SIS B5: Chapter 16: No Hesitation and Got

A/N: Woah it's been a hot minute. Sorry. Main reason for this being, what, three weeks late? I ended up rewriting this chapter twice. I just hated how it was going and it took a while to figure out what direction I wanted it to go in. I hope you enjoy.

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Daz didn't even waste any more words on the sack of flesh that called itself a human and a mother. All in the space of a fraction of a second, he controlled Hamson and withdrew his needle briefcase from his Industrial Item Box.

46 needles spun in a formation around the god-imitating shovel as they flew towards the head of the McArthur family - the very same family Madison had just disowned.

'I would have accepted anger at her harsh words, but dismissal of her courage to move past the trauma you instilled into her?! You die on this day, you old witch!' Daz roared in his mind in a fit of uncommon calculative rage as he used his open palms and his eyes to create Death Beams.

Three of his targets didn't respond in time and had holes drilled into them by the sickly grey power, killing them on the spot since Daz had aimed for their hearts.

The fourth likely had a skill similar to his own Lifeforce Dependency judging by the fact they were still breathing despite the massive gap in their forehead.

Madison's mother frowned. "This, foolish boy, was why I tried avoiding our meeting. You may have regained your emotions somehow, but clearly that's made you blinder to reason. Christopher, if you would be so kind."

The young man at her side nodded before stepping in front of her. He then raised his hand and twisted his wrist. All of Daz's diamond needles melted mid-flight and harmlessly dripped onto the chapel's floor.

Hamson rejected such treatment as it being a pseudo-God's weapon allowed it to resist Alteration but Madison's brother was still able to stop the weapon dead in its tracks, countering Daz's control over it.

"Level, four?" Daz heard from his left.

If Madison was saying that, it meant she could feel her brother's power was substantially stronger than her own as she was at level three.

Beyond the implication of power, however, the fact his beloved had reverted back to her usual speech sent waves of pain through Daz's heart.

He loved Madison for who she was, odd speaking pattern or not, but knowing how much this had meant to her and seeing her just give up on her convictions from a few seconds ago.... it made him grieve and it made his rage all the more potent.

[Ember of Love [Entry-level (final mastery)] has increased to 2%.]
[Ember of Love [Entry-level (final mastery)] has increased to 3%.]

"I trust you can clean this up, Christopher. Don't kill him or her. I don't care about the loose McArthur. I'll be leaving n-"

"The fuck you will!" Daz screamed. "Mr Barrier!"

With an assenting jiggle, a thin and translucent barrier appeared and instantly lined the walls of the building, completely trapping all beings within it.

The next moment, Madison moved like lightning and unsheathed Family. With a powerful swing, she aimed fer her mother's neck.

"I, hate, you!" came a cry from her very soul as tears streamed down her emotionless face.

Madison's mother sighed. "I never did understand why you decided to pick up swordsmanship while in the states. Of course, we had an inkling the apocalypse was coming. Everyone did since his father hinted at it, but we were never sure and we never told you about this. If you wanted to protect yourself, why not train with a firearm? That would have made more sense at the time."

She then flicked her fingers, and as if a giant had grabbed ahold of Madison, she was flung across the room.

"Really, come now. I know you were trained to counter-alter your clothes. It shouldn't be this easy for me to move them even if I'm near the end of level four Alteration," Madison's mother said in disappointment.

Daz's eyes flashed golden as he shattered a future where Christopher did something very similar to him, grabbing his clothes and flinging him around like a ragdoll. He then used Hamson to finish off the last of the suited McArthur goons.

"Come now, future son-in-law," the queen of these lands said to him, "Do you really think you alone can defeat both me and my lovely son? My daughter's as useless as ever and that woman behind you won't help either. I can see your internal energy. Well, feel it more specifically. You have very, very little. You must be a genius to have reached level four in Survivor's Instinct with only that much to train from."

