Traveling with Amber proved to be a very strange experience. It was fun, in a way, being so close to her. She gave off a glow that made it impossible not to feel hopeful, and built up great strength in everyone around her. But along with that, Ruby had the voice of an arch demon being whispered softly into her ears.

On top of that, she spoke with her friends, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren. Ren was holding up impressively well, considering what he had been through recently. Ruby even saw him smile a few times, and contribute to the conversation once or twice. She couldn't remember ever having seen him so emotive. Nora was still Nora, hyperactive, and now with a body honed to guarantee that she could accomplish whatever she could keep her mind on. In the presence of Amber, she seemed a little more focused, if anything. Her arms were around Ren, and at some point while they were walking, she had hoisted him onto her shoulders, giggling as she did so.

Weiss and Blake both seemed to be fine, though neither spoke much. With their wounds healed, and the trauma of what they'd seen cleaned away, they composed themselves for what they assumed would be the final battle they would take part in. They both knew personally what kind of havoc someone possessed by an arch demon could do, so they were sure that they would need all the help they could get.

Jaune and Pyrrha were both chatting to each other in a way Ruby hadn't seen before. Jaune was more confident than she could remember, and seemed to carry himself with a more upright posture. Pyrrha walked close by his side, looking very happy. The two seemed to catch more of Amber's light than the others, except for maybe the Paladins themselves. Ruby wondered why that was.

Yang was keeping her distance from Amber, but Ruby walked close to her, talking about what was going on around them. No one else but Yang seemed to notice it, but the group was moving much faster through the rough terrain of the swamp than they should have. Neither of them was complaining, but Ruby couldn't help but feel slightly unnerved by the fact that none of the mud or slime was sticking to her legs, or seeping into her shoes.

"Gods do many mundane things," the voice in her hood whispered. "Some without even realizing it. Don't worry, your friend is making this travel easier.

Cinder's charge met with Naze, but before she could strike him, the air between them shimmered, and a tall figure seemed to step out from some kind of fold in the light. It was clad in thick black armor, wielding a long polearm with a slightly curved blade, burning with a piercing orange light and inscribed with glowing runes.

Her claws rushed forward, but the new Death Knight moved quickly enough to parry the blows. The weapon was strong enough to withstand the blows, and behind the Death Knight, Cinder could see Naze's staff beginning to glow as another spell formed.

She jumped back, taking in everything she could about her new opponent. Its stance was steady, dug into the ground and in a defensive stance. Its helmet covered all facial features, except for two starkly glowing pinpricks showing through a narrow slit. Cinder got the feeling that they were trying to intimidate her, and gave a small chuckle in return.

"Get out of my way. You don't know what you're getting into."

The venom in her voice practically curdled the air, but the figure didn't react. After a second of silence, a slightly female voice came from the helm, hollow, but hard as iron.

"I will not let you touch my master, beast. If you will battle, it will be me you face."

A smile crept across Cinder's face, and she leaned to the side, speaking past her.

"You have your dog trained rather well, Naze. Unfortunately, I don't think I have time for this."

She lurched forward, slashing out towards the Death Knight's lower body, but with speed Cinder didn't expect, she brought her blade down, sweeping the blade over Cinder's arm, slicing deeply into the flesh.

As the Death Knight shifted her balance, Cinder flared out her wings, using them to propel her whole body forward. The damage to her arm wasn't trivial, but her healing would mend it in seconds, and it didn't make the limb any less useful. She grabbed the long pole just below the blade, and pulled herself even closer with it. When she was practically face-to-face with the undead soldier she brought her other hand up, and slashed as viciously as she could at their breastplate. The metal was thick and resilient, but she could feel her claw dig further in with every strike.

From beyond the pair, a bright flash of light split the air with a loud crack, and Cinder felt magic stab at her again. Her grip faltered, and the Death Knight threw her off, following up with a one-handed slash.

Cinder twisted through the air, angling herself so that she could leap back without delay. She watched as the blade came swinging towards her, tracing the pole with her eyes all the way back to its wielder. The dark armor they wore served a second function as well, though she didn't know if it was intentional. Without any flesh visible, Cinder couldn't see the Knight's muscles working, and thus couldn't predict her opponent's movements as accurately as normal.

