her palm, but that way she saved herself from the much more gruesome injury she would have sustained otherwise. She did not however anticipate the attack that hit her a mere second later. Mana Ray fired and burned a hole into her robe, searing the flesh underneath.

Thana just continued to grin widely and executed a high kick to the side of Aclysia’s head. A metallic cracking sound accompanied the bursting of Aclysia’s surface. Metal interior cut through silicone. “Ohhh?” Thana made a wondering exclamation, then pushed herself off Aclysia and landed a few metres away on her feet.

The Lichtenberg patterns of electricity burns covered her face and likely most of her body, the fist sized hole in her robe revealed a third degree burn and blood was violently gushing from her hands. This quickly changed however. The Lichtenberg retracted, the burn on her side was covered by new, smooth skin and the cuts in her hands closed, all within a few moments.

“Fucking finally,” Thana laughed as she gathered her spilled blood in an orb, hovering above her left hand. “You dunces actually are a bit more useful than the cocksucking rats I have murdered here before. You actually made me bleed!”

Gnome and Sylph got up, “S-sorry,” the stone elemental apologized to her fellow.

“Not your fault, but damn you are heavy!” she answered.

“I get the feeling you are not taking this seriously,” John said, trying to gain more time.

“Because I am not,” Thana answered, practically ecstatic with joy. “I have no intent to actually kill you.”

“Really?” John wondered. She had said as much before, but taking anything that came from her crazy mouth for full was risky.

“Nope, I only want to be entertained until my body falls the fuck apart, however…” Thana mused, the orb in her hand shaped into a short lance. “…IF YOU DISAPPOINT ME YOU MIGHT DIE ANYWAY!”

She threw the spear at John, who quickly used Gnome to erect a barrier between himself and the projectile. The spear broke through without much of a problem, ripping a hole into the wall, and destroying almost all of John’s pre-emptive barrier. That wasn’t the worst of it. Thana leapt on top of the penetrated wall, only stopping there for a moment to take aim at the Gamer.

“Forgot about me?” Salamander asked as she appeared between the two of them.

“I CAN NEVER FORGET THE FUCKING FIRE!” Thana screamed and tried to bite the blaze elemental, an endeavour only delayed by Salamander quickly unleashing an inferno that robbed Thana of her sight. The teeth barely missed the fire spirit who quickly created distance.

That attack might have confused Thana for a moment, but it didn’t stop her momentum. The maniac landed in front of John, a trail of fire behind her, the robe reduced to burning tatters. Her skin was in the process of regenerating as she clawed at John. The Gamer was no longer defenceless in melee situations however, ‘SYLPH!’ he screamed in his spirit, the tempest elemental was the only one who could have been close enough already to help him.

‘Right here, John,’ came the quick answer.

A Mana Blade, conjured within the moment and sharpened by the power of the wind, swung at the unsuspecting Thana and cut her arm clean off. John breathed in relief, only to realize there was a second hand still free, now coming for his head.

A name was added to his interface, a body invaded his Mana Protection, a flash of light set Thana off balance followed by a bolt of holy energy.

“I fucking protected him once, I’ll do it again!” Rave kicked the blinded and crippled Thana in the stomach.

With her face completely burned away Thana could not react and was knocked several metres backwards, right into a waiting Aclysia who impaled her on Ashkandi, the blade sticking out of the blood mage’s chest. For one moment, Thana went limp.

“Jane, you are…!” John forgot the fight for a few precious seconds of joy. Rave stood by his side. She looked fine, the dark spots over her skin had disappeared and although her hair still was more white than pink, she looked fine. The pink lustre in her eyes formed a tight corona around her irises, when she stared at him.

Hard, her index finger stabbed him in the ribs. “Ya know, I go all heroic sacrifice for your ass,” she cursed, “and then you idiots just come back.”

“Well, she did just promise that she wouldn’t kill me,” John defended himself, “also I am your idiot.”

There was so much more to be said, so much else to pay attention to. They both completely forgot where they were and suddenly their lips were pressed tightly together. “We will have a very thorough conversation later,” she promised, after reality had pulled them back with a mad cackle.

