"Begin," Nimron roared, his eyes glimmering as he glared at me.

Shit, I thought, gritting my teeth. I guess I hadn't hidden my grin as well as I thought.

"And Kelgwain? Don't disappoint me," Nimron snarled with such vehemence that I almost felt sympathy for his Prime. It almost cost me my head.

A soft woosh was all the warning I got before a dagger appeared two hand lengths before my face. My reflexes kicked in, and I whipped my ax up and pulled my head away. With a loud screech, the dagger deflected across the blade, leaving a deep gash on my cheek. It could have been worse, though.

Shit, I thought as I gaped at the scratch across my ax blade.

If I hadn't hardened that thing beyond what I usually did, the dagger would have cut through it like cardboard and pierced my eye! Anger rising, I looked up.

The house Kelgwain Prime's eyes had widened in stunned surprise while the corner of Bastian's mouth curved up.

Knowing the moment wouldn't last, I suppressed the desire to attack him and ran towards Lischen's Prime. My plan was simple but should be effective. Hopefully.

Those hags loved area of effect damage, especially poisoned cloud attacks. Unless I was very wrong, this Prime wouldn't mind some collateral damage. Even better, I'd only ever seen them do chaos and demon poison damage, and I didn't fear either, though I'd prefer demon poison. If it was something else, I still believed I had a higher tolerance for abuse than the others, and they probably didn't know I had chaos-poison resistance by now.

As I bridged the distance to the smiling Hag, I kept half an eye on the Kelgwain Prime, which was what saved me. The sinewy Prime bridged the thirty-foot in a single bound, his daggers almost appearing like magic in front of me. As he lunged, I hurled myself back and blocked his double attack with my ax, adding another two scratches to the dark, gleaming surface.

Bastian was sauntering after him with a look of anger and pain. I knew he was giving me more time than I would have gotten with someone else, and I also knew I had to use the time. The Stone wouldn't let Bastian give me any advantage for long.

I shot three bolts at the Kelgwain Prime while covering my chest with my ax and blocking another snake-like strike. I aimed at his legs, chest, and head. He must have seen the boltcasters before, but either didn't know the specifics or overestimated his speed as he tried slapping them out of the air. He hit one, but the others struck him in the leg and chest. He grunted as he stumbled back, two hands up and two pulling at the bolts.

Now, I thought, shoving my previous plan away as I spun through an ax-form, slicing at his legs.

The Kelgwain Prime's eyes narrowed while a minute grin came on his lips as his fingers blurred through a spell. I jerked myself back, my attack harmlessly thudding against his upper leg as a dozen daggers spun in tight circles through the spot I'd just been, seemingly coming from nowhere. I backed off, regaining my balance, and quickly looked around to see Bastian had raised his sword. He was only six or seven steps away. The Hag Prime was still flipping her fingers around, watching the fight with seemingly great interest.

"Bastian…"

The Stone's voice, almost like a distant landslide, held an unveiled threat.

Shit. That signaled the end of my temporary reprieve from Bastian's offense. For a split second, I wondered if Bastian would resist, or ignore it, then I shook my head. I clearly recalled when Elliandra was still bound to Flowheart and how hard it was for her to do her own thing. If Rathica hadn't assisted her, she would never have had a chance.

I jumped back and glimpsed at my arms. The bolts were almost done regeneration! I ran towards the hag Prime, knowing Kelgwain would come for me. Two steps in, I spun around, slicing my ax in a large swipe. Kelgwain dodged below the blade and slid forward, daggers towards my leg. I'd known he'd pull something like that and shot a bolt point blank at his head. He had learned from before, and this time his upper arms blocked them, also as I'd anticipated. So I shot two more bolts at his legs.

"Here you goooo little one," a soft, crooning voice came from behind, causing the hairs in my neck to rise.

Bad fucking timing, I thought.

My first instinct was to jump back and run, then I squished it and instead jumped straight at the House Kelgwain Prime. I saw Bastian move in the corner of my eye, and without looking and feeling sorry, I blindly shot my final bolt in his direction. There was a startled cry as I heard something thud home, then I reached the side of House Kelgwain's Prime. The closer I was, the more likely he would be caught in the crossfire-

My calculating mind skipped a beat as I saw his lower left hand, previously hidden from my view casting a spell. I raised my ax before my face and dodged back as another, larger cloud of daggers spawned on top of me. A hail of screeches came from my ax, but it held, which couldn't be said from my shoulders. I felt the blades slice through my flesh before I managed to get free. A greenish mist swirled across the ground like tendrils, strapping around my legs.

