"What sort of fresh hell did you get tangled into?" The cleric was in disbelief as they finished up using their magic on Avures. "So much internal damage... At least there's a low chance for re-injury..."

"It's complicated..." Avures stood up from the bed and took a deep breath. There was no way to aptly put it, but his entire insides felt sore whenever he breathed. It was just a sensation that ran all over him. Between his internals being beaten into pulps, and his mana exhaustion... He was surprised he could even stand.

"And you, girlie... You reopened your wound going out there for him. Be a little more careful next time." The other cleric wagged their finger in Rael's face. She simply nodded along with their statement. With it all said and done, the clerics took their leave of the room...

"By the way, sorry for not keeping a secret... But I'm glad I didn't. I didn't know you were trying to play martyr out there." Ventrix yawned and stretched as his vision dragged across the room.

"I wasn't trying to do that. It might look like that but-" Avures's voice betrayed the way he was trying to explain it. The other five all looked at him with judgmental glares. Avures sighed and face-palmed before continuing. "Information. We were missing a lot of context. It just happened to turn into a fight... One I thought I could win..."

"If your mental edge isn't sharp and focused, your attacks will be dull. It's okay to be thinking of a lot of things, but your goals, beliefs, motivation, and conviction should all line up in sync so that you have purpose when you fight."

"I thought I had fixed my issue... Intensity... What Yuval mentioned seemed awfully similar, but not quite the same. Is it another missing piece to my own puzzle?" Avures scratched at the back of his head. What he suggested was surely easier said than done. Was it a matter of literal thinking? Or a matter of the soul?

"Well, you didn't win!" Rael walked over to Avures and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "If you had died!-... Just promise everyone here that you won't run off by yourself into danger like that again."

Glancing around at everyone else, Avures could see their faces all looking with serious intent at him. Lylas, Bif, Ventrix, Olicia...

"I promise I won't do that again... Not alone at least..." Avures's voice took a low tone.

"Good!" Rael dislodged her hand from Avures and smiled. The bubbly attitude returned as she put her arms to her side and looked over at everyone else.

"Ya know, Avures. It might not mean much with only me and Rael having done it, but we voted for ya before the festival. It's cause we trust ya..." Lylas stepped towards Avures and put an arm over the boy's shoulder. "I made a mistake with our plan. I didn't get us all prepared for the worst-case thing happening... We coulda lost two or three of us..."

"That's not really your fault. It's more mine-" Avures stopped as Lylas shook him with a firm force.

"No. I'm supposed to be the leader. It's my responsibility. But, part of that is realizing ya can't expect yourself to do everything..." Lylas's gaze fell toward the ground. "Ya gotta play to your strengths... And let everyone else do the same. This is two-fold, Avures. I'm relying on ya, just like everyone else here. Do the same for us too, eh?"

"I understand. I apologize for not being a team player." Avures bowed his head to everyone.

"Good. Good." Lylas pulled himself away from Avures. "Cause we're gonna do things differently now. I'll call the shots in the moment like usual... But from now on... Avures, I want ya to make the plans we go with."

"Huh? Are you sure? Normally it's you, me, and Olicia... I don't know if I can do that..." Avures's eyes went wide as he looked around at everyone else.

"Well, why not? After all, you made that plan to go out and get the information yourself, right?" Rael tilted her head and crossed her arms. "And from the sound of it... You outsmarted the guy completely... Up until you got your butt kicked."

"To be honest with you, Avures. Your intuition and planning show out sometimes. If what you and Rael said is true, then what are you afraid of?" Ventrix leaned back against the wall while still sitting on the bed. "I'd rather you have us all make sacrifices than have you throw yourself into danger alone."

"Sacrifices..." That word rang throughout Avures's mind. Everything was give and take, wasn't it?

"I mean, c'mon brainiac. Bro is witty and fights smart, but you have those real smarts. Tell me to hit something, I'll do it." Bif cracked his knuckles and grinned.

"Not like you can get all of us killed in one fell swoop." Olicia shrugged and rolled her eyes.

"You did try and test that yesterday..." Bif coughed into his arm. Lylas and Olicia's eyes both snapped right onto him.

"Well... I can try. I have all the information we need to move forward. Just give me some time." Avures rubbed his chin as he walked over to his bag of belongings.

"Ay! That's more like it! How soon do ya think we can save those kids then?" Lylas smiled and clapped.

"Tonight." Avures pulled out a notebook and pen. He looked back over to the rest of them. They all seemed stunned by the idea of going back tonight.

"Really? Well, then let's get together later then when Avures is ready..."

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"Do you really think he'll be able to do it?" Bif kicked the dust up off the dirt path as he walked alongside Lylas.

"Course... Why wouldn't he? Don't ya believe in him?" Lylas held his hands in one of his vest's many pockets as they both traveled down the way.

"Well yeah. But, when under pressure... Avures kinda... Falls flat?" Bif stopped and backed himself against a tree as he rested. "I don't think the guy has ever won a sparing match or fight in his life. I haven't seen him win anyways. If he makes a mistake, he crumbles. What if he gets cold feet on his own plan?"

"That's what I'm here for. And you too. He's gonna make the plan, and we'll follow it. If he loses confidence, we build it back up. Check it, muscle-brain... We've been in big fights where it ain't just ourselves. But Avures, he's only ever been in fights for himself. Not by selfishness, but by the way things are." Lylas walked over to the other side of the tree and leaned against it.

"So... You're saying it'll be different 'cause it involves all of us?" Bif crossed his arms as he watched the white clouds pass by.

"Mhm. Think about it. Something has definitely changed with him from when we first met him. And with last night's whole thing... He won't wanna let us down." Lylas watched as the light breeze caused the grass to sway.

"Hmm... I get it. You might be right, bro."

"And with us... We got the experience. So, it's our job to make sure he doesn't lose focus and doesn't falter."

"Yeah... I'm seeing it. I think he can do it."

"Good. Now as for ya, dumb-ass, don't ever say ya won't die for those children." Lylas stood back up straight and peered around the tree.

"Okay buddy... What the fuck? Who are you to say who I can and can't throw away my life for?" Bif sighed and moved off the tree to stand face to face with Lylas.

"First off, I'm the leader of our group. Second, it's the whole reason we're out here. These kids ain't done anything to deserve what they're going through. Are ya telling me ya can't sympathize a little? Didn't ya grow up around and take care of all those homeless kids too?" Lylas jammed his finger into Bif's chest. Bif swiped Lylas's hand away and scoffed.

"I knew those kids. That's the difference, asshole. These aren't my people. Why should I care? They weren't at my side on the streets. And they sure as hell wouldn't have helped me out." Bif shook his head and rolled his eyes. "And why are you choosing now to bitch about it?"

"Look. It's cause the well-being of those families is at stake. Bif, do me a favor. If it comes down to choosing me or anyone of us versus those kids... Make sure those kids live. Those are my words. My wishes." Lylas pointed his thumb at himself.

"Fine. Whatever buddy." Bif turned away and crossed his arms. The sound of footsteps along the path caught both of their attention. Olicia walked along the path and stopped a few feet away from the two of them.

"Am I interrupting?" Olicia's arms were to her side and her face seemed dreary.

"No-no. Of course not. I actually wanted to be in a bad mood today." Bif let out a single tired laugh as he threw his arms in the air, letting them fall back to his side.

"Bif!..." Lylas gained the blue-haired boy's attention and stared daggers at him.

"Okay... Okay... What is it?" Bif gazed upon Olicia with lazy eyes.

"I... Want to apologize." Olicia averted Bif's eyes as she clasped her hands together above her waist. Bif silently watched on after the apology. Bif sighed and clenched his fist.

"This is so forced. Look. I get blue-blood probably put you up to this, but I don't care." Bif put his hand up and waved it at her while looking away.

"Bif..." Lylas groaned as he covered his eyes.

