Sweat drips from my entire body as I parry one blow after the other. I spew my spit at him. He jumps backward and then turns invisible. I turn invisible too. I tiptoe around while not making any noise. I quietly stick out my tongue to catch the scent particles in front of me. I press my tongue into the roof of my mouth. His smell lingers in my mouth. Which way is he moving?

I move around and survey my surroundings using my tongue. I extend and then retract my tongue. Nothing. I face another direction and do the same. His smell lingers. I move further down the same direction and do the same. His smell lingers. Now!

I spew out my spit in the location he would be in the next moment. My spit flies in the air and then hits something camouflaged, but it's right in front of me. I widen my eyes. My opponent appears directly in front of me with his blade already in the air. I attempt to parry them both. My guard breaks and then his blades cut me across my chest. I leap backward while gritting my teeth. Just a little bit more! I'm not letting these two years go to waste!

It started two years ago. I woke up in an empty room with nothing but a mirror and a microphone in the corner of the ceiling. I had no memories or recollection of anything. I thought I was Human, but looking into the mirror informed me otherwise. I was a hideous monster wearing nothing but briefs. I had the head of a lizard, legs of a frog, yellow skin, bright orange eyes, and the body of a man. My tongue stretched nearly a foot out of my mouth with green saliva dripping down. It fell to the ground and then something sizzling resounded. Some steam rose from the saliva.  My teeth were the same size, like little spikes lined along the top and bottom of my mouth. I didn't have a nose, lips, or eyebrows.

A black number was inscribed on the bottom side of my right forearm; 3209. I didn't know what this number meant to me. I turned to the squeaking sounds coming out of the microphone. "It seems you are awake, Number 3209. How do you like your new body?"

"Where am I? Who are you?" I asked.

"You don't need to worry about that. You only need to worry about completing your tasks…and surviving," he answered and then laughed. "It's time to complete your first task."

A nearby door opened. I went through it. It led to a smaller room. There was some kind of small purple ball on top of a table and a small circular opening in the wall. "Go ahead and eat that Pom and then extend your tongue into the opening."

"Why should I listen to you?"

He laughed and then replied, "If you complete the tasks and survive the full two years, you'll be able to meet the Director. He'll be happy to answer all your questions and grant you any wish."

With no other options, I took the purple thing and then put it in my mouth. It was hard to chew with these teeth. I pressed it against the roof of my mouth, smashing it with pressure. A sweet taste erupted in my mouth. Juices flowed out of the fruit and triggered voices in my mind. I closed my eyes as I tried to remember.

"I want Poms for dessert tomorrow! Can you buy some?" a boy asked.

"Sure!" a girl answered. "Tomorrow is your special day!"

I opened my eyes as the Pom in my mouth melted. I swallowed it down. I went up to the opening in the wall and then stuck my tongue out. Some saliva dripped to the floor again. This time, it sizzled louder and burned away part of the floor. What?

I ignored it and then extended my tongue into the hole. The passage in the hole extended downward. It felt like something grabbed my tongue. A lot of my saliva dripped off my tongue. My tongue was free after a few seconds, so I reeled it back into my mouth. "Excellent. A few men will come into that room soon. Behave and stay put."

A few minutes later, another door opened. Three people showed up in white suits and carried guns. One of them pointed a gun at me and then shot me. I lost strength in my legs and fell. My consciousness faded afterward.

I woke up in a different room. Teal bandages were wrapped from my forearms all the way to the center of my hand. The number engraved in my right arm was covered. Similar bandages were wrapped around my feet and waist. Apparently I was wearing brown shorts too. "I see you're awake. Do you see the two swords inside the glass container on the wall?"

There were two curved short swords on the wall nearby. The blade measured about two feet long. He laughed and then said, "There's an opening where you can put your finger through it. If you do, the container will open, and you can take them."

I found the hole and then put my finger through it. I gritted my teeth as something stung me. I pulled my finger back. A drop of blood formed out of the pin-sized hole on my index finger. I asked, "What's the meaning of this?"

"There was a lethal poison on the tip of that pin. If you don't do anything about it, you'll die in about thirty minutes. You should be feeling some of the symptoms right about now."

Pain shot through my arm, eventually coursing through my entire body. The container in the wall opened. "You bastard!"

He laughed and then said, "There is still a way to save yourself. Take those weapons and then kill your opponent. Drink his blood that contains the antibodies for the venom."

What the hell? I have to fight…and kill someone to survive? I took the weapons from the wall, and a door opened. I went through the door, finding someone who looked identical to me. He wore the same clothes, he had the same hideous body and used the same weapons. The doors closed behind us. I walked toward him and said, "I don't know what's going on, but I need your blood to survive. Can you let me have a few drops?"

"Sure…but let me have yours first," he said. I didn't have a problem with that. I'm glad he agreed to conclude this ordeal without resorting to violence.

