Loud grunts cut through the forest.

  Slam after slam.

  Steel bites dirt. Steel bites bark.

  Random sonic booms snap through the trees.

  Steve shouted, “Will you stand and fight?”

  Caelan just laughed.

  No answer.

  Steve came down with a brutal overhead swing.

  Caelan smiled—never breaking eye contact.

  The tiniest little step.

  The blade slammed into the ground.

  It shattered as if a bomb had gone off.

  A shockwave tore outward.

  A tree beside them was sheared clean.

  Caelan leaned in, close enough to be rude, and whispered, “Shocking control. You’re leaking out everywhere.”

  Steve screamed, “You bastard!”

  He swung again.

  Air.

  The top line of trees behind Caelan dropped in sequence as the sonic wave ripped through.

  Caelan stood there—lazy.

  Katana in one hand.

  The other was in his pocket.

  He sighed, then dragged the katana tip through the soil like he was sketching.

  “Yeah, think she might’ve had me on this one. Shouldn’t have really hoped for much from someone who ‘rivals’ Ravon. But I do need to give it to you—at least you haven’t cried. Well, not yet.”

  Steve panted, shoulders heaving.

  “A lot of talk, aren’t you? I see why he hates you so much. So I’ve shown you mine—come on, show it. That ‘Mach speed.’”

  Caelan raised an eyebrow.

  The wind behind him made the smallest sound—then went deaf.

  From behind, Renn’s eyes sharpened.

  Knife up.

  Down toward Caelan’s neck.

  He muttered, “Like I said—reckless.”

  Renn was sure of the line.

  Sure of the path.

  He watched the blade start to kiss skin—

  —and then he was being dragged away from it.

  Not pulled.

  Whipped.

  Caelan had him by the back of his red uniform jacket, over the shoulder.

  One quick, sharp snap.

  Renn crashed into Steve.

  Both of them slammed into a tree.

  Caelan called after them, “Oh mate, don’t be like that. Thought we bonded and all that. Like, do you remember that time you drank water? Ah, fond memories.”

  Steve shoved Renn off him.

  They both stumbled to their feet.

  Caelan rubbed the bridge of his nose.

  “How embarrassing.”

  Steve grunted, seething with rage.

  “I saw that. There is no way it wasn’t fast enough to create the blast wave.”

  Renn was still folded over himself, trying to stand.

  “No, he did. I felt it when he touched me—but I don’t know how to explain it.”

  Caelan was already a good thirty feet away.

  Steve hauled his large sword up again.

  Ready.

  “We take him together. He wouldn’t be able to take us both, right…?”

  Steve took a single step.

  Renn lifted his knife to follow.

  Caelan didn’t even whisper.

  He was just there.

  Right in front of Steve.

  Katana at Steve’s throat.

  Caelan’s voice went cold.

  “I see why he sent you in now. Great observation, Renn. Now you, Steve. By the way, horrible name. Really should jazz that up a little. Now you focus and calm down, or this will be over too quickly for me to make a show of it.”

  Renn snapped his arm and threw the knife.

  Before it could reach—

  Caelan was several feet away.

  Cheerful smile.

  “Right, guys. Here’s what we’re going to do. You’re both going to come at me and stop holding back—and in exchange, I’ll explain just a little of what’s happening here. Who knows—might give it all away.”

  Renn started, “We can’t listen to—”

  Steve, still catching his breath, cut in.

  “Go on. What is it, then?”

  Caelan paced back and forward like he was telling a story.

  “Well, I have this really beautiful and annoying friend who I train with, and she’s always on my ass about shit. And I’ll never admit that I said this, but she’s more often than not right. Oh—right, sorry. Off topic. Right. Little Elyria showed me that the sonic wave was almost a pure waste of energy at those speeds. Containing it to a much smaller area really lets you get the most of it.”

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Steve stared at him, confused.

  “You’re right, Renn. He is fucking crazy. Let’s kill the bastard.”

  Renn locked back onto Caelan.

  “I’ve got your back, boss.”

  Caelan stood there, smirking.

  He brought his second sword out.

  “Well, not every day I get an excuse. Let’s dance, boys.”

  Steve muttered, “I hate him so much.”

  Silence fell over the forest.

  Nothing but distant screams.

  Wind.

  The whole place started to shake.

  Steve’s sword crashed into Caelan’s katana—right hand.

  Caelan deflected it with infuriating ease.

  Steve stumbled past him.

  He spun, thrusting again.

  The tip met steel.

  Caelan’s katana was over his back.

  It kissed the point of Steve’s blade—just enough to bite.

  Caelan looked at it.

  “Shit, think you should get a return. Things made of tin foil.”

  Steve shot back, “Lucky for me, I’ll have two shiny new ones soon enough.”

