Gabriel stands like a statue before the few remaining members of the Stygian Conclave, his eyes fixated on his own hands. He could feel it now, the power coursing through his veins was like liquid fire, searing the ends of his soul.

  Something akin to mana encases his body in a thick barrier. Energy surges through him, empowering his every fiber and hardening his resolve. This barrier clings to his body, hugging him almost, it pushes against his open wound, halting the excessive bleeding he endured for so long.

  For the time being, Gabriel feels immortal.

  All the while, Grave-Breaker, who had been given the go ahead go eat, giggles manically to itself as souls flow into its insatiable maw, one at a time. Each soul cries out in pain as they try to claw their way free only to be chewed up by the mace. It was a grotesque symphony of torment, and their screams continue to echo long after the soul was destroyed.

  "Grave-Breaker, don’t eat any souls that belong to Crowsongs."

  "All gone home…" Grave-Breaker rasps between a mouthful of Stygian souls, and Gabriel breathes a sigh of relief.

  They made it ‘home’, is that right? Gabriel thinks to himself and smiles. Knowing that his family was with Lord Death now offered the tiniest bit of salvation to his own weary soul.

  "No… two left… one far, one close," Grave-Breaker begins to correct himself, but is interrupted by one of the Stygians.

  "What in God's name is that!?"

  Before they can speak another word, Gabriel swings downwards with great strength, obliterating the Stygian's skull, torso, and midsection in just a moment as a shower of blood coats him. All that's left is a pair of legs, and two arms that crumple to the floor.

  The crimson droplets cling to Grave-Breaker as it bites down once more, devouring the fresh soul the moment it is freed from its former body.

  Next, Gabriel charges Isabella, his eyes locking onto hers with a fierce intensity. But Isabelle, ever cunning, grabs hold of one of her subordinates and throws them in the way of the attack. As Gabriel's fist collides with them, they're sent hurtling away in a bloody, broken mess, their panicked scream cut short just like their life.

  "Is this how the Conclave treats its own? Using others as shields?" Gabriel spits, his voice dripping with contempt. "You have no honor."

  "Survival, dear Gabriel, has no honor," she purrs, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "You should know this better than anyone. Playing dead while a cripple fights in your place. Really, just how much of a hypocrite can you be?"

  Gabriel growls, his rage bubbling fourth as he grips Grave-Breaker tighter.

  "Your survival ends here."

  "A bold statement, but you'll find this body isn't as fragile as poor little Marcu-"

  Gabriel surges fourth, his body moving faster than his mind can keep up with. He doesn't care how it happens, it doesn't matter, but she has to die. Relying fully on instinct, a flurry of strikes connect with Isabelle's form. A blow to the ribs is rewarded with a violent crack. A left hook to the jaw causes bone to break beneath his fist, and a kick to the stomach sends her reeling as he feels organs give way, bursting from the sheer force of the attack.

  Isabelle stumbles backwards, holding onto her jaw as she coughs up blood before her legs buckle inwards. The woman begins to writhe in pain, but instead of finishing her off, Gabriel has something more important to attend to.

  His eyes fall upon the crumpled form of Sarah lying amidst the bodies. Her shallow breaths come in tortured rasps, each one more desperate for oxygen than the last. Blood stains her frame, and mattes her hair.

  "Sarah," he whispers urgently, kneeling by her side. Gently, he helps her to lie down on the cold floor, as if trying to shield her from further harm.

  "Stay with me. Just hang on a little while longer. I don’t think something as inhuman as that woman would die so easily."

  "Please… run," Sarah breathes in response, her words barely audible as she grows weaker.

  "There is one enemy you must never fight."

  "Never fight an impossible battle."

  "Live to fight another day."

  Even now, Ethel was guiding him. If she were here, would she run like she had instructed him to do? Gabriel inhales deeply, and rises to his feet.

  "There is one enemy I must fight."

  He is determined to see this through to the end.

  "Gabriel," came Isabelle’s cold, mocking voice from behind him, akin to that of a serpent's hiss. "Your concern for your ilk is touching, but… it’s futile." With lightning speed, her curved blade cuts through the air, and towards his back.

  But Gabriel is ready. In one fluid motion, he turns, catching her wrist in his large hand. His grip tightens, and in a moment her wrist is crushed, another loud crack echoes through the chamber and she drops her weapon.

  Gabriel comes face to face with her, but now her skin is freckled with sun spots, and she has short, auburn hair with baby blue eyes. But it is still her.

  "There is no such thing as an impossible fight."

  "You can tell yourself that if you want." Kicking her fallen weapon upward. The blade pierces Gabriel’s flesh, drawing blood and eliciting a pained wince.

