In darkness, Otis observed the end of this play.
Ciara was monstrous after all. He would maintain good relations with her and, if need be, pick the option of maximum annihilation if he had to kill her. Nothing less than that would suit someone who fully embodied their moniker of shadow-witch, not when she could deliver a true silence to the swarm of puppet-warriors.
Davil too, possessed something more than just excitable, heroic energy. The Strigidae had presumed a speech. Grand gesticulations, perhaps a brandishing of that chainsaw katana again. Goofball tactics. But though he could not hear what was being exchanged within the enclosed space of the barrier, the motions spoke for themselves. Davil, perhaps, also had a mask. Otis would recalibrate in response.
And finally, the paladin. By all rights, she should be dead. By all rights, if Gulliver had even the slightest instinct for close combat, she’d be the one lying down there. But she was the one standing in the end, even when her Ethos had burnt out entirely, even when her nerves ought to have been fried out. Otis didn’t trust in such ephemeral abstractions as determination and the power of will. He’ll have to find an opportunity to dissect her.
But that opportunity, and many others, would have to wait. The Master had fallen, and with it, the Mannekins would too. There were no more obstructions for the countless other students who sought out the auditorium, and when they reached it, what would they see? So few chairs. So few spots. In the gloom, he caught two of those who participated in the fight already relaxing, already focused on recuperation instead of preparation. Foolish. He would let them rot, if it wasn’t for the fact that he owed at least one of them something for their contribution.
And thus, the thought passed through, from the Seeker to the Hunger.
“Take all the chairs and toss them into my Door. The others don’t have enough strength to fight for twenty minutes over these chairs, especially if Ethos are introduced.” They could escape the chaos that had erupted at the top of the bridge, but they couldn’t escape the auditorium. If a brawl broke out, they would be caught in the action, no matter where they were. “Don’t leave a single one behind, Ciara. If you can’t retrieve them in time, destroy them.”
As the plan formulated between the accomplices, Otis himself was already heading up to the stage, hurriedly brushing off the wooden chips that had gotten caught in his clothes. What happened next would work out best if he could impress upon them an aura of authority. He needed to look perfect for what came after. And right now? What he needed was order.
“Davil! Help get the others up onto the stage and seat them down. That includes Gulliver. The rest of you, patch yourselves up. Ciara, join us once you’re done, and I’ll open the windows once more.” He stripped quickly, taking off his coat and his hat, running his fingers through his hair to smooth it out and slick it back. “Sit tall and be proud. If any of you show weakness at this stage, I’m throwing you to the wolves!”
What he needed was a perfect deception, to shed his position as a student and take on the mantle of an adjudicator.