  A moment later—

  Renn launched.

  Both hands on the large knife.

  Straight for Caelan’s head.

  Renn was sure it was clear.

  Caelan wasn’t even watching.

  Even unblinking, Renn couldn’t see it until it was too late.

  Caelan’s other sword was already up—left hand—right at his face.

  The knife clashed into it.

  Steve and Renn tried to push through.

  Caelan started to grin.

  Then they unleashed it.

  A flurry.

  Steve thrusting as fast as he could.

  Renn slashed like he could carve time.

  Caelan in the middle.

  And with the simplest shifts—

  Head just off line.

  A half-step off angle.

  A graze of steel.

  Every attack was guided away.

  Not blocked.

  Redirected.

  Steve went for a downward swing.

  His sword slammed into the ground.

  Caelan stamped his foot onto the blade.

  Pinned.

  Steve fought to rip it back.

  Renn got louder—too loud—trying to land anything before Steve recovered.

  Steve let go.

  Went for a punch.

  Caelan’s boot met his face.

  Caelan smirked down at him.

  He extended his leg.

  Launched Steve through several rows of trees.

  Renn shouted, “STEVE, GET OUT OF HERE! I’LL HOLD HIM OFF!”

  Caelan turned back to Renn—

  like he hadn’t even been looking at him.

  Left-hand sword still deflecting every blow.

  “Hold me off in your fucking dreams, mate.”

  Caelan started walking toward Steve.

  Renn sped up.

  Faster.

  Feral.

  Aiming for anything.

  Legs.

  Arms.

  Face.

  Back.

  Every time he thought he was close—

  Intercepted.

  Caelan kept walking.

  Like it was nothing.

  “Fuck, actually can manage a hit. Pretty rare someone around here handles that and doesn’t turn to dust.”

  He slowly put his katana away.

  Then he turned to the roaring Renn.

  “The screams don’t actually do anything.”

  Renn came again.

  Caelan caught his wrist.

  “Yeah, stick to spying. Pretty useless when you’ve been figured out, haven’t you?”

  Caelan lifted Renn off the ground like he weighed nothing.

  Then started beating him off the ground—

  like he was beating a rug.

  Renn went limp.

  Quiet.

  Caelan threw him back into the forest.

  And kept walking.

  Toward Steve.

  An outrageous grin crossed his face.

  “Need to give it to you boys—like, for real. You can take a hit. You’re managing to break the sound barrier in bursts, and your numbers completely dwarf mine.”

  Caelan knelt in front of a wheezing Steve.

  Steve tried to catch his breath.

  Tried to stop the blood running out of his nose.

  Caelan tilted his head, smiling.

  “If the me who fought Ravon was to face you today—shit, would we be fucked. But sorry to tell you, bud, you’re just too fucking slow.”

  Steve breathed out, heavy.

  “I’m going to enjoy killing all of you. Just you wait.”

  Caelan’s fist was already in his face.

  The force shattered the tree Steve had been leaning on.

  It tore free.

  Went flying.

  It launched toward the tower Solara was standing on—

  and crashed into it.

  Caelan shouted, “Sorry!”

  From somewhere above, Solara screamed back, “YOU TWO STAY IN YOUR ZONES!”

  Caelan and Keira both shouted, “Okay!”

  Caelan smiled.

  “Well, at least she seems fine. Now… where was I? Oh, right.”

  Caelan—suddenly—looked taken off guard.

  A knife ripped past him.

  Barely missed his arm.

  Sonic blast.

  It cut the sleeve on his jacket.

  Caelan turned slowly.

  “REALLY—FUCKING REALLY? LUMI ONLY PATCHED IT UP LAST NIGHT! FUCK ME, MAN—WHY’S IT ALWAYS MY JACKET!”

  He took a deep breath.

  Calmed.

  “Right… if you missed me that much, Renn, you could’ve asked to dance one-on-one.”

  Caelan stepped toward Renn.

  Steve grabbed his ankle.

  “What makes you think you’re done with me? I’ve killed hundreds of people bigger than you.”

  He spat a broken tooth onto the ground.

  Caelan snatched his leg free.

  “Oh, trust me—I know. And that’s why I’m going to eliminate you and every single one of your followers. People like you mistake fear and numbers for power, and the moment you fell down that path, your time in this place was limited.”

  Renn struggled to hold himself up.

  “What would you know about what we’ve been through? It’s not all sitting around in a nice city getting drunk without a care in the world. It’s not like that for the rest of us!”

  Caelan nodded once.

  “Oh, I completely understand that. But here’s the difference—you fuckers come in like some sort of virus, strip what you need, eliminating anyone who has something you need because what… You deserve it? Seriously—fuck off with it.”

  Renn grunted.

