Jane, Warrior of Decura Chapter 25

Unwilling Assailant

After resting her feet on her desk, Hazel took a quick sip of her red wine. “I can't wait” she giggled to herself before snapping her fingers and balancing a small flame on her index finger. “Sigmund is going to kill that overgrown bitch, bring the kassi to me and then I can finally fix my powers.”

Welkin stood nearby a stared out an opened window, silently praying for Jane's safety. “Are you going to go back to tricking the masses into worshiping you mistress?” he asked, struggling to hide the apprehension in his voice.

“I was thinking about it” Hazel pondered while leaning back in her chair. “But these past two experiences with the reyn and dwarves have been a real hassle. If I can get my powers working properly, it might just be easier to just go back to how I used to rule things all those years ago...” A sinister grin appeared on Hazel's face as she stretched out her arms. “Well I can figure that out later. For now, I need to focus on killing Jane.”

“Do you think that bodyguard of yours can handle Jane and her friends?” Welkin asked. “They're very powerful. Wouldn't it be best to deal with her later?”

Hazel responded with a loud cackle, startling Welkin. “Oh Welkin, you're cute” she giggled. “How many times do I have to explain it? Sigmund and I are well beyond what commoners like you can achieve. We were given 'gifts' to ensure that this world will belong to me.” Hazel shrugged. “Sure, I've had a few hiccups here and there. But in the end, this world and it's people belong to me.”

“Of course mistress” Welkin said before returning his glance toward the window. “You'd better be doing everything you can on your end to fix this situation Mr. Beezle.”

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Back in front of the Traveler's church, Jane and Nate looked on in shock and horror as Emina's body collapsed onto the ground, just a few feet from her severed arm and leg. “Emi! No!” Jane cried.

“What's going on?” a nearby pedestrian asked after spotting Sigmund out of the corner of his eye.

“Is it a fight?” another bystander asked, causing several more people to start gathering around him.

As the towering assailant, easily matching Jane in height, started to pull his axe from the pavement, Nate managed to snap out of his shock and drop the maps. “You bastard!” he roared while reaching for his bow. Unfortunately, the imposing knight was too fast and struck Nate's face with a strong backhand, sending him tumbling into the wall of a nearby house.

“Nate!” Jane cried out before leaping to her feet and charging directly toward the purple knight. However, a single swing from the knight's huge axe forced Jane to jump back to avoid being sliced in half. Unfortunately, it seemed she didn't act fast enough as a very shallow cut appeared across her stomach. “Damn it...”

“Don't be so reckless Jane!” Nice snapped while staying inside her pouch. “I can't heal you if you get sliced in half!”

Jane gritted her teeth as she stared at Emina's motionless body. “But Emi...” she grunted before raising her fists.

“What's happening?!?” a nearby bystander gasped, drawing even more people's attention to Jane and Sigmund. “Someone, call the city guard!”

With one arm, Sigmund lifted his huge axe up and rested in over his shoulder. “So, the kassi is in there is she?” he asked as his gaze fell to the pouch on Jane's belt. “Good, then I can make this quick.” Sigmund held out his hand. “Give her to me, immediately. Do it before I'm forced to do something we'll both regret.”

“To hell with that!” Jane snapped back. “You've already done something you're going to regret! Don't think I'm going to you get away with what you just did to Emi and Nate!”

Sigmund sighed. “I'm sorry” he muttered. “I wish it didn't have to come to this... But you pushed Hazel too far and now she's ordered me to kill you and bring the kassi to her.”

“So you work for the hag too?” Jane growled. “I guess it was only a matter of time until I ran into her again. Damn psycho...”

Sigmund averted his gaze away from Jane. “If only she didn't bring me along to Bhaldural...” he sighed. “You might have been able to kill her... Then I could have finally been freed from this eternal nightmare. But now it's too late... Now, I have to kill you...”

