In the meantime, Vlander and Slander had found the fallen tree where they saw a tied Robert next to a tent. The group had silently surrounded the place and they were all in an attack position, ready for the sole purpose of freeing Robert.

The canvas moved and completely unexpectedly Alex Tikker stepped out of the tent. The group was shocked. The man who had kidnapped Robert was none other than the candidate who had fled during the battle with the Behemoth.

"TIKKER!! Jack snorted. Revenge was in his eyes. 'I won't lose a second chance'.

Once again, the half-giant underestimated his opponent. Alex had easily floored him the first time and that didn't seem to change much this time. Blind with rage, Jack sprinted towards the witch hunter. He, in turn, took a defensive position. It looked like he was going to hold back this time because he was an overwhelming minority and missed the advantage of the surprise attack this time. Instead of a spear, he stood weaponless in front of the onrushing Jack Bulton, with only the chronometer in his right hand. His drawn face was dull and cool, and he stared at the chronometer with half an eye. He seemed to be able to time when Bulton would attack, because just before the half-giant finished his move, Alex deftly jumped back. The axe landed with a dull crack in the tree branch where Robert was hanging. The axe blade had firmly lodged itself deep in the wood. Jack tried with all his might to pull the axe out, but he couldn't get an inch of movement in it. Alex Tikker took full advantage of the situation and lashed out. He hit Jack with the side of his hand on the back of his neck, and the half-giant collapsed like a limp pudding. Disabled. In the meantime, the three piglets had already sprinted towards the tent. Alex, with the help of the Bow Grab Knife Glove, flew towards the piglets like a bowling ball and the trio was knocked over like pins.

Leo, Arian and the Gnomes remained.

"I have a plan," Leo whispered to the others. She had analyzed everything in silence, Her rational character now came in handy.

'I'll never make it to a frontal attack, and certainly not the twins. Arian, I suggest you distract Tikker and Slander and Vlander go for Robert. I'm already trying to get Jack back'

Arian looked at her thoughtfully. "How sure are you that I can hold him off?"

"I'm not, but if there's one of us whose strength comes to the level of Alex Tikker, it's you. Just remember that you're not going on the offensive. His plan seems to be to trap you. Let him attack, and do your best to dodge his attacks. With a bit of luck, we'll be able to stretch it out until Robert is free."

Vlander looked at Slander. The gnomes nodded confidently.

'We can sneak through the roots of the fallen tree towards the crown,' Vlander suggested. 'From there we can get to Robert unseen'. Slander nodded in agreement.

"I'll keep my duel as right as possible," Arian suggested. His voice was quiet as usual, and he exuded determination.

"There it goes," Leo said and she squared her shoulders resolutely.

Arian stepped decisively towards Tikker. He elegantly unsheathed his sword and made a few sweeping motions. He radiated pure focus. Alex, noticing that his opponent's level was a bit higher than Jack's, also pulled out his sword. Unlike most of his other weapons, the sword was fairly simple, with only a bell on the hilt. His attitude was more offensive than Jack's and he seemed to be getting ready for a tough fight. Meanwhile, Slander and Vlander crawled towards the roots of the tree on the left. Alex flew into the attack. He sprang forward at a good speed, but his sword landed on the sword of the Arieman with a loud clink. The blade of the sword gleamed in the moonlight. Alex Tikker used silver weapons specifically designed to hunt witches. These were extra sharp to get through the tough skin of witches, but were too expensive to be used en masse. Arian, however, remained undeterred. He pushed his sword forward, and in doing so, he also pushed the witch hunter backwards.

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"Your reflexes are exceptional," Alex Tikker said, with some wonder in his voice. "Your species is extremely exceptional. It's a real honour to duel with such a force.'

Arian did not respond to the witch hunter's comment. His focus was unbreakable, and he couldn't afford to be distracted by his opponent's words. Alex went on the attack again. He waved high, aiming at the arieman's head. This attack was also parried in an extremely elegant manner and was followed by a counter attack to the torso of Alex Tikker. He, in turn, deftly jumped backwards. Leo, watching the game from a distance, looked on in disbelief. It was only now that she realized how much stronger these two were when it came to sheer strength and martial arts. Carefully, she shuffled over to the exhausted Jack Bulton, grabbed both of his boots and gave them a firm tug. Jack moved an inch. This was going to be a long road, she sighed.

Meanwhile, the gnomes had arrived near Robert's branch. Silently, they lowered themselves into the earth on either side of the hostage. Robert looked surprised but relieved.

"What a relief, I thought for a moment that no one was going to get to me," Robert said.

"We're coming to untie you, but we also have to stay as quiet as possible. Arian is keeping Alex busy," whispered Vlander.

"You haven't defeated him yet?" said Robert anxiously.

"We couldn't," replied Slander. "Leo is taking Jack away and as soon as we are safe we start running.

Robert was too dazed to process everything properly. He had barely slept since the kidnapping and was stiff from sitting still for long periods of time. In utter silence, the trio crawled over the tree in opposite directions. A few dozen meters further, the intense duel between Alex and Arian continued.

Arian had still taken every blow without weakening. With each blocked stroke, a stronger attack came his way. Tikker seemed more and more tired, but it seemed as if he was deliberately holding back. He hadn't yet used the stopwatch with which he had so deftly knocked out Jack Burton. Leo also noticed this striking tactic. In the meantime, she had returned safely with Jack and the piglets wiped the mud from his face one by one as they secretly searched his pockets for food.

"It looks like Alex wants to lose," she said somewhat under her breath.

Robert, who had just stumbled in, heard her remark. He kept quiet, but he did think of the witch-hunter's words. Robert couldn't possibly be sure that Alex's big news was actually the truth, and telling the group would only create more chaos. Instead, he suggested something else.

"Shouldn't we just retreat now? Arian can easily flee now without further injuries.' He saw reassuringly that Slander and Vlander jumped to the ground through the roots of the tree and only had to walk a short distance in their direction with their short legs.

The group agreed. Despite the fact that Alex looked weakened, he was still able to strike surprisingly and possibly even defeat Arian. Leo gave a scream in the direction of the Arieman, a signal to break off the fight. Alex, noticing that there was a brief moment in which Arian's focus was broken, struck. His sword went rapidly towards his opponent's chest, but just before he made contact, something flew between the blade and the Arieman. It was the gnomes who, in a moment of bravery, had sacrificed themselves for Arian, hurling themselves from the tree roots to the sword with the Bow Gripping Knife Glove. A bright flash lit up the forest. Then a hush fell over the plain, and the fight came to a halt as suddenly as it had begun.

While Leo and Arian took care of the injured twins, Alex seemed to disappear into the darkness. The group quickly moved back to the jury's camp, where the two brothers were immediately admitted to a makeshift infirmary, led by Hector. For Jack Bulton, some ice-cold river water on his neck and a night's rest sufficed.

Towards morning, Hector came with news. The candidates gathered around the ashes of the campfire with scratches, bumps and bags.

"The twins are out of danger, but their rather reckless action has caused them to suffer a nice concussion. They are taken back to Azucar for further inspection. This means that they are almost certainly eliminated as candidates', Hector said. "They had one last message that they would like to pass on to you. I quote: Good luck, everyone. You've always deserved it more than we did. We're keeping our fingers crossed for you!' Hector imitated the high-pitched voices of the gnomes, much to the dismay of the others. Leo raised her eyes to heaven. The bow gripping knife glove had once again proved its usefulness, but the inventor himself remained an exceptionally strange brush.