Firecracker lobbed fireballs my way. They flared with beautiful orange-red hues and exploded where I stood a moment ago. Sidestepping the blasts was enough to escape the worst, but flames still licked at my clothes whenever they burst.

I accelerated, eyes trained on Firecracker and the blazing flames shrouding him like layers of armor.

He’s stronger than before. Projectiles powerful enough to harm Evolved beasts topped with heightened reflexes.I analyzed my opponent swiftly, Predator aiding the process.

A second barrage of fireballs sizzled through the air–tiny meteorites streaking toward me. This batch was slightly faster than the first, though some power had been sacrificed for speed. Ether circulated through my eyes and lower body as I shot forward, weaving between the fireballs to close the distance.

Once I was close enough to strike, I leaped into motion. My blade arced through the air fast enough to take any Adept by surprise. Yet instead of panicking, a devious grimace twisted through the flames surrounding Firecracker–and the air ignited.

Flames washed over me, forcing me to change tactics. I leaped to the side, escaping Firecracker’s fiery breath. Ether surged through my body and poured outward, extinguishing the most stubborn flames, but it was already too late. Minor burns crossed my features, and part of my clothes was burned.

“I liked that shirt,” I grunted, charging Firecracker a second time as his flames coiled back around him.

The hideous grimace on his face widened as he conjured several barrel-sized fireballs. Even someone without an elemental aspect could tell how potent they were–but I didn’t slow. I accelerated instead. My muscles bulged as I lowered my body and kicked forward, using the strength I’d gained over the last few months to appear before Firecracker before his final fireball had fully formed.

Firecracker was strong. I was sure he’d reached the equivalent of the Journeyman Rank not long ago, and he was certainly stronger than most, especially with the Blessing of the Spirit of Volca.

His mastery of Volca’s powers far surpassed my command of the Earthen Aspect. That, however, didn’t make him invincible–nor did it give him the power he needed to best me.

After months of fighting to the brink of death, pushing myself further than most could imagine, not even a mature Nox would have been strong enough to face me head-on. I would have crushed him.

A defiant roar tore through the air as the massive fireballs shot toward us–but they split in half and fizzled out before they could explode. My blade turned into a blur as Predator and Nullblade worked in tandem with my speed. The silvernit sword flashed, leaving gray trails that filled the arena as the fireballs vanished.

Firecracker’s arm shot forward, azure flames erupting outward. Impending death brushed against me, and my body moved instinctively. I twisted aside, escaping the tongue of blue fire, and cleaved downward, Nullblade still active.

My blade carved through the azure flames and the arm they coated. A scream rang in my ears, muffled like the rest of the world as my instincts narrowed on the sensation of death and its source. I leaped at my foe, selected one of the dozens of weak points unraveling before my eyes, and rammed my blade into his chest.

Once inside, I twisted the blade and triggered Nullblade again, nullifying all ether-based movement around my weapon.

Firecracker’s flames evaporated alongside the sensation of impending death, but it took a little longer for me to fully regain control of my mind and body.

Fuck. I cursed inwardly, feeling the tension in the air. The arena was utterly silent, eyes locked on me and Firecracker’s unmoving figure.

“I think we need a healer over here.” I retracted my blade even as the light in Firecracker’s eyes faded. “Quickly, please! And… erm… I didn’t plan to sever his arm. Those azure flames were just…” Unsure what to say, I sealed my mouth. Sometimes it was best to keep quiet, even when explaining yourself seemed easier.

So what if Firecracker’s attack had been dangerous? So what if my blade cut through his arm like butter?

But why’s there so little resistance? Nullblade was powerful, yet it was hard to believe how easily it sliced through the Caldera’s bone.

A devotee of the Spiritcaller rushed to Firecracker’s arm first, then to the rest of his body. He knelt beside the wounded Caldera and chanted a few words, conjuring a faint crimson light. Simultaneously, a green emerald hue shrouded Firecracker.

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“Good job, darling.”

A soft hand slid through my hair–playful and possessive–and I didn’t need to look to know who it was.

“Your performance was exquisite,” Ruler Sera whispered, her breath brushing my ear, each word melting into the next. “If you keep impressing me like that… I might just have to reward you.”

The air seemed to thicken. Heat rushed to my cheeks as my thoughts slipped beyond my control, scattering into wild, forbidden shapes.

