It was refreshing to see how many people came for our cause. I didn't know if it'd be enough to beat the army we were up against, but we would put up a good fight if nothing else. To be honest, I was a little disappointed that no one had offered any better strategies to defeat our enemy but at least some of them were able to make improvements to our current plan. Now that we had a plan of attack, all we really needed was a little intel; which is why I asked Kain to stay here, while everyone else chose what people would work best for their portion of the plan.

Kain and I watched as the group dispersed, heading back towards the rest of our army. "So?" he prompted.

"I need you to talk to Zack and get back to me before tomorrow."

Kain huffed, "big job, considering how late it is already. Where's he at?"

"He's with the army," I saw Kain's head move to face me and I turned to look back at him. "He's been trying to figure out their leader's weakness to take him down. I need to know what he knows."

"You realize that if I'm seen, I'll be killed right away. I won't get to talk with him."

"I wrote a note," I took out a piece of ripped paper and handed it to Kain. "You won't have to talk with him, just make sure he gets this and knows he has it. Then you can stay in the shadows. Just remember what he says, then tell me when you get back here."

Kain sighed pocketing the paper, "Is this really important? We can't take this team out without this information?"

"I don't know," I said, looking back at our allies. They were forming lines to evaluate who would be best suited for what team. "It all depends on what he has to say."

Kain groaned. It was clear that he didn't like this job, but he was the only one who could get it done, and he knew it. "If I'm not back by sunrise, I'm dead. But I'll try to make it as soon as I can."

"Thank you."

Kain left in the direction that the army was headed. He apparently had already scouted them out, or otherwise had someone from his team do it instead. Either way, he knew where he was going and I hoped he would make it there and back soon. I hadn't seen Zack since he trapped me at the graveyard, but I had to hold out hope that he was still somewhere in the massive team we were up against.

I headed back towards the cliff to join the others. It didn't take long to realize that there were some issues with the process of selecting teams. Some people were being put to the side, in a fourth row, separated from the stealth team, ranged team and combat team. So, I asserted myself into the mess and asked what the problem was.

"Saris!" Xander said, sounding relieved. "We're having trouble placing some people."

"How are you going about it?" I asked.

"Anyone who knows where they should go goes there, no questions asked. But there are a lot of people who don't know where they belong, so we ask what they can do and...well, we don't know where they belong either."

"This group here?" I asked, pointing at a group of sad-looking people. Xander nodded and I went to one of them, a pale young man that looked nervous. "Relax." He took a deep breath but otherwise seemed just as nervous as before. "Tell me what you can do."

He looked down and shrugged, "I can make sounds."

"So...you can sound like a tiger or something?"

"Y-Yeah," he seemed unsure.

"Can you have it come from somewhere other than yourself?"

"Well, yeah."

"Show me," I said.

A moment later, I heard heavy footprints behind me, followed by a growl, then a deep roar. It was so realistic and sounded so close that I instinctively turned around and braced for impact, but nothing was there. Then I turned back to the young man and smiled, "This is great."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Either take the main force or the stealth team. If you're on the main force do the same thing you just did to me. Make them think a threat is behind them, like someone drawing a sword or something, then go up and take them out while their back is turned. If you take the stealth team, you can make it sound like there's hundreds of people with you. Maybe they'll get scared. Either way, it's a great ability. You should also practice to see if you can take sound away. If you can hide your footsteps or the sound of someone struggling, you can stealth your way through their team faster and more efficiently."

He looked surprised and gave me a wide smile, "Thanks!"

That's when I became swarmed by people wanting me to tell them where to go. I sighed but decided that this was the best use of my time. In my opinion, you can find good in every ability. There are some people who stop only when they see a power's most obvious advantage; like Allison and her pocket dimension. She had only seen the ability as a means for storage, but there were more possibilities that she could have explored to invent a strange, but powerful, weapon.

While I was explaining how someone could use their ability to create light to blind their enemies, someone amidst the main force caught my eye. Once I sent the young woman I had been talking to towards the combat group, I walked with her and pointed at the man I had seen.

"You! I remember you."

The older man pointed to himself and eyed me strangely. "Really? You remember me?" He sounded excited and grinned widely like he was pleased to have been memorable.

"Go to the ranged team."

As he walked over without argument, nodding. Xander spoke up. "Woah, woah! No way! Stop smiling buddy. I also remember you and no, you should not be flattered. You're the guy that tried to kill me before I even knew what was going on!"

I knew Xander didn't trust this man, but if I could get them to work together, they would make a deadly combination. I put a hand on Xander's shoulder. "Relax. You remember what he can do, don't you?"

"Sure. He can stop time and kill me!"

"He's on our side and his power will be extremely helpful."

"Doesn't that make him more of an asset to the combat group?" Xander complained.

"No. He can only stop one person at a time. An army is coming, it's not going to be a one on one fight. If he's with you, he'll be out of range from attackers and he can stop someone in place down below while you protect him with your shield. If he can stop the fire user, we can end it right there."

The old man nodded emphatically and Xander slumped, "Alright."