Please be demon poison, I thought. I had no idea how much Lischen knew about my skills or what she might have told her Prime. Hopefully nothing.

The light around me seemed to dull slightly. Then there was a soft, horribly creepy moan behind me. I hissed and spun around. There was nothing there. Too late I realized it had to be part of the chaos mist. Something heavy collided with my back, and a sharp object rammed into my side. I toppled over, the heavy thing pressing me towards the ground.

"Est..!"

Bastian's soft cry made me realize things were probably not good. I fell head first in the knee-deep green fog rapidly coalescing across the ground. Calloused fingers wrapped around my neck, and I barely raised my hands to block knives from drilling into my face and chest. I tried to push myself up with my lower arms when there was a strangled groan came from behind. The Kelgwain Prime became powerless, and I hurriedly pushed myself to the side, shoving the weight off my back. The Kelgwain Prime thudded into the ground beside me, foaming around the mouth. Tiny mushrooms sprouted up out of his flesh while his hands ripped open the clothes and dug in what looked like older wounds across his chest and arms. Tendrils of green mist seemed to seep into them.

Damn, that Hag was using his previous wounds to get to him!

Watching the Prime's eyes bulge in panic, I didn't hesitate but brought my ax down on his neck. A fountain of blood sprayed up as the Prime's head rolled away, and his four arms flailed one final time before tumbling back, unmoving.

Nimron's bestial roar came from somewhere to the side, but I ignored it. I still had my troubles to deal with, and I was pretty sure he wouldn't interfere. If he had been able to overpower the others, he would have by now.

One down, I thought as I pushed myself up, slightly dizzy. A quick look showed no mushrooms on my arms, but there also wasn't any healing happening. So, chaos poisoning. That meant my mind had to be somehow affected, even if I couldn't feel anything yet, but-

"Sorry."

There was no time to respond to the whisper from behind or the whistling sound. Pain erupted from my neck as I moved my head in the direction of the blow, trying to lessen the impact.

I was far too late.

The blade cut deep, then pushed me sideways. Suddenly I was lying on my side, and it felt like heavy chains wrapped around the part of my mind that used skills. My arms weren't listening to me, and I felt exhausted. The pain faded as fast as it came, while my vision seemed to shrink. I knew that wasn't a good thing. Surprised disbelieve drifted through my mind as I tried to get to grips with what was happening.

Bastian had just cut me in my neck. Which meant… I wasn't dying… was I? I felt blood flow across my shoulder and chest, pooling beneath me. Breathing was difficult, and I heard the wheezing. I wanted to raise my hand to stop my lifeblood from flowing out of me, but they wouldn't obey.

There was a nasty, distant laugh. Nimron, his joy almost palpable even to my rapidly diminishing consciousness.

"I blocked your skills- please don't hate me, but I need to win this," Bastian rumbled.

His voice seemed to come from somewhere far away, and I heard heavy footsteps in the distance.

What the hell was going on? This wasn't like I'd planned it. How could he just block my skills? A scream came from behind as the blood flowed out of my body. The Hag, laughing as she howled at Bastian.

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"You can't win, puny fighter!"

Somehow I felt annoyed at that. Bastian wasn't puny…

Wait, why was I defending him? He'd just bloody signed my death warrant.

A muted ping came from my status, and I blinked. I tried to call it up. It took two tries and was shaking oddly- rippling at the edges. Then I saw the message.

> Your Mindscape Keeper, Raparion wants to use sixty Karma for #$!@*& *&%^&

Yes/No

I tried to focus on the final word, but the letters wouldn't come into focus, remaining blurry. My mind fogged over, and it felt like I was lying on a disk rapidly spinning around. Part of me was glad I wasn't turning nauseous as I tried to determine what Raparion wanted to do.

Whatever, what's the worst that can happen? my mind seemed to throw at me. I selected yes.

Another ping and the chains binding my skills snapped into parts. My vision cleared up while my muscles twitched, then bulged. A sharp pain came from my neck and throat; then, it felt like someone attached live power cables to my body. I got up in a single burst as my muscles flexed and bulged. Almost as if my hands remembered my final command, they shot up and wrapped around the wound in my neck. My eyes went so wide it hurt as blood surged through my fingers. There was more blood than I thought could fit in my body in a pool below me. My mind was sharpening at a frightening rate, and with it came the realization that whatever was happening wouldn't last. It had to be my improved Last Ditch Effort, though why it let me get up while nearly bled out was something my mind ignored for now.