“If you surpass my Scion,” she murmured, her fingernails tracing a slow, teasing path across my scalp, “I may have to steal you from Kazriel.”

I turned to look at her, only to find her watching me with a smile that promised danger and delight all at once.

Kill!

Nox hissed loud enough to shatter the sensual moment. When the moment cracked, the Ferronox Mantis pushed further, unleashing his murderous intent through the bond, diluting Ruler Sera’s–honestly, I didn’t even know what she’d done.

I stared at her, finally regaining some clarity. The fact seemed to surprise her, and she looked even more impressed than she did just a moment ago.

“You can withstand me?” She licked her full lips longingly. “How marvelous.”

“Back off, ol’ temptress!” Ruler Kazriel’s voice cut through the arena as a curious conversation unfolded in my head.

Perfect execution of power, Nox. Even though your aid arrived a little late, we can work on that.

Aureus said, to which Nox replied with various images of death and murder.

Help! Death! Bad woman!

Yes, we had to help Adam against the bad woman. Unfortunately, we cannot kill her. Yet; she is too strong and would kill us instead.

Nox didn’t seem to agree, but that was the least of my worries.

What in the–… I felt the Soulkins’ attention shift toward me before their presence dimmed.

Do I want to know what you guys are doing here? I asked, tapping into the Earthheart’s bond.

We help.

That was all the answer I received. It wasn’t much, but it filled my heart with warmth nonetheless.

Thank you.

Returning to the arena, I turned to Firecracker, sitting upright, his arm reattached.

“I’m glad they could reattach your arm. That worried me for a moment,” I said, happy to find something to distract my mind.

“You are strong,” Firecracker said, almost like he couldn’t quite believe it himself.

“Well, I had to be strong,” I chuckled lightly, my mind drifting back to the last few months of training.

Ruler Kazriel’s training was probably the reason for my… outburst. It was not the first time I blanked out after being pushed to the brink of death hundreds of times. Honestly, I lost count, and it was not a particularly happy memory either.

Sure, it made me stronger in ways I never thought possible, but I’d be more than happy to never be alone in a training room with Ruler Kazriel. Ever!

“You had to be strong,” Firecracker repeated silently, his crimson orbs meeting my eyes. “I was complacent. Nobody pushed me to the brink of death. I was trained, but…” He shook his head. “It does not matter. I lost. My honor remains yours.”

The Katrak meant a lot to the Caldera, but it didn’t look like he was too displeased. He accepted his loss more easily than expected.

“Do not wonder. Losing against a powerful foe does not change my status among my people. The Spirit of Volca shall evaluate my progress, my desire to fight those blessed by the Primal Spirit, and grant me the power needed to catch up to your Spirit.”

I understood only half of what Firecracker said, but I was happy nonetheless. Victory promised great rewards–it also ensured Ruler Kazriel wouldn’t kill me in the heat of the moment–and it showed me roughly how much stronger I’d grown. Then again, I couldn’t even use the entirety of my power. Firecracker was strong, but he had only recently advanced to the equivalent of the Journeyman Rank. His physique was also not that exceptional, and he focused too much on his mastery of flames.

The power granted by my Soulkin’s soulshare was already enough to beat him. Or it should have–if I had to use it against him.

Do I have to fight Zegrath to understand the true extent of my physical strength? A grand total of 19 Ether Gates had been filled to the brim by this point; each larger than the last, each several times greater than the norm. They were leaky and a mess to keep full at times, yet they provided me far more power than someone at my Rank should be able to handle. Yet, here I was.

“That might be a stupid question, but…” Heat rose to my cheeks as I held out my hand to help him up.

Firecracker took the extended hand after a moment of consideration. “Do not worry, Adam. There are no stupid questions.”

That was definitely not true, but I asked anyway. “What’s your name?”

Firecracker froze, crimson orbs staring at me incredulously. “Seriously? You… you don’t even know your Katrak’s name?”

“Nobody told me,” I tried to shrug it off, which was increasingly difficult when silence returned to the arena.

The Caldera were fixated on us, nobody uttering a single sound until the first roar tore through the cavern. More followed, flooding the arena in a cacophony of excited roars, the fire of combat burning deep in their eyes.

“Orieath,” Firecracker said, the faintest hint of a smile piercing through his furious face. “My name is Orieath Shaitash, and I will defeat you the next time we fight. Remember that, Pyaera.”