“What the hell was that?!” Isabella exclaimed.
Shawn appeared as surprised as she sounded. New, watermelon-sized barriers still clung to his palms as he stood in an attack stance.
“I don’t know,” Nil answered, taking a moment to process what had just happened. “It was spontaneous.”
“Try it again,” she commanded.
“I don’t know how.”
“Do you want me to attack again?” Shawn asked. “Recreating the situation might help you do it again.”
“No,” Nil replied. “I think I can do it.”
It took him a couple of minutes to recall the last few seconds of their spar and put together what had just happened. Nil then ran at the wall with Toggled Supercharging on, leaped at the wall, and kicked off it while empowering himself with Expend. Then, instead of switching off the ability like he did to conserve energy, he used the ability’s alternate function, releasing a minor blast through the sole of his feet. The force pushed Nil further but also ruined his balance. He switched Absorb just in time for his uncontrolled landing on his left arm. Nil got his hand under himself just in time and swiftly returned to a standing position.
Absorb has progressed to Iron 5!
Brutal Battery has progressed to Iron 5!
“I knew it.” Shawn still failed to veil his surprise. “You replicated my move.”
“I had used Expend to change direction mid-air before,” Nil said, plopping down on his bottom. He grabbed his right foot, wincing, and blew on the angry, red sole. Despite Symbiotech’s failings and nefarious activities, they made excellent medical products. Nil still had a crate of their burn ointment and needed to find a replacement soon. He fished a tube out of his pocket and applied the paste to the burnt area. “But it was the first time I managed to do it through my foot and propel myself further without needing a surface to push off of.”
“You’re doing yourself a disservice by not using kicks and knee strikes more,” Shawn commented. He released his barriers and sat down, massaging his left arm. Nil had failed to reach the barrier projector physically, but the shock of his kinetic blasts still occasionally broke through barriers and reached Shawn. “You can strike faster than I create barriers. A good combo and a couple of feints will be enough to win you the upperhand.”
The energy blades had no trouble slicing through the conjured barriers, and if Nil inflicted enough damage, they lost their explosive shatter ability. Shawn had figured out as much and preemptively destroyed them as soon as Nil started breaking through. As a result, he did his best to feint and mix explosive energy releases as often as possible. Low energy outputs proved excellent for interruptions and throwing opponents off-balance.
“I see your lessons with Noah are also going well,” Isabella commented, making a note in her new ludus-provided Holo Screen. All the staff and trainers had similar devices of varying complexity and power. “I’m not a fan of your decision, but you’re ready.” She looked at Shawn. “Both of you are.”
“I know I am.” Shawn sighed. “But the fucker Pietro rejected my challenge.”
“He’s probably seen your Gauntlet of Ten matches and knows your ability can counter his,” Nil stated. He didn’t admit it, but he was glad. Even though Adam and Shawn were closer, some part of Nil believed he deserved the right to face Pietro more. When the wait timer on Pietro ended in four months, he’d probably be desperate for Cursed Energy and would have no choice but to accept another challenge.
“Have you made up your mind about who you’ll fight?” Isabella asked.
Nil nodded. “Klocky Kennit.”
“Are you sure?” Shawn raised an eyebrow. “I’m not sure how you’d counter his time stop or his other whacko powers.”
“I suspect Energy Instinct should be able to counter it,” Nil replied. “Kennit isn’t actually the stopping the clock. It looks like he’s creating bubbles of accelerated or slowed time. If I can detect them, I should be able to avoid them.”
Nil issued the challenge, and it was accepted almost immediately. None but his peers had the same quest, and Isabella knew that it was a Death Gauntlet match. He had a nice meal with his family and got gifts for everyone just in case it was the last time they saw him. None of them suspected anything, and Nil successfully convinced them that it was because of his recent successful quests.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
After some thought, Nil also told Bunty. There was no hiding it from the videographer. He had helped gather all the information on Klocky Kennit and knew the man almost exclusively fought in the Death Gauntlet. Bunty informed Garuda Systems of Nil’s return and also contacted other companies so they’d look out for the match and consequent videos. Advertisement deals ensured that Udit would receive a tidy chunk of money if Klocky Kennit won.
“You’re really lining up all your ducks, aren’t you?” Selia and Nil had dinner together in his suite the evening before the match. She also had a fight the following afternoon and intended to face Natasha ‘Airlock’ Patel. As long as Selia didn’t get caught in a pressure or vacuum pocket, her chances of victory were high.
