Saber took a battle stance, her armor gleaming in ethereal moonlight. Crimson veins of lava spread across the snow-covered ground beneath her, ready to erupt at any moment.

A golden glow began to emanate from her fingertips, as if the very essence of sunlight had been captured within her grasp. She slammed her palm into the ground. From all around her, shimmering rays shot out of the earth, coalescing into ethereal walls and towers. Almost immediately, a fortress of light had formed around her. Its crystalline spires stretched toward the heavens. The walls, fashioned from luminescent sheets of condensed energy, formed a square enclosure with Saber at the center. The fortress of solidified light stood resplendent, its sheer brilliance enough to rival daybreak.

A geyser of lava burst up from under Saber. Sylvia emerged and thrusted her obsidian-sharp blade at Saber's exposed neck.

The lava splashed down explosively. Snow sizzled and melted under the heat, exuding a blast of steam.

When the steam cleared, I saw Saber. She stood completely unscathed. Her bare hand was stretched out, halting Sylvia's sword-point in her grasp.

[Defense of the Ancients

COST: 100 Mana

COOLDOWN: 15 minutes

DURATION: 15 seconds

You conjure a fortress of celestial energy, a protective sanctuary for yourself and your allies.

The fortress is an impenetrable structure with 20,000 HP. The area within the fortress measures 40 by 40 meters. All allies within take 50% reduced damage, and you take 99% reduced damage.]

This ability…this seemed straight up broken.

Saber pressed toward Sylvia, her bladework a blur of whirling steel. She had completely abandoned her usual footwork, that measured and evasive dance, for a linear onslaught. Sylvia endeavored to respond in turn with parries and slashes of her own, as though to take advantage of the openings in Saber's guard.

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Except Sylvia didn't know. Saber no longer had any openings in her guard.

As Saber's ally, I had access to information on all her skills. But the other team? I doubt they'd be able to guess. They could infer that the fortress was some sort of impassable terrain that trapped combatants within. But they had no way of knowing about Saber's massive defense buff, except by paying attention to her HP.

Sylvia didn't seem to catch on. She traded blow after blow with Saber, as though it was an exchange she could win. She sent out her stone wolves. She fired her lances, those fearsome weapons that ended my previous life. But Saber took all those attacks head on, suffering scarcely a scratch.

I remembered I wasn't here just to spectate. Seizing the chance, I blasted the enemy golems with my spells. Once I brought them down, our ally own golems advanced and proceeded to siege the lone tower defending the opponent's base core.

Brandon and Reina did not intervene. Judging by Reina's HP, she had been level 1 this whole time. Behind in XP and gold as they were, even the two of them together couldn't match me. Reina merely stared at me blankly, expressionlessly. As though if she looked into my eyes long enough, I'd stop. And Brandon. He had run up to Saber's fortress, uselessly banging his fists against the walls. But those walls stood firm without even a tremor, keeping him outside.

The walls eventually faded away on their own. By that time, Sylvia had already fallen, bloodied and lacerated and scorched with lightning.

[Sylvia: 85 / 1250]

Saber looked down at her foe. "It's over. There's no need to fight anymore."

Sylvia must've known as much. Even if she still had her Death Ward, she wouldn't regain consciousness and heal up in time to stop us from bringing down their tower and base core. This game was essentially over.

Sylvia did not struggle, nor stop us, as we proceeded to demolish their tower. As she bled out on the ground, she merely looked at Brandon and Reina. Her chest heaved as she fought for air.

"My bad," were the only words she muttered.

No response came in return, except for a shallow nod of acknowledgement from Brandon. Reina had sat down in the snow, leaning against their vending machine. She buried her face in her knees, trembling silently.

Saber and I began to attack their base core, she hacking away with her sword, and I unloading my crossbow into the great, crimson crystal. At that moment, Tanin arrived behind us. He stood at a distance. He didn't help or speak.

As he watched us, I asked myself if we were really going to do this.

Saber struck the base core with an overhead blow, cracking open a fracture that threatened to split the core in halves. Brandon stood not far away, watching her as though paralyzed.

"I really thought we could've been friends," he said to her.

"We can still be," Saber replied. Her voice came out solemn and cold.

Brandon closed his eyes. He sighed, and his breath fogged white as it rose away.

"I guess it's been nice knowing you," he said. "It's been nice knowing you all."

Saber then shattered the base core with one final blow.