  "Isabelle!" Gabriel roars, his voice reverberating off the stone walls.

  "Gabriel?" Isabelle asks, her eyes narrowing dangerously as a sly smile comes to her lips. Only something as evil as Isabelle Nocturne could have such a smile devoid of warmth.

  "I will be your end," he vows, his anger simmering just beneath the surface. And with that grim promise, their dance of death begins.

  He didn’t know where she had got it from, but she had another blade in hand now. With a thunderous clash, Gabriel and Isabelle's weapons meet, sending sparks flying in all directions. Their ferocious battle rages on, the two combatants exchanging powerful blows with deadly intent. Gabriel's Grave-Breaker seems to vibrate with anticipation, its hunger palpable.

  Gabriel roars as he swings his mace once more, only for Isabelle to dodge at the last moment. His weapon finds itself embedded in the ground. The force of the impact reverberates through Gabriel’s arm, but he pays it no mind. Grave-Breaker bites into the stone ground that cracked underneath, before spitting it out.

  "Patooie!"

  The weapon whispers to him, begging for something more physical this time

  "Feed me," Grave-Breaker urges, a sibilant voice echoing in his mind. "Bring me her essence."

  "Very well," Gabriel growls, his resolve steeling as he focuses on the task at hand.

  With a single leap, he closes the distance between them and lands a solid hit on Isabelle's side.

  "Grave-Breaker, eat!"

  Grave-Breakers maw unhinges once more, its jagged teeth sink deep into Isabelle's flesh. Gabriel yanks Grave-Breaker away. With it, a large chunk from her side comes out, blood pouring forth in copious amounts. Isabelle gasps for breath, pain etched across her face as she struggles to escape Gabriel's relentless pursuit.

  Her body mirrors Gabriels with their twin wounds. In a sense, it was an eye for an eye.

  "Die, and never bring harm to my family again!"

  As Gabriel corners Isabelle, he slams Miriam’s last potion right into Isabelle’s mouth. The round, glass vile fills her entire mouth, and he uppercuts her a moment later. It shatters, and shards of broken glass puncture Isabelle’s mouth as she tries to scream. The yellow tar-like concoction is released though, and quickly begins to eat away at Isabelle’s mouth. Her mask gives way to another, but that life ends within mere seconds as the liquid continues to melt down her frame. She must have died at least 20 times this way before the last of the liquid was gone.

  Isabelle manages to crawl on the floor, and get away from Gabriel, but he follows. Before he can land another finishing blow, she digs her fingers under her flesh, removing yet another mask.

  The mask falls to the ground, and her form changes in an instant, revealing a creature of pure darkness beneath. Its obsidian skin shimmers in the dim light, needle-like teeth bared in an unsettling grin. Whatever this beast was, it wasn’t of this world. It felt as if a nightmare had just clawed its way into reality. Muscles ripple unnaturally beneath its skin, far too many to be anything remotely human. Its eyes are black, and the only hint of a pupil is when light reflects off its black, inky surface, creating a small, red dot. It towers over Gabriel, easily a full meter taller than his already imposing figure.

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  Every synapse in Gabriel’s body flares into action, screaming for him to turn and flee.

  This is what Ethel meant. Gabriel knew it in his bones that this was not something he was meant to fight.

  "How long has it been since I’ve been pushed to use such a mask?..."

  It didn’t sound like something that had vocal cords meant for human speech, let alone speech at all. It sounds closer to a bug's clicks. But a tinge of desperate laughter lay under its words as it speaks, and once again, he knows that Isabelle is fully in control of this nightmare.

  It lunges forward with lightning speed, and Gabriel barely manages to protect himself, raising his arms in defense. Despite his efforts, the sheer force of the attack knocks him back, his arm throbbing with what felt like shattered bone.

  Yet, the energy fed to him by Grave-Breaker keeps him in the fight. Gabriel catches a glimpse of his weapon, and it’s baring its fangs as it smiles. If it still wanted to fight, then he would continue to fight alongside it.

  "You’re uglier than I thought you’d be" Gabriel taunts, gritting his teeth as well, fighting through the pain.

  "I will be your end!" the beast clicks, its voice mimicking Gabriel. The beast claws at its own body as it begins to laugh in an almost manic way. Strips of flesh fall from its form, and blackened blood runs from its fresh wounds.

  Gabriel knew she was a monster, but he hadn’t believed her to actually be harboring something like this.

  "More," Grave-Breaker whispers, its hunger insatiable. "Feed me more."

  Thankfully, Gabriel has just the meal readily available.

  Gabriel reaches for his arm, slowly unraveling the chains that hold his excess mana in check. As the chains loosen, sparks of magic crackle from his fingertips, quickly followed by a torrent of dark, swirling magic.

