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– January 23, 2025 –
Skies of Alfheim, Neutral Territory

"Keep shooting at them, men! We can't lose sight of them!"

"On it, General! Fire at will!"

The Salamanders' voices reached Sachi's eardrums from a long distance. But she didn't bother to look back, and she continued to soar through the cloudy skies beside Sinon, their hands entwined and their wings fluttering in unison. Behind them, various Fire Magic Spells were barreling towards them from all directions, only to eventually fizzle out and die from the inability to travel long distances.

"How long till we're out of Neutral Territory?!" Sachi called over the howl of the wind.

Sinon narrowed her feline eyes in focus. "About three more minutes. How much flight time do you have left?"

"About one more minute. And how about you?"

"I took flight sometime after you did, so...my estimate is two minutes, maybe three."

"Huh. You'd think RECT would've been kind enough to give us a timer." Sachi took a deep breath. "Well, landing and taking a break obviously isn't a viable option. I guess you're gonna have to carry me for the rest of the way."

A hint of pink blossomed on the Cait Sith's cheeks, even as she smiled confidently and looked at Sachi. "Of course I'm gonna have to carry you."

The Undine slowly looked back in suspicion. "What're you talking about, Sinonon?"

"Heh." Sinon's catlike ears gave a single twitch. "Don't tell me you've already forgotten about the time you nearly ate dirt after chasing Veðrfölnir-"

"H-Huuuuuh?!" Sachi's face turned crimson in an instant. "Y-You know as well as I do that Veðrfölnir's feathers are very valuable! I wasn't just gonna let it fly away like that!"

Sinon faintly rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but you didn't have to try and chase it all the way to the Moon."

Sachi's face became redder as she sped up her flight. "Wh-Whatever. Let's just hope we'll be able to find Leafa and Recon before those three minutes run out." With narrowing eyes, she looked over her shoulder and saw the battalion of Salamanders in pursuit. "We need to remove Mortimer's best chess piece if Kirito and the others are gonna have any chance of success on their end."

Sinon nodded in agreement, and she picked up her pace to keep up with Sachi. With the terms reached, the two female Fairies stared ahead at the boundless landscape ahead while they continued with their flight. Their immediate environment was punctuated with ranges and ranges of snow-capped mountains, beyond which was the familiar jungles and fields of Sylph Territory. Already did they feel their salvation ahead of them, and they tightened their joined hands around each other in support.

– X-Y-X –

Near Neutral Territory

Elsewhere, close to the boundary between Imp Territory and Neutral Territory, Leafa, Recon, and Philia landed in the middle of a windy, cragged landscape, walled in all directions by mountains. As soon as their feet touched the ground, a massive, visible shudder ran down Recon's body. With chattering teeth, he wrapped his arms around his own chest, his thin uniform utterly helpless against the blast of cold, borderline-icy wind.

"I-I-I-I-It's c-c-c-co-co-co-cold, L-L-L-Le-Le-Leaf-f-f-f-fa!" he protested.

"N-N-No sh-sh-SHIT!" Leafa stammered back. She was also wrapping her arms around herself in a fruitless bid to stay warm. "B-B-Bu-Bu-But w-w-we have n-n-no ch-ch-ch-choice! O-Ou-Our fl-fl-flight's r-r-run o-out!"

"Here." Philia unflinchingly removed her navy-blue cloak. "Use this."

"Wh-Wh-What?!" exclaimed Recon. "Bu-Bu-But Ph-Ph-Phil-li-li-a, y-y-y-yo-yo-you'll b-be-" At that point, Philia draped the cloak over the male Sylph's body. "Aaaaahhhhh..."

Philia sighed in relief, just as her body registered the ruthless, oppressive weight of the arctic wind. She wrapped one arm across her stomach and held the other out. But before she could recite a Magic Spell, the Spriggan spotted the shivering Leafa in the corner of her eye.

"With my skill level as it is," Philia advised, "I don't know if my Fire Spell is going to be effective enough against this cold. You'll need to join your friend under there."

Leafa's eyes widened in surprise, and she stared at the now-cloaked Recon, who stared back in awkward surprise. Their faces became pink, and it certainly wasn't because of anything temperature-related.

"A-A-A-And wh-wh-what a-ab-about y-y-y-you?" Leafa asked, looking back at her Spriggan comrade with an increasingly shaky head.

Philia's face was unchanged as light surrounded her from underneath. "The cloak should be big enough for three."

Leafa's and Recon's reactions were united as they echoed loudly and resonantly across the mountain range.

"WWWWWHHHHHAAAAATTTTT?!"

CHAPTER 20: KNOWLEDGE SPACE

Alne Coliseum, Neutral Territory, Base of the World Tree

"So, what do you say, everyone?"

Mortimer leaned back against his chair with a triumphant smirk, even as his fellow Lords stared back at him with varying degrees of disagreement. Sakuya and Alicia glowered hatefully at him, outraged that he would have the gall to make such a proposal. Mauve had her head lowered, preoccupied with the shame and embarrassment of being taken advantage of by the Salamanders again. Genomo's fury was more obvious and pronounced than those of the Sylph and Cait Sith Lords, but one look at the dozen Salamander warriors that backed Mortimer up quelled any physical reactions of defiance from him. Samhain and Puge both looked utterly submissive under the gazes of Mortimer's entourage, a stark contrast to their earlier demeanors at the start of the Convention. Wallcorman exhibited no range of emotions beyond despondence.

And Fjord continued to smile at him.

"Allow me to summarize so that we're at an equal understanding," the Undine Lord replied coolly. "You, Lord Mortimer, wish for the rest of us to cede our resources and treasuries to the Salamanders in exchange for, what, a disproportionately small amount of the riches that are gathered in future quests? And the promise that you will cede victory of the next Grand Quest to one of our races, which will be selected via lottery?"

"It's a fair deal, is it not?" Mortimer replied.

"How is that fair?!" snapped Genomo. "You Salamanders have the most players out of all nine races! You don't NEED the extra battalions and armaments!"

"Not to mention it'll set the progress of the other races back for months," Samhain added. "Some of our warriors had to work hard to gain the weapons, tools, and «Yrd» that they have."

Mortimer's smirk twitched wider by a centimeter. "Yes, of course. Now, tell me, Lord Samhain, how has all that hard work paid off for your race? What have the Leprechauns accomplished off the backs of such enviable labor?" He leaned forward and regarded his fellow Lord with thinly-veiled derision. "Do enlighten me, my dear friend. I'm genuinely intrigued."

Samhain gave him nothing but awkward, humiliated silence. This earned the Leprechaun a widening smirk from his fellow Lord. With his question answered, Mortimer turned to face Genomo and Puge next.

"And what about the Gnomes, Genomo?" the Salamander asked. "Or the Pookas, Puge? What have they to offer for the Grand Quest, but the Gnomes' lumbering, oafish incompetence and the Pookas' useless affinity for music?"

"You...You DARE insult the Pookas' Music Magic?!" Puge snapped. "Our love for ART?!"

Overcome with fury at the slight, the Pooka Lord shot up from his chair in outrage. However, his heated reaction was muted when some of Mortimer's warriors drew themselves closer to their Lord; their shields were raised, and their defensive stances prepared. As for Mortimer, his expression remained unchanged, and he even let out an unstifled chuckle.

"Ahhhhh, so that's why you Pookas are so drawn to music," the Salamander Lord remarked tauntingly. "You're artists. I see, I see." He gave Puge a nod of derisive faux-agreement. "That is certainly nice. Unfortunately..." He tapped his fingertips together in a devious, crafty fashion. "In a quest, the artist is the first one to die. Always. And do you know why?"

Mortimer's question was met by nothing but expected, pregnant silence from his equals. He smirked again in triumph.

"Because strength and willpower drive the winners of history and lay the foundations of civilizations. Not silly things like art. After all..." He gestured to the other eight. "You're all here, aren't you?"

"So..." a voice suddenly said.

Mortimer glanced at Fjord, who had been listening to him the entire time with a shining intent in his eyes and an amused grin on his face.

"You wish to join the likes of Napoleon and Genghis Khan," the Undine continued. "And you hope to accomplish this by winning the Grand Quest through strongarm tactics. Admirable, I must say. Admirable, indeed."

The Salamander smiled, but a crease was emerging on his forehead. He leaned forward slightly, his posture teeming with suspicion.

"Let me guess," he said. "The idealist is going to debate me about the pros and cons of teamwork and cooperation versus conquest and domination."

Fjord smiled back, almost knowingly, as a twinkle passed through his blue eyes. "Not exactly. But sure. Shall we begin? It's not like we don't have all day, after all."

– X-Y-X –

"Yo, what's the plan, Kirito?"

At the sound of Agil's voice, Kirito's mind raced with all sorts of scenarios and strategies. He stood on the fringes of the coliseum field, flanked by Agil, Klein, Liz, and Eiji and obscured by shadows. He felt the minuscule Yui adjust herself inside his breast pocket. The Spriggan's obsidian eyes were locked onto Mortimer and his entourage of guards as they remained encircled around the other eight Lords.

"Well, first off," Kirito whispered, "we're outnumbered. Badly."

"Way to keep our spirits up, Kirito!" Liz snapped sarcastically.

"Not too badly," Yui chirped. "According to the calculations I made based on my analysis, for every one of us, the Salamanders have only three!"

"So, we're outnumbered three-to-one. And these calculations help us how, exactly?!"

The Spriggan ignored Liz and continued with his analysis. "Obviously we can't solve this with force. Not while we're standing in Neutral Territory. We're just gonna get our accounts suspended, and then we're not gonna be able to help anyone. That's what the Salamanders want."

"Okay, so what?" Klein asked worriedly. "We're just gonna stand here and watch those Salamanders manhandle Sakuya and the others until they fold and do whatever they want?"