"Actually... He suggested it... For anyone..." Olicia slipped her hands apart and moved her sight back on Bif. "But I chose to come to you of all people."

"Huh?" Bif froze in his spot. He then raised an eyebrow as he met Olicia's eyes.

"I'm apologizing for my actions, and my words. I need to be a better teammate. A better friend. And it starts with me being honest with you. I've always had trouble communicating because of people always shoving me off or not taking me seriously. And because of that, and some other things, I-" Olicia closed her eyes and gripped her chest, but stopped with surprise when she was cut off.

"Stop. Get this. I don't care." Bif's demeanor became composed and firm, an unusual sight. "As long as it doesn't happen again, we're cool. I get that you have your reasons, but you don't need to explain it to me."

"But I-"

"I'm not going to act like I'm interested in your life story. I don't do that for anyone. That's the honest truth. And with this honesty, I can say that if you're sincere, I won't mock you. I will poke fun where I can though. But when you do that full sarcasm shit... That just... Indifferent and attitude filled response in that serious moment. It pissed me off." Bif's tone stayed steady to the surprise of the other two.

"I see..." Olicia felt the weight of his words crushing her chest as if someone were standing on her.

"And that's me being serious... But it doesn't mean I don't care about you. We're all friends in this together. Be serious when you need to, be honest when you want to, and be sarcastic when you can afford to. Because I'd hate it if you didn't joke around at least a little still..." Bif put his hands on his hips and turned away. He hid a tiny smile on his face.

"I get it... Thank you, Bif..." Olicia felt the corners of her mouth raise slightly. She couldn't help but feel some relief and revel in it.

"That 'bout sums up how I see it too." Lylas yawned out as he stretched his arms behind his head. "I 'spose we should head back and see if Avures is ready, huh?"

Olicia nodded with a larger smile on her face. While she wasn't sure how this all would work out, Olicia felt an air of relief around her now. Like a huge weight was lifted off of her. She didn't expect it to go this well, or for Bif to even listen... But to have aired it out, and at least gotten some loose form of promise in return... It was the first time in her life she could say that she felt so free.

Without another word, the three returned back to Avures, ready to move forward.

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The cart stopped outside of that very cave entrance the six of them were at yesterday. This time, however, things were different. The sky was dark, and only torchlight illuminated the area. Avures, Rael, Olicia, Bif, and Lylas hopped out of the cart one by one. It seemed that since yesterday, the bandits had tried to lay low. They cleaned up the bodies outside, but didn't post another guard at the entrance. Though, with the knowledge Avures had now...

"Aw... Are you sure I can't come in and fight? I don't wanna be stuck with the boring job." Rael pouted and dropped her face to the ground.

"Sorry, Rael. I don't want to risk you getting hurt again. The clerics said you could get seriously hurt if your wound reopens again. It's basically why Ventrix had to stay behind... Well, that and the other thing." Avures shook his head and put his hand on her shoulder. "Besides... This is the most important job."

"Huh?..." Rael perked up almost instantly.

"Mhm. There's twenty or so kids in there. Olicia will escort them out, and then they need someone to safely bring them home. It's the whole reason we're here... Remember?" Avures gazed into her eyes as a spark slowly illuminated itself within her crimson-colored orbs.

"Right!... But wait. Why are you guys staying behind then?" Rael's light slowly dimmed back down.

"Well... We're going to put a stop to this whole ordeal. The four of us will take out this Patchwork guy."

"I know that's the idea, but only four of you guys? I still think we should wait for Ventrix and I to recover. After all, Yuval even said he was too strong..."

"We might lose our only chance to kill him if we hesitate. And whether that's because he flees or gets stronger... I don't want to find out." Avures shook his head and pulled away from Rael.

"Hm... Okay... But don't run a suicide mission by yourself! I'll come back as soon as I can to he-" Rael felt concern come over her.

"Don't worry about it. We're all going to work together and succeed." Avures sighed. He turned away from Rael and waved back to her. The other three followed closely behind. Rael felt the anxiety creep out as she watched her friends venture onward. She would follow Avures's orders... Putting her full faith in him.

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Avures led the group forward. It was convenient of the bandits to keep lit torches along the cavern walls. It kept them from having to bring their own light source. Avures recounted his visions in his head. During the travel here, Avures subjected himself to some showings of the future. All of them were particularly... Dreadful. But as Avures refined his plan, and remembered what he had at his disposal, it seemed as if the path had become more clear. Making last minute alterations, he devised a plan which seemed most likely to creating a good outcome.

With Olicia's Earth Magic, she would open up two tunnels. One that led to where Patchwork stowed himself away, and the other where the children and other bandits lay.

"Wow. That guy's information was right on the money." Olicia opened up her eyes as she faced the end of the cave with the other three. With a quick stomp, the entire cave system lightly shook as packed ground and earth rearranged itself. Two tunnels were revealed.

Bif and Lylas would immediately take the fight to Patchwork. Lylas would use his own discretion on whether the two of them could beat the man on their own, or if they needed to stall for help. But, Avures already knew what entailed...

"Well, we'll be on our way! Y'all better hurry up before muscle-brain and I take all the glory for ourselves." Lylas did a quick salute with a smile on his face before he and Bif ran off ahead.

Which left Olicia and Avures to rescue the kids and take out the remaining bandits. This was done completely intentionally as Bif can be very reckless and Lylas would need to keep him in check. Also, if this Patchwork were to reclose the tunnels, Olicia would be too embroiled in a fight with him to allow backup to come. Which was why after rescuing the kids, Avures would join the fight as soon as possible. Then finally, Olicia would come in and clean it up.

"Let's get moving." Avures took the lead ahead of Olicia. While the other two were in a rush, Avures and Olicia weren't. They casually walked down the path. Although the bandits could not have missed the entire cave reshaping, moving slower allowed them to at least start the conflict as soon as they wanted to. This idea was Avures's thought that the bandits might consider themselves entrenched down there. A small hallway connecting to a bigger room where their "most valuable resource" is. All in all, he was incredibly nervous. He was making full use of everything his friends could do with faith that it would turn out okay based on his premonitions. His future sight was never kind to him, but he was willing to endure that torment if it meant that everything could just turn out okay...

"Avures... I'm sorry for yesterday." Olicia looked to the back of Avures's head.

"It's fine." Avures absentmindedly walked forward as he kept recounting his plan in his head.

"Avures. I'm sorry for what I said. Will you at least hear me out?" Olicia's voice seemed to hint a tinge of frustration at his initial response.

"Huh?... Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts. Go ahead." Avures slowed his pace and walked side by side with Olicia.

"I didn't mean for you to almost... You know. It was just that split moment and I was in pain and frustrated. And... And instead of being a good ally, recognizing the situation, I was a sarcastic asshole. And because of that, I almost got you killed and Ventrix seriously wounded." Olicia's own mouth trembled and fought against her words. She was remorseful, but she didn't expect to lose control of her composure.

"Well... Its my fault too. I should have been more assertive and firm on wanting to take a little bit more time to see the future ahead of us. We could have avoided the situation entirely..." Avures's eyes locked onto the ground.

"But Avures-... This is my fault! Not yours! Can't you take my apology seriously?" Olicia stomped her foot on the ground as her brow furled.

"I am." Avures stopped and saw her expression. "I-... I just don't see it as your fault. You don't need to apologize to me. I don't harbor any resentment towards you."

"Tch." Olicia sighed, the anger on her face melting away at the frustration of her not understanding Avures. "I just don't get you... Then tell me. How do you see all of this?"

