Noah hurried to keep up with Audren’s still-nameless disciple. He did his best to avoid making too much noise as he strode through the looming walls of the maze around him. The disciple would definitely know that Noah was following him, but there was no need to draw even more attention on top of that.

It was fortunate that the path his target had chosen didn’t have any branches yet. Noah managed to catch up just enough to see the very back of the armor-covered man as he turned down the first fork in the maze, heading off to the left.

Noah kept the distance between them. He didn’t get any closer and risk wasting energy fighting the guy, but he still needed to stick around enough to see where his guide was headed. The two of them wove through bends and turns. Not once did they slow.

It seemed that the disciple knew exactly where he was going. Noah, on the other hand, didn’t have the faintest clue. He couldn’t hear anything but their muted footfalls, couldn’t see anything other than the looming stone walls around him and the pillars of moss dangling from the ceiling far above.

It would have been bad if he lost track of the disciple now. He didn’t have the faintest idea where he was in the maze. Everything looked the same. If at any point his guide decided that he no longer wanted to stick around and accelerated, Noah would almost certainly be thoroughly lost.

Then he’d have to resort to more drastic measures. Ones that he had absolutely no interest in calling on right now.

Fortunately, there was no need. It seemed like the disciple didn’t have any problem letting him tag along. Either that or he simply didn’t care. Perhaps he felt like Noah was beneath his notice as a Rank 5.

Noah didn’t care either way. He actually would have preferred the latter option. It was a whole lot easier to pull a heist off when nobody was paying attention to him. He wasn’t delusional enough to think he could go blow for blow with the Apostles’ disciples. They were going to be people around Rank 6, and probably near the peak of it.

That thought sent a flicker of amusement coiling through his thoughts like stray smoke. The students of the Apostles were probably stronger than many of the most powerful mages in Arbitage.

I wonder where Jalen would have placed against these guys when he’d still been a Rank 6. That would have been quite the sight. Something tells me he wouldn’t have gone down easy.

A small smile pulled at the corners of Noah’s lips.

He’d never admit it to the man, but he missed Jalen. He even missed their dart games. Once he got everyone out of the Arbalest Empire, they’d have to find the old codger and see what he was up to.

Seconds slipped by and turned to minutes. Noah and his new traveling companion darted through the open-topped stone halls. They’d still yet to hear a single thing. If Noah didn’t know better, he might have assumed that his guide was completely lost. They hadn’t seen hide nor hair of anyone since they’d entered the maze.

But the armored disciple moved with such intention that it seemed impossible for him to be lost. That didn’t stop Noah’s growing urge to catch up with the other man and ask if he was really certain he knew where they were going.

Fortunately, Noah didn’t have to wait much longer. A distant crunch prickled at his ears. It was followed by a muted yell and the clang of metal striking something hard.

A fight.

Noah smiled. He and his guide accelerated nearly as one, both of them homing in on the sound like vultures smelling a corpse.

Several turns and less than a minute later, the two of them burst out into a large clearing within the maze. The stone walls formed a spacious circular arena that was clearly doing its best to live up to the Spilling Grounds’ name.

Blood was splattered across the ground in wide arcs surrounding two women in the center of the clearing. The first, Noah recognized. It was the massive woman that had accompanied Crone.

Her axe was planted on the blood-slicked ground and she gripped its shaft with both hands for support as her chest rose and fell with heavy, ragged breaths. Huge, weeping wounds covered her body like the claws of some massive monster had torn through her, and strands of her beautiful hair littered the ground around her.

Standing across from her was a tall woman that Noah had never seen before. The woman wore the suit of a military general, a flat cap sitting askew to one side on her head to obscure a portion of her face. White hair poured down her back like a river of spider silk and she bore no weapon in her pale hands.

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For that matter, she barely even seemed like she’d been in a fight. The woman was completely composed and untouched by sweat and blood. She just stood at attention, observing her taller opponent like a scientist would an experiment.

The new woman’s eyes flicked to the side as soon as Noah and the disciple he’d been following burst into the room. Despite himself, Noah found his heart skipping a beat.

And though there could be no denying that the woman was beautiful, it wasn’t attraction that gave him pause.

It was unease.

The woman’s eyes were like two sickly pools of blood. Even though her features were calm, the sheer malice and hatred roiling deep within her were so thick that Noah could practically taste it even through the lingering scent of viscera in the air.

She was powerful. Noah didn’t even need his domain to feel it — and the half-dead disciple that was battling just to remain standing in the woman’s presence made that even clearer. There was an aura of authority that enveloped the woman as if she sat upon a massive obsidian throne.

