MLIV C5, P7- "Above The Law"

"Above The Law" is the seventh Part of "Miracula Luxia IV" 's fifth Chapter.
It was released on 17.08.2022.
== Plot ==
As Adam is captured by the enforcers of the dark law, his sister is left in the dust, presumed deceased and no longer able to come back. However, this is revealed to be a simple ruse to fool the villains into thinking that she is gone while she devises her next move, as well as a plan that will lead to the release of her dearest brother from their clutches.
However, getting into the settlement will prove to be quite a challenge. With limited powers and few allies, Akira is forced to prove that she is much more than the beloved daughter of Jared Kaos. She has to grow up and show that she is a true hero, just like her brother.
Will Akira conquer her own fears, at long last?
== Story ==
While Aalia and Darius prepare to invade the settlement while they still have a chance, Akira and Emela decide to sit down and rest, for the sake of being at their maximum when everything gets worse.
"So. I heard that you and Adam have been quite busy lately."- Emela says- "Can you fill me in on that?"
Akira raises her eyebrow.
"What would you like to know?"
Emela smiles.
"Just a description of the worst enemies you met so far."- She says- "I assure you that I already know every other detail, so don't worry about that."
Akira stares at her for a few seconds.
"You sound like some sort of a spy right now."- She says to her- "Have you been tracking our progress?"
Emela nods.
"I have, but I've only managed to do so from afar."- She says- "For the sake of getting Aalia somewhere safe after we escaped from Vexor, I had to take the risk. I didn't want you to get hurt because of my mistakes."
Akira sighs.
"Just like dad always used to say."- She says- "You two are truly cut from the same cloth."
Emela sighs.
"Believe me, you two matter a lot to me."- She says- "Every moment that I spent away from you was a torture to my mind."
Akira glares at the walls ahead.
"Speaking of torture, I can't imagine what kind of horrible things are happening to Adam right now."- She says- "My poor brother. He's done so much to purge the evil from this world, yet finally fell victim to it. And if he somehow managed to lose his faith in making a difference and the hope that he always holds in his heart, then I'm not sure if he will ever be the same again."
Emela looks down.
"It's my fault, Akira."- She admits- "I should've been faster. I should have killed those freaks while I still had the chance."
Akira raises her eyebrow.
"You've met those people before?"
Emela nods.
"When me and Aalia escaped from the vile necromancer Vexor, we stumbled upon a group of seemingly friendly soldiers, part of a militia of some sort. We didn't know their true nature back then, so we decided to trust them and allow them to locate you before you got yourselves into trouble."- She says- "But we were fooled. Very easily, too. Once we stumbled into their settlement, they wrapped us in chains and brought us into their prison. Despite our best efforts to hold back any information about what we knew about you, they managed to scan our minds with their magic, revealing most of the secrets that we held so dear. And then, they released us into the wilds, stripped of nearly all of our equipment and resources and left alone, in the hopes that we would've fallen victim to some predator, trap or simply hunger."
Akira gasps.
"That's horrible!"- She exclaims- "How could they do such a thing to you?"
Emela looks down.
"I'm so sorry, Akira."- She says- "I know that you and Adam looked up to me as a hero, but I failed. I let you all down and I became a shadow of my former self, drifting through the wind with no purpose, no desire."
She sighs.
"Aalia was supposed to come back to you, but me? The guardian who failed her duty and acted so foolishly?"- She adds- "I should've stayed gone."
Akira places her hand on Emela's shoulder.
"Stop worrying about that. You were fine back then and you'll be fine now."- She says to her- "Remember what Adam said to you earlier? That you'll always be on his mind? Well, I'm not going to let his dream of seeing you again fall apart just like this! Stand up! This is not the time to be afraid, nor to doubt yourself! If you fail to adapt to the environment that we live in, then you'll just become a vague memory of what you once used to be! Don't let yourself crumble! Fight back and do the right thing! Trust me, you'll be thankful for my advice once we make a difference."
Emela looks up and nods.
"You're right. I... was too afraid to do anything. I didn't know what was wrong or right."- She says- "But now, I'm certain that I still have a chance. Adam needs me more than ever and I don't want to let him down. Not when he still believes in me."
Aalia and Darius come back. They seem to be a little worried, but they are alright.
"The coast is clear. No guards are in sight."- Darius says- "Are you two ready to go?"
Akira nods.
"We are."- She says- "Let's do this."
As the two of them stand up and prepare to join their allies, Emela turns back to Akira.
"By the way, I heard that you encountered Vexor while I was gone and that you were forced to fight him, despite your best efforts."- She says- "What happened to that man out there? Did he run away from you again?"
Akira shakes her head.
"On the contrary- he did not."- She responds- "Once the truth about Al was revealed, Adam went berserk. He wanted revenge for our fallen brother, so he turned him into a crystal and forced him to watch as he shattered him into pieces."
She looks down.
"It was... painful to watch."- She admits- "But he deserved it. He was a tyrant, a monster and, in my opinion, he deserved an even worse treatment than that."
