Headed by a Snake

As Tycondrius should have rightfully expected, his sister did not reach out to embrace him.

Cass stopped a half-pace away.

She planted her feet.

She raised her left fist to cover her eye.

She... dropped her right fist beside her waist.

Then she began to rotate her body, starting with her legs, followed by her torso.

Tycon realized what was happening, but far too late. He tried to retract his arms, but they were fully extended. He wanted to move away, but he made the amateur mistake of locking his legs.

His sister's mana emissions were thick with malice.

How much mana had she channeled into her tiny fist? Was she an advanced enough Wind Mage to reduce the air-resistance of her strike?

Tycon began to pity himself, as if he was an outsider watching a stranger. That handsome, green-haired gentleman's alacritous analysis was utterly useless without the ability to act upon it.

And so...

Tycondrius... War Prince of Charm... legendary Warlord and leader of Sol Invictus... received the full, mana-empowered weight of his younger sister's right hook, brutally smashing into his side.

Clenching his teeth, he exhaled forcefully... and steeled his expression. His entire side was numb with shock-- and that was quickly being replaced by wracking pain.

"MmmMM... It's... good... to see you... dear... sister."

Tycon spoke through clenched teeth as his mouth began to fill with the unmistakable taste of blood.

Over the past several weeks, he had submitted himself to systematic and rigorous training, challenging and surpassing his physical and magical limits.

In doing so, he had reinforced his Gold-Rank physique enough to break through to the next level on a whim. However... it took but a single strike to overcome his resilience-- a single strike that inflicted *severe* internal bleeding.

He lived his life knowing that, inevitably, his body would be tested.

He'd done his best, with that moment in mind.

Yet, after all that work... the result was... *abject* failure!?

Despair. Self-loathing. Cursing the fates for the cruel joke that was his life.

"Brother..."

As he was distracted by the electrical signals in his body communicating to his brain that his entire life lived up to that point was a mistake... he did not notice when Cass had embraced him.

Logically, the notion was... nice.

He didn't *feel* nice. In his current state, he found it impossible to feel anything but pain and regret, thrice the amount.

But... he summoned his willpower... using a bit of mana to clear his head... and moved his arms to emulate a reciprocal embrace.

Bella, Ananta, and immediately after, his sister, Cass... all of them lorded physical, magical, or social advantages over him.

Tycon was tired of being coerced and beaten.

He had a sudden desire to share the company of Alpha Squad? Where were they?

Had his sister killed them all? It was a shame; only Meteora deserved to die.

"You can't give up, Brother," Cass mumbled, sobbing into his chest. "I still need you..."

Tycon raised his eyebrows, surprised... though the feeling of guilt came well shy of the pain.

His sister had been earnestly worried for his well-being.

As of late, he had been reckless, taking undue risks stemming from laziness and apathy rather than efficacy.

And... he very rarely thought of her.

Suddenly, Cass whipped her head up to glare at him, determination burning in her undimmed eyes.

"I'll kill you before you kill yourSELF!!"

What?

Tycon responded to the... eerily serious threat by reaching behind Cass' head and pushing her face back into his chest.

"Mmmph!! MMMM!!!"

"Hush, child," Tycon gently urged. "Let's... let's not be too-- ergh... hasty in our... decisions."

She was struggling to move. He would not allow it. If she was trying to breathe, that did not bother him. Considering her Iron-Rank physique, she could hold her breath for minutes at a time.

He noticed his sister gathering mana in her right hand. That wouldn't do. He took hold of her wrist and interrupted the mana flow.

Tycon's panic grew steadily. The last time he had a physical altercation with a powerful woman, he received a debilitating ⌈Earth Spike⌋ to his crotch area.

"AwWww~ Isn't thiss love-lyyyy~?"

Ananta, the eldest Shadow Snake Princess had emerged from a nearby shadow, dressed in dark leathers, more suited to personal utility than conveying her rank.

"Ananta-- guhhHHH~!"

Tycon was planning on requesting for help-- perhaps going as far as pleading for it.

However, his sister had powered her Iron-Rank knee into the one location he desperately wanted to keep safe. He was fairly certain his ⌈Mana Ward⌋ weakened the blow considerably... but the impact still left him breathless and made his stomach ache.

"Oh, Ssweet Princce," Ananta said, "Of coursse~! I'd be mossst honored to join your family hug!"