I extended my right arm in front of me and said, "Just a small cut will do."

He walked up to me and then slashed his sword. I instinctively drew my arm back, leaving me with a large gash on my arm. "Ahh! What the hell are you doing?!"

He didn't respond as he walked closer to me. I clenched my grips. He-he tricked me!

I jumped backward as my heartbeat pounded. My back was against the wall. Huh? Did I put that much strength into my legs?

An epiphany struck me as he walked closer to me. I-I need to kill him…to survive…or he's going to kill me instead.

Kill him. Kill him. Kill him. My heartbeat pounded progressively faster. I squeezed my grips as I put my feet against the wall. Kill!

 I extended my legs as hard as I could. I extended my arms in front of me with my swords pointing toward him. Both of them pierced through his chest; one of them through his heart. He dropped his weapons and then fell. I panted as a puddle of blood formed around him. I thought it would be harder to kill him, but it wasn't. I didn't think much of it.

I crouched and then slurped some of his blood. Shortly afterward, the pain coursing through my body disappeared. "Excellent work Number 3209. I knew you had potential. Survive these two years and you'll be free. I know you can do it."

A door opened nearby. More people in suits showed up with guns. One of them shot me, and I lost consciousness again. The next day, I fought. And I fought the next day. And the next day. For two whole years, I've fought against other these other mutants, and I bested them all.

That's why I won't lose here! I'll rely on my signature move I spent these past two years mastering! He lunges at me with his swords pointed at me as I jump back. I clench my swords and draw my arms back. As soon as I land, I tilt my body forward, and then use all the force in my legs to lunge forward. I keep my arms back until the perfect moment passes. His blades are in front of me. I widen my eyes as I push my arms forward with all my might. I deflect his blade away from me and at the same time, continue lunging toward him.

My swords go completely through both of his shoulders. I flip my body over as I continue cutting through his body. I land on my feet and then turn back. My opponent twitches and croaks as blood rushes out of his shoulders. Both of his arms disconnected from his body. Only a few seconds pass before he stops moving. I crouch down and then slurp his blood. The pain coursing through my body disappears.

I did it… I'll finally have my memories back… As usual, a door opens, and men in suits come in. They shoot me with the gun. Damn bastards…that's the last time you'll ever shoot me with…

My consciousness fades out.

…

 I open my eyes slowly. A man says, "He's awake, sir."

There are three men in front of me. One of them wears a black suit rather than the other two who are in the usual suits. I get up from the bed. There are two swords on my hips and something on my head. I take it off. It's a helmet with grooves that sits perfectly on my head. I put it back on. My injuries from the fight have healed. The two men in the white suits bow and then leave the room.

The man in the black suit holds out his hand in front of him and says, "Pleasure to meet you, Croak. I'm the Director."

I tilt my head sideways and ask, "Croak?"

He pulls his hand back and says, "That is the name we bestow the champion. You are the surviving number out of 10000. How do you feel?"

"Fine, I guess."

"You don't sound too happy. Are you dissatisfied with something?"

"I was told that you would answer all my questions and grant me any wish."

He laughs and then says, "Of course. What do you want to know?"

"What is this place? Where am I?"

"This is a secluded research facility whose location is…secret. But I'll tell you. We're inside the Silveridge Mountains. Our purpose is to create the ultimate fighter."

"Who am I?" He stares at me blankly for several seconds.

"You are Croak, the second generation champion."

"No, I don't care about that. I want to know who I was before I woke up in this place two years ago. I don't have any of my memories."

"There's no way I can answer that question."

"Then…you turned me into this monster against my original will?"

"Yes…but… Everyone who participated in this experiment was on the verge of death. That is, everyone had mortal injuries. The transformation saved your life. Well, enough of these trivial matters. There's someone I'd like you to meet."

Trivial…matters? I grit my teeth.

"I want you to meet the first generation champion. Together, you will form the ultimate—"

"Grant me my wish."

"Of course! What do you want? Money? Fame? Glory? Anything—"

"I want my memories back." He doesn't say anything for several seconds, and then he laughs.

"I'm sure you'll create more memories. You have no more use for your old. Now, you'll be able to meet—"

"So you can't give me my old memories back?" I ask as I clench my fists.

"No, I cannot."

"I see," I say and then sigh, relaxing the muscles throughout my body. "Can you do me another favor?"

He smiles and asks, "Sure! What is it?"

"Please die." He's still smiling.

"What?" I grab a hold of both of my swords and then slit his throat. He makes gasping noises and falls. The blood puddle increases in size while his movements slow down until they stop completely. He's dead. A door opens nearby.