Thana’s freshly regrown lips were parted in an insane smile. A body shaking laughter that slowly escalated into a cacophony of maddened amusement echoed from her penetrated lungs. “hehehe…Hahahaa, AHAHAAHA, AHAAAAAHAAAAAHAAAAAA, grgrhaha, got to HAND it to you,” she joked waving her stump, “you are great entertainment, even if your sweet-ass attitude makes me want to puke.”

Thana grabbed the tip of the weapon protruding from her ribcage and slowly shoved the weapon back the way it came. Her eyes opened again, the golden dots inside swirling at such speed that they formed a seemingly gapless circle.

“Jane, listen, we need to run, she can’t follow us outside,” John whispered.

Rave nodded, “Okay, you lead the way.”

Undine and Mono also took positions next to John. ‘Thanks for the bolt earlier,’ he told the newest member of the party. The holy energy had been the special attack from the spear Mono was holding.

‘I do what I can, Master, but my mana is not regenerating as quickly as yours so please keep that in mind,’ came the answer.

“Listen to you fuckers,” Thana spoke up, “being all hopeful and… SHIT!” With one more effort, she glided off Ashkandi. The gap in her stomach healed rapidly. “I think you could use some despair.” The arm that lay at John’s feet liquified into blood. The band crossed the distance to Thana in the blink of an eye, latching onto the open wound and reforming into a fully intact limb. “You know how they say eye for an eye? HOW ABOUT ARM FOR AN ARM?!” she shouted and pulled at Aclysia with such terrible and sudden strength that the shoulder was ripped from the Artificial Guardian’s torso.

Aclysia screamed, screamed in genuine pain, as Thana proceeded to grab her by the throat and then throw her over the head. She landed close to John who would have tried to catch her if she hadn’t been made of pure metal. Instead, she crashed, cracking the floor open. About two-fifths of her HP were gone. Her arm would regrow, albeit much slower than their opponent’s. Ashkandi remained behind with her dismembered arm. Thana tossed both aside without a care.

The true terror of this fight wasn't Thana’s stats, it was the fact that whatever they would do was ultimately useless. John’s eyes fixed at the exit, ‘We need to get out.”

“Don’t even fucking try.” Thana’s threat was compromised by the giant grin plastered on her face. “I will not let either of you escape, you are supposed to kill me,” she pointed at John, “and you are my hostage,” her finger wandered over to Rave.

“I refuse to be a damsel in distress!” Rave shouted out and everyone prepared for combat.

Everyone but John and two of his elementals. John was currently emptying his entire mana pool, “Sorry, Thana, but I have a plan that is better than yours,” he said and crossed his arms.

“I don’t have a fucking plan, it doesn’t take anything to be better than that, cunt chaser.”

‘Ready!’ a fiery voice filled his mind.

‘M-me too!’ a shy but steady one added. “Go!”

The floor cracked. Four walls of dark stone rose from underneath, trapping Thana inside a small space. John had no illusions about the effectiveness of that alone. The blood mage would be able to punch her way out of it in mere moments. That is why he had Salamander be in position to be sealed with her. The hope was that several hundred points of mana would be strong enough to knock out Thana long enough for the group to get a lead.

Everyone started running. Rave at the tip, Aclysia, holding her re-growing arm and longingly looking at Ashkandi, John and Mono at the rear. Not the wanted formation, but they had to take what they could get.

“What about them?” Rave asked, watching the elemental girls staying behind,

“They are our safety net!” John shouted back. Elementals’ bodies could get destroyed without long-term consequences. It wasn’t going to be pleasant, but this was no fight to be won without…

With a scream of violent anger and terror Thana broke out of her prison. John caught only a glint of her before she appeared in front of the exit. Then the rocks she had scattered started raining. Thana was shaking all over her body. For all the nonchalance she had put into her telling, the trauma of her experiences was evident.

