It was the big day. Yakeru had donned his new behemoth armor and made his way to Terv, the designated city where the Skirmish was supposed to be held, along with Akari. The ride there made his leg bounce with anticipation.

Itsuki gave Yakeru the remaining two days to rest but that didn't stop the kid from training on his own. He spent that time refining Blitz Step—what he decided to name the technique he learned. As expected, he couldn't master it, especially without the Itsuki's guidance, in two days' time but he was able to squeeze out an extra foot of distance before stopping.

Naturally, Akari was curious to see what this technique looked like in action. 'Surprised' would be an understatement. His description of Blitz Step didn't do the actual technique justice. From her perspective, his blurry form, which barely resembled a human, cleared a distance of 11 feet in a fraction of a second.

She was already aware of Itsuki's rather unorthodox way of manipulating radiance but she hadn't seen anyone augment their speed without the aid of a conjurer. Perhaps now he stood a chance against his sister but sadly he wouldn't know for sure since there were more important matters to tend to.

Riding up a gradual incline, an encampment of sorts came into view as their carriage approached. A man dressed in a traditional capital guard uniform stood at the entrance with a spear. The coachman stopped the carriage when the guard signaled with his hand. As protocol, he went around the back for an inspection to find Yakeru, Itsuki, and Akari.

"Spectators or participants?"

"We're participants." The kid gestured to himself and Itsuki. "And she'll be spectating."

"Your names?"

"Yakeru and Itsuki."

"Yakeru? You're the one going against the Fiends?" The guard confirmed.

"Yes," Yakeru replied curtly.

The guard raised a surprised eyebrow as he looked him up and down. Besides the armor, he didn't look like much.

"...good luck." The guard said insincerely, knowing full well the impossible odds he'd face.

Granting them entry, the coachman pulled inside the gate and onto the cliff's dry rocky surface. The encampment was bustling with activity. Tents were set up and a guardrail had been built along the cliff's edge with a crowd of people chatting and looking out over the horizon.

Looking past the crowd, they could spot the silhouettes of deteriorating buildings below that made up a city—or what used to be one. They were still too far to make out any details but Yakeru assumed that was where the Skirmish would be.

Yakeru tipped the coachman as they were dropped off before they were approached by two more capital guards who offered to escort them.

"Do your best, okay?" Akari pulled her brother into a hug.

"I will."

"And I swear if you end up in the infirmary again..."

"He'll be fine." Itsuki cut in to reassure her. "I'll make sure of it."

They lingered in each other's arms a while longer before going to their own designated areas. Walking through the encampment, they coincidentally passed by several infirmary tents, the wind flapping the tarps mockingly. With any luck, Yakeru wouldn't need to pay the field medics a visit.

Still following the guard, they caught a whiff of a pleasant smell nearby.

"Skewered steak! Come and get your skewered steak here!" A short burly man shouted as customers flocked to his stand.

Behind the stand was a blazing fire inside a stone pit with a chef sprinkling a precise amount of seasoning over the meat sizzling tantalizingly on the large pan. His gaze followed another guard who walked over to what he assumed was his friends, chomping on his skewered steak. The man sat on a log carved out into a makeshift bench as they started placing bets.

"My money's on the underdogs." A lanky guard said.

"Same here. Everyone loves an underdog story." A short-haired petite female guard responded.

"Pfft! Come on, guys. Let's be reasonable. This is the Fiends we're talking about." The man who had just arrived cut in. "They're gonna wipe the floor with those freelancers."

"You're just biased cuz your nephew's a Fiends member." The woman accused.

He snapped his head away as his cheeks flushed in denial.

"That ain't got nothing to do with it. Just don't cry to me when I take your gold, okay?" He teased.

Walking out of earshot, they approached a large area surrounded by guards in an arc formation. Once they saw they were being escorted by a guard, they let him through. His escort brought him to a smaller section of the area with only a few tables and chairs while the opposite side had house-sized tents, each one with a reaper insignia on the front.

The numerous tents lined together put into perspective how large the opposing force actually was. Walking by, he could see rangers in the same Fiends uniforms through the tarps. He lost count after the sixtieth clan member he passed and even then there were still tents behind the ones he could see. Most of them had scowls while others were annoyed, most likely because they were dragged out there to decimate a few nobodies in a Skirmish. Just looking in their direction made Yakeru's heart beat faster.

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Itsuki placed a comforting hand on the kid's shoulder. "They usually don't have both sides right next to one another. Kane probably wanted it set up this way to intimidate us."

"Right."

As they were guided to their area, Yakeru already spotted familiar faces. Kenji and Fuyumi sat by themselves at a long table, the conjurer greeting the with a wave while the quiet ranger gave them a nod. Both his party members had plates of cubed meat with a side of almonds that he assumed was from the cooking stand they just passed.

"You two are early," Yakeru said as the guard began returning to where he was stationed.

"I thought it'd be a good idea to scout the competition beforehand. Fuyumi just got here a few minutes ago."

The two of them looked Yakeru up and down. His armor sets before were more simple compared to what he was wearing now.

"Did you just buy that armor?" Kenji asked, noticing how familiar the material looked.

"Yeah, it's from the plate from the mine."

Fuyumi gave a curt nod of approval while Kenji mentioned that it had more personality to it than his previous armors.

After introducing his mentor to his party, Itsuki went into a conversation with Kenji to learn more about their strengths and weaknesses. As expected, Fuyumi made sure only to reveal what he needed to know. Since Yakeru was already familiar with them, he found himself staring absentmindedly at the Fiends' side. More rangers trickled into their respective tents to join up with their clan members. Some were bulky and muscular while others were lean and looked more nimble.

