Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan - 6:41 PM

  The moment I had let Glaraphel, who had to wait outside due to safe zone rules, know that we needed a team of Dominions to set up the arena for our fight, he had gotten visibly excited. He asked a few questions and flew off towards the University of Michigan with all haste to accommodate us.

  What we found when we arrived, without Corwin as he had fallen asleep soon after drinking the Abomination, was a sky gradually becoming more and more filled with Angels. The stadium was already packed with people who had been enjoying the impromptu festival that had taken place, but now it had gained a dome of feathers and glowing rings.

  “That’s a lot of Angels,” I remarked as I looked up from the middle of the field.

  “The Consort is fighting. Of course they would want to see it,” Glaraphel replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

  “And they know I’m not going to be at the same level of power I was when I killed Crokillik, right?” I asked, turning to face him. “Because that was technically considered inside of Hell, which meant I got Sara’s big power boost.”

  “You did mention that to curb my enthusiasm, yes, and I made sure to pass it along,” he answered with a solemn nod. The Power turned to regard my teammates, and I did the same.

  Jamie was stretching ahead of me, her golden scales and hair shining under the light of so many halos. Her Atlantean Launcher Maul was currently in its hammer configuration resting on the ground by her side. She, of course, was packing the most heat out of everyone. There were several daggers along one thigh, a pistol on the other, both of her scimitars on either hip, and a golden shield on her back. Her loadout hadn’t changed much, but I knew each one had gone through several enhancements.

  I did find it strange that she was willing to risk them against my telekinesis. She had seen me mess with other people’s gear enough to know it was a bad idea. It seemed as though the Weapon Master thought taking the extra time to swap out items through her inventory was more damning than whatever I could do with my mind.

  Both Kayla and Jeff were standing behind me and slightly off to my right. The first time this battle happened they had been in opposite corners, though he was still able to protect her. I wondered what the Double Agent had up her sleeve to need the Queen’s Knight by her now.

  Whatever it was, she wasn’t nervous. Grim acceptance colored her aura along with determination to get the job done. She was, as the buffer and healer of the group despite being a rogue, a high priority target and she knew it. Kayla was smart and likely had come up with plenty of ways to shut me down since the last fight.

  Jeff, on the other hand, was absolutely thrilled. There was a bit of worry there for Corwin, but this was how he was going to spend his time instead of waiting by the dog’s bed for him to wake up. His rapier whistled through the air as he slashed impatiently, not taking his eyes off of me. I nodded to him, and he returned it, ready to go.

  Finally, there was Mercury. He was currently circling the arena like a vulture. The Princess was in his hand, and I could see him nod every once in a while as he received tips from her. However, she was no longer completely invisible to all of my senses. The intelligent spirit dwelling inside the ninja’s blade had grown powerful enough that I could see a specter of her through my awareness aura.

  It wasn’t anything defined, but it was stronger than the Princess had ever been this early on. Her blade, which was practically made of light at this point, could absorb energy and store it for later. That was going to give him a lot of extra options in this battle, especially with two Dragon Breath users in the party.

  “Are you ready for this?” Glaraphel asked, though he sounded unworried.

  “Dunno. Sara? Am I ready for this?” I repeated, giving the sky an accusatory look.

  <<<>>>

  [[Patron Message]]

  Don’t make that kind of face at me, Ant. Of course I helped them refine a battle strategy against you. That included talking to their Patrons to get them items and books that won’t just be useful against everything, but you in particular. I knew you would prefer it that way, so consider it a gift from me.

  That being said, I think you’ll have met your match. They were still learning a lot about each other the last time this happened, and you’ve been pushing them harder than usual for the descent into Hell. This team has been forged in Heaven’s fire and underestimating them is going to get you into a lot of trouble.

  <<<>>>

  “From the sounds of it, no,” I said with a grin. “But it’s going to be a good time either way.”

  Sara was right; I did prefer it this way. Duels where I didn’t have the upper hand were few and far between, and I had been fighting and training Jamie and Mercury for hundreds of years now. Having the Mills here helped, but that didn’t mean their force could tip the scales.

  Unless they used every advantage they had, including getting copious amounts of help from my wife. Their skills would shine through, sure, but it wouldn’t be what defeats me. Preparation and tactics I didn’t see coming would.

  Even though I was rooting for them, I still wanted to win. I looked around at the Angels who were supposed to put up the barriers. They had decided they needed more than just the four from earlier, so now there were eight Thrones, four-winged Angels of a higher order, each one accompanied by two Dominions apiece.

  It certainly seemed like they were expecting something great.

  So maybe it was time to upgrade the big stuff next. Not more of my gear, but my class. The guild members of Sol Ligatus seemed confident enough, so they deserved that much.

  I swiped open my menu and went ahead to upgrade every Warmind ability in my arsenal. They were all level 6 except for the few I used my MVP accolades on to make level 7. For every three of those I spent, I could raise a specific power by one additional level and that could be done four times for each ability.