"Of course not. We just need to figure out a way to keep the Salamanders preoccupied somehow. Sachi and the others are counting on us to keep the Undines, Sylphs, and Cait Siths safe."

Agil grunted and rubbed his forehead in exasperation. "Damn... I wish I was back in my shop right now. I definitely woulda used somethin' in my inventory to keep their attention!"

Agil's words suddenly sparked a memory within Kirito. After a brief moment of contemplation that nevertheless seemed to stretch on forever, his eyes finally narrowed with resolve.

"I've got a plan," he said.

Everyone glanced at him in surprise.

"Huh?" Agil and Klein vocalized at the same time.

"You do?" Liz asked in surprise, even as she beamed with slight admiration.

Kirito nodded firmly. "Yes. We're gonna lure the Salamanders away from the Lords."

"Alright..." Eiji replied with a bemused look. "And...how exactly are we supposed to do that without violence?"

A clever grin crept onto the Spriggan's features. "Who said we were gonna solve this situation with violence?"

...

Eiji eyed Kirito warily, then he shot an unhappy scowl. "Okay, you're smiling. You're smiling. Why the hell are you smiling like that?" He glanced at Agil, Klein, and Liz. "Why's he smiling like that?"

Then, he was dismayed to see the same smiles plastered on their faces.

"Why're you all smiling like that?"

He turned to Yui next. "Why're they all smiling like that?"

Then, the Imp was dismayed to see the same smile plastered on her face.

"Why're YOU smiling like that?!"

"Relax, man," Klein replied nonchalantly. "Just follow our lead."

"How am I supposed to do that when I don't even know what the lead IS?!" Eiji barked in a hushed voice.

"Come on," remarked Agil. "Just relax, man."

"Stop telling me to relax, damn it!"

"Dude," Liz deadpanned, "just chill. Better?"

"WH-WHAT THE?! THAT'S THE SAME THING AS TELLING ME TO RELAX!"

– X-Y-X –

Edge of Neutral Territory

"HALT, MEN!"

Eugene held up a clenched fist, and he heard his forces stop behind him in midair. Together, the Salamander squadrons watched Sachi and Sinon as they continued to widen the distance between them. Without looking, the general heard someone fly over to his side.

"General, why'd you order us to stop?" Kagemune asked. "The Shielder and the Archer are getting away!"

The ghost of a smirk flashed through Eugene's visage. "Just observe, Kagemune..."

The Salamanders watched their two opponents fly away for another minute. Then, as Eugene anticipated, both Sachi and Sinon stopped and turned around, surprised that the pursuit had been cut off so prematurely.

"What's wrong, General Eugene?!" Sinon called tauntingly.

"Scared to fight?" added Sachi.

"You DARE?!" Kagemune barked. He prepared to lunge at the two females, but he was stopped by Eugene's outstretched arm. "Wha?! G-General!"

The captain's protest was suppressed by a simple shake of his superior's head. Once he was assured of Kagemune's cooperation, Eugene lowered his arm and faced the Undine and the Cait Sith again. This time, the smirk was unmistakable on his face.

"Do you think of me as stupid, Shielder, Archer?!" he roared. "I know what you're trying to do here!"

"Do you now?" Sinon replied with a cruel twitch of her catlike ears.

"Of course! You two are trying to lure us out of the Neutral Territories so you can have an excuse to engage us in battle! Unfortunately for you, that ruse of yours won't work so easily! Some of my men are still at the Coliseum as we speak! They would never leave Lord Mortimer's side even if the most magnificent and enticing of treasures was presented to them as an offer!" Eugene pointed a thick finger at Sachi and Sinon. "The best the Undines and Cait Siths have to offer, and this is your strategy against us?!"

"I dunno," Sachi remarked confidently. "If you guys followed us all the way out here, on the fringes of Neutral Territory, then I'd say you guys aren't as bright as you make yourselves out to be! And you want to seize control of my trident?! HA! I'd hand it over to a Spriggan newbie before I even consider giving it to the likes of you!"

Eugene's smirk widened by an inch. "You're running low on your flight time, yet you still spit such fire." He gave her a single nod. "You have spirit, Shielder. I'll give you that. It's no wonder why you still wield the «Trident of Protection» after all this time. Which is why I'm gonna give you this one last chance." He held out his hand in a sudden gesture of vulnerability, despite his forces surrounding him. "Hand over the Trident, and I'll see to it that you're flown back to the Coliseum without a scratch on you. I know just as much as you do that you don't have long in the air, and neither does your archer friend."

"And if I don't?!" Sachi called defiantly.

"Well...you and the Archer can continue to fly away, but we're not going to follow you for any longer. Now that we know your plan, we'll just head back to the Coliseum and see to it that Lord Mortimer's part of the operation is complete. Or you can just float there and try to wear us out while your flight time whittles down to zero before ours do. And..." Eugene glanced downwards at the sea of trees and mountains below. "Let's just say it's a long way down from the top. But fear not. My soldiers will catch you and carry you the rest of the way while you're helpless to fight back. Or..." The smirking general stretched his fingers outward even further. "You can just hand the Trident over, and we'll fly you back on more agreeable terms.

"What do you say, Shielder? Will you yield? And will you do it in time?"

"He's got a point, Sachi," Sinon whispered with narrowed eyes. "He's seen through our bluff, and he's now calling it."

But Sachi's resolve didn't waver as she replied, "Maybe so, but I've got another bluff up my sleeve."

Sinon looked at her in bewilderment. "What?"

The Undine ignored her and called out, "I think I've got terms that're a lot more agreeable than the ones you've laid out, General Eugene! But only if you're willing to listen!"

This piqued the Salamander's interest. "Oh? Do tell. But make it quick. You're running out of time, Shielder."

Sachi smiled determinedly. "Duel me."

For a few moments, the only sound that passed through the atmosphere was the whistling of the wind. Then, it was shattered by the first reaction, a resonant, stunned, single word.

"What?!" Sinon cried.

"Duel you?" Eugene repeated. Then, he gave both girls a brief but derisive snicker, which was joined by others coming from his army. "Did you just incur short-term memory over the past minute, Shielder?"

"I know where we are," Sachi replied unflinchingly. "But a couple minutes' worth of flying and we'll be in Imp Territory." She pointed her chin over her shoulder, towards the mountainous region beyond. "Once we're there, there'll be no rules or regulations to hold us back. Only our skill and our strength."

Eugene tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Hmmm, I see. But why, may I ask? Why should I trust you, Shielder, when it's possible that you just have a trap laid out for me, all the way out there?"

"The Trident can only be wielded by someone of true worth, General Eugene. After all, I didn't go through all the effort to acquire this, just to hand it over to the likes of you without a single scratch."

Sinon sweat-dropped at the last sentence, but she elected to stay silent. As for Eugene, he quirked an eyebrow in doubt, though the intrigue was clear on his face.

"So," the general said in a contemplative voice, "you want to have a final stand. That's understandable."

"No. More than that, General Eugene." Sachi gave him a fierce, fearless smile that Kirito would've been proud of. "If you want to take the Trident from me, then I want you to take it from me, fair and square. No dirty tricks. No underhanded tactics. Just a simple duel with everything that we have, with our honor on the line and our souls aflame. No outside assistance, no wave of reinforcements, nothing. Just us. And I want both of us to take each other to our limits and beyond, General Eugene. I want a fight that no one will forget for ages to come. An honorable fight! I want us to walk away from this with smiles on our faces!"

A spark of flame lit up deep within the general's anticipatory eye at the sound of Sachi's declaration. "Ahhhhh, so you wish for us to lay all our cards on the table! Show each other what we're truly capable of! How...How magnificent!" He started to chortle, almost in childlike excitement, which brought hope to Sachi. "You...You...!"

Then, Eugene caught himself in his chortling celebration. He took a moment to pause, regain his cold and calculating disposition, and clear his throat.

"You present such an appealing offer, Shielder. Very well." The corner of the general's lips twitched. "I accept those terms. Who am I to deny such a strong and capable warrior their wishes for an honorable end to their tale?"

Kagemune suddenly tugged at Eugene's sleeve, his brow furrowed in concern. "Uhhh, General? Are you sure about this? This could be a trap."

"Not if you and your men remain here, in Neutral Territory." Eugene then glared at Sinon. "And the same goes for your girlfriend too, Shielder! For her sake and yours, she'd better not be using that bow and those arrows of hers for any reason!"

"Trust me, General Eugene," Sachi replied, her smile still present and unwavering, "she won't. Like your men, she'll remain here in Neutral Territory and observe. You don't have to worry about any sort of trap. After all..." Her smile took on even more confidence and even a little arrogance. "Who am I to deny such a strong and capable warrior their desire to have an honorable end to their tale?"

Eugene's smile faded, and he scoffed mockingly at the Undine. "Big words coming from a little girl. You have no idea who, or what, are going up against."

"You're right. I don't. And neither do you."

Eugene scoffed again. "Very well. It's you and me, Sapphire Shielder. Let's fly over to that peak over there."

He pointed downwards, and Sachi followed the direction of his finger. Down below, she could see a snow-capped mountain, taller than many of the others. And yet, she could see, even from a great distance, that the peak was flat. It was as if someone had cleanly cut off the tip of the mountain with a butter knife.

"It's in Imp Territory," the general continued, "and it's a training ground favored by players. I don't detect any players using it right now, so it'll be perfect for our little duel."

This time, it was Sachi's turn to scoff. "Ohhh, I doubt that our duel is gonna be so little. But as you wish, General. However-"

"No backup. No assistance. I remember, Shielder. I'm a man of my word."

The corner of Sachi's lip twitched in amusement. Even so, she watched as Eugene made his descent, his crimson wings flapping gently as he did. His soldiers watched him go for a moment, before Kagemune grunted in displeasure and followed his superior. She prepared to follow them when she felt a hand firmly grab her arm, stopping her in her flight.

"Huh?" Sachi glared at Sinon. "Sinonon!"