"Something wrong?" Fuyumi asked, snapping Yakeru out of his trance. Now that he had spent a considerable amount of time with her, he was able to detect the faint concern in her even tone.

Noticing his subconscious fidgeting, he responded, "Just a bit anxious that's all."

She sat there unsure of what to say for a moment. It didn't take long for awkward silence to fill the space between them as Itsuki fed tips to the more inexperienced conjurer. Her mind went blank while searching for words of encouragement so she did the only thing she could think of.

"Here." She slid her bowl of almonds to him, catching him off guard. "They help with anxiety. We'll need you at your best."

He looked at the half-empty bowl before taking an almond. "Thanks."

Surprisingly, the simple gesture itself was enough to put him at ease. As he ate silently he heard a familiar voice sound from behind.

"Well, isn't this a surprise." The voice made the group turn to face the source.

Yakeru immediately narrowed his eyes, his gaze searing with disdain. Kane sauntered towards them with his signature smug grin on his face. Behind him were three men armed with spears wearing the same uniforms as typical capital guards. However, instead of the normal white and blue color scheme he'd grown accustomed to, these men had black and blue colors—personal guards he assumed. Kane gave Yakeru's new armor a once over.

"I guess commoners have money after all."

"What do you want?" Yakeru's voice dropped to a deeper tone laced with venom.

Kane lifted his hands in mock surrender. "Why the sudden hostility? I just came to see what your team is packing for myself. I guess I got my hopes up for nothing though."

To his right was a young woman with wavey black hair with bangs nearly covering her crimson eyes. Her uniform was tailor-made for her as it hugged her slim figure and had a gold reaper insignia on her shoulder whereas every other Fiends member, aside from Kane, had a silver one. She wore a dark blazer with a red ribbon tied lazily around her unbuttoned collar, long black stockings that reached her skirt, and a plain silver ring on her right hand. The woman's uninterested gaze drifted across their table until she settled on the young swordsman.

"Yakeru I presume?"

"You know me?" He asked.

"Everyone from the guild knows the boy who attacked a royal. You were also involved in the incident a few months ago." The slight tug at her lips formed a small smile as she spoke in a low, almost sultry tone. "To see something so horrible can have a devastating impact on one's mind without the proper...therapy. If you'd like, I can help you with that."

She slid her hands to her knees to lean in, making Yakeru lean back uncomfortably. Although her soothing tone alone could have any guy smitten, something about her was...off.

There was an intensity in her gaze that seemed almost predatory that conflicted with the sweetness in her voice, creating an eerie contrast. The way her scarlet eyes stared into his, unblinking paired with an unsettling faint smile while remaining absolutely motionless produced a foreboding air.

There was an obvious disconnect between the allure in her voice and her uncanny body language that put even Fuyumi on edge. He wasn't sure if his ally was protecting him or if she was just annoyed but she spoke up before he had the chance to respond.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" Fuyumi intervened, her words tinged with irritation and vigilance.

The woman's gaze drifted to her, her face reverting back into an impassive mask.

"I don't believe I was speaking to you." She snapped back.

Fuyumi narrowed her eyes as she stood to her feet to confront her. "Now you are. Whatever game you're playing, we don't have time for it. So how about you do us a favor and get lost."

The woman tilted her head, her face unnervingly still. Her now vacant eyes locked onto her with an intensity that felt invasive. Another smile abruptly played on her lips and her gaze relaxed. With a hand on her hip, she regarded the silver-haired ranger with a scrutinizing look.

"You're Fuyumi, yes? A feisty one you are. I like that. It means there's an unresolved issue buried beneath the surface." She diagnosed. "What, are you bitter because I only offered him treatment?"

Fuyumi's face flared with indignation. "My business doesn't concern you." With caution in her eyes, she defensively stepped in front of Yakeru, arms crossed. "Now keep it moving or I'll move you myself."

The two of them stood face to face, both unwavering. Fuyumi stared daggers at her while the dark-haired woman regarded her with amusement. The table and even the guards could sense the suffocating tension in the air. Kane on the other hand wordlessly watched, looking more entertained than concerned for his ally.

"I sure hear a lot of talk. Are you actually going to back up that bravado, sweetie? Or are you just a pretty face?" The woman blatantly antagonized.

"Would you like to find out?" Fuyumi hissed, reaching for her bloodhound dagger.

"Fuyumi." Yakeru's unexpectedly authoritative tone cut through the tension, freezing her hand midway. "Now's not the place or time. But once the skirmish starts, you can let her have it."

She hesitated before deciding it wasn't worth it. As she sat back down, the woman sighed in disappointment.

"How boring. I suppose I'll have to meet you on the field."

"I look forward to it." Fuyumi glared.

Kane shook his head, discontented with how the situation was resolved. Yakeru returned his narrowed gaze to him. "If all you wanted to do was stir trouble, I suggest you leave."

Kane stifled a laugh at his poor attempt to get rid of him.

"It's funny how you think you can give royalty an order." He responded, lifting his chin as if to look down on him further.

Before Yakeru could respond, Kane was suddenly consumed by a shadow. He glanced back to see a hulking silhouette looming over him that wiped the smug look off his face. The guards clearly wanted to perform their only duty, to protect the Fiends leader, but fear had locked them in place.

"Is there a problem?" The brutish figure demanded.

After a few seconds, Kane managed to regain his composure. With hands in his pockets and a nonchalant stride to mask his nervousness, he said, "Tch. Let's go, Maya. We wasted enough time on these commoners already."

The woman named Maya lingered for a moment before turning, her eyes still unblinking, and followed behind Kane and his personal guards. Once they retreated to their side, the figure approached the table. Yakeru had an idea of who it was that managed to scare Kane away but his signature grin was all the confirmation he needed.

"Good to see you, Kateshi."