Emela nods.
"That's good."- She says- "Usually, I'm not the type of person to encourage killing, but I think that he had it coming. A well-deserved defeat at your hands, that was. I applaud you for standing up against this man and making him pay for what he did to all of those innocents."
As Emela takes a step forward, Akira stands by her side.
"You mentioned that you're not the type of person to kill someone."- She says to her- "If so, does that mean that you would have done something else to get rid of Vexor? Were you going to show mercy to that monster, even if he tried to murder you?"
Emela shakes her head.
"Not at all."- She says confidently- "Had I gotten my hands on that vile fiend, I would have made him regret all of his decisions in life and show him the true meaning of suffering- the one that he used on all of those people. And then, when he lost all of his hope to rise his dark master at the edge of the world, I would have disposed of him, swiftly and painfully. And I would have made sure that all of his goons learned of what I did to him. I would have scared them into submission and made then turn against their true master- Mordred Darkthrop. And then, everything would have gone downhill. For his army, that is."
Akira nods.
"So. You would have used Vexor's demise as a factor that would start a rebellion amongst their ranks?"- She says and smiles- "Smart move, Emela. Perhaps we could still work that out."
Emela raises her eyebrow.
"But how?"- She asks- "We're too far away from them now. Our chances of success are relatively low."
Akira smiles again.
"I may be a law-abiding hero now, but my status as a former Queen of Underfall still carries some weight."- She says- "Just let me do the job. We'll have an army to back us up in no time."
Emela nods, but still seems unconvinced. Recruiting a bunch of flamboyant, chaotic creatures that could turn on them at any moment seems like a surreal idea to her and she is not sure if she will ever force herself to accept the necessity of it.
"I'm starting to think you still have some darkness left within you."
Akira sighs.
"We all have shadows in our minds, honey. None of us can escape them."- She says- "It's a question of acceptance and loyalty. Altruism and dedication. If you can't escape from the shadows, then you become one with them."
She turns around and looks at Emela. Her eyes are cold and analyzing. It is almost as if she has just predicted the future and knows that Emela would do something wrong.
"If you know what's good for you and Adam, keep yourself together."- She says to her- "Don't let the darkness consume your humanity. Fight for what you love, just like I always have."
Emela nods.
"I understand your warning. I think that it's completely justified."- She says- "Alright. I can't promise anything, but I'll do my best to stay out of trouble."
Akira smiles.
"That's the Emela that I've always known."
Now that their conversation is done, the two girls join their comrades and enter the settlement. From the first glance, it almost seems as if it has been abandoned to the ravages of time. Almost no residents roam on the streets. Everything is eerily quiet, as if they are in some kind of catacombs.
Yes. It is clear that this place is a ghost town, no matter how hard its leader tries to make it more lively.
"Wow."- Aalia says- "That... was unexpected."
Darius nods.
"I always thought that Connor Freeman would have some kind of a thriving community. All of this time, he has been priding himself with his superior intellect and ability to communicate. He claimed that he was able to easily recruit allies and make them as loyal as the constructs that the mages in Avernum are making."- He says- "However, I can see the truth now. Mr. Freeman is a filthy liar who makes false claims of his own exploits. Once we finally get into his lair, I'll make sure that he's captured and punished for his crimes."
Emela sighs.
"You know."- She says- "It would have been nice if we had three or four constructs to back us up in here."
Darius nods.
"So do we, Emela."- He says- "But the world that we live in is always a harsh one. You have to learn to adapt if you want to survive.'
Emela sighs.
"Yeah, yeah. I got that."- She says- "Can we just cut to the chase? Please?"
Darius looks around and nods.
"As you wish."- He says- "Let's get moving."
As they prepare to move forward, a group of guards gets close to them.
"Woah!"- Darius says- "Watch out!"
He manages to hide all of the girls behind a stack of crates, avoiding the guards just as they get very close.
Emela starts to quiver in fear. Standing helpless like this is not something that she is used to. And her nervous attitude is taking a toll on her poor, tortured mind.
"Emela? Are you okay?"- Darius asks her- "We can go somewhere else, if you want to."
Emela shakes her head.
"I'll be... fine."- She says, trying to stay as calm as possible- "It's just a little bit of shock. I'll get over it. I promise."
Darius sighs.
"Just try not to scream, please."- He says- "Even a single sound could reveal our location to them. We need to focus on staying quiet."
Emela nods.
"Okay."- She says- "I will."
As the guards get past the crates, one of them looks around. It is almost as if he is suspecting that someone is around here.
"What's up?"- One of them says to him- "Did you see a ghost again?"
As the guard chuckles, the other one glares at him.
"Very funny, George."- He says- "You would have peed your pants too if you saw it."
Two of the guards hear their conversation. They chuckle at the thought that their friend ran away from a ghost like a coward. It is just too funny for them. But, at the same time, it seems too surreal for them and they think that he's just gone crazy.