Luckily, however, it became apparent that her opponent was not as fast as she had originally appeared. She could see the weapon arcing down in slow motion. As soon as she felt her hooves touch the ground, she pushed off with as much force as she could muster, folding her wings back in to make herself more streamlined.

Before the Death Knight could react, Cinder was behind the blade, lunging out to grab ahold of her again. Her claws dug into her armor again, and she delivered another flurry of blows. The gauntlet of the Knight's off-hand came around, smashing into Cinder's cheek with the force of a bullet. Cinder found it distracting, but not much more. The Knight continued to punch, and Cinder continued to rend her way through the armor, determined to find whatever husk of a body was left under the metal.

"Get out of my way! Naze will die!"

With one last blow, Cinder jammed her fingers forward, piercing the shredded armor and setting about prying it open. It screeched as she bent it apart, but a smile came over Cinder's face when she saw dry, black flesh underneath.

She didn't have to think at all before her fist met bone, and she started doing as much damage as she could. As tough as the armor was, flesh was no issue for her. The Death Knight fell down, yelling obscenities, and Cinder looked back up at Naze.

"Now, maybe I can show you my appreciation for everything you let my master show me."

The Lich wasted no time in pointing his staff forward, unleashing a torrent of electric bolts that arced through the air towards her. She made to dodge, but was struck before she could get away.

Immediately, her muscles started to spasm, but it did little to throw her off. She continued to advance towards Naze, gritting her teeth and rushing forward. When she got within arm's reach, the lightning stopped, and was replaced with a beam of arcane energy. It was aimed directly at her heart, and even though she jerked to the side as quickly as she could, it seared a line across her chest.

Naze let the beam fade, shifting his gaze to the Death Knight, who was now struggling to get back to her feet. "Bella, return to the Ziggurat."

The Knight's voice was weak compared to how it had been at first, and Cinder was more than happy to hear it. If the Lich thought that she was going to allow him the time to have a calm conversation, he was mistaken.

She charged forwards again, pulling as much demonic energy from within as she could. Her body started to glow, and her blood boiled in her veins. Her mouth twisted into a wicked smile, and she made a point of bringing a hoof down on the Death Knight's throat. Her lack of reaction was disappointing, but Cinder focused entirely on Naze. When he reacted, she wasn't going to miss a single movement. No illusion would trick her this time.

The distance between them closed rapidly. Compared to hers, Naze's movements seemed sluggish, but there was something else about them. They were calculated and exact, she couldn't help but be irritated watching them.

His staff began to light up again, runes along its length sparking into life. She didn't know what they meant, but the pale green was all too familiar. She doubted there was much left that Naze could do to her soul, but if he saw fit to try, she wasn't going to let him.

A wide cone of necromantic power exploded outwards, forcing Cinder to slow slightly as she took in the situation. The cone was too wide to go around, but Naze likely wouldn't expect her to continue advancing. Her legs launched her off the ground, and her wings unfurled to direct her in her ascent. She felt the tissue of her hooves begin to rot as they brushed with the top of the blast, and she looked down at Naze.

Now was her chance. He was open, if she could get a good hit in, it would be devastating. She could disable his staff arm, which would weaken his spells considerably, she was sure. She tilted her body down, throwing herself forwards and speeding towards him like a rocket.

Naze's head tilted towards her as she put her arms out, ready to tear the skeleton to shreds. He was beginning to pull his staff back defensively, but he simply wasn't fast enough. Her claws whistled through the air, and Cinder could tell there was no way he could stop her. Not without pulling another rabbit out of his…

Her attack was brought to a halt when she seemed to collide with something solid, though there was nothing there. The intervening space was clear, what could be blocking her?

When the full force of the strike hit the invisible barrier, Cinder saw one of the many talismans hanging off Naze's withered robes shatter, and her eyes narrowed.

"Why do you have to be so annoying? Just die!"

