War

"Now! First magic sword unit, fire!"

The battlefield was obscured by a multicolored wave of fire, lightning, and every other element one could think to name as the Alliance responded to the brazenly charging Einherjar. Standing at the helm of the massive multi familia alliance was Braver, whose cherubic but confident voice could be heard over Asfi's oculus. Hermes familia's captain was currently using her Talaria to fly high over the battlefield, giving her a clear view of the allied and enemy formations and providing the details of which back to Finn.

The weather was clear with blue skies stretching as far as she could see, and as she surveyed the battlefield she couldn't help but think she'd rather be soaking in the crisp sunlight. Or doing nearly anything other than this, for that matter.

As the Einherjar were engulfed by the explosive wave, she noticed a singular, imposing figure detached from the rest of Freya familia's troops. Focusing her eyes for a moment, she identified the threat and quickly called them in.

"Warlord spotted half a kirlo South of Freya familia's main force!"

Jumping off the building he'd been searching from, Shay thanked Asfi in his mind, watching as the fallen Einherjar were enveloped in the healing light of the Andhrímnir. As they rose to fight for their Goddess once again, Shay began making his way Southward.

Okay… I'll just have to trust Finn with the main battlefield. I have my own role to worry about.

After some time running through the Orza city ruins, Shay finally laid eyes on his target. The hulking boaz was standing imposingly atop a ruined amphitheater, situated about 30 meders above the ground and right above its entrance. The sun was directly overhead, casting the scene in a harsh light with few shadows.

Noticing his opponent the city's strongest turned his back, jumping down into the center of the arena. As Shay felt Ottarl's landing through the ground his heart rate increased, continuing through the amphitheater's old, arching entrance. His vision opening up as he left the comparatively thin passage, Shay was met with a circular arena that was maybe 150 meders in diameter. Seeing as there were chains and weapons strewn about the outskirts of the stone paved arena, the place had obviously seen its fair share of use.

We're doing this properly, then. It's time to set this all straight.

Meeting the boaz's eyes as they both neared the center of the arena, Shay steeled his nerves. He had no way of predicting the outcome, but if he didn't face this trial with everything he had, he had no business pursuing the path of the Hero. Noticing the jet black greatsword on Ottarl's back, he thought it must be the one from Udaeus. As he looked over the boar's equipment, he analyzed his options.

A weapon made from the drop item of a Level Six floor boss. So he's not going easy on me…

His gaze unflinching, Ottarl addressed his opponent.

"...Are you ready?"

He never needed many words…

Over his time in Freya familia, Shay had never really spoken to his captain all that much. Even after ascending to First Tier, Shay rarely attended the familia elites' meetings, only doing so when explicitly asked to by Van. In the ones he did attend, he had only exchanged a handful of words with Ottarl, and had never quite been able to get a read on the stoic man.

Reminding himself of his duty to the city, Bell, and his Goddess, Shay readied his Durandal spear and took a few kunai into his left hand. In preparation for this battle, Asfi had provided him with a decent amount of Ricorus paper, allowing him to mark all of his kunai beforehand with the first step of his transportation magic. Taking a slow, purposeful breath as he stood across from his opponent, Shay called on his enchantment, arcs of electricity beginning to dance on the surface of his skin and around the contours of his battle cloth.

"...I am."

Dashing forward without warning, Ottarl was the first to strike. Pushing the broad swipe of the jet black blade to the side with his own weapon, Shay stepped around his opponent and pulled his spear diagonally upwards in a counterattack. Confidently blocking the tip of Shay's spear with the base of his blade, the boaz warrior pushed his sword forward in an attempt to put Shay off balance, but the adventurer leaped backwards with the force and gained a safe margin from his opponent.

…Yeah, that's about right…

Loosening his tense muscles under the harsh sun, Shay was the one to resume the battle. Continuing the fight with a few cautious jabs of his spear, they were easily deflected by artful adjustments of Ottarl's large blade. Attempting to use his reach to his advantage, Shay's tentative strikes were parried a few more times before he backed off again, concluding that it was already time for his first change in style. Looking unperturbed, Ottarl waited silently.

With my enchantment allocated perfectly, we're about even in strength. The problem is, well… everything else.

