Mirrors blasted out of Meera's armor and landed in all corners of the arena. Now that Dirik's darkness was no longer covering the ground. She was free to use these mirrors to teleport all over the place, and she was going to need them.

The last time she faced Zona, all she managed was a cut on the shoulder and a few scrapes. After that, she didn't even see Zona coming. It was surreal. No one had ever beaten Meera as badly as Zona. She would not forget that day any time soon. It was like the archer was picking on a child. It felt like retribution for all those times Meera picked on her brother, which wasn't even that many times.

She knew it was pointless to waste words with the Archer Warden. She would just ignore them. Curiously, the woman had not made her move yet. She huffed, with her eyes glued to Meera. Blood dripped from the tips of her fingers. She had taken considerable damage with her fights from the others, much more than Meera could've ever damaged her.

"Ready to test yourself against me one last time?" Zona asked.

Meera was so surprised she almost forgot that the archer had asked her the question. "Uh…yes."

"Good. I hope you've learned something of note since last we fought."

Meera frowned. "Why are you talking to me? You never did so before."

"Before, you weren't worthy of my time, but you've proven yourself by surviving the onslaught of four Wardens simultaneously. Not many can say that."

Something was up. Meera could feel it in her bones. Zona was not like this. The cold-hearted assassin that killed her ruthlessly, again and again, would not just stop to talk to her, especially not after… Meera's started as she realized her opponent's game.

"You're buying time," Meera said. "Fighting Palas took more out of you than you would ever admit. The Zona I fought would've killed me three times by now and never said a word to me. You're buying time to catch your breath."

Zona sighed and shrugged, and the familiar coldness returned to her eyes. "You're right."

Without another word, the Warden fired an arrow so fast that her arm moved like a blur. The arrow moved fast as a bullet, but Meera raised a Tower Shield to block it. The strength of the arrow spoke for itself when it shattered her shield.

"You've picked up a new thing from Pallas, it seems," Zona said.

"And you've become incredibly chatty. Who did you pick that up from?" Meera retorted.

Zona didn't like that. She raised an eyebrow, and Meera had the sudden urge to apologize to her. But she didn't. The stoic archer might make a mistake if she got her riled up.

Zona shot another arrow in reply. Meera noticed her eye flinched a little when she pulled back on her bowstring. The arrow was slower than the previous one, but it split into four, and the four doubled and then doubled again.

Meera could've teleported away, but she flicked a finger, and two of her regular chakrams that were spinning around her flew off and then cut the arrows to pieces mid-flight. And to make it more effortless, Meera kept her eyes on Zona. To say, that she didn't even need to see to counter her attacks.

"How's that from picking up a few new tricks?" Meera teased.

Zona said nothing and notched another arrow. At first, it seemed like an ordinary arrow, but then a green hue appeared on its tip, which gave off vapors. Even though Meera didn't know what it was, she would bet her life that it was some form of poison and not a nice one.

"Zona…" Pallas said.

Zona ignored him and let the arrow fly. If the other was a bullet, this one was a missile. It blasted out of the bow, leaving behind a green streak. Meera shot a Petrifying Surge and froze the arrow in mid-air. It fell to the sands with a heavy thud.

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Meera smiled at the archer. "What's next?"

For the first time since Meera had seen the woman, she showed an iota of frustration, which Meera loved. If she had known that was all she had to do, she might not have died last time. But the situation was different back then. Meera didn't have all this experience, and Zona had no hiding spots.

"Hmm, nothing." Meera frowned. "Should I begin?"

Zona's reply was three more poison-tip arrows. They were quickly dealt with Meera's chakrams. The archer groaned in frustration. Meera smiled wide and activated Shadow Coating on nine chakrams—four level 2 chakrams and five regular ones. Stars twinkled on the chakram surface.

There was one way she could win this, and if what she planned worked, she would have to kill the undefeated Archer Warden fast or face her wrath.

"I think I'll just begin."

Meera extended a hand and launched all nine of her chakrams at Zona. She shot arrow after arrow and knocked the regular chakrams out of the sky, but the level 2 chakrams destroyed her arrows instead. The regular ones, Meera picked up off the ground with Mirror Wing and sent them after the archer.

