Katya rose to her feet. She shook the dust from her armor and paused to hold the gazes of the other four. They all withered from it. None of them could a hold a candle to her. They would need to watch their backs from her in the future. Their helmeted heads pivoted towards each. Collectively they seemed to understand how they had been outmaneuvered. Whoever had faced her in the final round would have had a slim chance to beat her. But Leona had taken further damage. I wondered if she would even be able to defeat. Katya had basically survived. She just needed to go through the formality.

Mario stepped forward, raising his hand. “Leona, Katya, to the sidelines. The final round for you two will determine who leaves the Choosing today.”

He paused, his eyes narrowing as he looked between the two. The he turned to the rest of us. He said, “The rest of you, ready yourselves for the next round.”

Katya moved to the sidelines. Again, she seemed not to care about anything. Leona followed, limping noticeably. She held her sword arm to her side as she moved. There was strange sense of defeat to the baring of the other four.

As the rest of us took our places, I glanced at Lauren, Gideon, and Lance. Each of them seemed focused, ready for the next bout. I steeled myself, knowing that I needed to prove my worth in this round, not just to myself but to everyone watching. My father’s wager could be negotiated to his favor if I made myself a favorite.

The four of us arranged ourselves as we had before, forming a square. Lauren was to my side, Gideon across from her, Lance directly opposite me. This was the moment to make something happen. I didn’t know how to feel about having Lance opposite me, squeezing the grip of his sword, the toes of his boots already working their way into the dirt of the arena, preparing to come at me.

Lance was the strongest fighter here, at least for today. We were all growing and changing with each passing hour, so there was no promise he would remain as such, but as we squared up, he was the clear favorite. He stared across at me, smiled savagely, and his sword blazed with blue flame before it flickered back to glowing solidity.

I took a deep breath, feeling the tension in the air. Lauren glanced at me, her eyes filled with a mix of determination and worry. Gideon’s face was a mask of concentration, his body tense and ready for action.

Mario's voice pierced the silence. He shouted, “Begin!”

As we began, I prepared my stance, knowing Lance would come straight at me. I intended to let him; I had something up my sleeve for this moment. The first few seconds I can still recall, seeing all the movements happening slowly. Lauren and Gideon moved at each other, she unafraid of his power and rage, he consumed with raw aggression. Lance moved straight at me, sword raised, that smug grin on his face. All I wanted in the world in that moment was the chance to wipe it off his face.

Then, confusion flashed through me as Lance turned on his heel, veering sharply away from me. I was in a defensive stance, in no position to pursue or take advantage of him exposing his flank to me. Lauren's back was to us as she had driven Gideon back. Maybe that should have been the first warning; Gideon was a machine driven by aggression and rage, and I had yet to see him take a step back from anyone since the competition had started. Lauren seemed to realize at the last moment, seemed to sense something. I saw the corner of her face as she glanced behind her, her mouth grim, her back exposed.

Lance's sword blazed with radiant energy as he swung, catching her in the back and slamming her to the ground. Mario shouted, "Lauren, out to the sideline."

Gideon and Lance just stood as she got up. She looked at Lance, spat at his feet, and said, "Afraid to take me yourself?" He just smiled. I looked to Mario and back at the two of them, aghast. Lance caught my look and said, "What's the matter, shopkeep? Is it upsetting that I can outfight and outthink you?"

I said, "This isn't fair, you're colluding!"

Lance laughed, a cold, mocking sound, while giving me a look of genuine confusion and no small amount of contempt at my attempt to enforce the rules. "Colluding? You think this is a game with rules, shopkeep? It's about survival, about being the strongest."

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Gideon grunted in agreement, his eyes locked on me with the same ruthless intent. My heart pounded, and I felt a surge of desperation. They had outmaneuvered me, outmaneuvered Lauren.

I turned to Mario, shouted, angry now, "They're colluding! They've horse-traded the outcome so one of them is guaranteed the immunity. That's not fair, the rest of us never had a chance!"