“Emi won't let you hurt her big sis!” Emina shouted before using her one arm to propel herself toward Sigmund, her one remaining foot aimed straight for the knight's face. “Emi kick!”

Without even looking, Sigmund caught Emina's leg with his free hand. Using the little golem's own momentum, Sigmund spun around and tossed Emina away, causing her stone body to tumble across the ground before slamming into Nate and knocking them both back into the wall.

“Leave them alone!” Jane roared while charging directly for Sigmund.

The instant Jane was within reach, Sigmund swung his axe toward Jane's head, forcing the tall girl to duck just in time to avoid being decapitated. Knowing it would take Sigmund a second to strike again after such a strong swing, Jane sprung up and aimed an uppercut right for her opponent's helmet. Unfortunately she wasn't fast enough and Sigmund easily evaded her fist by leaning back.

Before Jane could launch another attack, Sigmund grasped his weapon with both hands before ramming the end of it's handle into Jane's stomach. It was clear Jane was not expecting such a strong blow, as the pain caused her to stumble back several steps.

With his opponent vulnerable, Sigmund turned his axe around and thrust it forward, aiming the spike built into the top of it's handle directly for Jane's head. Despite the pain in her stomach, Jane managed to tilt her head enough to avoid certain death and the reverse side of the axe just barely scratch her cheek.

As blood trickled from her cheek, Jane was forced to throw up her gauntlets to block another attack from Sigmund's axe. Despite her superhuman strength, the blow still caused her to slide back several feet. “Shit... This guy is tough” she thought before moving her fists into a defensive stance. “But I have to win and protect Nate and Emi.” Jane started to grow herself but immediately stopped when she noticed the large crowds that had blocked off the street in both directions in order to watch her fight.

“Jane, why are you stopping?” Nice asked after popping her head out of the pouch. “Make yourself huge and stomp that guy into the ground!”

“I want too Nice” Jane replied. “But there's too many people here. I've never fought at my huge size with so many people around.”

“Maybe they'd run away if they saw you grow?” Nice suggested.

Jane glanced down to the pouch on her belt. “You might be right” she muttered to herself.

“If only this city wasn't so divorce from nature...” Nice growled through her teeth. “I might be able to help you- Look out!”

Jane quickly looked up, just in time to see Sigmund dash forward at an incredible speed and swing his axe at Jane's head. Just like before, Jane was able to duck down and avoid her opponent's weapon. “Now I got you!” Jane roared before springing up and throwing a strong punch straight at Sigmund's chest.

Leaning back wasn't going to help him this time and Sigmund could do nothing but watch as Jane's fist collided into his chest plate. There was so much force behind the punch that Sigmund was sent flying down the street, knocking down many people that had been watching the fight. Sigmund only stopping when he crashed into a large stone fountain in the center of an open courtyard.

With her opponent now out of the way, Jane ran to check on her friends, who had already started to move again. “Nate! Emi! Are you both alright?” she asked while helping them both sit up.

“Here, let me help” Nice said before climbing out of her pouch and jumping onto Nate's lap. “You're all very lucky to be my minions.” Nice put her hand on Nate's leg as the chestnut on her staff started to glow.

“Don't worry about me Nice...” Nate grunted before resting against the wall. “Fix Jane first” Nate gently put his hand on Jane's bleeding cheek. “Does it hurt Jane?”

“Not at all” Jane assured before looking at Emina.

Emina quickly grinned. “Emi is also ok big sis” she assured.

“Are you sure Emi?” Jane asked while staring at the golem's missing limbs.

Emina nodded. “Yeah” she said before pointing to her severed leg and arm that were still laying nearby. “Could you please bring those to Emi so she can fix herself?”

“Right away little sis” Jane said with a smile.

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Meanwhile, William sat at a table in Baelog's store and stared out the window. “I wonder if miss Jane had any luck?” he mumbled to himself. “I hope she and the others are ok...”

“I'm sure they're fine William” Patti said after placing a cup of tea in front of the old knight. “Jane will keep everyone in line. Even Nice.”

