Micheal bit back a yelp as Morgan’s light-wrapped fist barreled down on him.

He dodged, the blow whistling past him with terrifying force.

Morgan growled. “God, you’re slippery!”

She threw out two jabs he had to block, leaving his arms numb, then she almost clipped him with a kick.

Micheal narrowed his eyes as he dodged another punch.

Wait a minute…she’s getting sloppy?

Her movements were faster, and his arms still ached from his block, but she wasn’t striking with the precision from before.

Micheal realized what was wrong as she overextended, letting him clip her jaw.

It’s not like Thank You, Hero. It gives the strength but doesn’t acclimate you to it.

Micheal smiled, it wasn’t a huge advantage, but at least she didn’t have quite the edge he’d though- her hand flashed with black light, and his gut wrenched.

A horrible feeling of weakness settled over him, making his limbs feel heavy and slow.

Her next punch crashed into his face, and he fell.

He rolled, but the motion was clumsy.

Another kick landed.

Pain.

Morgan yelled, and there was rage in her voice. “Why’d you have to kill Ren? He was the only one of these chuckle nuts aside from Joshua, who wasn’t insane!”

Another kick landed as he scrambled away.

Her words bounced around in Michael’s head a few times before registering.

Talk, getting her to talk is good.

“We didn’t kill him!” Micheal sputtered, trying to get the words out before the next kick.

The boot paused before connecting.

“You didn’t?”

“We sent him to the System’s camp,” keep taking, keep her talking.

“The what?”

“The System lets you send people to a camp if you beat them. They get released when the dome drops.”

She stared at him, her face hard.

“System!” Micheal thought desperately.

“Can you confirm if someone has been sent to a System camp!”

”Hmm? What do you want, Damsel? Ah, yes, you may ask if someone has been sent. It is public knowledge.”

“Check with the System! It will tell you!”

Morgan paused, then slowly, her brows drew together. “Well, I’ll be damned. You aren’t lying.”

She chewed on her lip, eyeing Micheal up and down. “What do you want this region for?”

“We don’t. We just don’t want murderers to have control of it either.”

She kept staring at him.

Micheal saw a shadow out of the corner of his eye move and forced himself not to react.

Morgan looked around, taking in the fight, then she spoke, and it was possibly the last thing Micheal expected.

“I’ll help you.”

“Huh?”

The shadow stopped moving.

“I’ve been stuck with these fucks since my first Scenario.”

She wiped a hand across her brow. “Regan took command and led us through, but the man’s cold as ice. And since we know what his Skills are, leaving isn’t an option.“

Micheal supposed that checked out since the man was willing to kill a stranger just because he could have countered him.

But was this really happening? Was she really suggesting-

A blinding light ripped Micheal’s attention to the right, where Steven and Margie were fighting.

A pillar of flame hurtled at Steven like a dragon's breath, its heat so intense that Micheal could feel it from over 20 yards away.

Regan stepped in the flame's way and caught it.

Micheal boggled as the flames flexed, straining against the man as he aimed at Steven. The fire brightened, the heat growing even stronger. I need to do something, anything!

He started to run, but he knew he wouldn’t get there in time.

His focus settled on his Skill cards. On his taunt.

Micheal reached for the Skill- Regan released the flames.

The howling column of destruction flashed toward Steven.

The man braced himself, and his Tower-Shield snapped into place with a flash of green so bright it rivaled the flames.

Micheal screamed, the two Skills met, and his vision whited out.

The crash of impact was like a bomb going off, and when Micheal’s ears stopped ringing, the spots had faded from his eyes.

He looked to Steven, and the fist gripping his heart relaxed.

The man was on his back, but his shield was still standing.

Morgan stared at Steven, her eyes wide. “Holy shit. I’ve never seen someone survive that, much less stop it.” She glanced at Micheal. “You going to stab me in the back?”

“Not unless you deserve it.”

She grinned, then started to move, circling around Stacey and Regan.

They didn’t notice her, their attention locked on Steven.

So, when she crept behind the two, they were just as surprised as Micheal when her fist cracked into the back of Stacey’s head.

~<>~<>~

Margie blinked as Morgan socked Stacey upside the head.

The woman went down in a boneless heap, and Regan spun, flames already roaring up around him.

“Go help, boy!” Buford shot her a worried look, but he still turned and ran toward the fight.

Margie grit her teeth as her ankle throbbed. She’d dodged the damn sword, but the flames still scorched her. If it weren’t for Micheal’s Skill, she might have lost motion in the foot altogether.

But she didn’t need two working feet to help.

Steven tried to get up. Margie blinked.

The moron lifted his head, his neck straining, jaw clenched as he tried to force himself to rise.

“Enough, Steven.” She’d meant to snap, but the words came out soft. “You’ve done enough. It’s time to let us handle this.”