Cass pushed away from Tycon; he lacked the strength to stop her.

"It's youuuu," she growled. "You have no place in MY family!!"

"Dearesst Princessss Cassiopeia~" Ananta cooed, "Your handssome brother and I were jussst sspeaking about you."

Cass glanced to Tycon, then back to Ananta. Fury took hold of her and her hair began to animate, physically transforming into a dozen and one hissing vipers.

They counted twelve ebony and a single emerald green. Tycon wondered if he'd better appreciate the aesthetics if he wasn't suffering from so much pain.

"Where did you even come from?!" Cass demanded.

"Why, the Ivory Prince's ssshadow, of coursse," Ananta replied. "And do mind your mannerss, Hatchling."

"Lady... Ananta," Cass growled through her teeth. "I am curiousss... as to whatttt your relationship iss... with my *dear* brother?"

Tycon found himself inadvertently flinching at his incensed sister's mention of him.

He was Gold-Rank!

To be more particular, he was half-step Adamantine-Rank!!

Cass was WEAKER than him!

But why was he terrified of ALL the women in his life?!?

"Hmm," Ananta tilted her head, coyly sending a wink at Tycon's direction, "I wonder~"

Cass took a deep breath... and she clenched her trembling fists.

"Lady Ananta... where it conssserns the Ivory Princce, perhapss a more ressspectable disstance would be appropriate?"

Tycon wanted nothing more than to be a respectable distance away from the both of them.

Ananta lowered her chin, "And if I refuse?"

Cass did not respond with words. She responded with a close-range ⌈Wind Bullet⌋ aimed at Ananta's face.

The Shadow Snake Princess turned her head, whipping her inky-black hair. The shadows it cast enveloped the Spell, nullifying the force it carried.

If it weren't for the harsh wind that remained, Tycon might have believed that his sister hadn't cast anything at all.

Yet the ease with which Ananta rebuffed Cass' attack did nothing to dissuade her from further hostility.

"⌈Wind Bullet!!⌋" Cass screamed, "⌈Wind Bullet⌋, ⌈Wind Bullet⌋, ⌈WIND BULLLETTT⌋!!!!!"

A slow grimace crossed Tycon's face. There was a significant power increase in Cass' offensive magic when she returned verbal components to her quick-casting.

It was an odd notion, being glad to have only taken a knee to the groin, in lieu of a close-range ⌈Wind Bullet⌋.

"⌈Rending Cyclone!!!⌋ Arrrrghhh!! ⌈Storm Tor-NADO!!⌋"

It seemed likely that Cass was going to demonstrate her entire Spell list.

Dark shadows were beginning to swell around Ananta, along the ground and even hanging mid-air.

Some had grown so thick that they became solid in form. Ananta grabbed hold of one, refining its form into a lengthy, ink-black warscythe. Swinging its blade, she gracefully cut through a series of crescent-shaped wind-blasts while twirling about in glee.

Tycon quietly used his movement technique, ⌈Shadowfang⌋, to escape into a shadow chosen at random... only exiting the shroud once he found safety amongst the audience.

The girls hadn't noticed. Not even the crowd seemed to notice.

It came as no surprise, though. A duel of Spells between two high-level Mages was a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle.

...Thus, as soon as Tycon regulated his breathing, he began weaving through the various mercenaries, searching for a place to sit and watch.

Some distance away, he found a nice, solid, fallen log, its surface soft with moss. Shortly after, a few others joined him; they gave him nods of acknowledgment before taking their seats.

Or perhaps they were nods of pity?

Tycon decided not to be offended.

Youkai.

It was the catch-all term for supernatural creatures in the Shadow Snake territories.

Ananta was a particularly powerful Youkai, a combination of genetic fortune, innate talent, and centuries of experience.

As Tycon understood it, the most powerful humanoids on the eastern side of the continent were her, her mother, and the Lich Queen of the Sleeping Country.

Oh-- and Bella.

Similar to how a full-blooded Medusa was advantaged against a human opponent, Ananta's bloodline made her an overwhelming adversary for his sister.

However, Cass had a unique advantage that guaranteed her staying power.

Besides the voluminous mana reserves common to females of her bloodline, Cass was also blessed by the wind.

Her Spells had a highly-efficient mana-to-power ratio... and, due to her personality, she would not yield easily.

Her battle with Ananta would continue for some time...

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