Mario dismissed me, saying, "Being a Griidlord is about more than swinging a sword. I don't see why they can't use wit and allegiance."

I seethed. Would he have said the same thing if Lance and my positions were switched? He had already gone out of his way to take my Beam out of the contest, seeing that as my one advantage. How wrong he was.

Lance circled to my right, taunting, "It's easier this way, shopkeep. Lauren was the only competition, and I didn't want to take chances. You see how good I've gotten already. Imagine what a day's practice with immunity will do for me."

I adjusted my stance. Gideon was on my left. They were setting up to take me down, taking no chances despite my perceived inferiority. Gideon lunged for me, swinging his sword. Lance's sword blazed with fire, swinging down in a dangerous arc aimed for my head, an attack intended to do more than just knock me out of the round.

Oh, the look on their faces. On both their faces. It made it all worth it. I could only guard against one of them, so I turned to Lance. Gideon's blade struck my shoulder, and the pulsing energy of my shield flickered across the surface of my suit. Gideon's mouth gaped in shock, even Lance faltered. They hadn't expected me to have gained the shield attribute. The blow still staggered me somewhat, but the shield took the worst of the force from the blow.

The next part was even better: Lance's turn to gasp in fright and disbelief. My sword erupted in sparking fire as it rose to meet Lance's downward arc. I could see the disbelief, see the smugness fade, as my Cut attribute met his. The explosion of energy as the two energized blades met was staggering, but I had planned my swing, directing his away.

Lance staggered from the shockwave, nearly falling, barely keeping his feet. His eyes were wide with shock, and for the first time, I saw fear there. He hadn't expected me to be a match for him, let alone to have the same attribute he had just gained.

Gideon, too, was thrown off balance, his earlier aggression faltering as he realized the battle was not as one-sided as he had believed.

I stood my ground, the suit humming with the power of the Cut and Shield attributes. I could feel the energy coursing through me, the connection with the suit stronger than ever. I had a chance, a real chance, to turn this fight around.

I had announced myself. Even at the thought my suit flashed my stats across my HUD:

Cut: 1.0

Beam: 1.0

Shield: 1.0

Agility: 0.3

Power: 0.0

You probably figured as much already, but I didn't get lost the day before when I was trying to return to the hilltop. I'd taken the chance alone with the suit, stretched it as long as I dared, longer even, spending the hours practicing, letting the voice advise me. I moved my feet, swung my sword, flexed my attributes, delighting as I reached 1.0 and activated shield and cut.

It had been hard to maintain the act on the walk back up the hill, showing everyone the same clumsy oaf who had gone down the hill. I hadn't been sure why I disguised my new prowess; maybe I just wanted to enjoy this moment, see the shock and upset on Lance's face. But I was glad I had. Facing both of them and needing to put one of them down fast, having them surprised and uncertain was an advantage I needed.

The voice was gleeful in my ears. It said, "You did it, oh how delicious. Now, finish them, finish them both."

My sword blazed as I raged after Lance, his shock growing, not believing the way I moved, as easily as he did. My blade was his doom. I pressed him hard, his confidence wavering as he struggled to defend himself from my onslaught. Each strike drove him further back, his earlier smugness replaced by desperation.

Gideon, seeing his ally in trouble, speared into attack my side. I spun to face him, parrying his strike with ease. The fight continued, my agility, cut, and shield attributes keeping them at bay. Lance and Gideon regrouped, their initial shock wearing off as they began to regain their composure.

I knew I needed to capitalize on the surprise while it lasted. Lance was the one I wanted, but brash Gideon gave me the opening. He lunged at my blindside, and I deftly evaded his attack. My sword, blazing with the power of cut, struck him with a precision that lifted him off his feet. Sparks and smoke flew as he was sent crashing across the arena floor.

Mario's voice was disbelieving. He stuttered and paused before saying, deflated and quiet, "Gideon, out... th... that's match, Lance advances to the final round against... Tiberius."