While Shay needed to devote his focus to allocating his enchantment, Ottarl simply needed to fight as usual. Even though Shay would be momentarily even with his opponent in whatever basic Ability he chose, he had to constantly switch between them with every movement, making his strikes seem uninspired and predictable to the seasoned veteran.

Switching to a stronger style after the brief test exchange, Shay focused some of his lightning in the soles of his feet, latching himself onto the stone pavement that made up the arena. Using his downforce technique, Shay rushed in once more, this time accelerating many times faster than before. Noticing the abrupt change in his opponent, Ottarl narrowed his eyes as he adopted a defensive posture.

Intercepting the barely subsonic thrust of Shay's spear once again Ottarl deflected it to the side, adjusting his blade so that it would decapitate Shay should he continue past. Barely leaning under the efficient counter as he corrected his momentum, Shay threw a kunai at Ottarl's back. Turning just in time, the seasoned warrior blocked the projectile, sending it spinning into the ground nearby with a metallic impact.

Switching directions and making another pass, Shay stayed close to his opponent, thrusting from one angle before abruptly changing to the next as Ottarl's blade followed him wherever he went. The boaz not even breaking a sweat as he continually routed some of Shay's fastest strikes, the relative rookie thought he now understood why the title Warlord struck despair into the hearts of his enemies.

I just can't find a gap…!

It wasn't just the difference in Status, either. There was something about this warrior's technique that was truly unshakeable. Having begun his journey up the ranks of Freya familia before Shay had even held a weapon, the familia's current captain was nothing short of a master of his craft. Even if Shay could somehow perfectly equalize their Statuses, he still wouldn't stand a chance at breaking the boar's defense. Freya familia's captain was just that skilled.

Tossing two more kunai as he continued to dash around the arena, Shay kept searching for some minor mistake, some miniscule break in Ottarl's technique. Finally coming to the conclusion of that being unrealistic, he decided to move on to the next stage of his attack.

He's put so much time into perfecting his techniques… My only chance is something he's never seen!

Coming in for a thrust with incredible speed, Shay's spear was parried far to the side as he forcefully stopped in front of Ottarl, who looked down at him with an unmoved expression as he began to return his outstretched blade.

Both combatants' weapons briefly out of the picture, Shay thrust his off hand forward at the boar while condensing his magic into his palm. Funneling the chaotic red energy towards his opponent, he used Sylph to condense time as he called on his enchantment once again. Allocating it all into his Magic ability, Shay unleashed the most potent Ignis Fatuus he'd ever done.

—BOOM!

A thunderous explosion rang out as a red flare enveloped the entire space and forced the combatants apart, with Ottarl being launched into the marble wall at the side of the arena. Relaxing his downforce technique, Shay looked past the gashes his feet had made in the pavement and towards the cloud of debris at the arena's wall. As the smoke cleared, the first thing Shay saw was an outstretched hand.

He blocked it…!

His opponent's palm was burned, with the rest of the arm in better shape and his body largely unaffected. The gauntlet that had protected his hand was nowhere to be seen, probably destroyed in the explosion. As Ottarl calmly walked out of the debris and fully into view, Shay steeled himself for a more fierce confrontation.

Now that he's taken damage… He'll get serious.

"...That was a good attack."

The matter of fact compliment breaking the brief silence as the harsh sunlight was somewhat softened by the dust, Shay readied himself. His nerves threatening to overcome him as the boaz stood unshaken, Shay responded with an anxious smile.

"...Nice block."

The stoic warrior nodding as he adjusted his weight, Shay prepared kunai in his left hand once again. Ottarl readying his weapon, he gave Shay a moment to prepare himself for the next confrontation. Watching his opponent glance around the arena, Shay realized the boaz was noting the locations of his marked kunai.

He's preparing for my teleportation magic, but I haven't even started chanting yet. Is he just thinking ahead, or does he suspect something? As far as the placements go, I definitely could've done better…

Ottarl suddenly closing the distance and resuming his attack, he brought his sword down as Shay sidestepped it with his downforce technique, thrusting center of mass with his spear. Shay's weapon getting batted upwards by the boaz's rock-like forearm, he had nowhere to go as the jet black greatsword was swung diagonally upwards in a strike that was likely to cleave him in two.

Already!?

Unable to dodge or block, Shay realized he had no choice but to switch his tactics once more. Combining Sylph with his enchantment once again as the massive blade came towards him in slow motion, Shay recalled the sensation of his third magic. Twisting his magic energy into an intricate knot before pulling as hard as possible on one end, he watched the jet black edge of his opponent's greatsword breach his battle cloth as his vision yielded to a brilliant white-blue.

