Well armed. Well armoured. Even playing field, at least from what Kazuki could see.

The arena around them started to form upwards, firing up holographic adverts alongside the Sim-Field pillars and structures, creating a randomised arena.

This wasn’t going to be an issue. There was room for range, CQC and everything in between.

She has one ace up her sleeve, and he has one. Kazuki glanced down at the railgun he had hidden in a holster… If it hit, she’ll die. Does he want that? Lady Antiar will be tough, he knows that.

He shook his shield on, checking that it worked. It was a scutum shape, not the Clandestine patent. He glanced up, seeing the horde of spectators.

Drones hovered up. They were recording the whole thing, from afar, close. He’ll use the drones as weapons if they get close.

He just has to remember Lady Antiar’s fighting style. That in of itself was easy to perform. He’ll adapt, as always.

Be the monster they think he was, Kazuki thought.

The two walked towards eah other. She already had her sword drawn, the Knight’s Champion Sword. Her knuckle dusters were alight with explosive sparks. Two pistol by her side.

All of this information doesn’t matter. Her fighting style was unknown… He’ll learn quickly, though. His cybernetics crackled out in energy. A bright blue gleam shot out from his power-charge.

Under the blue lights above, he charged, drawing the Trasian black blade in its sheath.

Lady Antiar burst forward too, as Kazuki went in for a slash. As he did, Lady Antiar weaved backwards. His sword slashed air, missing Lady Antiar before drawing his back, propping up his shield.

Speed was key. Both sides were unmatched in their agility. A sparkle ushered from Lady Antiar’s knuckle dusters.

“Let’s make this quick,” Lady Antiar said. A white-orange explosion erupted across the arena.

Red and sparks fluttered across Kazuki’s vision. The detonation flicked off his shield, flying into the structures across the arena.

He could hear the amazement of display from the spectators. Kazuki pulled his pistol out, sending a fusillade of bolts through the smokescreen.

The sparks cleared, showing Kazuki’s target… The bolts slid closer, as Lady Antiar ignited her shard again, parrying the bolts with a small explosion.

The bolts merely melted away around her. Lady Antiar broke into a sprint, crashing through the air towards him.

Kazuki pulled back, sliding his pistol back into his holster… He’ll need to pry an opening for himself. But how will he bypass that explosion?

“Dammit…” Kazuki muttered to himself.

Lady Antiar’s exospine crackled with energy - exuding a mist of white light and sparks.

Kazuki reignited his shield, taking initiative as he stood in the middle of the battle ground, around the ruined white urban landscape.

The Knight’s blade slid across the surface of the shield; a relentless blaze of slashes heated up with each attack.

Kazuki had mere moments to block each consecutive strike, with her pushing on the advantage.

He has to get far from her. She’ll wear him down with this. Her Champion Sword heated up with steam in the air vaporising around the two. The heat of the blade versus the heat of the shield. Amidst the furious assault, he could hear cries from the spectators.

“BEAT HIS ASS!”

“KILL HIM!”

“TURN HIM INTO SWISS CHEESE!”

What the fuck is Swiss Cheese?

Kazuki can’t pull his gun out, not without the initiative. He kept taking steps back, nearing a wall.

Dammit… He hated to do this, but he’ll have to force himself into a close up brawl of steel. She will win if he can’t think of anything.

All he has to do is regain the initiative.

Her strikes were getting more powerful. Their speed had not diminished. An idea brewed.

He deactivated his shield, allowing Lady Antiar to etch just a bit closer. Her frustrated face watched her blade stab into the wall behind Kazuki.

With the initiative, Kazuki charged into her with his elbow, building some distance. With that, he redrew his own blade. He aimed for a quick slash, only for Lady Antiar to respond in turn - dragging the blade out of the wall in a swift motion.

The harsh rip of steel crackled across the arena.

Lady Antiar had parried his attack. Still, he can’t pull his pistol out. That’ll give her the initiative.

He had to keep building momentum.

Pushing himself forward, the two engaged into a frenzied parry duel. Exploding his exospine with more power, Kazuki knocked Lady Antiar’s blade away, before going in for a maiming stab - a strike to buy him mere moments. She ignited her hazard once again, sending out a shockwave to Kazuki. His blade was dragged away.

Exactly as he predicted. Lady Antiar used the Shard too much. Now, Kazuki knows how to counter it. The blaze kissed the fringe of his hair, with Kazuki twisting his wrist.

Within the flames and smoke, he flicked his WRIST-SHOT. Compared to the wide, low firepower - his blast was direct, forward facing.

