The creature screeched, releasing Lorcan and stumbling backward. Its attendants swarmed in, trying to protect their queen, but the fighters pushed them back with a renewed frenzy. The woman with the baseball bat stepped in, smashing one of the smaller fae into the pavement.

  Lorcan’s eyes locked onto the scepter, lying just a few feet away on the cracked pavement. He could hear the Monarch’s enraged shrieks, its twisted face contorting in fury as it stumbled, trying to regain control of the situation. The smaller tooth fairies were still swarming the crowd, but without the Monarch’s command, they were losing their focus.

  “Move, move!” Lorcan shouted, darting toward the scepter. His heart pounded in his chest as he reached it, fingers brushing against its golden shaft. It was warm, pulsing with energy, and for a moment, he hesitated. He’d seen firsthand what the weapon could do when it was in the Monarch’s hands, and the thought of wielding that kind of power felt dangerously tempting. But he couldn’t afford to let the creature reclaim it.

  He gritted his teeth and grabbed the scepter firmly, his hand burning as the power surged through him. He was too focused on the moment to notice the glowing yellow gem at the base of the scepter until it began to vibrate under his touch.

  The air seemed to freeze as the gem flickered. Then, with a soft click, it recessed slightly into the shaft, and suddenly, the scepter was alive with an electric charge. Lorcan’s stomach lurched as he felt a sharp pull, as if the scepter itself was calling to him, urging him to use its magic.

  In the distance, the Monarch’s eyes widened in alarm, and it shrieked again, its twisted voice quivering with fear. “No! You dare—”

  Lorcan’s pulse quickened as he noticed the tooth fairies hesitating, their small wings beating in erratic patterns. He realized that the yellow gem had activated something—something that could shift the balance of power.

  “Focus!” Lorcan muttered to himself, trying to steady his hands. He needed to figure out how to control it. His heart hammered in his chest as a surge of energy coursed through him, flooding his senses with a dizzying array of images—claws snapping, teeth gnashing, the Monarch’s cruel, glowing eyes.

  He forced himself to think. The scepter was connected to the Monarch’s power. If he could use it against her, they might finally have a chance to win.

  The tooth fairies were regrouping, but their movements were slower now, sluggish as though the magic was beginning to slip from their control. Lorcan didn’t hesitate. He aimed the scepter at the Monarch, feeling the surge of energy as it pulsed against his grip.

  The air crackled with power.

  The yellow gem at the base of the scepter flared, and the golden light shot outward in a beam of pure energy that cut through the air like a sword. It surged toward the Monarch, its terrible form outlined against the dark sky.

  But just as the beam was about to strike, one of the smaller fairies darted in front of the beam, her wings a blur of motion. She was smaller than most, her body delicate and frail in comparison to the size of the Monarch, but her determination was absolute. The fairy’s tiny frame was the last thing Lorcan wanted to hit, but before he could change his aim, the fairy threw herself into the path of the beam. The golden light struck her full force, and her body convulsed violently as the beam coursed through her.

  The Monarch’s scream echoed across the battlefield, a sound filled with rage. It hovered in place, its wings fluttering erratically as it screeched in fury. The fairies surrounding it seemed to stiffen, their movements becoming more frantic.

  But before Lorcan could even react, the Monarch raised its hands, its eyes locking onto him with murderous intent. Something shimmered in the air before it though Lorcan couldn’t see what it was exactly. It surged his way faster than he could react.

  The blast of force hit the ground with a force that knocked him backward. He collided with the asphalt, the scepter slipping from his hand as he struggled to push himself up. His head was spinning from the impact, and his ears rang with a dull throb. The force of the blast had thrown the other fighters back as well, scattering them like ragdolls. The Monarch was not only powerful, it was relentless.

  “No…” Lorcan gritted his teeth as he struggled to regain his bearings. He had to fight back. He couldn’t let this creature win. He scrambled for the scepter, his hand trembling as he grabbed it, pulling it close to his chest. His eyes burned with fury as he turned his focus back to the Monarch, which was now circling above, its wings flapping with renewed aggression. It was gathering energy again, preparing for another devastating blast.

  “Not this time,” Lorcan muttered through clenched teeth.

  He held the scepter high, his heart pounding as he focused all his energy into the gem at its base. The golden light flared once more, brighter this time. The beam shot from the scepter with a deafening crack, tearing through the air with the force of a thunderclap.

  The beam shot toward the Monarch, its glowing wings casting an eerie shadow on the battlefield. It seemed unstoppable. But just as the light was about to connect, another tooth fairy—a different one this time—launched herself into the beam’s path.

  Lorcan’s eyes widened in disbelief as he saw her. She was even smaller than the last, her wings a delicate silver blur against the darkened sky. She threw herself directly in the line of fire, and once again, the golden beam of light struck her body.

