Ares had learnt how to fly! Ok, not really, but he had just been thrown off a rooftop. In his quest to damage Veteran even a single time, he'd ran straight to the top floor with the intent of leaping down the entirety of the building and using the momentum to increase the force behind his attack. In a vacuum this was a great idea, in practice it was not. He thought he'd snuck away from Veteran successfully but he'd actually just been followed by the guy in secret. As soon as Ares reached the top of the building he was planning on calling out to him to bait him into walking outside and into his line of sight. He would then jump off and stomp on Veteran's head... As Veteran had been right behind him the whole time, Ares was simply punted off the building via a boot to the spine. Luckily this fall wouldn't be lethal if he fixed his posture and landed on his feet but that didn't mean he was some kind of cat either. Landing in this manner was not going to be pleasant and he was only willing to tolerate it provided he got a hit in against Veteran. As that was obviously not going to be the case, this was just pointless! This was also the second time he'd attempted to gain some kind of advantage by escaping to the higher floors only to have it backfire miserably... Maybe there was a lesson worth learning here, or maybe he was an idiot who would do it again later down the line regardless. Ares flipped his body, so that he wasn't about to plant his head into the ground like an ostrich, and braced himself as he crashed into the street below.

BANG

Ares was thankful to Bellona and Enyo for getting the Utilitarian into his grubby mitts. Well the boots were on his feet but the point remained that he was glad he had them otherwise this experience would have been far more painful. It still wasn't the kind of thing he'd want to do again, as he felt the shock vibrate his entire body from toe to head upon landing, but at least the impact was dulled slightly and he didn't break anything... Anything other than the floor anyway. The street had been bent out of shape and there was now a giant hole in the road. To be fair, it pretty much took a pothole of this size to get a local mayor to pay attention and fix the issue so Ares was probably doing the community a favour if anything. Or well he would have if A; this wasn't a simulation and B; the entire city hadn't been a destitute warzone before he'd even arrived. There were all sorts of holes dotting the landscape as a result of extensive shelling that ceaselessly bombarded the area. The burnt wreckage of various vehicles, knocked over lampposts, and flickering traffic lights all indicated Ares' little addition would probably go unnoticed. If anything his contribution was the least impressive.

He turned his head upward and checked in with Veteran back on the rooftop. He was expecting the guy to be peeking over the edge at him but Ares realised he was dead wrong. Without a moment's hesitation Ares turned around and ran away from his current spot, just barely in time to dodge the man shaped meteor plummeting towards the street.

BANGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

The hole was now considerably more impressive as it's depth had roughly quadrupled. It was so deep that some sewage spewed up from a gap in the bottom of hole and landed next to Ares' feet. He had to take a few steps back because it was a rather repugnant stench like that of rotting carcasses and faeces mixed together... Actually, it probably wasn't like that, it almost definitely was that. You couldn't exactly bury dead people in concrete and leaving them to rot in the open had its own issues. Not only would the mountain of corpses cause all manner of diseases to spread but there was non-zero chance they would turn into zombies if they were exposed to mana in the air for too long. Cremation might have been an option under certain circumstances but if you were trying to hide your position from your opponent and you lit a massive bonfire you were going to get caught with your pants down, no questions asked. That only left one option, really, and that was disposing of the corpses by throwing them into the sewer. It also had the added benefit of blocking the pathways to prevent anyone from sneaking into your camp without having to inconvenience themselves. Eventually the sewers would become so clogged that you couldn't really use them at all, especially if there were ambushes laid out underneath or around the corpses. It was nightmarish the first time anyone during the war had to experience it, the mountain rat infested bodies, but it became standard affair after the first few weeks of putting up with it. A lot of the soldiers who fought in the war grew a disturbing amount of tolerance for disgusting corpses. Funnily enough some of the soldiers envied the dead. The dead were buried alongside literal shit, yes, but they were out of the hellhole that this city had become and didn't have to fight in this unholy war any longer. This floor of the pagoda was but a small snapshot of the time period in which the war happened and it was a relatively tame one in comparison to what Ares could have been seeing so he was grateful for that at least.

Ares lightly kicked a nearby lamppost, one of the few that still remained standing even in this miniature apocalypse, causing it to break and topple over into the hole. A petty attack like this wouldn't faze Veteran in the slightest but that wasn't the point of it to begin with. Ares was just being annoying. Well that and he was forcing Veteran to make the next move because there was no way Ares was making the rookie mistake of jumping into that hole. Not only would Veteran ambush him down there but Ares' death would likely take place in the infernal sewers below and Ares wasn't having it! He may have been a piece of shit but that didn't mean he wanted to die alongside his fellow turds! Being out in the open wasn't exactly going to do Ares any favours as a straight up fight was not something he could win right now but it was still better to die getting beaten like a dog in the streets than to fall for the blatant trap that was being set in the hole. Was it boring waiting? Excruciatingly! But Ares could very well muster patience for times like this!