By nightfall, everyone was organized into one of the three groups for our plan and I had gone over the plan in more detail with Xander, Demi and Ruffus. Little things like when the stealth team should attack or how far along the beach the offense team should go or how far the ranged team should aim to shoot. When we were all confident that we knew what we needed to do, it was time to get some sleep. I doubt anyone had an easy time drifting off, too worried about tomorrow's fight. Every so often, I would hear whispered conversations or words of comfort. I was concerned about Kain, he hadn't come back yet and I feared that he might have been caught and killed.

A few hours passed but I finally fell asleep only to be woken up by the very person I was waiting for. Kain was back and I groggily sat up as he plopped down in the sand next to me. I was eager to hear what he had learned. The sky was dark, but I could tell it was getting brighter. The night flew by without me realizing it. Judging by the look on Kain's face, he wasn't happy.

"They're way bigger than us. Twice as many people, maybe more," He said quietly, trying not to wake anyone else up.

"I know. What about Zack? Did you find him?" I stood up and we moved away from the crowd of sleeping people.

"Yeah. It took a while. He's near the center of everything and there's a bunch of people around him all the time, but he answered your questions." Kain stretched and yawned before continuing, "First off, they've got some heavy hitters, not many, but a few. Zack said to mention the big guy he was with from last time, but he also wanted to point out someone he didn't know. It's a girl with blue hair and he says that she's been working with the big guy this whole cycle, but he couldn't tell me much else about her, just to watch out for her."

"Anyone else I should know about?"

"No one with amazing powers, just some elemental guys. Oh, and there's a telekinetic."

I shrugged, "Just moving things with his mind, is he that good?"

"Zack seemed to think so. Anyway, as for the second question, now that Zack knows you're attacking today, he'll be turning on the fire user soon. He said he's not in contact with any other traitors so don't expect any other change of allegiance. Apparently, he wants to keep his cover for as long as he can, though. But he said not to pull any punches, he'll manage.

"Alright. What about my last question?"

Kain leaned in, "Get this, Zack has never seen his weapon. No one has. He's pretty sure he doesn't have one."

"None?"

"Nope. The theory is that he asked to not have one to get a boost to his ability. Seems to me like he wanted to be really good at one thing and not worry about close combat and it sounds like his request panned out."

"That's why his fire kills so fast," I mumbled.

"Yup, but there's more. His power is his weakness."

"I don't follow."

Kain scratched his chin, "How did he word it...His power damages him too, just not very badly. The more he uses it, the more he gets burned."

Realization hit me, "That's why the army didn't move for several days after the graveyard attack! He needed time to heal up. But why has no one else noticed this?"

"Sounds like he keeps himself in his tent most of the time. Only a few people there know much about him or even which tent is his. Zack's one of the few that have actually seen him. He's a blonde, short hair, like recently shaved. Little guy too. Zack says that the hot head is trying to get his army to do most of the work, rather than doing it himself. Then they'll either kill each other or he'll kill them when the time comes. Seems pretty confident in himself if you ask me. Anyway, Zack mentioned that the best way to beat him is to keep him going for a long fight. If we force him to keep using that fire, he'll eventually burn himself to death. Problem is, we don't know how long that needs to be."

Another revelation came to me, "Do you remember where we met in the last cycle?"

Kain groaned, "Ah. Don't remind me of another death."

"The building had been charred."

"So? Any fire user could've done that."

I shook my head, "No. That would've taken a lot of commitment. But also, Xander and I found something interesting there. A portion of the floor and wall were undamaged by the fire. It was in the shape of a person."

"You think the person who burnt that building is leading this army. Well, great. How does that help us?"

"I remember seeing the outline of the person back then. They didn't seem to be fighting, just sitting down. I think he was testing his limits. It might not help much, but it suggests that Zack is right. The fire burns him too. We need to get him into the fight as soon as possible. Where's his tent?"

"It's in the center of their campsite. There's no way you'd be able to find it."

"Are there any signs or specific designs on it? Anything?"

Kain thought for a moment, "Well, I think it had a strip of red tape on it. Looked like a quick patch job for a rip or something. What are you planning?"

"I'll target that tent. The sooner we start this fight, the better. Will you need sleep?"

"I'm a little tired but it's nothing I haven't dealt with before. I'll be fine."

I nodded, "Then I'm going to leave now. Give everyone a few more minutes to rest, but get them up so they can get ready soon. And let the others know everything you told me, especially about his weakness and what he looks like under the fire."

"Sure."

He wished me luck as I left and I tried to calm myself down. This was good news. It meant that we finally had a way to beat him but I didn't want to get cocky. A long fight wasn't necessarily the best thing, especially with an army to contend with, but if it meant beating the fire user, it would be worth it. Maybe, if we killed him off, the rest of the army would fall apart. That might be a long shot. Either way, the priority was to take out the leader and now, I was starting to feel like we might be able to pull it off.