"Truthfully, I never saw us completing this job in one go. It was very hopeful thinking at best, and that's not from my future sight either. Sure, it was your fault for not remembering your own ability... But it was all my fault for not slowing things down to be diligent and insightful. I suppose I didn't want to ruin Lylas's pace or idea of how this was going to go down. Which also means this kinda falls on Bif too for being boneheaded and rushing ahead... But blaming him or being mad at him for that?... It's like being mad at a dog for barking." Avures looked past Olicia at the cave ahead of them and shrugged. "When you factor all of that, what you failed to tell us hardly seems like the reason for all this. It, more or less, comes back to me not being assertive enough. After all, I actually have a goal now... But I almost blew it already. What worth do I have if I can't use this power to get us through to the future?"

"It doesn't seem fair to anyone for you to shoulder all the blame." Olicia crossed her arms.

"Which is why that isn't going to happen anymore as long as we all work together. No one is going to shoulder any blame alone." Avures turned himself back to Olicia. Her mouth parted slightly as she dropped her arms back to his side.

"I get it."

"For what its worth to you then, I accept your apology." Avures gave a thumbs-up. Even with the emotionless face, Olicia felt an air of sincerity about it.

"I kinda know what Ventrix meant now when he said we were similar. Though it seems you just have an easier time being more genuine than me."

"In what way? I can't really convey myself. I can feel some emotions... But I can't speak them or show them. I'm just a blank."

"But you tell the truth. You're very unabashedly forward and you don't seem to lie... As far as I know. But Ventrix says we both have a hard time conveying ourselves. Through your inability to express emotion, and my inability to express myself... I can see it. Can't you?"

"I can see how that is similar. Hm... I suppose Ventrix is to you what Rael is to me then?" Avures began moving forward once again.

"Eh?! No! I don't lik-ugh!" Olicia face-palmed as she followed.

"Oh, I didn't mean it like that. I meant like... Rael really tries to break me out of my shell. She tries to make me more expressive. Does Ventrix try to make you do the same?... In your own way of course."

"Well... He's had me pinned mentally and emotionally since the moment we got over our little scuffle. I never struggled around him. But everyone else... He encouraged me to come out to everyone."

"Huh... I still don't really say much about how I feel. Not even to Rael... Minus the festival night."

"I'm sure the whole dream situation didn't help that either." Olicia noticed that she was now walking alone. She stopped in her tracks and looked back towards her partner.

"She told you about that?..." Avures felt his eyes get heavy.

"Yeah... That festival day too. She was asking me for advice and it came up. To be honest with you... I got mad at her. Hearing how she had just brushed you off. And I sympathized with you. Being shrugged off all the time is the reason I still struggle with my own feelings."

"I see." Avures walked forward back to her side, but stopped again with her.

"But she was genuine about it all. About how she wanted to fix things. There's this pure and honest aspect about Ventrix and Rael. I really wish I could be like them when it comes to that." Olicia looked down at her own feet.

"Well. This whole situation may not be your fault... But..." Avures took a deep breath in and let himself relax. "Maybe the two of them are the ones you should apologize to? After all, when you said that about me... If I had just been faster... It seemed as if they were the two most scorned by it."

"I-is that really the case?..." Olicia looked up into Avures's eyes. Unwavering, unmoving.

"They both put their lives on the line to save me there. Regardless of the sarcasm thing or the situation at whole, they probably would have tried to save me in any situation if it came up. We're all friends, aren't we?" Avures put his hand on Olicia's shoulder.

"I didn't see it that way... For someone who can't show it, I think you understand emotion pretty well." Olicia smiled and Avures pulled his hand away.

"If you say so. Let's go save these kids." Avures moved forward, glad to have had this conversation.

"Right. Let's go." Olicia couldn't wait to help out the children, and then apologize to the two friends who needed it the most.

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The echoing sound of quickened breaths and fast footsteps encompassed the cavern. The ever encroaching wave of noise reached its peak and then...

"Alright! Your scheme here is over!" Lylas entered the large, open room within the cavern. His finger instinctively pointed ahead, threatening the one in this cavern.

"They're gonna need to PATCH you back together once we're through with you!" Bif ran to Lylas's side and mirrored his pose. However, the boys were not fully ready for what they had ran into.

The room itself was quite spacious. Most of it was empty with an occasional torch lit against the wall, providing some light. Against the wall on the left side was a wooden bed frame. Beside that was a wooden desk and chair. And beside that lay a large pile of gold pieces, jewelry, and gems. On the other side of the room, there were several weapon racks with various spears, swords and axes. That, along with a couple of training dummies as well.

But what really disturbed the two boys was the man sitting at the desk. A completely hairless man with crude stitching all over his body sat in a chair and was turned towards the two of them. It was impossible to tell what color his skin had originally been. Several thin black lines of stitching seemed to zigzag all over his body. Each shape made in this way was a different shade of skin color. White, to brown to black, and in the center of these shapes sat strange etchings... Sigils. Though this man wore a pair of brown pants tied around his waist with a rope, he wore no shirt or shoes. His build was very muscular, and he easily stood over six feet tall. Even his eyes seemed to be different colors, one being green, and the other yellow.

"Whadda we 'ave here?" The man stood up. Each step forward was slow, but echoed for an eternity as the two boys watched.

"Ah man... I didn't expect him to look so gross!" Bif chuckled as he lowered his finger.

"The guy's name is fuckin' Patchwork. C'mon!" Lylas rolled his eyes and pulled out a knife.

"I 'spose y'er here to donate, yeah?... Heh." Patchwork stopped around ten feet away from the two.

"Jeez... You're just covered with all these shit tattoos." Bif reached for his clubs with a grin on his face.

"Dude has no style whatsoever. And worst of all?... He stole it from a bunch of defenseless children." Lylas gripped his knife until his hand turned white.

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"I bet the 'ol rich guy figured his bribes weren't workin' anymore. So, he sent ya blokes. A couple of kids... Right into the slaughter." Patchwork's lips stretched into a terrifying grin, the corners of his mouth almost literally touching his ears. Lylas and Bif both recoiled at his misshapen expression.

"This guy is gross!... Bro, what's the plan?" Bif looked over to the brown-haired boy.

"I lead, ya follow. Simple, right?" Lylas's daggers both started to glow a light blue. The two boys nodded at each other and began to part ways. One heading to the right, and the other to the left. Patchwork stomped his foot to the ground, and the cave rumbled once more. Looking around, Lylas and Bif noticed that the pathway they took here was now gone. They were isolated. It was concerning, but there was a battle to be fought.

A silence stood between the group. Patchwork threw his arms open, ready for either boy to throw down. The two slowly traced around him. They stopped moving as the two of them stood on both sides of Patchwork equally apart. It was all on Lylas's cue. An opponent that let them flank himself... Either the man had an overabundance of confidence, or he was the real deal.

The air was thick. The room was completely silent. Lylas held his knives and ran his thumb down the handle of each, back and forth as he readied himself. Bif held himself low to the ground, ready to pounce at any moment. His clubs were resting on the floor, and the handles still in his hand.

Lylas's hand twitched...

Without another moment wasted, Lylas took a quick step forward. He began to charge at Patchwork.

"First one's up then!" Patchwork pivoted himself towards Lylas and began a full sprint at him. Bif followed in tow, waiting for Lylas's first move.

Lylas stopped in place immediately and threw his two knives to the side of Patchwork. The man scoffed, thinking he had missed, but then the blue glow caught his eyes. The two knives burst mana forth into two blue luminescent walls. Holding both hands out to his side, Lylas swiftly brought them in ward, making a clap motion. The two daggers followed his movement.

Lylas smirked. His plan was to trap the big guy between the walls and let Bif smack him around from the top. However, Lylas's demeanor quickly dropped when he saw Patchwork stop the walls with his extended arms. The man's stitched hands caught the walls from both sides as he kept himself from being crushed. Even worse so, the walls started to fade and glimmer out. He recognized it instantly. This man was absorbing the mana through his hands.

Lylas had also noticed that four of the sigils on the man's body were glowing bright. One on each arm, and one on each palm. Seeing sigils glow was the giveaway on whether such a power was being used or not. Lylas remembered this from any time Olicia used it. And with just how many sigils sat inbetween the stitches on his body... The reality dawned on Lylas. The two of them were in a supreme amount of danger.

