Suddenly Caroline laughed brightly. Paul spends several seconds in confusion and starts laughing along, but quickly gets another hit. He barely keeps his balance.

  "Funny how fast you shit yourself with fear and this guy stopped being a mage. Let's say I believe you. Was getting your arm fucked up part of the fun too? Or did you suddenly turn into a masochist?"

  I'm sure after this question Paul's face twisted in horror.

  "P-princess, haha, what are you saying! I admit, there was a small slip-up, but it's just a minor scratch. I'll heal it within the next day. If you don't like such antics from allies, I promise it will never happen again. Just don't exaggerate—"

  "You're a pathetic, brainless, beaten pig who's not even good as a living shield anymore. The bullet went clean through, shattering your bones and taking away almost all of your magical protection. It will take you several months to recover, and even elixirs won't help. There will be no alliance between us, good thing we didn't seal it with the bracelets," she finished, spitting on Paul's helmet.

  "Princess, I beg you, forgive me! I understand your disappointment, but give me a chance. You still haven't seen me at full power, it's better for you to have as many allies as possible," Paul babbled desperately.

  "You dare dispute my decision?"

  "Uh... N-no. Sorry, I just made another stupid mistake. Please don't take those words seriously. Since this is your decision, I have no right to protest. It was extremely pleasant meeting you and being on the team for a while. I promise you'll never see me again. Accept all my items in your possession as a farewell gift. To stop being an eyesore, I'll leave immediately."

  He tries to turn and crawl towards the gates... but slips on the water and falls back to the ground.

  "You dared to deeply insult me and diminish my authority by practically losing to a normal human, while you are effectively my ally. You also know the location of my main base and possess information that my enemies could use to inflict great damage on me. You understand that you won't leave here alive."

  "No, Princess, I beg you, have mercy! If you don't want to let me go, take me prisoner and use me as bait for other participants. Just spare my life, please! I haven't done anything bad to you."

  "Even now you continue hoping I'm stupid, adding new insults. While you're alive, you can pray for luck in your next life. Though that's unlikely to help you."

  Caroline stretches her arms down—a large round barrel appears in them, partially resembling a machine gun, but from the 20th century. Near the muzzle is a pink runic circle with five crystals floating around the edges. The girl taps the end of the barrel, the crystals light up in different colors and spin around the circumference. She takes aim.

  "NO, PLEASE, PRINCESS, I'M BEGGING YOU!!!" Paul reaches for the mace and tries to pull it with magic, but it's useless. At the same time, green sparks appear around Caroline, quickly fading into the air.

  "You even tried to kill me. So where is my decision wrong?"

  "I... DIE YOU FUCKING WHORE!" the knight howled, still trying to crawl away.

  The crystals reach unimaginable speed and visually merge into one line, Caroline aims the "machine gun."

  "At least before death you acted honestly," she smirked.

  A thick rainbow beam bursts from the gun's barrel—Paul screams in agony, but it lasts less than a second. Almost his entire body is incinerated and erased in an instant, leaving only his sneakers as proof he ever existed.

  I watch with my heart frozen, not believing such power exists.

  Goddamn, that's some absolutely insane power. Could Jane really have been killed by that thing...?

  Caroline snaps her fingers—a gray sphere envelops the surviving sneakers and they vanish. Then she taps the machine gun again, the crystals stop spinning and she lowers the weapon.

  Before I can recover, the girl flies back to me and puts on a friendly expression.

  I can't say anything she might find offensive, I understand that perfectly.

  "Hi John, you've grown up nicely since childhood," Caroline says flirtatiously.

  I'm openly stunned, not expecting such a conversation opener.

  "Uh... Sorry, don't remember us being acquainted, especially that long ago," I reply calmly.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  "Don't pretend. You definitely know who I am, otherwise you wouldn't be here."

  "Won't deny it, but how do you—"

  "Same source. Jane talked about you and showed me some of your childhood photos. Damn, I just can't figure out why she put the bracelet on you. Is it her own, or did she take it off someone she killed?"

  "It's someone else's, she ordered me to always hang around as bait for others and confuse them," I decide a plausible lie is the best option. This works well since the bracelet situation is inexplicable anyway.

  "Yeah, Jane hasn't changed at all," Caroline sighed. "I'm sure you're surprised she bailed and left you here alone."

  Every word needs to be taken skeptically since she's an enemy. But need to stay in character.

  "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!" I act outwardly agitated.

  "I bet she said it'd be quick and easy, then you'd head back. Well guess what - her plan failed. I knew I was first on her hit list and prepared like hell. She killed everyone on the estate but couldn't find me, and her ultimate shadow form drained almost all her mana. So she ran, since she couldn't fight me fair anymore. Some caring sister you've got there."

  "I... I was just supposed to stand near the mansion and attract attention. I didn't even expect anyone besides you to be here, or that I'd have to fight. That's all I know."