'Blink'!

His vision returning a few meders behind Ottarl, Shay's world was still in slow motion as he sprinted forward at full speed, thrusting his spear at his opponent's back as the boaz turned with an uncharacteristically surprised expression. Reacting at the last moment Ottarl shifted slightly, the right side of his abdomen getting pierced through by the silver spear.

I missed the spine…! I have to make this count!

As his opponent moved to counter, Shay thrust his off hand towards the wound, unleashing another red flare as the two were blown apart once again. The force of the explosion throwing the boaz off his spear, Shay leaped backwards with the blast in order to avoid the retaliatory swipe of Ottarl's greatsword, relinquishing his downforce technique and slamming into the side of the arena.

~

Back in Orario.

The crowd was silent, watching the divine mirror intently as they tried to puzzle through what had just happened. As the image of a wounded Warlord materialized out of the debris, the crowd erupted into cheers with Ganesha familia's announcer passionately commentating.

"Gjallarhorn has landed a hiiiiit! Warlord is injured! I don't know what just happened, but things are looking up for the Alliance!"

With even the Second Tier announcer unable to fully comprehend what just happened, nobody in the crowd understood just how preposterous of an attack had just taken place. Even so, seeing the unshakeable Ottarl wounded by a mere Level Five set the city ablaze. Turning to his co-host and deity amid the cheering, the excited announcer tried to make sense of the situation.

"Seriously though, what just happened!? It looked like he made an impossible dodge, then used chantless explosion magic to topple the unshakeable Ottarl! Ganesha, your analysis!?"

"I am Ganesha!"

"There you have it, folks!"

The crowd still simmering as they watched the combatants stand across from one another once more, excited voices could be heard over the droning enthusiasm.

'Maybe he's got it!'

'That guy might actually topple the Warlord!'

Only the most observant caught on to the alarming shift in the battle.

'Wait, look! …His face…?'

~

Damn… He forced me to show my hand early…!

As the smoke cleared once again, Shay reflected on his use of his third magic. It would be fair to say that in the time between his betrayal and the wargame, Shay had nearly mastered this movement spell. By memorizing the intricacies of his magic energy during the second half of the chant and replicating them through skilled magic manipulation, Shay had been able to eliminate the need to chant aloud, resulting in the ability to call upon his transportation magic nearly at will. The only thing barring him from complete mastery was his remaining need to chant when placing marks, which was a far more difficult process that he hadn't had time to master.

His light blue eyes finding his opponent in the debris, Shay felt his first bit of real hope in this fight. Ottarl was walking towards him, holding his stomach as blood rapidly spilled down his leg and onto the stone rubble. Meeting the boar's eyes however, Shay's rising hope was quickly stymied. Resting upon the usually stoic features of Freya familia's Warlord, there was a slight but unmistakable smile.

"...Truly impressive. I see why Milady allowed this..."

"...!?"

What…? Ah, I can't get distracted right now. Not against him.

In the early stages of this fight, Shay hadn't done nearly well enough with his kunai placement. Because of this, when he needed to teleport to one, he'd ended up far enough away to give his opponent time to react, causing him to fumble what might've been the biggest opportunity of the entire fight. Switching to his backup plan, Shay readied his kunai once more, an uneasy feeling welling up as he watched Ottarl's wound begin to close.

So that's his healing ability, then? What else does he have…?

Being the captain of the strongest familia, Ottarl's Status was kept mostly under wraps. Since he'd never been that interested until his betrayal, Shay was only able to make guesses based on stories and secondhand accounts. As if responding to his opponent's mental query, Ottarl looked Shay in the eyes, affirming his resolve.

"If you intend to dishonor the Goddess… You must at least overcome this. I will allow nothing less."

Ottarl closed his eyes, raising his face to the sky as he took a deep breath. His wound already finished bleeding, the hulking boaz seemed eerily still. Shay's unease reaching a peak, he watched silently as Ottarl's aura completely changed. Opening his eyes after a moment, the previously composed Warlord was nowhere to be found.

"UUUUUUUUUUUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

His opponent's bestial roar shaking the heavens as rubble shifted in response, Shay prepared Deucalion as he downed his first mind potion of the day. Looking into the feral, fang-like pupils of his opponent, he felt a sense of intense dread.

