[Eclipse has acquired the Leader' Flag!]

"Woah, we're winning?" Taro looks up at the notification window, sitting up a little. "Hey, Kichi! Kichi, we're winning!"

"Oh, really? That's great!" Kichi gives him a smile. "But, uh, Taro?"

"Yeah?"

The two are slowly being surrounded by a mob, a sea of bodies brandishing bats and poles. What's strange about them is the fact they all look exactly the same. Clones. The only thing holding them back is thread, criss-crossing and forming a sort of barrier. A barrier slowly being torn apart.

"Could you maybe get up and help me fight back before we're killed?"

".....Do I have a choice-?"

"Seriously-!?"

"Relax, I was kidding. Well, sort of." One of the clones that manages to get through is knocked off of their feet by an arrow hitting them right between the eyes. Taro nocks another arrow into his bow, yawning.

"Hey, are we still competing to see how many we can take out?"

"Um, when where we-?"

"C'mon, it makes this more exciting!"

This isn't exciting enough!?

"......Sure."

Taro smirks. "Alright."

"May the best killer win."

________________________________________________________________________________

[Use skill! FirecrackerX3!]

Every blast makes the ground shake. It's hard to keep a steady footing, let alone fight back. Frozen is learning this the hard way.

"This is the perfect match-up, huh?" Frozen's opponent, a young man with a fierce smile. His hair is tied back in a neat short ponytail.

"Fire and ice, the ultimate showdown! Fun, right?"

"..........." Frost spreads from Frozen's feet as he stares the man down. He doesn't say a word.

"Seriously? You're gonna give me the silent treatment?"

My turn.

[Frozen uses skill!]

A shard of ice is formed in his palm and he hurls it at him, dashing to the side.

[Ice Construction: Javelin!]

The man smirks, a sphere of fire forming in his own palm.

"That's more like it!"

He lobs it and copies Frozen's movements to a T, continuing his assault.

"LET LOOSE WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT!!!!"

The result is an explosion of mist that covers the shopping center, shroudibg it in clouds of white.

"Stay close to me, Andro."

Meghan peers through the smoke, desperately trying to get a grasp on her surroundings.

With Eclipse acquiring the flag, we now have the advantage. If we can just locate the area to capture.....

"Meghan!" She turns to look at Andro, who's pulled up a minimap of the area. "This has to be it, right?"

Meghan stares at the sprawling corridors highlighted on the map, then a ringed circle highlighted just outside of it. She allows a smile to grow on her face.

Now we know where to go.

"We need to find Eclipse and get the flag-"

A fist slams into her side and sends her skidding across the floor.

"Meghan!"

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"I wouldn't be so concerned about her, if I were you."

Andro spins around, coming face to face with a giant of a man, tattoes running up and down his arms and bare chest. He towers over her, his 6 foot frame rippling with muscle. Sunlight glints off of his bald head.

"Ah...." Her limbs turn to water and she struggles to stay standing. The man smirks and raises a fist, wrapped in bandages and died red with blood.

"Nothing personal, little one. I just want to win."

He swings his fist down.

"Use skill. Manifestation of Will."

The man can feel the bones in his hand crack as they slam into a neon purple disk that has suddenly appeared right in front of Andro's face. He staggers back with a cry, cradling his now fractured arm.

Meghan rises from the dust, hand outstretched and glowing purple, along with her eyes.

"Forcefield."

"Meghan....!"

".....You're still alive?" The man stares at her, impressed. "Most die instantly from my punches."

She rolls her shoulders and spits out a glob of blood unto the ground. "Guess I'm not like most, then."

"Guess so."

He straightens up and slams his fists together. "Then I suppose I shall treat you unlike most."

"Use skill."

His muscles bulge and double in size, gifting him with a 6'5 foot frame. Steam ebbs from his mouth.

"Enlargement."

"So you're using steroids now?" Meghan smirks, interlocking her fingers and stretching. "What a cheap move."