But the Cait Sith stared at her with shimmering eyes. "What're you doing, Sachi?!" she whispered harshly. "This isn't your regular Salamander or Imp! This is General Eugene you're fighting! Neither of us really have any idea on what to expect!"

"I know, Sinonon." The Undine gently placed a hand over her friend's. "But we gotta keep Eugene distracted for as long as possible while Kirito and the others take care of things at the Coliseum."

"We don't even know if they have things handled over there, Sachi! It's not like they can free Fjord, Sakuya, Alicia, and the others by force!"

"If anyone can figure out how to get people out of a pinch, then it'd be Kirito. He's gone through worse." Sachi consolingly patted Sinon's hand. "I have faith in him. And now, it's time for you to have faith in me." She gave her a tiny but optimistic smile. "Don't worry, Sinonon! I got this! It's not like I'm gonna die IRL if I get killed here, after all!"

An image of a Granite Elemental flashed through the Undine's mind. But, for once in her life, it did nothing to shake her resolve. Instead, she gently pried Sinon's hand off of her arm.

"Look, I gotta get down there. I don't know how much time I've got left in the air." Then, Sachi gave Sinon a confident nod. "Don't worry, Sinonon. I know you'll still have my back."

"But-" Sinon began feebly.

But it was too late for her protest to mean anything. Sachi already made her descent towards the flat mountain peak, her wings flapping resonantly and the «Trident of Protection» glittering from the flickering sunlight. Sinon could only watch in helplessness, and her catlike ears twitched.

"I thought we were supposed to stick close to each other..." the Cait Sith whispered.

Mountaintop Training Ground, Imp Territory

"General Eugene."

Eugene merely responded with a short growl. He gently landed on one side of the training ground, and he heard a pair of footsteps follow his landing. With an elongated sigh, the Salamander general turned around and saw Kagemune following him, his brow furrowed and his fingers flexing in discomfort.

"Why'd you follow me, Kagemune?" Eugene asked with a hint of annoyance. "I told the Shielder that it would just be me and her, and I intend to stick by my word."

"I understand, General," the captain replied. "I really do. But-"

"You're concerned that this is a trap set by the Shielder to take me down once and for all."

Kagemune nodded softly but resolutely. "With all due respect, I don't understand the necessity of this, General. Why can't we just stick to the original plan? We had the Shielder and the Archer right where we wanted them, even if they were trying to lure us out of Neutral Territory."

Eugene took a deep breath and stared off into the distance. "I don't know, Kagemune. I guess I thought that this was a better change of pace compared to our previous strategy."

At those words, the captain narrowed his eyes slightly, yet in realization. "It was that speech of hers, about having an honorable fight. Isn't it, General?"

Eugene gave his underling a halfhearted shrug. "I guess we'll find out soon enough."

He pointed his chin towards the cloudy sky, and Kagemune followed his general's gaze, just to see Sachi landing on the other side of the training ground. Once her two feet met the cobblestoned ground, the Undine exhaled, then she took notice of Kagemune. Her blue eyes narrowed with distrust.

"I thought there'd be no one else here, General Eugene," she called, her voice cold in its harsh tone.

"My apologies, Shielder," Eugene replied with an earnest bow of his head. "Kagemune here was concerned about any dirty tricks you might have up your sleeve."

"I can assure you, General, that there'll be no more dirty tricks today. We're laying ourselves bare, right here, right now."

With a soft yet firm face, Sachi reached a fair hand across her back and unsheathed the «Trident of Protection». When the metallic click rang across the air, the Undine warrior deftly, stylistically twirled it around in a show of intimidation. The metal glinted and gleamed with every sparse ray of golden sunlight that reflected off its ocean-blue surface, dazzling Eugene and forcing Kagemune to flinch.

"The «Trident of Protection»..." Eugene whispered with wonder. "Amazing..."

After completing her little show, Sachi lowered the trident and slowly, carefully walked towards Thanos. Every step that she took was resolute and purposeful. Eugene and Kagemune both eyed the trident as she approached. When Sachi got close enough, Eugene smiled, but this time, there was no malice or derision present in his expression. Instead, he seemed totally enraptured by the sight of the very object that he had been pursuing.

"Focus up, General," Sachi warned. "Never take your eye off the enemy for one second, for that second can be your last. I'm sure Kagemune here can attest to the true power that the «Trident of Protection» possesses."

Eugene didn't look at his captain, but he moved his focus from the trident to Sachi. As for Kagemune, he swallowed noisily and took a couple of steps backward in hesitation.

"I still think this is a bad idea, General," he advised.

"Duly noted," Eugene replied gruffly. "You're dismissed, Kagemune."

Kagemune pursed his lips in strong ambivalence. He gave Sachi one last glower of distrust, before he turned his back on the two of them and flew off. Sachi didn't look up, but her peripheral vision followed the captain in his departure. Once he went out of sight, she fully trained her focus on the towering, hulking Salamander before her. For once in her life, she didn't feel a need to gulp in abject terror, even as her mind swam in the terrible memories of a different past.

"There's no need to fear any longer, Sachi. You left him and that part of your life in Hachinohe a long time ago."

"Many have sought to complete the Lake Mjøsa side-quest and acquire the «Trident of Protection»," Eugene said. His voice was low and almost awestruck as he beheld the trident in question again. "Their efforts bore no fruit. Some even dismissed the Trident as a silly rumor, a product of online forum discussions. That is, until you found it and mastered it."

"I'm honored to hold that distinction, then," Sachi replied, almost dryly.

Eugene's eyes shone with a curiosity that was almost childlike. "If I may, before we commence with this duel, I must ask: how were you able to find the Trident and make it your own? What did you do that so many other players failed to do? What made you so special?"

Sachi smiled. "It's just as I said, General Eugene. The Trident can only be wielded by someone of true worth. And it can only respond to those it deems worthy of wielding them." She briefly looked down, and once she did, her eyes could not leave the sight of the Tesseract as she rolled its handle in her palm. "And as you can see...I have been deemed worthy."

"So...you didn't just find it. It chose you."

The Undine's skin paled a little, as the memory of the Trident randomly materializing out of thin air before her returned to her mind.

"Uh-oh. I think I'm giving a little too much away..."

"I see now."

To her fortune, Eugene turned his back on her and walked towards one end of the training ground. Once he reached his preordained destination, the general continued to have his back facing her. This brought a chill down Sachi's spine, and her grip tightened around the «Trident of Protection».

"'Tis a shame that we didn't cross paths sooner, Sapphire Shielder," he said. His voice, low yet ominous, was carried across the training ground by the cold breezes. "After all...we're alike, you and I."

Sachi blinked incredulously. "Us, alike?"

"Yes. You didn't just master such a powerful, prized weapon. You were chosen by it. It was as if fate ordained your partnership. It's no wonder why you're now the Sapphire Shielder, the feared powerhouse of the Undines."

As the Salamander general spoke, Sachi's skin paled further. She could sense where the conversation was going, and her eyes became magnetized towards the sword that hung off his back. The large, two-handed crimson greatsword with two entwined dragons etched upon the blade's freshly sharpened surface. Her eyes grew wide, as the sight of it triggered another memory.

"And I am the Salamanders' Strongest Warrior, General Eugene. I didn't get where I am today just by leading armies and yelling commands."

With that, Eugene slowly but boldly lifted a hand and wrapped it around the greatsword's hilt. Sachi hitched a gasp.

"No," she whispered. "No way... That...That must be it..."

– January 4, 2025 –
Parcellus Castle, Undine Territory

Three weeks ago

"Come in."

The familiar voice swiftly followed Sachi's rhythmic knocking. With the cue, she carefully opened the door and entered Fjord's study, making sure to close the door behind her. Inside, she found him seated on his chair, dutifully reading a scroll. The Undine gave him a tiny but warm smile and loyally bowed her head at him.

"I've responded to your summons, Fjord," Sachi greeted. She lifted her head and widened her beaming smile at him. "What is it that you need?"

Fjord's gaze was stubbornly glued to the scroll as he asked, "How has your progress been with the «Trident of Protection»?"

"The «Trident of Protection»?" At that moment, Sachi felt the slight weight on her back. "It's going smoothly. I'm building my Defense Skill every day. I hope to unlock its secret Unique Ability by the end of the month."

"By the end of the month..." A single crease faded away from the Lord's forehead. "I see..."

At that moment, Sachi's interest was piqued by the scroll in his hands. "What's that?" she asked.

"A message from one of our scout units," Fjord replied, his voice grave now. "I've been gathering all the information I can on the battle at Sigurd's Hook."

Her face fell in disappointment. "Oh, yes... That... I...I'm sorry, Fjord. I wish I could've been there to help my fellow Undines out-"

Fjord finally pried his eyes away from the paper and gave her a kind, comforting smile. "There's no need to apologize, Sachi. You were busy helping the Sylphs in the Gnome Territory. For that, I am appreciative of your efforts to strengthen the bonds of our alliance. No, it's not your absence from the battlefield that has me unsettled." He furrowed his brow again. "Rather, I'm more concerned about General Eugene's participation."

Sachi's eyes widened. "Wait, General Eugene was there?! I didn't know that! If I remember correctly, he hasn't been seen outside of the Salamander Territory since last summer! Recon thinks he may have undergone a special training regimen in order to build an edge against any opponent."

Fjord blinked slowly. "You might as well say that..."

"Huh?"

"For the past nine months, I've personally ordered several reconnaissance operations into Urudellan, the heart of Salamander Territory. Nine, to be exact, on a monthly basis. I was hoping to get valuable intel on what the Salamanders' next step was. The top objective was to infiltrate Urudellan Palace, where Lord Mortimer resides."

Sachi's face lit up with intrigue. "Were we successful?"

