Xain stared at The Fiend, shock written plainly across his face. "The Fiend!? Again!? You're here again!?" he blurted out, disbelief bleeding into his voice.
The Fiend did not answer. Instead, the bike roared as he twisted the throttle, grinding the drakorath beneath the wheels. Bone and flesh crushed audibly as the creature was pinned and torn apart, its body reduced to pulp under the weight and force of the machine.
Then The Fiend was moving.
He surged toward Xain, who let out a startled yelp as the bike suddenly leapt upward. The tires clung to the wall as electromagnetism flared, the machine riding vertically past him in a blur. Xain could only stare as The Fiend arced overhead, then dropped back down behind him.
The bike hit hard.
Four imps barely had time to screech before The Fiend brought the front wheel down, popping into a brutal front wheelie. He swung the rear of the bike sideways, smashing skulls and bodies alike, the impact snapping necks and caving torsos in a single sweeping motion. When the bike finally settled back onto both wheels, nothing behind Xain was still moving.
The Fiend came to a stop directly in front of him.
Xain stood there, breathing hard, awe and lingering shock mixing in his expression. The Fiend tilted his head and motioned behind him.
"D-do you want me to get on?" Xain asked.
The Fiend nodded.
Still confused, Xain stepped forward cautiously. After a brief hesitation, he climbed onto the back of the bike. The Fiend signed something with one hand.
"Hold on."
Xain nodded and grabbed his shoulders.
The Fiend shook his head slightly and signed again.
"Properly. This bike is very fast."
After a moment's hesitation, Xain wrapped his arms around The Fiend's torso. There was no outward reaction, but inside, The Fiend burned at the contact after so long.
"I never thought this would be something I'd do," Xain said quietly. "Like… at all."
The engine growled louder beneath them.
"Then again," Xain added, voice trailing as the bike surged forward, "a lot of weird things have been happening to me, so this probably shouldn't surprise me anymore."
The bike shot out of the alley and into the open streets.
---
Wolf, the elven twins, Drack, and the civilians they were escorting were closing in on the coliseum now, barely a two-minute walk remaining. The structure loomed ahead through the streets, massive and reassuring in its solidity.
"Alright," Wolf said, glancing back at the group while still moving, "just a little further. Once we reach it, we can head our separate ways."
"Yeah, yeah, we get it," Mae replied, arms crossed. "You want to go commit suicide-by–Demon Lord the moment this is done."
Zee immediately smacked her on the shoulder. "Do not say things like that to him." Then she turned to Wolf, her tone more measured. "Of course, we could use more help, but we are not going to hold you back."
Wolf lifted a thumb in acknowledgment without turning around.
They took only a few more steps before everyone came to an abrupt halt.
Someone stepped out from a side street to their right, directly into their path.
Zee's eyes widened instantly, her hand snapping to the hilt of her sword.
"Calm down, elf," the woman said evenly. "I am not here to fight you. I was, but with how things are right now, not anymore. At least, not for the moment."
Amara's gaze swept across the group, sharp and appraising, before landing on Wolf. The instant she recognized him, her expression twisted into a mix of irritation, anger, and open disgust.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" she demanded. "Why aren't you dead yet?"
"You know her?" Zee asked, surprise cutting through her tension.
Mae didn't look away from Amara for even a second. "Forget him knowing her. Why do you know her, Zee? Who is she?"
"Oh, suspicious angry woman who talks to herself sometimes," Wolf called out casually.
Amara's face contorted with rage. "I will skin you alive, I swear to goddess!"
Wolf ignored her entirely and answered Zee instead. "Shared the same inn for a while. Talked a lot about the tournament."
Then he finally turned back toward Amara. "By the way, since you are here, where's your friend? Shouldn't he be with you?"
Amara exhaled sharply, visibly forcing herself to calm down. "He is not my friend. And I do not know where he is. Probably dead. If that's the case, the world is a better place."
She crossed her arms, then refocused on Zee, who was still visibly unsettled.
"Anyway," Amara continued, "I am going to help you deal with this demon invasion. Much like that vampire in Moonveil. Or whatever that place is called now. After this is over, I will kill you, the brat, and take Larkin. If your sister and her pet get in the way, I will kill them too. Understood?"
Mae bristled instantly. "Oh yeah? And what if we kill you right now instead?" Her fingers twitched toward her daggers as Drack's hand moved to the haft of his greataxe.
The civilians stiffened, fear rippling through the group as the air grew heavy with the promise of violence.
Zee raised a hand and let out a slow breath. "Alright. Fine. It's a deal. Let's not get in each other's way for now."
Mae turned on her in disbelief. "Are you serious, Zee? After what she just said?"
"We do not have the time or energy to fight each other," Zee replied flatly. "And even if we did, I am not fighting her with civilians around."
Amara smirked and gave a single nod. "Good girl. That is the smartest choice you could make right now."
Zee's jaw tightened, but she said nothing. Mae shot Amara a venomous glare. "Nobody calls her 'good girl' except me, our parents, and maybe Xai—"
"Shut up! And let's move!" Zee snapped, cutting her off as she stormed forward.
"Looks like we're back together again, suspicious angry woman who sometimes talks to herself," Wolf said, grinning beneath his mask.
Amara clenched her fists, jaw set, but she didn't respond. She turned and fell into step with them.
The defenders of the city had just gained a very dangerous piece.