Beastification? In the middle of the day? That's just absurd!

Instinctively thinking of escape as the boaz stared him down, Shay prepared to use his entire arsenal at once. Putting his enchantment into both Agility and downforce, he prepared to reactivate his Sylph skill as soon as his opponent moved.

…!

In the blink of an eye the beast was right in front of him, bringing his greatsword down once again with ferocious speed. Activating Sylph just in time to see the attack close in on his skull, Shay just barely brought his weapon up in time to deflect it with a massive impact.

—Clang!

His arms almost numb from the high speed clash, the dark weapon veered off to the side as a silver piece of material flew off Shay's spearhead. His eyes widened at the incredible increase in his opponent's strength, Shay noticed Ottarl making a second attack with his off hand. Partially slowing the swipe of the vicious claws with Deucalion, Shay jumped backwards under the newly created cover of snow.

He's at least twice as strong as before! …This is bad…!

Judging from the fact Ottarl had chipped Shay's Durandal weapon, it was safe to say the boaz warrior was now entirely in a class of his own.

Not being given time to think, Shay bounded backwards as his opponent sprinted towards him. In stark contrast to his previously stoic defense and calculated movements, Ottarl was now fighting off of pure instinct. His veins bulging and his eyes emanating bloodlust, Warlord had become the very image of a hunter.

Now that Shay's only chance was to lean on maneuverability he made sure to keep his distance as he reformulated his plans, with violent gusts of wind picking up and tossing debris into the air as the two zigzagged across the arena. Seemingly tiring of this routine Ottarl roared once more, leaping directly off the wall of the arena as he rocketed towards Shay like a ballista bolt. Not able to change directions in time, Shay was forced to use Flying Raijin, tossing one of his kunai into the air and disappearing in a flash as the boar careened past. His opponent destroying the opposite wall as he crashed into it, Shay emerged from his sheath of lightning midair.

What do I even do about something like this!?

Not even waiting to touch the ground after hitting the wall, Ottarl made eye contact with Shay, throwing his jet black greatsword at an incredible speed towards the airborne adventurer. His panicked thoughts causing him to falter for just a moment, Shay instinctively realized he wouldn't be able to reuse his magic fast enough this time. Bringing his spear up in a panic and reinforcing it with ice as the violently rotating weapon screamed through the air towards him, Shay prepared for the impact.

—Tang!

A metallic, resonant sound splitting the air as Shay's eyes widened amid a rain of shattered ice, the Durandal spear he'd trusted against this ridiculous opponent reached its limit. The jet black greatsword splitting in the middle as Shay's spear did the same, the upper half of the dark shrapnel tore through the flesh next to Shay's left shoulder. Sent spinning as a trail of blood spiraled outwards, Shay evaluated the damage.

Damn, that's deep…!

As he spun through the air, Shay prepared to correct himself as he formed an ice floe at his feet. As he was about to stop his spinning however, he saw the feral beast flying at him through the air, nearly finished closing the distance as Shay leaped off the ice just in time for Ottarl to whiz past. Watching the beast fly by Shay could've sworn he saw the faint glimmer of rationality in Ottarl's eyes, but as he leapt back to the ground he dismissed the thought.

This is really bad! If I lose while he's like this, I'll actually be killed…!

If he'd been defeated while Ottarl still had his mind about him, Shay would've merely been beaten senseless. Now, the price would likely be much steeper. As he splashed his only healing potion on the wound before downing the rest of it, Shay watched Ottarl land a few hundred meders away, immediately beginning to sprint back to him.

He's really trying to kill me now… I'll…have to respond in kind.

Steeling his resolve, Shay thought of the example he needed to set. Through the lens of history, his story would be seen as that of an underdog fighting his corrupted familia for the good of the city. In order to preserve the hopes of Orario, he could not fail. Surely that was the resolve necessary to defeat an opponent such as Warlord. Throwing the two halves of his spear into the ground at his feet, Shay began to chant for the first time in this battle.

"Unexplored boundary, the forbidden wall. On this day, I disobey the laws of heaven and earth alike."

The first half of his transportation magic. Shay planned to use his newest and most deadly technique, one that required placing a brand new mark directly on his opponent. As he noticed the change in demeanor, the feral rage in Ottarl's eyes began to yield to a gleam of rationality. Still sprinting at him, Ottarl began chanting.

