Milliardo made a complicated facial expression at the declaration of his sister volunteering to become his “weapon”. I think we all expected him to call on me. Lena looked back at me and lifted a hand in a “stand down” sort of motion.

“I know Prime... but this is our fight. I won’t run away from it,” she said confidently.

I nodded my acceptance and thudded past her. I knew her specs better than anyone and had seen her in action, but she was still on the small side as far as Automata went while the Marquis was roughly the same size as me in my Convoy armor. I rested a hand on Milliardo’s shoulder as I passed him and tried pushing some mana into him. He suddenly looked ill, like he was going to be sick all over me.

“What... what did you do??” he asked, his eyes tearing up.

“Hmm... pushed some mana into you, when I did it for Lena I was able to top her off.”

“Don’t ever do that again... please,” he begged. “It worked... but now I may have need of that privy...”

“Duly noted. My apologies, your majesty.”

He nodded then stood up straight and adjusted his shirt, tattered though it was. Still, he managed to pull off looking regal. Must have been a strict upbringing in that regard.

“You can’t have a champion,” the Marquis said, vaguely gesturing in Lena’s direction. “This is a duel for the Right of Succession. I get to kill you, not a proxy; even if it is the second Princess. I’ll get around to your siblings sooner or later. Don’t worry, my forces are hunting them down as we speak. Princess, just sit down and be quiet like a good little girl.”

“According to current imperial law,” Lena said, managing to look down on the Marquis while being three or four heads shorter than him. “Automata are not considered persons, we are magic tools. It wouldn’t be unheard of for the Crown Prince to use a weapon imbued with magic in this duel, would it?”

The Marquis sucked his teeth before slightly shaking his head as if dispelling unwanted thoughts.

“I suppose you’ve made your choice of weapon then,” he said, leaning over and picking the former Emperor’s sword up from the ground. “Then I suppose I’ll use this rusty old thing. I’m sure that being cut down by your father’s sword will be very meaningful for you.”

I had positioned myself behind the kneeling noble prisoners, much to the anxiety of the soldiers tasked with keeping an eye on them. I recognized some of them from my brief visit with the Emperor. There were five of them in total. Two women and a man of a demonic race, a black panther person of indeterminate gender, and a being that reminded me of a large pile of seaweed. I had no idea if these were good people or not, but I decided that I’d try to keep them alive if it came to it; for choosing to stand by Milliardo.

I folded my arms and leaned in the direction of the closest soldier; who kept giving me nervous glances.

“So what’s up with the Marcheese here? He doesn’t seem terribly concerned about having to fight an Automata. Most people tend to try to avoid it.”

“Mar... cheese?” Milliardo asked, turning to glance at me and poorly attempting to hide a smirk. “Prime, please don’t ever change.”

Lena just looked embarrassed. Sorry sweety, if you’re going to hang out with me, this is what happens. The Marcheese, however, looked livid.

“Milliardo! Such insolence from a retainer will not be tolerated. Hear this, knight, you have just sealed the fate of not just your family, but the entire neighborhood in which you live.”

“Yeah, sorry your egg... celency... I’m not his knight. I’m what you might call an independent contractor. Don’t worry, I won’t interfere with this duel out of respect to the feelings and commitment on the part of the Prince and Princess. No such promises for any aftermath though.”

“Idiot. No matter how strong a warrior your independent contractor considers himself,” LeCreuset directed at Milliardo, “he can die alongside you on the blades of my elite three hundred gathered here.”

“Ah... You’re one of those types that can’t speak directly to the help, eh?” I teased. “Oh, Rau-- Can I call you Rau? I feel I should warn you so that you don’t feel too bad when your elite three hundred all get spanked, but I’m... I guess you might say I’m a God Class Automata. And even if you win, you still lose. So... good luck with this little duel of yours.”

“What farce is this? So what if you’re a bit bigger than standard combat series Autos? God Class? Ridiculous. In my territory we use garbage like you for training! They break so easily, I have to regularly order them by the freight wagon load to keep up with the demands of my troops.”

I looked over at Milliardo and gave him an apologetic shrug.

“Sorry Milli, I took a stab at diplomacy to give him a chance to back out of this duel.”

“Yes, well,” Milliardo said, narrowing his eyes at my use of his nickname, “I can speak from personal experience that your skills in diplomacy are... somewhat lacking. I appreciate the effort though, I know you’re only trying to shield my sister and I from having to kill our own family, but we are resolved.”

