“Where did you even get those?”

“Bakery, of course. I’d offer you one, but I don’t want to, so...”

“Never mind,” Kiki said, but I could totally tell she wanted one of my doughnuts, she couldn’t take her eyes off the box. “You’re a bit early, the Tutorial doesn’t end for nearly two hours.”

“I don’t mind getting this over with sooner,” I said. “I don’t think Derek does either.” I took a big, messy bite of the doughnut. Derek had been eying them too. He was clearly almost out of mana and there were enough calories in the box to keep him and his shadow ropes going for a while. I got chocolate all over my face, but made no effort to wipe it off. Derek actually licked his lips as he watched me eat.

Didn’t they think of bringing some food to keep their mana up? Sloppy.

I heard footsteps behind me, and glancing back I saw the two who’d been following me approach from the same way I’d come in. They were my old pals Chuck and Greg: the Iceman and his uncool sidekick.

“Fine with me,” Kiki said. She looked at Chuck. “So?”

“He came alone,” Chuck said.

“Good boy,” Kiki said. “Okay, let’s see that quest screen, Daniel.”

Not yet.

“First, tell me why you’ve got such a hate-on for me. What did I ever do to you?”

“It’s nothing personal.”

“It seems personal,” I said.

“Well, maybe it’s a little personal.”

“I think you’re jealous.”

“What? No, why would...? No,” she sputtered. “Seriously, why would I be jealous of you?”

“Oh, it’s not me you’re jealous of. It’s her,” I said, gesturing toward Jane with a half-eaten doughnut.

Kiki sputtered again. “What? Why would I be jealous of her?”

“You’re a reasonably attractive girl, Kiki, there’s no denying that. You’re used to being the hottest in the room, and you clearly know how to use it. Look at you, you’ve got all these boys wrapped around your perfectly manicured fingers. You even have them kidnapping and killing for you.”

“Is it my fault that boys just seem to do what I want?”

“Hey, I get it. But now look at her. Even mostly covered up by shadows, Jane’s still radiant. There’s no comparison.”

Not yet. And do not make eye contact with Jane, I’ll hear enough about that radiant comment later, I’m sure.

“That isn’t—”

“And not just Jane,” I said. “Her friend’s also better looking than you. And a whole lot nicer, too.”

“I don’t think—”

“It’s okay. I’d be jealous too, if I were you. But taking that out on me, well, that’s just petty.”

“I’m not—”

“But hey, petty or not, it still got me here. You knew there’s no way I’d let anything happen to Jane. Hell, you saw me take a knife in the heart to save her once already. You’re not just a pretty face and a smoking body, you’re a smart cookie too, Kiki. Quite clever, and completely ruthless. I respect that.”

Kiki opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again. My unexpected compliments had thrown her off and she didn’t know what to say. Then I saw what I’d been waiting for. A solitary pigeon swooped down and started circling over the arena floor.

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Finally.

“However,” I said, taking another doughnut from the box. “I do not think you understand people as well as you think you do.”

“Oh really?” Kiki said. “Like you said, it got you here, didn’t it?”

“Oh, there was never a doubt I’d come to get Jane. But if you thought I’d actually come alone and give up on my team, you really aren’t as clever as you think you are.”

“Chuck?” Kiki said through gritted teeth. “I thought you said he came alone.”

“He did! We watched him the whole time!”

“Good idea using these guys to watch me,” I said. “And good idea posting two more of your team outside to make sure nobody came with me.”

“How did you?”

“But let us show you what real teamwork is,” I said, and started eating the fresh doughnut.

Everything happened at once, so quickly I could barely follow it all even though I knew what would happen. After all, I’d planned it.

A pair of skeletons rose from the ground beside Chuck while a pair of tigers formed next to Greg. An oval portal opened near me, and Sigrid came charging through, followed by Andy carrying an unconscious man over each shoulder, fireman-style, with Nina bringing up the rear.