"Ah! Director!" a man in a white suit exclaims. It's the two men from before. A loud alarm resounds. The two pull out guns. I lunge toward them and then cut them before they shoot. Many footsteps resound around me. I run in a random direction in this hallway. I camouflage myself before any of them see me. I run silently the rest of the way, eventually finding the exit.

I find myself at the base of a mountain with a forest in front of me. What do I do now? I have nothing to live for…

I travel through the forest and then find a lake. I clean the blood off my body and weapons before continuing. I eat bugs and fruit along the way. I clear the forest, and there's a village up ahead. I arrive.

"He-help!" someone points exclaims while pointing at me. "Monster!"

Various villagers run away while screaming. I don't know what's going on. A minute later, a dozen men with weapons show up. They form a wall and one of them yells, "Get out here, monster!"

"I'm not here to hurt anyone. I'm just looking for my home."

"Your home is not here! Begone!" he exclaims and then charges me. He thrusts his spear toward me. Instinctively, I dodge and then stab him through the heart with my sword. He drops his weapon and falls. The rest of the men look at me while quivering.

"He asked for it. It was self-defense," I say. The rest of the men charges at me at once. So they want to fight too?

It doesn't even take thirty seconds to kill all of them. I sheathe my swords. They are much weaker than the numbers I've been fighting… Am I strong?

The rest of the villagers are unarmed. They quiver in place as I walk through the village. I spot a woman wearing a mantle around their entire body. I walk up to her and say, "Give me that."

"Wh-what?" I hold my hand out.

"Your mantle. Give it to me." She takes it off and then hands it to me. I put it on, wrapping it around my entire hideous body. I put on the hood. I walk through the entire village and remember nothing. I move toward the next town. And the next. And the next. I don't remember anything.

I wander from town to village to city for six months. I sit on the edge of the bar inside a tavern while sipping a beer. There are a couple of men talking behind me. I turn my head toward them.

"Did you hear? They're holding the tournament at Cape Kaal again this year."

"I can't wait! The last one was really intense. Mr. Prince was too strong. I hope he competes again."

These people are talking about that too. Is it so exciting?

"Are you interested?" a man asks and then sits down next to me. He's wearing a hooded mantle too. He turns his head to me, revealing a human face.

I face forward, sip more of my drink, and then say, "Not really."

He laughs and then says, "Come on. Not even a little bit? The thrill of fighting to the death in an intense setting… Proving that you are the strongest?"

"Oh, you mean as a competitor."

"Of course. You look like a strong fellow. How about you enter that tournament with me?"

"What do you mean? I thought the last tournament they held were duels."

"Oh, you're well informed. Well, let's just say I have insider information. They will hold the usual duel to the death tournament at Abadom. The last two standing fighters won't fight. Instead, each one will find a partner. Then they will fight a tag match in Mount Araz."

"Oh, I see. So you're confident that you can make it to the finals?"

"Of course. After all, I am Mr. Prince," he says quietly. "So how about it? You don't have to answer now. I'll wait for you at the Citadel of Ama at midnight after the tournament at Abadom. You'll find me on the roof."

He gets up and leaves. I finish my drink. What a strange man. For some reason, my nerves were on end. Is it because he's strong?

I don't think about it too much and leave. I wander from place to place for months, until the fated day arrives. I find myself in Abadom. The screams and cheers from the arena resound. I'm nearly two hours late. I hope it hasn't ended yet.

I arrive at the entrance. There four men armed with guns at the entrance. "Halt. No entry after the tournament has started."

I take out a bag full of coins and then hold it out in front of one of the guards. He takes it and then looks inside. "Well, I suppose we can make an exception. Go ahead."

I go in and make my up to the seats. The cheering and screaming resound progressively louder. "Mr. Prince has done it again! The crowd favorite! He will advance to the tournament at Mount Araz!"

I click my tongue. I missed his fight.

"The final match will begin immediately! We have Jade in the north gate! She's the Master of Firearms who utilizes the new technology!"

"Booo!" the crowd roars. The arena is packed with thousands of spectators. I lean over the railing. There's one person walking toward the center of the arena. She has short white hair and wears a hoodless red mantle. She's holding onto two pistols, one in each hand, and has a rifle on her back.

"The crowd does not seem pleased. Can't say I'm surprised. Jade has a reputation for winning fights dishonorably and with cowardice! But that doesn't matter here in the arena! At the south gate, we have Thue! He's next in line to be the leader of the Nomads! Thue employs powerful Wind magic paired with deadly boomerangs! He's come all the way from his village to prove his worth at the tournament!"

A man enters from the other side of the arena. He's holding onto two boomerangs, one in each hand. They are double-bladed with a handle. The crowd bursts into cheering, and then they chant, "Kill her! Kill her! Kill her!"

"Let the final round begin!"

Thue runs forward and throws one of his boomerangs at Jade. Jade leaps backward and then turns invisible. What? How did she turn invisible? Is she also a mutant?