  Except Isabelle is already on top of him. In a heartbeat Gabriel is knocked to the floor, pinned underneath her monstrous form as her maw finds its way around his throat. Gabriel is strong. Stronger than he had ever been before, but even he could do nothing against this beast. It doesn’t give, it doesn't budge, no matter how hard he strains. He looks into its pitch black eyes as he feels its needle-like teeth scrape against his neck.

  "Tri-Bolt Tempest!" A voice calls out, and the room is filled with a bright, golden light. In the next moment, Isabelle’s body is sent barreling to the side, and the scent of burning flesh Gabriel’s nostrils.

  "Crowsong Soul…" Grave-Breaker whispers, and Gabriel looks on in awe of the young man standing before him.

  His friend, his beloved family.

  "Jameson?... How are you-"

  "I told ya that I had to show you my spell, didn’t I?" Jameson held a hand out, and two streaks of lightning began to spin in front of his palm, creating a circle of sorts. He shouts the spell once more, and a third bolt of electricity appears, launching at high speeds, funneled by the other two.

  Isabelle Nocturne with her current speed was more than fast enough to evade Jameson’s attack now that she was aware of it. But at the last possible moment, the trajectory of the bolt changes, and strikes her in the shoulder as she lets out a pained click

  "Pretty cool, huh? Ethel helped me come up with this one, even let me name it. It can never miss, and the best part? It hurts like a bitch!" Jameson exclaims, a nervous smile playing on his face.

  "Jameson, you need to take Sarah and get out of here! This isn’t a game, t-this isn’t something you can handle!" Gabriel cries out as he stumbles to his feet, but Jameson doesn't listen.

  "I’m sorry, but leaving isn’t possible for me, Gabe. You just do what you need to do, and I’ll buy you some time!" With that Jameson prepares another spell, and strikes Isabelle’s torso just as she stands again, causing her to hit the ground once more.

  Gabriel grunts in disapproval as he yanks the chains off his arm, magic swelling from his body now.

  "Here, have your fill." Offering his palm to Grave-Breaker. It was a thick, dark black black, speckled with a myriad of shimmering colors underneath. The essence of every magical element contained within Gabriel ejects itself from his body.

  Gabriel can feel his energy draining away, but he knows that Grave-Breaker is weakening too. All of the nearby Stygian’s souls had been eaten, and Its ravenous appetite had to be sated, lest this power would fully leave him.

  With another surge of power, Gabriel feels something drop deep within him, like an anchor sinking into the abyss.

  He feels drained, both mentally and physically, but he stands regardless.

  Just as Gabriel finishes feeding Grave-Breaker, he looks up to see the beast had encroached on Jameson. Midstride, it prepares to lunge.

  "Jameson, dodge it!" Gabriel cries out, but the younger boy does not budge. Instead, he smiles.

  "It's okay, I'm already dead," Jameson says, and holds his arms wide open. Depleted of mana, he’s done all he could. "You'll be a great leader, I just know it. Minor Possession, Release." With that, the light fades from Jameson's eyes. His body now a lifeless husk as Isabella’s claws rake through his torso, destroying it in its entirety. All that’s left is a pair of legs that hit the floor.

  Gabriel forces himself to stand despite his exhaustion. With a mighty heave, he plunges the hilt of Grave-Breaker into the ground, piercing it before he kneels. He grips Grave-Breaker and points it directly at Isabelle.

  "Live to fight another day."

  "I’ll fight today so I can live!" Grave-Breaker’s maw opens wide, and Gabriel holds on tight.

  Gabriel feels the weapon as if it shares a soul with him. A second conscious in a way, and he knows that it couldn’t keep mana down like it could souls. That’s exactly why he fed it all that he had. All that excess magic that Gabriel had been stockpiling would be released, and focused into one point.

  "Grave-Breaker, kill."

  Gabriel commands, and Grave-Breaker listens. A cataclysmic eruption of fervent flames, glacial ice, searing lightning, wild winds, holy light, and necromantic energy, surges fourth, engulfing half of the room in an instant. As the blast strikes Isabelle’s body, it covers her entirely. As Isabelle becomes heated and cooled instantly, plumes of thick smog and smoke filled the air.

  Gabriel can no longer see her, so all he can do is focus on her pained screams. He wouldn’t stop until her voice died out.

  At least that’s what he thought until he saw a stay soul being sucked into Grave-Breaker’s mouth. Its teeth clamp down, the magic it had been emitting became narrower, and more focused. Gabriel’s eyes widen in surprise as he recognizes the soul in Grave-Breaker’s mouth as Jameson’s.