Andy unceremoniously dumped the guys he was carrying onto the ground, then turned to me. “Which one is it?”

I swallowed my mouthful and licked some glaze from my fingertip before pointing it at Derek. “That guy, the weaselish one beside her.”

“Gotcha,” Andy said, and waved at Derek. The shadow ropes holding Jane disappeared. Kiki was right, evolving powers does open up new aspects, such as Andy’s ability to nullify powers at a short distance and not just through touch.

Jane immediately blinked beside me. “Took you long enough.”

“You’re welcome,” I said.

“Don’t just stand there!” Kiki screeched at her crew. “Get them!”

Derek remained where he was, standing shocked beside the empty chair that Jane had been sitting on only a moment before, but the other four rallied to Kiki’s command and charged at us. They got about five steps before three magic missiles hit the ground in front of them in rapid succession and they skidded to a halt.

A small flame appeared in Greg’s hand.

“I wouldn’t,” I said. The tigers crouching in front of him snarled. The flame flickered out and Greg’s arms dropped limp to his sides, defeated. “What do you know, he’s not as dumb as he looks.”

“What the hell?” Kiki yelled, swinging Jane’s rapier in fury.

“Hey, that’s mine.” Jane blinked back beside Kiki, wrenched the sword from her hand, slapped her face, then blinked back out.

“You guys are toast!” Kiki snarled, rubbing her reddened cheek and stepping forward. She only got one step before a blazing column of light shot down from the sky like a combination of a laser beam and a spotlight, making the packed dirt of the arena floor sizzle. She stopped moving.

“You okay?” I asked Jane, ignoring the irate gyaru. “Did they hurt you?”

“Only my pride,” Jane said. “This is becoming a habit for you.”

“What is?” I said.

“Rescuing me.” She grabbed my arm and clung to it, pressing against me and batting her eyelashes. “Is it because I’m so radiant, hmmm?”

Yeah, she was fine.

“I think we’re done here,” I said, freeing my arm. Jane laughed.

“Do you hear me?” Kiki screamed. “Toast!”

“I could use a drink,” Jane said.

“To the pub it is then. We need to meet Chika there anyway.”

“As soon as you turn your backs we are gonna go postal on your asses,” Kiki snarled.

“Nah, I don’t think you will,” I said. At that moment, Shashu marched through the gate, followed by a score of the Dragon Clan’s toughest fighters. The encircled Kiki and her gang. “I think you’re gonna wait here for the Tutorial to end.”

“Who the hell are these guys?” Kiki said.

I’m not a doctor, but Kiki looked a hair’s breadth away from rupturing a brain aneurysm. That girl needed to learn how to relax.

“Just a few friends we’ve made along the way,” I said. “They’re just gonna keep you company here until the Tutorial’s over. You’re great at making enemies, Kiki, but you should consider trying to make friends instead.”

Bruce, Sam, and Wayne emerged from where they’d been hiding in the benches. Sam’s summoned tigers corralled Chuck and Greg into the middle with the rest of Kiki’s gang while Wayne’s skeletons picked up the unconscious lookouts Andy had brought in and carried them over to Kiki as well. Then all four summoned creatures vanished, and with nothing supporting them anymore the two lookouts fell to the ground again with a thump.

Calmly, quietly, my friends began going through Byron’s portal. I could see the dojo courtyard on the other side. Soon there was only me and Jane left, plus Sigrid, who seemed determined to play the shield maiden and protect us until the end.

“One last thing,” I said, then strolled into the circle and presented the box of doughnuts to Derek. “Here, carb up. And next time you’re planning to use a lot of mana, make sure you’ve got a snack.”

Derek’s blank stare made it all worthwhile.

I turned on my heel and strode back toward the portal. “Shashu, you know what to do.”

The NPC cracked his knuckles. “Nobody move, nobody get hurt.”

“All right, looks like we’re all set here,” I said. “See you around, Kiki.”

And without looking back, I stepped through the portal.