Lady Antiar didn’t even see it coming. Her body flung back from the heated plasma blast. That was it. His opening… But she wasn’t quite done.

“Agh!” She grinded her teeth to a standstill. Then, her body twisted around. Kazuki drew his pistol to fire a clean and precise shot, only to narrowly miss her pale hair.

She twirled around him, kicking him from the side. Directly into the movement of her blade - scraping at his exospine from behind.

He exploded his exospine, parrying off the blade with a burst of energy. A blue hue filled the arena. He lunged. Rolling front, he activated his shield, turning back to Lady Antiar.

She grumbled, wiping off a small amount of blood from her nose… She steadied herself, placing her blade in front of her in a saluting fashion. Shit… Kazuki got too confident.

Did she predict this? Did she sacrifice the knowledge of her Hazard Shard to distract him to her swordsmanship?

“So that’s what you are… Contract-Breaker,” Lady Antiar said with a dead-tone face. “A lifeless corpse with that thing on your back…”

Kazuki placed one hand to his back, feeling his exospine… Damage minimal. But he felt heat from the attack, scalping away.

It was then that he realised the gravity of his situation. She had the advantage. She had merely been testing his limits – probing his own stamina.

He can’t let that happen again. If she hits his charge, he’s dead. Normally, Kazuki had no issues adapting to an opponent. But Lady Antiar has done her researched it seems. She distracted him with her trump card and pulled a nearly fatal move on him.

Well, no more. How long has she thought of plans to kill him? Does… she have anything else up her sleeves?

He can’t think of that. Not now. He had to act, not think.

Fuck… A drone passed by him, analysing him up and down. His golden eyes ignited into phoenix’s flames, imbued with a hue of blue. The drone scurried off whining with beeps and bloops.

Kazuki steadied himself, as he drew his black blade forward, gripping it with both hands, the vantablack steel of his ancestors sucking in all light that shone at it.

His eyes glanced up towards the crowd, as they waited in anticipation of the duels’ outcome, the many cries and calls of excitement now falling short that blood has been spilt. Weak stomached.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Kazuki rushed forward once again, this time activating both his ANCHOR and WRIST-SHOT.

A blue light consumed him, locating him beside her. reaction was pinpoint. Her body twisted around, taking a step back, using her shield to block the plasma and her blade to block his lethal stab up her face.

Their blades clashed again. It was a sea of blurs and movements. A spectacle from the outside, as they moved around each other. Jumping up and down, slashes and cuts from all angles.

Slowly, Kazuki gained the upper hand.

He was adapting to her fighting style. She was the better swordsman, but he predicted which of her moves were feints. He sped up, attacking from behind and front, mixing in attackts with purple plasma.

Maths and calculations ran through his head for the first time since Svenn.

This wasn’t just some random he was fighting. It was a Seven Crim.

Kazuki shoved his blade forward, clipping her cheek. She kicked him back, lunging into a heavy strike. Her attacks were heavier, mixed in with a flurry of variables.

She was mixing his mind up. His perfect memory’s calculations were being overridden. She feinted heavily, before landing a strike on Kazuki’s arm.

Her opponent staggered, she flung a beam of detonations forward. The beam crashed against Kazuki’s WRIST-SHOT plasma, though some sparks got through - crashing him into his shield.

It was enough to send him backwards some distance.

Fucking knights. Her skill with that damn sword outpaces his mind. However, Lady Antiar drew to attack, charging at the staggered Kazuki.

He dashed forward, blade pointed at her face. Lady Antiar’s blade easily smacked his aside. He allowed his blade to fall, twisting his wrist, his WRIST-SHOT ignited close range. Smoke bellowed forth from both it and his exospine.

And… COLLISION.

Peering through the smoke, Kazuki could see the pellets and plasma from his WRIST-SHOT contact Lady Antiar. The impact had knocked her back for a mere second.

Her body recoiled from the blast, her plates tanking the bolts. His counter attack was ended before it began.

This time, it was Lady Antiar rushing him down, drawing a pistol as she fired overcharged plasma at him.

A spectacle of lights smashed into his shield. CRACK. CRACK. CRACK.

The deflected plasma sent shockwaves across the arena. Entire sections of wall came crumbling down in utter chaos. Confusion lingered with dust kicked up.

Kazuki recognised the danger. Within the barrage, she lobbed the pistol forward against his shield.