I opened my arms up in a “you got me” gesture. Lena looked at me with narrowed eyes and raised eyebrow while mouthing “God Class?” I looked away and pretended I didn’t see her.

Rau stabbed the Emperor’s sword into the ground and held his arms out as attendants ran over to remove his armor and strip him to the waist. Similarly, the tatters of Milliardo’s blouse and waistcoat were also removed. Rau was big and broad, as expected given the heavy armor he wore. Milliardo surprised me though. If I had eyebrows they’d have reached the hairline I didn’t have. Milliardo was jacked. I guess it stood to reason that the Crown Prince of a militant empire would lead a life full of martial training.

Some fancy looking people in ornate robes stepped forward and began slapping both men with brushes dipped in a thick, black liquid. I probably didn’t want to know what it was. They painted intricate and, presumably, symbolic markings on their faces, backs, arms, and chests. The fact that the Marquis wanted to hold this duel with a severely handicapped Milliardo made me wonder if he feared Milliardo’s prowess or he was the sort that is only interested in winning at any cost.

Lena was probably glad that she didn’t need to be stripped and painted, being the “weapon” and all. She did have to be “blessed” or something though by an ancient looking imp in white robes. The sword was splashed with a white liquid, flung from bunches of some type of grass. Milk, maybe? At least, I hoped it was milk for Lena’s sake. The imp finished slapping the sword with the milky grass and came over to Lena but hesitated when the Princess raised a finger. She took off her cloak and tossed it in my direction then knelt down and allowed the priestess to milk slap her.

The white robed people spread out, forming a large, basketball court-sized circle, planting ornate staffs into the ground in front of them. Rau stepped into the circle and marched to the far side, dragging the sword behind him. Milliardo and Lena followed after, staying to their side of the circle.

When the three of them were in position, the priests raised their staffs and began chanting. Golden light bloomed from the head of each staff, spreading out until they mingled with each other, forming a golden dome over the circle. I assumed this would be something akin to an aura shield to protect the spectators, but more... religious.

Rau had the typical, smug look of the person who expects to not break a sweat. I had no idea what to expect from him or Milliardo, but Lena should have much better specs than any Automata he’s ever come across. Granted, from what I’d seen thus far she was more of a button masher than a skilled fighter. Needless to say, digital butterflies were making their way up my throat.

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Lena stepped out in front of Milliardo, stretching her neck and making a show of warming up her shoulder. Hmm... where could she have picked up that sort of taunt? Rau started chanting under his breath, keeping a wary eye on her.

Lena reached up high, stretching her fingers wide, then bent over in a “stretch” to touch her toes just as a bolt of flaming energy sailed right over her backside followed by Milliardo using her as a step to vault into the air. The firebolt exploded like a grenade as it hit Rau’s sword. The flames of the explosion split neatly around the man. His body glowed with the slightly golden light I’d learned accompanied physical buffs.

Milli had a second firebolt charged and loosed it as he flew through the air. Like the first, the blast was sliced in half by Rau. I couldn't tell if he was using a special skill to dispel the attack or just slicing an explosion in half like a badass. Rau pushed through the dissipating fireball, slashing across the air.

The smoke and dirt betrayed the position of an invisible wave rushing from the blade toward Milli. He dove and rolled out of the way of the attack as it sliced through the ground where he’d stood. A cleanly cut gash in the sod split open as if it had been unzipped.

Rau took a diagonal swipe as he ran forward. A thin blast of air disturbed the grass as the invisible blade rushed forward. I could see the shape of the magic thanks to my ultraviolet overlays, but could Milliardo?

“[GeoWall(2)]!” Lena shouted, slapping her hands against the ground.

Milliardo was thrown into the air as a wall of dirt and rock suddenly sprouted beneath him. The wind blade crashed against the wall making a shallow cut into it, but otherwise not amounting to much.

I smiled inwardly. Lena obviously knew Rau’s magical strengths beforehand and opted for a magical loadout that would counter it. This girl was really growing on me, though I admit that I’ve always found cleverness and a quick mind to be attractive.

Rau was continuously chanting spells. I tried to [Inspect] him, just to see what he was up to but all I got was the barrier around the fight. He lept into the air and released a wind-based spell behind him to push him higher and faster. I noticed that Milliardo was continuously chanting spells as well but nothing was being released. He’d chant something then pause for a beat or two then start again with another chant or sometimes the same one. I made a mental note to ask about that later.