However, Lylas knew that he needed to keep fighting. It was too early to give up or play on the defensive. And even with Patchwork absorbing the mana from his walls, Lylas needed to keep the flow of magic up to it. If he didn't, Patchwork would immediately go after him or Bif. Lylas concentrated as his eyes widened. He wasn't able to move his hands any closer together. It was Lylas's strength and magic versus Patchwork. He poured more mana into the walls. He had to keep this opening for Bif.

Luckily, Bif was already in the air. In the time Lylas had been holding his walls together, Bif leapt up and had both clubs over his head. The boy let gravity do the rest as he descended overtop of Patchwork. He swung the clubs down onto his bald, stitched head. The moment these clubs made contact, a tremendous banging sound erupted. The ground shook quietly. The force Bif had put into his attack could probably level a building. Bif landed on his feet and chuckled. Lylas dropped the electric walls and the daggers fell to the ground. Lylas panted a bit as felt a trickling on his face. Blood started to come down from his nostril. So much mana in such a small time frame...

Bif's joyous laughing would stop suddenly as Patchwork turned slightly and gazed at him. Lylas cursed under his breath.

"Good one, lads. Shame it amounted to nothin, eh?" Patchwork viciously grinned as he pointed to the top of his head and bowed slightly. Even on the crown of his cranium, a sigil lay. The glow of it slowly subsided as he stood straight once more. "My turn..."

Lylas gritted his teeth and threw a knife to the ground below, sprouting a wall out in front of him... But it was too late and not enough. Patchwork burst right through the wall with his entire body. The blockade comprised of mana shattered like glass in his assault. The speed and strength of Patchwork had exceeded anything Lylas could have blocked. With a swift, upward punch, Lylas felt his gut slam into his back as the wind was knocked out of him. Lylas instinctively closed his mouth, but it uncontrollably opened as he coughed up a puddle of blood. Patchwork pulled his fist away from Lylas's torso and turned his hips, unleashing a furious kick. Lylas couldn't move as the man's leg came into contact with his head. A ringing filled the boy's skull as the sheer force of the attack sent him flying and rolling away.

"Lylas! Dammit!" Bif's anger rose as he carelessly ran towards the man. The clubs were each at his side, and as soon as he got in range, Bif took his right cub and swung it towards Patchwork. But, Patchwork stomped the ground and a pillar of rock sprouted up. Bif's hit shattered the rock, but sapped all of the force from his swing. He swung himself around and threw a backhanded swing at Bif's head. Bif grunted in surprise as he swung his left club to meet his attack. The two attacks clashed, and locked each other in place. Bif struggled mightily to hold his arm with the club. The man also seemed to feel the pressure as his smile faded.

"Tch... Agh!..." Lylas gripped at his head as he lay on the ground. He couldn't ever recall a time he had been hit so hard, not even by Bif. His head wouldn't stop ringing.

"Maybe it would have been better to throw myself forward somewhere else..." Lylas regretted trying to block him off there with another wall. He grasped at the ground ahead of him and forced himself back up as he panted. Lylas gasped for air as the pain started to subside. He watched the strength struggle between Bif and Patchwork. It would take some real wit to win this battle... No, to survive it. As it stood, Lylas wasn't sure he could withstand another two blows like that. And he could see that Bif was struggling mightily.

There seemed to be a few issues. This man's strength was insurmountable. Bif might be able to take a couple of hits, but this guy didn't even seem to be using his full power. It also seemed that he was either incredibly durable, or impervious to physical harm. Lylas had to believe in the former, or else there may be no way they even survive this. And lastly, he can absorb mana. Could he utilize it, or did it just nullify it? Did it even matter?

"And to think, Avures put us in this hopeless situation, even after seeing the future... Which means he definitely thinks we can win or survive." Lylas smirked as he grabbed another dagger. Sigils had to be active to provide benefits... That was his thinking. So, if he could catch the man off-guard, he could damage him.

"Up again so soon? Ya wanna be smashed into a bloody pile that much?" Patchwork glared at Lylas as he continued his struggle with Bif.

"Don't ignore me, bitch!" Bif swung his right club back up and straight into the back of Patchwork's head. Lylas was flabbergasted as it seemed that Bif, in his bone-headed brilliance, proved his theory correct. Patchwork was sent onto the ground, but jumped right back up and rubbed the back of his head.

"Fuckin'!..."

"No time to rest!" Bif lunged and swung both of his clubs inward towards the enemy's head... That loud banging sound reverberated once more as both attacks bounced off of him. Patchwork leaned back, and thrust his head forward straight into Bif's face. A loud, sickly crack was heard as Bif tumbled backwards. He landed on his back, still holding onto his clubs. But, he swiftly let go and brought his hands to his nose. It was bent and busted as blood oozed out of both nostrils.

"Bahah!-Look at yer fuckin' nose! Serves ya right, cunt!" Patchwork bellowed out with a devious laugh. But it all stopped as the sudden thrust of a knife was felt in the side of his torse. He grunted in pain as he locked onto Lylas who was all smiles after having the knife hit his target. Lylas spit out a small bile of blood on the ground in front of him. Patchwork growled as he lowered his stance and prepared to leap forward. Lylas pulled another knife out and twirled it around in his hand.

"Even after knockin' the piss outta ya, ya still think y'er hot shit doncha?" Patchwork pulled the knife out of his side and threw it to the ground, but not before draining it of its faint blue glow.

"Yeah... I mean, I figured ya out already. Those sigils are only active when they glow. And with how many there are... If I had to guess, I'd say ya can't use 'em all at once. It's all stolen power. Your body can't handle it." Lylas narrowed his sights onto him. His smile grew wider and he bore his teeth.

"Good god. I must'a hit ya harder than I thought." Patchwork cracked his knuckles. Lylas continued to twirl the knife in his hand. Without any more pause, the ground under the man's feet cracked and gave way as he darted towards Lylas. Bif finally forced himself back onto his feet, just in time to watch.

Lylas gripped the knife and threw it at the advancing enemy. Patchwork batted the knife out of the way with his left arm following a glowing sigil. Lylas cringed as the man was too fast and strong. There was no time to move. Patchwork grabbed both sides of Lylas's head, and thrusted his right knee into his face. A sickly crunch erupted forth and blood splattered out both sides.

"Lylas! No!" Bif clutched his nose and reached out towards the two. A mixture of rage and grief penetrated Bif as he watched his friend's skull get mashed into the man's knee. But the feelings quickly turned into awe as he watched, what was supposed to be Lylas, fizzle out. His body turned to a blue color... Bif recognized this. Those magic clones he had unveiled at the tournament. Which meant... Bif looked to where Patchwork had deflected the knife. Lylas held the knife in mid-air as he began falling. As the clone fully dispersed, Patchwork frantically turned his head and searched for Lylas.

"Gotcha!" Lylas reached into his coat, and unleashed a hail of blades down and around his opponent. Patchwork had no time to move. He turned towards the assault and knocked aside any knives that were aimed right at him. But the moment he did, he saw the boy's plan unfold right in front of him. There was a circle of knives surrounding Patchwork, and they all glowed bright.

"Tch! What's this?" The man watched as the knives all formed a circular wall around him with a dome overtop. It was a small entrapped area. Lylas landed on his feet and took a deep breath.

"I know how to beat ya..." Lylas's hands both lit up with a dark blue color.

"Please. I'll just eat it like I did last time." Patchwork confidently strode up to the spherical wall and put his hand up to it. But, the moment he did, a slew of knives rained down from the top of the dome, barely slicing his hand. Patchwork jumped to the middle of the dome and glared up. Sure enough, balls of mana hung at the top, forming into knives, and then propelled down towards him. This even began from all sides. Sighing, Patchwork's entire body glowed. Every single sigil lit up as he was assaulted by Lylas's created knives. The knives would hit his body, and then bounce off. To which, Lylas would quickly dispell them before the mana could possibly be absorbed. In short, Lylas put him in a trap of raining daggers. And at that, a low mana one trap.