Thue catches his boomerang and then spins around with both arms extended to his sides. Particles collect in the resulting tornado. A moment later, tornado expands in every direction. The particles move with the wind, extending in every direction. He throws his both of his boomerangs toward nothing. Two loud bangs follow. The boomerangs are knocked off course. Jade appears in the original trajectory of the boomerangs. I see. He used the particles to find her.

Thue suddenly runs away. He catches his boomerangs while continuing to run. He speeds up gradually while running in circles, zigzags, or in straight lines. My eyes can barely follow his movements. Jade raises one of her pistols and then shoots a single bullet. Thue crashes into the ground. He stops moving. A blood puddle forms around his head.

"Annnnd that's it! Jade will move on to fight Mr. Prince at Mount Araz!"

"Booo!" the crowd roars again.

"Where's your honor?!" someone shouts. Jade walks toward the gate she came from. Suddenly, she stops walking. She turns her head toward me. It seems like she's looking at me, but I don't know. She faces forward again and walks out.

Hmm… I came here to check out the tournament…but it doesn't look interesting to me. I shouldn't have slept in today. Oh well. Nothing has changed.

I leave the arena. I need to find some grub.

I walk in a random direction, eventually finding myself in a deserted alley. This place is a maze… There are so many turns and ways to go.

I turn to catch the particles in front of me with my tongue. I turn around and then repeat it all around me. Hmm?

I detect someone's presence, but there's no one here. Are there more mutants after all?

I narrow my eyes on the suspicious area in front of me. I spew my spit at it. Something flashes in front of me with a loud bang. I widen my eyes and instantly draw my blade. A small bullet soars through the air toward me. I move the flat side of my blade in its trajectory just in time. It explodes. What?!

My mantle catches on fire. I rip it off me and then throw it in front of me. Jade appears next to my mantle. She's pointing a pistol at me. I leap away but hit a wall. Her gun is now in front of my face. My heart pounds rapidly. She puts it down and says, "You're not him."

"Who is him?" I ask.

"That's none of your business," she says and then walks away. A small noise resounds behind her. Something inside me thumps.

I leap toward Jade and exclaim, "Jade!"

I raise my weapons over my head. She turns around and yells, "Fiend!"

I slam down my weapons, impaling something invisible. A man screams and appears under my blades. He drops his weapon and falls. I take my blades back from his lifeless body and then sheathe them.

"Why did you save me?" Jade asks. "After I just tried to kill you."

"I don't know. My body moved on its own."

"You're a strange one. Your appearance is not befitting of you. What's your name?"

"I don't have a name…" I think of the name the former Director gave me. "Some people call me Croak."

"Croak, huh? I let my guard down. You saved me. You have my gratitude."

"You're not well liked around here, are you?"

"I'm just doing whatever it takes to achieve my goal."

"What's your goal? To win the tournament?"

"I don't know. It might or might not."

"What do you mean?"

"There's a man I'm after…or a creature. Nearly three years ago at the last tournament, my little brother was attacked. I chased after the perpetrator. I only got a brief look at the killer before he disappeared from my sights. He had a body similar to yours, but it's not the same. Those weapons are the same as his too," she says as she looks at my swords. "Mr. Prince is suspicious. I watched the arena games three years ago, but no one was strong enough to unveil him. I didn't have this lens at the time, but this time, I did. He has the similar body structure too."

I mind as well extract more information from her. I may fight her at Mount Araz. "Hmm… I see. How did you see me? I was wearing a mantle."

"It was thanks to my lens," she explains as she grabs the overhanging in front of her eye. "This will let me see the body structure of visible living things. I wasn't able to get a good look from afar, so I wasn't sure if you were him. My mistake."

"I see. Your invisibility is another one of your gadgets?"

"That's right. It runs off a battery. Looks like I need to replace it soon. Is there something else I can do for you? I don't like having unpaid debts."

"You can buy me another mantle. I need one or I might cause a panic."

"That's all? Just wait here. I'll be back."

"Alright. I'll wait here." With that, she leaves. She comes back about thirty minutes later.

She tosses me the mantle and then says, "It's so hot."

She takes off her mask, the black clothing wrapped around her neck, and her mantle. She's wearing a full set of clothes under that. She leans against the wall.

"You're a real beauty."

"Your compliment is flattering, but it won't get you anywhere. I've repaid my debt."

"What happened to your brother?" Jade looks down and frowns.

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

"I took him to the clinic where he was treated. They wouldn't let me see him because he needed to be left alone. The next day they told me he passed away…"

She puts her garments back on and then says, "I've rambled on for too long. I'll take my leave."

She starts to walk away. Something inside me feels uneasy. What is this feeling?

My eyes lock on Jade's back. My heart is pounding. A part of me doesn't want her to leave. What is special about her? I want to know. Maybe I'll stay with her a little longer.