  "I understand your disappointment, but I'm not surprised. She's done the same to me multiple times when we... worked together."

  "A-are you going to kill me?" I say fearfully.

  "No. I see you don't understand anything and helped her out of fear. It's not your fault she dragged you into her dirty game. I hope you realize she wanted to use you as bait, even drugged you with something that has a high risk of death."

  "Huh?! DIE?!?! She said it was just a normal stimulant, slightly enhanced by magic. Is there any way to flush it out?"

  "Yes, I can help with that if we finish this conversation positively, which depends on you. Do you think you must obey someone who treats you as cannon fodder and doesn't care about your life, even if they're family?"

  "Probably... not. Honestly, I don't want any part in this. Since the first second of entering this damn magical world I've been terrified."

  "Not surprising, you're not even a mage. Unlike Jane who tried to treacherously kill me, I have different views and hoped to contact her about forming an alliance beneficial for us both. I know almost all Game participants—there are some especially strong and cruel mages who'll be hard to defeat alone. As former friends, we should stick together. I'm even willing to overlook today's incident and that she killed my ally yesterday, who I had high hopes for. As her brother, you can help me best."

  "I see... What do I need to do?"

  "As a sign of my good intentions, we will form an official alliance that will prevent me from harming you. Then you'll show me where you and your sister live now, so I can visit and talk to her. Hopefully Jane will appreciate my sparing your life. After successful negotiations, you will return to her, and I will ask her to stop endangering your life. Until then, you'll tell me everything she's told you and shown you. For example, where she got the pills she gave you, so I know what to expect in the worst case. Do you agree to cooperate?" Caroline smiled.

  "Won't Jane kill me for this?"

  "Don't worry, I protect my allies... if they don't disappoint me."

  "Well... can I think about it, even for ten minutes?"

  "This is the only favorable option I can offer you. There's nothing to think about, unless you're stupid," she drawled.

  "Then..."

  I'm desperately trying to buy more time when Caroline's eyes suddenly turn completely black and start dripping blood. The girl flies back, activates the crystals on her machine gun and grabs her head with one hand, summoning some gray particles.

  "YOU DAMN BITCH!" she screamed and started firing small multicolored beams all around.

  I don't understand what's happening but seize the moment, jump to my feet and want to get off the stairs, but get distracted by a glint on the mansion roof. One blink—Jane jumps down in human form and strikes Caroline with dozens of hits in a whirlwind. The machine gun flies aside, in seconds there's not one uninjured spot on the girl and she falls onto the steps with a wheeze, bleeding.

  "I've got just one option for you too, friend," Jane says coldly, slicing Caroline's body down the middle. After the killing blow she kicks the body—it slams into the fence and crumples beneath it.

  Even under the stimulant it's extremely hard to follow her actions due to incredible speed, though she's not even in shadow mode. I only come to when I realize Caroline is dead.

  Jane looks at her corpse with satisfaction... While intense displeasure washes over me.

  "What the hell was that about?! Where were you? I almost died fighting some crazy half-naked knight because of you," I start aggressively.

  "Don't rant, I saw everything," she cuts off dryly. "I had a minor slip-up, but overall everything stayed under control and, as you see, the plan worked. Let's get to the car, nothing more to do here. You urgently need healing before the comedown hits. Can't do it here since Caroline kept all elixirs and other resources somewhere else."

  The scythe disappears from her hands. Without looking at me, she runs down the stairs and heads for the hole in the fence. I quickly catch up.

  "What do you mean—you saw everything? And did nothing? I called for help. What if I'd died? What even happened with you?"

  "Your indignation is unfounded, I would not have let you die. Have you forgotten that?"

  "Why didn't you at least give some sign? You didn't warn me I'd have to properly fight a mage."

  "First, you broke away from me yourself. Second, I wanted to not interfere as long as possible. Yes, that helmet idiot was inconvenient, but you handled it. That's why you took the pill."

  "And you think this is all normal?"

  "Unfortunately, reality rarely matches the ideal vision. Trust me, it could have gone worse."

  At this point we reach the car and get in.

  "Now main thing is not running into someone else. Good the runes will still work for a while..." she muttered, setting home address in navigation.

  "Jane, I want clear explanations. This hasn't been fun for me at all. I don't want this shit to happen again," I say grimly.

  "I specified not to judge by today's battle."

  "That's not even an answer!"

  "Are you going to bug me the whole way?"

  "Yes, until you give an adequate explanation."

  "In that case, you'd better sleep. Meeting sobriety while conscious will be terribly unpleasant, though you'll wake up at some point anyway."

  "What? I don't want—"

  Jane's fingertips glow black and she touches my arm. A huge wave of sleepiness immediately washes over me, eyes grow heavy, thoughts fade.

  "Not fair..." is all I manage to mumble before falling asleep.