Arwin’s prediction proved correct. It didn’t take long for something to go wrong. As good as Olive, Elias, and Maeve’s cooperation was in the simple fights, the holes in their shared experience were ripped wide open the moment Olive managed to land her first good blow on the Ripfish’s back.

Her sword carved deep into the heavy chitinous carapace of the monster and it let out a bone-chilling scream, thrashing and bucking her right off. Olive hit the ground in a roll and jumped to her feet — just in time to see a massive claw crashing down toward her.

She rolled out of the way, but the Ripfish wasn’t done there. It lashed out with its smaller claw at Elias and Maeve.

Elias grabbed Maeve and dashed to the side to bring her to safety, leaving Olive’s side undefended.

Maeve wasn’t that close to the attack. Elias is focusing on protecting her too much. She could have dodged on her own.

The Ripfish lifted the large claw and Olive’s eyes traced it, preparing to dodge again. She didn’t notice the claw that the monster had just swung at Elias and Maeve, and they didn’t see it either, as their backs were still turned to the monster.

“To your right!” Arwin roared.

Olive threw herself back without an instant of hesitation. She didn’t even turn to look in the direction that Arwin had indicated, and an instant later, the monster’s second claw slammed down into the ground where she’d been standing.

Elias spun toward Olive as the Ripfish raised its claws back into the air, rubble spilling away from them and clattering against the ground.

“Shit, sorry!” Elias yelled. “I—”

“Stop talking and move!” Olive yelled, even as the Ripfish swung its claw at Elias.

He cursed and dashed to the side, narrowly ducking away from the huge appendage as it whistled above his head. He stumbled, nearly losing his footing, but Maeve plucked her fingers across the air and the notes of a harp rang out.

Golden magic wrapped around Elias’ feet and he caught himself in the fall, launching to the side in a roll.

The Ripfish’s claw slammed into the ground with a deafening crash behind him. Elias returned to his feet amidst a spay of rubble, but instead of attacking the boss monster to regain their momentum, he turned back in the way he’d come.

“Maeve! Are you okay?”

“Focus!” Olive yelled, forced to abandon her charge and dodge back from the Ripfish before it could crush her. Getting close to the huge monster without someone to keep its attention was almost impossible.

“She’s fine,” Arwin called. “Get your head back on the damn fight!”

Elias jerked his gaze back to the monster, but the damage was already done. The momentum of the fight had swung back into the boss’s favor. It pressed toward Olive and Elias, massive crashes ripping through the cavern as it pulverized the ground before it.

They were forced to play on the defensive and slowly pushed back toward the entrance of the room where Arwin stood.

Arwin flexed his fingers. Prism’s Reach materialized in his grasp and its arrow, the Prism’s Vengance, appeared along with it. The Ripfish was large enough that killing it with the bow when it wasn’t watching him wouldn’t be too difficult, even from such a close range.

The Ripfish lifted a claw into the air and lurched forward, preparing to bring it down on Elias’ head.

Arwin took aim.

Olive thrust her wooden arm forward. The bandages covering it ripped and fell away as wood cracked and exploded forth in a wave. It was like the forest itself had come to life. Branches ripped through the air and rose up, their tips sharpening to the points as they slammed into the side of the Ripfish.

The monster crashed into the wall behind it with enough force to send dust raining down from the ceiling. It whipped a claw down onto the wood and ripped through it with a crunch, freeing itself.

A hiss of pain burst from Olive’s lips and she staggered. Her arm retracted, snapping back to place by her side — but something had changed. Dull red rivers pulsed beneath the wood like veins.

Her hand flexed, then twitched. Olive ground her teeth. Then she froze in place. Immediately, Arwin realized what had happened. She was locked in a fight with the arm. It was trying to take over her body.

The Ripfish lurched toward Olive, reaching out for her with a massive claw. Its legs beat a furious drumming crash against the ground as it closed the distance between them in a blur.

Arwin banished Prism’s Reach with a thought, already sprinting by the time the weapon had disappeared. Killing the Ripfish didn’t matter if it took Olive down with it. The bow took too long to fire for this situation.

The Wyrm’s Revenge materialized in his hand and he lunged forward, [Scourge] pumping through his legs and driving him forward like a freight train — but he wasn’t the fastest one in the room.

Olive was still in the center of the cave, a fair distance away from Arwin, and the Ripfish was just feet away from her.

But despite the Ripfish’s proximity, it wasn’t the one that made it to Olive first.

That honor went to Elias.

One moment, there was only empty space before her.

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The next, Elias stood in the Ripfish’s path as if he’d always been there. The bandages that covered his entire body danced and fluttered in the air around him like a nest of writhing snakes. His body beneath them was gray and pallid, gripped by the hand of death.

Flowing rivers of deep purple magic rolled off his back and rose into the air like strings, forming into a misty form that took shape behind him. A form that almost looked like —

A haunting song rose into the air and filled the entire cave. It froze the breath in Arwin’s lungs and he missed a step as his entire body locked up. The control of his limbs evaporated for a brief instant before [Indomitable] kicked in and his mental defenses overwhelmed the song, thrusting its effects from his mind.

The Ripfish also recovered. It whipped a claw down for Elias and Olive alike, aiming to crush the both of them with a single strike.

The song roiling through the air reached a sharp screech. Arwin staggered and clapped his hands over his ears as he felt them rupture. The Ripfish screamed in pain, disorientation gripping it for an instant.

Elias thrust his hands forward. The bandages covering him whirled forward and wrapped around the monster’s arm. They snapped taut, binding around it. Then he launched himself into the air, using the bandages like a grappling hook.

The Ripfish swung its other arm, trying to bat Elias from the sky. He released his bandages and spun freely through the sky at a new trajectory. The claw whistled through the air beside him harmlessly.