She screamed in rage as she pelted him with blows, each one causing another of his charms to crack or explode. He couldn't keep this up forever, there had to be a limit. A Lich wasn't invulnerable. She just needed to make him vulnerable.

She grit her teeth. He was going to make it as difficult as possible, she was sure.

Naze watched the demon throw itself against his wards, taking a short second to enjoy the expression on her face. It wasn't quite panic, and it wasn't quite a mindless rage. He brought himself back to the situation at hand, squelching the emotion and focusing.

He brought his staff to the ground, and a blast of necromantic power emanated from him in all directions. Cinder was carried backwards by the blast, but found her footing again almost instantly. She charged again, and as he summoned another spell, Naze spoke.

"Why did you prioritize me as your first target to destroy?"

His voice scraped through the air, unnatural and monotone, but the question was a genuine one. If there was any more he could know about the process of possession, he wouldn't pass up the opportunity to learn. She might even say something pertinent to the battle.

Cinder scowled, but before she could get close, Naze let loose a wave of arcane energy, forcing her back.

"You were the biggest threat, and your existence is cold and pointless. You can't feel my master's gift."

He turned the statement over in his mind, examining every angle he could. She obviously resented him, and he couldn't help but wonder if the feeling was really her own, or was simply manufactured by the demon that had claimed her. She had made an offer to him early in his return for a spot at her side, and he had the impression that before being possessed, she wasn't the type to take rejection so easily.

Cinder once again recovered almost instantly, but this time refrained from charging. Instead, she started to stalk around in a circle, looking for any weak points she could take advantage of.

Naze had to admit, the ferocity of her attacks were beyond what he had expected. His wards and shields were strong, but if she were allowed the time, Cinder could rip through them without pause. If that happened, the dynamic of the battle would have to change significantly. He would have to outmaneuver her, as he wasn't so cocky as to think that in a contest of physical ability he would come out on top.

She was weakened, he could tell, by the diseases he had created for her. The way her breathing was ever so subtly shallow and raspy was a fine sign that the illness was performing its function. They'd gotten enough of a foothold in her body to resist being outright exterminated, and kept her from having any real rest. If she stopped regenerating the damage they constantly did, she would die. He didn't know if her regenerative abilities had any limits, but he intended on finding out.

He let his gaze wander from her slightly, testing to see if she would take the opportunity. In what would have been faster than the human eye could see, she leaped forward, now adjusting for the fact that she would have to break through his wards first.

He prepared another spell to knock her out of the air again, when the familiar burn of holy magic ebbed his power away. It was elsewhere in the swamp, but startlingly close given the time since he had felt it enter his land.

His reaction was automatic, stretching across the distance and taking hold of the necromantic energies around the light and attempting to crush it. To his surprise, the holy power refused to yield, not even faltering under his force. It was more than Paladins that were coming, that much was clear.

His attention was grabbed again by Cinder as she brought her fury down on his wards. Several more of his charms exploded as they absorbed more kinetic force than they could handle. The protective layers around him lessened, and he struck out at Cinder not only with magic, but with his staff as well.

When he saw that Cinder was off-balance, he thrust the dark iron spike forwards, using the runes to hasten the strike. The blow was timed perfectly, so that between staying upright and continuing to strike, Cinder wouldn't have time to react.

The spike penetrated her skin, finding its way between her ribs by way of her armpit. Naze could almost feel her heartbeat through the staff, and he wondered if he had pierced her heart. Regardless, he funneled necrotic energy through the artifact, feeling the flesh around it die. After a second of this, Cinder began to resist, and he gave one final pulse of magic into the wound.

What tissue he had managed to kill was immediately put into a state of advanced decomposition. A thick slime of partially dissolved meat oozed from the wound as Naze pulled his weapon out. He examined Cinder's reaction carefully. She didn't show any sign of pain, but her displeasure was clear.

If she were a normal person or, perhaps, a lesser demon, the wound she'd taken would have begun to fester immediately, spreading rot through her body that would leave nothing but a heap with the consistency of mud. Instead, the wound began to sizzle and pop, flesh around the area rotting, being burned away by Cinder's body, regenerating, and dying once again. It was exactly the kind of cycle that he would need to overwhelm her healing, if such a thing was possible.