Noah did some quick math in his head. There were 5 disciples. He was one of them. Carmen was Vaugh’s. He’d followed Audren’s, and Crone’s student was here with him. That only left one. And that meant that the woman standing before him was Alice, Kyyle’s disciple.

He suppressed a curse.

“Cyn,” Alice said, her gaze burning into Audren’s disciple. “Have your senses dulled? You took longer than expected to arrive.”

“I was waylaid,” Audren’s disciple replied with a shrug. “I have arrived all the same… and it seems there was no difference.”

“Does that also explain the cockroach that you have neglected to crush?” Alice asked.

“No,” Cyn replied. He did not offer any further context.

Crone’s disciple took a step toward Alice.

Then the huge woman pitched forward. She fell to the ground with a resounding crash and her axe clanged down alongside her, where the two of them laid in a pool of spreading blood. Her wounds looked really bad. Noah could see bones and large portions of her internal organs — or at least, the shredded remains of them.

Noah’s thoughts were interrupted by a sharp pop within his head. A grin split his lips as all the fog that had been violently assaulting his mind evaporated.

His magic had finally returned.

Looks like it took Somnus more time than I thought to get me over here. Good to know.

“Is anyone going to pull her out?” Noah asked, pointing at the bleeding woman. “Because Rank 6s die from blood loss just as much as everyone else. I’d wager she’s got about a minute or two left to live.”

“The Apostles do not interfere in the Spilling Grounds. It is the only rule,” Cyn said. “Though killing is generally discouraged.”

“If she’s so weak as to die that easily, then she did not deserve life,” Alice said dispassionately. “But this will be over within a minute. The prize is not far. Once it is claimed, Uriel’s master will take care of her. The same will not be said for you. I doubt you will even survive a single strike from me… but I suppose we shall find out.”

“You’re going to attack me?” Noah arched an eyebrow. “Why would you do something like that? Seems like a very poor allocation of resources.”

“You came to the Spilling Grounds,” Cyn said. “Such a thing should be expected.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t be surprised if anyone else attacked me,” Noah said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “But Alice, don’t you think attacking me would be stupid? Especially considering the reason I’m here in the first place?”

The woman blinked. Confusion creased her features. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m saying it’s idiotic to waste resources. And that’s what I am, aren’t I?”

Alice’s lips thinned. “Which Apostle are you even with? Revin? Actually, save your answer. I will not parley words with your ilk.”

Ouch. That’s an insult. But you just overplayed your hand, Alice. That’s quite unfortunate. But if you don’t know what Apostle I’m with… then you don’t know much at all. Kyyle didn’t fill you in.

“Your dad might not be too thrilled with that decision,” Noah said, examining his nails. “He’s the reason I’m here, after all.”

Alice was very right about one thing. He wouldn’t survive a single attack from her. Not if it landed. And, until he saw how she fought, he had no way to learn how to dodge. It wasn’t like she had a visible weapon.

The only thing he had going for him right now was her confusion — and his confidence.

“My — what? Kyyle?” Alice looked to Cyn. “Elaborate. What is this weakling speaking of?”

“He does not lie,” Cyn said in a flat tone. “Kyyle was the one who teleported him to the Spilling Grounds.”

“What?” Alice’s eyes shot back to Noah. “Why?”

“Well, he and I actually had a talk before everyone else arrived. About you, as a matter of fact,” Noah said. He scratched at his chin.

“You what?” Alice took a step toward him. “Why would he speak with someone as—”

“Worthless as me?” Noah cut Alice off. He arched an eyebrow. “You really think that any of the Apostles would have a mere Rank 5 as a disciple, much less bring one to this?”

“You’re hiding your power to such a degree?” Alice’s head tilted to the side as interest sparked in her eyes.

“I swear it on my life,” Noah said, pressing a hand to his heart.

Unfortunately for you, that has about as much value to me as some pocket lint.

“Then you’re here to compete with me,” Alice said. “Did Kyyle send you here to test my abilities?”

I’m really glad Cyn mentioned the Apostles aren’t allowed to interfere at all with this contest, or I’d never be bold enough to even think about saying the bullshit I’m about to spew.

“Not at all,” Noah replied. A devious smile pulled across his lips. “Kyyle is worried about you. Deeply. To the point where he nearly begged me for help. Vile, really. Stooping to such a level to ask someone to team up against the other disciples… but he was so heartfelt. I couldn’t deny a request like that. So, no. I’m not here to fight you, Alice. I’m here to help you.”