"Sure thing, buddy."- One of them says- "Next thing we're gonna see is a dragon. Or a witch. Or some kind of a monster from another world that wants to destroy the universe."
The first guard shakes his head.
"You're being naive."- He says- "They're out there. You just can't see 'em."
The guards laugh.
"Yeah. Right."- One of them says- "Just keep it to yourself. We're tired of those imaginary enemies."
Having said that, the guards leave. The lone one has no choice but to do the same.
"Those freaks actually saw ghosts? In our world?"- Emela says- "Don't they tend to stay in their own realm? Why would they bother to invade ours?"
Akira shrugs.
"Maybe they have some kind of business here. A task that needs to be done as soon as possible."- She says- "If so, this means that they'll be very angry. They won't tell a friend from a foe, so it might be a little bit tricky."
Darius nods.
"Maybe I could convince them to fight for us."
All of the girls turn to him.
"You can do this? For us?"- Akira asks- "Are you some kind of a spirit diplomat?"
Darius smiles.
"Remember when I told you that I can communicate with them on another level that other humans cannot comprehend?"- He asks- "Well. I think that my ability could finally come in handy. If I don't screw it up again, that is."
Akira raises her eyebrow.
"You've done it before?"
Darius nods.
"Many times."- He responds- "However, I often managed to screw myself up. It was always the wrong word or the wrong move that made them go berserk. When the spirits of the fallen travel to the Spirit World, their minds are tainted by the impure magic within. Thus, they are susceptible to becoming irritable, so it's best if one threads carefully. Even the slightest mistake could make them think that we're their enemies."
Akira nods.
"Spirits can go crazy at any moment. I got it."- She responds- "I'll keep it in mind when we start dealing with them."
Darius smiles.
"I would appreciate it."
As they emerge from their hiding spot, the group notices a small prison. Upon closer inspection, they realize that nobody is currently guarding it.
"What happened here?"- Emela wonders aloud- "Were the guards called away?"
Akira nods.
"It seems like there's action happening somewhere around here."- She says- "The guards are trying to contain it, but there's not enough of them to fill the spots here. Thus, their leader had no choice but to risk it."
Aalia nods.
"Their loss shall be our gain!"- She exclaims- "Come on! Let's save Adam!"
Akira smiles.
"Aalia, dear. You don't seem the same either."- She says to her- "It would seem like you've been starved for love."
Aalia nods.
"Being so far away makes a person go mad."- She admits- "I don't know how I managed to stay back and watch Adam do all of the good deeds, but I've adapted to it. I hate to take on the role of an innocent bystander, even after what he did to me back in the tower, but I know that it's what he wants. I'll continue to love Adam from afar and hope that he comes back someday."
Akira nods.
"Adam made a good choice when he selected you as his beloved, Lia."- She says- "You may be a fair maiden, but you know when it's not the right time to be a bother to the group. I respect your choice and I think that you have a spirit of fire, just like Adam himself."
Aalia grins.
"You're not too bad either, Akira."
Akira smiles.
"I'm doing my best to be useful."
She puts her hand on Aalia's shoulder.
"I don't know how you and Adam met. I'm not well-informed when it comes to that."- She says- "But I can tell that you're no fool. Thus, I am proud to consider you my sister. It's an honor to have you by my side."
Aalia smiles.
"I'm glad that our bond is so strong."
Akira nods.
"And so am I."
Darius approaches them.
"Are you done with the pleasantries, ladies?"- He asks them- "Come on. We've got a hero to save."
Akira nods.
"You got it, Darius."- She says- "Lead the way. We've got you covered."
As the four of them step into the prison, they stare at the cells around them.
"Yikes."- Akira says, seeing that one of them was previously occupied by a non-human- "They really haven't shown any mercy to anyone."
Darius nods.
"And that's going to lead to their downfall, sooner or later."- He says- "Such crimes are often ignored, but people like me are often tasked with the duty to bring the criminals to justice. It's not an easy job, but it must be done. Otherwise, they'll continue to treat non-humans in such a cruel way."
Akira's hand slips closer to her weapon, indicating that she wants to fight as soon as possible.
"They'll pay. All of them."- She says vengefully- "If they managed to do something to my brother, I'll make them regret everything."
Darius nods.
"Your blood is boiling. Your desire for revenge is burning hot."- He says- "That's good. I hope that it remains this way."
Akira nods.
"It will."
The two of them inspect a nearby cell, thinking that they found a clue somewhere within. They try to bash down the door, but soon realize that the steel is too strong.
"It would take an incredible effort to get rid of the door."- Akira says- "Any ideas?"
Darius looks around and notices that two guards have arrived. He points at one of them.
"Do you see the keys in his pocket?"- He says- "This is our chance to get through that barrier."
Akira nods.
"Kill the guard. Take the keys."- She says- "It seems easy enough, but I know that there must be a twist."
Darius nods.
