Kip sat in the same tunnel as all his other comrades had done in the games previous. He could hear the same buzzing his comrades had heard. But unlike all of them… he was alone. Kip had his hands on his knees, taking in a deep breath. The dust from outside tickled his throat. Maybe being here alone was what it meant to wear the crown. For better or for worse, the results rested on his shoulders.

  He stood up and paced around the hallway, his mind turning. He had his skills. He had his claws. He had his tricks in his satchel. At the end of the day, he was far behind Ironwood. Could he do it? He had yet to see the field in front of him. What would it be? Was it something he could use? Kip heard the announcer call his name. He walked through the light of the tunnel, the cheering thumping on his eardrums. The nature of the field was an even plane.. Nothing to hide behind. Nothing to run around in. It was a simple circular field with the lava from the last round acting as the out-of-bounds.

  Kip bathed in the orange light of the setting sun. He and his crew had been at this all day. Ironwood walked out from the other side of the tunnel. There was no emotion conveyed in her sharp mask. Her armor had warped from her last battle. Kip was nervous, but he still gave her a wave. She did not wave back. As far as she was concerned, they were enemies again. She had never met him before yesterday, and while she was Lala’s adopted sister, she was still a bloodthirsty killer who only cared about one thing: the revenge and safety of her sister. Seemed reason enough that she could not hold back.

  “Her armor,” Kip thought, “Why’s she still wearing it even though it’s damaged?” When Danver asked him what weapon he would like, he instead provided a long, itemized list of ingredients and components that he could tinker with. That, combined with his new talents and his ingenious mind, would hopefully be enough.

  “Let the battle begin,” The announcer cried out.

  Ironwood bucked it across the field. Kip stuck his hands up, ready to fight her, but as quickly as he did, her shadow cast over him. He pulled his hand back to rake her with his claws, but she was poised to strike.

  “Wrathful Bite.”

  He leapt up and twisted his torso forward as the sword came down. He was launched across the edge of the map, skipping along the field like a stone through the lake. He had been cut along his oblique from just being in the presence of the sword as it came down. He hurtled toward the edge with the lava and scrapped the ground with his claws. He teetered to the edge, his lower half falling off as his claws finally dug in enough to slow his momentum to a stop.

  Stormbristle watched from the skybox with a resting Akun, the king, the king’s guards and of course, Lala. Tamas and Jasssper were being treated in the infirmary.

  “This can’t be.” Stormbristle said.

  Lala covered her hands, “This can’t be over me. This just can’t.”

  “It’s okay,” Stormbristle said, looking at the king.

  “Maybe he’s bluffing,” Akun was digging into his ear canal as he looked over at the king, “You bluffing? You really going to keep her if Kip wins this fight?”

  The king turned to Akun, “I don’t want it either, but I’m a man of my word, I’m afraid.”

  “Huh,” Akun said, “Then for your safety, king… Kip better lose.”

  Kip pulled himself up from the ledge. As he stood up, he’d already lost Ironwood. He rolled out of the way out of instinct. Ironwood’s strikes landed on the ground of the field behind Kip’s trajectory. Dust from the stage kicked up. He looked at the deep gash she had made, even without her warlock powers. She pointed her sword up at him.

  “Burst!” Kip launched himself toward Ironwood. She stuck her sword up to parry. He gripped the sword with his claws and scratched the gap in her armor on her clavicle.

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  She attempted to lift her sword. Kip heard a clang. Ironwood tried to lift her sword, but Kip dropped his weight and skirted along the ground. Before she could twist, he scratched the inside of her leg. Blood drew, and she turned around, slamming her blade onto Kip. With her speed, it should have made quick work of him. Instead, the blade went left, and Kip pressed one foot on the ground and said, “Burst.” He launched himself away from the strike.

  “How’d you do that?” Ironwood asked.

  Kip got up, brushing himself off. He tested his foot, putting weight on it. “You don’t see it yet?” He pointed to her armpit.