Lylas knew that if Patchwork even stopped using one sigil, even for a moment, he could pierce him. However, it also seemed odd to him that his enemy didn't try to just barrel through like before. Though his dome was stronger than just the wall, Lylas knew his strength could probably overcome it. But now he knew that every sigil on his body could be used at once. And it made him practically impervious. Despite this, no movement. This was something Lylas was okay with. It meant that if he could keep this up, stalling for Olicia and Avures would be a piece of cake.

But of course, that would be too easy.

"Shit! Bro! Are you okay?" Bif stared wide-eyed at his friend. Lylas grunted in excrutiating pain as he continued to concentrate on his trap. He gritted his teeth and his eyes began to shake and stir. He yelled out in agony as blood began to trickle down his back. In but a moment's notice, a spear seemed lodged right into Lylas's back. Lylas's breaths became labored as he carefully reached back and yanked the spear out. He screamed aloud as he then pulled the weapon to his front. This spear... The weapons rack in the room. Lylas's eyes darted over, and sure enough, there was an empty spot on the rack.

"Y-yeah..." Lylas dropped the spear to the ground and continued to focus in on Patchwork, who was all smiles.

"I wouldn't be taking my eyes off'a that." Patchwork caught one of the knives in the barrage. Lylas had hardly noticed, and by the time he had, it was too late. But what happened surprised him.

Patchwork took the knife, a singular sigil stopped glowing, and he cut his own skin on that same area. Particularly it was across the left side of his chest by his collar bone. Afterwards, he threw the knife aside and reactivated the sigil. Lylas watched the endeavor wide-eyed and confused as to why he did that. But his question would soon be answered as the ground began to rumble.

Bif and Lylas watched in awe as a pillar of earth sprang up in the cave. The pillar was easily over ten feet tall, and about three times as wide. Slowly, it chiseled into a robust humanoid form while retaining its size, the excess rocks crumbling off and being shaved away.

"What the fuck is that?" Bif grabbed his clubs with urgency.

"It's called a golem num-nuts!" Patchwork remained unmoved. The golem made from light brown earth and rocks made no audible sounds, but slammed its fists on the ground. The cavern shook once more. The intensity of the shaking forced Lylas onto one knee. Then, without warning, the golem started lumbering towards Lylas. The shadow cast from the torches behind it laid over the boy.

"Oh no you don't!" Bif charged in towards the animated lump of rocks. Bif leapt up, abandoning all self-preservation, and slamming both of his clubs into the golem's left arm. Rocks split and packed dirt exploded outward as the arm shattered at the force of the swing. The golem stumbled to its right. Bif landed on the ground. He smiled and wiped some blood from under his broken nose. However, he frowned and readied himself once more as he watched the crumbled stone and dirt rise back up and reform onto the golem.

"Shit... This is no good. I have to-Fuck!" Lylas gasped and clutched his side as something sharp cut him across the torso. Looking to where it came from, he saw the same spear that just stabbed him. The weapon was floating in mid-air and had fresh blood on the tip of it. Lylas stood himself up immediately and looked between Patchwork, Bif and the Golem, and the spear.

"Told ya, didn't I?" Patchwork loudly proclaimed. Lylas came to another realization as well. As soon as the worry popped in his head, he looked. He saw the other weapons on the rack start to also float in the same manner. Multiple swords, axes, and spears were pointed straight at him. If Lylas let this trap go, he was dead. But, if he slipped up in avoiding those weapons, he was also dead.

"This is bad... Real bad..." Lylas gritted his teeth and evaluated the situation. Arguably, dealing with this guy probably would have been easier before he trapped him. That much Lylas was certain of. But, letting up now was not an option.

The golem... Bif could surely handle it. But Lylas wasn't sure about whether it functioned off of Patchwork's mana, or if he could also just keep it active for as long as he wanted.

The weapons... That was magic. Not surprising for an Earth Magic user. But, it was very troublesome and both Lylas and Bif were in real trouble if they let their guards down.

Patchwork... He just seemed content with blocking the attacks and hitting them indirectly. It was his advantage, and Lylas practically gave it to him.

Their path to victory... They'd have to keep stalling. Hopefully, their enemy would run out of mana before them. That was Lylas's hope. As long as he could avoid the weapons, and Bif could take down the golem...

Lylas sighed, and turned his head... He met face to face with a sword racing towards his eye. It was inches away, and these weapons were so fast... Bif swung his club downward and the other outward, blocking the flurry of metal weaponry that was assailing Lylas. Somehow, Bif made it in time to him in time to block it.

"Muscle-brain... I appreciate the assist... But worry about yourself more. I won't be able to help ya. We just need to-" Lylas powered himself up as he lectured Bif. A dark blue glow surrounded Lylas's body.

"Yeah, yeah... I know, bro..." Bif took a deep breath and let it out. Then, he sprinted at the golem. Lylas felt as if Bif probably didn't listen to him, but it mattered not. The weapons all rose back up, and shredded through the air towards him. Using what mana he could spare, Lylas pushed his body to his limits with Enchantment magic. As weapons flew around him and tried to slice through him, Lylas jumped, rolled, leaned, and dodged as many as he could. This, while also keeping his concentration on the trap. Lylas expertly evaded the weapons, and continued to hold back Patchwork.

Bif watched the golem's right fist slam down towards him as he approached. This great, giant construct was powerful, but slow. Bif sidestepped the fist, but stumbled as the force shook the ground below him. Refusing to give any advantage or ground, Bif recomposed himself and leapt onto the golem's rocky arm. The golem took its left hand and attempted to swipe down the length of its right arm. Trying to swat Bif off like a bug, the golem failed as Bif easily hurdled the hand. He then continued to run up the earth-like appendage, keeping his balance as he did so. With his target in range, Bif brought his clubs out wide, and swung inwards. Several chunks of stone and dirt compacted or crumbled off at the force. The head of the golem had become half its size with the attack. And, with one more brutal swing with both clubs to the same side, Bif bludgeoned its head off completely, having it slam into the wall of the cavern.

The body recoiled and tried to keep its balance. Bif looked triumphant for a moment... Before something sharp pierced his shoulder. Bif winced in deep pain as he threw aside one of his clubs to see what happened. A sword was lodged into his right shoulder. Then he remembered that he wasn't dealing with just the golem. Bif quickly yanked the sword out from his shoulder and threw it down below. He tried as best as he could to evade the incoming weapons, but there were too many. Swords, spears, axes... Bif made a valiant attempt to stay atop the golem's shoulders, but eventually lost his balance and went tumbling down onto the ground. Bif braced for the fall, and managed to quickly get back on his feet after hitting the ground. But, the attack wasn't over.

The weapons sliced through the air and circled around him, trying to cut through him. Bif used his club to bat down most of the weapons. Metal hitting metal, and then hitting the ground. The focus, the sounds; Bif never noticed the chunk of rock refitting to the golem's body.

"Muscles, above!" Lylas urgently threw a barrage of knives towards Bif's location while still somehow managing to evade harm from the weaponry assaulting him. Bif stopped in place and looked up. The golem was still towering above him and with its head reattached. The golem had balled both of its fists up, and was bringing them straight down onto Bif. The knives Lylas threw made contact with some of the weapons assaulting Bif, knocking them off-course and away. The others were sent directly above Bif and activated, forming a blue wall above him.