"In infiltrating Urudellan Palace?" He shook his head in disappointment. "Not a chance. But we did yield bits and pieces of information on General Eugene. Firstly, the rumors were right: he is dedicated to the mastery of Fire Magic. He has achieved a level of skill that is yet to be matched by anyone, Salamander or not, perhaps with the sole exception of his brother Lord Mortimer. But more importantly, he doesn't take defeat very lightly. Naturally, you're a favorite subject of his in conversations."

The corners of the female Undine's lips twitched in amusement. "Wow. I'm...I'm flattered to know that I'm feared by the Salamanders' Strongest Warrior himself."

Suddenly, Fjord scoffed. "Feared? Not even close, I'm afraid, Sachi. No, he sees you as his final obstacle to overcome. The final boss of his tale, if you will."

"Wow. That's...That's pretty colorful, I guess..."

"Indeed. And because of that, he's taken a strong interest in your strength and your abilities." The Undine Lord's eye twinkled. "You know what that means."

Sachi felt her back get heavier. "The «Trident of Protection»..."

Fjord nodded softly but grimly. "He's doubled his own training, to build his own fighting prowess and to carve out an insurmountable edge over the Trident. And now, he's put that new training regimen to the test as of Sigurd's Hook."

She swallowed. "He...He has...?"

"Yeah. And this final report is...rather concerning. Here, read it."

He lifted an arm, and Sachi eyed the long sheet of paper dangling from his grasp. For a moment, her heart told her to refrain, to not read whatever challenges were laid out for her in that scroll. But her mind won out, and she took the paper from Fjord's hand after a deep breath.

"Alright..."

She proceeded to read the scroll in its entirety. The report had a few paragraphs, each of which bore a significant amount of detail that she soaked in.

"Hmmmmm..."

With every paragraph that Sachi read, she found herself becoming intrigued by the report. Indeed, the battle at Sigurd's Hook was an affair that she missed out on, to her chagrin.

"Huuuh..."

Then, the final paragraphs caught her attention the most. Her blue eyes scanned each and every word with rapt attention while her mind swam in the increasingly turbulent sea of emotions. Eventually, she laid her eyes on the final word, and her heart dropped in abject horror.

"Are...Are you sure this is right, Lord Fjord?"

Fjord nodded with grave apprehension. "Mm-hm. I've never heard of anything like it, Sachi. A large, two-handed greatsword as red as blood, with two entwined dragons etched upon the blade's freshly sharpened surface. Capable of bypassing objects like a spiritual being, and then striking the targets behind them. That kind of weapon would make swordfights completely useless."

Sachi looked down at the scroll to reread it, though her mind couldn't deny any of the words that she had just absorbed.

"That...That can't be a legit weapon, can it...?" she asked in vain hope.

He shrugged absentmindedly. "I don't know, Sachi. I mean, I've heard rumors of such a weapon lying around somewhere in ALO. I just didn't think..."

Fjord's voice trailed off, which spiked Sachi's concern. She glanced at the scroll yet again, then set the parchment on her Lord's desk.

"I see. So, you think that, when we see Eugene on the battlefield again, we'll see that sword. Aren't you?"

"You could always read me like a book, Sachi." Fjord halfheartedly took the piece of paper and put it back into his menu, causing it to vanish into thin air. "See, Eugene's been around since day one, and he knows better than anyone else how the Salamanders once were in ALO. Their progress as a race was far behind the others. In fact, they had the third-least number of players in their ranks for the first couple of months after the game's launch. At the same time, the memberships of other races grew at exponential rates."

"I assume all of that changed when Eugene became general," Sachi hypothesized.

"That and his brother Mortimer, or so I've heard, becoming the Salamander Lord. Having been so frustrated by the Salamanders' progress despite their potential, they both led what was essentially a coup against the previous leadership. And once they took over, there was no stopping the Salamanders. Lord Mortimer and General Eugene are the reasons why so many new players decide to pledge their allegiance to the Salamanders nowadays. Their reputations precede them." Fjord's eyes narrowed into slits. "And with Eugene now in the possession of a weapon that is supposedly that powerful, they'll be unstoppable. We might as well give them the victory over the Grand Quest..."

Sachi narrowed her eyes, watching as a dark expression loomed over Fjord's face. For once in her life, she was seeing the Undine Lord so legitimately concerned over anything. Before that, he had always seen the bright side of any outcome, no matter how terrible or unproductive, no matter if he was forced to make the toughest of choices. Fjord always treated the other races not as enemies, but as equals that deserved a fair shot at victory, an equal slice of the cake that was achieving the Grand Quest.

"Not if I can help it."

The sentence came out of Sachi's mouth before she could control herself. Even so, the determination and the resolve caught up with her, and she didn't back down when Fjord looked at her with a raised brow.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"Not if I can help it!" Sachi repeated; her voice carried more gusto than the last time. "We're not gonna let the Salamanders win the Grand Quest, Fjord! A-At least, not in the way they're using right now! We're gonna teach Lord Mortimer and General Eugene a lesson they'll never forget!"

With a confident grin, the Undine warrior equipped the «Trident of Protection» and twirled it around in a display of skill and magnificence. Once she was done, she had the three-pronged tip aimed at the ceiling, with her arm wrapped around its pole. Fjord watched the entire display with an ambiguous look on his face, and once he drank in the sight of Sachi showing off her ability to handle the weapon, he smiled.

"I know," he replied. "Just...watch your back with Eugene when you two cross paths, will you? If he has what I think he has, then you'll have definitely met your match."

Sachi nodded loyally. "Yes, Fjord. And don't worry. I will."

"That's my girl."

Mountaintop Training Ground, Imp Territory

Present day

"That...That must be it... That has to be it..."

Sachi watched on while Eugene squeezed on the hilt of his greatsword with a resolve that she had never seen before. She took a couple of steps back in caution, just as the Salamander general unsheathed his weapon. He did so in a slow and smooth manner, like a seamstress treating her freshly-woven silk. A few seconds passed, and the greatsword was displayed to Sachi in its entirety, its debut marked by a bright gleam of purple, and a small, faint wave of purple energy pulsed harmlessly through the battlefield.

A mere second later, Eugene slowly turned back around to face his opponent. He smirked at her in a way that chilled her to the bone, and he twirled his weapon around a couple of times. Despite the brief demonstration, Sachi knew that the general was extremely skilled with handling the greatsword.

"You know what this weapon is, don't you?" Eugene asked.

"I..." Sachi warily eyed the gleaming blade of the greatsword. "I've heard of your...exploits with it..."

Eugene emitted a low scoff. "So, Fjord didn't educate you on what exactly this is. Shame." He gently lifted the blade and admired it, observing his own reflection on its crimson metal. "This is the «Demonic Sword Gram». The second-strongest legendary sword in all of Alfheim."

"The second-strongest sword...in all of Alfheim..." Sachi repeated to herself in awe.

"To wield this sword, it is said that one must have a Two-Handed Sword skill level of at least 950." Eugene lifted his unoccupied hand and slowly, softly ran the palm against the blade. "When I first entered this realm, I scoured through all of the scrolls and texts that Alfheim had to offer, in search of a weapon that would suit my style...and my ambitions. And after months of seemingly fruitless research, destiny and I reached a crossroads. A sword that could phase through any object to reach its target. A greatsword with the power of a demon. The sword that the hero Sigurd used to slay the evil dragon Fafnir."

Almost absentmindedly, Eugene gently rubbed his thumb against Gram's blade, then followed it up with his index finger. He was almost like a child who was inspecting their new toy.

"The «Demonic Sword Gram»."

"So," Sachi said carefully, "you obtained that sword to become the Salamanders' Strongest Warrior."

Eugene's smirk widened by a single centimeter. "To become..."

Then, the Salamander lowered his hand from the sword's blade, and he slowly aimed Gram's blade in Sachi's general direction. In growing alarm, the Undine's grip tightened around the Trident's pole.

"My dear Sapphire Shielder," the general continued, "strength doesn't come from the weapon of your choice."

Sachi blinked in confusion. "Huh?"

"I'm...surprised that you didn't know that. Disappointed, even. But..." Eugene bared his teeth, and his smirk transformed into a full-on grin of bloodthirstiness that reminded Sachi of a tiger. "I suppose that makes things a whole lot easier for me."

"Oh, really?" The Undine couldn't suppress the shakiness of her voice, but she slowly took on a fighting stance of her own. "How so?"

At that moment, the banks of clouds above them began to part, allowing more rays of sunlight to shine through and illuminate the battlefield. Sachi could feel the warmth surrounding her in all directions on the battlefield, but she just couldn't shake the terrible cold feeling dwelling in her heart.

"If a warrior doesn't know the true source of their strength," Eugene snarled gleefully, "then they are not truly a warrior, but rather..."

One ray of golden sunlight passed over him in a smooth, graceful glide. A split-second later, the light reflected off his crimson blade, triggering a bright, brilliant glint that shone in Sachi's eyes for an infinitesimal moment. She grunted and flinched.

"A lower class of being! RRRRRAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!"

Sachi recovered from her grimace, but by that point, it was too late: Eugene was already a couple of feet in front of her, «Demonic Sword Gram» raised high and mighty.

"AGH!"

On impulse, Sachi raised the Trident and watched as the general swung his sword downward. She planted herself more firmly against the ground and braced herself for the impact, for Gram's blade to become tangled in its triplet prongs.

In one moment, the blade was passing between two of the Trident's prongs. In the next moment, it wasn't. Instead, it was headed straight for her body, totally unimpeded.

"What?!"

The single thought of panic did nothing to trigger Sachi's flight instinct. Another split-second later, her entire body felt the entire force of an unseen impact. It shrieked in utter agony while it was sent hurtling weightlessly across the battlefield. As soon as the Undine closed her eyes, she crashed into the staring precipice, and the pain in her body shot up tenfold.

"AUGH!"

And now, all Sachi could smell and taste was the chalky dust and grainy earth.

– X-Y-X –

"Heh heh heh. The Shielder's screwed now."