“Putting a holocaust survivor into an incineration chamber,” she growled, her power once again forcing John’s aura sight open. Her diminished presence swelled, until crimson enveloped her, as if she was a drop of blood in a clear ocean. “Congratulations,” four wings of blood, in appearance similar to a butterfly’s, spread behind her back. The oppressive force of her existence choked the air right out of John’s lungs. “You’ve done it. You actually pissed me the fuck off.”

Thana’s hands were shaking, her whole body was shaking, the insane smile had vanished from her face, unnatural veins spread over her skin and formed short claw-like aberrations at her fingertips. The ashen remains of her robe fell off her body, revealing a form that was a near bony white, rather than blueish pale.

“Bloodburn.”

‘Shit.’

Oh fuck yes, Thana cackled and got up. Rolling her shoulders, she took a few steps. You know, not having my lungs punctured is a very nice feeling. She swiftly tied her robe close, hiding her pale body from view. FUCK, it's weird not being in pain oh fuck, oh Christ, you non-existent cuntwaffle, this is weird. She slapped herself hard. Ah there it is there is shit, I am so defective John was barely listening to the maddened girl. He was by Rave's side. Finally no longer being sat on or getting choked, she was coughing and stabilizing her breathing. I will get you out of here, John promised in a whispering tone. Rave wanted to answer but her voice was nothing but a dried-out whisper. Cute, but I need her, if she is gone you can leave. I think that's how these things work? Thana rubbed her forehead, as if she tried to remember something, then shrugged. And I can't wait anymore, need my fix of bloodshed, you have ten more seconds. Ten, the pale girl counted down. Nine. John made his preparations as quickly as he could. Eight. Undine, heal Jane,' he instructed. Seven. Mono, you give her all the mana she needs to do that.' Six. Blood started to run from Thana's fingernails and spread over her hands, defying gravity. Five. John jumped to his feet as Undine started spreading her mending slime over Rave's wounds. The techno lover seemed a bit grossed out by the process. Four. Aclysia took position in front of John, raising Ashkandi. Three. Gnome prepared herself, Sylph and Salamander nodded at each other. Two. John sent a party invite to Rave. ONE! Thana threw her left arm outwards, drops of blood flew towards John and his group, taking the form of thin needles of crystallized crimson. Aclysia blocked most of the projectiles with her body, Sylph and Salamander tried to block the rest with wind and fire, but they failed and so they crashed in John's shield. 100 points of pre-charge were gone immediately. The blood used for the attack didn't just vanish. Instead it quickly made its way back to Thana. John had no intention of ending up on the receiving end of an endless assault of ranged attacks. Aclysia, Gnome! John shouted and the two went to attack the much smaller girl in a melee engagement. Playfully, Thana side-stepped Ashkandi. Aclysia couldn't turn around the blade in time for Thana to stomp on the flat of the weapon forcing both it and its wielder to the ground. Simultaneously, she leaned backwards, Gnome's punch flying past her nose. Too slow, she half sung, half laughed. The blue tips of her white hair trembled. Try me then! Sylph said, being right next to the bloodmage's head. With her Agility the tempest elemental was the only one who had a stat superior to Thana's physical ones. She was only a slight bit faster, but she was still faster. Sylph sent a wave of electricity into Thana, pumping out all of her mana at once. The thunderstorm she created was a blinding flash in the otherwise dimly lit room. Yet it only proved to amuse Thana. With wild laughter, she grabbed Gnome's hand, still extended in the earlier punch. Turning the earth spirit into a flail, she twisted around. Sylph may have been slightly faster, but this caught her off guard. Two elementals were slammed to the ground, one under the other. Thana was now fully off balance, creating an opportunity for both Aclysia and John. The Artificial Guardian ripped her sword from the ground and quickly aimed a strike at the enemy's chest, John prepared a Mana Ray. If they could, they would capture Thana alive, but they did not have the luxury to prioritize that. Ashkandi was on a collision course with Thana's contorted torso. Seeing the blade coming for her, Thana grabbed it with both hands. The sharp edge cut deep into her palm, but that way she saved herself from the much more gruesome injury she would have sustained otherwise. She did not however anticipate the attack