Steven kept trying, but when he couldn’t move more then an inch from the pavement, sagged back.

Margie turned her attention to Regan as Micheal, Buford, and Morgan circled him. She wasn’t sure what was going on with that last one, but if the woman wanted to turn on the Red Hand, she wouldn’t complain.

Regan faced them down, his face stony as the fires blazed. He met Morgan’s eyes, and his voice was cold. “You know you’ll die for this.”

Morgan shrugged. “Only if you win.”

Regan nodded once, then exploded into motion.

His foot lashed out, kicking a fire and sending burning wood and hot embers spraying.

Micheal and Morgan dodged back as the burning logs flashed, their heat surging.

Buford leaped, and Margie used Jugger-Rush to give him an added burst of speed.

Regan jumped, the dog sailing under him as he reached into his pocket.

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The man landed and wiped out a zip lighter. The flame caught, then roared.

The flames bellowed out, wrapping around Buford.

The dog snarled, but the flames sucked into his shroud, leaving him unscathed.

Regan changed his aim, sending the torrent at the others.

Just as it reached them, the flames died out.

Regan didn’t hesitate, charging at Micheal and Morgan before the flames could finish clearing.

He kicked up one of the burning logs, catching it without slowing down.

Margie blinked. Damn.

The flames Intensified, and he threw them behind him, the much denser ball of fire hurtling for Buford.

Margie shoved the dog out of the way, but the sudden force knocked him from his feet.

Regan swung the log at Micheal, and a white light covered him as he dodged.

Apparently, that was enough for Micheal’s Class, since he immediately yelled out, “Thank you!”

Blue light flashed to Morgan, settling over her like a suit of armor.

She lashed out, white light mixing with the blue as she struck.

Her fist slammed into Regan's side, and he staggered.

The next two punches flew at his face. He blocked one and dodged the other, but then her knee raced up, burying itself in his gut.

There was a clattering noise, and Morgan looked down.

The log, its embers still glowing a light red, erupted, the flames covering Morgan.

She yelled, stumbling back as the flames clung to her.

Buford and Micheal raced in.

The man ignored Micheal, turning to the dog and pulling out another zip lighter.

But instead of spraying it at the dog, he backpedaled while sending the flame into his red hand.

The fire expanded, then condensed, folding in on itself until it formed a cage of thin, white-hot lines.

He grimaced, then flexed his hand. The fire split into half a dozen thin lines.

He shot one at Buford, and Margie didn’t need to see it hit to know it would pierce her boy's resistance.

Buford didn’t either. He juked, and while the bolt curved to follow him, it wasn’t enough.

The flames struck the gravel with an ear-piercing whine before it punched straight through the top layer of pavement.

Holy hell! What was this guy's level!?

Regan turned to face Micheal an instant before the smaller man slammed into him, knocking him off balance.

Regan turned his stumble into a roll that took him next to a campfire.

He met Micheal’s eyes as the flames surged.

~<>~<>~

Markus was impressed by both his opponent's skill and his Skill.

The man was good. Not the best Markus had fought, but up there. What was more impressive, however, was how the man used his Skill.

Unless Markus was totally off the mark, everywhere the pink light went, the man was enhanced. He could split the light into two weaker sections or have a single stronger section.

An interesting but limited Skill. But the way he used it.

Markus saw a gap in Joshua’s guard and lashed out, his fist crashing into his chest.

In the instant between Joshua realizing his mistake and Markus’s punch connecting, the pink light was there, flaring up to soften the blow.

The light rushed to Joshua’s elbow as he slammed it forward, forcing Markus to block.

Even with over half a Meter, pain still lanced through his bones.

They exchanged half a dozen hits in seconds, their Skills flashing as they tore into one another.

A blocked punch, an attempted throw stopped by Joshua shifting his balance, then a Skill-enhanced kick Markus stopped cold.

Joshua laughed, the sound bubbling with pure, untainted joy.

“Thank you, old timer! Thank you!”

Just before they crashed back together, a blinding light ripped their attention to the right.

Fire, a glowing shield, Steven standing firm, green light ripping out of his hands and face in an emerald torrent impact.

That was all Markus had time to see before Joshua was on him again, fists swinging.

Markus wanted to help, wanted to see if the others were alright. But Joshua wasn’t going to give him that space.

He let the worry roll off him as he put everything into the fight.

~<>~<>~

Micheal was not having a good time.

A fireball wizzed by his head, nearly setting his hair alight from the heat.

The rest of the fire Regan stood next to split, half of it chasing after Micheal, the other half condensing into a dart before sailing at Buford.

Micheal ran from the flames, but Buford didn’t.

The ripping hot projectile clipped the dog, blasting past his shroud and digging a furrow in his shoulder. Buford snarled, pushing through the pain to keep coming.