  “You talk like you know better than us. You’re no different. I’ve heard the rumours—you walk in and do as you please. How are you right when so many more people agree with us? You and your band of idiots are nothing more than hypocrites.”

  Caelan stopped.

  One foot away.

  He looked up at Renn.

  “What, just because there are more of you, that means you have the greater approach? You two really missed the fucking mark with this one. Didn’t you ever stop to think maybe why I haven’t just gone around forcing people into the Revolutionary Army? Or not just taken in every person who asks to join? See, you’s might’ve missed something, but each of the zones only spawns in enough food and water for about what, twenty people a day. So to keep this little group going, you need to hold—what—twenty zones just to stop them starving? Two hundred square miles. No offence, but that’s useless.”

  Renn’s face twitched.

  Confused.

  Steve shouted from behind, “You’re nothing more than a belligerent child trying to act cool. You will never stand at the end of this. Your memory will fade in this war, and all of this will have been for nothing.”

  Caelan turned, grinning.

  “Fuck—come on, guys. This is honestly sad. Well, best not keep the Lieutenant waiting. Half of us are women… uhhh, why do they take so long to dress for a party? Like, fuck—you see them every day. Shit, reminds me—need to get Lumi to fix this up for tonight. Now, where was I? Ah, yes.”

  Caelan set his hands on Renn’s shoulders.

  Then drove his knee into Renn’s stomach.

  Renn crumpled.

  Caelan grabbed his hair.

  Lifted his head—just slightly.

  Then brought his fist down into Renn’s face.

  Steve scrambled to his feet.

  Screamed, “DIE!”

  He grabbed his sword and charged.

  A sonic blast tore through the forest.

  Steve thrust for Caelan—

  —and in a heartbeat, he was blocked.

  Because Caelan swung Renn’s body between them.

  The blade punched through the side of Renn’s stomach.

  Blood.

  Renn spat it out.

  Steve froze.

  Caelan held Renn there—a human shield.

  “So what are you going to do now? Who knows—if you keep going, it might actually hit me.”

  Steve gritted his teeth.

  “Sorry, Renn…”

  He started to push.

  The sword pressed deeper.

  Renn screamed.

  Then the blade stopped.

  Steve couldn’t see what was blocking it.

  Caelan peeked his head past Renn.

  “Obviously that wasn’t going to work, idiot.”

  Caelan still held Renn by the hair.

  His other hand—two fingers—pinched the sword, keeping it from moving.

  Before either of them could understand—

  Caelan yanked Renn backwards.

  The sword still pierced through him.

  Caelan smiled.

  Uneasy grin.

  He lifted his foot.

  Whispered, “Mach two punt.”

  Thunder filled the area.

  Steve started spitting blood again.

  He fell over.

  Caelan still held Renn.

  “And for you, buddy.”

  He ripped the sword out of Renn’s side.

  Then, threw Renn a few feet in the air.

  Renn started to fall.

  Caelan’s fist met his side.

  Slammed him.

  Renn crashed through tree after tree, crashing almost out of sight.

  Caelan whistled.

  “Shit. He really flies. Well, here you go.”

  Caelan dropped Steve’s sword beside him.

  Then put both hands in his pockets.

  And started walking.

  Slow.

  Toward the tree line.

  Toward the tower they’d set up.

  “Shit, I—the lieutenant’s really going to chew my ass if I keep dragging this out… Wait. I’ve got a little idea.”

  Steve growled, “Shut up. I don’t want to listen to this rubbish anymore.”

  Caelan pouted.

  “But you will really, really like it.”

  Steve tried to pull himself to his feet.

  Shook his head.

  “Just say it already.”

  Caelan nodded.

  “So, how about since you haven’t landed like—actually—even a single hit this whole fight, how about we sort that for you. I’ll make you a deal. I’ll stand right here… wait, no—here.”

  He took a small step to his right.

  “I, since I’m such a nice guy, will let you get one full no-holds-barred hit on me. Completely free of charge. What do you say?”

  Steve laughed between coughs.

  “And you won’t move?”

  Caelan wagged a finger.

  “There’s even an extra super duper prize as well if it’s a good one. You know—sort of a runner-up prize from being in the war.”

  Steve steadied himself.

  Eyes locked on Caelan.

  “FINE. Stay still, and I will take that head of yours here and now.”

  Caelan grinned.

  “Don’t promise me a good time, baby.”

  Steve ran.

  Super speed.

  The whole area shook.

  Caelan stood there.

  All smiles.

  Watching.

  Steve pulled back his right fist.

  And before the zone could even respond physically—

  Steve’s right fist collided right with Caelan’s face.

  Caelan went flying.

  Back through a tree.

  Straight toward the tower in the middle of the clearing.

  Steve spat blood again.

  “Cocky piece of shit. So it was all talk.”