"The twist is that we'll get in serious trouble if we kill them while there's still people out there. One of them will surely hear us."- He says- "We must act quickly if we want to get the job done."
Emela looks around, searching for something that she could use.
"It's clear that our magic will be too loud. They'll hear us almost immediately."- She says- "So, what should we use here?"
She notices a long chain on the ground, takes it in her hands and smiles.
"Everyone, I think that I've got a plan."- She says as she turns around- "Do you think that we could make it happen?"
Darius shrugs.
"It depends on what you've got in mind.'
Emela smiles.
"Well, how does this sound?"
Emela explains her plan quickly, wary of how far away the guards are from them. Once she is done, the four of them stand up and prepare to make their move.
"You've got yourself a deal, Emela."- Darius says- "Off we go, then."
As the guards get closer to them, Emela hides behind a stack of crates. She uses the barely lit prison to her advantage and easily sneaks up behind one of the guards, making sure that his companion won't stop her from making her plan a reality.
"And now, for the tough part."- She says- "Time to hunt."
Using the pointy end of her wand, she lunges forward and stabs the first guard in the shoulder. As he falls to the ground and tries to scream in pain, she lunges again and, like a lioness that is about to bite into her unsuspecting prey, wraps the chain around the man's neck and silences him almost immediately.
"You shouldn't have messed with our group."- She says to the guard as she chokes him- "But it all happened anyway. And now, you shall face the consequences."
The second guard finally turns around. He shouts at Emela to stop and attempts to pull her away, but is shot in the back by Darius.
Unfortunately, the shot was not enough to kill him, so he stands back up and continues to fight back, forcing Emela to pull out her wand and kill him with a small bolt of fire.
"He...roes... "- The first guard mutters as Emela continues to choke him- "You'll... pay... "
Emela is angered by the guard's resilience. She decides to use all of her strength to get rid of him.
"No, you monster!"- She snaps- "You're the ones who are going to pay!"
Tightening her grip, Emela shows her true power and manages to crush the guard's neck before he could have the chance to reach for his weapon.
As he falls to the ground, Emela stares at him in disbelief. In her murderous rage, she managed to murder two men. Human men. And she feels bad about it, even though they were her enemies.
"Emela?"- Akira asks as she approaches her- "Are you alright?"
Emela sighs.
"I... think so."- She mutters- "It's just that I... I... "
She sighs.
"Everything's happening way too fast."- She says- "I... don't like it."
Akira smiles and places her hand on Emela's shoulder.
"You'll be fine, dear."- She says to her- "As long as we work together, nobody will be able to crush our will."
Emela smiles.
"You're such a good girl, Akira."- She says- "I'm sure that your brother can learn a lot from y-- "
Suddenly, the last guard that Emela killed reanimates, leaps to his feet and lunges at her. Emela shrieks and pushes him away just as he tries to bite her.
"Oh no!"- Aalia exclaims- "He's... alive again?!"
Darius shakes his head.
"We should have gone for the head."- He says- "But we... didn't anticipate this. So, we have to get rid of him. Again."
He aims his gun at the undead.
"Take this fiend down as soon as possible!"- He yells- "We must risk it! We can't let them hear us!"
As the undead guard shambles toward Emela, she backs away. She tries to blast him with her wand, but trips on the same chain that she used to kill him while he was still alive and falls on the ground.
"Agh!"- She exclaims- "Cursed torture devices!"
The undead guard wastes no time to pounce on her. He leans closer and attempts to bite her, but she manages to kick him away.
"Hey! Stop it!"- She yells at him- "You're not in the right to keep fighting back, even when you're not alive anymore!"
The undead does not listen to her rambling. However, something in his empty head makes him realize that she is, indeed, an enemy of his. Or was, while he was still alive. He flies into a murderous rage and uses much more strength and agility to get to her, snapping his jaws as he gets much closer to her.
Realizing that Emela is moments away from her demise, Darius aims his gun at the creature's head and shoots a few bullets. However, none of them manage to hit their target and he soon realizes that he is out of ammo.
"Akira!"- He yells- "Do something!"
Now that the fate of her friend is in her hands, Akira draws her weapon and lunges forward. She pulls the creature away just as it is about to finish her off.
"Stay away from her, you fiend!"- She yells as he grabs him by the neck and throws him away.
Using all of the energy that he still has left, the undead guard attempts to get closer again, but is stopped by Akira, who holds him back while swinging her sword. Enraged, the stupid creature tries to attack her instead.
While fighting back, Akira uses her other hand to pull Emela back up.
"Are you okay, dear?"- Emela asks her- "Do you need any help?"
Akira shakes her head.
"Just try to stay away."- She says- "I'll take care of this-- "
Suddenly, the undead catches her off-guard. It reaches for her right arm and tries to sink its teeth into it.
"Argh!"- Akira yells as she pulls herself back- "I'll get you back on this!"
At this moment, Emela starts to panic. She realizes what is going on and, judging by her worried stare, seems to blame herself for it.