Regan grunted, then sent three more darts flying.

Buford’s shroud rippled, blasting him to the side and back. The flame darts hit, exploding against the pavement.

Morgan crashed into Regan from behind, wrapping her arms around him as she tried to take him to the ground.

Regan went down.

He tried to throw a flame dart at her, but his hands were in the wrong position to try and get behind him.

Micheal ran in. He had to get to his hands.

Another burst of white light settled over Morgan as she wrestled with her former leader.

Micheal reached him just as Regan turned his hand around. He kicked his arm, then his head.

Regan cried out. Then he stopped trying to be precise.

The flame darts exploded, their bright forms unfurling into wide blasts of heat.

Morgan screamed, scrabbling back from the man.

Micheal followed, his legs burning as the flames licked at him.

He looked down to see his pants smoldering.

Shit!

Regan rolled to his feet, a trail of blood drying out as it ran from his scalp.

His gaze settled on Micheal.

SHIT!

The remaining fire in his hand leaped out.

Micheal dove, and fire scorched his back.

He hit the ground, and his vision wavered, the agony from his back short-circuiting his brain.

Buford’s snarl, a scream from Morgan, the roar of flames.

Micheal’s thoughts were slow and disjointed.

He turned his head, getting a clear view of the fight.

Buford blasted around, Margie doing her best to keep the dog away from the stronger flames, but hits were still slipping through, and Morgan was having a worse time of it.

Her buff layering with his own was keeping her in the fight, but she had visible burns, and the flames still clung to sections of clothing.

Micheal blinked, and it took an effort of will to open his eyes again.

Buford took a flame dart to the paw and went down.

A quick blast of fire washed over Morgan’s face, blinding her as Regan rushed through it, slamming into her with his shoulder.

Micheal’s back burned as his cheek went numb from the icy pavement.

His vision wavered again. The pillar of fire racing for Steven as he just watched. Margie on the ground, Buford’s cries of pain.

Useless Damsel.

Useless.

His hands clenched into fists, the cold gravel stinging at his fingertips.

Useless!

Teetering on the edge of delirium, Micheal clenched his teeth and reached out to his Class.

He poured all of his energy, all of his

exhaustion and pain, and self-hate into his voice as he activated Eye Catching Beauty.

“LOOK AT ME!”

Regan cut off mid-attack, and he spun, his eyes locked onto Micheal.

The others struck.

Buford stumbled into him, his shroud turning sticky as he hit.

The man went down as the dog bowled into him, his jaws locking onto the man's leg.

Regan went stiff as Buford’s crackling teeth dug in.

Morgan didn’t hesitate.

White light flashed over the blue as she drew her leg back.

Her other hand pulsed with black that suddenly covered Regan, sinking into his skin like poison.

Her boot flew forward, impacting his skull with a sickening crunch.

The man spasmed, then went limp.

Micheal stared for a second, then his taunt ended, and the energy cost knocked him out cold.

~<>~<>~

Markus was stuck in a stalemate.

Joshua wasn’t as skilled as him, but he was good enough, and he was stronger.

And so far, he had better endurance. Markus was getting tired, and Joshua kept him from ever getting above half a Meter.

Which had resulted in countless rounds that didn’t go anywhere.

So it was a massive relief when Noodle slammed into the man’s back.

Joshua had already committed to blocking Markus, so he had no defense as the hound's teeth sunk into his bicep.

He screamed, spinning away from Markus as he tried to throw the dog off.

Noodle let go, allowing himself to be flung away.

Joshua turned, but he was too slow.

Markus threw a faint, and in his panic, Joshua bought it.

Pink light rushed to his cheek, only for Markus to bury his knee in his gut.

Joshua gasped, and Noodle ran back in, his paws silent on the gravel. He bit Joshua in the calf as he ran past, barely slowing.

Joshua blocked the next few hits from Markus, but he was on the back foot, and Markus was finally able to build his Meter.

A feint from Noodle to draw attention, a kick strong enough to hurt even through the man’s Skill, followed by a flurry of strikes, each one stronger than the last.

Noodle raced in again, and Joshua dropped to his knees and raised his hands.

“I surrender!”

Markus almost caved his head in, barely stopping the hammer blow in time.

“I give up!”

Markus suspected a trick, but the System disagreed.

Send Joshua Harding to the System camp?

For a moment, Markus hesitated. This gang had tried to kill someone, and would have succeeded if he hadn’t stepped in.

His hands relaxed. By the time the dome fell and Joshua was released, Markus was going to be strong enough to handle the man if he posed a problem.

Send Joshua Harding?

“Yes.”

He nodded to the man. “Good fight.”

Joshua nodded back as a pillar of green and blue light swallowed him whole.