As my muscles began to turn more compact, power radiating through my body, I looked up. Bastian was chasing after the Hag in slow motion near the denser forest, with two swords flying from the sides to intercept her. The Hag was running towards a nearby tree, mushrooms like a trail behind her. Green and purple clouds erupted from them like tiny pillars of steam, creating a mixture of noxious fumes. Bastian seemed unimpeded by them, and the Hag was screeching in horror as she continued to create more. Different mushrooms, small and large, began appearing, and I almost ignored them as I began moving when I saw a familiar one.

Demon shrooms, I knew, recalling having seen them far below the sea. I was dashing forward before the thought even fully registered. My legs worked so fast I almost tripped over my feet, then instincts took over, causing me to place my feet further forward, digging my toes into the soft topsoil. My mind flowed over with an insane feeling of knowing exactly how to move every inch of my body.

If this was what it was like to have double Agility, I could get used to it.

Blood spurted from between my fingers, and I groaned. As clear as my mind felt, it kept wandering- I needed to hold it in check before I got myself killed or wasted my time. With gritted teeth, I kept moving like a blur.

The Hag reached the trees, dodging around a stump, and headed towards the dense undergrowth filled with dangerous-looking, purple-leafed plants. Bastian was thundering after her like a freight train. Behind them, the mushrooms were starting to shrivel up and disappear. I squeezed out some more speed, gaze locked on the tall, white mushrooms that reminded me of the ones I'd seen below the sea.

I reached them as the thick, fleshy hoods began to wilt, but before they disappeared.

My fingers wrapped around one mushy, finger-sized shroom, and praying to Rathica I wasn't wrong, I stuffed it in my mouth. It was like snotty hot peppers, but I ignored the texture, chewed, and swallowed. The mushroom left a burning trail, like alcohol, down my throat, and I'd been right. This was the familiar experience of demon poison!

My body agreed as my flesh rippled, as the familiar regeneration kicked in. It wasn't as potent as what I'd gotten used to down in the sea, but the loose flaps of flesh on my neck rapidly knit closed between my fingers.

Right. Now to get through this, I thought. Trying to keep my mind on the goal at hand. Kill the Hag and Bastian.

No longer having the threat of death looming over my head, a simmering rage began to build. I knew it wasn't fair, but how dared Bastian deliver such a nasty killing blow?

Looking up, I saw my ax lying near the puddle of my own blood, precious seconds back. Why didn't I think of grabbing it on the way here?!

Because you were bleeding to death, I told myself as I shot forward, snatched the ax, and, gripping it tightly, raced towards the forest. My body moved with speed and grace I could barely believe, which was a good thing as I still felt partially muddled.

Ahead of me, Bastian was still chasing the Hag. If things hadn't been so precarious, I might have laughed at the odd, slow-motion run they both had. They had just reached the forest, and I knew I would catch up shortly after they entered. How long had it been since Last Ditch Effort began? My mind sluggishly came up with a probable seven or eight seconds. Wait, was the timer in seconds as I perceived them or the rest of the world? Fuck! I snarled, then decided to take the least and go from there. I started counting in my head as I tried to squeeze every bit of speed out of my body.

7, 6-

I reached the trees and dashed through the undergrowth, following the large opening left by Bastian's passing. Even the branches moving from Bastian's passing seemed slower than they should be. A dull roar of anger came from ahead of me.

5, 4-

My speed slowed a little as I dodged below a set of branches and around a tree. Then I slid below a low branch and saw Bastian, struggling against a massive tangle of plants seeming intent on strangling him. The way the slimy brown and green branches moved reminded me of my own Entangle but more agitated. Long, white-tipped barbs grew all over them, piercing Bastian's skin. A dull blue aura flickered to live around him, but the barbs seemed unimpeded, pricking through and popping it like a soap bubble. Bastian's eyes grew large, and he let out a strangled croak. I didn't stop but continued forward, rushing at the Hag Prime.

3, 2-

She must have picked up some movement because her nasty smirk faltered as her head snapped my way. All of her actions still seemed half as fast as they should be, and as her left hand continued the spell she used on Bastian, her right pointed at me, moving through another. My inner count-down reached 1, and I knew my boost would end sooner than later.

Before the Hag could even finish what she intended, I jumped forward, slashing my ax diagonally down on her shoulder. Even with my four heavily muscled arms behind the swing, it still felt like hitting a gnarly old tree, one that had almost turned to Stone due to age. Any regular ax would likely have either stopped an inch deep, rebounded, or perhaps even shattered. Not mine. The magically hardened wood, powered by my temporary obscene strength and speed, struck the Hag with the power of a falling tree. Splinters and goo splattered everywhere as the Hag screeched while my ax blade split her from shoulder to waist.

