She walked down the street at a brisk pace, clad in military fatigues. The sound of metal clanking rang out with every step. It was past midnight, but some people were still walking around. However, they all seemed to fade and disappear as she got closer to them.

  It was as if they knew something was terribly wrong.

  Her face contorted with fury. Her eyes were narrowed in a scowl, and she ground her teeth. Occasionally her step faltered, and she cursed. She still hadn’t recovered from the hole that man had bored into her hip. It was a miracle she could walk at all. But she had no time for miracles. She persisted with the enormity of her rage alone.

  She came to a stop in front of a large, squat building resembling an old factory. She had found it. The place where her nemeses had gathered themselves, cowering as they awaited her inevitable arrival.

  She would become death itself. A natural disaster who would destroy everything in her path and leave behind a trail of misery in her wake.

  The door to the building creaked as she pushed it open.

  She stepped over the threshold, and began her hunt.

  “Hey. We haven’t really had a chance to talk. How are you feeling?”

  Riina asked this as she came over to Exon, who was sitting on a sofa. She set down two mugs of green tea on a coffee table.

  “How am I feeling? You… you died. You’ve died over and over for my sake. I… I know you said you would protect me, but… I can’t ask you to go this far.”

  “Don’t worry about that. Do I seem like I regret my decision to you? I’m going to keep going this far for you, and even further. Everything it takes, until the end of the War.”

  She stroked Exon’s hair, and the other girl leaned in instinctively, resting her head on Riina’s shoulder.

  “That aside, like I said. How are you feeling?”

  “I’m… scared. This is the first time I’ve encountered someone stronger than me outside of the Institute. I’m terrified that she’s going to beat all of them, and hurt you so badly you can’t come back. And, selfish as it is, I’m scared most of all that she’s going to kill me.”

  Riina gave her a stern look.

  “Fearing for your own life isn’t selfish. If you’re afraid, I just need to work even harder and make sure there’s no possibility of failure-“

  “Stop! … Um. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to shout. Just… stop. You… you’re doing enough for me, okay? You’re doing way more than enough. I… you’re doing so much that it makes me feel guilty. I can’t take it anymore.”

  Exon stood up in a hurry, leaving the tea untouched, and stormed away. Riina began to follow her, but thought better of it. And so, she didn’t see. She didn’t see that Exon’s eyes were filling up with tears.

  Then… am I unable to protect her without hurting her?

  … No. I just have to prove that protecting her is a good thing. That it doesn’t hurt me. That it’s not a burden. I have to show her that, no matter what it takes.

  As Riina steeled her resolve, she was thrown off her feet by a tremor. She landed unharmed on the sofa, dazed, as smoke began to pour into the cavernous room from under the door. The door that Exon had left through. Riina’s eyes widened.

  The door was kicked open from the other side. Through the smoke, only a silhouette was visible. But Riina knew exactly who it was.

  The intruder’s voice rang out, dripping with malice.

  “Fuck the girl. Riina. All I care about is killing you!!!”

  She wanted to run straight towards Retter and attack her. Her heart pounded with anxiety as she wondered if Exon was okay. But through the fog of rage and fear, Riina knew she had to stick to the plan. She ran in the opposite direction, towards the other door that led out of the apartment. She had to make sure Retter followed. If Retter stayed in this world and took Exon hostage to goad Riina into fighting her one-on-one, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself. She slowed her pace as much as she dared to, and chanced a look behind her.

  Retter was charging. Golden Sorrow, shooting forwards like a bullet, reached Riina’s position in a matter of seconds. Riina yelped and leapt forward, towards the open door that had been rerouted to lead into Elka’s arena. She made it inside, landing awkwardly on her front and winding herself. She rolled out of the way as Retter pounced. The door slammed shut and disappeared. As Riina gasped for air, Retter hissed and looked around at her new surroundings.

  The arena Elka had constructed for the battle was a vast colosseum of pristine limestone, enclosed by a glass ceiling that allowed natural light to pour in. The rows of seats were empty. Elka was hidden away somewhere, safe from harm. The stage was set.

