Chapter 14: The Cost Of Duty (Part Two)

Liam materialised in midair, making use of the still-dissipating magic to keep his body afloat for a few more seconds. The canal before him was as abandoned as it came, with overgrown shrubs threatening to engulf its yawning entrance.

The boy’s face darkened as his feet finally touched the ground. He stepped forward cautiously. The air was thick with the stench of death.

Blue magic trickled down his body with each step, adorning it in his Magus robes. He felt Luca and Ava do the same from behind.

Three presences popped up in his magic senses as dried leaves rustled beneath his sandals. This canal had obviously long dried up, so he wasn’t walking in sewage water, at least. But the emptiness of this whole place made even the softest sound echo through the whole damned place, which also meant an ambush was out of the question.

“You sure wasted no time coming here. This boy must mean a lot to you, eh?”

Liam narrowed his eyes without flinching.

The same disembodied head that attacked him in school, as well as a gigantic black cat, were standing conspicuously at the end of the canal, staring straight at him.

Chester’s unconscious body was leaning carelessly against the wall behind, and his life force felt alarmingly weak. Liam suppressed a sharp inhale; his friend’s injuries were no less severe than that of a car accident victim.

“What do you want?” Luca stepped forward, both fists clenched tightly. “Don’t you dare hurt Chester!”

A huge fireball burst out from the cat’s mouth without warning, singeing the floor in front of the Magus before they could react.

“If you don’t shut up right now, I’ll skin you alive and put your screams on my goddamn Discman,” the Nekomata snarled. “You’re in no position to make demands, filthy humans.”

Liam spotted Chester stirring slightly from the corner of his eye, although Chester made no further movement.

“Now, now. There’s no need to be uncivilised here,” the Rokurokubi purred. “Our demands were made very clear in our note, and I believe you understand what’s at stake here. It was written with the blood of your very own son, after all. So, do you agree to our terms?”

“You want us to let you roam free in this country?” Ava said. “After you’ve killed so many people?”

She gestured at the pile of half-eaten skeletons rotting in the corner of the canal.

“Fat chance,” she spat. “You have committed unforgivable crimes against the natural world. Come with us without a fight and you may still be spared. We came here for your surrender. And we will use violence—”

A huge mace materialised in her hand.

“— If necessary.”

A glowing orange helmet wrapped around Luca’s head as a show of backing his wife up. He lifted a magically conjured machine gun at the monsters threateningly.

Liam resisted the urge to roll his eyes in frustration. Even if this was Ava’s way of suppressing her nervousness, she was being way too aggressive. And if they weren’t careful, Chester could still get hurt if a fight broke out.

Not like he had a choice now, since that impulsive woman had clearly chosen to aggravate the monsters. Elemental magic charged in Liam’s palms as well.

“I always knew humans were heartless, but you never fail to surprise me,” the Nekomata said. “Isn’t this your son? Don’t you care about his safety? No wonder you drove him away. Some parents you are.”

A stray breeze hit Liam as Ava burst forward with an anguished shriek, swinging her mace wildly at the monster cat. Luca cocked his weapon as well, unloading hundreds of tiny green bullets at the Yokai.

It was pointless.

With a single flick of its bushy tail, the Nekomata sent Ava twirling in the turbulent air currents without even touching her. Luca gritted his teeth as he continued to spray his weapon at the monster, but the bullets simply bounced off its hide. The Rokurokubi hissed aggressively, seizing the opportunity to charge straight at Liam.

Liam stomped his feet, sending a wave of jagged ice towards the nimble head. It cackled wildly as it simply rolled over the tip of the ice.

The glowing machine gun dispersed into the air as Luca’s fingers flicked the air vigorously like he was throwing up several gang signs in rapid succession. Electricity crackled from Liam’s glowing eyes, forcing the Rokurokubi to dodge to the side.

Which put it right where Luca needed it to be.

The disembodied head wailed in shock as dozens of golden arrows struck it, pinning it onto the ice. Miniature golden chains began spreading around the struggling Rokurokubi.

“Much thanks, Davies.” He gave Liam a small smile, golden light still burning fiercely in his irises. “Would’ve been a waste of mana if that binding spell missed its target—”

A blood-curdling scream interrupted his concentration.

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“Honey!” The complex glyph in the air shimmered away abruptly as Luca dashed forward, catching his wife before she hit the ground.

Liam’s eyes widened in horror as the magic in the air intensified sharply. Mana rushed towards the boy’s fingers as he hastily conjured a magic shield just in time for a powerful shockwave to shatter it easily.

He glared at the Nekomata, whose careless show of strength had shattered the remnants of Luca’s capturing spell, although it also knocked the Rokurokubi out. That monster really had no moral quandaries.

“I don’t usually like dirtying my paws with human blood.” The Nekomata licked a gash in its paw, healing the wound instantly. “But you’ve pissed me off today, so I’ll gladly make an exception!”