  While I looked through my list, I crossed my arms and did some mental math. While I was stingy with my points, this would be a necessary expenditure eventually. While the vast majority were sitting in my bank account to gain interest, I had been keeping a lot aside for just this moment.

  Thanks to the huge surge I had gotten from Washington D.C., I was now sitting on 29 unused accolades. I could spend one of them to increase a stat limit by 2, but that wasn’t really worth it considering the huge boost I got from being an Angel of Death.

  I quickly decided to save the two that would be left over. It was one away from an increase, and there were plenty of good options. Most of my abilities were going to end at level 8, but with the option to break the limit nine more times I had a few that were going to be level 10. Everything I needed to increase Split again, and everything I needed to get the last of my Warmind abilities.

  Working through the menu, I spent a huge 170,880 points on upgrades. Gazing upon the stat sheet that appeared before me, I was glad I had chosen the option to condense them. On a whim, I decided to hit the toggle that allowed the ability screen to be affected by the Warmongering Mystic set, adding the two together for the first time.

  <<<>>>

  [[Notice]]

  Your abilities have been upgraded.

  Augmented Abilities

  Push (Willpower) lvl 10: You may manipulate an inanimate object no more than Willpower*20.3 lbs. so that it is pushed away from you.

  Pull (Willpower) lvl 10: You may manipulate an inanimate object no more than Willpower*20.3 lbs. so that it is pulled towards you.

  Orbit (Willpower) lvl 8: You may manipulate an object no heavier than Willpower*17.4 lbs. to circle around any point inside your body. If this ability is used prior to Push, Pull, Lift, or Drop, increase the force behind the secondary ability by 7% per rotation to a maximum of 35%.

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  Lift (Willpower) lvl 10: You may manipulate an inanimate object no more than Willpower*37.7 lbs. to lift it off of the ground.

  Drop (Willpower) lvl 10: You may manipulate an inanimate object no more than Willpower*37.7 lbs. to accelerate its fall.

  Flight (Willpower) lvl 9 (effective level 11): Use the power of your mind to fly, glide, or levitate. You may move in any direction at 110% of your running speed. This ability can be shared with one ally in sight.

  Shield (Wisdom) lvl 10: Cover yourself in a barrier with an amount of hit points equal to your Wisdom*9.4. Hit points recharge at a rate of Wisdom*2.4 hit points per second after 5 seconds of not taking damage. Broken shields cannot be reactivated for 30 seconds.

  Force Field (Wisdom, Willpower) lvl 8: Create an invisible barrier with an amount of hit points equal to your Wisdom*6.3. It can be placed no further away than a number of feet equal to your Willpower/2 and be no larger than Willpower*13 inch2 . Hit points recharge at a rate of Wisdom*2 hit points per second after 5 seconds of not taking damage. Broken force fields cannot be reactivated for 30 seconds.

  Spin (Augment) lvl 8: When manipulating an object, you may reduce the power of the ability used by 18% in order to turn the affected object in any direction as long as the point of origin is inside of the object itself.

  Bend (Augment) lvl 8: When using Push or Pull, you may reduce the power of the ability by 50% in order to apply the ability twice at up to 50% power at another point on the object, causing it to bend or possibly break. You may reduce the power of the first by up to 14% to increase the power of the second by the same amount.

  Construct (Wisdom, Willpower) lvl 8: Create an item through sheer willpower. You can conjure up to 4 items at the same time, though the items cannot be greater than 75% of your mass. Construction costs a small amount of Mental Points to create, and continues to cost Mental Points as long as the items remain.

  If the item is a weapon, then it will deal psychic damage equal to 118% of your Willpower in addition to the normal physical damage.

  Mental Link (Willpower) lvl 10: Form a telepathic bond with up to seven allies that can be sustained up to a distance of feet equal to Willpower*7. You always know where they are, what condition they are in, and their mental state. Concise thought cannot be sent through the Mental Link. You may connect with more allies, but every instance Splits your focus.

  Empowered Body (Augment) lvl 10: Your body is enhanced by your psychic energies. Increase your Strength by 38% of your Willpower and your Dexterity by 38% of your Wisdom.

  The following ability has automatically been upgraded.

  Split (Focus) lvl 8 (effective level 12): You may affect 12 different objects instead of only 1.

  By raising your Warmind abilities, you have learned the following ability.

  Shield level 10 + Mental Link level 10 + Empowered Body level 10 = Cognitive Form.

  [[Notice]]

  All of your Warmind abilities have been unlocked. Thanks to completing the Warmongering Mystic set, you now have access to Distort Reality.

  <<<>>>

  I immediately spent 3,820 points to get Cognitive Form up to level 8. As the capstone ability, it was everything I had ever wanted in a special transformation. Or, at least, everything I had ever wanted before getting access to Break Free. It was a double-edged sword that made others wary when it came to using it, but it wasn’t anything I had an issue with.