  “Ohh, I see. Very clever. I bet you’re all patting yourselves on the back for making me walk right into your trap. But, haven’t you realised? You’re all trapped in here with me…!”

  Orlan and Retter moved at the exact same time. Retter had identified him as the most dangerous opponent she faced, and had opted to eliminate him first. She dashed towards him, rocket launchers manifesting behind her. But she had no choice but to dodge. He had moved first, setting his attack up before she realised. Point Liner ricocheted around the room, bouncing off the air on a roundabout path to attack its enemy. Retter leapt into the air as the arrow soared under her, piercing through the air where she had been moments ago.

  “Simple Sigil: Magic Energy Bullet!”

  A projectile of blue light whizzed past Retter’s face, cleaving through her flowing hair. She had moved her head instinctively in response to an invocation she didn’t recognise, and it had saved her life. Luun stood on the ground below, arms outstretched in front of her, as the remnants of her sigil-based Devil Brand faded. As gravity took hold and Retter began to fall, she let loose the rockets she had prepared. They raced towards their targets: Orlan, Luun, Haritte, Krau, and the defenceless Riina who had not yet recovered.

  “Anti-Incendiary Sigil: Full Moon Shield!”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Spheres of interlocking blue runes surrounded all five of them. The rockets exploded, but the shields bore the full extent of the impact before crumbling and fading away. Retter landed spryly on her feet, surrounded by her opponents, and bared her teeth.

  “Simple Sigil: Binds!”

  Blue chains surrounded Retter, binding her arms and legs and holding her upright. She struggled against her restraints, then moved her hand. A rapier appeared and flew towards Luun’s head.

  “Anti-Blade Sigil: Crescent Moon Shield!”

  A sliver of a runic shield appeared in front of Luun. The rapier bounced off it harmlessly and fell to the ground. Luun already had her arms raised to create another sigil.

  “Strengthening Sigil: Magic Energy Influx!”

  Krau had appeared behind Retter without her knowledge. As he swung a two-handed hammer from right to left, aiming for her head, blue runes coated the weapon. The impact sent Retter flying. She bounced on the ground and slammed into the wall. She didn’t get up.

  “...Whew. Is that it?” Orlan breathed a sigh of relief.

  “No! She’s alive, and she’s conscious! Be prepared for a counterattack at any moment!” Haritte’s urgent words alerted everyone to the truth.

  Retter staggered to her feet, grinning. Blood dripped from her mouth, and she spat out broken teeth. With a flick of his fingers, Orlan’s Point Liner surged forward. Luun’s eyes widened in fear.

  “Anti-Incendiary Sigil: Eclipse Shield! Maximum Strength!”

  The air was filled with grenades. Blue spheres surrounded the Outsiders. Retter guarded herself with a ballistic shield.

  The world turned red with a thousand simultaneous explosions.

  The colosseum collapsed. Blocks of stone crumbled and fell to the ground, kicking up dust. Glass fell from the sky and shattered.

  Through the dust and smoke, Riina saw the tall silhouette of Retter retreating. Riina ran, her sigillic shield crumbling around her. She escaped the smoke and saw Retter grasping Elka by the neck of her dress.

  Elka? Why is she here? Don’t tell me she wanted to be nearby for our sake…

  Something ignited within Riina. She unleashed a speed she had never possessed before. She sprinted, low to the ground and inhumanly fast, ducking under Retter’s arm, and tackled Elka. Elka’s dress was wrenched out of Retter’s grasp. But, with her other hand, she grabbed Elka’s left hand. No - she had only managed to grab the bandages covering that left hand.

  As Riina and Elka flew away, the bandages unfurled. Reflexively, Riina moved her eyes to look. And so, she saw it.

  One, zero… zero, zero, zero. Zero. Zero. Zero.

  Ten million.

  “…!”

  No time. There’s no time. I’ll worry about it later.

  Retter lunged, summoning a katana in her hand, and slashed across Riina’s back. The blade cut deep, severing her spinal cord, and Riina yelped as she suddenly fell, dropping Elka in the process. The two of them landed roughly in the meadow upon which the colosseum had been built. Retter walked towards them, silhouetted against the dust and smoke of the collapsing building.