Purple mist extended from his back and grabbed onto the freely flapping bandages, yanking them back to his hand. Elias caught them and he snapped back into an arc, carving through the rest of his swing and slamming into the Ripfish’s back with a crunch that brought him to his knees.

Above him, the mist reformed. This time Arwin was certain of it. There wasn’t just some random humanoid figure above Elias.

It was Maeve, and her incorporeal form was singing.

Elias’ bandages unraveled from the Ripfish’s arm and furled back to twist around him. The lobsterlike monster twisted to try and grab him, but Maeve flicked her translucent fingers and he danced out of the way, the misty strands connecting to his limbs yanking him into the air as if he were a puppet.

The song gripping the room reached a crescendo. Olive blinked and shook her head, control of her body returning to her. She took a step back, refocusing on the fight. Blood trickled down from one of her ears and she swayed in place— she hadn’t been spared of the ear-splitting noise any more than Arwin had.

Elias leapt forward, diving past one of the Ripfish’s claws and extending his arms behind him. The bandages whipped down his body and fluttered through the air in his wake like long, flowing ribbons.

His feet hit the ground and the bandages fluttered in sync with the song, binding together and wrapping around the Ripfish’s eyestalks. Elias yanked the two gangly stalks together, smacking its eyes against one another with a squelch.

A hiss of pain filled the air, but Elias wasn’t done. Maeve’s misty form yanked her hand back and Elias mirrored the motion, jerking the monsters eyes down to the ground. He took a step forward.

Olive beat him to it.

She lunged, bringing her sword down with both hands upon the exposed target. The blade carved through both stalks in a single blow, driving into the ground beneath them.

An agonized scream tore through the cave.

The Ripfish reared back.

Arwin’s scalp prickled as the haunting song grew more aggressive. Elias’ bandages stiffened and dug into the ground like they’d transformed into cloth appendages. They launched him forward, carrying him through the air on dozens of white legs, and he threw himself at the Ripfish’s head, slamming into it and binding its front legs together with the bandages.

Olive ran after him. By the time the Ripfish was reaching blindly in his direction, she’d arrived before its face.

With a wordless cry, Olive drove her blade straight through its face. She ripped it down lengthwise, carving deep through the monster’s head and pulling the sword free in a spray of gore. Chunks of carapace skittered across the ground at her feet.

She wasn’t done. Olive reared back and drove her sword home again, ripping it down in the opposite direction and carving an X into the monster’s face.

Its legs gave out.

The Ripfish crashed to the ground, and the song went silent.

Arwin lowered his hands. He hadn’t needed to interfere after all. It had gotten close, but in the end, Elias had actually worked with Olive instead of just completely abandoning her and fighting together with Maeve — though the screech that had damaged his and Olive’s hearing had definitely been questionable.

They’re still holding back their full capabilities, but what kind of technique are they even using? Is Maeve using Elias like a puppet? What sort of monster is she?

Elias’ bandages retracted and wound back around his body. He hopped to the ground as they covered him once more. His eyes cast to the ground as shame washed over his features, and the misty form of Maeve behind him dissipated.

“That was a poor showing,” Elias said, his voice distant and tinny. “I take full responsibility.”

“Better to screw up now than later,” Olive said. She wiped some of the blood from the side of her face. Arwin was pretty sure she was speaking a lot louder than she needed to, but her ears had definitely taken a lot more damage than his. “Did you really have to do that scream thing?”

“Yes,” Elias said with a firm nod. “Maeve’s magic would have done a lot worse if you could hear it properly.”

He cast his gaze in her direction. Arwin followed it.

Maeve laid on the ground in a heap. Purple mist swirled around her body, slowly pouring back into it.

“Is she okay?” Olive asked, taking a concerned step toward her.

“She’s fine,” Elias said. “That’s just what happens when we do… well, you saw.”

“Not the best teamwork,” Arwin observed. “Seems like something that should have been discussed before a fight.”

Elias flinched. “I know. It’s not something we can afford to use at the tournament, though. We weren’t planning on ever doing it. If we did it in public… well, it would be pretty obvious that I’m not human anymore.”

“Wouldn’t have happened if you were looking out for Olive as much as Maeve,” Arwin said. “You’re overly focused on one member.”

“She doesn’t have a way to defend—”

Arwin arched an eyebrow.

Elias’ shoulders slumped. “I know. I’m sorry, Olive. It won’t happen again.”

“It’s fine. I got stuck in place because my arm started acting up and you saved me, so I think we can call it even.”

“I did not realize your arm was capable of doing… that. I’d heard rumors, but I didn’t realize it was so powerful.”

“Another thing that should have been discussed,” Arwin said with a wry smile. “Especially since Olive is more than capable of using that power during the tournament. I don’t need it hidden, Olive. I’ve said as much.”

Olive nodded mutely.

Everyone stared at the corpse of the monster. The fight had been a lot closer than any of them had wanted. On the other side of the room, Maeve brushed the dirt off herself and rose to her feet. She shook herself off and walked to join them, embarrassment playing over her features.

Arwin clapped his hands together.

“Right. No point wasting time feeling stupid. Mistakes happen and we learn from them. Olive, show them what you’re fully capable of doing. Elias — tell Olive what kind of monster Maeve is and work together to figure out exactly what she is capable of doing in a fight in front of other adventurers.”

Elias stared at Arwin. “I — you know she’s a monster as well?”

“Lillia is very observant. And cheer up, you lot. This wasn’t all bad. It was actually pretty useful.”

“It… was?” Elias blinked, still clearly stuck on his previous question.

“Quite.” Arwin nodded and gave them all a grin. “After watching that fight, I’ve got a damn good idea as to what to make all of you for your equipment.”