William picked up the tea. “You're right miss Patti” he said as the tea's soothing aroma reached his nose. “That smells wonderful. Thank you miss Patti.”

“Y-you're welcome” Patti giggled as her cheeks turned red. After glancing out the window, Patti spotted a young human couple staring into each others eyes. “H-hey William... Can I tell you something I've been wanting to say for years now?”

“Of course miss Patti” William answered after taking a sip of his tea. “You can tell me anything you want.”

After a few moments of awkward silence, Patti cleared her throat. “Well William, I... I...”

Suddenly, William slammed his helmet back on when several armored guards rushed past the window. Before Patti could close the curtains, two more soldiers marched by. “What's going on near the docks?” one of them asked, drawing William's attention.

“Apparently a fight broke out and we're being sent to break it up... As always” the other one replied while slowly shaking his head. “It's probably two drunks fighting over a rotten fish again.”

“Either way, we'd better hurry” the first guard said. “As soldiers of the Gigan guild, protecting the city is our job.”

“Yeah, yeah...” the second guard sighed before following his comrade.

Patti gave William a concerned look. “You don't think...”

“I do” William replied before grabbing his huge maul and resting it on his shoulder. “I'll be right back miss Patti, with Jane and the others.”

“R-right” Patti said. “Please be careful.” William gave Patti a quick nod and darted out the front door, leaving Patti by herself. “Next time...” she thought while picturing herself in a shirtless William's arms. “I will tell William as bluntly as I can. I love you.”

A mild groaning from further in the house snapped Patti out of her fantasizing. “Ugh... Where am I?” Baelog muttered, his voice echoing from down a hallway. “Why does my head hurt so much?”

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Back at the Traveler's church, Jane placed Emina's severed leg and arm next to her little sis. “Here Emi” she said. “Can you fix yourself like last time?”

Emina smiled and nodded. “Emi can” she assured before pointing to the center of her chest. “Mr. Welkin told Emi she can always fix herself so long as Emi's heart is intact. Don't worry, this isn't the first time Emi has lost a leg.”

“That's good to know” Jane said before giving Nate a concerned look, Nate quickly giving one back. “How about you Nate? Feeling better?”

“I didn't get that hurt in the first place” Nate assured after raising an eyebrow. “But... Yes I'm feeling much better. Thank you Nice.”

Nice, who was sitting in Nate's lap, let out her usual over confident laugh. “You're welcome minion” she said. “I expect you to pay me back with a tour of reyn lands.”

“Emi wants to go on the tour too” Emina cheered while placing her leg back into place. “Emi wants to see Nate's home.” Emina tore a small stone from the pavement and bit into it like it was an apple. “But first, Emi needs to fix herself.”

“How long till your leg sticks back on?” Jane asked.

Emina smiled. “Give it a few minutes” she answered while munching on the stone pavement. “Emi will be in one piece so long as she doesn't move too much.”

Suddenly, Nate's ears twitched and he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. The sounds of several dozen people gasping drew Jane and Emina's gazes a second later. The large crowd of people were parting, allowing something behind them to approach Jane and her friends. Curious, Jane stood up so she could see over the people's heads. Immediately she spotted the imposing knight marching toward her, dragging his huge axe along the road. Something was noticeably different about the knight's equipment. Many orange lines had appeared all across his armor, glowing so brightly they could light up a small room.

Acting fast, Nate plucked Nice from his lap and stood. “Hey! Who said you could pick me up minion?!?” Nice barked before being shoved her back into the pouch on Jane's belt.

“Emi, keep Nice safe” Nate said before tossing the pouch to Emina, who eagerly caught it. “We'll take care of this.”

“You hold back too Nate” Jane said after throwing her hand up in front of Nate. “Something's not right about this guy. I don't want you getting near him. Just stay back and keep Emi and Nice safe.”

Nate wanted to protest but he was instantly convinced to obey when Jane gave him a worried look. “Fine...” he grumbled. “But when I have a shot, I'm taking it.”