If the battle worked out as he anticipated, it would come down to a battle of attrition, an area the undead usually dominated. Against Cinder, however, he knew it wouldn't be so simple. She was too fast, too strong. He could evade her, but he could not attack. Not enough to create the wounds he needed while also staying relatively safe.

Naze hovered backwards quickly, throwing another beam of arcane energy out as he did so. Patience would be key, and though he wanted Cinder dead as quickly as possible, he felt no rush.

He and Cinder stared at each other for a moment, before Cinder cracked a smile.

"I can feel it. It's coming."

Naze looked to her somewhat distended stomach. She was right, the increase in demonic energy being given off by the egg inside of her was causing visible distortions in the air. He didn't have enough time to wait. He needed another way to kill her.

The Huntsmen and Paladins tried to keep their eyes forward as they continued to move through the swamp. All conversation had died out when the trees grew thick enough to block out the sun. Bizarre noises echoed from past the darkness, and they were all sure they could see skittering shapes just on the edge of Amber's light.

Amber, on the other hand, tried to be completely aware of every surrounding. It was a difficult thing to do, focus that much, when she had just a few hours ago become a god. Something in her mind still hadn't quite come to grips with that yet. A god? Her? Or was it goddess? It didn't matter, she supposed, but she couldn't help wondering.

Her mind felt stretched, yet somehow confined at the same time. She could feel the thoughts from her followers, and could feel the presence of each of the Huntsmen. Each except for two, Yang and Ruby. Not being able to sense Yang made sense to her, but something strange was going on with Ruby. She couldn't tell what it was. She was tempted to ask. If it was anything she could help with, she wouldn't hesitate. But Ruby kept to herself, her arms around her sides, muttering to herself. Amber knew that she wasn't insane, but she still worried about the girl.

Another sound came from somewhere in the swamp, but something set it apart from the others. It was fearful, something that the zombies and creatures they had seen so far very clearly couldn't experience. It sounded human.

Eyes from the whole group turned in the direction of the cry, including Amber's. She peered through the darkness, looking for any sign of what lay ahead.

"Who was that? Did we lose someone?"

Solace was quick to answer her question, looking up at her and shaking his head.

"No, we've made sure to keep everyone in sight. No one could have wandered off. It must be one of Naze's tricks."

She wasn't sure about that. Naze's traps would be designed for demons, not good Samaritans. On their charge to the swamp, Cinder hadn't let her people off their charge at all. She doubted that they would have gone after some random prey.

"I don't think so. Listen to it, it sounds too… I don't know, too real."

The shouting was getting closer, and was accompanied by a frantic splashing sound. Amber put a hand out, shining light through the dense trees, and gasped when she saw the source of the noise.

Roman Torchwick sprinted as quickly as the slop he fought through would allow in their direction. On his back, a small girl was clinging to his shoulders, her legs around his waist. The girl was looking over her shoulder, as though checking if something was following them. An instant later, a curtain of vines hanging from a tree was torn apart as a dozen zombies tore their way through.

The zombies were thin, lanky things, but moved incredibly fast for being dead. How Roman had outrun them for however long they had been chasing him, Amber couldn't guess. What she did know, though, was that they didn't have any kind of mind or awareness. Nothing would persuade them to stop, and so, for lack of any other option, she threw a bolt of holy magic in their direction.

As soon as the magic was out, she felt the death in the air press down on her, like she was submerged under water. It didn't pose any real danger, her power was more than enough to keep it at bay. Then, almost as fast as it had come, it was gone.

Blinding golden light engulfed the zombies, and when it was gone, the onlookers could see that the small horde had collapsed in the water, floating face-down, unmoving. Roman didn't seem to fully realize what had happened, and kept running through the knee deep muck.

Amber lowered herself nearly to the surface of the water, holding out her arms and saying, "Please, stop. You're safe now. How did you get here?"

