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Mariana decided that burning alive wasn’t enough to stop her from popping out of cover and ripping the air apart with her ability again.

Charlie lost an arm fleeing back the way he came. Mariana tossed a grenade after him and then dropped to the floor, trying to pat the flames out as she rolled.

‘You didn’t get him,’ Shenado told her in private. ‘He’s by the northern stairwell. I’m not sure what his power is yet, but it seems like an alteration type.’

Pushing him back would have to do. If he really did have alteration, then he would probably try to keep his distance from her, and she simply didn’t have the time to deal with that right now. The western hall needed its turrets first. Half-scorched, she picked herself up and ran as hard as she could.

‘Too late. Go to your right.’

That led to the kitchen. Mariana immediately saw the enemy servant entering from the western hall, and she destroyed half the room with her attack. The bulky man tried to cancel it out with his own path of destruction, but it certainly didn’t go in his favor. Her path plowed through his and claimed an arm and a chunk of his ribcage. While he staggered from the impact, she launched another wave. He tried to dodge this one, but having anticipated as much, Mariana’s closed fist opened into a hook-shape. Her path curved mid-flight and obliterated the rest of the man’s body, save only his head. She didn’t hesitate to grab him by his long black bangs and carry him off with her.

Rather than returning to the courtyard again, she elected to go straight to the panic room.

‘There are only three left,’ said Shenado. ‘Two coming in from the courtyard, plus Charlie from the front.’

Three was a much more manageable number, of course, but Mariana knew better than to relax too soon. If these three had survived her booby-traps, then they were probably the strongest of the seven. And there was still the matter of the others coming back to life if she let this fight drag out too long.