The roar of the crowd was a living thing. It pressed against Val's ears, rattled in her chest, and made the flames of her Ember Cloak flicker in time with her heartbeat. She stood at the edge of the ring, Cale on one side and Ethan on the other, with Riker and Rel behind them.
Across the platform, Kade's team waited. They looked like something out of a historical tapestry—armor that gleamed with inherited light and weapons that reeked of ancient power. Kade himself was tall and cold; his bow glowed like a captured star. His wind-spear girl moved like a ballet dancer. The shield bearer was a wall of bronze with a presence defined by pure stubbornness. They had a healer, too. And the healer… the healer was the worst. She stood behind them, her hands already glowing, ready to undo anything Val's team managed to land.
"They're going to wipe the floor with them," someone in the crowd behind her said.
Val's grip tightened on her fiery whip. Let them talk, she thought.
The announcer's voice boomed. "This is the first round: Team Cale versus Team Kade." His voice sounded steady and young, likely around the same age as the competitors. "Fighters, take your positions."
They walked to the center. Val kept her eyes on Kade. His gaze flicked over her Ember Cloak with dismissive eyes before landing on Cale. Something passed between them—perhaps some sort of history Val didn't know or secrets she couldn't guess.
The announcer raised his hand. "Begin."
Riker's illusions exploded across the ring. Dozens of copies of each of them scattered across the platform, joined by walls of shadow and trees that weren't really there. The crowd gasped. Their initial thoughts of total annihilation seemed to dwindle. Val let herself grin. That's right. Watch.
But Kade didn't watch. He closed his eyes and drew an arrow of pure light—likely a Memory. Then he fired. The arrow cut through the illusions as if they were fog and struck Riker in the shoulder. It was the Truth-seeker, one of Kade's Sagittarius abilities. He couldn't be fooled, at least not by illusions.
Riker staggered but kept his hands up, managing to keep the illusions alive. "Riker's hit, but he's still in the game!" the talkative announcer called.
Good. Hold on, Riker, Val thought.
The shield guy charged. He was faster than something of his size had any right to be. Ethan threw up a wall of earth to stop the mad bull, but the shield bearer slammed into it so hard the ground shook. He hit it again, and a shockwave ripped from his shield, cracking the stone. Val felt the tremor through her boots.
"He's a bulwark! His shield absorbs impact!" someone shouted. That was a bummer, Val thought, because this was going to be one tough fight for Ethan.
Ethan reinforced the wall, gritting his teeth. The shield bearer kept hammering, each staggering blow sending tremors through the ring.
Val's whip itched in her hand. Not yet. It wasn't time yet. She had to wait.
Cale met Kade blade to blade. Their swords clashed, and sparks—no, light—exploded between them. Cale's Memory glowed at its edges, drinking the light from Kade's enchanted blade. They moved fast—faster than Val had ever seen Cale move. He had been quick in their other fights, but he was on a different level this time. His face was calm, but she knew him now; he was fighting for something more than a win.
Kade pressed his advantage, and finally, Cale gave ground. The healer's light was already working, closing the small cuts on Kade's arm before they could turn into injuries that would slow him down.
"He's not even breaking a sweat," Val muttered. Her heart was hammering.
Then Rel spoke.
The sound was like stones grinding in the dark, like something ancient waking up. Val's skin crawled. The shield bearer froze, his shield dropping as his hands clutched his head. The wind girl's spear wavered, her concentration shattered in a second.
"Rel's voice! It's more than just a sound. How interesting!" the announcer exclaimed.
The crowd went quiet. Some leaned forward, fascinated. Others—the nobles, especially—looked uneasy, as if they'd just realized the peasants could bite and not just bark.
Rel spoke again, a second word, though weaker this time. The wind girl cried out as her spear clattered to the ground.
Kade's head snapped toward Rel. His face was cold and furious, wearing an expression that read, "this little pest is pissing me off." He drew an arrow.
Val saw it coming. "Rel, move!" she shouted.
But it was too late. The arrow caught Rel in the chest, just below his collarbone. He crumpled, his screen flickering and his mask knocked askew.
"Rel is eliminated!" the announcer shouted, sounding triumphant. He was probably one of those noble brats.
Val's blood boiled. That's one.
The shield bearer recovered. His shield flared with light, and he slammed it against Ethan's wall. The shockwave this time was massive—the wall shattered, and Ethan was thrown backward, tumbling across the stone. He struggled to his knees, his hands already pressing into the earth to raise another wall.
The shield bearer advanced, unstoppable. Val's eyes narrowed. He was strong, but he was slow to turn.
The wind girl was still down, shaking off Rel's word. The healer was focused on her, hands glowing. Kade was pressing Cale hard, driving him back.
The shield bearer swung at Ethan's new wall. It cracked, but held.
Now. It was finally her turn to go wild.
Val's whip lashed out, not at the shield bearer, but at the wind girl. The lash wrapped around her ankle, and Val pulled with everything she had. The girl screamed, her head snapping against the stone. She went limp.
"Val eliminates the wind fighter!" the announcer said, the enthusiasm gone from his voice.
The crowd erupted. Val's supporters—fewer in number but loud—cheered. She let herself grin. One more.