"Akira! No!"- She exclaims- "I'm sorry! Please forgive me!"
Akira looks back and smiles.
"For what?"- She asks- "You did well, Emela. There's no need to be sorry."
Angered by what just happened to Akira, Emela drops her wand. Then, she picks up a nearby sledgehammer and lunges at the undead guard.
"I'll kill you!"- She proclaims- "Again!"
The undead tries to fight back, but is easily subdued by a single hit by the sledgehammer.
While trying to get back up, Emela angrily slams her weapon into the creature's skull. And she doesn't stop, even when her allies tell her to do so.
She hits him again and again, even after he is already dead.
"Stop."- Darius says after he watches her for one minute- "You've already done your job. Calm down."
He manages to restrain her just as she prepares to deliver another blow.
"Umm. Miss Emela?"- Akira says as Darius pulls Emela back- "Are you okay?"
Emela sighs.
"I'm sorry."- She says- "I guess that I... let my hatred take control again."
Darius raises his eyebrow.
"Again?"- He asks- "What happened out there?"
Emela sighs.
"It's too painful to explain."- She says- "Let's just get on with our lives. We'll talk later."
The four of them stare at the undead guard that Emela just killed. His skull is fractured and cracked, no longer usable by even the most ambitious of necromancers. His entire body is sprawled on the floor, like a headless animal.
In other words, Emela just unleashed her fury on the creature and made him pay for all the torture that she has been subjected to.
"Wow. That was... brutal."- Akira says as she slumps against a nearby wall- "Good job, Emela. You really showed him who's boss."
Emela smiles sadly and looks down.
"I'm a monster. I know it already."- She says as she throws the sledgehammer on the floor and picks up her wand- "Someday, I'll have to answer for what I've done to those... people. And it won't be pretty."
Darius raises his eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"- He asks her- "You're not a monster. You did what you had to and you'll be regarded as a hero. There's no need to answer for any of this. It's just what comes naturally."
Emela sighs.
"If only it were this easy... "
Darius smiles.
"Anyway, mission accomplished!"- He exclaims- "Nobody outside has managed to hear us and we're still alive!"
Akira looks down at her arm and sighs.
"Almost all of us."
Darius looks down and gasps.
"Akira!"- He exclaims- "You're... you're... "
Akira sighs.
"I know."
Darius looks down.
"Just... try to keep it secret from your brother."- He says- "If he knows what happened to you, he'll be devastated."
Akira sighs.
"I'm already a dead woman walking, so does it matter?"
Darius shakes his head.
"Not really."
Akira tries to say something else, but experiences a huge headache and sits down. She seems to be in a lot of pain, so Aalia rushes to help her out.
"Is everything okay, Akira?"- She asks her- "Did something... "
Then, she sees the massive wound on her forehead and gasps.
"Oh my god!"- She exclaims- "We're dealing with much more than an infection over here!"
Darius and Emela look down and realize that Akira is severely injured.
Emela looks back at Darius and stares at him, her cold eyes giving him shivers.
"Why didn't you tell us?!"- She yells at him- "We hoped that you were going to protect her! And you... you just let her get hurt! Again!"
Darius shakes his head.
"It's not my fault! I... found her like this!"- He exclaims- "It's a miracle that she lived through that!"
Aalia leans closer to Akira and inspects her wound.
"From the looks of it, it seems like Akira was shot in the head by... someone. A real monster, they must have been. She managed to pull the bullet out of her brain, but suffered a massive blood loss, even after successfully healing herself."- She says to herself, trying to make a theory of what happened to Akira- "I may be able to save her, but will she be strong enough to fight the infection in her body? I guess that there's only one way to find that out... "
She looks up.
"Keep yourself together, sis."- She says to her- "This is going to hurt. A lot."
Then, without another warning, she plunges her left hand into her wound. Akira involuntarily screams but, thanks to Darius and Emela, she calms down again.
"Ugh."- She says and shakes her head- "I don't like this."
Aalia stares at her.
"You want to see Adam again, don't you?"- She asks her- "Well, consider this the only way."
Akira sighs.
"I knew that I had to take risks to be with him. And I'll still take them, for as long as I live."- She says- "Alright. Just... try to work faster."
Aalia smiles, trying to reassure the poor girl.
"You'll be alright."- She says to her- "I promise."
After a few minutes of hard work, Aalia's healing magic finally takes effect. Akira's wound is quickly sealed and she feels much better.
"There you go!"- Aalia says and helps her stand up- "Now, you can be a hero again!"
Akira smiles and hugs her.
"Thank you, dear."- She says to her- "You're such a sweetheart."
Aalia smiles.
"I'm just trying to help."
Akira looks at her and pats her on the head.
"Well, you're doing great!"
Meanwhile, Emela picks up the keys from the dead guard's pocket and waves them at her allies.
"Everyone!"- She says- "I got them!"
Darius nods.
"Good job, Emela!"- He exclaims- "Use it before more of those freaks arrive!"
Emela nods.
"You got it!"