After giving her boyfriend a quick nod, Jane moved onto the stone road. “How the hell are you even able to walk right now?” she asked the approaching knight.

Sigmund let out quiet sigh. “It's this accursed armor” he answered in a low growl. “It won't let me keep an injury for very long. Even death is impossible so long as I'm forced to wear it.” Sigmund lifted his axe up and rested it on his shoulder. “Please, just surrender the kassi to me. Do it, before I'm forced to hurt someone else.”

Jane slammed her armored fists together. “Yeah, that's not happening” she growled. “You should just walk away while you still can.”

Sigmund clenched his fist. “You don't think I want to?” he asked after drooping his head. “For over five hundred years, all I've wanted is one thing... My death. But this armor... It won't let me die. At least, not until Hazel wills it.” A tear fell from Sigmund's helmet and ran down his chest plate. “But that will never happen. I'll just keep being forced to take more lives for her... Please! Don't make me kill anyone else! Give me the kassi and I can stop for today! Please!”

“I already told you, it's not happening” Jane replied. “Look, if what you say is true, I feel sorry for you. I really do. But, that doesn't mean I'm going to let you take one of my friends to that hag.” Jane raised her fists. “Go back to Hazel and tell her to stay the hell away from me and my friends!”

Sigmund let out a sigh and slowly shook his head. “You're clearly not listening...” he muttered before dashing forward and closing the gap between himself and Jane in the blink of an eye. “I don't have a choice in the matter.”

Sigmund's sudden increase in speed caught Jane completely by surprise. “Crap!” was all she could yelp as Sigmund prepared to swing his axe down at Jane's head. Fortunately for Jane, a well placed arrow pierced Sigmund's shoulder plate, stopping the imposing knight for a second.

Despite having an arrow in his shoulder, Sigmund still managed to launch his attack. However, the projectile had stalled him just long enough for Jane to regain her composure and she managed to catch the axe's handle, stopping the blade mere inches before it sliced into her shoulder. Knowing she only had seconds to act, Jane let out a powerful roar before sending a powerful punch crashing directly into Sigmund's chest plate, the exact place she had struck before.

However, unlike last time, the punch didn't seem to affect Sigmund at all. “By the way, keeping me alive isn't the only thing my armor does” he said, his glowing red eyes staring directly at Jane's shocked expression. “It also raises my strength to match whoever it is I'm fighting. Now, I'm your equal in terms of raw power.”

“W-what?” Jane muttered.

“I would have told you before” Sigmund assured. “But Hazel made sure to order me to never reveal my armor's secrets to somebody who hasn't seen it in person.” Sigmund yanked his axe free from Jane's grasp, making sure it gave her shoulder a deep cut as he pulled it away. The intense pain forced Jane to one knee as blood gushed from her shoulder.

“Jane!” Nate shouted before loosing another arrow at Sigmund, only to have the huge knight effortlessly catch it in between two fingers and snap the projectile in two.

“Hold on big sis!” Emi cried out while trying to stand, only to have her still damaged leg break again and cause her to collapse onto the ground.

Knowing another arrow wouldn't work on the huge knight, Nate drew his short swords and rushed to help Jane. Sigmund was not impressed. “Don't make me do this...” he said.

Thanks to Nate's distracting charge, Sigmund didn't notice Jane leap back up and throw another punch directly into his chest. Like before, this punch had little to no effect. Jane didn't seem to care however and let out a powerful battle cry before unleashed a flurry of punches with both her hands, each blow more powerful than the last. After landing over twenty strong punches, Jane threw one final punch. packed with all of her might, into Sigmund's chest.

“That's got him” Nate thought after stopping his charge.

Despite putting everything she had into her combo, all Jane seemed to accomplish was knocking Sigmund back a few feet and slightly dent his armor, which quickly repaired itself when the orange lines scattered across it started to glow. “Damn it...” Jane thought as her breathing became heavier. “What the hell is this guy?”

