The Corrupted Syndicate

"Don't tell me his words are going to convince you to unleash your bloodletting... Could you please choose a better time or company to do so?" murmured Mavislin, swallowing a ball of saliva.

"Do you fear I would betray you and join his side? For what purpose? When you are all I desire..."

Turning her head in embarrassment, Lady Shadow shook her head in frustration. Of all the moments to say something like that, he chose now...

No! She scolded herself, trying to refocus. There's no time for this! They hadn't even reached the dungeon's final threat yet, and she couldn't face it while her own youngling was on the verge of losing control. Nay, that rabbit has lost control...

The dragoness cursed under her breath, immediately tapping into her Alter form, ready to strike. But before she could act, she felt the cold grasp of Medusa's hand tightening on her shoulder, halting her advance.

"What now? I've got a problem with Matt's Guardian, I don't need your protest now..." grumbled Mavislin, as she tried to shake off her Guardian's hand.

"I'm not against you fighting him. I'm asking you to use my True Form to scare off the Mad King. I am positive that it will work. And I won't even use any attacks or spells of worth," instructed Medusa as her voice slowly distorted to be a deeper tone.

Mavislin hesitated for a moment before sighing and nodding in agreement. It was worth a try, especially since she'd be drawing from the Gorgon's private mana supply—there was no risk of depletion. Besides, losing control wasn't a concern.

The dragoness's willpower still surpassed her Guardian's by tenfold.

"Give me some space, Viceroy," commanded Lady Shadow as she stepped toward the Mad King, who was ready to slice her with his oversized blade.

The blonde followed the command without hesitation. Before the attack could land, a violent explosion of purple and black erupted, engulfing both the dragoness and the Mad King. The force of the blast sent him staggering backward, away from his target.

When the dust finally settled, what he saw left him speechless. This wasn't the same transformation as during the Solaris fight. Mavislin had taken on a smaller form, shedding her draconic traits entirely.

Instead, she now appeared as the Gorgon in full—her golden feathered wings unfurled with a radiant power. The Mad King, stunned, muttered incoherently under his breath before collapsing to his knees.

Before Mavislin could act, a rush of black mist—the remnants of the Mad King's presence—fled from the rabbit's body in panic. Mattheos barely managed to catch himself, bracing against the ground with both arms as he erupted into violent coughing fits.

Relief washed over Mavislin as she rushed to his side, her heart pounding with the weight of their close call.

"Easy there..." cooed Mavislin as she smoothed Matt's back.

"I... Apologise..."

"Shh. Just focus on regaining your breath and mind back because we've got Lunaris to fight before the sun can go down," commanded the dragoness, scanning her surroundings for the exit.

"How did you know the Mad King would flee from your Gorgon?" questioned the Viceroy.

"I didn't... It was Medusa's idea. Perhaps they shared a past..." replied the dragoness, seemingly distracted as she tried to calm her bunny down.

"Curious... I thought Guardians were pulled from different eras. Why would a Greek entity cross paths with a Babylonian king? How could such a meeting even occur?"

"I honestly don't know and won't mind not knowing for now. We have to find a way out and get to Lunaris."

Zenos sighed before having a slight smile on his face.

"Hmm... According to the map, there should be a door somewhere but I can't seem to locate it. However, I am sure that Lunaris is just beneath us so we should be looking at a door on the floor..." wondered Mavislin, before staring at the Viceroy's amused expression.

"Wait, why are you smiling?" 

"You say as if it's a bad thing..."

"It is when it's a blood knight like you! Why are you smiling like that?!"

"If one cannot find an exit, then one must simply create their own. Surely you've heard of a surprise attack? A calculated strike, unforeseen, yet inevitable," asked Zenos as he swung his scythe high above his head.

"There's a fine line between surprise and recklessness. And you are choosing the latter!" shouted Mavislin as she grabbed the rabbit and rolled away before the blonde could make their souls homeless in a single strike.

The floor gave way instantly, the force of the strike decimating the layers of rock beneath their feet. Fortunately, Mattheos had already regained his footing, landing safely on solid ground.

Meanwhile, both the dragoness and the Viceroy unfurled their wings, expertly gliding down to break their fall.