Roman looked up at her, and his expression changed from wild panic to one of pure bewilderment. He slowly came to a stop, ending up about ten feet away, stunned.

"What the hell…"

He spoke over his shoulder in gasping breaths to the girl on his back, saying, "Neo, is the swamp gas getting to me, or is there really a floating gold lady in front of me right now?"

Neo looked Amber up and down, narrowing her eyes for a brief moment before nodding. Roman looked back to Amber.

"Safe, huh? I didn't think Naze would let these brats into his turf." He motioned to the multitude of Beacon students. "Doesn't really sound 'safe' to me. And before you kids get any ideas, let's just get it out of the way; I'm working for the same guy you are. We're on the same side here."

He turned his attention back to Amber, straightening up and stretching an arm across his chest. "So who are you? You don't seem like Naze's usual help."

Amber gave him a warm smile, responding, "No, I'm not one of Naze's people. I'm with the Order of the Holy Light. What are you doing out here?"

Roman shrugged dismissively, and said, "I was working with Naze, probably the same as you. I was supposed to stab her in the back at some point, but I never got the chance. I stuck with her through most of their charge, but we got left in the dust after a while. Been trying to catch up. I've got to say, I didn't think this place would be as bad as it is."

He looked around himself, taking in the gloomy surroundings and, more importantly, keeping an eye out for any more enemies. As he did this, Amber felt a sudden shift in the air as something much more sinister began to bleed into it.

She was still unsure of her new body, it seemed to be made out of pure light, and she was sure that she couldn't vomit, but this new sensation made her feel sick all the same. It was demonic power, and far more than Cinder had possessed before. If they wanted to make a difference, they would have to hurry.

"Come with us, then. I can keep you safe, and get you to Cinder. Are you hurt? I can heal you as well."

Roman raised an eyebrow, suspicious, before turning to Neo and giving her a questioning look. She didn't look back at him, though. She had been staring at Amber the whole time, wide eyed and unmoving. Roman waited for several seconds, then snapped his fingers in front of her face. She blinked and jerked back slightly, then looked back to Roman with a blank expression.

"Can we trust her?" He tilted his head towards Amber as he spoke, and Neo nodded vigorously. Roman was surprised, she was never this enthusiastic about trusting anyone new. Roman had to admit, something about Amber did feel good, in a weird kind of way.

Something occurred to him, and one hand jumped to the amulet around his neck that Naze had given him. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found it was cold as ice.

He nodded, stepping towards Amber.

"Alright, sure. Yeah, we'll go with you."

Amber nodded, smiling. "Good. We'll set off right away!"

She floated higher off the ground, and the group started to shuffle onwards again. Roman watched for a moment as they moved past. He kept a special eye on the faces, looking to see if any of them appeared particularly worried. There were a few anxious faces, but on the whole, they seemed to think they had a chance.

What grabbed his attention more than this was when he spied familiar faces.

"Red! How have you been?" He would've recognized the hood anywhere. As he moved towards the girl, her sister stepped between them, stone-faced.

"Don't touch Ruby."

Ruby pulled her cape around her tighter, hoping that Torchwick wouldn't notice her. She was wrong, though, and he started towards her. She breathed a sigh of relief, though, when Yang stepped between them, and said, "Don't touch Ruby."

That seemed to stop Roman in his tracks, and he fell back slightly in the crowd. Yang rubbed Ruby's head before walking slightly ahead. She knew Ruby didn't want to talk, even though her sister hadn't told her why. Ruby couldn't just come out and say she'd made a deal with a demon, especially when people dealing with demons was what caused all of this to begin with.

The demon hadn't spoken in a while, something that Ruby was grateful for, but it was still unnerving knowing that something that big and bad was watching her, just waiting. She regretted letting it into her cape, too. It sent shivers up her back to think that something might change about the cloak, even her perception of it. She couldn't change her mind now, though.

In the distance, an earsplitting roar sounded, echoing out through the trees and causing several of the students to clap their hands over their ears. Amber was quick to react, a small flash of light pulsing out of her, dampening the sound as it slammed into the group. After is faded away, Amber said, "Perhaps we should hurry up."