I chase after her and exclaim, "Jade!"

She stops walking and then turns around. "What do you want now?"

"Do you want to find out if Mr. Prince is really who you're looking for? I might be able to help."

"Go on."

"The only reason I came here was to see if the arena games were interesting. Mr. Prince approached me half a year ago with an offer. He wanted me to team up with him during the second part of the tournament. I didn't answer him right away. He told me to meet him at the Citadel of Ama tonight at midnight to deliver my answer." She raises her eyebrows. "I'm not really interested in participating, to be honest."

She raises her eyebrows and says, "Citadel of Ama… That's about an hour away from here. There are only two hours until midnight. Are you really going to help me? What's your motive?"

"I don't know. A part of me wants to help you. Maybe you're a clue to my lost memories."

"You have amnesia?"

"Something like that."

"I see. If you're willing to help me, I won't complain."

We leave and then arrive at the Citadel of Ama about an hour later. Jade says, "I'm going to get into a sniping position. I'll go into stealth mode when Mr. Prince arrives."

"Alright." Jade hides herself in an area suitable for sniping. I sit against a wall at the center of the roof. Nearly an hour later, the silhouette of someone is coming this way.

"You're here early," Mr. Prince says. I stand up and then walk toward him. He smiles and asks, "So how was the tournament?"

"It was interesting."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. So, do you want to compete at Mount Araz with me?"

"Hmm… I don't know.

He laughs and then says, "Don't be like that. Let me re-introduce myself."

He takes off his mantle, revealing frog-like legs and a scaly body. His head seems normal. My hands shake uncontrollably. "My name is Mr. Prince. I'm the first generation Ranid champion."

"Ranid? Ah, so that is what this body is called."

"That's right. You're the second generation. The Director changed the formula a little bit."

He puts holds his palm in an open position in front of me and asks, "So how about you join me, comrade?"

I grip his hand tightly and answer, "No thanks."

A loud bang resounds. I keep my grip tight on him. He slips away somehow and leaps backward. There's a slimy substance on my hand. "Yo-you…you teamed up with Jade of all people? You're a real disappointment, Croak."

"You know my name?"

"Of course I do. They told me you killed the Director over something insignificant like missing memories. I didn't care because you were the champion. You fought fairly, proudly, and survived those two years. But what about now? I wouldn't have minded if you just wanted to fight me…but to ambush me…"

He snarls and then exclaims, "Where is your pride?! Your honor?! We would have been unstoppable! You're a disgrace!"

"You eliminate the possibility of a third generation Ranid and then break the code of honor. You'll regret this," he says and then leaps away. My hands stop shaking.

Jade rejoins me and says, "Damn, he got away."

"I thought I had him in place, but he released some kind of slimy substance. Is he your guy?"

"Yeah… That's him."

"I guess you're planning to fight him at Mount Araz?"

"Yeah. I'll need to find a partner. You're not interested, right?"

Mr. Prince's face comes to mind. "I'm not interested in the tournament…but I'll team up with you. I have a score to settle with my predecessor."

"That's convenient. I won't have to waste time finding someone, and you're strong. Do you have a place to go back to? I'll stop over there if something happens to you."

"I don't know. I have no memories of any relatives, and I don't have anywhere to call home."

"That's a shame."

"What about you?"

"We're in the same boat. Killing Mr. Prince is what I live for."

"Then you'd better make sure to kill him. How long do we have to prepare?"

"The finals will be held in exactly one month at Mount Araz."

"I see. We mind as well spar since we're here. You'll know everything Mr. Prince is capable of by fighting me," I say and then draw my weapons.

One month passes, and we arrive in Oyewole. "Where are you going, Jade? Mount Araz is this way."

"I know, but I'm making a detour. I need to buy something," Jade answers as she goes into the opposite direction.

"I thought you already stocked up on all your supplies," I say as I follow her.

"I did. This is something for something different. Today is my brother's birthday and the anniversary of his death. I always buy him Poms, because he loves it so much."

"Poms…?" I ask, feeling like there's some nostalgia to that word. That's right…didn’t I remember something a few years ago? Something about a Pom…

I can't remember anymore. "Yeah, have you ever had one before? It's a sweet juicy fruit. The marketplace is up ahead."

Jade takes a handful of the small spherical purple fruit. I widen my eyes. I've seen this before…that's right!

I remember the first day I woke up. The toxic spit in my mouth grew much more powerful after I ate one of these. This must be the secret to obtaining that venom.

Jade hands the shopkeeper some coins and then puts the fruit into a small bag hanging from her waist. "Hey, buy me one or two of those too."

"You want to try one? Sure." Jade buys two more Poms for me. I put them in one of my pockets. "You're not going to try them?"