But it wouldn't be enough as the golem's attack shattered the walls at the touch. Lylas couldn't afford to make those barriers any stronger. And thus, he couldn't even manage to get Bif some time to dodge out of the way. Bif's eyes went wide as he recognized the predicament he was now in. With little to no time to try anything else, Bif threw his club aside. He planted his feet and tightened his entire body. An ice blue aura enveloped him as he raised his arms up and thrust his palms into the golem's balled fist. Bif caught the attack. A small crater formed from the pressure and stress. Bif's feet were pressed down into the cracked earth. His teeth were clenched and his eyes bloodshot as he fought for his life under the sheer strength of the golem. His body shook with an intensity unmatched by Lylas or Patchwork.

A slicing sound echoed through the cavern. Followed by several more. Lylas felt his heart sink to the floor as he managed to twist around to look over at Bif...

Bif coughed and spat up blood on himself and the shattered ground in front of him. His expression was pained and his eyelids started to lower. He began to shake more and more as the overwhelming strength of the giant was beginning to become too much for him. Bif's body now had several, numerous slashes and wounds all over his chest and legs. His lack of armor was doing him no favors. But Lylas knew Bif wouldn't have it any other way.

Bif strained and grunted. Every muscle was screaming in agony. He could feel the pressure mounting. His knees and arms were buckling. The extraordinary pain from his fresh wounds were amplified under these conditions. He was starting to give out.

"I'm not dying like this!... I'm not dying for these stupid fucking kids!... And neither is Lylas!..." Bif felt like the world was crumbling around him. He pulled from deep within himself. Bif screamed out. His mouth went agape as the cavern was overtaken with the sound of Bif unleashing his vocal fury. Patchwork stared at the boy with a concerned look. The weapons all fell to the ground motionless. Lylas was able to stop dodging for a moment, catching his breath with his hands on his knees as he glanced over.

"If you think I'm dying like this...!" Bif channeled his fury and remaining strength into whatever magic he could. Though, he tempered it as well as possible. He had a great resolve now, a plan. And if he accidentally triggered his Manadrosis, it was all over. A light, airy mist seeped from Bif as his light blue aura seemed to concentrate itself into his hands. Suddenly, the balled fist of the golem became covered and fully encapsulated by ice. The ice overtook the entirety of the golem's body in a matter of seconds.

"You've got me fucked up!" Bif took his right foot and practically lunged forward as he retained his grip on the frozen fist. Then, he screamed aloud once more as he struggled and strained. To the surprise of both onlookers, the frozen body of the golem lifted from the ground. And in but a moment, Bif slammed the entire construct onto the ground in front of him. The body went entirely over his head, and made contact with the hard ground. The ice covered body completely shattered into a million pieces of blue and brown. It was comparable to the sound of glass being broken as the cave reverberated with the sound of Bif's triumph.

"I don't care about any of these children or whatever else!..." Bif caught his breath as stood with a big smile on his face. Lylas cringed at his friend's statement. Patchwork looked rather confused. Bif held out his arms. His two clubs had an aura surround them as they seemed to fling right back into his hands.

"The only thing I care about now... Is beating you in the head till I see brain coming out." Bif bore his teeth in a wide demonic-looking grin. Without waiting for anything more, BIf surged towards the entrapped Patchwork.

"Bif! Don't!" Lylas reached his hand out towards his friend, but was not fast enough on the uptake to stop him. Bif threw his entire body through the dome. It completely fell apart in the face of the boy's strength, raining down around and in between Bif and Patchwork. Lylas watched as the aura around his hands and body faded, and then looked back towards his friend.

Bif brought both of his up above his head. With a swing full of absolute rage and fury, Bif unleashed all his might upon Patchwork...

The man's entire body glowed bright once more as he crossed his arms and brought them up to block Bif's attack. With a solid thud... Bif and Lylas were stunned. Bif's arms and weapon shook as he tried to lay in the pressure. Patchwork also braced himself and bent his knees to defend himself. It seemed to be a stalemate, but only for a moment. Patchwork thrust his guard towards Bif, bouncing his weapons off of him. The man put his left hand to the ground. Within a single moment, the earth molded around his arm and then dispersed, making a blade-like cover for his arm using metals and minerals from the ground below. Two slices...

Bif winced in pain and agony as he stumbled backwards and spit up blood. A new, fresh cut spanned across the length of his chest. Bif took a few more unstable steps backwards before falling to his knees. His breaths were extremely labored. And even though it seemed as if he was on

the front step of death's door, he couldn't help but notice how much lighter the load on his left arm felt now.

"Hm... Unlucky. I meant to kill ya with the first, and take yer arm off with the second. I 'spose the weapon oughta do though." Patchwork held that arm of his in front of him. A dark brownish, silver-like material spanned from his elbow down overtop of his hand. It was sharp at the end, like a sword. "Welp, I'm pretty run dry now... This is yer last chance, heh."

Bif looked up in rage as he saw his left club... It was completely cut in half. What he held in his hand now was no more than a wooden and metal handle. Bif shook his head and threw the handle aside. He still had his right club, and that was all that mattered.

"Dammit!" Bif slammed his fist into the ground. "Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!"

Bif continued to punch the ground in a fit of anger as he was on his knees. Why wasn't he strong enough to hurt this guy? Why didn't anything seem to work? Stall for time? Bif was insulted at the notion of it. It seemed as if his ego and pride were creeping up at him once again... The same kind that kept him from using magic, the same kind that made him harbor a grudge towards his hero, the same kind that got him beaten by Rael and almost thrown out.

"Bif! Are ya okay?" Lylas ran over and knelt beside his friend. They were both bloodied and worn. Patchwork scoffed and crossed his arms. But with his friend-... No, his brother at his side... Bif felt that there was one last thing he could do. He could swallow his pride like he had before, and put every trick he had into one last gambit.

"You know what's weird, Lylas?..." Bif turned his head and grinned at his friend. "We never call each other by our names unless its real serious... It might just be an oddity, or something all pals do... But I'd like to think its because we know when to get serious."

"Bif. I totally get it, but this ain't the time to-"

"Serious as in... I'm sorry I can't bring myself to give a fuck about those kids. Maybe it'll be different someday. But like I said, I'm not dying for these kids." Bif shakily managed to stand himself back up to his feet. "Because I'm not dying here. And neither are you."

"What are ya getting at?" Lylas stood up alongside him.

"Give me your power. I need your strength, whatever you can muster." Bif narrowed his eyes onto Lylas's own.

"Hey, this isn't a suicide mission. No need to treat it like one." Lylas shook his head and put his hand out to his side.

"We're staring death in the face and you're saying this isn't a "suicide mission"? Either you're not as smart as everyone gives you credit for, or he must have kicked your head real hard." Bif raised an eyebrow at his friend.

"Ya know what I mean..." Lylas broke his gaze with Bif and looked to the ground. "Though... I guess it makes no difference. I'm almost empty. I got only a small amount of mana left to give ya."

"I'll take it. But not just that. The other thing too."

"That's all I-" Lylas looked back into his friend's eyes.

"Bullshit. Give me. The other thing. Don't play stupid. We've fought each other hundreds of times up to this point... And admittedly... You've won almost all of them. If you think I haven't noticed that ability..." Bif didn't bother to finish that thought. Lylas couldn't help but pull his eyes away.

"It's yours for this fight then... Ya just gotta make sure ya manifest it." Lylas put his hand onto Bif's shoulder. A faint blue aura emerged from Lylas's body, and traveled down his arm and into Bif. Bif felt energized, like he had just taken a midday nap. As Lylas pulled his hand away, Bif shot right back up to his feet. And now, he felt as confident as ever. Sure, it wasn't much, but fresh mana was a godsend to Bif's wounded body. And besides that, he could feel that power of Lylas's swirling within him. Which also meant it was time to unveil the trick that would win him the day.

"Yer buds right, ya know that? I'm sure if the two of ya reopen that cavern fast enough, ya could make a run for it." Patchwork uncrossed his arms and cracked his neck.

"Oh wow. You might be strong, but you sure are clueless. That's really playing to out biggest advantage right now." Bif threw his only remaining club onto his shoulder and laughed.