Her legs buckled, but she managed to remain standing. The side of her body began to tilt slowly, falling away. There was barely any blood, just thick white goo leaking out from both sides, like tree sap. Instead of having the grace to die, her fingers began another spell. I ripped my ax free and spun it around for a second hit. Long plant-like tendrils burst from the ends of her body, reaching for each other to hold the two halves together.

Not happening! I thought as my ax swung down with blinding speed, muscles still bloated and powerful. I angled it down and slashed her hands off with one hit, spun sideways, sliced off her legs, then turned it back and up before bringing the ax down on her head, splitting it down the middle, through her neck, and separating the thin tendrils trying to reconnect her torso.

A dull croak came from the two halves of her mouth, and mushrooms and fungi erupted across her skin as a tiny, thin cloud of spores spread out.

As if to compound on that, a horrible weakness came to me, and I almost stumbled as my ability ceased working. Now that spell stopped? I stepped back, away from the overgrowing body, falling on my ass just as a mushroom seemed to grow like a balloon. I scrambled back as it popped, and a cloud of spores exploded outward. I held my breath, rolled sideways then scrambled towards the forest. A gloomy purple taint came across my vision, showing that whatever the spores did, holding my breath wasn't helping.

A dull moan and heavy steps came from the side just as I reached the outside of the spore cloud. I looked up to see Bastian thudding my way, bleeding from innumerable puncture wounds while dragging a carpet of unmoving tendrils behind him. The spores hung around him as they did around me, but he seemed unimpeded. Pain and sadness radiated from his eyes, but from his clenched jaw, I knew he wouldn't be holding his punches.

My back collided with a tree, and I used it to push myself up on my shaking legs. We were both wounded, but from how I was swaying, I had the distinct feeling Bastian was in a better state than me. That was, if I was planning on fighting him hand to hand, or fair, or however you wanted to call it.

As he stepped forward, I cast Entangle. When my fingers started moving, Bastian's eyes narrowed, and his hand flickered. A dagger flew at me, but like before, I put two arms in front of my face and ignored the dagger, letting it thud into my chest, a few inches from my heart. My spell finished, and I grabbed the nearest plants. The simple tangle bush grew and stretched out, long shoots moving at Bastian.

"Not happening," Bastian muttered as his blade sliced around like a blur, chopping the branches and tendrils with ease. All I'd done was slow him down.

I wasn't planning on giving up that fast, though, and with a headache-inducing effort, I cast both Entangle and the enhanced version of Sprout life. As I fell to my knees from the effort, I wrapped my hand around a young plant next to me and shoved Karma into Sprout Life. I barely had the time to close my eyes and avert my gaze as a blinding flash erupted from my hand. Leaves and branches rippled around my arm than across my body. It was like I'd fallen inside a large verdant bush, the sounds turning muted. I continued to push Karma in, not wanting to risk Bastian getting away.

A startled shout came from ahead of me, rapidly muted by the dense layer of leaves. I opened my eyes, blinking away a few spots from the flare. A green wall of leaves sat across everything; the only other color was the dark brown of the branches. The one I was holding had gone from a finger-thin thing to a massive, arm-thick, ancient, and gnarled root. All I saw from Bastian, who had to be less than six feet away, was a dull shaking of the undergrowth and a groaning.

"Sorry," I said, mirroring Bastian's words. Like I was sure he had, I meant it. Bastian was a friend, and I did not wish him any harm. But like him, I had to win, so I cast Entangle with three hands.

Ulderion would be proud of me, I knew, as the entire jungle surged into motion. A startled cry of pain came from the bush, and I was glad I couldn't actually see what was happening as the shouts turned to a gurgle while the bushes shook in a frenzy. I recalled the stories I'd shared with Bastian back in Tenziran and felt sad. Sad that we were pitted against each other. Sad that he had had no way to resist The Stone's will. If I hadn't been so incredibly tired, I knew the sadness would have turned to anger. But that would come later.

Seconds passed by, and the shaking subsided, the strangled death throws dying down. Then it was quiet.

So I guess I won? I thought, as I looked around. Seconds ticked by, and I frowned. Shouldn't they be getting me out by now? Or was I supposed to get out by myself?

I was about to call Rathica when a soft, horrifying giggle rang through the forest.

"Never thought I'd see someone actually increase my weaponry for me!"

The Hag's voice made my skin crawl, then the branches around me began fidgeting as my own control over them was ripped away.

"I liked how you ended that big oaf! I think I'll let you enjoy the same treatment," the Hag whispered.

A leaf turned towards me, the edge scratching across my skin like a caress, and I shuddered.

How is she not dead yet? I thought as panic threatened to engulf me.