The Paladins all nodded, and the students were eager to fight. With a much faster pace, they resumed their journey to the center of the swamp.

Ruby took in how much it had changed. Before, it hadn't been much more than a swamp, full of as many insects and leeches as would be expected. Now the place just felt dead, empty, and unnerving. The massive change had happened so fast, it seemed. She wondered if Naze preferred it this way, or if he had kept the region mostly alive and well for so long after waking up for a reason.

"Keep your eye on Roman, Ruby. He does have a deal with Naze, but still, be careful."

Ruby's eyes raised up to find Yang looking back at her.

She replied, "Yeah, but he seems like he wants to help. I guess we need everything we can get against Cinder, right? He seems like he could be useful in a fight, right?"

Yang smirked. "Yeah, I guess he could be. Not as good as us, obviously, but sure, he could help. I would be more worried about Neo, though. She's a weird one. Anyways, are you still feeling good about all this? I don't need to worry about you getting your head kicked off or something? Because as cool as Naze is with a lot of stuff, I don't think he's one for resurrecting random people."

Ruby nodded, assuring herself that she wouldn't need to ask Naze for something like that.

"I wish Mom was here. I know guarding Vale is important, but couldn't just a few of the Huntsmen come with us? I mean, what are the chances that and demons are going to get away anyways? They were all going straight here."

Yang shook her head. "Naze doesn't want to take chances with the demons. If even one gets away, it could start this whole thing over again. The Hunters keeping watch over the borders of the kingdoms is the best way that they can stop this. Naze said borders would have to be guarded like that for a long time, and he wasn't going to keep using the Hunters much longer. I know Mom would want to be here too, but they need her out there."

Ruby didn't like it, but Yang was right. She hated to think that Summer would be left all alone, having to know her kids were doing something as dangerous as this, but things hadn't played out any other way.

She started to feel her palms sweat, and wiped them on her skirt. What she was doing was very dangerous. Incredibly so, maybe even the most dangerous thing she would ever do. Could she go through with it? Yang had told her that dying was nothing to be afraid of, but that was like a doctor telling someone that shot would only feel like a slight pinch; it didn't help at all.

She looked to her side, seeing the expressions on her friends' faces. Except for Yang and Nora, they all seemed to have some nerves about the upcoming battle. Weiss held her hands tightly together, but Ruby could see them shaking ever so slightly. Blake kept her face expressionless as best she could, but her eyes darted from place to place, inspecting each of the shadows that danced on the edge of Amber's light, as well as glancing back at Roman with an odd look on her face. He seemed to look back at her, and of all the things that Ruby could have seen on his face, she saw hesitation. What Roman had to feel hesitant about, she didn't know, but she was sure that she would find out before too long. Ren was still on Nora's back, but his arms hung around her neck tightly, like he was hugging her, and didn't want to let go. For her part, Nora was bouncing along, as happy as a clam, just like always. Ruby couldn't help but envy the way Nora always had such boundless energy and optimism. Being possessed by a demon hadn't changed her too much, Ruby supposed. She had to wonder how much of Cinder was left in the demon they were chasing. What was she like before all of this? She would never know, she supposed.

Jaune and Pyrrha were still talking to each other, and Ruby noticed they were holding hands now. It didn't seem like they were entirely confident, but they were at least giving each other some comfort. Yang was as ready at ever, walking near the edge of Amber's light to avoid being weakened. Ruby could tell she was just itching to get into a fight, and take revenge for what had been done to her friends.

The voice in her hood spoke again, making her jump.

"I could help you, you know. I mean, I already am, but I'm not opposed to amending the deal. I keep you and your friends safe, free from charge."

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Free?"

The imitation of Yang's voice chuckled, and said, "Perhaps not entirely, but free of permanent cost. I gain partial control of your body for the duration of the fight. It's necessary, you realize, because you couldn't possibly keep up with Cinder enough to keep everyone safe. I, on the other hand, could give you not just the power, but the ability to use it to its fullest. What do you say? Are you willing to risk your friends?"