"I beg yer pardon?"

"Do you really think we just ran head first into this cavern to fight you? And who do you think opened up the passage to here in the first place?" Bif chuckled some more as he shook his head. "And people call me dumb."

"What ar-" It had suddenly dawned on Patchwork. Neither of these boys had displayed earth magic. It was lightning and ice. Which indicated to him that neither one of them could have made that tunnel here in the first place.

"Aw see. You're getting it now, huh? Well its too late, and I won't be letting you play catch-up."

"Then its time I killed the two of ya, eh?"

"You can try..." Biff took a deep breath... And let go. The ground underneath him cracked and shook. His body seemed to have a new shine to it with the torchlight's illumination. It was very clear to Lylas, something changed with Bif.

"What is that?" Lylas watched the strange glimmer on his friend as Bif looked at him.

"This... Is my Shade."

----------------------------------------

"So... How does this Shade stuff work?" I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorway to my friend's room.

"Well. A Shade is called The Shade of the Soul, and it re-"

"Whoa whoa whoa... C'mon now, Brainiac. Put it in terms easy for me." I shook my head and chuckled at my friend. What a strange guy. He's just so awkward and seems oblivious sometimes. But, he is super smart. We're basically like opposites.

"Okay. You take Flow in, and turn it into whatever you want." Avures shrugged as he stood up from his desk. "That's the simplest way to explain it. You should know what it feels like already. Just... Use it."

"Huh?... Is it really that easy?" I tilted my head to the side. I swear, if this stuff was really this simple and Avures just had an easy leg up on me...

"Well. It needs refined. Practiced. And it can be whatever you want it to be. Just be careful not to make it too powerful."

"Why? Isn't it supposed to be powerful?" I shook my head. Something new to train... It was bad enough I had to fit mana training into my regiment. Now this?

"Flow is dangerous. Use a Shade too much, or a Shade that needs way too much of it, and it'll tear you apart. Literally." Avures looked stone cold at me. It was like his normal expression, but with way more intensity. I stopped leaning on the doorway, and he gestured for me to sit next to him on his bed. As I walked over, I happened to catch that red-head leaving the room as well.

"Oh. Hi, Bif! Bye, Bif! Bye, Avures!" Rael seemed to have no time for talk as she hastily left the room and shut the door behind her.

"Damn. No time to stay, huh..." I shrugged as I sat down onto the bed.

"Nope. She's grabbing some stuff for our next Festival Week activity. I'm glad you didn't barge in like you usual do earlier. We just finished getting dressed." Avures sat down next to me and sighed... Wait, what?

"Wait... You both changed in here? In the same room? Without leaving?" I turned to look at Avures. He simply shrugged.

"Yeah. Is there something wrong with that?" He looked back at me. He wasn't being sarcastic or anything either. I could tell from the look on his face. That small hint of curiosity. "We normally just turn around and change at the same time."

"Oh... Nothing, bro... I mean, have you ever... peeked? Is she... Stacked?" I glanced around the room and grinned as I looked back at him. I couldn't lie to myself. I've thought Rael was pretty attractive myself, but she's just not my type. Older women have always been my thing. But, I was at least a little curious as to how she might look...

"What?-No!" Avures's face lit up like a fire after my question. It was probably the most emotion I had ever seen on his face. Though, his expression itself hardly ever changed. "I've never had the mind to peek. And what do you mean by 'Stacked'?"

"Oh... You know..." There was no way this guy was this clueless. "Does she have... Like a big..."

I began to make gestures. I brought both my hands up to my chest slowly and made a squeezing motion. The look on Avures's face was overtaken by this lava-like color. Next I carefully stood up and pushed my hips out backwards and gestured to my rear end. I then sat down as Avures covered his face with both of his hands. I couldn't help but chuckle as I watched him overflow with embarrassment. He took a deep, deep breath and sighed. He then lifted his face from his hands, still looking somewhat like a tomato.

"Bif... I wouldn't know. I don't-... I don't look or peek at her like that. Besides, she wears wraps on her chest..." Avures closed his head and continuously shook it.

"Oh okay... Wait! How do you know she wears wraps on her chest?!" I jumped off his bed and shot my finger up to his face. The biggest grin imaginable was planted on my face.

"Hey, I forgot my gold and heard shouting in here. What's going on?" The red-head herself opened the door and walked into the room. Avures's face was still the same color, and now he was just quietly stammering. I took this moment to play out the most devious idea in my head.

"Glad you're here, Rael! Brainiac here was just telling me how you wear wraps. I didn't know that." I had a big smile on my face and shrugged.

"Oh. Yeah. Its so I can fit into my armor and training gear." Rael nonchalantly walked over to her side of the room and grabbed a bag of gold from her dresser. "I kinda wear them all the time except when I'm sleeping. It's just easier that way."

"Oh..." I hadn't expected such an easy-going response. I was hoping for an awkward situation to laugh at. "Okay well... I have a question for you."

"Go ahead. Shoot. But I have to get going." Rael rushed back over to the door and waited on me.

"So, you two change in the same room and all..." Rael nodded her head to my statement slowly. "Have you ever... peeked at Avures."

I glanced over to the boy himself. His eyes were widened and his face looked grim. I looked back to Rael who covered her mouth and started to blush as well. She was holding back bouts of laughter. It was very thinly veiled and muffled, so it was apparent to both me and Avures.

"Mm-... Yeah!" Rael burst out laughing as her entire face started getting red.

"What... Do you mean... 'Yeah'? Avures's hands rested on top of his head as he donned a fifty yard stare.

"C'mon, Avures. We grew up together. It's not that big of a deal. And besides... I was curious..." Rael was still giggling as she trailed off on the last part. "I mean... I'm sure you've seen me like that too."

"No! He hasn't." As soon as the words left my mouth, Avures just tilted over and laid on his bed without another word or expression. Rael was wheezing and gripping onto the door frame for dear life. "He said he 'doesn't peek at you like that'..."

"Wow! Pf... You're really missing out..." Rael let out a few more involuntary laughs before being able to settle down. "Wait. Why'd you bring this up?"

"Oh. I was curious and asked Brainiac if you were stacked." I chuckled a few more times as I looked back over at the destitute boy laying on his head. I looked back at Rael.

"Oh wow!..." Rael laughed a few more times... And then, without warning, threw a punch at me that hit me square in the jaw. I was overtaken by the pain and force of it and sent onto my rear end. I clutched and rubbed my jaw as I looked back at her.

"C'mon!" I threw my hands up in the air as I looked her dead in the eyes. She had a sly smile on her face as she shook her head.

"Why would you tell me that? Moron." Rael slammed the door behind her. I was left in an empty and quiet room with Avures... I laughed about it a few more times before getting up.

When Avures was functional once more, I prodded him again...

"So, if I wanna make a Shade that just... Makes me stronger... It can do that?" My hand rested under my chin. I was in deep thought. Which was really shallow waters when you think about it but I had an idea.

"Yeah. But if I have a hunch on how strong you're thinking... It takes a lot of Flow to sustain that. It'll ravage your body. You need a balance between strength and sustainability." Avures shook his head and crossed his arms.

"Is there anyway to not make it kill me?" I sighed in disappointment. Anything less than what I have in mind wouldn't be enough. And I'm not creative enough to just come up with something like Avures did.

"Well... You could place arbitrary drawbacks on it..." Avures looked at me and tilted his head. I looked back at him like he had three eyes.

"What does that mean? C'mon... Normal talk for me."

"One of the classes with Zen on magic. He explained that there's pacts that can be made with Mana and Flow to make yourself stronger."

"Huh... Okay..."

"I got to witness this concept first hand when I saw George fight... His Shade is one that can severely damage someone, or even outright kill a person."

"So, what kind of drawback did he have for that?"