Liam dived forward, narrowly dodging the black magic beam sweeping over his head. The cat roared like a tiger, flinging its fur bristles at the three Mages. There were distant sounds of magic clashing, while Liam raised a circular aegis.

He grunted as the bristles stuck themselves in the shield with incredible force, pushing him back slightly. Liam pursed his lips with worry. That casual blow felt like a shotgun blast at point-blank range. Even with Luca and Ava’s help, all three Magus still weren’t a match for this monster in a head-on fight at all.

For better or for worse, the Nekomata was too distracted by the couple’s relentless onslaught to notice him, although it was only a matter of time before they buckled under its sheer power. He had to get Chester to safety and call on the might of the headquarters to handle this Yokai—

Chester?

Liam’s heart flew to his mouth as his eyes darted frantically at where his friend should have still been lying. Where did he go? When did he disappear?

“Liam!” a familiar voice called out to him as his confusion intensified. The boy swung around in shock to see Hazel running towards him.

“What the— How did you find your way here?” he asked the girl. “I thought I told you to stay in the tent!”

Hazel gestured at the empty space behind her. “I met Komyo earlier, and he brought me to…”

Her voice trailed away as her eyes widened in shock.

“Wait, where did he go? He was just here!” she exclaimed.

Liam scarcely had time to wonder what she was talking about when Luca and Ava crashed into a nearby wall. They tumbled at his feet, groaning in pain.

“Weak… So, so weak!” the Nekomata roared in laughter, brandishing its metre-long claws. “You humans are pathetic— Oh, what’s this? Fresh meat?”

“Hazel, look out!”

Liam darted in front of his friend, emitting a desperate body shield to protect her. It was no use.

Hazel’s scream rang out in his muffled ears as his protection charms shattered from the monster’s direct blow to his face. He collapsed to the ground in an undignified heap, the world around him spinning like a kaleidoscope.

“Are you scared, little girl?” the monster cat taunted Hazel. “Good, your flesh will taste all the better!”

“No!” Liam screamed helplessly as the Nekomata lunged at his friend—

Three gunshots rang out.

Time seemed to freeze as the Magus stared at Hazel in awe. She had not only pulled out a gun from her backpack but also somehow managed to hurt the Nekomata with it.

The Yokai staggered backwards, touching the holes in its torso in disbelief.

“Impossible…”

Another shot rang out as a glowing green bullet found its way through the Nekomata’s head, causing it to topple backwards. It writhed like a dying cockroach as supernatural energy rapidly escaped from the holes in its body.

“No… not like this…” It struggled to push its body up. “Damn you… Damn you, humans! If I’m going, you’re coming with me!”

Magic swirled around the monster’s body as it crawled towards a dazed Ava. The Nekomata raised its paw, murder possessing its gaze. It was too late; there was no way the woman could avoid it. The monster swept its paw violently.

Colour drained from Liam’s face as time seemed to stand still.

No, no, no, no….

Hazel’s scream was barely audible over the blood rushing to his ears. Luca’s agonised cry rang out. Ava’s shocked expression remained frozen on her face.

“Chester!”

Time unfroze itself as Chester’s body slammed into the canal roof before crashing back onto the floor with a sickening crunch. Blood splattered from his agape mouth, and his body went limp. Liam remained frozen in shock at Chester, who had jumped out of nowhere to shield his mother.

The Nekomata released one last groan before its body shrunk into a small glowing orb.

No, no… Dammit. Chester, you idiot… Why did you jump out and take that hit…?

Liam limped to his friend’s body. He had to be sure. He had to confirm it for himself, even if his magic senses had already told him otherwise.

“P— Please, no…” The boy dropped to his knees and touched his fingers to Chester’s carotid artery.

Nothing.

A shadow fell over him. Luca was pressing his bloodstained fingers on Chester’s wrist as well. It didn’t take magic to know that he felt no pulse either.

“My boy…” Ava whimpered, clutching Chester’s pale hand close to her chest. “My sweet, precious boy. Come back to Mummy, please… I’m sorry, darling. I’m so, so sorry…”

Oh god, no… This can’t be happening.

Liam collapsed backwards as he released his friend’s corpse in shock and defeat. Hate filled his eyes as he glared at the Nekomata’s soul.

“I don’t care… I DON’T CARE ANYMORE!” he roared like a wounded beast, snatching the glowing orb from the floor. Dark magic burst in his palm as he forcibly crushed the monster’s soul.

The red ball of light shattered anticlimactically as Liam slumped down again, his body shaking with every sob.

“A Magus lives to serve. To sacrifice. To protect those in need. There is no greater calling.” Luca’s trembling voice cut through the air. “But my son…”

He stood up sombrely, his boy lying motionless in his arms.

“My son is dead.”