"The silver moon's mercy and the golden plains."

Magic too…! …He's still in control!?

Rushing up to meet his opponent as he focused solely on offense, Ottarl was somehow able to keep building his magic energy as he fought.

Concurrent casting…!?

Bounding backwards and unsheathing his chokuto as he released Deucalion to focus on chanting, Shay quickly realized that Ottarl wasn't putting on as much of a masterclass as it seemed. Only the best casters of Orario could attack, defend, move, and chant at the same time, and Ottarl wasn't doing anything close to all that. Due to his lack of magical talent, he was forced to choose only one action other than casting, and he had chosen attack. Ducking another vicious swipe of his opponent's claws as he used his chokuto to deal them a shallow cut, Shay finished casting.

"Faithful custodian, protect this mind as it confronts the primordial chaos. Loving mother, embrace this body as it crosses into the unknown. Graceful father, entrust this soul with your will as it begins to transcend the limits of this physical realm."

"I offer this body to the lord of battle."

A white-blue energy forming on his hand, Shay prepared to use Sylph once more as his opponent chanted. Checking where he'd left the jagged halves of his spear as they neared the amphitheater once again, Shay dodged a devastating thrust of Ottarl's fist, activating his perception skill and sidestepping to the outside with his downforce technique.

As the boar turned in slow motion, Shay barely managed to land his left hand on his opponent's back, a white-blue eye marking searing itself into Ottarl's skin as Shay allocated his enchantment to Defense at the last second, feeling the full brunt of the vicious counterattack as he was thrown through the outer wall of the amphitheater.

—CRASH!

"...aa…!"

His throat making a coarse sound as he landed on the inside wall of the arena, Shay could just barely hear his opponent's voice over the collapsing rubble.

"Charge bearing the Goddess's will."

Focusing on his Sylph skill despite his heartbeat thundering in his ears, Shay instinctively tried to buy himself time to respond. By the state of Ottarl's magic energy, Shay could tell that his spell was almost finished. Willing himself to action as he assessed the damage, he took another kunai from his holster, throwing it high into the air as a golden light shone through the smoke.

"Hildis Vini!"

As Shay felt a surge in Ottarl's magic energy, he wordlessly transported himself once more. Once again emerging midair in a flash of lightning as he grabbed the kunai that had guided him, Shay looked down at where he'd just been, wincing as he felt a broken rib puncture his left lung due to the movement. Four massive vertical slashes of golden light were barreling down on the amphitheater, carving claw marks in the earth as they approached the marble structure. As the golden light tore through the ancient building like it was nothing, Shay prepared himself to use the sequence he'd only done a couple times before.

Spotting his spear roughly half a kirlo away, Shay allocated his enchantment to Dexterity and focused on Sylph for maximum perception speed. Manipulating his magic faster than ever before as he floated momentarily in the sky, Shay threw his kunai with an authoritative —crack! at the ruined weapon he'd left below.

Forgive me for this…!

Emerging behind his opponent with a flash, Shay placed his hand onto the boaz's back as a set of claws twitched, instinctively counterattacking. Pouring his magic into his opponent through his hand Shay unleashed the full might of his teleportation technique as the boar disappeared in a flash of light, leaving him alone on the ground.

Looking in the direction of his broken spear, Shay saw a massive eruption of dirt and dust from the field. A split second later, an incredible shockwave shook his footing as debris began to fall from the sky. Gathering himself amid the widening rain of dirt and rocks, Shay's eyes nervously fell onto the site of the massive explosion.

That speed would've definitely killed me… I… might've thrown it too fast…

Having effectively launched his opponent at ground with the throwing speed of a kunai, Shay felt more than a little remorse as he got closer to the blast area. As he felt his punctured lung fill with blood, Shay's eyes scanned the smoke cloud in tense anticipation.

~

—Bang!

As the powerful sound of an explosion echoed across the battlefield, Finn's eyes widened in shock. Watching the jagged cloud of debris soften as the wind reshaped it, he couldn't help but remember the recent past.

'one good hit'…Is this what you had in mind, Shay…!?