"The drawback... Was that his Shade could do the same to him..."

"I think I'm starting to see where I can take this then..."

----------------------------------------

"With my Shade, I'm twelve times as strong! But, I'm also four times as vulnerable... When you put it together... Twelve minus four... '9 in 1'... That's my Shade!" Bif's entire body seemed like it was glossed over. The energy and power from his Shade encapsulated him in such a fashion.

"Oh I see... Say, Muscle-Brain, I get your line of thinking with the name... But you're stupid." Lylas face-palmed.

"Huh? You're just mad I have a Shade and you don't!" Bif flipped off Lylas and was going to turn around, but Lylas shook his head and yelled.

"Twelve minus four is eight, dumb-ass! Not nine!" Lylas put his hands on the side of his head and sighed.

"What? No it's not-... Hold on..." Bif took his left hand and started counting. "So nine plus four, right?... Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirt-..."

"Ah-huh..." Lylas shook his head as Bif fell silent. "Can you just kick this guy's ass already?"

"Right! And, '9 in 1' sounds cooler than '8 in 1'... Just for the record. Alright! I'm gonna beat you into a pulp!" Bif pointed his club outwards towards Patchwork. The fight was kicking off again once more.

"And ya called me dumb..." Patchwork uncrossed his arms and held them out to his side. Then, he strode forward and took off at a blinding speed. His target lay dead ahead. Patchwork pulled his right arm back, and wound up a devastating punch aimed right at Bif's face...

A resounding thud was heard... Patchwork was slightly bent over and his mouth agape. He retched and coughed as a mixture of blood and spit came up. Bif's left hand was in the shape of a fist and firmly planted in his torso. Bif had merely sidestepped the punch and countered with one of his own.

"B-but I-" Patchwork coughed and gasped for air as Bif pulled his fist away.

"But what?" Bif took the club off of his shoulder and swung it across Patchwork's face. The sigils all lit up once more... But the hit made the enemy stumble and knocked his head to the side. Bif then followed up with a swing back to the other side, coming under Patchwork's chin and knocking his head up. The man stumbled back as he grunted and yelled in short bursts. The pain was something he hadn't expected.

Bif scoffed and narrowed his eyes in on his opponent. Patchwork recomposed himself, grimacing with a fury in his eyes when he was suddenly knocked backwards and into the air by another force. The man tumbled backwards and rolled a few feet on the ground.

"Wow. Has it always been that easy?" Bif looked back at Lylas with a raised brow. All he had done was focus in on the same place he hit Patchwork... And the force repeated.

"Pretty much." Lylas sighed as he watched Bif launch their opponent backwards. His entire body ached and he was in some serious pain. Everything felt heavy, and some tiredness was setting in. He decided to just sit back and let Bif handle the rest.

"No more playin around..." The stitched man forced himself back up. No more did he sport that devious grin, but instead, a scowl full of hatred. Every single sigil on his body glowed with a furious intensity.

Bif wasn't much of a thinker but, from what he observed, all of these sigils did different things. Some seemed to overlap and do the same thing. But even with all of these, there seemed to be a limit he had that Bif's strength just superseded. The man was basically invulnerable before, but Bif had struck him right through that artificial toughness. A threshold existed, and Bif had somewhat overcome it with the use of his Shade. Which meant that he was on a time limit against the ravaging effects of Flow.

Bif got serious. From here on out, he had to fight like everything was on the line.

In a flash, the fight continued. Bif and Patchwork both charged at each other in a fury. Bif launched the first attack. He two-handed his club and swung it to the left towards his enemy's shoulder. Patchwork managed to duck under the attack just in time. The stitched man put his arms out wide and leapt, trying to take Bif to the ground. But Bif used the momentum of his swing to turn, lift his leg, and kick Patchwork straight in the chest.

Patchwork tumbled backwards but managed to land on his feet... Only to be struck once more by the same force. This time, it completely shot him backwards and cratered him into the wall of the cavern. He screamed out in agony and tried to catch his breath. However, Bif would not let up on his assault. Heading straight towards the man, Bif reeled his club arm back as he came close...

Patchwork opened his mouth as far as he could, exposing that his mouth did, in fact, open up almost to his ears. It was an uncanny sight as his jar seemed to practically unhinge as well. As Bif was mere inches away, he saw the reasoning for it. A bright glowing sigil... Inside and on the roof of his mouth. As it reached its brightest point, a yellow laser fired out of his mouth straight at Bif. Bif's eyes went wide as he barely managed to duck himself out of harms way.

But it wouldn't save him from Patchwork's next move. The man quickly unlodged himself from the crater and kicked Bif as the boy had ducked. The kick hit straight across his chest.

"No... If what Muscle-Brain said was true..." Lylas cringed and closed his eyes, unwilling to watch. "That's gotta hurt..."

"That's right... No kid is gonna make a fool of me..." Patchwork's full lips curled into a smile.

"G-Gah!" Bif felt the wind forcibly leave his body as he recoiled from the intense strike he just suffered. That four times vulnerability... It had just reared its ugly head. Bif struggled to even force himself to move. The agony was overwriting his own will to keep going.

"How's that, eh?... Y'er a dead-man." The stitched man waited for Bif to stand a little straighter. Then, he unleashed a vicious punch straight to his face. The force of this attack sent Bif airborne for a moment and had him rolling across the cavern floor. Lylas glared on, his eyes wide open as he saw his friend motionless on the floor. Lylas's hand curled into a fist and turned white. The glimmer overtop of Bif's body had vanished. Patchwork walked on over to Bif with a carefree attitude.

As Patchwork got closer and closer, Lylas balled his fist tighter and tighter... Until he just let go. Lylas took a deep breath and sighed. Patchwork took one more step. Suddenly, Bif reignited and shimmered once again. The boy was instantly back up on one knee, and swung his club down low. The metal made contact with the man's knee. Patchwork let out a deafening scream of torment as he fell to his knees.

"That idiot actually fell unconscious... I pulled my ability back because I thought I'd have to use it to save him... What a jackass..." Lylas shook his head and watched on.

"Tricked you..." Bif smiled as he jumped up to his feet. Bif showcased his confidence, trying to act like he didn't just get knocked out.

"Dammit, Bif! Don't be playing games! Either win or stall!" Lylas cupped his mouth and stood up to his feet.

Bif rolled his eyes and lifted his club high. He then brought down the weapon with great force. The metal made a sickly cracking sound erupt from Patchwork's head. The man made no noise or utterance. Bif then followed it up with a series of swings, each swing hitting him in the skull again and again. Patchwork did nothing to evade these, just sitting on his knees. No sound, and no motion besides the involuntary movement from Bif's attacks. Thwack after thwack. Attack after attack.

"Pf... Bro are you seeing this? I think he's given up... Haha." Bif looked over to Lylas and smiled as he continued the attacks. In fact, Patchwork seemed completely unresponsive.

"Then finish it! Actually crush his head or something!" Lylas felt a tinge of nervousness. Something wasn't right. An overwhelming feeling of dread was starting to rise deep within.

"Alright alright... Time to die!" Bif reeled his club back as far as he could, and brought down the full force of his might into the swing.

The sound of tearing flesh... A terrifying ripping sound... A slash right across Bif's chest as he stopped his swing entirely. Patchwork grinned eagerly as he held his arm up. That arm covered with metals and minerals having just sliced Bif deeply across his chest.

"A-Agh!" Bif stumbled backwards and lowered his swinging arm. He grabbed at his chest where the wound was, and a crimson red quickly seeped over and covered his hand. He clenched his jaw and gritted his teeth, before screaming out as he suffered from the horrendous pain.

"How is it ya fell to yer own trick?... Heh... Time to die? I couldn't agree more." Patchwork stood himself to his feet, pointed his bladed arm at Bif, and lunged forward.

The ringing sound of piercing flesh rang throughout the cavern. The echoing sound of mortality...