"No…this will be my ace against Mr. Prince." Jade cocks an eyebrow.

"What do you—" a loud bell resounds from Mount Araz. "It's time."

We head over to the arena. We sign in our names and then wait on a circular platform above the arena. The arena is a platform built on top of scorching magma. I'm already sweating despite not standing inside yet. There are two dragon skulls facing each other on the sides of the center. There are four miniature walls around the center, and pots are scattered across the arena. "It's finally time for the finals of the Battlerite Cup!"

The audience roars. "In the north platform, we have the crowd favorite, the previous champion, Mr. Prince! He has teamed up with Freya, the tribe queen of the Bain clan! She's also known as the 'Eye of the Storm' for her control over static electricity!"

On the other side of the Arena stand Mr. Prince and Freya. Mr. Prince's mantle is on with nothing else visible. Freya carries two short but massive hammers. She's wearing a circlet with two horns pointed upward and light armor everywhere else. Their platform lowers into the arena. "In the south side, we have Jade! A name so infamous everyone probably knows her by now. She has teamed up with someone by the name of Croak."

Our platform lowers into the Arena. I take out my blades and then lick both sides of each blade. I sheathe them again afterward. The platform reaches the arena. The ground is almost hot enough to burn my feet. "Let the battle to the death begin!"

"I'll leave Mr. Prince to you for now. I'll fight Freya," I say as I charge in, also activating my camouflage. Mr. Prince disappears while Freya doesn't move. She raises both of her hammers in the air. Yellow electricity surrounds both of the hammers with a bolt connecting the two. She waves her hammers around and then the electricity spreads across her entire body. Her body is practically emitting small streaks of lightning. I keep my distance from her about 15 feet away.

Gunfire resounds from the other side of the arena. I sneak my way next to a pot. I grab it and then throw it at her. She swings one of her hammers, shattering the pot into pieces. Her hammer is in the air flying toward me. I sidestep out of the way and sneak toward her. Now's my chance! She has thrown away one of her weapons.

I draw my weapons, now only ten feet from her. I stop and put power into my legs. I'll end this in one go!

I lean my bodyweight forward and then lunge toward her with all my strength. I straighten my arms, pointing my blades toward her as I reach her range. She hasn't moved at all. Both of my weapons pierce her ribcage, but they suddenly stop.

I plant my feet on the ground. Her open hand is in an open palm position. A bolt of lightning extends from her palm. I widen my eyes and look behind me. The lightning bolt is connected to the hammer that is flying back in a spin. I try to pull my arms back. There's resistance. I leap as hard I can. I spew toxic spit at her from above. She blocks it with her hammer. Both of her hammers are in her hand.

She throws her hammer at me. I dodge in a perpendicular direction. The hammer emits electricity and changes direction toward me. I leap to the other side of the wall. Pots break from where I just was. Freya's in the air above the wall flying toward me with her hammers raised above her head. I leap back and camouflage myself. Both of her hammers hit the ground. A wave of electricity spreads circularly around the impact point. A jolt shoots up my legs. I grit my teeth as I fall forward. My weapons resound as it hits the ground.  

She leaps at me with both of her weapons raised above her head. I place my weapons on top of on another forming an X-shape to block her attack. Stray streaks of electricity hit various parts of my body as we clash. My back is pressed against the ground. I grit my teeth. It's hot!

Suddenly, she stops pushing me with pressure. She leaps backward, but I'm pulled toward her. My weapons are attached to her hammers. She kicks me in the stomach with her legs. I let go of my weapons and then crash into a few pots. My weapons drop to the ground and then she kicks it away. She raises both of her hammers in the air. Electricity wraps around her entire body, forming streaks of lightning extending from various parts of her armor, her hammers, and her circlet.

She throws both of her hammers straight above her. I stand up and then camouflage myself, keeping my distance away from her. A bolt of lightning shoots up from the horns of her circlet and her hammers stay in the air. Thunder roars in the sky. I look up. There are occasional flashes of white light. This looks bad…

She moves to the center of the arena. My eyes wander to Jade and Mr. Prince. They're fighting around the south platform. Streaks of yellow electricity emit from her feet as she jumps to her hammers. She grabs both of her hammers. At the same time, a bolt of lightning shoots down from the sky into her circlet. Her entire body is covered in white lightning. It emits around her body and hammers, crackling the air around them. She falls toward the center of the arena and then slams down her weapons.

My eardrums burst as thunder resounds from the center of the arena. The platform vibrates wildly and a large wave of white electricity bursts in every direction at an amazing speed. I'm hit by it despite being in the air. My joints freeze up, and I fall flat on my back. My camouflage stops working. Mr. Prince and Jade are on the ground too.

"Freya, you stupid bitch!" Mr. Prince exclaims. "I told you not to use that here!"