She goes to explore the cells and realizes that almost all of them are empty. However, one of them seems to be occupied by a lone man.
Mistaking her for one of his captors, he breaks down the fragile door that keeps him away from her and pounces on her, making her fall flat on her back.
"You jerks!"- He yells- "You think that you're going to keep me away for long? Well, you're mistaken!"
Emela shakes her head.
'"It doesn't have to be like this, mister."- She says to him- "Just leave this place. You'll be pardoned, I promise."
The clearly crazed man shakes his head.
"You took me away from my village. Killed my children in front of me. Forced me to watch as my own house burned."- He yells- "Do you really think that you deserve forgiveness?!"
Emela shakes her head.
"I'm sorry. I really am."- She says- "But this is not the right way to get your revenge. You can't just kill innocent people like this!"
The man glares at her.
"Oh, I will."- He says- "I'll kill every single one of you! I'll destroy everything that you hold dear, just like you destroyed mine!"
As he prepares to plunge his knife into Emela's chest, she pushes him back, throwing him back into some spikes on a nearby wall.
"You think that this... is over?"- The man says and shakes his head- "Your law... is not the only one in this world. Once the true servants of the law arrive... you'll be screwed. You won't... live to see another day."
Then, much to Emela's surprise, he pulls himself away from the spikes and lunges at her again. This time, he subdues her much easier and almost kills her, but Darius acts faster than him.
Seeing that one of the bullets he used in the fight against the undead guard is, miraculously, unused, he picks it up and loads his gun with it. Then, as the madman is about to stab Emela, he fires his gun and strikes him in the head.
"Gee. Thanks."- Emela says, relieved- "I guess that I... wasn't good enough to convince him."
Darius sighs and shakes his head.
"Some people are too far gone, Emela."- He says- "They are too dangerous to live and must be exposed of."
Emela nods.
"I know."- She says- "I'll be more careful next time."
She looks back at the cell and sees that the man's name is written on the side of the door- "Ben". Sighing at this unfortunate sight, she moves on and continues searching the cells.
As she gets closer to one of them, she realizes that a small piece of cloth of stuck on a nearby pole. Immediately realizing that it was part of Adam's clothing, she investigates the cell, only to realize that the door has been melted into a viscous liquid, possibly by some intense fire magic.
Not far away, she sees that Adam is staring at her. She runs up to him and hugs him,
"Oh, thank god!"- She exclaims- "You're here!"
Adam sighs and looks down.
"What is the point of living like this?"- He says- "She is gone. It does not matter."
Emela smiles and leads Adam out of his cell. 
"Incredible."- He says- "I... cannot believe my eyes!"
Akira smiles.
"Hello, dear brother."- She says- "Looks like I managed to defy the principles of the underworld, after all."
Adam nods.
"I hoped that the bullet was not enough to kill you."- He admits- "It looks like I was right."
Akira smiles and hugs him.
"I'm just glad to be with you again."
Adam hugs her back.
"And I am glad that my prayers have been answered."
As he continues to hug Akira, Aalia runs up to him and hugs him as well.
"Oh, my dearest angel! You're here!"- She exclaims- "I missed you so much!"
Adam smiles.
"I missed you a lot too, Lia."- He says to her- "Forgive me for being so ignorant."
Aalia smiles.
"I forgive you for everything."
Then, to prove her point, she leans closer and kisses him.
"Are you still helping other people in need?"- Adam asks her as he holds her in his hands.
Aalia nods and smiles.
"You bet!"- She exclaims- "I never stopped doing so, in the name of the one who saved me."
Adam smiles.
"I am glad to hear that, my beloved."
Unlike Akira and Aalia, Emela does not hug Adam. Instead, she simply stands close to him and smiles.
"Adam, my dear."- She says- "You made it."
Adam smiles.
"No, miss Emela. We made it."- He corrects her- "And it is all thanks to you."
Emela blushes slightly.
"Thank you, dear."- She says to him- "I needed that."
Adam smiles again.
"Well, you deserve it."- He says- "You did exceptionally well out here."
While talking to his sister and Aalia for a few minutes, he hears the screams of the soldiers outside. It looks like our heroes' visit did not go unnoticed.
"We need to get out of here."- He says to his allies- "Now."
Akira raises her eyebrow.
"We're going?"- She asks- "But... where?"
Adam looks back at his cell.
"We are leaving this prison."- He says- "There is a secret passage in that cavern. Just go through it and you will be safe."
As the girls run for the cell, Adam turns to Darius and smiles.
"Mr. Darius. I owe you a big debt."- He says- "You saved my sister. I could never thank you enough."
Darius smiles.
"You don't need to pay anything, Adam."- He says- "I was just doing my job."
Adam smiles.
"And you have a great job."- He responds- "That is for sure."
Not long after, the two of them join Akira, Emela and Aalia in the tunnels. 
There, the five of them notice a solid-looking dirt wall.
"Ugh."- Emela says- "It looks like we reached a dead end."
