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‘And I’m Voreese.’ Yet another reaper appeared, straight out of the ground. ‘This is our land, you shitheads.’

“Oh, shut up,” said Roman. “No one cares what you have to say.”

‘Fucking brat! I’m the important one here! You’re just my servant!’

“You’d be dead if it wasn’t for me!”

‘No, you would! I’d have found a different servant! One who didn’t give me so much lip, you four-eyed fuckwit!’

“Imaginary bitch!”

The Queen set Hector down as his hands and feet began to form, bones emerging before the flesh around them.

Desmond rolled his neck and cracked his knuckles. “We’re more than happy to kill you newcomers along with everyone else.”

The big man charged at Voreese.

Roman slammed his foot down. The ground heaved up and flipped the big man toward Desmond like a pancake.

Desmond just moved out of the way.

Roman tossed his white coat to Hector. “C’mon, kid. This is no time to be free-ballin’ it.”

Hector turned beet red and hurriedly wrapped the cloth around his waist. He held it there with an iron band.

Another sizzling arm flew at the group.

Roman swatted it straight up into the air, and it exploded harmlessly. The big guy’s gut bulged, and a second later, he vomited acid.

The left side of Roman’s face and torso melted away, revealing raw bone and gooey, bubbling muscle. Undeterred, he raised a fist. It trembled and started crackling red, creating visible smoke. He put the hand out. Orange flames poured forth.

Their opponents split up to avoid the fire, and Roman pursued the big man.

‘What kind of ability does that guy have?!’ Hector was back on his feet.

‘Vibration of some sort. Keep your eyes on Desmond.’

Hector saw him approaching from the side. Desmond was still regrowing his arm. “I’ll hold his attention,” Hector whispered to the ladies. “Try to get behind him and take his head off.”

“Very well,” said Helen.

Lynnette nodded and readied her sword.

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Everything was red, presumably from blood in his eyes. He couldn’t breathe and was pretty sure he’d ruptured both lungs. He knew his limbs would soon grow back, but he couldn’t help panicking at not being able to feel them at all. Not being able to move. Not being able to speak. Barely being able to see or hear.

But after a moment, he felt someone pick him up. The numbness in his ears quickly subsided, and he turned his eyes up to see the Queen’s face there.

“I have you, young knight.”

“How is he still alive?! For that matter, how are you, Your Highness?!”

They made it out into the courtyard. More guards were there, and the Queen yelled at them to disperse as they pushed through.

Desmond was soon to catch up. However, he stopped, as did everyone else, when they saw the gatehouse crumbling ahead of them.

“Aww,” said Desmond. “I wanted to do it on my own.”

A broad-bellied man lumbered out of the rubble, arms like tree trunks. His red hair was a bit darker than Desmond’s, and he could not have been any less than two meters tall. A reaper followed him.

‘Did you really have to destroy the gatehouse?’ said Ezmortig, overlooking the scene from the sky.

‘You made a mess first,’ said the new reaper.

Desmond laughed. “Hey, I tried to tell them we weren’t the people for this job.”

The big guy seemed to have nothing to say. By the look on his flat face, he scarcely seemed aware of what was happening.

Hector still needed more time to regenerate. He’d barely recovered his knees and elbows.

Aside from Lynnette, one of the guards had yet to flee as ordered. He was a bespectacled man, and he stepped toward the giant, fiddling with the black brim on his officer’s cap. “I really hate you Abolish guys,” he said. “Always recruiting these poor simpletons as servants. Aren’t there enough crazy assholes like that guy over there?”

‘Who the hell are you?’

“I’m Roman. And you fuckers aren’t welcome in my country.”

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It was the first time Hector had ever gotten a good look at the Queen. Even on television, he’d only caught the odd glimpse of her. But perhaps now wasn’t the most accurate depiction, either. She didn’t look like she was having the best day, what with her blue-gray pantsuit in tatters and her makeup smeared with blood.

‘Introductions later,’ Garovel said preemptively. ‘We should leave.’

‘Your servant can’t defeat Desmond?’ said Mehlsanz.

‘I don’t know, but I doubt he can kill the reaper before Desmond brings down the building.’

Hector nodded. “Okay, we’ll meet you at the bike.”

‘No,’ said Garovel. ‘There could be other enemy servants. We stick together.’

“Who is he talking to?” said Lynnette.

Desmond broke himself free of the wall.

‘Go now!’ said Garovel.

The Queen ushered Lynnette out of the room, and Hector brought up the rear, seeing Desmond starting toward them.

‘What did you say his ability was?’ Hector asked as they ran.

‘Transfiguration. He can make his body parts explode. I’ll explain if we make it outta this alive.’

A swarm of guardsmen were waiting in the foyer.

‘Tell them to get back!’ said Mehlsanz.

“Do not engage!” Helen yelled as they pushed through. “I order you all to move away from here!”

Hector looked back again and saw Desmond’s entire severed arm flying toward them.

‘That’ll kill everyone here!’ Garovel yelled. ‘Hector!’

He understood and jumped. He caught it by the wrist and pulled it tight against his chest. The darkened flesh crackled, burning. Hector rushed to cover his torso with metal.

The explosion ripped his arms and legs off. His metal shredded like paper. He flew over the crowd of guardsmen and smashed into a chandelier. Glass shattered and rained down on marble tile as he hit the floor and rolled up against a limestone pillar.