“Prepare,” Sen’s voice said from the invisible speaker.

Akari stood in an abandoned neighborhood, facing a man beneath a misty gray sky. The pairings had all followed a pattern until now, and she’d researched her potential opponents beforehand.

Nico Talez was a Fire Artist from New Cadria. Apparently, he’d opened his own dojo at fifteen, and he’d helped dozens of local kids learn basic Mana Arts. So far, so good. She’d take an ambitious entrepreneur over a champion duelist any day.

Once again, Akari had donned a full set of armor, along with several other weapons and items. The HK9 sat on its tripod in front of her, while two Apprentice-level blades hung from her belt. She’d also brought four portable shield Constructs; the first two came with heavy stands, like the ones Maelyn had brought to their Elegan tunnel excursion. The other two were handheld, like the ones they’d brought to the Martial prison raid.

Finally, Akari had a leather belt wrapped across her chest. This held a .50 Desert Raptor, two frag grenades, three healing potions, and ten small vials of space mana. She still hadn’t aspected her mana yet, but she’d trained with liquid space mana in the weeks following her admissions exam. Should be enough to surprise anyone here, even Kalden.

Finally, Sen began the familiar countdown. "Three ... Two ... One … Fight!”

Akari grabbed her machine gun and pulled the trigger. A storm of bullets showered her opponent, but he countered with a full-body shield. She’d expected fire mana, but this was bright blue.

Shit, he had pure mana, too? Oh well. She hadn’t expected the machine gun to work twice. Everyone had seen the fight against Landon, and no one with half a brain would make the same mistake.

Akari unloaded more bullets into her opponent’s shield—might as well, since his mana was more valuable than her ammunition. Then she grabbed a vial of space mana between bursts and drained the entire thing.

Nico didn’t underestimate her the way Landon had. He took slow, deliberate steps as he closed the distance, focused mostly on maintaining his shield. Akari almost threw a grenade, but decided against it. He could deflect anything she threw, and that would be a stupid way to die.

Several seconds passed, then she abandoned the machine gun and activated the base switches on her shield Constructs. She had a plan, but she needed time. A true Space Artist, could have used portals immediately. But the liquid mana still sloshed around in her stomach, and it would take several more seconds for her soul to absorb it.

Fire mana gathered in Nico’s palms as he closed in, sidestepping her barriers with his long strides.

Akari pulled a handheld shield from her belt and pressed the middle button, forming a disc of protection mana between them

Nico hit her with several more blasts. Akari’s arm shook with the effort of holding the shield, and each blast sent her stumbling backward. Sweat covered her face as she felt the heat through her armor. Even the shield started to flicker.

Talek. Did all Apprentices hit this hard? Relia had clearly gone easy on her, even when Akari told her not to.

Her shield flickered out just as her soul absorbed the space mana. Akari cycled it through her channels, and it flowed far faster than pure mana—almost incorporeal. The mana left her hands just as quickly when she unleashed the techniques.

Akari activated the first portal in her right hand, facing directly at Nico’s face. At the same time, she formed the second portal beneath his feet.

Several things happened at once after that. Nico’s own fire techniques flew through Akari’s first portal and struck him from below. One of his legs also fell through the second portal, causing him to trip and faceplant on the street.

This combination would have killed most Grevandi in Creta, but the Artegium had higher standards than that. Despite the surprise, Nico’s own body shone molten red as he Cloaked. Fire Cloaks didn’t just make you stronger and faster. They also gave you special resistance to fire-based attacks.

Akari drew her blade as Nico struggled to pull his leg from the portal. Some Space Artists could cancel a portal quickly and bisect a person’s body, but that was beyond her skill. More likely, her portal would force him out like a coiled spring.

Instead, she sprang for the kill.

Nico reached up and caught the blade on his forearm. It struck bone, and he gritted his teeth. Then he Cloaked again, hurling Akari back.

She flew through the air, and Nico struck her with a bar of molten flame. This seared straight through her armor, burning her stomach beneath. Akari landed on the asphalt, sliding for several feet until her head struck the curb. She’d have cracked her skull if not for her helmet.

Her portals broke, forcing Nico into the air. Akari activated her second shield just as he shot another flame Missile. It crashed into the concrete beside her, and she seized the chance to chug a healing potion.

Nico closed the distance, firing more Missiles from his good arm. Akari scrambled to her feet like a fallen cat, retreating into the nearest abandoned house. Her wound screamed at her as raced through the rooms, and she leaked white light with every step.

Talek. Why was it always her stomach? Fortunately, this was nothing compared to Zakiel’s plasma blade, and pain was easier to ignore without the looming fear of death.

Nico shot several more Missiles, shattering the glass windows, and setting the house on fire.

Okay, so hiding in a wooden house was a dumb idea.

Akari ran for the back door before the flames reached her. Her hands shook as she downed a second vial of space mana. Some part of her brain realized this was just a duel, but memories of fighting Zakiel flashed through her mind.

