Knocking strange looking arrows, then aiming the bow, Adran shot me, not once, or twice, but one-hundred-twenty-two times.

It was neither as fun for Adran or me as it was for Asher.

"DON'T WORRY, THESE ARROWS DO ONLY ONE DAMAGE PER POP," she assured.

Adran used his last two action points to change into another set of equipment, a minstrel’s uniform, and pick up another weapon, this time a lute.

And when it finally was my turn, the impact of all the arrows hit me all at once.

It threw me to the ground and a burning sensation began, but only once for a short while.

I could stand, but had lost almost half of all of my health. Most of the damage came from the burning. The bow and arrows were just an annoyance.

"Adran," I said through shallow breaths, "after I am finished with you, I will strike down that damned woman."

"I would be completely fine with that," Adran answered.

I held up both of my swords as my turn began.

Both my blades began glowing with energy as they drew from the surroundings.

[Red Break]

My swords crashed down on the ground right before Adran and decimated everything that was at a ninety-degree angle in front of me.

Or that is what it should have done.

The ground and the coliseum wall in the direction I had cast [Red Break] were torn up, but Adran was not. There was not a scratch on him or his equipment.

I was out of breath and I didn't know what to do.

I took a step forward and slashed him as often as I could, barely producing any effect upon Adran, until it was the end of my turn.

Then it was his again. I dreaded to think what would happen next.

But as I noticed that the fire was swiftly consuming my clothing, I realized that I could move freely once more.

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The only place to turn was behind Adran, where the fire and oil has been cleared through [Red Break].

I dashed there while throwing off my coat and laid on the ground and closed my eyes in a solemn moment.

At first, I felt the weakest I had ever been, but then there was a warmth, like light flowing through me.

When I looked at Adran, he was playing a song on the lute. I couldn't make out the sounds but I knew that it was refreshing my spirit.

The oil and fire started to disappear into nothing.

I only had a moment to try to decipher the music further because there was an uproar in the crowd the next moment.

Asher first went through the magical barrier that was in place, which should have been impossible. Not even the strongest of spells should have gone through it, then jumped down into the battlegrounds.

She walked over to me and reached out a hand.

I refused to take it.

"Still got your pride, eh?" she said.

Turning around, she walked to the place where the discarded items from the rift had lain, "broken," she commented, "sadly, not all were fire resistant. Man, I really liked that book and bow."

"Release my brother," I demanded from her, "he is not here out of his own will. That much I could gather."

"No shit. When'd you realize? When he was flailing around like a marionette?" She said mockingly but then she had another thought, "Hey, you want to fight me for him?"

I wanted to say yes, but after all I had seen, my confidence was shaken.

"Up, up, my man. I have an idea," she said to me while walking over to Adran.

She took the lute out of his hands and he fell on the ground like someone had cut his strings, "Thanks, Ad. I think you handled yourself very beautifully."

Despite a coughing fit, he appeared to be well.

Asher placed the lute into another rift in the air then picked me up with one hand and dusted me off, "now, you know what a duel is, right? Course you do, everyone does. I want one attack from each of us, with a sword, because that seems to be your proficiency. You can use both of yours. Is that all right with you?"

I was speechless.

"Here, I'll even buff you."

[Limit Breaker] [Bloodlust] [A Bit Berserk] [Sharpest Edge] [The Might of Blessings]

"Oh, lemme try something out," she said, excited.

"Please, gods, no," Adran mumbled on the ground.

"I got a skill called [Copycat], it let's me copy my stats onto another person."

"...so?" I asked, "what is so special about your 'stats'?"

"Hah, you have no idea."

[Copycat]

"So? You want more?" She asked.

"No, no. I'm fine," I answered though I felt very differently.

I felt stronger, my senses were much sharper and it seemed that I had regained most of my stamina.

I looked at Adran, who was still on the ground, "will you truly let him go if I win?"

"Sure. I'm a man- uh, woman of my word."

With the next strike, the fast of my life and my brother's will be decided.

Asher and I each took a few steps back.

I unsheathed both of my swords and as I looked on [Storm's Rage] it wasn't damaged in any way anymore.

Had the healing song that my brother played also mended the sword?

I looked at Asher from a distance. She was still unarmed, "will you not be taking out a weapon?"

"Nope," she shrugged.

There were no more words.

This was the moment.

Everything I had, everything I was I poured into one spell.

[Core Breakdown]