Before I left, I woke Xander and explained to him that I was leaving. He used his power to expand his shield and handed it to me, telling me to be careful. After thanking him, I left. I knew approximately where the army would be, so I headed straight for it at a light jog. It was unlikely that the army would be up and on the move before we would be ready, so I didn't want to rush myself; I'd be running soon enough.

By the time I had reached the enemy camp, the sun was peeking out from the horizon. I had nearly forgotten how large the enemy was but after seeing it again, I felt a drop in my chest. There were so many people and I was sure that Kain had been right, they easily doubled our forces. Shaking my head, I reminded myself that this was not the time for doubt. I took a deep breath, turning off all negative thoughts and focusing instead on what I needed to do. For the plan to work, I would not only need to get their attention, but also force them to want to chase after me and it would be much easier if I was on the other side of the camp. That way, I could just run straight back to the beach without making awkward turns. So instead of running at the army, I went around it, careful to not be seen.

The problem with this part of the plan was that I wouldn't be able to change course or try again if things became too difficult. It was going to be all or nothing. I could easily get overwhelmed and if that happened while inside their camp, I'd be as good as dead.

It wasn't difficult to get around the army. They weren't on high alert and most of them were either sleeping or just waking up. But when I reached the other side of the camp, the sun had fully risen from the horizon and the army seemed ready to move. I was also out in the open and it was only a matter of time before they noticed me. Trusting that my team was preparing and would be ready by the time I brought the fight to them, I rushed forward, sword and shield at the ready. It was time to end this.

Two guards stood near where I was charging and saw me coming, but not before I copied the speed of one of them. They didn't stand a chance. They didn't raise any alarms and I cut them down before they had their weapons raised. There was no time to waste, so I continued moving and slicing through anyone in sight. It didn't take long before there was a lot of shouting and soon, everyone was aware that they were being attacked.

I was lucky to have Xander's shield. More than one attack would have gotten through if not for the barrier in my left hand, covering me from any attacks on that side. But my swings were a bit more wild than usual too. I wasn't used to wielding my large blade with one hand. There were plenty of people who blocked my attacks but I couldn't stay to finish them off. Not only would I get too overwhelmed by the number of fighters, but I was also on a mission. The point of me being here was not to take out as many people as I could, but to lure them to the beach. Anyone I could kill on the way was just an added bonus.

There was another thing I was looking for; the tent with the red tape. I was somewhere in the middle of the encampment but haven't found it yet. It was also becoming more and more obvious that I wouldn't be able to stay and search for it. If I did, I would easily get overrun and would have to try and fight my way out. But a stubbornness in me kept trying to find it. I slowed down to look as I sliced through another opponent.

"Run!" Rayne's voice came to me and I saw her ahead of me, urging me to get back to the beach. "Don't stop! Come on!"

She was right. I was being careless and I had to stick with the plan. Besides, it looked like everyone wanted me dead and now, they were gaining on me. With a grunt, I pushed forward and followed Rayne towards the beach. Now that I had left my bloodlust behind, my head cleared and Rayne was gone.

After cutting down a few more enemies, I finally pushed free from the camp. When I was several steps away, I chanced a glance behind me and mentally smiled. It was working. The entire army had known that I had been cutting through them and was running after me, leaving their tents and provisions behind. Positioning Xander's shield so it would guard my back, I took off, being careful not to let them lose me.

Just before reaching the tourist shops that led to the beach, I slowed my run in hopes that it would make them think that they were gaining. If they thought they would lose me, they might stop and abandon the chase. But after another glance back, my worries were put to rest. They looked just as determined to catch me as when they had started and we weren't far from the beach. This was working.

My lungs were on fire and my legs felt like stone, but I finally saw the water of the beach and the tall rock of the cliff to the far right. Ruffus was ready with the main force at the edge of the water, waiting for my arrival. Xander was on one of the lower platforms of the cliff, along with the man I had insisted be on his team. Demi and Kain would be somewhere else, hiding until they had a chance to attack the army from behind. With the last of my strength, I bolted forward, reaching the sand and soon, the allied army.

"Xander!" I shouted, nodding and lifting his shield slightly.

"Right," he said, resummoning it to his hand. Then he gave me a wide smile, "You made it!"

"So did they," I panted, looking back at the enemy.

"Good," Ruffus chimed in, "we're ready for them."

I had arrived through a part of the town that had a thin section of buildings, forcing our foes to condense into a smaller area and preventing them from coming at us in mass. The road was filled with people from Fire's army, but they stopped as soon as they reached the beach, seeing us waiting for them. They seemed to realize two things. First of all, we tricked them, and second, they still outnumbered us. This led to angry shouting and they charged onto the beach, armed and ready to strike.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Ruffus lift his blade, letting out a throaty chuckle. Seconds later the street that the army was streaming in from was riddled with explosions. Buildings crashed down onto the enemy, leaving dust and rubble in the distance. This led to cheering on our side. While it might have killed a few of them, this mostly just prevented them from retreating and made it more difficult for them to rush more people towards us from that entry point. Ruffus had successfully divided the enemy's numbers so we would have time to take them out before the rest of them found their way to us.

"Get ready!" I shouted.