Sinon's catlike ears twitched at the sound of Eugene's underlings. From her perch atop a neighboring mountaintop, she could see the duel raging in the training ground below, as could Eugene's battalion. The Cait Sith surreptitiously glanced at the Salamander soldiers and caught many of them smirking derisively at Sachi's direction.

"No one's ever beaten the General in a battle," one of the Salamanders said. "Not when he's got Gram and its special ability with him."

"Heh, yeah," another replied. "It doesn't matter if the Shielder's kicked our asses many times. She's never fought General Eugene before, and now she's about to go through an eye-opener."

"Ohhh, with that kickass sword of his," a third warrior explained, "he's not just gonna open her eyes. He's gonna wipe the floor with her. Alne will be ours for the taking in no time."

"And with it," the first Salamander responded, "the Grand Quest."

Some of the other Salamanders chuckled and nodded in agreement, while others gave each other congratulatory high-fives. However, Sinon noticed one Salamander who didn't join his brethren in their optimism: Kagemune, who simply observed the duel with a furrowed brow and intense eyes.

The archer followed the Salamander captain's lead and refocused on the duel as well. Unlike the Salamanders, her highly keen eyesight, innate and a function of her race, allowed her to notice and memorize every last, minute detail of the battle. Right now, she could see Sachi struggling to clamber out of the smoking pile of debris, using the Trident as support. She pursed her lips and lifted a clenched fist over her heart.

"You can do this, Sachi," she thought encouragingly. "I know you can. I believe in you, like I always have."

– X-Y-X –

Near Neutral Territory

A massive, thick bank of clouds rolled across the skies, obscuring the Sun and plunging into darkness the mountain range that defined the Imp Territory's exterior layers. Even so, Leafa, Recon, and Philia were awake and alert, huddled close together for warmth under the latter's large, navy-blue coat. Fortunately for them, their hunger for warmth was easily sated, not just through body contact, but also through the warmth brought by their shared, intense embarrassment over being in such dangerously close proximity to one another. Careful not to rouse the attention of the nearby fauna, they emulated the deepest of slumber by merely lying on their sides and keeping their bodies as still as possible. All the while, a fire created by one of Philia's Spells struggled against the howling arctic wind, one of the very few things keeping them alive.

Eventually, the clouds fully rolled in and the wind picked up, snuffing out the flailing flames and the remaining sunlight. With their sources of light gone, Philia grunted and sat up, trying her best to take as much of her own coat with her as possible without depriving Leafa and Recon of their own shelter. Before she could recite another Fire Spell, however, she heard something.

Voices.

"Why in the world did you bring us out here?"

"Yeah, what gives? You'd better be paying us good «Yrd» for this job."

"Listen here, it's not like I'm watching the ALO Weather Channel twenty-four-seven."

"Ah, a comedian. Perfect. You know, I've got no patience for comedians. Especially if they're the ones hiring me."

The conversation quickly caught the attention of Leafa and Recon as well. They both joined Philia in sitting upright and training their eardrums to eavesdrop while the trio took shelter behind a rock. Philia glanced at them in momentary alarm, before putting her index finger to her own lips.

"Well," the third voice replied haughtily, "I'll have you know that this comedian will make it worth your while, if you just took a moment to hear out what I have to say."

"You'd better," the fourth voice snarled in irritation, "for your sake."

Leafa, Recon, and Philia watched as another group of players landed on the mountainside trail that they were camping on the side of. They consisted of a female Gnome, a male Imp, a male Leprechaun, a male and female Pooka, and a male Salamander. The Salamander was leading the others, and his face was obscured by a crimson hood that was drawn over his head.

"Ohhhhh, trust me," the Salamander said, apparently in response to the Gnome's thinly-veiled threat, "I will."

Almost immediately, the Salamander removed his hood, revealing a head with slicked-back red hair, a pointed chin, and a nose that almost took on the shape of a hook. Leafa blinked in vague remembrance and narrowed her eyes at the Salamander. However, the Salamander's companions were quicker in recognizing him, for they each delivered a derisive smirk or snort.

"You're Nicander," the female Pooka said. "The Salamander illusionist."

"Former Salamander illusionist," Nicander corrected.

Leafa, Recon, and Philia looked at one another, alarmed by Nicander's sudden return. But none of them had the time to let the revelation sink in, for Nicander had spoken up again.

"If you wish to hear what I have to say, then I strongly recommend that you treat me with more respect from this point onward. Do you understand?"

"Treat you with...with more respect?" the male Pooka repeated before letting out a single, loud laugh. "Treat you with more respect, he says! HA!"

"Word on the forums is that you were banished from the Salamander Territory," remarked the Leprechaun, "for botching the alliance between the Salamanders and the Imps."

"If I recall correctly," added the Gnome, "the Imps have now become affiliated with the Undine-Sylph-Cait Sith alliance. Moments after your banishment too."

"Sounds like a major fuck-up if I've ever seen one."

"It wasn't a major fuck-up," an affronted Nicander growled. "It was just an unfortunate setback to what was supposed to be a brilliant operation." He vengefully narrowed his eyes. "All thanks to a goddamn Spriggan."

The Imp arched an eyebrow in amusement. "A Spriggan?" he asked disbelievingly. "A Spriggan was responsible for you getting banished from Salamander Territory."

"Yeah," the Gnome replied with a mocking chuckle. "You fucked up big time-"

"I DIDN'T FUCK UP BIG TIME!"

Nicander's childish outburst prompted his companions to pull their weapons on him. Swiftly recognizing that their conversation was veering into an aberrant direction, the Salamander recomposed himself and tersely cleared his throat.

"It doesn't matter. Yes, I've been banished from Salamander Territory. I am now...a Renegade. Just like all of you." Nicander looked around, taking in all of his companions as they slowly lowered their weapons, and then, he spoke in a more sinister tone. "Which is why I gathered all of you here today."

"Up here?" the Leprechaun asked while rubbing his arms. "On this cold-ass mountain?"

"We'll get someplace warmer in just a second. Just hear me out on this." Nicander's lips curled into a sneer. "At three o'clock sharp, we will prove to the nine Lords why they and their ilk shouldn't look down on us Renegades."

"Wha, the nine Lords?" the female Pooka asked, stunned. "Like, the 'nine Lords' nine Lords?"

"Aren't they in Alne for that Convention of theirs?" queried the male Pooka.

"Indeed, they are," Nicander replied confidently. "But, and listen up..."

He lowered his voice to a whisper, and Leafa, Recon, and Philia watched as the second group huddled closer together, with the others listening to Nicander's inaudible instructions. Eventually, after a minute passed, the group's members parted, with Nicander still wearing his sneer and the others looking ambivalent.

"You're asking a lot from us," commented the Leprechaun.

"And what you're asking for requires a lot more manpower than this," the Gnome added.

"Worry not, my friends," Nicander replied. "Who needs manpower when you've got my skills and my cunning?"

"Says the guy who fucked up his race's alliance with mine and caused the Imps to jump ship to the Undines," interjected the smirking Imp.

The Salamander's brow twitched, but he calmly continued, "I have familiars all over that location. General Eugene is exactly where we need him. All you have to do is wait patiently for my signal."

The Renegade players looked amongst one another, before each of them gave the Salamander a nod of agreement.

"Excellent." Nicander's lips parted, baring his teeth in a fearsome grin. "I'm so pleased that this opportunity has come for all of us, guys."

The Gnome took a deep breath of frustrated ambivalence. "Well, like I told you before, we're only in it for the «Yrd», not so much for the glory, so you'd better pay up once this is all over with."

"In due time, my friend. In due time."

Leafa, Recon, and Philia looked at each other again before retreating further behind the rocks. As they did, they could hear the disgraced illusionist addressing his new comrades.

"Now, lemme tell you guys something. There are two types of men in this world: those who lie down and accept defeat like dogs, and those who do not. I, for one...am the type who DOESN'T!"

– X-Y-X –

Mountaintop Training Ground, Imp Territory

"So, this is the best that the Undines can do."

Eugene's taunt echoed through the air, giving Sachi the fuel to lift herself from the debris that surrounded her. However, a block of earth gave way underneath her palm while she tried to stand up, sending her tumbling back down into the pile. This mishap earned her a snort from the Salamander general.

And yet, it wasn't derision that Sachi could sense from him. It was something else.

"How Lord Fjord could entrust the power and progress of the Undines to you," Eugene continued, "I couldn't even begin to understand." He tilted his head to the right by a centimeter, watching Sachi as she struggled to stand again. "You seem to have the smarts, girl, but it's obvious that you don't have the muscle to back those smarts up."

"What're you talking about?" Sachi asked groggily. "You're here with me, aren't you?"

"Only because I know that my Lord can take good care of himself." With a raised chin of pride, the general hoisted his greatsword and gently rested the blade on his armored shoulder. "Your plan to lure me out of Neutral Territory and face me in a fight isn't bearing any fruit, Shielder. You might as well concede right away, while you still have a shred of your dignity left."

Sachi chuckled with shaky confidence. "I wish I could, Eugene. I wish I could..."

With a groan, the Undine warrior clambered out of the debris, almost tripping on herself in the process. Once her feet met smooth ground, she wrapped her left arm around her aching stomach while steadying herself. Upon regaining a semierect position, Sachi used her right hand to twirl the «Trident of Protection» around in a show of skill. After a couple of seconds, she stopped once the three prongs were aimed directly at her opponent.

"But, for the sake of my race," she continued, "I'm not gonna throw the towel just yet. You may not be impressed with me now, but I can assure you, there's a lot more to look forward to...and a lot of muscle that I have yet to show."

Eugene's lips curled into a satisfied sneer. "Well, you'd better start flexing those muscles now, Shielder, BECAUSE I'M NOT HOLDING BACK WITH MINE!"