  Riina’s wound healed. She leapt up and turned to face Retter, standing in front of Elka as if shielding her.

  “Don’t you understand, girl? I’m trying to get rid of that distraction so you’ll fight me properly.”

  Retter motioned with her katana.

  “Step aside. This isn’t working, you know? I need you to focus on me and not be worrying about that girl. Besides, I have a feeling it’ll make you mad, and that’s when the battle will really start, no?”

  “You’ll have to kill me a thousand fucking times before I let you reach her.”

  “Oho… Now those are bold words. Sure, I don’t mind.”

  A rapier suddenly appeared in Retter’s other hand. She lunged, and pierced Riina through the chest.

  Riina staggered backwards, then bent over forwards as blood bubbled from her mouth. But she did not fall.

  “Is that… all you got…?”

  At those words, Retter’s mouth twisted into a grin. It was an expression that most would describe as unpleasant. However, there was no malice in it. Retter was having fun.

  “This is more like it! Guns are actually pretty boring, huh? After this job is done, maybe I’ll take up historical reenactment. Ooh, or I could go train under one of those Sword Saints from the Magic Sect…”

  It was as if she was chatting to a friend, rather than her opponent. Riina’s eyes narrowed.

  “You can do whatever you want, as long as you leave us alone and don’t kill anyone else. Can you do that?”

  Retter grinned even wider.

  “Not a chance.”

  The katana disappeared, replaced with another rapier. Retter tossed it to Riina, who fumbled with it in surprise before settling into a ready stance, blade pointed towards her foe.

  No more words were exchanged. A mutual understanding silently passed between the opponents. The only sound was that of the gentle breeze that carried the dust away and exposed the meadow to the warmth of sunlight once more.

  In the distance, the Outsiders could be seen emerging from the wrecked colosseum. But that did not register to either Riina or Retter. The entire world outside the space in which their duel would commence no longer existed.

  Silently, instantly, they clashed.

  Sparks flew. The sound of metal hitting metal rang out through the still air. The duelists recoiled from the impact of their swords smashing into one another. And so, again. They righted themselves, surged forward, and clashed once more. And so, again. Over, and over. They were perfectly matched. How? Perhaps Retter, the unquestionably stronger of the two, had lost enough stamina to put her on even footing with Riina. Perhaps she was enjoying herself so much that she was subconsciously holding back. Or perhaps Riina’s desire to save the girl who sat timidly in the grass behind her was simply strong enough to overcome any difference in skill.

  A sharp, metallic sound brought both fighters back to their senses. Both rapiers had snapped in half, the thin steel pushed past its breaking point by repeated abuse. Retter threw the now-useless blade to the side.

  “Ah, who needs swords? We’ll beat each other to death with our bare fists!!”

  Riina smiled grimly.

  “... Right.”

  She dropped her own rapier just in time to meet Retter’s right hook with her left. The impact ravaged Riina’s arm, fracturing bone and tendon, but as it fell to her side, she was already swinging with her right.

  Yeah. I’ll disregard my useless left arm, and hit her with my right. Assuming each hit gets countered, I need about five seconds for my arm to heal. I just have to not let her hit me twice in a five second interval.

  That wasn’t quite right. Rather, it was too optimistic. As Riina’s right fist rocketed towards Retter’s face, Retter’s right flew into her abdomen. She doubled over, missing entirely.

  … Change of plan.

  The torn-up muscle and bone of Riina’s left arm screamed at her to stop as she grabbed Retter’s wrist. She gritted her teeth, clenching her jaw so hard she thought it might shatter.

  Riina’s intact right arm flew through the air. In time that seemed to slow down, it inched toward its target. But it had already struck true. Reality just needed to catch up.

  Retter fell backwards, away from the sky, down to the soft grass of the meadow. Above her, bathed in resplendent light, was the champion. She stood with her fist raised to the sky.

  As Retter’s eyes flickered and began to close, as her consciousness faded away, she had one final thought.

  A hero. I was defeated by a hero.