Page 69 of Elemasters

He immediately covered his nose and fought the gag rising in his throat… but then his eyes settled on the bodies.

If they could even be called that.

In reality, they were blackened husks in vaguely human shape, sprawled all over the lot in various positions, making it abundantly clear that most of them had been incinerated in motion.

“They’re all dead… he really… oh my god, he really killed them all,” James’s voice trembled and his knees shook, while all the color drained from his face.

“This… this isn’t. Chris couldn’t… I mean, it can’t be…” Dustin stammered, but Bailey stepped in and rubbed his back before he could finish.

“Chris is not responsible for this. He might be a hothead but he’s not… whatever this is. This is the emperor, and we’re going to end this here and now,”

“Chris might not be fully in control, but the truth we can’t deny is that this is still his power, and now we all see the limits of what it can do,” Chloe said, stepping ahead of the group and subtly activating her own powers, her veins flashing white as she did so, “we need to be prepared for anything. Clearly he’s not going to hold anything back,”

Dustin could see her skin shifting as she spoke; not changing overtly, but just… tightening. As if she’d turned her body into a metallic shell.

Hardly a second passed before a scorching ball of blue flame struck the pavement just in front of them, causing the entire group to scramble backwards to avoid its searing heat.

Dustin’s eyes immediately darted to the rooftop above them.

His heart nearly stopped in his chest.

Chris was sitting right there. Tangible. Solid. Real…

But oh so wrong.

He was still shirtless, just like when he left Bailey’s house, but he was… thinner. Like his muscle mass was rapidly fading. Dark circles hung heavy under his eyes, and his hair, which had been freshly trimmed and bleached barely a day before, was already hanging shaggily in front of his eyes, dark roots visible like a stain.

“He knew you would arrive,” the emperor spoke through Chris’s voice. Fuck crawling: Dustin’s skin wanted to uproot itself and bolt in the opposite direction, “I hoped he was right. Crushing hope is always more satisfying than a more standard defeat,”

“You’re not gonna defeat SHIT! We’re stopping this!” Bailey screamed, the earth trembling beneath them as she did.

Chris shook his head dismissively, as if a toddler had just challenged him to arm wrestle. He dropped down from the roof and landed ahead of them, the skies darkening with clouds overhead as he did so.

“Now is the chance for this new generation of Sages to impress me. Here’s hoping you make it count,”

Chapter 27

ICANTDOITALONE

Before anything could happen, Dustin was already screaming.

“Chris, I know you can hear me in there! Fight him!”

… that was the final moment anyone had to say anything before the carnage unfolded.

Without warning, Chris lashed out, sending a blast of flames straight for the group. If it weren’t for Bailey’s quick thinking and quicker reflexes, they would’ve been immolated instantly. But thankfully the rising wall of asphalt under her command shielded them.

Chloe didn’t waste a moment, and neither did James; they sprinted from behind the asphalt barrier on opposite sides the second they saw an opening. James’s frame rapidly changed shape as his bark-armor grew into place over his skin, while a gleaming layer of metal encased Chloe’s entire body, giving them the appearance of elemental knights as they charged forward.

James stretched out his arm, sending branches and vines surging forward from his wrist like Spider-Man’s webbing, wrapping Chris in a crushing hold in a matter of seconds. Chloe quickly followed up, swinging her heavy metallic fist in an uppercut that connected with shattering force. A hit like that should’ve knocked him on his ass, but Chris just smirked at them as the veins in his face glowed neon red.

“This form, so powerful, so vibrant, can handle quite a bit more punishment than the corpse I was forced to steer. You will simply have to push beyond your limits,”

With a surge of heat and fire, Chris blasted free of the restraints, setting fire to James’s armor in an instant and making Chloe’s red hot.

“FUCK!” Chloe screamed, forcing the metal off her skin as quickly as she could, revealing the rapidly forming blisters and burns underneath. James’s thicker armor provided a tiny bit more protection, giving him enough time to fire it off himself in the form of bullet-like wooden projectiles. They riddled Chris’s body; the intensity of the impact forcing him to slide backwards several feet, but not doing much real damage to him otherwise.

Dustin’s breath came in shallow waves as he scanned the area, looking for anything he could use to give them an edge.