Eventually Veteran realised his foe was more patient than he'd given him credit for. Ares was a revenant after all so not succumbing to boredom and leaping into the pit was actually quite surprising. As he jumped out of the pit, he made sure to grab onto the lamppost that Ares had felled and bring it out with him. Sure the rules stated no weapons but, unless your name was Dominus, who on earth considered a lamppost to be a weapon? Technicalities aside it was a 'weapon' with good reach and, unless Ares had a sudden increase in speed for whatever reason, it could comfortably keep Ares away from him for the rest of the fight. Now did Veteran need to do this? No, absolutely not. The fight was basically over the second it started as Ares' enhancement still wasn't up to snuff. Veteran just mostly wanted to wield a 'weapon' again because it had been too long since he last picked up his sword. His clone did have it but using it was against the pagoda rules and it brought back unpleasant memories he just so happened to be over now. Ares had finished returning Veteran's affiliations to him and he felt like a changed man, so much so he was willing to look at, and even use, his sword that was still stained with his brother's blood. Even though the blood would inevitably rust the sword he'd never had it cleaned and simply kept it usable via mana. Anyway, that was half of why he was about to bash Ares' skull in with a lamppost, the other half was because Ares needed to learn! He was getting practice in with his fists while enhanced but there was no reason for him not also familiarise himself with fighting against, or with, weapons in this state. Of course Ares would have to find his own 'weapon' if he wanted this kind of practice, maybe a loose pipe or some other substitute, but it would still be something he needed to tackle eventually if he wanted the clone he left behind to be as perfect as it could be.

As for Ares, he tried to keep his distance because he knew the second Veteran was in range that lamppost was coming straight for him with no hesitation. The only problem with backing up constantly like this was that he would eventually hit the boundary of the area and be forced to make a move lest he get stuck up against a wall with no retreat... But Veteran was incredibly daunting right now... Sort of. His general bearing was imposing and his gait was steady and unrushed. He looked confident in himself and yet... He also kinda looked like a dog that had just found a big stick. The size of the lamppost was considerably bigger than him so holding it in his one hand as he was currently doing looked a bit off to Ares. It didn't help that he was clearly trying to hold it like a sword as that was the weapon he was most familiar with.

Reaching behind his back slowly, Ares gripped the side of his Stygian Zephyr and prepared himself to launch an attack. Attempting to blind Veteran again would net him no results at this range so he was going to make use of the Zephyrs ability to launch attacks from a distance. With a swipe he could outrange Veteran's big 'stick' while also simultaneously launching an Annihilation Echo through the Zephyr, thus regaining the range advantage. He didn't have high hopes for this strategy though as Veteran would undoubtedly see the attack coming and respond appropriately... But still what choice did Ares have in this situation? His enhancement kept getting better and better, yes, but it wasn't where it needed to be to physically overpower Veteran right now. This standoff in the middle of an open street was a losing battle and he needed to at least attempt something. And no, summoning Rox wasn't helpful here either as temporary distractions only worked if you could make use of them. Veteran would kill Rox and recover from his swing before Ares could make it to him so chucking a mimic at him was pointless. Ares didn't really care for Rox personally but he was still hesitant to throw him into the line of fire like some kind of disposable tool.

The Mexican standoff came to a head when Ares flung his Zephyr in a wide arcing swing with the sharp, feathered tip racing towards Veteran's arm. He could have aimed for the head but this was more difficult to both dodge and block with the lamppost considering the angle of attack. Plus any injuries to his arm would be a monumental gain for Ares considering the poor guy only had one to spare. Veteran, contrary to Ares' expectations, made no effort and didn't react to the Zephyr in the slightest. Instead, he advanced forward, prepared to take the hit while getting in one of his own. When Ares saw this he grit his teeth and prepared to trade blows before he witnessed Veteran deflect his Zephyr using pressure, at which point Ares tried to course correct by using Annihilation Echo and detonating one next to Veteran, instead of directly on him, as a backup plan. Unfortunately he didn't make it in time and only one of the two weapon wielders here got their attack in. The lamppost crushed Ares' ribcage and sent him tumbling across the street, into the parking lot, and onto the bonnet of a car with nothing other than its frame intact. Despite being nothing more than a damaged chassis the car was still in a more functional state than Ares who was struggling to even breathe properly right now. He fought hard to lift his upper body only for the lamppost to come piercing through his chest and impale him to the car. Veteran had lobbed it at him and hit a bullseye. There was no removing it either as Ares made every effort to do so but couldn't with his paltry strength.