Aalia listens to the yells coming from outside and quivers in fear.
"We're trapped!"- She exclaims- "This... is not good!"
Adam shakes his head.
"There is no need to panic, everyone."- He says to them- "Remember. While the sun is shining in the sky, there will always be hope for us."
Having said that, he lunges forward and easily blows through the wall with a giant bolt of fire.
As the room beyond is finally revealed, a small cave-in happens all around them. However, Adam manages to pull everyone away as the entire cave behind them is completely sealed by falling rubble.
"This should keep them away for a little longer."- He says- "And now, it is time to go before we get captured. Again."
As the five of them walk through the passage, Emela turns to her student.
"By the way."- She says- "How did you know that there's something hidden in here? Most people aren't able to sense movement so well."
Adam smiles.
"Let us just say that I have a sixth sense when it comes to pathfinding."- He says- "Your training helped me a lot back in the time, so I decided to use it again."
Emela smiles.
"Then it seems like I trained you well."
While reaching for the exit, Akira suddenly starts to feel dizzy. She stumbles back and falls into her brother's arms.
"What is going on, Aki?"- He asks her- "Is something... wrong?"
Akira looks down at her arm. She realizes that it is exposed. Adam would be able to see it very easily if he wanted to.
Looking back at Darius, she sees him shakes his head. Then, she remembers that she made a promise and that, despite her hesitation, she has to keep it, for the sake of Adam.
Rolling down her bloody sleeve, she stands up on her own and shakes her head.
"Just a little bit of adventurer's fatigue."- She says- "I'm okay. I promise."
Adam stares at her suspiciously, seemingly unconvinced by her words. He wants to check her arm, but soon decides to respect her privacy instead.
"We still have a lot to talk about."- He says as he prepares to leave.
Akira sighs.
"Yeah."- She responds- "I know."
As the five of them emerge from the hidden tunnel, they realize that a squad of guards has spotted them. They try to run away, but they are too fast.
Soon, they are surrounded.
"Ah. It seems like the little munchkin's finally fighting back."- The captain from earlier says as he approaches them on his horse- "How does it feel to be scared of me, Captain Jesse?"
Adam glares at him. He is about to cast a powerful spell on him, but decides not to waste it yet.
"I have never been scared of people like you."- He says- "Your foolishness is only fuel for my determination. You inspire me to be a better person. And for that, I thank you."
Jesse smiles.
"That's what you're thinking."- He says- "But I can see the look in your eyes. You're afraid of us. And you can't run away, no matter how hard you try."
Emela steps up and stands between her student and Jesse.
"Well, maybe you should have counted on an assault from the back before pretending to be the hero of this place."
Jesse raises his eyebrow.
"Excuse me, but who do you think you a-- "
Suddenly, Emela pulls out her wand and easily blasts her way through the squad of guards, sending their captain and many of his soldiers flying into a nearby wall.
"Come on!"- She yells- "Go! Get moving!"
As the five of them run away, Jesse stands up on his feet, keeps his horse from running away and rides it again.
"Destroy those lawbreakers!"- He yells as his horse gallops forward.
While running outside, our heroes are ambushed by captain Jesse and his squad once again. Unable to see any other way out of this mess, they decide to fight back.
While Akira and Emela use their magic to fight back against the incoming guards, Darius uses the power of the spirits, infusing his own weapon with incredible power. Then, he lunges forward, easily destroying most of the enemies and leaving a huge flaw in their current position.
Deciding that the fight is not worth it, the surviving guards decide to flee back into the settlement behind them.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?"- Jesse yells- "Come back, you scoundrels!"
He looks back at the five heroes and sighs.
"I guess that it's time for me to finish the job."- He says and pulls out his spear.
Adam prepares to attack him, but soon realizes that his weapon is glowing. Fearing that his blows may be much more devastating that any other foe that they have fought here, he tells Darius to protect them for the time being.
Darius uses his magic to create a spirit shield. However, just as Jesse prepares to attack, the shield is shattered, leaving our heroes vulnerable to the incoming threat.
"Here he comes!"- Akira yells- "Get ready!"
As Jesse lunges forward, he unleashes his true colors, sending Emela, Aalia and Darius flying back.
Due to the fact that they are now too far away from their allies, the three of them are unable to help Adam and Akira as they fight back.
"Well? How does it feel?"- Jesse says as he tries to plunge his spear into Adam's chest- "Does it hurt? I hope it does!"
Adam sighs.
"Trust me, it is going to hurt you more."
Without waiting any longer, Adam uses his fire magic to gain temporary power. Then, he uses it against Jesse, easily knocking the spear out of his hand.
"Hmm. You're a good one."- Jesse says- "Perhaps I should've brought more than just my troops."
Then, without another word, he lunges at Adam and uses a hidden dagger to strike back.
Adam fights valiantly, even though he is being forced to walk back. He does not give up.
"In the name of all that I love, I will defeat you!"- He yells.
Jesse laughs.
