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Chapter 17 - A Severed Hand

"Brother won," Uri's sister commented to Golv'ik. The four fingers turned to the Dominator as he began walking down the small ramp that led to the middle of the sandstorm arena.

"Avedis is dead," The demonic voice began, "And you all soon will be," A scythe appeared in his hand as he approached the remaining Hand of Reality. It spun in his hands as his tribe continued to split the attention of the mages. Vertigo stepped towards Uri and grinned, his tattoos glowing red.

"I can now face the Dominator's magic," He chuckled, "I am ready," He disappeared with a high speed push off but unlike their duel in the training area, the blow that Vertigo opened with struck the armor and did nothing. Uri looked straight into Vertigo's eyes as the larger man looked at the armor and hopped back quickly, "I see."

"I am glad you do," Uri lifted the scythe, as if to attack, before disappearing at high speed nearly exactly like Vertigo. However, unlike Vertigo's bare fist strike on the armor, the scythe dug deep into the large man's left shoulder and caused a deep laceration as it was pulled back. The thumb looked at his arm as blood began pouring down it as Uri returned to where he had been standing and the metal tip of the scythe tapped the ground.

"Such power," His tattoos had lost their glow, "A fitting end!" He lunged forwards once more before Uri met him in the middle, the sharp end of the scythe jammed right through Vertigo's torso. He coughed blood onto the floor before the Oik man withdrew his scythe rapidly. He fell against Uri as the younger man placed his hand against his chest.

"Ulkos," A flash of blinding light happened as it had for Avedis before the tall man was left as nothing more than a still corpse. As it lost the support of Uri's body, it collapsed to the ground, Vertigo laying face first in the sand, dead. Two fingers cut off, only three left to sever. The large man falling to the ground made the three mages realize that they were next on the short list of enemies for the Oik killer. The death spell was coming for them. They were alone, their grunts laying dead on the ground at the hands of the spirits of the Geldic tribe and two of their fingers dead by Uri's hand, "You have done your parts, my ancestors, may you have a peaceful sleep in the plane of the dead," Uri spoke as portals opened, "I will finish the job here," The Geldic tribe departed from the plane of Krono-Pontis, leaving the small, ring and index finger of the Hand of Reality alone with the Dominator, "Will you three die quietly or kicking and screaming?"

"You murdered them," Elvas replied, "We are next, aren't we?"

"Stop being such a wimp," Jennifer snapped, "We are three and he is alone, we can," Blood spattered onto her face as she blinked. Upon opening her eyes, Elvas was no longer next to her. Jennifer turned and saw Elvas being held in one arm by Uri, "H-How?" Her voice trembled with fear as Gilvern was paralyzed with terror. A flash of light announced the death of a third finger. Elvas was tossed aside as Uri's scythe dissipated and a mace formed in his hand.

"How?" The demonic voice came once more, "This is the Dominator's magic," He had decimated three of the five and the two that were left were trembling in terror, "You threatened me, I replied, you thought you could break me, I broke you," Gilvern fell to his knees, unwilling to fight on, "As you can see, Jennifer, your partner has simply given up, do the same and the end may not be as cruel as the ones your comrades faced."

"Wh-What do you mean?" She replied, "W-Will I die?"

"Someone if going to have to stand for your crimes, your violation of the peace between the planes, your plots, your threats," Uri shrugged, "Not everyone needs to die, those, Elvas was an example, Avedis was deserved and Vertigo refused to go out without a fight, it is up to you," If it had been the magic's choice, they would both already be dead, Uri was actually able to control his powerful magic.

"Wh-What are y-your conditions?" Gilvern asked as they both fell to their knees.

"You lose your magic."

"H-How can y-you do that?" Jennifer asked as Uri moved towards them, "Does that mean we die?"

"You two are not going to die, not by my hand," He stood near Jennifer before making her stand. His gauntlet faded and his arm became a spectral image before plunging into her chest and tearing out a frame heart. She gasped and fell back and felt her chest, "No more magic," The heart was shattered in the newly formed black gauntlet before the residue became small balls of magic and drifted into the sandstorm. Gilvern was willing to have the same done to him and soon, the Hand of Reality was nothing more than a pile of corpses and two magicless mages. A group of portals opened up and three dozen mages entered the plane, "Better late than never."

"Stop right there!" One of them shouted, "Don't move a muscle."

"I am not your enemy here," Uri said as his armor dissipated and he felt his feet touch the ground once more, "Mr. Helter, it is me, Uri,"

"You know this man?"

"He is a student of the academy, the one that gave us the information this was happening," Roger explained before heading down to the same level as Uri, "Who are these two? And who are those two?"

"Gilven Joren and Jennifer Judro, the ring finger and the index finger of the Hand of Reality," They were quickly apprehended by the mages before Uri pointed at the two lifeless bodies, "Those are Elvas Koldor and Vertigo Orves, the small finger and the thumb of the Hand of Reality," The mages quickly got to work gathering the dead as if cleaning the plane, "I don't feel too well," Uri fell to one knee as his vision began to go blurry. His worsening condition quickly got the attention of the Mage Haven mages that had recognized him, "I'll be fine," He winced as his body's actual feelings were catching up to him.

"Isn't there a fifth finger?" Roger asked, looking around, "Where is he? Did he get away?" Uri shook his head.

"Behind that sandstorm is Avedis Kovko, the middle finger of the Hand of Reality," The group of mages looked at each other then the sandstorm, it seemed none wanted to attempt to brave the wall of whirling sand, "They no longer have magic, the Hand of Reality is dead," He was helped up by two mages as they helped him towards a portal, "Where is this to?" He asked as his mind began to lose track of reality.

"Mage Haven academy," Roger replied, "Get him out of here, he needs medical attention as soon as possible, go," It seemed the head of the nature school was a leader of sorts in the group of mages, "Let's get these bodies out of here, names, origins and crimes will need to be attributed and make sure these two don't leave your sight," He barked orders as Uri was transported out of the plane.