Ruby's heart suddenly felt like a bass drum pounding away in her chest. She had to be very careful before agreeing to anything.

"I get control back when it's over, right?"

The demon answered, "The instant Cinder dies. Or before, if you want. You can take it back any time, though I would be unable to save your friends if you do."

Ruby walked in silence, thinking. After wracking her brain, trying to consider every possibility, she looked up at her friends again.

"Fine, but only when we get there."

A shiver went down her spine as the demon responded, "Of course, Sis, of course."

Naze repulsed Cinder off of his wards again, wondering how she was still alive. By all logic, the diseases, magic, and damage she had taken so far should have reduced her to little more than a puddle of liquid organs. Yet she still fought on, showing only a few signs of slowing. Her mouth foamed slightly, and her breathing was more labored, but she had almost gotten though all of his wards, and he was no closer to striking her down.

His fighting had shifted to much more defensive, holding her off rather than attacking. The holy presence was continuing to draw closer, and he could only assume it was Amber coming to interfere.

Perhaps her intervention wasn't quite as unwanted as he had first thought. Holy power would have a much greater effect than his spells. Cinder was starting to change, her body was growing and shifting as more and more demonic energy flowed through her. Becoming permanently linked with her master couldn't be far off now.

She dashed towards him, and he had only an instant to formulate a spell. In a bright flash, Naze was gone, appearing at the far end of the crater. Teleportation wasn't easy, even for him. Cinder passed through the empty air before skidding to a halt and reorienting herself, turning to face him and sneering.

"Stop running! You can't stop me! Accept it!"

Perhaps she was right. It seemed that necromancy was far too slow, and nothing else had the punch needed to do any actual damage. She was only growing stronger, and he wasn't matching. He could, he supposed, shift gears, and use more dangerous spells. They would take time to prepare, but if he could manage to cast them, they could blast Cinder to oblivion. The only issue was that he needed a distraction, and there was no chance that she would be fooled again by a simple image again.

It was good, then, that Amber was on her way. She would make for an excellent distraction, as well as being able to damage on her own.

With his new plan, Naze reassessed his situation. Amber would reach them before Cinder finished her transformation, but he questioned whether or not Amber would be able to work with him. Their opposing powers meant that they would both have to show restraint for fear of destroying the other. That was something best avoided, though he was certain that if it came down to it, Amber would be willing to sacrifice herself.

Pushing his staff forward, he conjured another blast of arcane energy, and watched as Cinder leapt to the side. He adjusted his aim, keeping the beam constant. It swept over brush and dirt, vaporizing everything it touched. Cinder attempted to dodge again, but was engulfed by the blast. Naze continued to fire, noting that the other side of the crater was beginning to show major signs of damage. Rock was superheated and being flung in every direction, and the beam gouged a deeper and deeper divot.

He was still vaguely aware of Cinder's location inside of the beam. He could feel the disturbance of her body blocking the energy's path, and he could also tell that she hadn't stopped advancing. She worked herself forward with heavy steps, hooves digging into the ground each time, and wings folded close to her body.

He could tell she was being flayed as she went, but the damage was healed as fast as it was done. He increased the intensity of the blast, but still, she moved forwards. As Naze prepared to increase its power a second time, Cinder lurched forward with blistering speed, and before Naze could react, she snatched his staff away, lashing out with her other hand as hard as she could.

He jerked back, able to keep the blow from hitting his wards straight on. A few more talismans burst on his chains, but he kept his eyes trained solely on Cinder.

He liked that staff. Though it was a simple thing, and an old thing, he had used it for eons. It helped to make his spells much more precise, when he needed it. And now Cinder was touching it.

A devilish smile slid across her face as she pulled the implement closer, getting a good look at the immaculately carved runes. Their color died as the staff left Naze's hand, but she didn't seem to notice.

"It's about time you got your little toy taken away. Even if you have something else, I'll take it too. My master is too strong for you! Give up!"

Naze pulsed magic into the staff, activating a rune small enough to be nearly invisible near the base of the artifact. With a small pop, it blinked out of existence, appearing at nearly the same moment in Naze's open hand.