"I don't remember agreeing to your plan," Freya says. All the electricity around her has disappeared. She raises her hammers high in the air and then electricity starts to form around her again. My joints still won't move properly, but they are recovering. Something catches my eye. Jade is somehow able to move. A wall is blocking field of vision to Freya, and Mr. Prince's attention is on Freya. She turns invisible. "It doesn't matter, does it? We've won."

I sit up, but I still can't put enough strength in my legs to stand up. Freya charges toward me. "Freya! Jade is gone!"

Freya stops running. Two bangs resound, and then two bullets fall from Freya's hammer. "It is futile. My static has already affected this entire arena. Your weapons are mine!"

A streak of electricity extends from Freya's hammers to a space in the air.  Jade appears and her pistols fly toward her. They attach to Freya's hammers. Jade smiles and says, "You can have them."

There's something else that flew in with the pistols. I widen my eyes and then lie face down while covering my head. Freya mutters, "Wha—"

Multiple explosions resound. The resulting smoke clears up, revealing a disfigured charcoaled body. Freya is dead. I stand up, walk toward Jade, and then say, "Nice job."

"Thanks, but I've lost all my weapons now. It's up to you to finish the job." I look toward Mr. Prince and then widen my eyes. He's gone. There's a familiar green liquid on the ground where he was. Part of the ground is melted.

That's… I grit my teeth and then exclaim, "Jade, be careful! He's camouflaged!"

"I'll leave it to you!" Jade exclaims and then turns invisible. I run toward my weapons while putting one Pom inside my mouth. I press it against the roof of my mouth, releasing the sweet juices onto my tongue. I swallow the flesh and the juices. I pick up my weapons and then lick the flat surfaces of my weapons. The weapon is steaming. Some of the toxic spit drips to the ground and then burns through some of it.

My weapons aren't going to last long, but it's the same for Mr. Prince… I'll bait him. I stand still. I catch the particles in front of me with my tongue and then press my tongue on the roof of my mouth. I repeat it every second while covering all angles around me. He's here!

I raise my blades in front of me. It clashes with something hard.

"Croak!" Mr. Prince appears in front of me. He presses his swords against mine. "So you can find me even while I'm camouflaged? It's really a shame Croak!"

I spew my spit at him. He leaps backward. I charge at him. Suddenly, he leaps back with his weapons raised above his head. I parry his blow, but the pressure of his attack is too great. He pushes my blades into my arms, cutting them a little. I spew more spit at him. He leaps back again. I leap back.

He laughs and then says, "This is my dance of death."

He's constantly leaping around. Short hops, lunges, long hops, leaps. He does something different every time all while keeping his balance and stance up. He turns invisible. Despite his acrobatic performance, he isn't making the slightest noise. I'm a sitting duck here…

I camouflage myself and then wander around. At least he won't be able to find me.

I widen my eyes. There's an area in the arena with a lot of small shattered pieces of pots that Freya broke on the north side. I'll use that!

I slice two more pots into small pieces and then spread them around. I move around the pieces around a large portion of the north side. Some of the pieces stick to the bottom of my feet. I stand in the middle of everything, visible to the world. My blades look somewhat disfigured. It won't be long until it melts away completely. I exclaim, "Stop it with these games, Mr. Prince! Who was it that said I was a disgrace? You hide yourself, attacking from the shadows! You're the one who's the coward here!"

Someone clicks their tongue near me. Mr. Prince behind me says, "Fine, let's settle this like men."

I turn around, finding him visible too. He takes off his mantle. I take mine off too. He's twenty feet away. He squats down. I squat too, preparing my signature move. We lunge toward each other at the same time. Both of our blades are drawn back, waiting for the perfect moment. Everything will be decided in a split second. Neither of us has made a move. I grit my teeth as I change my plan at the last second. I slash my swords, and then we pass each other. I land and then turn around. There's blood on my blades. Blood drips onto the ground from his arms.

He laughs and then exclaims, "You've won, Croak. You're the superior Ranid…but I won't let it end like this."

He smiles and then throws both of his weapons toward an empty space. Jade screams as blood drips onto the ground from the air. Jade appears there and falls to the ground. I widen my eyes and yell, "Jade!"

"Did you think the only think I was doing was leaping around?" he asks and then laughs. "You may have something that I don't have…but I have something that you don't have."

I focus on the ground near Jade. There's a slimy substance around it. Mr. Prince runs toward his weapons and then picks them up. I chase after him. He faces me. We have a staring contest. Why isn't he attacking me?

I grit my teeth. ”What's wrong, Croak? Looks like something is bothering you."

"Nothing is bothering me. You're the one who's going to die in 15 minutes."

"Hmm…that's true…but Jade will die not long after that."

