“Son of an ass monkey!” Mateo yells.

  “Cunt muffins!” Stitches yells.

  “You first,” Mateo says with a sigh.

  “Six,” she replies rolling her eyes.

  “Nine,” Mateo says with a grimace.

  “Fourteen,” Blanco chimes in.

  “Yeah, yeah, there was a joke there, but you ruined it birdman, anyway, you go first again.”

  Stitches moves closer to Mateo whispering in his ear.

  “What was the joke?”

  Mateo smiles and whispers in her ear. Her cat like ears twitch at the explanation, as she blushes.

  “Maybe me and Mitsu should try that it seems, enticing.”

  “Forget I said anything for now, we need to concentrate on our current predicament,” Mateo replies.

  Mateo casts a ward over Stitches and dodges Blanco’s attacks for the first round only taking minor damage.

  Mateo- Stitches, don’t conjure anything, I’m going to need you to buff my mana and stamina, I’m only summoning Zena, which will leave me with three-quarters of my mana. That way I’ll have half for Deadringer.

  Stitches- Ok, I’ll expend a little stamina with some melee attacks, as long as we don’t use spells his thirty percent spell reflect shouldn’t affect us.

  Mateo- That’s what I’m thinking, you notice any weaknesses?

  Stitches- His attacks are mostly telekinetic, he has a rapier but it’s a light medium sword that Drako’s razor should be able to bypass, mainly I’m thinking he isn’t good at close combat melee against an opponent with slightly more strength, I think his build is centered around dexterity, so he is nimble but not strong and can’t take a hit, thus the reflect spell armor. Warriors wouldn’t be able to get close normally, but spell casters could hit him at range. Additionally, he would be able to dodge ranged attacks like arrows, bolts, or throwing knives with ease, his dexterity being so high.

  Mateo- Right, I’ll try to get close with Deadringer.

  First combatant end phase.

  Zena has been summoned from the void.

  “Awe, no big green man?” Zena asks.

  “Nope, just bird man over there,” Mateo replies.

  “Well, that’s disappointing, so what’s the play?”

  “His armor reflects spells so don’t use anything that isn’t kinetic, I’m going to try something,” Mateo replies.

  Stitches floats into the air raising her staff heavenward. An unsettling beam of darkness washes over her radiating energy into Mateo.

  Ability activated: Veil of Shadows. Veil of Shadows increases all party member’s dexterity by ten percent for thirty seconds, or in the case of a duel, one phase.

  Combat phase.

  Zena leads using her crystals to deflect Blanco’s telekinetic blades as she moves in to strike. Blanco is too quick for her to land a blow, and Mateo moves in to strike.

  Ability activated: Deadringer. Deadringer creates a clone of the one who wields Drako’s razor.

  Two Mateo’s charge Blanco overwhelming him. Blanco fends off the Deadringer, but Mateo is able to score a hit that registers as critical damage. Mateo falls back and Blanco is unable to tell which is the true Mateo. Stitches descends from the sky changing her staff to a scythe. She moves in cutting at Blanco as if he is grain to the harvest, but he evades her slash.

  “Damnit, how much stamina does he have?”

  End phase.

  Blanco downs a potion and brushes off the damage he’s taken. He turns his gaze toward Stitches as he pulls a large two-handed sword from his inventory.

  “Godsdamnit, Stitches buff my mana so I can keep up a ward,” Mateo says raising his right hand ready to cast.

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  Blanco smiles turning his gaze toward Mateo.

  “That won’t be necessary, this attack isn’t for her, it’s for you,” Blanco growls.

  Wyrm Buster Blade effect activated. Wyrm Buster Blade- Ten tons of steel isn’t enough to kill a dragon, but it can fell a Wyrm. When attacking with the Wyrm Buster Blade it converts all points of dexterity into strength.

  Zena charges infront of Mateo seeking to parry the attack. Mateo reaches his hand out to stop her, but she is obliterated in less than a heartbeat. Mateo and his Deadringer move back trying to avoid the attack, but the massive blade is persistent in its pursuit of them. Mateo grits his teeth, several of them chipping as his Deadringer is annihilated. Mateo’s health drops to a fourth of its maximum as the massive blade forces its way past Drako’s Razor.

  End phase.

  Stitches runs to Mateo as he uses Drako’s Razor to hold himself up.

  Standby phase.

  Stitches slams a potion bladder over Mateo’s head, and his health rises to three quarters. He returns to his feet sifting through his inventory.

  “Godsdamnit, I don’t have anything to combat all of his bullshit, he’s got magic reflect armor and a fucking tank sword, honestly I’d rather fight a damn dragon naked,” Mateo complains.

  “Mateo, if we don’t win this bout, we still have one more, you asked if I noticed weaknesses and I have found some, they won’t help us right now, but hit him as hard as you can and I’ll try to do the same.”

  End Standby phase.

  Combat phase.