  "No, not that one!" Gabriel cries out, but the mace doesn’t listen, instead opting to bite down harder on Jameson’s soul.

  Gabriel reaches out into the stream of magic that came from it, grabbing hold of Jameson. The rampant magic that pours from Grave-Breaker was his own. Gabriel created it, formed it in his own body, so it shouldn’t hurt much. But it was potent, and focused. Gabriel pries Jameson’s soul free, and to his side. When Gabriel looks down at his hand, all the skin has been burnt free and he clenches his fist shut in frustration.

  With only one hand on the mace now, the recoil is nearly enough to push him back, but he holds onto Grave-Breaker regardless. A spectral hand lay over his, helping to hold the mace in place.

  "Aw man, I was really hoping to go out on my own terms, but I got sucked up by that thing!" Jameson groans as he presses into Grave-Breaker in an attempt to keep it upright.

  "How did you come back?"

  "Ethel taught me a spell. It was…painful, but she said I was the only one who could do it. Had to give my body a little shock to get it going again though."

  "I see…"

  "It’s okay, it doesn’t hurt anymore. But what would have happened if that thing kept munching on me?"

  Gabriel can't help but laugh. "I don’t know what happens to the souls that Grave-Breaker devours, but there’s no need to risk it when you’re basically home free."

  "Guess not," Jameson says, a small chuckle escaping his lips. "Gabe?"

  "What is it?"

  "I’m really happy that you got to see my new spell. Hey, do you think I would have gotten to be as strong as you? I mean, if I had enough time that is!"

  "Of course, you would have reached the Abyssal Requiem with ease, and then became the next head of the clan," Gabriel says, and he believes it. It was truly a powerful spell, and he smiles at Jameson.

  "Now I know you’re full of shit," Jameson says, but immediately cracks a smile at the thought, no matter how impossible such a future was now.

  "Hey! I mean that," Gabriel shouts, and continues to smile.

  Gabriel knew that Jameson’s soul was spent. His support, physically, is of little help. But for some reason, it is easier to hold onto Grave-Breaker. The high power beam of wild magic grows weaker in power and smaller in size as it begins to fizzle out.

  "Oh c’mon, I-" Jameson begins, but his body lurches forward before looking up to Gabriel, "looks like my time up, I’m being called back to that place. Do me a favor and finish that thing off for me, would ya, big guy?" Jameson smacks Gabriel on the back, and like that, he is gone.

  Gabriel is left smiling at the place Jameson’s soul had been just seconds ago as he pulls Grave-Breaker free from the ground now.

  "I will, don’t worry."

  As the chaos subsides, the destruction wrought by Gabriel's attack becomes apparent. A third of the grand hall is gone, reduced to nothing more than a twisted ruin of shattered stone and charred wood.

  As the smog and dust clears, a scene of devastation lay before Gabriel. The black beast, its monstrous form barely recognizable, lay in a crater where it had been boiled alive in its own blood. Blistered and burned, ivory white skin emerges from beneath the charred exterior as though its next life was shining through. With a weak shriek, the creature claws at its face, tearing away burnt, weak flesh. It practically slips off the bone like a well-cooked rib.

  "Again?..." Gabriel mumbles to himself, his voice hoarse and weary from the battle. As the creature continues to peel away its grotesque facade, a transformation takes place. Instead of the monstrous visage that it had a moment ago, a young woman with snow-white hair now stands before him. Her pale white eyes are unsettling to look at. Gabriel felt as if he was staring at a blank canvas.

  "Out of masks?..." He questions cautiously, taking a hesitant step forward. Though his body aches from the toll of the vicious battle, his mission remains the same.

  He would see this through to the end, for his family, who lay strewn about the room. For Marcus, who this monster slew. For Sarah, who was barely holding onto life by a thread, for Jameson who had fought even in death, to allow Gabriel this opportunity.

  "Hardly..." the woman whispers, her voice barely audible as she stares blankly at the ceiling above. "You did manage to ruin a good one though. How many masks did it take me to add that one to my collection?..."

  "Have you any last words, Stygian scum?"

  "I’ll have to start my collection anew, thankfully there’s a few good masks lying around here." Isabelle coughs weakly, her emotionless eyes scanning the room now.

  The realization strikes Gabriel hard. Every mask was a life that had been stolen away from its rightful owner.

  "The third amongst their ranks is never seen with a mask, because she wears them like a second-skin."

  It was as Ethel said. Isabelle Nocturne is always wearing her mask. The skin she stole from those that she killed was her ever-constant mask.

  As Gabriel swings down with all his might, he wishes, and hopes, and prays that Isabelle Nocturne stays dead this time. Grave-Breaker connects, and the sound of crushing bone reverberates throughout the grand hall.