Daz stood still as his mind worked as quickly as it could. Madison picked herself up off of the floor and hobbled over to his side. Within seconds, her injuries from being slammed against the wall had healed.

It really was a must-have for one to possess self-healing powers in this day and age.

"I admit, Alteration is powerful. Sadly for you two though, my esper powers are only one part of my abilities. From my understanding, Alteration can only affect one thing at a time. Maybe level four changes that. I guess we'll find out. Mr Barrier, don't drop your barrier no matter what you do," Daz ordered.

The blue creature jiggled in affirmation.

"And you, Christopher, yes? I suggest you don't try to stop me. Madison told me you tried to protect her when you were kids. Pointlessly, but an effort was made. I only seek her death today, not yours," Daz declared.

Christopher shook his head. "No one needs to die today, Emperor Crowthorne. I think we've all been overreacting."

Daz sighed. "Had that devil in human's flesh behind you shown even a hint of genuine remorse over her actions towards Madison, maybe I'd have given her a chance. But no. Even if Maddy begged me to spare her, I wouldn't. I know a lingering issue when I see one. Cancer needs to be removed from the source."

Madison nodded. "I, no, try, stop. Hate. She, die. World, better, place."

It pained Daz greatly to hear her speaking so disjointedly once more. 'It's likely back for good this time...'

Regardless, he returned her nod. "Just like my father. Some people are beyond redemption. Anyway, are you quite done trying to alter a path out of here?"

"Ah, you saw that, did you? You Hamilios have always been so observant. Well, I suppose there's nothing left to do now but duke it out until one of us falls, yes?" Madison's mother asked with a smile of benevolence on her face.

Daz replied with two words. "Laughing Skull."

Tearing through the fabric of reality, the horrifically odd skull, one half green, one half blue, appeared in the open chapel.

Its laughter sent chills up Madison and Christopher's spines. As for Madison's mother, she was sent to her knees as blood began pouring out of her eyes, noses, ears, and mouth.

With sluggish movements, she made to wave her hand, clearly in an attempt to use her Alteration. To do what, Daz didn't know.

He wasn't going to wait to find out either. He controlled his shovel and the remaining four diamond needles that were still in his suitcase to turn the middle-aged woman into a pincushion.

Christopher wore an expression of deep worry as he tried to stop Daz's projectiles but couldn't on account of Madison's sword threatening to turn him into a human kebab.

Using one hand and half of his focus to alter the trajectory of Madison's sword slash and her spears of light - a skill Daz was unfamiliar with, Christopher poured the rest of himself into diverting as much of Daz's attack as he could.

All he managed was Hamson and two of the four needles. The rest as well as the skull were certain to kill the woman that had tormented Madison in her earliest of years.

"You can't kill me!" the queen of this land decreed. "If you do, Christopher dies with me and you'll want his God-ranked skill, I'm sure!"

Daz was impressed to see her bargaining for her life while her soul crumbled. It was clear in his grey-lifeless eyes what the Laughing Skull was doing to her.

It was deconstructing her soul in a manner similar to that of a 3D printer creating things, only in reverse.

The mere fact that she was even coherent at all was impressive. Only Mu had survived an attack from the skull thus far, and that was only because of three things; he was a Death Reaper who specialised in souls, he had his pet skull Esmerelda to take most of the blow for him, and finally because it was a weaker version of the skill than the current one Daz possessed.

"I don't care," Daz replied coldly as he stepped forward and controlled Hamson to come to his expectant palm. "You die today."

"Christopher's life is tied to mine! I've altered it to be so! It took over a decade and countless sacrifices to alter a living being! Don't throw that away for petty revenge! Besides, he is innocent! Madison wouldn't want him to die too, would you, darling daughter?" Madison's mother begged.

An unsure look entered Madison's eyes as she battled her elder brother. At this point, Daz was towering over her mother's bloody body, shovel in hand, ready to execute her.

He raised his shovel-wielding hand and repeated, "I don't care. You die today."