Rau flew over Lena’s wall, coming down hard with an overhead sword drop that she intercepted. The blade bit into the magisteel plating of her arms and forced her into the ground several inches. She pushed the blade to one side, throwing a wild punch at Rau’s head.

He got an arm up in time and a green shield flared to life, blocking the strike and shattering. He went for an upward sword slash that caught Lena in the torso, but the damage was shallow. She retaliated by stomping a foot and flicking her hand towards Rau’s feet.

The ground beneath his left foot suddenly shifted like a treadmill headed sideways towards his center, while a small dirt wall sprung up under his right. The effect flung the Marquis to the side, right into the flight path of a firebolt.

The force of the explosion sent Rau back and through Lena’s first wall, pitching him into a series of sideways summersaults. He hit the ground, tumbling and rolling, looking dirty and angry but unharmed. He had a circular shape of clean area over his face and upper body, so he must have put up a shield or two at the last second.

Lena took a handful of steps and sprung into the air, coming down with a wind up you could see from the next town over. Rau rolled out of the way, popping up with a backslash that knocked Lena onto her butt. Ducking in, under the slash, Milliardo rushed in with a chambered punch. His fist was wreathed in the same flames as his firebolt and was on target to smash into Rau’s ribs.

Rau arched back, and allowed himself to fall backwards, off balance. He grabbed Milli’s forearm as it passed by him and redirected it into Lena as she was getting back up. An explosion similar to the firebolt erupted into Lena’s stomach. It sent her stumbling back several steps and cracked open the armor plating across her midsection.

Rau fell back, tucked in a roll, and came up lunging forward with a heavy strike to Milli’s shoulder. Several layers of green shield flared and shattered under the blow. The sword pressed against the Prince without withdrawing until the Marquis’ armored knee smashed into Milli’s ribs.

Milliardo grimaced and coughed but couldn’t recover in time to prevent Rau from smashing the pommel of the sword into his back. Milliardo crumpled to his knees but refused to go down, grabbing a hold on his cousin's belt. Rau brought the blade up, ready to end the fight.

“It’s over, little cousin,” Rau said, breathing heavily.

Lena power-jumped into a lunging punch that caught Rau in the ribs. Blood burst from the strike and Rau stumbled and cried out but instead of going down, turned his attack on Lena.

“[WindBlade],” he growled, releasing the spell through his sword.

The magic attack hit Lena square in the chest, pushing her flat on her back. When she propped herself back up, her rose chest armor had been completely sliced open and was falling off of her. Her blouse hung open and she had a nasty looking gash in her chest plating.

Milliardo flashed with that golden light of a power boost as Rau’s light had started fading. Milli stomped on the back of Rau’s knee forcing him down and grabbing him in a headlock. Milli pulled back in an attempt to bring the larger man off balance and increase the effect of the choke.

Rau flung the blade of his sword over a shoulder, catching Milli across the cheek. Milli lost the hold on the choke as Rau twisted around, slashing across with the sword. Milli dodged back, narrowly avoiding a fatal gut wound. The blade swept around and spun until Rau stabbed backward, without looking, to his side.

The sword punctured through Lena’s hip, catching her off guard, and out the other side. Mana fluid spilled across the blade and stained her expensive riding pants, running down her leg. With a grunt of effort, Rau levered Lena, impaled on the sword, up and over, throwing her into Milliardo. Lena’s hip joint shattered from the extreme torque, only a few scant strips of pant leather holding the limb in place.

“Lena... when... did you get... so heavy?” Milliardo moaned.

“Rude! A gentleman never comments on a woman’s weight! Even if she is magisteel,” Lena commented, looking indignant as she tried to pull herself off of him. “Oh! Oh Milli you’re hurt!”

“I’m... I’m fine...” he lied.

As she got off, I could see that Milli’s arm was clearly broken. Bones were exposed. Rau was back on his feet and closing in.

“[GeoShift(25)]!” she yelled, throwing a hand in Rau’s direction.

Like before, the ground under his feet turned into a treadmill. If you’ve ever seen someone step onto a moving treadmill that they weren’t expecting then you already know how it went for the Marcheese. His feet shot backward and his face smashed into the shifting ground before he rocketed butt first across the pitch.

A red glow engulfed Milli’s broken arm and he screamed in pain as the exposed bone pulled itself back inside and knitted back together.

“Give me a speed boost, fast as you can,” he panted.