Standing there in awe alongside the prum were Riveria, Bell, and Ryu, all of whom were too stunned to speak. Far in the distance and across from their group were Hegni and Allen, also lying in wait should their side lose the duel. With a pillar of fire reaching into the sky to the North, Finn had confidence in his comrades' ability to handle the Alliance for now. The main battle was at a stalemate, with both sides seemingly waiting for the outcome of this duel to dictate the tide of battle. It was here that the strongest were likely to be needed. As concerned voices reached them through Finn's oculus, Bell spoke up.

"Mister Finn…? He's…the same Level as me, right?"

As one of the slim few who had clearly seen Shay's technique, the newly minted First Tier adventurer expressed his awe. Bell was watching two of the most powerful adventurers of the modern age face off, and was entranced by their unbelievable strength, recognizing the magnitude of the peak that he himself so longed to scale. As his other allies expressed similar sentiments, Finn thought to himself.

He's terrifying. That was never even an attack spell to begin with… and he repurposed it as a sure kill weapon. I…suppose I'm glad he's on my side…

Just as the thought crossed Finn's mind, a light chuckle came from Riveria, slowly building into an uneven, almost cackling laugh as the group looked on. Thinking something might've finally popped loose in his long time comrade's head, he looked at her curiously.

"Riveria…?"

"He-ha-ha… Sorry, Finn. It's just… You were right to negotiate with him."

His response a wry smile, Finn internally agreed. He'd known Shay would be an asset even before this battle, and had spent much time smoothing things over with Riveria because of that. Even so, he didn't think Shay was capable of doing anywhere near this much damage. Now, it was abundantly clear just how crucial he would be to the familia moving forward.

You know… With Bell's growth rate, he'll overtake Shay in under a year. Should I have recruited him too…? Actually, considering the reason for this wargame, I can't imagine that going well…

As he watched the debris clear, Finn couldn't help anticipating the future he would create alongside these developing Heroes.

~

A crater. As the haze slowly but surely cleared, Shay marveled at his handiwork. The carved out section of the ground was around ten meders wide, large enough to have a noticeable lip of grass curled upwards. The impact site was much larger than his two tests in the Dungeon, but that only made sense given he had thrown against dirt and grass as opposed to rocks and crystals.

As he considered the difference in impacts, Shay's vision was partially overtaken by the dust flowing laterally with the wind, focusing on his hearing to try and check for his opponent. After a few tense moments, he noticed the beginning of a small grunt, his eyes returning to the center of the crater he'd created.

He's still alive…! Well, I shouldn't be surprised…

As the harsh sunlight shone through the smoke Shay could see a small mound of shadow. The soft figure growing in height, Shay heard the subtle sounds of effort as it steadied itself with a grunt. After a heavy exhale, rhythmic, soft impacts could be heard. As Ottarl walked out of the smoke and dust, Shay looked him in the eyes.

The city's strongest.

The absolute pinnacle of adventurers.

Warlord.

As he stood near the center of the crater, Orario's battered King looked up to meet his opponent's gaze. Ottarl's features still twisted by beastification, the hulking boaz stood shakily, bleeding and bruised from Shay's strongest attack. The arm he'd tried to counterattack with was twisted and broken, with blood trickling down from the shoulder all the way to the fingers, dripping into the dirt below. His abdomen and chest had been pierced by the two halves of Shay's spear, the once silver blade sticking out of Ottarl's chest coated in coagulated, muddied blood. As the rust colored eyes narrowed at him, Shay almost physically flinched.

He still intends to fight. Actually, despite his injuries, he looks almost unfazed…Oh. This…this is the real Ottarl, isn't it…!?

Maintaining eye contact, the Goddess's most loyal follower put his hand on the spear half piercing his abdomen. Pulling with a short grunt, he slid the jagged, broken spear shaft the rest of the way through his left side before tossing it to the ground.

There was a time when he, too, took part in the Einherjar's baptism. Fighting, coughing up blood, and rising again, all for the sake of becoming the Goddess's strength.

Fear, pain… he forced all that into submission long ago.

Opening his mouth as he removed the blade piercing his right lung, Ottarl barely winced as the gaping hole in his chest was revealed. Looking at the glowing mark on his back with a raspy breath, he used the broken spear as a butcher knife, cutting a circle around the patch of skin with Shay's marking on it. Slicing it off with a sickening silence, the boaz addressed his respectfully waiting opponent.

"...It's been quite some time since I've faced a challenge like this."