Zona shot arrows at her chakrams and backed up towards the stands, where Meera could corner her.

Meera's level 2 chakrams reached the Warden, and she dodged them with the deftness of a cat. But Meera was determined. She picked up the speed and chakram after chakram went for the archer's life.

Then Zona finally did what Meera expected. She deflected the chakrams with her bow. She slapped some aside while jumping over another and simultaneously shot an arrow into another. No other Warden could've done what Zona was doing. Pallas cheered from the stands while the others were on the edge of their seats.

Meera's heart was in her throat. Her palms were sweaty. If she didn't time this right, she was dead.

So far, Zona had dodged the level 2 chakrams. Meera was about to change that. She coated three more level 2 chakrams and sent them after the Warden. Zona's eyes widened at the coming threat. She tried to get out of the trap by dashing to the right, but Meera ended up slicing the calf of her left leg. It wasn't deep, but it was enough to slow her down. By then, her chakrams arrived.

Please don't mess this up, Meera.

Meera began her onslaught with her strongest weapons. Zona dodged some, but every close dodge left another cut on her, thanks to the Searing effect of her chakrams. Then, finally, Zona did what Meera was waiting for—she tried to deflect her level 2 chakram with her bow. The result was not as the Warden expected.

The chakram wedged itself in her bow.

Meera restrained herself from jumping with joy. Zona gasped as her eyes widened, and she forgot all about the rest coming not for her but for her bow.

Four shadow-coated level 2 chakrams ripped into her bow and sliced it into four pieces.

Even the four Wardens and Brison were all left in shock. Meera knew now was the time. The Searing effect left deep cuts in the Warden's arms.

Meera launched her chakrams at the bewildered Warden, but Zona was not as perplexed as Meera thought. She jumped over them and sprinted for Meera with a rage that she had never seen in her. A rage that Meera didn't know she was capable of. The woman's eyes blazed and had her teeth clenched.

She pulled out two poisonous arrows from her quiver as she ran. She jumped for Meera at the last moment. But she had lost all reason. Eight of Meera's chakrams hit her in the back, dragging her back.

"I'm sorry, but I had no other—"

Meera gasped as Zona lunged for her. All the chakrams ripped out of her back, blood splattered on the ground. Meera unleashed a Mirror Blast, but the Archer Warden got a good hit at the last moment.

She stabbed Meera in the chest, right above her heart, with her poisonous arrow before Mirror Blast blew her to pieces with several mirrors sticking out of her mangled corpse.

Meera heard the notification bell, confirming the kill, but all she could think about was the pain. The burning sensation creeping through her body grew in intensity as it crept its way to her heart.

All the others watched Zona's lifeless form roll in the sand and come to a stop by a downed column while Meera fell to her knees. She screamed as an intense pain shot through her heart. Even Vitalize did little against the might of the poison.

The scream drew their attention back to Meera, who had fallen to her knees and clutched at her chest. Her heart felt like it was rotting away. Then, just as suddenly as the pain had started, it stopped.

She looked up and saw the others jumping down, coming to congratulate her with big smiles. Meera didn't share their enthusiasm as Brison was putting Zona back together piece by piece.

Oh no, she's going to rip me apart.

Zona didn't come back with a gasp or look around at her surroundings. She jumped to her feet and sprinted straight for Meera. The others formed a protective wall before Meera, trying to talk sense to the mad archer.

Meera backed up still. "Look, it was just a fight. I didn't—"

Zona practically frothed at the mouth. "You broke my bow, so I will break you, and I won't stop until—"

"Your bow is fine," Brison said, picking up the bow. He tossed it to her. "Check it out. Everything is as it should be."

Zona caught her bow and quickly looked over it, then snapped her head to Meera. "I guess I don't have to torture you now. But never do that again."

"Understood."

Pallas laughed. Congratulations are in order. He slapped Meera's back and promptly floored her. "Oops, sorry."

Melas offered her a hand and lifted her to her feet. "Well, we know who will kill the undead Heart."