I snarl and charge in. He smiles and stands still with his guard up. I launch a relentless assault of attacks. He parries all of them and then spews spit at me. I dodge to the side. He leaps back and then transitions into his dance of death. I copy him, leaping around in various ways. I spew my spit at him, attempting to predict where he will land. It misses. I repeat it multiple times with no success. I lose my footing and slip. He lunges toward me. He breaks through my guard. He cuts my arm and pricks my flank. I slide along the floor several feet before jumping back up. He's already in the midst of his dance of death again. Pain radiates from where he cut me, spreading through my entire body.

I leap around too as I did before. I spew toxic spit at him. It misses. He's not making any moves. I leap toward him, attacking with the momentum of my movements. We collide in the air. My blades push his weapons back. I spew toxic spit at his shoulder, but he does the same thing to me. It burns. My flesh is melting. The venom is still active in my body. I grimace as I press my weapons against his. He leaps backward as soon as we land on the ground. I lunge toward him. This is it! He's wide open!

Before my swords reach him, I slip forward. A slimy substance covers the bottom of one of my feet. I shift my bodyweight forward and do a flip. His weapons are in the air. I block his attack and spew spit at him. His attack launches me into the ground while my spit grazes his cheek. I slide along the floor and then jump back up. I pant. I widen my eyes.

He's doing his dance of death, but it's different. He's sliding on the floor as he lands, and then transitions into a leap without tripping. His slime covers the floor everywhere. I know I'll slip if I attempt to do the same thing. It's almost been 30 minutes… What do I do?

He's sliding toward me with great speed. I spew my spit at him. He doesn't dodge, and my saliva starts melting a part of his leg. His weapons are slicing through the air. I slash my swords, parrying his attack. I slide backward as we collide. The soles of my feet are burning. The platform is at a lower elevation than we started from.

Suddenly, one of his weapons breaks in half. My blade goes through and then cuts him across his chest. There's no more pressure on the other side. I break through and then step in, stabbing him through the heart. He coughs out blood on my back. "Well done, Croak."

"I got lucky. Your weapons broke before mine did."

"It wa-wasn't luck… I co-covered my weapons i-in venom before you did. Yo-you're the cham…pion."

He drops to the ground. "Mr. Prince is down! Jade and Croak have won the Battlerite Cup! They are the champions!"

The crowd roars. I drop my weapon and then lay Mr. Prince on his back. I pull out my blade and then throw it across the arena. I slurp the blood oozing out of the hole in his chest. The pain in my body stops. I slurp more blood in my mouth but keep it inside. I run over to Jade and then kneel down next to her head. I open her mouth with my hands and then put my mouth against hers. I transfer my blood mixed with my toxic spit into her mouth. She swallows it. Something pops behind me. I look back.

Mr. Prince is scattered everywhere. Something inside me feels relieved. I sigh. "Did you do it?"

I turn back to Jade. "Yeah, he's dead. You should be fine now that you have the antibody for his venom. Oh, that's right. You need mine too."

I bite my tongue. "What do you—"

I put my mouth against hers and insert my tongue into her mouth. I wrap my tongue around hers. She tries to push me away, but I push her back in. I give it about five seconds before I pull out. She smacks me on the side of my face with her fist.

"Warn me before you do that!" she exclaims with her cheeks flushed red. You didn't have to slobber all over me. You could have drained the blood on my hand or something!"

"Oh, you're right. Sorry."

She sighs and then says, "It's okay. It doesn't change the fact that you saved my life. What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know. Probably travel the world again, aimlessly. I don't know when I'll encounter my memories again."

"I see… I'm probably going to go back to my hometown."

"I guess this is goodbye then."

"It doesn't have to be."

"What do you mean?"

"You…you could come with me…. I can't replace your old memories, but we can make new ones. Together."

"I'm not even Hu—"

"You did steal my first kiss. Don't make any excuses."

I don't say anything for several seconds and close my eyes. I open them and say, "Alright. I'll come with you."

We arrive in her hometown later in the day. It's dark, and everyone is asleep. "There isn't much longer until we get there. It's probably all dusty now. I haven't been here since the day three years ago."

My head hurts. It feels like I'm on the edge of remembering something. I groan and put a hand to my head. "Croak, what's wrong?"

I shake my head and then say, "It's nothing."

Jade lets go of my arm and then exclaim, "We're here!"

She opens the door. She smiles, extends an arm toward me, and says, "Come in."

I don't need my old memories anymore. I don't need to remember anything. I follow her into the house.

Two years pass. We stand over her brother's grave. Jade puts a basket of Poms on top of it. "Happy 21st birthday, Ulo. You know, you're going to be an uncle soon."

She puts a hand over her bloated stomach. "Say something too, Croak."

"Oh, sure. Ulo, I hope you're in peace. Don't worry about your sister. I'll take care of her," I say. It feels like I'm on the verge of remembering something important, but I stop thinking about it. Oh well.