  Mateo re-summons his Deadringer to assault Blanco. It makes little difference. Stitches does some damage with her scythe and Monica, but it isn’t enough.

  End phase.

  First Combatant standby phase.

  “I’m a little disappointed, I was hoping for more of a challenge,” Blanco states.

  “Man, I really feel for you,” Mateo replies raising his middle fingers.

  “Ah, the birds are flying, guess I’ll have to ground them.”

  First combatant combat phase.

  Blanco rises into the air turning every sharp object he can find into a weapon. He sends forth a wall of deadly objects and Mateo finds himself hovering over Stitches as the bout ends.

  “Thanks, but we didn’t win that one,” Stitches says.

  “I know, he’s strong and he thinks we are,” Mateo stops.

  “Weak?” Stitches asks.

  “Yes,” Mateo finishes.

  “No, you think we need to fight to overpower him, that we need to be stronger than him, but you’re not a barbarian, you’re a battlemage, stop thinking that because his armor reflects your spells that it is a advantage and start thinking that it is a weakness,” Stitches replies.

  “I think I understand what you’re saying.”

  A mock sky appears above them in the challenge dome portraying multiple galaxies, or realms as they are known to Gottes and two of the three moons. The distance is a canvas of mountain ranges not unlike those of the corelands. Mateo breathes in deeply taking in the sight as he runs his fingers through Stitches’ hair and over her soft ears. The warm dance of the flames gives their exchange a pleasant glow.

  “You don’t treat the kitten like a mate, still a lover but not quite intimately,” Blanco says pulling a roasted chikus from the fire, “would it be too intrusive if I asked more about you?”

  Stitches climbs out of Mateo’s lap accepting a plate of chikus and some potato like side that is both sweet and filling.

  “I do love Stitches, she’s a good friend to me and, we are close,” Mateo replies.

  “I used to play with my daughter’s hair like that, her name was Annabelle, more precious than any diamond and growing into the beautiful woman her mother was,” he pauses taking a bite of his chikus and chewing before continuing, “Katarina, you will remember those names, they are the beauty that haunts me.”

  Mateo wipes chikus off his mouth.

  “What happened?” He asks.

  “There was an accident,” he pauses looking skyward at the heavens displayed in the air above them. “Anyone you miss from your past life?”

  “I had someone for a while, but it ended badly and I just had work and the bottle after that, some friends, but I was never really a big part of the circle.”

  “And here?”

  “It’s complicated, the customs of these lands are quite contrary to my moral values when it comes to relationships,” Mateo replies.

  “As they are to mine,” Blanco says raising a small chalice filled with Berry juice that Mateo has contributed to their little reprieve. “To new beginnings in a new world, and maybe forgiveness of our trespasses,” Blanco states emphasizing the word ‘trespasses’.

  “To new beginnings, and future adventures,” Mateo toasts and they clank their chalices.

  At the central courtyard of Satsuki.

  “What the fuck is this thing?” Beatrice asks.

  “Terror knows this is a challenge domain, Stitches and Mateo were both ready to advance to tiger rank, hopefully they emerge victorious from glorious battle!” Terror shouts.

  “Me and Rick didn’t get a challenge domain, and he needs to hurry up while I’m still ovulating,” Beatrice complains.

  “Wow, it’s so pretty, like a semi-sphere covered with the electric glow of far-off realms, I wonder what it’s like inside,” Jade says attempting to recreate it in her sketch book.

  Terror smiles looking down at the small goblita still seeing a vision of his own offspring in her. He pats her head gently.

  “Terror thinks that one day you too will be strong like Mateo, perhaps you and Azul will go on your own journey,” Terror says with a smile.

  Jade blushes realizing that her adoptive father knows how she feels about the female cryogre. She turns her gaze muttering under her breath.

  “Yeah, if Andy doesn’t sweep her away first.”

  Terror scoops up the small goblin girl pulling her into his lap as he moves a large piece of boardrel up to his face taking a bite before offering her some. She digs her goblin fangs into it gleefully ripping the roasted flesh from bone.

  Mercedes and Mitsubishi enjoy a small pot of cheese soup with something that vaguely, and I mean very vaguely, resembles broccoli.

  “What’s wrong brother, cat got your tongue?” Mercedes asks playfully.

  “No, I’m afraid she may have my heart though,” he replies.

  “Over three hundred years and it’s a neko girl that you fall for, what would father think?” Mercedes asks.

  “He wouldn’t think, corpses don’t think, and you, any interests,” Mitsu replies.

  “The realm walker makes me flustered at times, but you know who my interest is, even if it isn’t attainable.”

  “You know he’s a god right?” Mitsu complains for the thousandth time.

  “I have high standards,” Mercedes replies turning her nose.

  “And when was the last time those high standards got you laid?” Mitsu questions.

  “Do you really want to know?”

  “Nevermind, don’t answer that sister.”

  “That’s what I thought,” Mercedes scoffs.