Masahide's leg burned and felt wet. Worse, it slowed him down, and that didn’t help when the arena square turned slick with ice. He’d proved he was better with the sword, if only by a fraction, but now his opponent kept him at a distance. Magically, he was outmatched and could only move and dodge.
Ninety-seven was relentless. That was what happened when a match had to be won this way.
Ice spread underfoot, and Masahide slid. If he were injured any worse, it would make finding Ema harder or impossible. If he was killed—well, her life was up to fate. “Fight me as knights were meant to fight.”
The archknight brought down rows of icicles. “You’re better with the sword. But you’ll never win this contest. I won’t let the Marstonic Order dominate again and spread their influence.”
Masahide slid with both feet on the ice, putting him on a predictable path. The other knew right where to strike. Two slabs of ice materialized and closed in on either side. He vaulted over the impact. That would have meant death. He worried that questioning a knightly order was a slippery slope, but perhaps if Mount Templar was strong again, it would help save the twelve.
Masahide closed the distance and swung. “Who are you?”
The other turned the attack away and countered. “Ujisue. The question is, why are you here? That’s the question the Duke asks. He put you against an archknight to find out.”
“Masahide. Of what consequence am I to him?”
Their swords locked in a moment of grappling. “The Duke doesn’t like ambiguity. He’s risked the duchy letting the Marstonics install the People of Peace. The King has left it alone and lets them get away with more and more. And now strangers drop in on the Duke’s carefully planned tournament.”
Masahide forced an exchange of ringing steel, putting his opponent in retreat. “Mount Templar stands against the Duke and will not participate in his games. Not after the famine and many other reports. That was until I found our next grandmaster. He’s asked that I fight, and so I will.”
Ujisue danced back. His eyes were puzzled. “A new grandmaster? I thought they set the bar too high, that many tried but failed. No one in the realm could complete the trial.”
Masahide scored a cut on Ujisue’s shoulder. “When I met Whitebeard, he made me feel like a squire again. He’s a true grandmaster, and I mean to bring him to the trials.”
The blood on Ujisue’s shoulder spread. “If one of us doesn’t win, or we make a poor show, the Duke will take any excuse to kick us out. In other words, I won’t go easy on you. Prepare yourself.” Ujisue rose on a pillar of ice and shot down a blizzard. Droplets of water froze as they hit, and the wind accelerated and whipped the shards into a tornado.
Masahide got blood in his eye. He couldn’t feel his face, so he had no idea how cut up it was. He darted unpredictably, trying to stay out of the cloud. He needed to shatter the pillar and bring his opponent down to the ground level.
The ice pillar was three feet thick. Masahide chopped at it but only took out a few slivers before having to move from the storm. How could he get through before the ice flakes in the air took off all his skin?
He looked up and saw a burst of blue light.
Standing thirty feet above, Ujisue’s Shining Armor burst to life. He was now invincible.
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Masahide thought maybe it was a blessing. He wouldn’t get picked apart by magic. He could trade blows against an invulnerable shield until he was cut down. But he didn’t know if any healers would be there for him. Sure, each order had at least one, but would they spare the energy it would take to heal him? Kichi would have to continue the search for Ema without him. No, that wasn’t good enough!
I don’t want to be alone. It had felt right to have Ema by my side.
The next moment, ice popped in the air, and shrapnel flew everywhere. Masahide dove and landed on his stomach.
Ujisue landed next to him. The pillar tilted and crashed down. It hit the shields held by those in the first row.
Scrambling back with feet and hands, Masahide escaped a sword swing that would have killed him. He looked up in shock, but then it made sense.
Ujisue stood unsteady, exhausted. He would have no finesse with his sword or magic, which was dangerous. His chest expanded with each breath, trying to get enough oxygen.
Masahide’s only chance was to tire him further. He came forward with a flurry of useless thrusts.
However, Ujisue just let his Shining Armor handle the attack. Then, he erected an ice wall.
Masahide glanced over his shoulder. He had nowhere to go. The wall was a half-circle and not very big. He couldn’t escape without putting himself at risk. His opponent made a smart move.
Ujisue had spent almost all his energy. Each step was as if caught in honey. His eyes drooped, and his sword was in one hand, held low.
Masahide’s back hit the wall. A trickle of water ran down his neck as it melted. A jab with the elbow didn’t get him anywhere. His last option was to try to summon arrows.
The mountains seemed to refuse to give Masahide Shining Armor. He was a knight of honor and strength but had remained unknown to the realm. No one talked about a lesser knight. They wanted to tell stories about the greats.
Spirit at Mount Templar, grant me a conduit to the weapons of past champions.
The arrows may not even be enough. All Ujisue needed was to push through the barrage.
Why won’t the portal grant me weapons? Is it because my devotion is split between the order and Ema?
Masahide’s hair and clothes rose, weightless. That was the sign of the power bestowed, but in amounts he’d never experienced. He opened the portal wide and open to the treasure of past warriors, reached out with his mind, and threw.
At the last second, he recognized his mistake. He could choose what to take, but he’d just been grabbing blindly.
A lance rushed through the portal. It sliced the air and buried itself into Ujisue, who looked down in surprise.
A jet of blood spewed from Ujisue’s mouth. His hands grasped uselessly at the lance, and he fell to his knees.
Masahide grabbed his opponent to keep him from falling. The lance flowed back into the hole in the sky as it closed. He eased Ujisue down.
Ujisue said a word that sounded like “Gon.”
“On my honor.”
Whitebeard leaped onto the square and raised a hand. A sunbeam landed where Ujisue lay and brightened until their figures were washed out. “Crann, grant me life energy.” Every step he took, stems and vines snaked onto the stone, and flowers bloomed. By the time he’d reached Ujisue, a path of greenery was embossed on the square.
Ujisue twitched, arm flying out, foot tapping. But when the light died, he still lay motionless.
Hisa ran from the stands, fell beside Ujisue, picked his head up, and looked into his eyes. “No, don’t die.”
Masahide
Level: 30
Focus: Conjuring (conduit)
Secondary focus: Quake
Weapons: pure sword - 35% pure
Items: Heart of the Earth