Without waiting for her response, he started chanting, charging up another spell and running forward. She pulled herself forward and slapped the ground again.

“[GeoWave(35, 5s), Lift(0.05)],” she grumbled.

A dirt wall erupted behind Milliardo, immediately followed by another and another, pushing up like a massive dirt wave. Milliardo, himself, had been lifted off the ground a bit and was surfing the dirt wave as it picked up speed, flinging him at Rau. As soon as he was within range, he pushed off of the dirt wall and executed the best damn looking Rider Kick you ever saw. His foot was even wrapped in that firebolt energy.

The kick connected right as Rau was pushing himself back up using the sword for support. The explosion from Milli’s Rider Kick threw Rau back, bouncing once and slapping into the barrier shield. Milli didn’t waste any time and grabbed his father’s sword as he ran forward, falling onto Rau with a stab that punctured his abdomen.

“An inch farther, an inch faster,” Milliardo cursed.

Rau coughed up some blood but held a wicked snear. He lifted a weak hand up to Milliardo, showing him his palm.

“[AirHammer],” he wheezed.

A solid force of air smashed into Milliardo as if he’d been hit by a truck. Milli went sailing like a ragdoll, hitting the ground in a limp and moist pile, flipping several times before coming to rest among the rubble of Lena’s wall. Rau pulled the sword from his gut and winced as he put a hand to the wound. With great effort he pulled himself to his feet and wearily put one foot in front of the other as he dragged the sword behind him.

Milliardo was gulping for air, looking as if he were drowning on dry land. Screw honor and not stepping into their fight. If I took out these priests, the barrier would come down, right?

Suddenly a dirt wall shoved Rau up and smashed into the top of the barrier, exploding dust and rocks all over. Dirt and dust rained down, filling the immediate area with a thick dust cloud. Lena pulled off the damaged leg and carefully got back up to a standing position. She kept a watchful eye on the two meter thick column of dirt peeking out of the top of the dust cloud but panicked when she noticed Milliardo's chest caved in and his struggle to breath. Frantically, turned away from the cloud and hopped for her brother. Come on, Lena, I know you're worried but this is when the bad guy you thought you killed jumps out!

The wind blade burst out of the dust cloud, hitting Lena from behind, and severing her in half at the waist. She hit the ground, unmoving, as more fluid gushed out of her. Rau stepped forward, heavily limping. It looked as though a foot had gotten caught in Lena’s pillar smash. Milliardo had gone from drowning to panting heavily. His glow was gone and he was probably close to mana exhaustion. Rau wasn’t looking so hot either, but he was at least on his feet.

He sneered at the halves of Lena, kicking her out of the way, though she didn’t respond. As soon as he stepped over her, she lashed out and dug her steel fingers into his back, clawing her way up. Blood poured down his back as she dug her fingers in, smashing a fist into his spine. Suddenly, his legs gave out and he fell onto his knees.

He dropped the sword and cried out in rage, reaching back and grabbing her. He pulled her off like a tick and slammed her into the ground. He pulled himself onto her and started hammering punches into her face, but she didn’t seem to have any energy left to defend herself.

“Worthless! Garbage! Machine! Should’ve! Stayed! Dead!” he screamed, emphasizing each word with another strike that bloodied his hands and crumpled in her face plating.

As Rau mercilessly assaulted Lena, Milliardo rolled over and shakily pushed himself up until he was sitting on his knees. Then with a massive effort, and the assistance of his hands, he put one foot in front and slowly stood up. He hobbled over as though it was force of will alone that was keeping him upright.

Carefully, he picked up his father’s sword, pulled back, and rammed it through Rau’s back. Rau’s face was a mask of rage, horror, and pain. His mouth worked wordlessly.

“No one hurts my sweet little sister,” Milliardo growled.

He ripped the sword free, and spun around as he dropped, cleaving Rau’s head from his body. Exhausted, Milliardo forced himself to stand up and raised the sword over his head.

The instant the barrier dropped, I summoned Cyclone and burst jumped to Lena’s side, [Store]ed away the Convoy armor and got straight to work on sealing off bleeding and shutting down non-vital systems. Cyclone [Blink]ed in, catching Milliardo before he hit the ground.

“I’m... I’m fine...” he mumbled, his eyes barely staying open. “Save Lena first...”

“Your Majesty, shut up and go to sleep,” Cyclone said soothingly as Milliardo blacked out.