  My fingers hovered over my item screen. There were drawbacks to such a powerful transformation, but the risks could be lowered and the rewards increased if I were to upgrade my Tunic of the Warmongering Mystic.

  “I’ll give y’all the option,” I said loudly, getting the other’s attention. Mercury stopped to listen and I held up one finger. “I could fully upgrade my Tunic, which hasn’t had any boosts yet, and make this harder for you, or I could leave it as is to give you a more sporting chance.”

  “You could upgrade all of your gear for all we care,” Kayla replied. “If you hold back and lose because of it, then that’s no one’s fault but yours, psychic boy. We’re ready for whatever you have to throw at us.”

  “Yeah, but maybe you should,” Mercury jeered, giving me a thumbs down. “You know, so you have less excuses when we gray you out.”

  I grinned at the ninja, who returned to circling me, and decided that was all I needed. It was getting upgraded.

  “Alright, it’s y’all's fake funeral.”

  <<<>>>

  [[Item 2]]

  Tunic of the Warmongering Mystic +7

  (Hidden Item, Set Item 6/6; This item has been fully upgraded; +450 Mental Points, +54 Wisdom, +54 Willpower, Enhanced Astral Enlightenment ability augment acquired, Increased Incorporeal Force ability augment acquired)

  [[Ability Augment]]

  Enhanced Astral Enlightenment

  Decrease the amount of damage you take from magical sources when in Cognitive Form by an additional 20%.

  [[Ability Augment]]

  Increased Incorporeal Force

  When in Cognitive Form, increase the efficacy of all Warmind abilities by an additional 14%.

  <<<>>>

  That had been a massive increase overall, and I was excited to use it. Before I could check more of my screens, Malphazarin appeared above us.

  “It has come to my attention that the Sol Ligatus guild is putting on an exhibition match,” he stated, voice booming through the stadium loud enough to quiet everyone down. His inner circle, the other Seraphims, appeared beside him. “Are the participants ready?”

  “As we’ll ever be,” Kayla spoke first.

  I simply raised my thumb in the air.

  The general nodded. “Brother Archater, you have permission to begin.”

  One of the Thrones nodded and raised his arms, and the others all followed suit. A new arena appeared, this one circular, before the walls faded so everyone could easily see inside. The crowd started going wild, ready for the carnage we were about to unleash on each other.

  “I’ve got two things to say now that you’re trapped in here with me,” I announced, putting my hands on my hips.

  “Too late to give up now, old man,” Jamie said as she picked up her hammer from the ground.

  “Yeah, that wasn’t ever an option,” I chuckled before raising a finger. “First, by the power of Enigma Hemingway!”

  <<<>>>

  [[Equipped]]

  Ostwriter’s Plot Armor

  (Unique Item; +1 Strength, +1 Dexterity, +1 Constitution, +1 Wisdom, +1 Willpower, The Plot Thickens skill acquired)

  [[Skill]]

  The Plot Thickens

  Use the phrase “By the power of Enigma Hemingway,” to cause the manuscript to become a set of armor specifically sized for the wearer. Use the phrase “Good night, Jezebel,” to cause the armor to return to a manuscript. This ability can be used even if the item is in your inventory.

  <<<>>>

  Page after page of the worst manuscript known to man flew out of my inventory and plastered themselves over me. The plate armor’s helmet covered my face, but it still left me with a wide field of vision.

  “Shit, he’s going to go Angel right from the start,” I heard Kayla mutter in horror, much to my amusement. She looked up at Malphazarin as the highest authority not participating in the match and shouted. “Start the match! Right now!”

  “B?r?e?a?k? ?Fr?e?e?—” I started, speaking slowly on purpose.

  “Commence the match!” Malphazarin announced, slashing his hand downward as if it were a flag.

  “—F?r?o?m? ?T?h?e? ?S?h?a?c?k?l?e?s? ?O?f? ?M?a?n?!”

  The other members of Sol Ligatus had immediately gotten to work when the Seraphim started speaking, but they couldn’t stop me. Black flames of death infusing my aura roiled close to the ground, moving away from me at an alarming pace. They hit the barricade, and I could see the way the Angels grimaced as they kept it at bay.

  Everyone, even Kayla with her Moxie stat, staggered as they came to grip with the palpable terror of death I was now forcing on them in tandem with my Tyrant’s Will.

  <<<>>>

  [[Skill]]

  Black Flame Aura

  This skill can only be used in tandem with any aura ability, skill, or passive. On command, the area inside your aura becomes darker as black flames appear, sucking in the heat and leaving behind a corpse-like chill for all inside. Cold Resistance does not apply. The stats of all living creatures within the aura are reduced by 10%. If they have been Marked by a Reaper skill, then this reduction is increased by another 5% for each brand.

  <<<>>>

  “No, no, take your time,” I magnanimously offered, making my tone delightfully intimidating to match the mood. I rotated my shoulders and wings, though I didn’t really need to stretch. “I’ll give you a moment to catch your breath.”