  She looked over at her armpit. Ironwood had meant to stab him as soon as he came down, but something diverted her blade. She looked down at the metal where her torso connected with her right arm; the warping from the lava had caused the two pieces to intersect and skew her blade path.

  “The disfigurement of your armor created some restrictions. Your weak spots are still narrow, but I only really need to get you once in the neck, don’t I?”

  Ironwood ran toward him. She was fast, but he could track her movements. She moved zig-zag, and headed toward him. He grabbed one of the bombs he had in his pack and coughed onto the fuse. As she approached, he rolled it toward her. The bomb went off. Ice spread and sealed the feet to the ground. He ran on her left side and jumped up, attacking her from the diagonal. She attempted to block, but the armor that connected her chest plate to her belt had been welded together on the right side. She could not twist fully, and he landed on her shoulders. He held the helmet up and scratched her along the left of her neck.

  “Ahh!” She took her hand off the handle of the sword and using her elbow, bashed him in the head. It expelled him into the air.

  “Demonica Stride.” She launched up, breaking the ice around her ankles and flying up into the air with Kip. Kip stuck his claws out for protection as she collided her sword with him. The strength of the blade traveled into his chest as he flew across the field. The heavy rush of air forced him to close his eyes as his body merged with the floor.

  “My lord,” Stormbristle said, “Despite her upper hand, he’s really holding his own. I really think he’s got what it takes to beat her.” Then he looked at Lala, who gave him a soft thumbs up, “Oh. Sorry,. I’m just… really impressed with how far he’s come.”

  “Totally get it. Despite the circumstances… I’m happy for him.”

  The king was sitting on the couch. He placed his arm around Lala and pulled her in close, “So,” The king said, “You can turn into anyone? Like, at will? Because I have had this crush on this maid, and I was always like… what if there were two of her?” He looked down at Lala expecting a response.

  “Uhh,” Lala said, “That would be something, wouldn’t it?” She reached out and patted the king’s hand on her shoulder. Looking concerned for her dark lord, her sister, and for her own safety.

  Kip strutted along the field, Ironwood chased after him. She ran toward him and sliced him. He jumped up, letting the sword pass under his feet. He landed on top of the blade and punched her in the chest with it. She fell backward.

  “I’ve gained some strength,” Thought Kip.

  Kip scratched Ironwood through a gap again.

  “Don’t you want your friend out alive? Does my sister mean nothing to you?”

  “Of course it does. But the people at home need a leader. I’m sorry, Ironwood. I wish this battle could be simple. But my dying doesn’t guarantee your sister’s safety. I wish we could be friends.”

  “I don’t even think I’d like you very much.” Said Ironwood as she pulled her sword back up to strike.

  “Most don’t,” Kip said as he jumped up again. Ironwood once again had herself caught on the warped armor. Her arms locked up against her torso, and she couldn’t bring her hands down. Kip reached in and scratched her vulnerable armpits.

  Ironwood shimmied her chest and unlocked herself. She clubbed Kip’s head with the sword handle, dropping him to the ground. She kicked him and he rolled along the field. He got up, obviously injured but unwilling to give up. He wiped the blood that was running down his lip and scoffed.

  “The armor doesn’t feel so smart, does it?”

  “I don’t even like this stupid armor.” Said Ironwood as she reached the back of her neck and snapped the torso plate off.

  The torso plate fell onto the ground with a heavy thud.

  She reached down to undo the bottoms as well, stepping out in a normal tunic and pants.

  “They made me wear it.”

  “Why did they make you wear it?” Kip asked.

  “Why would they care about protecting her?” He wondered. Then he saw where the chest plate landed. It had caused a crack in the ground. Kip let out a soft “Oh.”

  “The armor acted as weights to slow me down. It wasn’t for my protection. It was for yours.”

  She blinked out of existence, moving so fast that she had completely disappeared to Kip’s untrained eye.