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Veteran wandered over and looked down at Ares. "You know, if you were stronger you could have deflected the lamppost. Both during the original swing and the throw that came after. Don't forget to use what you learned on the other floors because I'll start using physical pressure and deflects a lot more going forward. Anyway, better luck next time Ares."

Those were the last words Ares heard before Veteran's fist crushed his brain on the hood of the car. Thankfully these deaths were relatively quick and painless. He was usually heavily injured when the death came but the final blow was singular so the end of the fight was never drawn out. It still sucked, there was no denying that, and he did have to experience the agony of everything that led up to the death multiple times, with every attempt, but he could feel himself improving after every battle. Even if only for a minute or two every couple of matches, he was lasting longer than he used to and that was reassuring. It gave him the confidence to keep walking back into the pagoda like a lemming but, before Transmit could separate him from another 100 of his hard earned mid-grade stardust, he noticed a certain someone also pop up outside the pagoda at the same time as him. It seemed Mako was also experiencing the fifth floor struggle as he'd returned from the pagoda gasping for air. Ares assumed he'd either been choked out or had a hole pierced in his throat. Before Ares could even wave to Mako and call out to him, the guy huffed, puffed, and stormed back inside. Apparently he was putting the stardust on a sort of tab and Transmit would keep track of how much he owed so he could pay it all at the end in one lump sum. Ares had been given the same offer but he refused because watching his money disappear in real time motivated him to try harder! Plus the shock to his system losing all of his money at once would cause was not small... His poor heart wouldn't be able to take it.

Ares coughed up his stardust, which he inwardly pretended was hard-earned but really he just stole it from dead guys, and was about to head in when he noticed another familiar face!... And was seriously wondering what on earth they were doing here. Bellona hadn't been in the pagoda that long yet so she should still be on the earlier floors but the only one that really posed a threat to life was floor one... Surely she wasn't still on the first floor getting killed by other cultivators, right?! She was way stronger than any of the chumps in this queue so it couldn't be... Plus the first floor was something she could clear with her eyes closed after Ares helped train her on the way here... The consideration Ares gave this unusual situation eventually made the curiosity eat away at him and so he had to ask her directly what was up. Plus it was just good to see her again. After all the dying spending a minute or two cooling off with his wife was a nice change of pace. Out here it was sunny and he could talk to a lovely woman! In there it was gloomy and he had to put up with Veteran! Big difference! "Blo Blo!" Ares took Bellona, who was chewing her finger in agitation, by surprise as he hugged her from behind. "How'd you end up out here? What floor are you on?"

Bellona took a deep breath as she curled and uncurled her fists repeatedly. "I'm on floor two... Those stupid spikes killed me when I wasn't paying attention! I didn't know they would attack me... Why didn't that stupid overseer explain anything?! Are they a mute? I was giving the overseer the stink eye as I tried walking past the hills when they attacked me all of a sudden, putting a hole in the back of my head... None of which would have happened if that dumbass said even a single damn word! I stared at them for, like, an entire minute straight and they just stared back?! Didn't even grunt!"

"... I know how you feel. Still... Trying to walk right past the floor's obstacle without paying attention... Don't ever let anyone tell you that you aren't an extremely confident woman. Perhaps a little too complacent though..."

"Ah who cares? I can re-enter immediately anyway so dying doesn't matter and I'm not exactly strapped for stardust either. I'm only throwing myself headfirst at the problems because it's all a simulation. I'm not such a brute I would do this stuff out here, I value my life... Seriously though, what was up with that robed freak? Are they a mime or something? Do I need to play charades with them to beat the floor?"

"No, he's just a stubborn old fellow. I had the exact same problem with him... Didn't die on that floor though... Long story short, you need to flatten all the hills simultaneously with pressure to walk past them safely... Otherwise they'll try to impale you..."

Thwack

"Yeah!" Bellona headbutt Ares for tacking that last part on at the end. "I bloody well already know that!" She sighed before giving Ares' forehead a kiss where she'd just struck him. "Dying in these simulations and Training Fields and whatnot always puts me in a bad mood... Especially this dumb pagoda. I want to use my magic in there so bad but whatever anti-magic they got going on in there is no joke."

"Yeah, Candy made those runes..."

Thwack

"How many times do I gotta tell you not to talk about other woman when we're alone together?!"

Ares rubbed his head as his eye twitched. "... Bellona... Surely if it's contextually relevant it shouldn't be a problem?"

"... Fine. It's just, you know, if I already died on floor two... Then how many times is Candy gonna kill me? Makes me feel like garbage knowing one of your other wives is going to keep one-upping me over and over..."