that hit her a mere second later. Mana Ray fired and burned a hole into her robe, searing the flesh underneath. Thana just continued to grin widely and executed a high kick to the side of Aclysia's head. A metallic cracking sound accompanied the bursting of Aclysia's surface. Metal interior cut through silicone. Ohhh? Thana made a wondering exclamation, then pushed herself off Aclysia and landed a few metres away on her feet. The Lichtenberg patterns of electricity burns covered her face and likely most of her body, the fist sized hole in her robe revealed a third degree burn and blood was violently gushing from her hands. This quickly changed however. The Lichtenberg retracted, the burn on her side was covered by new, smooth skin and the cuts in her hands closed, all within a few moments. Fucking finally, Thana laughed as she gathered her spilled blood in an orb, hovering above her left hand. You dunces actually are a bit more useful than the cocksucking rats I have murdered here before. You actually made me bleed! Gnome and Sylph got up, S-sorry, the stone elemental apologized to her fellow. Not your fault, but damn you are heavy! she answered. I get the feeling you are not taking this seriously, John said, trying to gain more time. Because I am not, Thana answered, practically ecstatic with joy. I have no intent to actually kill you. Really? John wondered. She had said as much before, but taking anything that came from her crazy mouth for full was risky. Nope, I only want to be entertained until my body falls the fuck apart, however Thana mused, the orb in her hand shaped into a short lance. IF YOU DISAPPOINT ME YOU MIGHT DIE ANYWAY! She threw the spear at John, who quickly used Gnome to erect a barrier between himself and the projectile. The spear broke through without much of a problem, ripping a hole into the wall, and destroying almost all of John's pre-emptive barrier. That wasn't the worst of it. Thana leapt on top of the penetrated wall, only stopping there for a moment to take aim at the Gamer. Forgot about me? Salamander asked as she appeared between the two of them. I CAN NEVER FORGET THE FUCKING FIRE! Thana screamed and tried to bite the blaze elemental, an endeavour only delayed by Salamander quickly unleashing an inferno that robbed Thana of her sight. The teeth barely missed the fire spirit who quickly created distance. That attack might have confused Thana for a moment, but it didn't stop her momentum. The maniac landed in front of John, a trail of fire behind her, the robe reduced to burning tatters. Her skin was in the process of regenerating as she clawed at John. The Gamer was no longer defenceless in melee situations however, SYLPH!' he screamed in his spirit, the tempest elemental was the only one who could have been close enough already to help him. Right here, John,' came the quick answer. A Mana Blade, conjured within the moment and sharpened by the power of the wind, swung at the unsuspecting Thana and cut her arm clean off. John breathed in relief, only to realize there was a second hand still free, now coming for his head. A name was added to his interface, a body invaded his Mana Protection, a flash of light set Thana off balance followed by a bolt of holy energy. I fucking protected him once, I'll do it again! Rave kicked the blinded and crippled Thana in the stomach. With her face completely burned away Thana could not react and was knocked several metres backwards, right into a waiting Aclysia who impaled her on Ashkandi, the blade sticking out of the blood mage's chest. For one moment, Thana went limp. Jane, you are! John forgot the fight for a few precious seconds of joy. Rave stood by his side. She looked fine, the dark spots over her skin had disappeared and although her hair still was more white than pink, she looked fine. The pink lustre in her eyes formed a tight corona around her irises, when she stared at him. Hard, her index finger stabbed him in the ribs. Ya know, I go all heroic sacrifice for your ass, she cursed, and then you idiots just come back. Well, she did just promise that she wouldn't kill me, John defended himself, also I am your idiot. There was so much more to be said, so much else to pay attention to. They both completely forgot where they were and suddenly their lips were pressed tightly together. We will have a very thorough conversation later, she promised, after reality had pulled them back with a mad cackle. Thana's freshly regrown lips were parted in an insane smile. A body shaking laughter that slowly escalated into a cacophony of maddened amusement echoed from her penetrated lungs. heheheHahahaa, AHAHAAHA, AHAAAAAHAAAAAHAAAAAA, grgrhaha, got to HAND it to you, she