The first heartbeat.

“We welcome the Knight Plate bearer: Dunn!”

The barred gate began to rise, sending an odd chill down his spine. The screams reverberated through his body, pushing away the oppressive heat of the dominion.

The second beat!

He stepped forward, passing beneath the rising gate, his boots crunching against the vast expanse of white sand.

The round coliseum loomed before him. The spectators sat in pews arranged on ascending platforms. The walls surrounding him were darkened with a hint of gold, deliberately inlaid.

The red dust halted here, stopped by the transparent glass dome overhead. But, around him were countless people, screaming and cheering. Some were soldiers, shard-bearers, others were lucky death-runners, and various others who had accompanied the campaign. After all, it took more than fighters to win a domination.

He moved closer to the center of the ring, his mind shutting out the cacophony.

Third beat.

“And here comes Shard-bearer, Adolla!”

Now! The thrill rose within him.

As the gate on the opposite end lifted, a blur shot out, wielding a blade wreathed in fiery flames. Dunn summoned his weapon, feeling the slight heat as the obsidian-dark blade materialized in his grasp.

He countered.

Boom!

The two weapons collided, sending a heated shockwave rippling across the coliseum. Even the white sand scattered, pushed away by the sheer force of the strike.

And soon, more blows followed.

Dunn smirked inwardly. He was going to win. The sheer difference in their strength made the battle feel almost trivial. He could easily predict Adolla’s attacks, and even the man’s physical strikes felt like mere taps against him.

He slammed his foot into the ground, sending a shockwave that forced Adolla backward. Yet, the persistent opponent somersaulted, landing feet-first on the sand-covered ground. Without hesitation, Adolla lunged forward, hurling a swirling ball of flame in his direction.

Through the red helm covering his face, Dunn couldn’t see Adolla’s expression, but he could guess. The fiery orb struck his shoulder, erupting in a cascade of explosions.

Dunn frowned, shuddering from the impact. That isn’t an ability the shard-armor should possess. He opened his left palm, summoning a fireball the size of a giant’s head. However, before he could hurl it, Adolla sidestepped in a peculiar manner, weaving through the chaos and appearing mere inches from his face, sword poised to strike.

Dunn’s heart sank. The flame ball vanished. Groaning, he roared like a cornered beast, unleashing a vortex of flames around him. Adolla staggered back, seemingly caught off guard. Dunn himself was surprised by the earlier attack. He raised his sword, cutting through the fiery whirlwind. But as the flames dissipated, he found no sign of Adolla.

Where had he gone?

Suddenly, the crowd gasped.

Up! Dunn turned swiftly, gripping his sword with both hands. Another blade descended, colliding with his. Adolla, attacking from above, seemed to grin. At least, Dunn believed he did.

In an instant, Adolla recoiled from contact, then lunged forward, slamming his shoulder into Dunn. Dunn staggered slightly but quickly retaliated, shoving the shard-bearer back. The disparity in strength was unmistakable as Adolla was sent hurtling into the air.

Adolla managed to regain his footing and launched a swift attack. Dunn responded by shifting to a more aggressive stance, twisting and spinning fluidly. His leaner shard armor granted him an edge in agility.

Was the size of his plate an issue? Surely not. Dunn glanced down at Adolla, then leaped high, descending with a powerful swing. However, Adolla rolled deftly to the side, evading the blow that shattered the ground beneath.

Taaa! Dunn cursed inwardly. He still couldn’t fathom why he hadn’t won yet. Well, not yet. He surged forward, closing the gap between them in a heartbeat. Adolla’s quivered in surprise as he scrambled back, narrowly avoiding a strike that would have severed his hand.

I need to be cautious. Despite his confidence in victory, Dunn didn’t want to secure it by gravely injuring the shard-bearer. Adolla could still prove invaluable in the mission ahead.

As the clash intensified, Adolla’s feet suddenly ignited with flame. Before Dunn could react, a fiery kick connected with his helm, snapping his head backward. The shockwave left him disoriented, the world spinning.

Why is this taking so long? He was growing baffled. He wasn’t weak. With the destructive power of a desolation at his command, Adolla should have been an easy victory. Yet, the man was holding his own. Was he truly stronger, even in Knight Plate?

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That couldn’t be.

Despite his frustration, a burning thrill ignited within him. He wanted to win. He had to.

Funny how a man who craves death fights so fiercely to survive. The thought flickered and faded.

Gritting his teeth, Dunn steadied himself. Roaring, his blade erupted in flames, crackling like a thousand snapping branches. Adolla charged, his fists and legs ablaze. Dunn watched as his opponent closed in, sword ready to strike.

This ends now. Taking the stonestance, he raised his blazing sword over his head.

Time seemed to slow. He saw every detail—Adolla’s fiery limbs, the determined gleam in his eyes. None of it mattered. All that mattered was winning.

Adolla took another step.

Dunn felt the warm breath inside his helm. He willed it. The flames on his sword extended, blazing into a spear of fire. Adolla faltered, but it was too late. The attack was mere inches away.

I win.

Adolla suddenly sidestepped again, the flames on his legs exploding in the opposite direction, propelling him away from the strike.

What?

But Adolla wasn’t finished. In an instant, he spun, slamming his sword against Dunn’s gauntlet.

The blow connected, sending a jolt of pain through Dunn’s arm. His grip on the flaming spear-sword faltered. Before the weapon could hit the ground, Adolla snatched it.

No! A dreadful premonition gripped him, but it was too late.

Adolla wielded the flaming spear-sword, slashing wide.