"I thought we already discussed this? Or at least something similar enough that you shouldn't be having such concerns."

"Yeah yeah I know I know. It's not a problem. I know that because the last bunch of stuff wouldn't get out of my head no matter how much I thought about it but this stuff is already gone and it's not even been a minute."

"Uh, that's great?" Ares knew Bellona could be a very simple woman but even he didn't realise it was to this extent. Did she secretly have the memory of a goldfish or was she just really capable of throwing away negative thoughts that quickly if they weren't intrusive? Ares had to admit he was a little impressed. "By the way, if you only just got to floor two, does that mean you spent all this time on floor one? I feel like you shouldn't have struggled that much..."

"Ah, you know, I was busy getting revenge on some of these clowns. Waiting for them took a while but I killed every single one of the bastards eventually!" Bellona chuckled evilly as she gave Ares a devilish thumbs up. "Anyway, who is that overseer anyway? You seem to know 'em. D'ya end up talking to him about anything important?"

"His name is Caribou Coronos and he's kind of a big deal. You can consider him an acquaintance of the family so don't go in there and pick a fight with him please. Well, you're more than welcome to do so if you really feel the need to, I would just rather not needlessly start a fight with someone who's backing Candy..." Ares dodged Bellona's headbutt! He knew it was coming and he didn't feel like he deserved this one! "No! Bad Blo Blo!"

Bellona grumbled under her breath and stared at Ares with narrow eyes. "You eluded me this time, bastard, but I'll get you good yet!"

"Please don't? I'm getting my ass beat enough as is, thank you very much. Granted, if I'm going to be beaten up by anyone, then I would much rather it be my lovely, bull-headed wife."

"Hmph, I'm not like Enyo! I'm not going to be putty in your hands just 'cos you called me 'wife'! I'm made of sturdier stuff you mongrel!"

"Bellona, your cheeks are flushed and your voice is a pitch or two higher than normal making you sound incredibly cute right now. I don't buy it for even a second. Besides, what's not to like? I like it when I get called husband... Speaking of which, I don't believe you ever have? Come on! Say it! I'll pinch your cheeks if you don't!"

"Ugh..." Bellona's head drifted left and right as she struggled internally to make a decision. Eventually she caved, though, because she did want to say it at some point. "Husband... I love you... Tsk, happy now?"

"More than I can describe with words, actually. You are adorable when you're flustered."

Bellona's foot tapped against the floor as her face got redder. As per usual though she powered through the shame like a trooper. She converted that embarrassment into anger and took it out on the surrounding cultivators, who were rolling their eyes at the PDAs but still watching anyway because there was nothing else to do around here, by growling in their direction and threatening them. "What are you punks looking at? Never seen a wife tell her husband she loves him?! Eyes forward losers! Don't make me wait for you inside the pagoda to teach you chumps a lesson like those other fools from before!" Bellona's threats were highly effective as the people in question, the ones she'd ruthlessly beaten, had spread news about Bellona's terror to those in the queue and warned them not to get on her nerves. Her magic had lit them on fire, aged them rapidly, blinded them, and so much more. So very much more... Those who were still around winced at the very sight of her. Everyone else took the warnings seriously and looked away.

Ares laughed as he pat Bellona on the head. "Haha, you really have an exquisite way with words and an even more exquisite way with violence. I can't help but feel like your knack for the latter is significantly more impressive though."

Thwack

"I am a soft and delicate lady damn you!"

"Oww! The hell you are! If you're going to act like a brute at least own up to it! Well you know what? Two can play at that game! I can be a brute too." Ares grabbed Bellona's chin and gave her a kiss on the mouth. "There, that ought to calm you down a bit."

"I will not be pacified by a kiss..."

Ares did it again and now Bellona was looking a bit fidgety even if she was desperately pretending otherwise. "You get moody when I haven't kissed you in a while. Ah, what am I to do? You're cute when you pout and you're cute when you're docile. Well look, if you ever want to see me you can just wait around out here for a bit and I'll be back in no time. I've got more than enough kisses to satisfy you, all ready and waiting to be fired off so don't hesitate to be greedy... Although we should keep it to a limit. I think Enyo has developed a sort of sexual radar and the further we go the louder it beeps. She'll probably come running over after her match ends if she detects any funny business... Now that I mention it, I wonder how her match is going. It should have started by now and if I remember correctly they should be up against the team of robos... Well they'll be fine no matter what, provided the art Aejaz is going to experiment with doesn't backfire horribly anyway."

"Is he using the one you trained him in for, like, the last month?"

"No, he's saving that for a different match. This new one... It's really quite devious actually. I hope his opponents aren't picky about their weapons otherwise they're going to have a real tough time..."