She can't die!

My head immediately aches as my spirit complains.

I've barely got back to summoning icicles and water bottles yesterday, and now I'm throwing out combat magic, after all.

But she can't die!!

I freeze the massive demons arm, giving Kako a second to stagger away. But the demon is tenacious, and she is barely hanging on, unable to suppress a retch as she scuttles backwards.

More! Need more!

The market fountain! It's broken, but I can use it, right!?

I make all of its water leap out at once, suddenly gifting it with intense heat, pressure and horizontal velocity.

The impromptu boiling geyser smashes into the demon and he goes flying off into the remains of Remone's Tailors in an explosion of dust and wooden splinters.

I wanted to make the water stay there and boil him like a Terrapin Lobster in a pot, but my control at the moment is still not perfect, so splatters of water all escape and spill all over the street.

The men around me rapidly escort us to Kako and help her up whilst that demon is distracted in the rubble.

I hyperventilate and my blood throbs. Crap. I can't actually do stunts like that often.

"You're all damn fucktards! I told you to stay away!" Kako curses.

But I quickly put on a facade of perfection, ironing away my fatigue.

"Ohohohoho." I laugh behind a hand. Cadence was better at the laugh. One of the noble tutors had a strange thing for teaching us this. It is apparently critical for a good court lady.

Kako gives me the stink-eye. She dislikes that noise, like Aria.

"Honestly, Kako, you expect me to stand by whilst something like this is happening? You jest!"

She makes chomping motions. Looks briefly at her men, who shrug at her, and she sighs.

"Whatever. We must..."

The demons don't give us time to sit and natter. They are clearly loyal to the big demon, as a pair charges towards us, roaring.

The guards instantly form up around Kako in front of me. She bisects the left one, and the right one gets four spears jammed in, making it crumple before it can do anything with its own spear.

Then they look aghast, as a sneaky female demon leaps from a ledge and suddenly bounces towards me from the side, roaring and brandishing two large daggers.

"Your majesty!" Kako yells.

But she underestimates me.

I hold out my hand in a fist, and then open it rapidly.

Water literally gushes from the demon from its pores and orifices, extracted from the blood wholesale.

Her charge slows and her eyes widen. She can't understand what is going on. Her cheeks and eye-sockets suddenly sink and her entire body desiccates, as happens in a mortuary. She makes it in front of me, her clothes loose, almost a mummy, but even I can dodge such a slow attack by barely moving my head.

"Nice try. But, Demons, much like humans, contain a lot of water, you know?"

I pat the demons’ cheek it consolation.

Its head explodes, dust flying into the wind. The body collapses and turns into a pile of ash and shattered, brittle bones, bereft even their marrow.

Yes... I haven't lost my touch, after all. Those who think water is purely a magic of soothing are always gravely mistaken. When living things are mostly water, there is no limit to the devastation you can weave.

Cadence was always envious that I had everything, according to her. We had a fight about it once. She could use Wood magery, but only at an elementary level. I'm not exactly the Sage of Water, but I did have ten quarts of affinity, so easily enough for a master mage. And magic is actually all about formulae and processes. Ideal for my head. Father excused me from weapons training entirely because of my skill. Which is good, honestly, I was pretty useless with a blade. Both Cadence and Aria could whup me in melee.

Another demon, a fire mage, rounds the corner from behind and flings a massive fireball at Kako and her men.

I dash towards it; and hit it at full pelt before it can get far, accompanied with all the moisture I just extracted from the rogue-demoness, and several extra likilsels of water from the fountain.

The watery me crashes through the fire, evaporating it furiously as I slam through. I hear the fire spirits around me cry in frustration as steam is made.

Steam is like a noble dance between fire and water spirits. They pirouette away in pairs, anger forgotten in their sudden wild dance.

I reach the shocked Fire Mage.

"Hi there!"

I grab its face.

It freezes instantly, going white.

I shiver from the chill.

"Bye!" I say.

I punch the ice lazily, and it cracks right down the middle. A frozen slushy of blood runs from it in gloopy waves before turning into blue icicles.

The demon falls over, its head shattering entirely just as my shocked contingent of guards catches up with me. Doubtlessly my parade dress is now covered in burnt patches and demon blood.

Part of me feels terrible from the carnage that I have just wrought, but I'm a logical sort. That feeling is irrational. I box it up and seal it away. Now is not the time for such foolishness. They have not shown my people any mercy, so why should I?

Does that make me evil? I prefer to think that all's fair in love and war. Kako dislikes that notion when I discussed it with her last year, but her mercenary father drilled it into her nonetheless. She realises, too, that sometimes, needs must.

I breathe out. I'm running low on power. But we still need to get to the palace. Father is too old for combat, and only Leanne will be there, as his shadow. The half a dozen maid staff are highly competent, but against the fifty or more demons who advanced that way?

It is up to us.

The square is mostly clear now. Well, except...

The huge demon finally breaks out the rubble again, his right eye closed from a small wooden stake piercing it, and his entire body covered in burns and bleeding scratches. He roars.

Tenacious son of a whore, isn't he?