Boom!

Dunn hurtled backward, smashing into the base of the spectator’s platform.

His stomach churned, the liquor within igniting a searing pain. It wasn’t the exhilarating fire of battle, but the agonizing burn of swallowed embers.

Through blurred vision, he saw Adolla approaching, wielding the elongated flame sword.

That’s not yours. Dunn groaned, willing it. The sword of fire held by Adolla suddenly vanished in an instant, phasing into reality within his own grasp. It still burned. And though he could extinguish the flames to reveal just the steel or knight blade beneath, he knew doing so would activate a cooldown period.

That was something he didn't want.

Yes, it was consuming his energy at a rapid rate; in a few more minutes, he would likely pass out. But until then, he intended to win. And win he must.

Standing upright, he dismissed his helm. The helmet dissolved in a fume of dark red smoke, allowing the even hotter and muskier air of the dome to brush against his face. He scanned the coliseum, wondering why no cold tails had been placed.

Maybe there wasn’t eno—

“Hey!” Adolla interjected with a roar. “Don’t go getting distracted… You’ve always wanted to die, right?”

This again? Dunn regretted ever telling him that. However, he was right. This was no time for distractions. He parted his legs, adopting windstance, but before he could act, Adolla charged toward him. This time, none of his body parts were ignited in flames.

Cooldown!

Dunn welcomed this outcome. He could have employed any of the myriad abilities the plate granted him, but somehow, he saw no honor in that. Why exaggerate his prowess against an opponent he could defeat with raw skill? Yes, he could overpower Adolla with the destructive force of the plate, but what would that prove? Better to show Adolla he was superior as he was.

That was valor. That was honorable. This would prove something.

Dunn attacked. He surged forward, unleashing a barrage of strikes at Adolla. He was not without skill, and though Adolla had previously bested him with some ingenuity, his luck had run out. Here and now, Dunn would demonstrate the terrifying strength of knight plate: the apex armor of the knight houses.

He was the greater of the two, and he would prove it now.

Dunn shouted, his strikes hammering against Adolla, landing searing blows on his arms and cracking his armor. And before Adolla could recover, Dunn spun, drilling a powerful punch into the dazed shard-bearer. Adolla was flung backward but managed to land feet-first with a stagger.

A mad, bloody, toothy grin spread across Adolla’s face, and somehow Dunn found it oddly fitting. Who knew? As it turned out, he didn’t particularly like the man. Was it the countless unprovoked duels or their first meeting, where Adolla had beaten him senseless? Whatever the reason, Dunn was enacting his revenge now.

His assault forced Adolla to hold his sword back and block with his forearm, lest Dunn’s burning chain sword cleaved his blade, leaving him unarmed.

How does worthless see this now? Does he still think I’ll lose? Doesn’t anyone understand the might of the plate? This was the armor I now wielded. This was the might of desolation… I am desolation.

Suddenly, the world tilted. What? Dunn crashed to the ground, confusion gnawing at his mind. How had he fallen? But before he could make sense of it, Adolla loomed over him, brandishing his nearly broken sword.

Clang! Bang! Clang!

Blocking with his arm, Dunn remained stupefied as his back half-pressed into the white, sand-covered ground.

Adolla’s grin widened. “You should focus more on your legs,” he roared. “That thing you’re wearing is too bulky. Did you will it like that? What, did you want to feel big? That’s some red in you.”

How…? Dunn barely registered Adolla’s words. How could he? He was literally seated on his backside, being attacked like a child. Was he… losing?

Dunn screamed, forming a lance of pure red flame in his grasp.

Boom!

He drilled the spear into Adolla’s chest, sending the shard-bearer flying and crashing into the far wall.

The ground shook as an explosion as tall as four men rose into the air. Dunn panted, staring at the fiery plume and smoke. Why had he done that? That was an incredibly dangerous amount of power to use. Did he want to kill Adolla?

As the smoke cleared, leaving only patches of flame, Adolla—pinned to the sturdy wall—had half his face scorched. The center of his armor looked as if a hole had nearly been carved into it. It was now a shattered core of red metal and smoke.

But his face… Despite the burns, Adolla still wore a grin—though it now resembled more of a smile. Why was he smiling? Who cares? I win, right?

Dunn searched for the judge but was interrupted by booming laughter. Adolla shouted, “What a hypocrite. You want to die but are afraid of losing. What a load of ash dung!”

“What?” Dunn whispered, though somehow Adolla heard it.

Adolla pulled himself off the wall, landing unsteadily. “I see it on your face, always lamenting not dying in battle, yet fighting feverishly not to lose. If you want to die, just let it happen. And now, with that armor…”

Armor? What’s he talking about? Dunn was confused. Is this the rambling of a defeated man?

Adolla staggered forward with effort. He’s already weakened. This battle is mine. A warm sensation spread through Dunn’s chest, and before he realized it, a smile curled across his face.

“Oh, now you smile?” Adolla advanced with heavier steps. “Shouldn’t you be sadder that you didn’t lose? Maybe if you did, I would’ve killed you.”

Dunn froze. That was usually what he would think… So why was he happy?

“The red lives within you!” Adolla shouted, suddenly dashing forward with unprecedented speed.

What? He can still move like this? Was he faking those staggered steps? Dunn raised his sword to defend, but he noticed his weapon was now obsidian black. No flames. Did I dismiss the flames without realizing it? I wasn’t paying attention.

He glanced at Adolla.

Too late.

In an instant, Adolla’s blade connected with his head.

The world went black.