She reached the backdoor but stopped herself before she opened it. With the front of the house burning, Nico would probably be waiting for her in the backyard.

Think. What are your options?

Could she use a portal to escape the house? Right now, her widest portals were less than ten inches in diameter. Akari could probably jump through in just her combat suit, but not with all this clunky armor.

What else?

The answer came to her a second later. She didn’t have to leave the burning house—not if she won the duel.

Akari pulled the pin on her frag grenade, counted to three, then tossed it through the kitchen window. It landed outside with a blast, and she used the diversion to shoot a space Missile toward the sky.

Smoke filled the room, and the flames closed in around her.

Akari ignored the heat as she formed the first half of the portal, angling it down toward the ground outside. Finally, she formed a second portal on the kitchen floor, giving her a bird’s eye view of the backyard

Nico sat crouched behind some bushes, focused on the backdoor.

Akari grinned as she drew her Desert Raptor, and flipped off the safety. The flames grew unbearably hot, but that didn’t matter now. She lined up Nico’s head in her iron sights and squeezed the trigger.

The dreamscape faded around them, leaving Akari crouched on the arena floor while Nico stumbled forward. Sen announced Akari’s victory, and she braced herself for another outburst.

Instead, Nico grinned as he regained his footing. “That’s a nice trick.”

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Well, at least everyone wasn’t a sore loser like Landon Windsucker.

“You really a Space Artist?” he asked as he stepped over

“Not yet,” Akari said. “Would’ve been screwed without those potions.”

Nico nodded. “You doing anything after class?”

“Yeah.” Akari lowered her glasses and wiped the sweat from her forehead. “Taking a shower.”

He chuckled. “What about after that? Want to get lunch or something?”

“Oh.” Akari felt her stupid cheeks get hot. Was he seriously asking her on a date? No one had ever asked her that before. Not in Last Haven, or Arkala. But no … that couldn’t be it. He probably just wanted to talk Mana Arts and figure out how she got into the Artegium.

“I mean, I liked the Demon Queen armor, but you’re way cuter without it.”

Okay, so he was asking her on a date.

“I’m seeing someone,” Akari blurted out. Then she winced when she realized it was technically a lie. Nico was sort of her type, with his muscular frame, short black hair, and five o’clock shadow. She could have said yes, but it would have been for the wrong reasons.

Besides, Kalden had made some real progress today. For once, he was actually using his brain instead of mindlessly training all day. If he could do that, then maybe they still had a chance.

“No worries,” Nico said with a nod. “Talk to you later.”

Huh. That was officially the weirdest conversation of her entire life. She’d been prepared for accusations all day, but this was surprisingly normal. Even civilized.

The second round of duels finished faster than the first. Grandmaster Raizen had only called on the winners, which gave them twelve duels instead of twenty-four. With those done, Raizen called on the winners for a third round.

“Tori Raizen and Arturo Kazella. Arena One.”

Several people headed that way to watch, but Raizen wasn’t done. Akari looked up at the scoreboard, and she knew what names she would hear next.”

“Elise Moonfire and Akari Zeller. Arena Two.”

Akari drew in a deep breath as she headed for the staircase, and Kalden fell into step beside her.

“Have you seen her fight?” she asked.

Kalden nodded. “She hasn’t used her aspect yet. Just pure mana techniques.”

That was good. Pure mana could be dangerous, but it was also predictable. Akari’s portable shields could absorb her pure Missiles far easier than Nico’s flame techniques. From there, a blade through a well-placed portal could finish her.

And even if Elise used her dream mana, Akari was ready for that, too. Illusions couldn’t hurt her if she remembered they weren’t real. Even Elend had admitted that Dream Artists relied on the element of surprise. How did you surprise someone in a one-on-one fight?

Akari met Camila and Elise in Arena two, and they followed the usual pre-fight ritual.

“Prepare,” Camila said as a desert formed around them. Her opponent wore a suit of pale white battle armor. Either she’d hacked the generator herself, or she’d gotten someone to do it for her. Probably the latter, considering the size of her friend circle.

Akari took several deep breaths and prepared to unleash her machine gun. It might be predictable, but it had served her well in the last two duels.

"Three ... Two ... One … Fight!”

The dream sigils malfunctioned in that moment. The desert blurred away, and Akari found herself standing back in the arena. The ceiling was gone now—ripped away by some unscreen force. Akari looked up and spotted something floating in the clouds above—solid black, and shaped like a man. Wings of shadow and fire stretched out around him, twice as wide as his arm span. Then a weight pressed on Akari’s soul—a weight she’d felt once before.

Talek. He’d found her.

Bodies collapsed all around the room, including Elise and Camila. A chill spread over her skin, causing every hair on her body to stand up. The weight of the Mystic’s power froze her in place, and her mana refused to budge.

No. It was too soon. She wasn’t ready.

Missiles like black shadows flooded out from the Mystic’s outstretched hand. They spread through the sky, covering everything in a veil of darkness. Nothing could escape that void. It even pulled at her memories as she stared, and each glimpse was like seeing the technique for the first time.