Shay's blood ran cold as he tried to plan his next moves. He didn't have all that much mind left, and he was on his last potion. Ottarl didn't need magic to fight, but the moment Shay's lightning stopped flickering he'd be finished.

He'll be completely on guard against my tricks, too. I certainly won't be able to use that attack again. Okay, calm down, both of us are injured…this will be the final phase…

Meeting his opponent's eyes once more, Shay got the sense that he understood his captain for the very first time. The tale told by those rust colored eyes was one of dedication, one of pure, untrammeled loyalty.

"But I have my duty to the Goddess."

This is why he stands at the top…

The Goddess.

Through his baptism, through Orario's dark ages, through all the strife and struggle that was evident from his massive, combat optimized frame. That one person alone was enough to sustain his will through all of it. And now she had given him a mission.

Defeat him.

This was the mission that the tyrannical Goddess had given two of her followers, a mission that was destined to push them to greater heights. A duel of the strongest.

I understand now.

Meeting the rust colored resolve of his bleeding opponent, Shay looked into his eyes with his own determination. Even lost to tyranny, Freya had considered her followers. Ottarl had been starving for a challenge, and Freya had provided one. She had inadvertently given Shay an opportunity to weave his own heroic tale. Now, against her wishes, Shay would pay that consideration forward. A slight smile emerging on the battered boaz's features, Ottarl threw the bloodied speartip to its owner's feet as he spoke resolutely.

"As the Goddess's shield, I will stop you here. This…is a battle that cannot end lightly… Milady will not be saved by weakness."

The boaz's wounds still bleeding as his healing ability struggled, he walked out of the crater, confronting Shay on even footing.

"Face me."

It was the earnest request of a warrior, one that had deemed his opponent worthy. Intuitively understanding the only proper way to acknowledge this honor, Shay called upon his lightning again, preparing for battle.

"Raijin!"

~

"UUUUOOOOOOOOOO!"

The determined roar of the strongest.

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"

A Hero's newborn cry.

Amidst the chaotic clashing and the sporadic, high speed movement that whipped up chunks of grass and dirt, the sheer vitriol of the two combatants echoed across the battlefield. The sounds of claws hitting metal almost drowned out the shouts of the fighters as Shay barely blocked another deadly swipe of Ottarl's remaining functional arm.

—Tang!

Silvery shards flashing in the harsh sunlight before his face, Shay finally abandoned his ruined chokuto. Blinking to another kunai as he downed his final mind potion, he and his opponent were both down to the last of their strength.

Recovering the kunai as he'd attempted to with the ones before, Shay sprinted forward as the boaz's imposing back grew in his vision, sending Deucalion to delay the counterattack. The ice shattering as soon as it was formed around his opponent's shoulder, Shay used his downforce technique to keep his footing, ducking under the perfectly timed counterattack with incredible speed as the claws sliced off a few celches of hair. Thrusting the kunai into Ottarl's already healing stomach wound, Shay ripped it open once more, dragging the weapon through and setting off a brutal Ignis Fatuus right in his opponent's abdomen.

As the pressure shot vaporized blood out of the gruesome wound Ottarl roared, swinging his claws around for yet another attack. Tossing a kunai right before they made contact, Shay Blinked once more, appearing to his opponent's side as he struck again with the small weapon, its blade snapping as it pierced Ottarl's skin.

Shit! He just doesn't go down! If it were me, I'd die in three hits! Ah, I need to figure out something final, something where he'd die without a healer, but he won't let me anywhere near his vital spots!

Using his last resort, a Durandal parrying kunai he'd solicited from Tsubaki for the wargame, Shay Blinked away from his opponent, trying to form a strategy. Gripping the three bladed weapon, Shay searched his weapons pouch.

He keeps tearing the Ricorus paper, I'm down to just these two usable kunai…!

As the —crack! of Ottarl's counterattack reached his ears, Shay could feel his clock rapidly ticking down.

Agh! My left lung is totally useless by now…this'll end soon no matter what.

With his opponent specializing in endurance, every passing second brought Shay closer to defeat. Between his mental fatigue and his difficulty breathing, Shay knew he wouldn't last much longer. Coughing up blood as Ottarl rushed towards him to force the use of his magic, Shay readied his two remaining kunai, preparing for his final gambit.