"You're just like everyone else!"
While Jesse finally gets the upper hand, Akira uses her magic to blind him and protect her brother. Then, she runs to a nearby rock and breaks it to pieces with her weapon, sending a large chunk flying into Jesse's arm.
Unfortunately for the captain, his arm is pierced by the sudden attack. Severely wounded, he stands up and continues to fight, but with less determination.
"I can do this all day!"- He yells- "I don't need anyone else!"
Adam smiles.
"And that is your biggest mistake."
He whistles back to his allies, who use whatever strength they have left to lunge forward.
While only Darius and Emela make it forward, the two of them manage to stop Jesse from killing Akira by grabbing both of his arms and throwing him back. Then, they use their magic to temporarily cripple him.
"Well, that's... interesting."- Jesse says as he stands up- "Got any more of that?"
Adam and Akira are shocked. They thought that their teamwork could finish them off, but soon realize that Jesse is still alive.
"What?"- He asks them- "Did you lose your pride? Your honor?"
Just as he is about to approach them, a lone warrior falls from the sky and slices him in the back with his giant sword.
As he falls to the ground, screaming, Adam looks up and gasps.
"Mr. Deugan!"
Deugan wipes his sword and smiles.
"Adam."- He says- "I'm glad to see you."
Adam nods.
"And so am I, sir."- He says- "But why are you here? You were with my father and then, all of a sudden... "
Deugan shakes his head.
"It doesn't matter."- He responds- "Your father sent me here to aid you. And I did. Now, get rid of that outlaw and let's keep moving!"
However, Jesse stands up much faster than they thought. He pushes Deugan back, grabs his greatsword and uses it to slice a giant rock in pieces, showing just how angry he is right now.
"Adam Kaos!"- He yells vengefully- "I'm coming for you!"
Unfortunately (for him), Adam is well-prepared for his resilience. Using the magic that he still has left, he lunges forward and blows a hole through Jesse's stomach, sending him flying into a nearby wall.
On the verge of breaking down, Jesse tries to stand up. However, it seems as if all of his power has finally left him.
"There we go."- Adam says and hands Akira his sword- "He tried to kill you, so you are the one who will have the honor."
He nods toward Jesse.
"He is all yours."
Akira smiles.
"And I don't want it any other way."
As Akira approaches Jesse, a look of both shock and helplessness appears on his face. He realizes that the person he saw earlier is, indeed, Akira.
"It's... you."- He mutters- "The girl I tried to kill."
Akira glares at him.
"In flesh and blood."- She says- "You tried to separate me from my brother, but our bond was too strong. And now, you will pay."
Jesse smirks.
"I guess I should've shot you twice."- He says- "Normally, I'm not this careless. I promise."
Akira continues to glare at him. She angrily points her sword at his chest.
"You have no right to make jokes in a time like this, lawbreaker!"
Jesse stares into her eyes, judging whether she is serious or not. And, indeed, she is.
"Lawbreaker?"- He asks and laughs dryly- "How amusing. The one who's breaking the law claims that the enforcer is the one who breaks it."
Akira shakes her head.
"Then I guess that I'm above your law."- She says- "Your dark law."
She raises her sword in the air.
"Farewell, captain."- She says- "No one will miss you."
Then, without another word, she plunges Adam's weapon into Jesse's chest, watching as he coughs blood.
"This... isn't... over... "- He says as he finally dies.
Akira turns back and stares at her allies.
"There. I did it."- She says- "I made a promise that I'll get rid of this scum. And now, the world is free of another villain. Thanks to me... and to you."
Aalia raises her eyebrow.
"Umm. Akira?"- She says- "Shouldn't you... put him down before you make your speech."
Akira does not say anything. Instead, she simply stands still and shakes her head, seemingly waiting for the inevitable to happen.
One minute later, Jesse reanimates. He tries to attack her from behind, but she leaps around and swiftly stabs him in the skull, ending his life for the second time.
"And so, another servant of the dark falls."- She says as she cleans Adam's weapon- "Forever."
Adam approaches his sister, unable to keep his eyes away from Jesse's corpse.
"Why would you do such a thing?"- He asks her- "I understand why you wanted to kill him, but allowing him to come back like that crossed the line."
Akira smiles.
"I guess that it's rare for us to kill someone twice in a row."- She says- "Why wait for him to be punished from the gods above when we can punish him again?"
Adam sighs.
"I guess that you have a point."- He says- "Kind of."
He turns back as the rest of their allies join them.
"Well. It looks like their captain's finally dead. That should keep them out of the way, for now."- Darius says- "What should we do now?"
Adam bends down and picks up a small note in Jesse's pocket. He reads it and learns some very valuable information about Connor Freeman's hideout and his involvement in Darkthrop's invasion.
"It looks like this man is truly guilty. Allowing Darkthrop's people to roam in his lands and kill innocent civilians is completely against the law. Our law."- He says and draws his weapon- "And now, it is time for us... to pay him a visit."