Sachi blinked, and in the next moment, the general was now a few feet away from her, Gram poised for the kill. With a hitched breath, she followed her instinct and ducked, allowing Eugene to fly straight over her, his attack missing by inches.

"HHHAAAUUUGGGHHH!"

The Undine female rolled onto her back and thrust the Trident upward. However, she wasn't quick enough: by the time she did so, Eugene's legs were above her. The Trident's prongs grazed his left greave and was deflected by the tough crimson armor. They then tore through the tail-end of his cloak, shredding it and sending pieces of fabric hurtling through the air for milliseconds before they dissipated into polygon-shaped shards.

Then, in another split-second, Eugene somersaulted in reaction to Sachi's thrust, and he took Gram with him. The girl gasped, just as the greatsword sliced through the earth like a knife against butter.

"RRRAAARRRGGGHHH!"

"AAAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!"

Before she knew it, Sachi was flying again, caught in a storm of flying earth and debris. Then, she saw a blur of red, and she forced her body to recover quickly. Activating her wings, the Undine let off a couple of powerful flaps to steady herself in midair. Then, she channeled more of her strength towards her arms in preparation for the oncoming attack.

"YAUGH!"

Eugene had burst through the cloud of smoke, Gram raised high over his head. With a feral grin and a bloodthirsty gleam in his eyes, the general swung his weapon downward at the girl.

"YOU'RE DONE, SHIELDER!" he proclaimed at the top of his lungs.

But Sachi was quicker; she flew out of the way and thrust the Trident at Eugene's side.

"HAAAAAH!"

Her eyes broadened, and she gasped when Eugene rolled his body over to avoid the attack. Two of the prongs could only slice through his side, leaving behind small twin gashes that oozed minuscule polygons of code.

"He's quick!" she thought. "Quicker than me, even!"

With another roar, Eugene swung Gram again. Sachi jumped away, but the blade was still too close; it bypassed the Trident's pole and cut across her cheek.

"Agh!"

Gritting her teeth, Sachi landed on the ground and slid across it on her feet, kicking up more dust in the process. She didn't have time to stop herself when she saw Eugene barreling towards her again at top speed.

"I gotta-!"

She didn't have time to finish her thought. Eugene was already upon her, swinging Gram at her again. With a labored grunt, the Undine moved as far away as she could and thrust the Trident yet again. As expected, the greatsword bypassed the Trident's pole and delivered a slash upon her chest. At the corner of her eye, the girl could see her HP decreasing slowly in response.

Fortunately, the Trident exploited an opening in Eugene's striking stance and pierced his chest armor, digging deep.

"URK!"

Despite the reaction, the bloodthirsty look didn't leave Eugene's eyes, and he swung at Sachi again. Like before, she took a step backwards and thrust the Trident towards her opponent, who took a step forward. Again, Gram left a gash in her chest and took away another portion of her HP, while the Trident stabbed Eugene in the torso and also chipped away his own HP.

"RARGH!"

"HAUGH!"

Again, Sachi tried to distance herself from Gram's blade, only for it to still reach its target on the next strike, while she managed to stab the advancing Eugene with the Trident again. Both of their HP bars decreased by a couple of centimeters again.

"YAUGH!"

"HAAAGH!"

This time, Sachi jumped away, avoiding another slash from Gram, before landing and slashing at Eugene, making sure she was gripping the tail-end of the Trident's pole. The prongs found their shared target, leaving three gashes and eating away at the general's HP again. In retaliation, Eugene jumped towards Sachi and thrust Gram forward; she sidestepped it, but the blade still cut across her right side, leaving a deep cut and draining more of her HP again.

"HAAARGH!"

"YAAAUGH!"

Eugene tried to then slash at Sachi in a rightward stroke, as if he wanted to cut her in half. Instead, she leaped forward and tackled him. But Eugene reacted quickly, planting one of his feet behind himself and steadying his position. Even so, while he spent a millisecond doing that, Sachi jumped away, slashing at Eugene with the Trident and cutting him in the face. When she landed a yard away, she propelled herself towards the general again, but he was ready.

Over and over and over again, the Undine warrior and the Salamander general traded blows with each other. Every pierce of the Trident's triplet prongs was met by a stroke from Gram's blade. Every swing of the greatsword was contrasted with a thrust from the polearm. Every second that passed and turned into a minute was spent with both Sachi's and Eugene's HP bars decreasing slowly but precipitously. After a couple of minutes of swings, stabs, and strikes, their HPs were already deep in the yellow zone, but neither of them paid any attention to it.

To each of them, all that mattered was taking down the other. There was no surrendering.

Eventually, a minute of exchanged attacks turned into two and then three. At that point, Sachi was sent flying by another attack from Eugene, but she deftly landed on the ground and slid across it on her two feet. Once she ground herself to a stop, she put one foot behind the other one, bent over slightly, and aimed the Trident at Eugene's direction. As for the general, he stood a few yards away from her and panted a couple of times as he stabbed the ground with Gram, keeping the tip of its blade embedded in the earth to keep it in place.

"What's wrong, Eugene?!" Sachi called tauntingly. "Can't keep up with a faster, younger warrior like me?!"

"HA!" Eugene shook his head and used his unoccupied hand to wipe his brow and forehead of the sweat that was accumulating. "You've got a fight in you, I'll give you that, Shielder! But I can see how drenched your head is from all the way here!"

Sachi swallowed as she felt a bead of sweat drip down her right temple. By that point, Eugene eyed his HP bar and smirked.

"Ah, I see we've already cut our HPs in half," he said. "I commend you for lasting this long, Shielder. I haven't had a fight like this in a while. This is truly excellent."

"I'm glad I could keep you entertained for so long, Eugene," Sachi replied with a twitching eyelid. "It's more than you deserve."

The general quirked an eyebrow. "Oh? More than I deserve, you say? Did I say or do something to get under your skin?"

"Oh, I dunno. That tends to happen when you lead an operation to seize a Neutral Territory city by exploiting Neutral Territory rules."

Eugene shook his head softly in amusement. "Nah, we already addressed that. Something else about me is bothering you. I can tell." He tapped a finger against the hilt of Gram, causing a particle of dirt to be displaced beside its semi-buried tip. "I can't fight an opponent that isn't at their most optimal performance, be it physical, emotional, or psychological. Now, I can tell that you're giving me your all, so it isn't a physical defect that I'm dealing with here."

"What, now you're my doctor?" Sachi asked sardonically. "I've had my fill of doctors to last me a lifetime, thank you very much."

"You've...had your fill of doctors..." A light appeared deep within Eugene's eyes. "Interesting..."

Sachi rolled her eyes. "Don't we all? I'm sure you've seen a doctor at least once in your life."

"That, I have. But you..."

The general narrowed his eyes, only by a centimeter, and yet, Sachi could still see it from many yards away. She swallowed lightly, an imperceptible action that was still noticed by her distant opponent.

"You became pretty sensitive to the sound of them. And...'fill of doctors'?"

"You're thinking about it too much." Sachi hardened her stance. "And you're just trying to throw me off your game."

"I didn't say I was."

Another bead of sweat rolled down Sachi's cheek.

"Believe it or not, Shielder, I don't want an opponent who is toe-to-toe with me. I want an opponent who can take both myself and themselves to our limits and beyond. Or did you forget all about that?"

Sachi silently gnashed her teeth in irritation. "I didn't forget, Eugene."

"Good." The Salamander removed Gram's tip from the ground with a gentle wiggle. "Because, if there's one thing I hate in this world, it's someone who can't keep their word. Who can't live up to their promises." He twirled it around for a moment and eventually aimed its blade at Sachi. "I expect you to set yourself apart from those kinds of people, Shielder, so don't disappoint me."

"Trust me, Eugene, you're about to be disappointed by something much bigger than that very soon!"

"Heh." Eugene's lips parted, revealing his teeth in a vicious grin. "With that kind of fire, you'd have made an excellent Salamander! When this is over, I'll have you switching races in no time!"

Sachi's blue eyes burned alive with impassioned ferocity. "I pledge my loyalty to Lord Fjord and Lord Fjord only! If you want me to join your ranks, Eugene, then it's going to be over my dead body! HAAAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!"

"HAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!"

Both warriors launched themselves at each other once again, ready to resume their duel.

– X-Y-X –

Alne Coliseum, Neutral Territory, Base of the World Tree

"Lord Mortimer! Lord Mortimer!"

"Hey, what're you doing?!"

The abrupt shouting interrupted Fjord and Mortimer's conversation. Both Lords, along with their seven colleagues, turned towards the direction of the source. Immediately, they were greeted with the sight of another Salamander running up to the entourage that had the nine Lords surrounded. He had an expression of panic etched onto his face, which piqued Mortimer's attention the most.

However, Fjord had to lower his face to conceal a smirk that was blossoming upon it.

"The Shielder defeated him!" the new Salamander shouted. "The Shielder defeated him!"

"Hold it right there!" one of the soldiers barked. He and a colleague tilted his lance sideways, barring entry to the approaching player. "You weren't assigned to this detail, so-"

"He has my permission to approach, soldier," Mortimer replied hurriedly. He stood from his chair and approached the Salamander with an increasingly furrowed brow. "Who'd the Shielder defeat?"

"G-General Eugene!" the Salamander yelled, his voice almost cracking in the process. "The Shielder, the Sapphire Shielder, she-she just totally wiped the floor with him!"

"Say what now?" Samhain asked incredulously.

"Impossible," commented an awestruck Puge. "General Eugene is the strongest of the Salamanders."

"How could she have managed to pull that off?" asked a stunned Genomo.

As for Sakuya, Alicia, and Mauve, relief already started to flood their visages like a tidal wave.

Meanwhile, confusion filled Mortimer's own face. "That's...That's impossible. He was supposed to seize the «Trident of Protection» from her over here. Not go and..." He stormed up to the Salamander, his confusion giving way to fury. "How do you know this?!"