“That was a good attack” Sigmund noted as a little blood trickled out from the bottom of his helmet. “Someone of your strength might have been able to end Hazel's reign once and for all. Unfortunately, I, Leopold Sigmund, will be your final opponent...” The blade on Sigmund's axe started to glow the same color as the lines on his armor. “I'm sorry.”

“Hey! What's going on here?!?” a voice coming from the crowd behind Sigmund demanded, drawing both Jane and Sigmund's gazes. Standing in front of the crowd were three knights clad in black armor similar to Kiera's, but with less detail and no red cape.

“Knights from the Gigan guild?” someone in the crowd gasped. “I guess it was only a matter of time till they showed up.”

“It's about time” another member of the crowd said. “How long was the guild in charge of protecting the city planning to stand by and watch?”

The center knight pointed his sword at Sigmund. “Lord Adam's wants the one in purple armor stopped!” he shouted before charging forward with his comrades. “Slay him in our lord's name!”

Sigmund clenched his weapon tighter. “Damn it...” he muttered.

“Wait! Stop!” Jane shouted to the charging city guard. Unfortunately, her pleas fell on deaf ears and with one swing of his mighty weapon, Sigmund cleaved all three knights in half.

Silence filled the streets. The only noises that could be heard were the top halves of the knights collapsing onto the ground and the blood spraying from their lower halves. “I'm sorry...” Sigmund muttered to himself.

It took the crowd a few seconds to comprehend what just happened. But when they did finally realize how serious the situation was, they let out a collective scream before fleeing from the gruesome scene. Within seconds, the crowds had completely disappeared from the streets.

“You monster...” Jane growled through her teeth as her body started to enlarge. “How could you?”

Realizing the fury Jane was about to unleash, Nate dashed back to Emina's side and shielded her and Nice with his body.

“I had no choice...” Sigmund sighed before turning back to find an enormous Jane looming over him, the multi-storied buildings now barely reaching her hips.

“I don't want to hear excuses” Jane growled, just barely able to contain her rage as she raised her foot. “All I want to hear is you beg for forgiveness!” Jane slammed her boot down, hoping to crush Sigmund. Unfortunately he managed to leap back just in time to avoid the eighty-foot Jane's boot. “Killing those men was a mistake Sigmund. Now you have to face me like this.” Jane cracked her knuckles. “Let's test the limits of that immortality of yours.”

Sigmund didn't seem impressed at all. “The only one whose made a mistake here is you” he sighed as his weapon started to glow again. “All growing to that size has done is made you a bigger target.”

Acting on instinct, Jane raised her armored fists up to protect her head. A second later, Sigmund swung his weapon up at Jane, causing a line of orange energy to burst from his axe and fly up at the giant girl, slicing into her left thigh. Before the blood had even started to pour from Jane's new wound, Sigmund unleashed another energy line, then another, then another. Within seconds, dozens of small cuts appeared all over Jane's legs, arms and torso.

As blood sprayed from her multiple injuries, Jane's arms lost all their strength and dropped to her sides. “W-what... What h-happened?” she mumbled before coughing up a lot of blood.

Nate could do nothing but watch with wide eyes as blood poured from his girlfriend's huge body. “Jane!” he screamed.

“Big sis!” Emina screamed while trying to stand on her one leg, only to collapse once again. “No!”

As her vision started to go blurry, Jane tried to support herself on one of the nearby buildings, only for her weight to crush it under her fingers. Mustering up whatever power she had left, Jane turned her gaze toward her friends. “R-r-run...” she muttered before loosing all the strength in her legs and collapsing onto her back, the impact shaking every building in Etin city.

Meanwhile, Hazel, who had been watching the entire battle through Sigmund's eyes, burst into a sinister cackle. “Yes!” she cheered while Welkin, assuming the worst, struggled to contain his frustration. “Yeeeeeeessssssss!”

TO BE CONTINUED....