  The Monarch’s screech echoed once more, but this time it was a sound of triumph. Its eyes gleamed with hatred as it hovered above, watching Lorcan with malevolent glee.

  Lorcan’s breath came in ragged gasps as the fairy’s charred body fell to the ground, a broken heap of shimmering wings and scorched flesh. The Monarch had sent her to intercept his attack, just as it had done with the first fairy.

  His hands were shaking as he once again gripped the scepter, his mind whirling with thoughts of how to break through the Monarch’s defenses. The magical energy in the air crackled with static, and his entire body felt charged with the power of the scepter.

  “I won’t stop,” he whispered to himself, his voice steely with resolve. He looked at the Monarch, now hovering closer to the ground, its eyes focused solely on him.

  The battle around him was still ongoing, but chaos was everywhere. The remaining fighters were in disarray, retreating and regrouping in small pockets, while the tooth fairies hunted them down with disturbing precision. There were only a few who remained firm—those who had found their courage in the face of the Monarch’s wrath.

  The woman with the broken bottle, who had fought beside him earlier, was still in the fray. She swung the improvised weapon fiercely, knocking one of the smaller fairies to the ground where she promptly gashed its throat open, while the man with the shotgun fired wildly into the air, his shots grazing the Monarch’s wings.

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  “We need to bring it down!” Lorcan shouted, feeling the weight of the situation on his shoulders. “Everyone, focus on the Monarch! Don’t let it escape!”

  The crowd was hesitant, still recovering from the shockwave, but Lorcan’s words seemed to reach them. With a renewed sense of determination, the fighters began to regroup. One by one, they converged on the Monarch, their weapons held high. The creature panicked, sending its minions to intercept the attackers. The woman with the baseball bat surged forward, ready to strike again, while the man with the chain wrapped it around his arm and swung it at the nearest tooth fairy.

  Lorcan knew they needed to do more. The Monarch was still too strong, too terrifying, and if left alive, would take them down one by one. But there was a glimmer of hope. If they could distract the creature, he might be able to get close enough to strike again.

  His eyes darted around the battlefield, looking for something—anything—that could help. His gaze landed on the overturned car near the far end of the street. The shotgun-wielding man was still there, hiding behind it for cover. There was a glimpse of an idea forming in his mind.

  “Hey!” Lorcan shouted, pointing toward the car. “Use your gun on the smaller fairies! Bring them down!”

  The man with the shotgun seemed to hesitate for a moment, but Lorcan’s words cut through the chaos, and the man nodded, adjusting his position. He took aim once more, his hands trembling slightly.

  The Monarch, sensing the threat, whirled in mid-air, its glowing eyes fixed on the man with the shotgun. But it was too late. The man fired once more, and the slug tore through several of the Monarch’s minions without stopping, causing it to screech in pain.

  Lorcan knew they couldn’t afford to wait. This was their only chance.

  He rushed forward, pushing his way through the chaos. A couple of the fairies were beginning to regroup around their queen. He swung the scepter wildly, knocking one of the smaller fairies aside, but the others quickly retaliated, diving at him with sharp, jagged teeth bared.

  “You’re not getting away!” Lorcan shouted, his voice hoarse. He swung again, his muscles screaming as he connected with another one of the fairies, sending it crashing to the ground.

  The Monarch, now clearly injured, focused all its attention on Lorcan. Its wings buzzed with an unnatural fury as it began to descend. The creature let out a deafening wail, its jaws snapping open wide in anticipation of the kill. But Lorcan refused to back down. He wasn’t going to let this monster win.

  The scepter crackled with energy, and he lifted it once more. He focused everything he had into it, trying to channel the magic with precision. The yellow gem flared, sending a beam of golden light toward the Monarch’s chest.

  Just as he thought victory was within his grasp, yet another fairy appeared, diving into the beam’s path. This one was larger than the others, her wings a stark black against the golden light. She seemed to be the most experienced of the fairies, her body moving with purpose and strength.

  “NO!” Lorcan screamed in frustration as she intercepted the beam, her body taking the full brunt of the power. The fairy screamed as she was torn apart by the light, her wings flapping desperately to stay aloft, but the force of the magic was too much.

  The Monarch’s laughter echoed in the air, its voice rich with malicious satisfaction. It was mocking Lorcan now, using its fairies as shields to block every single one of his attacks. It was clear that the Monarch had underestimated Lorcan’s determination, but it was also becoming evident that he couldn’t keep up much longer.

  Lorcan’s body was on the brink of collapse, his strength waning. Each time he had struck, each time he had tried to destroy the Monarch, the fairies had sacrificed themselves to protect their queen. It felt like a never-ending cycle of pain, each death leaving him feeling more powerless than the last.