"I-I saw it! I saw it all!" The newcomer pointed off towards the sky. "The Shielder lured us out of Neutral Territory, and then she engaged him!"

"She lured him out?! On limited flight time?! Over that distance?! Don't take me for a fool, soldier!"

"I'm NOT, my Lord!" The Salamander loyally bowed his head before him. "I'm not, I swear, but we underestimated that girl! She totally had all of this planned out from the get-go! And she zeroed in on the general! She was out for blood! His blood! And that weapon of hers...that Trident..."

Eyes widening, Mortimer grabbed his shoulders. "What about you and the others?! Why didn't you back him up?!"

"W-We-We DID! But everyone else started getting picked off, one by one! It-It was that damn Archer! We weren't able to locate her position in time! She was able to knock all of us out like flies! I was the only one to make it outta there with my HP left!"

Mortimer gritted his teeth and shook him. "What is your name, soldier?!"

"K-Kl-Klein! K-Klein, my Lord! Pl-Please, I-I had no-"

"YOU'RE A SALAMANDER, SOLDIER! HOW COULD YOU NOT BACK YOUR BRETHREN UP?! HOW COULD YOU TURN YOUR BACK AGAINST YOUR OWN FLESH AND BLOOD?!"

Mortimer's outburst silenced Klein almost immediately. The lower-ranked player simply stared up at the towering Lord, his eyes wide with abject terror and his whole body shaking like a newborn calf. But before Mortimer could punish Klein, a soft sound suddenly rang in the air, cutting through the tense atmosphere. Mortimer stiffened, for he knew what the noise was, and mostly, who was causing it.

"Heh heh heh." Fjord shook his head in slight amusement. "Well, you said it yourself, Mortimer. Your ambition truly is big enough to fit an entire vat. The thing with vats, though, is that they cannot and should not serve as a substitute for a wineglass. It just isn't practical at all."

At the sound of Fjord's taunt, Mortimer released Klein and glowered at his fellow Lord. "YOU! You're behind this!"

Fjord just shrugged. "How am I behind it? I've been sitting here the whole time."

The Salamander gritted his teeth tightly in white-hot fury. "You...You coordinated this with the Shielder! You and the weaklings you call your allies!"

He glared at Sakuya, Alicia, and Mauve and pointed an accusatory finger at the three women. In response, the former two scowled at him, affronted, while the latter simply gawked on in confusion.

But the Undine Lord did not flinch. "I can assure you that they had nothing to do with this. Nor I, Mortimer."

"Yeah?!"

"Yeah. After all, I'm just an idealist. There's no way that I could anticipate an outcome like this."

Mortimer's eyelid twitched nastily at the distortion of his own words. Even so, the undaunted Fjord remained still in his seat, giving the Salamander a tiny, innocuous smile. With a bestial growl, Mortimer whipped around and glared at Klein, who flinched underneath his gaze.

"YOU!" he barked.

"Y-Ye-Yes, m-my Lord...?" Klein whimpered.

"Take half of my men and guide them to General Eugene!"

"Wh-What?! But-But I just said-"

"I don't care what you said! He's still locked in battle with the Shielder, I know it! Eugene is too strong to let a little girl like her get the upper hand on him! But you're going to make up for your mistake and assist him! You should have the manpower to overwhelm the Shielder now."

Klein's eyes lit up almost immediately. "O-O-Of course, m-my Lord! I-I will not disappoint you, my Lord!" He turned towards Mortimer's entourage of bodyguards and pointed at some of them, one by one. "You guys, come with me! I'll show you where I last saw the general! Come on, we gotta kick the Shielder's ass!"

"Go!" Mortimer barked in desperation while pointing towards the sky. "Go help my brother! We can't let this operation go to waste! Not when there's still a Grand Quest to complete!"

Stunned and confused, the soldiers handpicked by Klein could do nothing but acquiesce. With that, they saluted their Lord in unison.

"YES, SIR!" they chorused.

"Come on!" Klein yelled.

In a burst of movement, he activated his wings and took to the air, followed by his handpicked soldiers. The nine Lords and the remaining bodyguards watched them depart from Alne Coliseum, with Mortimer pursing his lips in tranquil anger and Fjord continuing to smirk knowingly. Once the last of the airborne Salamanders were nothing more than specks in the sky, Mortimer slumped his shoulders with a heavy sigh.

"I can't believe this..." he muttered.

"I can't either," Fjord replied.

"Well, I guess this officially confirms the rumors..." Alicia whispered to Sakuya.

However, the whisper still reached Mortimer's eardrums. He turned around again with a swish of his cloak, and he slammed his palms upon the Convention meeting table, rocking it and startling some of the other Lords congregated around it.

"What. Was. That?" the Salamander asked ominously.

"Nothing!" Alicia squeaked with a twitch of her feline ears and a swat of her tail.

Mortimer continued to glower at the Cait Sith Lord for a few more moments, prompting Sakuya to scoot closer to her friend and ally. Then, he grunted and looked up to the World Tree in an attempt to calm himself down.

Then, Fjord spoke.

"It must irritate you, Mortimer, to know that you're so close to achieving your goal...only to realize that you've still got a long way to go."

Mortimer closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. Then, he lowered his head and stared at Fjord, who was no longer looking at him. Instead, he was now staring up at the World Tree as well, his eyes shining with dull admiration.

"The Grand Quest..." the Undine Lord said, his voice almost a whisper that melded with the wind. "It's quite a conundrum. There's only one legit way to complete it, but the Guardian Knights are nigh-unbeatable. Any way to cheat it can only be met with failure. And the World Tree, our gateway to realms beyond the Grand Quest, can always be seen, no matter where you are in Alfheim. Heh. The guys at RECT sure are sadistic sons of bitches-"

"Are you finished?" Mortimer interrupted.

"I guess." Fjord lowered his head and looked at Mortimer again. "Why?"

"Because you're wrong, Fjord. The Grand Quest is not a conundrum. It was designed so that only the strongest of the strongest can complete it. And that honor will go to the Salamanders, come hell or high water."

"Ahhh, so which of those involves taking your fellow Lords hostage? Hell or high water?"

Mortimer pursed his lips again and stormed up to Fjord, who still didn't flinch. "You tell me. Because this isn't over, Fjord. I'll see to it that my men and I wear you and the others down until you have no choice but to-"

"See, that's where you're wrong."

This time, it wasn't Fjord who spoke, or any of the other Lords, for that matter. Everyone turned, only to see Kirito standing a few yards away, alone, his eyes shrouded by bangs of his jet-black hair. Mortimer stiffened in surprise, while his bodyguards had to restrain themselves from impulsively equipping their weapons.

"Who the hell are you?!" one of the bodyguards snapped brutishly.

"Who am I?" Kirito replied with a snicker. "That is the question, isn't it?"

"Ah, don't mind him, men," snarled Mortimer. "It's just a damn Spriggan. You know just as well as I do that they aren't worth a damn!"

"Oh, really?" Kirito replied. He walked towards Mortimer and the Salamanders with an irritatingly confident strut. "Well, you're gonna regret it when I rain on your parade, Renegade-style."

"You?" Mortimer asked incredulously. "Rain on our parade?" His lips curled into a derisive smirk. "You can't do anything to us, weak little Spriggan. Remember, we're standing on Neutral Territory."

Kirito looked around, blatantly feigning realization. "Oh, really? Gee, I never noticed."

"Heh." Mortimer prepared to turn away. "Get out of here, newb, or I'll have you thrown out-"

"Ahhh, that's just great," Kirito interrupted. "I guess my part of the operation may be shitting the toilet, then."

"Your part?" The Lord's smirk faded in an instant, and he glanced at the newcomer again. "What the hell do you mean by 'your part'?"

The Spriggan pretended to ignore him and innocuously continued, "Guess I gotta send a message to Klein, tell him that we're screwed-"

"WHAT THE, HE WAS WITH YOU?!"

Kirito blinked at him. Then, he furrowed his brow and tapped his chin, looking as if he was absorbed in his thoughts. Even so, it was clear that he was faking the look as well.

"What, you didn't notice?" he asked. Then, he smirked at Mortimer, whose skin could only pale in disbelief. "Heh. I'm surprised, really. An experienced and knowledgeable player such as yourself fell for such obvious bait, hook, line, and sinker. You must really care about Eugene if you're gonna be blinded by your emotions."

With his eyes as wide and feral as they could get, Mortimer glared at his remaining bodyguards. "ALL OF YOU, GO AFTER THEM! STOP THEM BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY! AND BRING THAT KLEIN IDIOT TO ME!"

"Wait, all of us?!" one of the bodyguards exclaimed in concern.

"DIDJA HEAR ME?!"

"B-But my Lord-"

"Don't but me!" Mortimer pointed towards the sky with a quivering gloved finger. "Stop them from leaving and bring back that traitor! I want him here on his knees!"

Many of the bodyguards looked at each other in doubt, but they had no choice. They activated their wings and took off after Klein and their comrades, leaving small wisps of dust in their wake. Kirito, Mortimer, and the others watched them depart, before the former looked back at the Salamander Lord.

"Well," the Spriggan said, "I'd say that went well."

"You'd say?" A smirk blossomed on Mortimer's visage, but it was shaky and full of terribly wavering self-confidence. "I'd say it went well for the Salamanders only, Spriggan. You're about to find out why it's a terrible idea to mess with us."

"Really? And what exactly are you gonna do? We're standing in Neutral Territory, after all."

Mortimer's smirk briefly turned into a ghost of a scowl. "Maybe so, but that doesn't prevent us from restraining you and keeping you and your lot under check. And once we're done here-"

"Again with the 'we', Mortimer," Kirito interrupted bluntly. "I'm not sure if you noticed, but..." He looked around with a taunting sneer. "You're the only Salamander that I can see here."