A small voice in the back of Naze's head reminded him that action needed to be taken immediately, but for the shortest of seconds, he ignored it. He didn't often get the opportunity to feel anything positive, but now seemed to be one of those rare times.

Cinder let out a scream of rage, her hands flying to her head and grabbing fistfuls handfuls of hair.

"Stop!"

The brief moment of levity vanished as he shunted his emotions away again, and he prepared another teleportation spell. Cinder attacked again, and the last of Naze's wards fell.

Her claw passed by him, barely a millimeter from the fray of his robes. Without further hesitation, Naze teleported again, this time to the rim of the crater, giving himself more time. He crushed his emotions as thoroughly as he could, cursing the timing of the little outburst of feeling he'd experienced. It wasn't going to happen again, he would make sure of that.

The vertical nature of the ground between him and Cinder seemed to mean very little to her, as she was clawing her way up almost as fast as she had been running. Naze tapped his staff against the ground, pulsing out the magic of a geomancer, causing the rock face Cinder clung on to crumble. The cascade of stones caused her to drop several feet, but before she could lose significant ground, she used her wings to propel herself into the new rock face, sinking her fingers into the stone and resuming her climb.

Naze gazed at her briefly before something else caught his eye. The unmistakable glow of Amber's light shone through the trees on the other side of the crater. Even from this distance, he could feel the unpleasant presence of the magic even from this distance. As her brilliantly-glowing form came to the edge of the crater, Naze saw others emerge from his swamplands. The Paladin group was first, as meager as it was, but they could be expected to follow Amber around like dogs now.

What Naze noted more, however, was the students behind them.

The Beacon students had accompanied Amber to fight the arch demon's champion. Why Amber would agree to something like that, he didn't know, but he could figure it out later. For now, he needed to make things more advantageous. As Cinder reached the lip of the crater and flung herself towards him, he jerked to the side, hastily moving away, floating over the edge and turning to face Cinder as he continued to move backwards, in Amber's direction.

Cinder didn't follow like he thought she would. Instead, a sharp-toothed smile crossed her face, and she started to summon up more demonic energy. As opposed to the latent energy she gave off constantly, this energy felt directed and purposeful.

Naze summoned up as much energy as he could, channeling it through his staff and creating a shield. The projection danced with light, the brilliant white of the arcane, the dim unearthly glow of death, and everything in-between. He would need everything he could get if he were to avoid being destroyed.

The group froze as they pushed their way out from the tree line, eyes widening as they became aware of what was happening. Cinder was blasting Naze with some kind of energy, and he was holding it off. Every one of them could feel the earth begin to shake as blinding lights and deafening sounds assaulted their senses. Ruby held a hand up, hoping to make out everything she could.

All she could see was that the shield Naze used, whatever it was, began to falter. She wasn't even sure how she could know that, but somehow, she was sure that it was the case. Maybe the demon in her cloak heightened her senses, maybe it was simply a meager explanation of an inept mind to explain what it saw. It didn't change the fact that Naze appeared to be losing.

There seemed to be a very long second, during which Naze glanced back at them, and for one miniscule instant, she was sure that she could see something on his face. Something that made her think of hope.

A second later, his shield shattered with a concussive boom, and Naze disappeared. There was no flash of light, there was no sharp crack of teleportation. He simply vanished.

In the next instant, the wave of fury Cinder blasted overtook where he had been, ensuring that anything left of the Lich was completely and utterly obliterated.

Ruby could only stare, stunned. She couldn't process what had just happened. Had he died? Did Cinder win?

Something was off, she could tell, but there was no time to think about it. Amber started moving forward, and Ruby felt a rush of energy. Whatever happened, she was going to fight.

Her throat opened as she let out a cry, charging forwards, eyes locked on Cinder. She wouldn't stop for anything. Not until Cinder was dead.

Author's Note:

Been a while since the last chapter, I know. I'll do my best on getting the next one out faster. And this gets posted on my birthday too, what a pleasant coincidence.

Remember to review and follow if you like! I would imagine you do, if you've read this far.