A hint of panic entered Madison's eyes. "Wait! Daz, don't! Chris, not, same, as, her! Doesn't, deserve, to, die!"

Daz slowly turned to look at her. He stared deeply into her emerald green eyes for a moment and he also saw the mixture of fear and acceptance marring her brother's expression.

"I'm sure you'll forgive me for this with time," he said coldly before turning back. He lowered his shovel swiftly and with one clean motion, the queen's head rolled.

Christopher sighed wistfully. "Such a waste."

His body then collapsed as if he had died on the spot from a sudden heart condition.

"Daz!" Madison yelled, anger in her tone. "Why?! Could, have, tried, to, remove, link! Not, as, strong, as, her, but, could, have, tried!"

It pained him to hear her yelling so desperately at him. He had done what he thought was right and best overall. He was sure that with time, Madison would be able to look past her emotions and see his side of things.

He didn't want to argue about this right now though. Not when the emotions were at their most raw. "Let me send off the souls, we'll bury these people, your brother, and that... woman. Then we can head back to our hotel and have a good long discussion about this, okay?"

There was fury in Madison's eyes. An emotion she had never expressed to Daz in the 15 years they had been together and it stabbed him deeply. More deeply than anything else he had ever experienced, even being treated so poorly by his father for over a decade.

Daz didn't know what else to say. What else could he say? Alison, who was hiding in the chapel's corner, looked just as lost. Well, lost and pale. She was clearly on the verge of vomiting.

Just then, Daz's phone started ringing. Considering only a very select group of people knew his number, he immediately answered since it must have been important.

He didn't get a chance to look at the caller's ID but he knew who it was the moment the call started. "We got got."

Hearing Rose's words and understanding the implications, he put her on speakerphone. Madison clearly needed to hear whatever was going to be said here.

"How so?" Daz asked.

"Maddy's mum is holding a press conference right now and she's describing the events of what happened in Arundel Castle. She even has video evidence, though it's been altered to the heavens and back. You, Maddy, and the loose McArthur, are being portrayed as having stormed into the castle demanded she cede all of the queen's lands to you before you attacked and killed everyone present when rejected," Rose explained.

Deep confusion and a slight hint of hope and relief flashed through Madison's eyes while the only emotions Daz felt were frustration and worry.

"Then the two who looked and acted like the queen and her son?" Daz asked coldly.

"In the video, they were the head butler of the McArthur estate as well as a cousin of Madison, a level three Alteration user called Eliza McArthur to my understanding," Rose explained.

Daz paced around as he fit his fingernails. "They altered their appearance and someone perfectly acted as the queen and Christopher or they were, what, astrally projecting onto them but left the second I killed them?"

"But... Alter, people, impossible. Link, hard, enough, to, trust, as, is..." Madison mumbled weakly.

"Oh? I'm on speakerphone? Makes sense, I guess. But yeah, if Daz can't see the truth of the situation then it likely means level four of Alteration removes or, pardon the pun, alters the rule of not being able to affect people," Rose suggested.

"Or level five. We don't know exactly how strong she is, do we?" Daz asked. "She said she was near the peak of level five, but I have no idea if she can bypass my Eyes of Truth like Adya can."

"Right, that Indian woman. I've tried guessing about a bunch of relevant stuff but I keep getting interfered with. I'm pretty certain either her or Christopher is the champion of my god's boss, the Higher God of Knowledge," Rose said.

Daz frowned. It was as the moment Rose had said those words that the air around them turned... sticky. As if a great presence was suddenly aware of them and their conversation and was now aptly listening.

"Is it safe to assume we're wanted criminals now?" Daz asked.

"Yup, as safe as your reputation isn't," Rose remarked.

Daz sighed. "Well, I hardly want to kill innocent people that have been misguided by your mother, Maddy. Shall we go? We'll talk while we travel too. You, me, and Mr Barrier."

Madison hesitated but ultimately nodded her head. "Okay."