The technique grew wider, and the black veil stretched on for miles from horizon to horizon. It blocked out the sun, shrouding the world in a moonless night.

A few seconds more, then she’d lose everything. She and Kalden would be back in the Archipelago, and they’d lose all the progress they’d made this past year. Relia would forget about them, and so would Elend and Irina. They would—

Something sharp broke Akari’s windpipe, and the arena faded a second time.

“Victory,” Camila’s voice said over the speaker. “Elise Moonfire.”

The world spun around her as she hit the padded floor. Darkless closed in, and Akari couldn’t resist if she tried.

A hand touched her shoulder sometime later, and she flinched away.

“It’s just me,” Kalden’s voice said.

Akari opened her eyes to a blur. Her body was curled up in a ball, and she’d dropped her glasses at some point.

“Does she need a healer?” Kalden asked.

“Should be fine,” Camila said. “Let’s wait and see.”

Akari uncurled herself and sat up. Kalden put her glasses into her hand, but her vision was still blurry when she put them on. She wiped at her eyes and found tears there. When things finally came into focus again, she looked around the arena. The ceiling had never broken, and the Mystic had never been here.

Camila offered her a hand. Akari stared at it for an embarrassingly long time as she tried to ground herself.

It was just a technique. It wasn’t real.

Akari accepted the hand and let the Artisan help her up. “What the hell was that?”

“Dream mana technique,” Camila replied. “Shows you your worst fear.” The Artisan had dropped her stern exterioror and looked at Akari with undisguised sympathy. Almost like she wanted to give her a hug.

“Talek.” Akari stared back up at the ceiling with its metal rafters and florescent lights. “Did everyone see that?”

“Nope—all in your head. No one below Artisan even saw the technique’s intention.”

Akari glanced around the arena and saw that Elise Moonfire was long gone. Then she spotted the scoreboard and realized the duel had only lasted for two seconds.

“Moonfire hasn’t used her aspect all morning,” Camila noted. “Guess she saved it for you?”

“Yeah,” Akari muttered. That was the sort of Mana Arts movie bullshit she’d expected on her first day.

~~~

She and Kalden watched the next few duels from the catwalks. He brought her a protein bar and a bottle of water, and she gradually felt better over the next few minutes. Kalden didn’t ask what she’d seen in the dream. Maybe he planned to ask her once they were alone. More likely, he’d already figured it out.

The scoreboard now showed Akari in twelfth place out of forty-seven. No complaints there, considering she’d started at the very bottom. Despite her vision of utter annihilation, this had actually been a decent morning.

“Final duel,” Grandmaster Raizen announced. “Elise Moonfire and Arturo Kazella. Arena One.”

Akari and Kalden followed the crowd to watch the last fight of the day. Apparently, both duelists were undefeated so far, but that was about to change.

They took their positions, and the arena shifted to the same desert landscape as Akari's last duel. Elise and Arturo each wore full suits of armor with various other weapons on their belts. Great. Everyone’s a hacker now.

"Prepare," Grandmaster Raizen said.

Akari relaxed her vision and saw both contestants cycling in her Silver Sight. Arturo's channels were surprisingly thin for an Apprentice. Thinner than Akari's even.

"What's with him?" she whispered. She didn’t really expect Kalden to have an answer, although had talked to several people at Arturo’s party the other night, including Arturo himself.

“He was born with narrow channels,” Kalden said. "It's a common condition—affects like one in fifty people.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. People like that don't normally become Combat Artists. Especially not at this level."

Talek. Akari had her own issues, but nothing that extreme. Narrow channels would make it harder to perform any technique—Missile, Construct, or Cloak. No wonder he scored so low on the admissions exams.

“How’s he make up for it?” Akari asked. There had to be some trick, otherwise he never would have climbed this high.

Kalden grinned, then nodded down at the arena. “See for yourself.”

“Fight,” Grandmaster Raizen said.

Elise moved with lightning speed, hurling a dream Missile straight for her opponent. Akari wrapped her knuckles around the chrome railing, ready to see Arturo collapse like she had.

The dream mana flew for several inches before it broke into violet mist. Elise fired several more Missiles, but they broke apart in the same way.

Arturo watched her struggle for several heartbeats, then he raised his right hand, pressing his thumb to his forefinger. He snapped his fingers, and the sand turned to liquid beneath her boots.

Elise tried to struggle, but the sand swallowed her like a whirlpool. Her helmet disappeared, and white mist rose from the ground a second later.

“Victory,” Raizen said. “Arturo Kazella.”

Akari let out a torrent of profanity, and she wasn’t the only one. A loud murmur broke out around the arena, while others gaped in silence at the display. How? She’d been watching Arturo’s mana that whole time, and he hadn’t done a single technique.

There was only one explanation.

Akari had modified her generator’s code to win, but Arturo had gone a step further. He'd changed the arena itself, creating a perfect battleground to suit his needs.

In other words, he’d just out-hacked her.