His mind snapped to action. He cut the gun in two. He leaned forward, into a sprint to draw up an upwards slash. Lady Antiar continued…

Using her cloak to mask herself, she drew a second blade, from beneath her cloak. Kazuki barely had enough time to block a lethal shot with his shield.

She was fighting as unpredictably as possible to combat his perfect memory. The Knight must have known or deduced that any patterns would be calculated and fought against.

She drew her secondary pistol. Bolts harried him. A blur of white clothes and armour was upon him, slashing and coming down at him.. He powered through the armour damage, barely twisting around from all angles to parry and block her attacks.

Lady Antiar gave him not a single moment to breath. He had no choice. His exospine crackled with blue energy once more. The seering energy bought time for him to move his blade upwards - clashing with Her’s, with a mirage of bolt and steel crunched against the Simulation field around them.

They obtained equilibrium. Both sides were being slammed into the other. The arena around was being torn to shreds. The wrath of two of the Seven destroyed one another.

Watch, Kazuki thought!

Both bled further and further, a cacophony of clashes and crackling bolts came forth. Either side was undamaged.

The spectacle was for all to bear the honourless and the honourable - for them all to peer into the death stridden world these two warriors lived in.

Neither side held back.

Whenever their muzzles meet - destruction follows. Bolts flung all around. Nothing was left unchecked. Nothing was left unmarked by the stench of death.

Antiar placed herself on the defence, activating her body shield and parrying away all of Kazuki’s assaults. He was wasting precious energy!

She seemed to have taken note, as her amber eyes narrowed – blocking all incoming damage as Kazuki wore himself out.

In a burst of energy, Antiar threw herself back into the ring, the melee.

One slash caught Kazuki’s fringe narrowly; The jewels around Lady Antiar’s necklace ignited.

Antiar was good. Too good. Kazuki couldn’t beat her. Offense or defence, she was better, though Antiar knew he was a glass cannon. The clock was ticking, and Kazuki knew that too.

Kazuki countered with his WRIST-SHOT, though her charge was not directed at him. It was at the surrounding area between them…

All life burned…

A detonation shook the ground and air, sending particles and dust up, far up and crashing into the shield. Pandemonia shook the station to its core.

Kazuki lingered in thought. Why did Antiar pace herself to match him? She could have slowed. She could have conserved her energy? Staring at her, Kazuki concluded as to why.

This whole duel was no duel. It was a probe. A messy one, yes, but one Antiar took to analyse his moves. The way he fought, killed. Clever, Kazuki thought.

But those acts go both ways.

The two closed distance slowly. Running in for a surprise attack wouldn’t work for either. Both were calm and collected.

One shot. One chance.

“Fuck…” He really should have gotten a body-shield, Kazuki thought. The air singe away around them. Kazuki gambled with his energy. He lunged, Lady Antiar preparing to parry away his black blade.

To her surprise, he lobbed it forward like a javelin. Railgun? No… Svenn’s Acid Blaster. His mind was set. In the moment of hesitation, he drew and flung heaps of corrosion forward. Dust and oxygen fizzled away. His attack landed onto her armour and sword.

Fizzling away at her outer vest-plate, she turned back. The acid did moderate damage, but nothing lethal…

Kazuki unsheathed a dagger, a tanto. He plunged his hands forward, as Lady Antiar came down with her dusters. He lightly threw her hand to the side, before his jab struck. Directly between her armoured joints in her shoulder. He twisted it. The deafening cry forced Kazuki’s limbs to stay for a moment.

It sounded just so… familiar… Was he going to kill Lady Antiar?

He had a direct shot at lobbing her head off. But… was he going to? He’s the Contract-Breaker. She said it to him herself.

This was simply the survival of the fittest.

In a half moment of hesitation, Lady Antiar raised her fist. And her attack crashed against Kazuki’s chest. A shattering explosion lifted him; a crescendo of pain stabbed at his nerves. He crumpled backwards.

His body slammed into one of the structure’s walls within the arena.

Shouts and cries, cheers, sounded across the spectator gallery. He couldn’t think. Shut up. SHUT up! His railgun can most likely destroy the shield barrier.

If he kills one of those participants, they’ll shut the fuck up.

He staggered back up, kicked up dust flowing away to reveal him still standing. “Contract-Breaker. Stand down!” Lady Antiar shouted at him.

Fuck… Kazuki looked down at his armour. It was cracked… Blood dripped out from his chest and nose. He looked back up at her. No easily discernible weakpoints.

He’ll have to eyeball it, the blue hue scanning her body. She has to have a weakness. Somewhere. Sometime. Someplace.