joked waving her stump, you are great entertainment, even if your sweet-ass attitude makes me want to puke. Thana grabbed the tip of the weapon protruding from her ribcage and slowly shoved the weapon back the way it came. Her eyes opened again, the golden dots inside swirling at such speed that they formed a seemingly gapless circle. Jane, listen, we need to run, she can't follow us outside, John whispered. Rave nodded, Okay, you lead the way. Undine and Mono also took positions next to John. Thanks for the bolt earlier,' he told the newest member of the party. The holy energy had been the special attack from the spear Mono was holding. I do what I can, Master, but my mana is not regenerating as quickly as yours so please keep that in mind,' came the answer. Listen to you fuckers, Thana spoke up, being all hopeful and SHIT! With one more effort, she glided off Ashkandi. The gap in her stomach healed rapidly. I think you could use some despair. The arm that lay at John's feet liquified into blood. The band crossed the distance to Thana in the blink of an eye, latching onto the open wound and reforming into a fully intact limb. You know how they say eye for an eye? HOW ABOUT ARM FOR AN ARM?! she shouted and pulled at Aclysia with such terrible and sudden strength that the shoulder was ripped from the Artificial Guardian's torso. Aclysia screamed, screamed in genuine pain, as Thana proceeded to grab her by the throat and then throw her over the head. She landed close to John who would have tried to catch her if she hadn't been made of pure metal. Instead, she crashed, cracking the floor open. About two-fifths of her HP were gone. Her arm would regrow, albeit much slower than their opponent's. Ashkandi remained behind with her dismembered arm. Thana tossed both aside without a care. The true terror of this fight wasn't Thana's stats, it was the fact that whatever they would do was ultimately useless. John's eyes fixed at the exit, We need to get out. Don't even fucking try. Thana's threat was compromised by the giant grin plastered on her face. I will not let either of you escape, you are supposed to kill me, she pointed at John, and you are my hostage, her finger wandered over to Rave. I refuse to be a damsel in distress! Rave shouted out and everyone prepared for combat. Everyone but John and two of his elementals. John was currently emptying his entire mana pool, Sorry, Thana, but I have a plan that is better than yours, he said and crossed his arms. I don't have a fucking plan, it doesn't take anything to be better than that, cunt chaser. Ready!' a fiery voice filled his mind. M-me too!' a shy but steady one added. Go! The floor cracked. Four walls of dark stone rose from underneath, trapping Thana inside a small space. John had no illusions about the effectiveness of that alone. The blood mage would be able to punch her way out of it in mere moments. That is why he had Salamander be in position to be sealed with her. The hope was that several hundred points of mana would be strong enough to knock out Thana long enough for the group to get a lead. Everyone started running. Rave at the tip, Aclysia, holding her re-growing arm and longingly looking at Ashkandi, John and Mono at the rear. Not the wanted formation, but they had to take what they could get. What about them? Rave asked, watching the elemental girls staying behind, They are our safety net! John shouted back. Elementals' bodies could get destroyed without long-term consequences. It wasn't going to be pleasant, but this was no fight to be won without With a scream of violent anger and terror Thana broke out of her prison. John caught only a glint of her before she appeared in front of the exit. Then the rocks she had scattered started raining. Thana was shaking all over her body. For all the nonchalance she had put into her telling, the trauma of her experiences was evident. Putting a holocaust survivor into an incineration chamber, she growled, her power once again forcing John's aura sight open. Her diminished presence swelled, until crimson enveloped her, as if she was a drop of blood in a clear ocean. Congratulations, four wings of blood, in appearance similar to a butterfly's, spread behind her back. The oppressive force of her existence choked the air right out of John's lungs. You've done it. You actually pissed me the fuck off. Thana's hands were shaking, her whole body was shaking, the insane smile had vanished from her face, unnatural veins spread over her skin and formed short claw-like aberrations at her fingertips. The ashen remains of her robe fell off her body, revealing a form that was a near bony white, rather than blueish pale. Bloodburn. Shit.'