Nil nodded. “I just want to ensure they’re cared for if I fail. I trust Layla and the Nexus, but things might change. What if my family blames them for my death and leaves this place? A nest egg in their bank accounts and good memories might make a world of difference.”
“You’re a bigger softie than Shawn, aren’t you?” Selia giggled. She leaned over the table and kissed Nil. It lasted for several seconds and didn’t feel long enough when it ended.
“What was that for?” Nil asked, raising an eyebrow. Despite occasional flirtation, their relationship had taken a more platonic direction.
“I just wanted to know if you’re a good kisser if you die,” she answered matter-of-factly. Recordings of Klocky Kennit played in the background. Bunty hadn't just sent Nil match videos but also the man's interviews on Earth. Kennit was a short and skinny man with strong Greek features who always had giant-muscled blonde women with him. He called them his Amazonians. The man scored high with teenagers for his controversial views. Bunty believed that the apparent harem also contributed to his image.
“And?”
“I’d like to shelve the discussion until the day after tomorrow.” Selia flashed him a mischievous grin.
“It’s a deal then.” Nil nodded. He narrowed his eyes as he continued. “We both need to win and come back alive. I don’t think that was enough for me to make up my mind about you, and I must try again to conclude my investigation.”
Selia laughed and gently kicked him under the table. “You’re gross.”
----------------------------------------
Morning of the match blurred by and before Nil knew it he stood in his possible graveyard. A giant dome of energy hung overhead, limiting the arena's size and a cylinder of light kept Nil from leaving it. Besides the barriers’ energies, he also sensed something much darker and vile pulsating somewhere far to his left. It was the Cursed One.
Nil’s surroundings reminded him of Cambodian temples he had seen in images. The environment also brought back flashes of Mortal Kombat film from the mid-nineties. A mass of ornate crumbling pillars surrounded him, keeping Nil from seeing far.
According to Bunty, many arena fighters manifested their soul weapon with an identifiable flourish. Some didn't call weapons forth unless the battle called for it either, leaving the audience guessing when it would show. Nil currently had the element of surprise and decided to keep the Source Gauntlets as a trump card.
“Welcome, one and all!” The announcer's voice boomed in Nil's ears. He did his best not to twitch and maintained a straight face, tracking the distant Cursed Energy as it ambled through the arena. “It's been a while since we've seen this Dark World. It's too corrupted even for our barrier mages and arena staff, but we decided to prepare something extra spicy for you tonight.
“Returning for his fifth Death Gauntlet, we have Klocky Kennit, slaughterer of the Cursed and Scourge. He's on a quest to purge fallen worlds of darks even when the Nexus doesn't direct it. We need more like him to cleanse such realms and bring them back under our control!”
“His Challenger is none other than a recent ascender to the Iron Realm from the same world, Nil!” The announcer's tone changed, and she continued in a hushed voice. Nil guessed the audience wasn't supposed to hear her. “Why doesn't he have a title or nickname yet? I don't know. That's not my blighted job.” She resumed her professional tone. “Nil has only fought four matches in the Iron Gauntlet but garnered a lot of attention for his explosive ability and flashy fighting style. I'm told he's one to watch. That's assuming he makes it out of the arena alive, of course.”
The woman's voice cut out, and Nil heard nothing but the wind blowing through the pillars and dry leaves rustling among them. His stomach bubbled. There was no backing out now. It was either kill or be killed. He had accepted the idea but was still worried about what his family would think or how they’d see him afterward.
You’re doing this for their sake. If they hate you afterward, so be it.
“Every desire, decision, and necessity has a cost,” Selia had told him the night before. “I suppose the cost of you protecting your loved ones is the risk of changing how they see you. They might understand, but they might not. If not you, one of us will get rid of these bastards. When Shawn and I fail, the Nexus will find someone else to do the job.”
It was a job that needed doing. Nil reminded himself of the fact. If not him, someone else would eventually take down Symbiotech’s Cursed Energy retrievers. Nil convinced himself that he needed to participate to reduce the number of people who died in the process.
An invisible gong rang and the cylinder of light around him dropped. Nil dashed toward the cursed energy signature without a second thought. He had a theory. Trying to prove or disprove it would put him at too much risk. So, he intended to start off by eliminating the Cursed One. There would be no energy to harvest with it gone and the heart destroyed.