He rushed forward again, hoping to crash directly into her. She fired several shots at him with her remaining pistol. Kazuki’s shield and armour - flicking off.

He started to run to the left, returning the favour. He shot for the weakened armour plates that had stained acid sprays… Some hit, most missed - as she prepared for his attack.

His body then rushed into her from his orbit - exospine exploding with steam again. Gripping his fist hard, his shield came on, body slamming into Lady Antiar, as she stabbed straight through his shield.

It slammed through his forearm, now stuck. The heat was nearly unbearable… The heated vapours and blood boiled away.

She didn’t expect that. This had thrown a spanner into her calculations. Normally, this would mean victory, but against him: no.

To put it simply: Lady Antiar cannot fathom the idea of a suicide attack. He can’t stop now. He coughed up blood, looking at her. She looked at him with a disappointed face. It told him to give up. To the Eclipse with that.

She expected victory. He won’t give it to her. He deactivated his shield, tearing his arm away in a makeshift drag. Her sword came out of him, flung across the arena. Through the pain, he moved for the killing blow.

Flesh burned away. Blood burst from his open wound, as he’s penetrated the Knight’s guard.

Her amber eyes shot out with crimson energy. Her exospine crackled with white sparks. His blade drew close to her face. His exospine detonated with another burst of adrenaline, stimulants poured into his spinal column and blood. The two sparks in the reactor were going haywire…

Pain dulled, and he was finally able to land a direct blow. She ignited her hazard, a shockwave pulsating within her.

It was too late. His blade hand pulled the pin on a grenade, held hidden by his other hand. Kazuki dropped it.

Just as what Svenn did, he activated his ANCHOR. A blur turned him away from the blast radius. He was just far enough as the two explosions collided.

The sim-field cracked at the edges at the combined kinetic and thermal energy, destroying all that was left standing… Smoke and debris covered the arena…

The thin mist hooked down from below… Nothing moved. All were silent. Did he kill her? That works, he guessed. He started to heave heavy breaths. He looked down at his arm, covered with blood and a vapour filled wound.

He should have brought a tourniquet. He’s probably bleeding from the arteries…

The crackle of footsteps snapped Kazuki’s mind back into conflict. Sprouting up from the smoke, Lady Antiar charged. Covered in soot and blood, she aimed to slam down with her fist…

His sword was too slow. Shit… He had to gamble on his speed. Cackling with energy, his exospine burnt new holes into his diseased flesh. With the necessary adrenaline, he drew - and knocked away her attack. Then, her second fist came in from below…

“End this now,” she said, gritting teeth with pain.

Everyone was watching.

He slid his arm forward, making a move to slice at Lady Antiar’s neck. Her fist was mere inches from his chest, buzzing to end him.

A shockwave echoed across the floor, sending both combatants far away from each other. His blade had caught the damage.

Both combatants stood some distance from each other… Kazuki was barely holding on, his power charge completely out. To win, he’ll have to Overclock.

He had to bet it all on his Overclock.

Kazuki raised his finger the switch. His energy-reservoir flick was beside it. However, to win: he’ll need more than just energy.

Silence permeated across the room.

Lady Antiar sighed, heaving for air as well. It was a brutal duel, far from the idealised glossy rose-tinted shit these aristocrats thought it was.

They weren’t performers. They are stone-blooded killers.

‘Draw?’ Lady Antiar asked over uplink.

Kazuki replied the same, ‘Draw.’

The two took a step back from each other, as they turned towards the announcer’s booth. They sheathed their gear.

‘OH, WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE?! A DRAW?!!’

‘DRAW,’ shouted Kazuki, audibly for everyone to hear. He was bleeding. Heavily… but found the strength to stand firm against their judging eyes.

His glance skimmed across the audience, stopping at Eliza… She was staring at him, her eyes gleaming red with worry. He’s been through worse.

‘WE ACCEPT THE CONDITIONS OF THE DRAW,’ Lady Antiar bellowed out loud.

An uproar started amongst the audience. Of course there’d be arguments. Live TV footage of it was being sent across the galaxy. Amongst the arguments included if this was rigged, who would have won, and who was winning.

Maybe he should drag them down here. He could teach them all a lesson. Those that survive won’t forget.

Kazuki glanced at Lady Antiar. She gave him a dismissive glance, clicking her tongue as she turned, and walked away. Slowly, he turned back towards the gate, and left the arena.

A trail of blood followed him. He’ll simply walked it off.