Mortimer's eyes grew wide, and he looked around frantically. At that point, he realized his mistake, and that it was already too late. It was just him with Kirito and his fellow Lords, all of whom were beginning to stand up from the oblong meeting table at long last. A feeling of solitude immediately arose in the middle of the coliseum, and it was crushing to the Salamander.

Eventually, Mortimer's eyes met Fjord's, whereupon they narrowed.

"You," the Salamander growled savagely through clenched teeth. "You planned all of this!"

"Me?" Fjord replied innocently. "I was sitting right here the whole time. How could I have planned anything? You, on the other hand, should've seen that strategy coming from a mile away. Now that you didn't, the other races now have bragging rights over how the great Lord Mortimer was outsmarted during the Salamanders' special operation to hijack Convention of the Nine proceedings. All the races, the Spriggans especially."

Mortimer clenched his teeth tighter in outrage. "This isn't over, Fjord. My forces will be back at any minute! And when they return, this whole operation falls into shambles, and the Salamanders regain control!" Mortimer whipped around and pointed at the calm Kirito. "You're not ready for what's about to come, you pathetic, weak Spriggan!"

"Maybe he ain't," another new voice said, "but we are."

Mortimer suddenly found himself looking around again, for additional players had joined the fray: Agil, Liz, and Eiji. Together, they crossed their arms and joined Kirito, Fjord, and the other seven Lords in surrounding the helpless Salamander. He looked around for an easy escape route, but he couldn't determine one. He could only stand there alone and watch as his former captives took the upper hand away from him.

"Looks like the tables have turned," Sakuya commented sharply, "Lord Mortimer."

Mortimer gritted his teeth yet again and clenched his fists so tightly that they quivered. This gave Kirito the opportunity to march up to him and gently grab his collar in a show of passive-aggressive force. For once, the taunting, condescending look on the Spriggan's face was gone.

"Message your brother," Kirito whispered. "Tell him to stand down. Now."

At first, the Lord glowered down at him, spiteful over the sudden turn of events and the swift loss of control. Then, in one last act of defiance, his scowl turned into a sneer, and four words were uttered from his mouth.

"Go to hell, Spriggan."

– X-Y-X –

Unbeknownst to everyone in the coliseum, someone else had been observing the entire event as it progressed. They remained hidden in the shadows for most of the time, not wanting anybody to detect their presence. Not the Salamander invaders, not the Lords, and not even Kirito and his posse. Secrecy was preferable to discovery and identification, and the coliseum pillars and their shadows gave this observer the cover they needed.

However, once it was clear that all of the Salamander warriors were gone and Mortimer was the only Salamander left in the coliseum, the mysterious observer stepped out of the shadows. The rays of sunlight reflected off their ivory-white, full-body cloak, causing it to set off an ethereal glitter that would've attracted anyone's eye had they not been focused on cornering the Salamander Lord. The observer swept their gaze across Kirito and his friends, analyzing each and every one of them one by one.

Finally, their eyes fell upon Eiji, and the observer reflexively took the wide brim of their hat and lowered it, to obscure their upper facial features from the Imp.

"Good job, Eiji-kun," Yuna whispered to herself. "You're starting to be more proactive and cooperative with others. I'm really proud of you for that."

Then, the Pooka idol looked over her shoulder and saw another figure watching the group from afar, just like her. This figure had a mat of sleek, beautiful chestnut hair that flowed down her back...

– X-Y-X –

Near Neutral Territory

"W-Wa-Wait up, g-g-girls! Leafa, pleeeeease slow down!"

"Hurry up, Recon! God, you're so slow!"

Recon struggled to keep up the pace while Leafa and Philia flew several yards ahead of him. He panted in exhaustion and frantically fiddled with his assistant controller in order to adjust his flight and speed, but to little avail.

"Look, we can't wait around for you, Recon!" Philia shouted. "We gotta find Sachi, Kirito, and the others and warn them of what's about to happen! Leafa, you said you sent Sachi a message, right?!"

"I did," the Sylph replied, "but she hasn't responded! I'm trying Sinon next!"

"Hopefully either of them sees it in time." Philia then stared ahead towards the incoming mountains, and she blinked in surprise. "Wow, so those are the mountains..."

Leafa looked at the female Spriggan, perplexed. "Mountains? What mountains?"

"The ones ahead of us." Philia pointed her chin towards them. "According to the game lore, when the Alfs ruled these lands, they trained themselves on great mountaintops like these. They are said to have perfected the feat of unlimited flight on those ancient training grounds-" She suddenly caught herself mid-exposition and shook her head. "Sorry, I-I got lost for a sec. This has nothing to do with what we're doing-"

"Wait a minute." Leafa pointed across Philia's chest. "What are those?"

Philia followed the direction of Leafa's finger and saw what she was looking at. In the distance, Nicander and his gang were ascending towards one of the mountain peaks far to their right. The Spriggan blinked in surprise as she and her companion stopped in midair to watch them.

"That doesn't make any sense," Philia said. "Why would they head over there? We just started flying; it's not like they need to rest and recharge right now."

"I don't like this," Leafa replied. "Lord Mortimer should be in Alne, yet they're rushing to that mountain like he's there..." She looked at Philia. "Let's check it out."

Philia nodded in agreement. Then, they started descending towards the same peak, just as Recon was about to finally catch up. When he saw his two female companions heading off in a completely new direction, the male Sylph groaned in distress and directed himself to go after them.

"Leeeeeaaaaafaaaaa!" he wailed. "Phiiiiillllliiiiiaaaaa! Wait uuuuup!"

"For the love of GOD, Recon!" snapped an exasperated Leafa. "Can't you do ANYTHING right?!"

– X-Y-X –

Mountaintop Training Ground, Imp Territory

"Huff... Huff... Huff..."

Sachi struggled to keep herself upright while she continued to stare Eugene down. The Trident trembled in her shaky, unsteady hands, and her legs were almost buckling underneath her own weight. In contrast, the Salamander general, standing many yards away on the opposite side of the training ground, looked no worse for the wear. Despite the sweat shining from his tanned skin, his posture remained erect and composed, and Gram's blade was still raised without any signs of quivering.

"You put up a good fight, Shielder," Eugene called confidently. "I'll give you that. Your spirit is unbreakable. It's no small wonder why you've been able to give my men such a hard time."

"Complimenting me, huh?" Sachi called back between pants. "You must really want to bring this battle to an end. One that you can reflect on with a proud smile and not one of complete humiliation."

"Humiliation, huh? Heh heh heh." Eugene cracked a smile of amusement. "Now why would I be humiliated, my dear Shielder? Hm? The way I see it, you're the one who benefits more from a sudden end to this duel. I mean, look at you." He scanned her from head to toe, taking in all of the signs of her physical overexertion. "Your spirit may be unbreakable, but your body is, unfortunately."

"Well, what about you, Eugene?" Sachi too looked up and down at her opponent. "You may look fine, but I'm gonna bet that you don't look any better yourself under all of that armor."

"Ohhhhh, I'm sure you think so." The general lowered his sword and patted its tip on the ground. "You know, I'm disappointed in you, Shielder."

"Really? How so?"

"You promised me a fight in which we would both take ourselves and each other to our limits and beyond. And yet...I'm not feeling it." His smile slowly turned into a frown. "I've fought many battles before, Shielder. Ones that you never had a hand in. With every battle, I gain a little insight. You see, the swordfight, it's not just some fight to the death, not some clash of metal. It's an artform. It's encoded to our blood. Japan was built on the shoulders and blades of the samurai."

Sachi quirked an eyebrow. "Yeah? So?"

"So...this duel is giving me a little insight too, just like all the others. Only...this new insight of mine...is that there's nothing new or special about this duel. It's just what it is. A swordfight between two warriors. Nothing more, nothing less. Where's the part where we take ourselves and each other to our limits and beyond? Hm? Why do I feel like things still haven't changed? Why am I still at square one?"

Sachi continued to pant, but she confidently replied, "Maybe you've seen nothing yet."

But Eugene continued to frown in disapproval. "I feel like I'm not gonna see anything. I...I really am disappointed. And to think, I thought you and I could've been friends."

"HA! HAHAHAHAHA!" The Undine nearly fell over while cackling in amusement. "You and I?! Friends?! Now that's funny, Eugene! Very funny, indeed!"

The general's frown remained in place as he raised Gram again. In response, Sachi aimed the Trident in his direction.

"I'll give you a little joke of my own..." the Undine snarled.

"Ohhhhh, I'm listening..." Eugene hissed in response.

The two stared each other down, poised to strike and ready for the other to make the first move. But before either of them could charge at their opponent, something else happened.

Small vortexes of fire materialized around Sachi and trapped her. She gasped, almost inhaling flames and embers in the process, and tried to move, but she couldn't. Something invisible was keeping her restrained. Then, the realization dawned on her.

"A «Pyro Bind» Spell?!" she thought.

Soon, the fiery vortex subsided, allowing her to see Mortimer again. She could do nothing but grit her teeth at him while remaining mostly paralyzed.

"You cheater!" she growled, barely able to move her lips to form the appropriate words. "Using a Magic Spell to freeze me and leave me vulnerable?!"

But Eugene didn't say anything at first. In fact, she couldn't hear anything from him for more than a few seconds. Then, she did hear something, something that made her heart skip a beat in confusion and horror.

A groan.

"Eugene...?" she asked.

"I...can't move...either..." the general grunted angrily.

Sachi's skin paled. "You can't? But...I don't get it..."

"I don't understand... Who'd wanna butt in on our duel like that...?"

"Ohhhhh, General..." another voice rumbled in amusement. "After all the trouble that I put you through, you should've known better by now..."

Sachi and Eugene looked up to see another Salamander descending towards the training ground. With a flutter of his red wings, his feet softly touched the ground, and he gave them both a smirk. At that moment, they recognized the newcomer's slicked-back red hair, pointed chin, and hook-shaped nose.

"Nicander," Eugene snarled. "You bastard."

Next Time: Cube of Emotions