"Guess you can't be in trouble with a boss if the boss is dead, eh?" Caroline said deadpan.

"But why is everything so slimy and cold?" Rowana asked, speaking for the first time.

"I am afraid that is my fault." The voice came from the corner of the office. Everyone with weapons aimed them at the source of the unknown speaker.

No sniffed the air and cursed himself for not noticing earlier. The dust he was inhaling for long numbed his sense of smell. Now when he realized what he missed he could clearly smell Anadori. The owner of the voice stepped into the light of torches with his hands above his head.

"Don't shoot, those damn apeling weapons are incredibly loud and you would fail so slay me anyway."

"Who are you and what happened to Sheriff Conolly?" Rufio asked shaking his gun in the Anadori's direction.

"My name is too noble to be uttered by the likes of you. But you can call me Icicle."

No could smell a large amount of anima being molded by the long-eared stranger and he growled unsheathing his sword.

"Whatever spell you are trying to cast, stop it." No said in a stern voice.

"Ah, a chimera. I must say you are quite the elegant product for a barbaric apeling magic. How did you survive Sundering my little feline friend?"

No sniffed again to make sure spell was interrupted and nodded in satisfaction.

"That is hardly important now. Are you the conjurer who summoned the dead?" No asked moving forward with his sword pointed at Anadori's neck.

"I am. I was afraid you would turn around and run away from the Rebuke making me chase you." Icicle said cocking one eyebrow.

"You are after us?" Caroline demanded to know as she aimed her carabine at him.

"You?" He chuckled shaking his head. "No, but you came into possession of something I want. An apeling grimoire."

"How do you know we have it?" Caroline asked again.

"Well, before I decided to let loose my army of the dead I intercepted an animal that had a weak magical signature. The kind I haven't seen since before the Sundering. And lo and behold, it was carrying a message that I couldn't quite read, the letters scrambled by the spell distinctly human. That surely made me curious so I let the animal go sending air elemental after it to listen. What an interesting bunch you turned out to be."

"What a hell are you people babbling about? You are the guy who let loose the dead upon us? Then you must pay right now!" Rufio yelled before he emptied his revolver at the Anadori.

Six bullets hit the invisible barrier ricocheting around the room.

"Now, are going to give me that book or I am going to kill this entire city, just as I did with Bittersprings?"

"Why do you want it anyway? It's human magic, you can't use it." Rowana said trying to calm squirming bat in her arms. "I know that more than most."

"Ah, a half-breed," Anadori said with a sneer. "I can't comprehend how any of the Highborn would stoop so low to breed with apelings is beyond me. Well, I guess if you don't give me what I want I will have to kill you."

Outside the Rebuke's cannons started firing which couldn't indicate anything good. Everyone stood silent not moving a muscle.

"Well, it was fun chatting with you. Since you are going to die anyway you can hear my True Name. My name is Mardanash Furalanaho Kromali Bestival Icepike, Scion of House Icepike, 5th in line for the Jade Seat of Anadori High Meet. Know this before I take your souls."

The temperature suddenly dropped and the icicles started forming above his head. No knew what that meant and the memory of fights fought eons ago flashed into his mind. He rushed forward drinking the magic from the amulet and channeling it into his sword. The blade let out a shriek similar to the eagle's cry as the anima formed around the steel. With fast swings, he shattered forming icicles before smashing into the air barrier that protected the mage.

Anadori's face contorted as he tried to concentrate on keeping the barrier strong enough. No kept striking at the barrier in rhythmic tempo keeping the mage off balance and preventing him from attacking the rest of his group.

"Who are you?" Anadori asked with his teeth clenched.

"Who I am? Now you ask?" No sneered increasing the temp of his attacks. He can't keep on going like this forever. His amulet had limited amount of anima stored there. He could only hope that amount is enough to outlast mages ability to mold more of it. He was controlling an entire army of the dead at the moment and that could prove the tipping point into the No's favor.

"They named me the Forest Wrath upon my birth! After I slew a bear on my fourteenth name day I reaffirmed the name given to me. I am Slayer of King Barantoon! I am the Beast of Mortok Pass! And I will not allow low-grade knife eared bastard like yourself to terrorize any more towns!"

Anadori took a step back as he braced for a barrage of blows from No's sword.

"I don't have time to play with you," Icepike growled before closing his eyes. Cheers came from the outside as he opened them again. "You will pay for that. I had to let go of my entire army to deal with you."

No felt that his sword started to bounce away after each strike. Damn it, he reclaimed all anima he poured into those dead. We lost. Ice started forming on No's fur as the mage sneered at his blows now.

"Boss, duck," Fiat yelled. No didn't think, he shattered the ice forming on his body and dove for the ground. "Try stopping this, you freak."

The Fiat's weapon shot a beam of blue light that pierced through whatever barrier was there and hit him square in the chest.

"No, you can't do this," Icepike said looking at the burned hole. "I was the Avatar of the Unlikely Three! The new one was born! What an insult!"

"Shut up." Fiat snapped before firing few more times turning the mage into dust pile.

"Guess that is that," Caroline said turning around and exiting the room. "I need a drink."

Rowana followed her right after.

"You people are crazy," Rufio said looking at No and Fiat.

"That might be true, but we saved your town." Fiat retorted with a smile before following the girls out.

No sheeted his blade letting out a sigh. He forgot how hard it is to fight magic users. But modern humanity found the way through gizmos and gadgets that were so beyond his understanding that they might be magic as well, just different flavor it.

He passed Rufio patting him on the shoulder before walking out into the street. Kindred and Rowana waited for him there.

"What now boss?" Caroline asked as she stowed away her rifle.

"We go to meet the master. "