As Ottarl got within two meders of him, Shay threw a kunai past the boaz, whipping it by him to the left as it buried itself in the ground. Blinking to the weapon as he'd done many times before, Shay grabbed it and accelerated towards the still moving boaz. His momentum still carrying him forwards, Ottarl twisted and faced Shay as he closed the remaining distance. Seeing as his opponent was still ready to defend, Shay tossed the regular kunai above his opponent's shoulder as Ottarl's rust colored gaze followed it intensely.

There!

Shay's vision yielding to a flash of light as he made his final attack, he prayed that his gamble would pay off. Having grown used to Shay's movement, Ottarl's eyes were locked on to the floating weapon, his claws building momentum towards it and preparing to cut a Blinking Shay in half.

As the flash of light subsided, he heard the sound of shattering metal, watching as Ottarl's claws trailed Ricorus paper through the sparkling shards of his ruined kunai.

It worked!

Having Blinked to the parrying kunai already in his hand, Shay had feinted and bought himself a precious opportunity. As Ottarl realized his mistake he spun around as fast as possible, just in time to see the vicious, three pronged kunai careening towards his neck. Unable to bring his claws up in time to block, he instead thrust them directly towards Shay's chest.

Two killing blows. Ottarl's struggling healing power wouldn't be able to keep up with a devastating neck injury, and Shay couldn't possibly survive a piercing blow through the center of his chest. It was a game of chicken, pure and simple. Would Shay advance, or would he retreat? As the two combatants desperately sought their opponent's end, Shay made his decision.

Again!

A high pitched chirp accompanied by a flash of light. All of a sudden, Ottarl's opponent had vanished, the kunai threatening his neck now held in reverse grip by a hand pulling it from behind.

Emerging diagonally to the side of his opponent as his right arm tugged the kunai through the thick skin of Ottarl's jugular, Shay pulled as hard as he could. The resistance sending him spinning as his weapon left his opponent, the two crashed to the ground, tumbling as their momentum finally caught up to them.

Spilling blood onto the dirt as he slid to a stop, Ottarl brought his hand to his neck as he tried to recover. Finding his footing as he watched his opponent struggle, Shay, now nearly at the point of a Mind Down, managed to walk towards the bleeding boaz. Shakily getting to his knees as blood poured down from his neck, Ottarl met the gaze of his opponent. Locking eyes with him once again as he himself spat out blood, Shay watched as the boar rose again to his feet.

…still?

His left leg giving out as he dropped back to his knee with a —thud, Ottarl was unable to speak. As the King of adventurers kneeled before him, Shay had nothing but complete respect for his opponent.

With Ottarl on death's door and Shay not doing much better, the lightning wreathed adventurer stumbled, about to fall having used the last of his strength. As his balance threatened to give out, Shay felt a hand on his back.

"Stand up, Shay. You can't kneel yet."

The soft voice sounding like an inviting paradise to the fading Shay, he turned his head to see who was helping him. Shakily taking the high potion offered to him, he thanked his most ardent supporter.

"Thank you, Chloe."

A gentle smile on her features, she continued resolutely.

"You've won. You're injured, but the King is finished. You have to stand tall."

His rust colored eyes widening as he neared exhaustion, Ottarl remembered the fight that had crowned him the King.

'Show your glory to the city.'

These were the words of his Goddess on that day. The city was burning, the Evilus were attacking, and he was bleeding. But the city needed a Hero. Closing his eyes with a smile, Ottarl finally conceded the match.

His mouth also curling into a smile as he spotted Lily heading towards them, Shay wondered how Van was doing. Acknowledging his victory as Ottarl closed his eyes, Shay was about to ask Chloe about the state of the battle as he heard a confident, cherubic voice to the East.

"The Warlord has been toppled, victory is at our fingertips! One last push, and the wargame is ours! Riveria, Bete, spearhead the attack! We break through straight to Freya's throne!"

Cheers echoing through the prum's oculus as he neared Shay, Finn spoke quietly to those present.

"Only Allen is still holding us off. Bete and Riveria will handle him, along with the rest of my familia. You can rest easy, Shay. You did some good work."

As Lily's healing light enveloped the bleeding boaz across from him, Shay couldn't help but wonder if the Goddess had been chasing the wrong wish. As he thought of her world crumbling around her, he remembered the boy that had gotten caught up in this mess.

It's your turn now, Bell. Set our troublesome Goddess straight.