The Protector and the Peacemaker

Chapter Thirty One

Chapter Thirty One

(Porter)

"The Repurposed!" Porter shouted, but it was too late. The Slayers didn't have time to stop, and they charged straight into the army of brainwashed Mythics. The Repurposed didn't need to be told what to do, they immediately began hacking and slashing at every black-coated warrior that came close to them.

"No!" Azkular shouted in dismay as the Slayers, given no choice, began to fight back. Without waiting for Porter's order, the djinn ran past him, into the midst of the battle. Porter let him go, and Droma followed a few steps behind. There were far more Repurposed Mythics than Porter would have thought possible. It actually matched the Slayer's army in size.

Off to the side, the crowd of humans finally began to panic now that violence had broken out. Many of them tried to run, but Mortoph saw them and pointed them out. A hundred Repurposed Mythics broke away from the rest and chased after the defenseless people.

Sarah came to stand beside him.

"We did it," Porter thought numbly, watching the chaos unfold. "We actually turned everyone against Mortoph."

"We're not done yet, though," Sarah told him, summoning Flicker again. "We still have to beat him."

Porter shot her a worried glance. "Are you ready for this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be!" she answered, and put herself into a fighting position.

"All right, let's do it!"

With that, Porter raised his sword and charged at Mortoph, Sarah matching him step for step. The Master Slayer turned away from the battle just in time to see them coming, and swung his massive sword around. As one, Porter and Sarah leaped over the blade and swung their swords at him. Mortoph retaliated with inhuman speed, somehow blocking both attacks at once. His sword collided with theirs, and with a might shove he sent them both flying. Porter flipped himself in midair so that he was facing Mortoph even as he fell, extended his wings, and the wind came to life, pushing him back towards the Slayer even faster than he had been going away from him. Porter closed the distance between them in less than a second, and slashed the moment he came within reach— and Mortoph vanished. Porter streaked past the place where he had just been standing, but his flight was suddenly halted when a large hand grabbed him by the neck.

"You can't beat me, Porter!" Mortoph snarled, raising the chimera into the air. Porter swung his sword desperately, but Mortoph blocked every attack with his other hand. The world began to swim in front of Porter's eyes. He couldn't breathe!

"I thought I told you that last night when we fought inside your head," he went on, bringing Porter in closer to him.

"I know... what you are..." Porter gasped, his face beginning to turn blue.

"Do you?" the Master Slayer asked. "You have no idea what the full extent of my power is. Here, let me show you."

What struck Porter next wasn't a wave of fear— it was an entire ocean! Terror flooded every inch of Porter's being, from his skin, to his bones, to his very soul. It was meaningless horror, directed at nothing, and yet terrifying him beyond rational thought at the same time. If he had been able to think clearly, he would have realized that this was the same way Mortoph had killed his own father. It felt like his blood was freezing inside his veins. His fingers went numb, and he dropped his sword. There was nothing he could do except stop struggling and wait for it all to end...

Suddenly, Mortoph let out a scream of pain, and dropped him. Porter hit the ground gasping for air, his mind still reeling from the Fear Feeder's attack. He shook his head, forcing it to become clear again, and looked at Mortoph. The Master Slayer was clutching his side in pain, and behind him stood Sarah with her hands wrapped around Flicker's pommel— the blade buried up to the hilt in Mortoph's gut. Blood pooled from the wound, almost invisible against the black fabric of his coat.