  But still, he refused to give up.

  This time, however, there was something different. As he prepared for another strike, he saw something in the Monarch’s eyes—something that flickered, just for a moment. It wasn’t rage. It wasn’t joy. It was fear.

  There were no more fairies near her.

  With a final, desperate cry, Lorcan activated the scepter once more. The beam shot forward, this time with more power than ever before. The fairies rushed in to intercept, but this time, there were no more volunteers close by. The Monarch had spread its forces too thin in attempt to hold off the rest of the crowd, and they were too far away to stop the attack.

  This time the beam struck the Monarch directly, its golden light tearing into the creature’s chest. The Monarch let out a deafening scream, its form convulsing as the magic ripped through it. Its wings shuddered violently, its body shaking as the energy coursed through it. For the first time, it seemed vulnerable.

  The Monarch's screech reverberated through the air as it staggered, its grotesque form shaking violently. Its wings fluttered in a desperate attempt to regain control, but the golden beam continued to tear through its body, disintegrating the dark magic that had bound it together for so long.

  Lorcan's hands trembled as he held the scepter, still pulsing with raw, untamed energy. His heart pounded in his chest, the power coursing through him almost unbearable. He had done it. He had finally done it.

  But before he could celebrate, the Monarch let out a final, haunting wail, and the last of its minions—the smaller fairies—rushed in, swooping toward him with frenzied speed. They were too late. The damage had been done.

  The Monarch crumpled in midair, its wings no longer able to support its grotesque body. It fell to the ground with a sickening thud, sending a wave of shock and horror through the battlefield. The moment it his the pavement the remaining tooth fairies scattered, no longer able to hold the line.

  Lorcan staggered backward, barely able to keep his footing. His body was covered in scratches and bruises, his muscles screaming in protest. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so exhausted, so close to giving up. He had faced so many waves of those relentless little fairies, each one taking the hit for the Monarch, and it had drained him.

  The woman with the baseball bat appeared beside him, her eyes dark with exhaustion but still blazing with determination. Her bat was covered in the blood of tooth fairies, and she wiped her brow with the back of her hand before giving Lorcan a nod.

  “Nice shot,” she said through gritted teeth. “But we’re not done yet.”

  Lorcan looked over at the fallen Monarch. It was twitching slightly, as if it was still alive, its grotesque limbs jerking uncontrollably. It wasn’t over, not yet. They needed to make sure it was gone for good.

  “Help me finish this,” Lorcan muttered. His voice was hoarse, his throat dry from the screams of battle.

  The man with the chain—a broad-shouldered figure with a wild look in his eyes—ran toward them. His body was covered in gashes, his shirt shredded from where the creatures had attacked him, but he didn’t seem to notice.

  “We need to end this thing,” he growled, his voice a rough rasp. He swung the chain above his head, the steel links glinting in the dim light as he approached the Monarch's twitching form.

  The Monarch was slowly regaining some semblance of movement, its eyes blinking open, though they were now dull and filled with hatred. Its arms stretched toward them as though it wanted to strike, to retaliate with one last, desperate attack. But the energy it had once wielded so freely was gone.

  Lorcan could feel the scepter’s magic still humming in his hands, but it was weakening. The power that had once surged so violently now flickered, like a dying star. There was no more time to waste.

  With a roar of fury, the man with the chain swung it at the Monarch’s head. The heavy links collided with its skull, and a sickening crunch echoed through the air as the creature’s head jerked violently to the side. Its eyes glazed over, and its body seemed to go limp.

  But the Monarch wasn’t dead. Not yet.

  With a final, defiant move, it lashed out, its twisted arm reaching for the man with the chain. Its fingers extended like claws, seeking to tear him apart in its last breath.

  Fortunately, the woman with the baseball bat saw it. She dashed forward, her eyes locked onto the Monarch’s arm. With a fierce swing, she cracked the bat against the creature’s outstretched hand. The sound was deafening as the wood splintered, but the impact was enough to knock the arm off course.

  Lorcan surged forward, gathering the last of his strength. He raised the scepter, the yellow gem pulsing one last time. The Monarch’s body twitched once more, but it was too late. With all his remaining willpower, Lorcan aimed the scepter at the creature’s chest and unleashed the final, concentrated burst of energy.

  The beam erupted from the scepter, hitting the Monarch square in the chest. The light was blinding, a surge of pure magic that enveloped the creature entirely. The air hummed with power, and the ground beneath them trembled.

  For a moment, everything was still. The battlefield fell silent as the golden light faded, leaving behind only the remnants of the once fearsome Monarch. Its body had disintegrated, leaving nothing but a smoldering pile of ash and charred remains.