“Are you sure that will work?” Stitches questions.

  “It’s the best I could come up with, I’m open to it if you have a better idea,” Mateo replies.

  “No, it’s brilliant, if it works, but what am I supposed to do?” Stitches asks.

  “Save your stamina, and when mine is spent, use your scythe.”

  The familiar die appears in both Mateo and Stitches’ hands. Mateo tosses his and it bounces across the gore-soaked streets of Satsuki stopping on an even twelve. Stitches tosses hers and it stops on an odd thirteen. Blanco casts his die and it screeches to a halt on a disappointing nine.

  “It would seem the first turn is yours this time,” Blanco states.

  “Best of luck birdman,” Mateo says with a confident grimace.

  First combatant standby phase.

  Deadringer activated.

  Flesh golem abomination summoned. Flesh golem abomination Monica has entered the field.

  Mateo’s mana falls to fifty percent as his Deadringer clone appears beside him. Stitches’ flesh golem abomination requires less mana but is far more intimidating being pieced together by monster parts.

  “Ah, this song and dance again, I won’t say I don’t enjoy crushing you and your clone,” Blanco boasts.

  “The time for boastfulness is over, I think you’ll find the game is much less fun when you lose,” Mateo replies.

  First combatant combat phase.

  Stitches sends in Monica to force her way through the brunt of his telekinetic defenses. Mateo and his Deadringer clone assault Blanco when he seems less defendable. They do little damage before retreating so that he will retain enough stamina to dodge in the next turn.

  First combatant combat phase ended.

  Second combatant standby phase initiated.

  Blanco uses a couple of potions that seem to buff his stamina and mana, no need to waste any on increasing his skills since they are far above both Mateo and Stitches.

  Second combatant combat phase.

  Blanco moves in using his typical telekinetic attacks. If it isn’t broken don’t fix it right? They are still as effective as ever obliterating Mateo’s Deadringer and Stitches’ flesh golem abomination before inflicting moderate damage on both of his opponents.

  Second combatant end phase.

  First combatant standby phase.

  “Use both mana potions on me I need as much mana as possible for this,” Mateo says.

  “You sure, this is our last chance before we are locked out for months, how confident are you about this Mateo?” Stitches questions.

  “I have less confidence in this plan then I do in your abilities, but it’s close.”

  “I trust you,” Stitches says hitting him with two mana buff potions.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Your mana has been increased by three hundred percent.

  First combatant combat phase.

  “Your armor gives you bird like features, did you know that birds don’t fly in storms because they are weak to lightning,” Mateo says with a smile as he opens a small flask.

  A group of five viscous blue slimes rise from puddles of fluid on the ground taking the desireable shape of a young woman in her prime.

  “Chocolate!” The five Sapphires yell in unison.

  “Chocolate is right, surround that bird bastard, he’s about to ride the lightning,” Mateo orders.

  The five slimes gather around Blanco and his telekinetic blades float about him at the ready, though they can do little to affect the slimes as they are resistant to all kinetic attacks.

  “You know your spells will be reflected,” Blanco says with a sly grin.

  “Yes, for thirty percent, which means you still take seventy percent damage,” Mateo replies raising his hand skyward.

  “Open the heavens so that the void may convey its vengeance, let forth the sparking fury of the void that bolts of infinite darkness might dance about the lands of Gottes, by my power and that of the void, I cast void storm,” Mateo chants.

  Spell activated, Void Storm.

  Blanco laughs loudly as ominous clouds of the void envelop the sky above them giving off unsettling roars of thunder.

  “You fool, your spell will be reflected, and you will be decimated by it,” Blanco says continuing his near villainous laughter.

  “That would be true, if I had cast the spell on you,” Mateo says lowering his hand to point a finger at the five viscous slimes.

  Hellish bolts of violet lightning slam into the conductive females supercharging them and they glow radiating an almost god like energy. Sapphire raises her own hands sending out arcing bolts so hot they melt every sword and piece of metal around Blanco leaving only small pools of molten metal on the ground before she turns her attack toward him.

  “Chocolate!” She yells with a roar echoing louder than thunder and deadlier than the bolts of lightning pulsing through her conductive figure.

  “I’ll just reflect it and obliterate both of you,” Blanco says bracing for the attack.

  “No, you’ll reflect it onto Sapphire, she’ll increase its damage by one hundred and fifty percent, and then cast it back on to you, and it will stack endlessly until you are out of health, then I’ll send in Stitches to score the final blow, bitch,” Mateo says with a clever grin.

  The field is filled with bolts of void lightning passing between the five slimes and Blanco. The attack grows weaker, then is reflected and grows slightly stronger. After stacking so many times it eventually dissipates leaving Blanco with only a few hit points and no stamina or mana. Stitches steps forward her staff changing to a scythe.

  “You should be more courteous to your opponents in a duel, when you think someone is lesser it shows arrogance, and that in itself is weakness, and the next time you strike a defenseless woman, you should worry about what she would do to you if you were defenseless,” Stitches says slamming her scythe down on him.

  Stitches scythe runs through Blanco’s chest pinning him to the ground and Mateo steps up raising Drako’s Razor to his head.

  “Concede defeat,” he demands.

  Blanco scours his inventory in a panic trying to find any item he can use that will get him out of this situation. He finds only two, but is reluctant to use either, even though they are the same item. One is for himself when he is in dire need, and the other a prize for someone who can best him. He lowers his head breathing heavily as blood runs from his lips like a waterfall flowing into a river.

  “I concede defeat.”

  Stitches removes her scythe from his chest and Blanco heaves loudly as blood pours from his wound. Mateo leans down lifting his head and punches him right in the nose.

  “That’s for hurting my friend.”

  The challenge domain doesn’t disappear with Blanco’s defeat. A wave of healing washes through it and after a few moments Blanco rises snapping his nose back into place.

  “That was a hard hit, maybe I was wrong about you fucking the cat girl,” Blanco states.

  “Don’t make me hit you again,” Mateo replies.

  “Just curious, anyway, congratulations on completing your first trial and ascending to the rank of tiger, you will remain in this domain for a few hours after I am removed to claim your prize and become more acquainted with what is known to us tiger rankers and above as the Task Master, Natalia will return to you, she would be here now but her and Vlad are ‘occupied’.”

  “They’re having sex aren’t they,” Mateo says squinting his eyes.

  “Some things are better left unsaid,” Blanco replies.

  “You know what, I’m happy for her, maybe she’ll stop touching me in inappropriate places on ‘accident’ when we bathe,” Mateo says shaking his head.

  “You bathe with your pixie?” Blanco questions.

  “Yeah, doesn’t every realm walker?” Mateo replies curiously tilting his head.

  “Um,” Blanco pauses.

  “Godsdamnit Natalia, you perverse little sky devil!” Mateo yells.

  Congratulations, you have ascended to Tiger claw rank 1.