But Riker's illusions were beginning to fade. The wound in his shoulder was bleeding freely, and his concentration was wavering. Kade saw it and took his chance. He broke away from Cale, drew an arrow, and fired.
Cale saw the attack and threw himself in front of Riker, trying to block it with his sword. The arrow struck his blade and deflected, but the impact sent him stumbling. Soul Drinker clattered to the ground.
Riker's illusions finally collapsed. He fell to his knees, clutching his arm, his face pale.
"Riker has been eliminated!" screamed the announcer, his former enthusiasm returning.
Val's grin died. Two down. Two left.
She and Cale stood back to back. Kade's team was still three strong: Kade, the shield guy, and the healer, whose hands were already glowing as she mended the wind girl's wounds.
"We have to take out the healer," Val said.
"I know. I'm thinking of the best way, because keeping up with her is becoming a nightmare," Cale said.
They moved. Cale engaged Kade again, always staying a step ahead of the noble's strikes. Val targeted the shield bearer, her whip cracking against his shield and her fire keeping him at bay. The healer stayed back, weaving light and keeping Kade and the shield guy on their feet.
Cale landed a hit on Kade's arm—the armor deflected most of it, but blood welled. Before Val could even grin, the healer's light closed the wound in seconds.
She's too fast, Val thought.
She poured more fire into her cloak, feeling it surge and the heat building. The shield bearer swung his shield—she dodged it, her whip lashing out to wrap around his wrist. She yanked the whip, forcing him off balance. As he stumbled, Ethan—still down but watching—raised a wall behind him, tripping him. The shield guy fell hard.
"The shield master is down!" the annoying announcement blared across the speakers.
The healer rushed to him, her hands glowing.
"Now!" Cale shouted, signaling Val to take her out.
Val sprinted. She ignored everything else and ran straight at the healer. Her Ember Cloak flared, flames trailing behind her. Kade fired an arrow in a bid to stop her, but she was fast. She dodged, feeling the heat of it pass her cheek. Another strike grazed her arm, the pain flaring, but she didn't stop.
Her whip wrapped around the healer's wrist and yanked her away. The healer screamed, her concentration broken. Val's knife was at her throat in an instant.
The crowd went silent.
She saw Kade's face contort in fury and calculation. He drew an arrow and aimed it at her back.
Cale threw himself between them.
The arrow caught him in the shoulder, punching through. He went down.
"Cale!" Val screamed. Her focus narrowed to the boy on the ground, blood soaking his jacket and his sword out of reach.
Kade walked toward him, another arrow nocked. "That was clever, targeting my healer. But you're out of moves."
Val's hand shook. Her knife was at the healer's throat, but if she moved, the healer would restore Kade, and it would be over. If she didn't move, Cale was in serious danger.
But the bastard wasn't out of moves at all; he was already in action. Val saw Cale's hand move. She saw something flicker in his grip—something she couldn't actually see.
He swung. An invisible blade—the dagger from the Cyclops fight—cut across Kade's bow arm.
Of course the bastard had thought of that before he blocked the arrow. He was one hell of a fighter. The arrow went wide. Kade stumbled back, bleeding. Cale rolled, grabbed his sword, and lunged.
His blade pressed against Kade's throat. His other hand—the one with the invisible blade—pressed against Kade's heart.
The arena went silent.
"Checkmate," Cale said softly under his breath.
Val's breath caught. The word hung in the air like a challenge.
Kade's jaw tightened. His eyes burned. But he slowly raised his free hand.
"We yield."
The crowd exploded. Val released the healer, who slumped to the ground in defeat. She ran to Cale and caught him as his legs gave out.
"You crazy bastard," she said, laughing and crying at the same time. "That was insane."
He tried to laugh, but it came out as a groan. Blood was everywhere. His arm was useless and his face was grey.
Medics swarmed them. Val was pushed back, watching as they lifted Cale onto a stretcher. He was already unconscious, his face slack.
"He'll be fine," someone said. "It's just the shoulder."
Val stood in the middle of the ring, her Ember Cloak flickering and her hands covered in Cale's blood. She watched them carry him away.
"Rel's the ace, my ass," she muttered. "This guy's a monster."
The medical ward was white and quiet. Cale lay in a cot, his shoulder wrapped and his face peaceful in sleep. Val sat beside him, her side aching and her arm bandaged. She had refused to leave.
Ethan was in the next cot, arguing with a healer about whether he needed to stay; he never wanted to spend a second longer than necessary. Riker was across the room, his shoulder bandaged and his eyes closed. Rel was nowhere to be seen.
Val didn't care about the others. She was just watching Cale breathe.
"You better wake up, bozo," she muttered. "The tournament's not done yet."
He didn't move.
The announcer's voice echoed from the arena, muffled through the walls. There were more matches, more fights. Val listened without really hearing. She stayed by Cale's side until the sun set, until the matches ended for the day and the healers told her to go eat something.
She went to the window and watched the arena lights go dark. The tournament would continue tomorrow. There would be more fights, more enemies, and more chances to lose.
But they had won today. By an inch, by a miracle. She never knew a dagger no one could see would prove so useful; she had thought it was a toy.
She touched the glass, felt the cold, and smiled.