He merely laughs, voice now deeper in pitch. "In a fight to the death, does such a thing even matter or exist? After all, it's only those that survive that live to tell the tale."

______________________________________

A ruby red cloak.

Armor plates splattered with blood.

"Hahaha...."

Eyes brimming with rage.

"Y-you!?"

"You thought you could run, you thought you could hide. But here we are, meeting once more."

Hunter cackles, body hunched over as he stares down his target. A dark-skinned boy with a torn shirt and jeans, currently resisting the urge to shit himself.

Second glances at HAV0C, his calm smile wavering.

"A friend of yours?"

"Friend!? That guy is a lunatic that's been trying to kill me since Chapter 7! I don't even know how he tracked us down-"

Second is just staring at him.

"S-Second?"

More specifically, at the red target on his forehead.

"What!? Is there something on my face?"

"Yep.....a big red target."

"HUH!? When did-?"

The memory of something slamming into his forehead as he was about to fall streaks through his mind.

"Ah...so that's how...."

"I would call you an idiot, but I think you're well aware of that fact right now."

"Fuck off....."

Hunter's Mark, huh?

Second's gaze turns back to the warrior in front of them.

A tracking skill that grants the user a buff the closer they are to the target. A perfect skill for those in favour of close-combat. A small side-effect, however....

Hunter snarls, lowering his body as close to the ground as close he can, balancing on three of his limbs.

Is the erosion of the hunter's mind.

"You can see the mark....? You're a special one..."

He raises the blade at Second's face, dripping with fresh blood unto the floor.

"It must be those eyes of yours...those beautiful, beautiful eyes....."

In this state, his rationality and decision making is greatly impaired. He'll fight like a wild animal.

With a grin he cracks his knuckles.

Which gives us an advantage.

"HAV0C, follow my lead. If we work together to take him on-"

A voice comes from between the both of them, right next to their ears.

"Me?"

"!?"

What the-!?

A notification pops up in Second's vision vision as Hunter swings his fist.

[Target: Face]

He barely raises his arms in time, air escaping his lungs as he's knocked off of his feet, skidding across the floor.

I knew he'd be strong but....

He pushes himself up, groaning. His arms tremble with the impact as bruises begin to form.

This is just ridiculous!

"Your time shall come, prey. But first...."

He turns towards HAV0C, unmistakable glee slipping into his voice.

"I'm killing you."

He straightens up before slamming the tip of his sword into the ground, a blood red mist spilling out of the cracks.

"ULTIMATE SKILL!"

The mist begins to wrap around the two of them, a dome that slowly becomes more and more tangible as the mist gets thicker. Second is already up on his feet and running, but it's far too late. His hands collide with the dome and pain shoots up his wrists.

"NO!"

"One on one."

From the inside it's like being in the eye of a storm, a cyclone of red clouds in constant motion. HAV0C lowers his arms and looks around in confusion.

"What the hell.....?"

What is this place?

"This is my [Ultimate Skill]."

Hunter steps through the mist, his red cloak making him almost impossible to be seen.

"A zone that operates according to different rules than the outside world."

"....How are you talking normally now? Weren't you going crazy before-?"

[All debuffs, curses and negative statuses are removed!]

"....Ah."

[Hunter's stats are enhanced!]

"Huh-?"

A cure AND a buff!?

A notification appears in front of HAV0C.

[HAV0C and Hunter shall enter a duel to the death/till either one of them surrenders.

Surrendering means instant death and deletion.

No other user is allowed to participate.

The zone shall remain until Hunter's mana is fully depleted and/or is released by the caster(Hunter).

The victor is gifted with a skill/stat from the defeated user.]

HUH!?

"H-hey, wait-"

"The rules have been set."

The notification disappears, and a glowing rectangular box with a red line in the middle appears above both of their heads. Health bars.

"Let the duel....begin."

[FIGHT!]