Selena opened the bout with several lightning-fast strokes, stepping forward smoothly in an aggressive stance. The two ends of her staff rained down on me from what felt like all angles, but I held my ground, only moving position when it was necessary. I parried each stroke smoothly and even succeeded in peppering in a few of my own hits. A series of clacks was the only sound in the room, apart from the occasional grunt of exertion.

She’s slower than she should be, I commented to Tomas as I parried the last stroke of her sequence and shifted to the side. Switching to the attack, I peppered her guard with several powerful strikes, ending with a sweep of the scythe to force her to step back and give me the momentum.

No, Tomas corrected. She is the same speed she was before. It is you who is faster.

The longer our opening strokes went, the more I realized he was right. And even stranger, it wasn’t Tomas’s influence that was making me keep up. He was ready to intervene if I was in danger, but for the moment, it was my own speed and skill that was letting me dance around Selena and keep her on the defensive. Selena seemed to realize it as well because she had a surprised look on her face as she knocked my strokes aside.

I transitioned smoothly from my random flourishing to Diving Hawk, slamming the head of my scythe down with as much power as I could muster. She was forced to jump back with each stroke, unable to change the momentum to her favor for the moment. Without warning, I switched to a one-handed grip and thrust the end of the weapon’s staff. It slipped through her guard and jabbed her hard in the ribs, adding a pulse of aura to the attack.

She slid back a foot or two, her jaw clenched in pain and breathing a little heavier. “Not bad, Silas. You have improved greatly.”

“And you’re not taking this seriously,” I replied, straightening up. “You dishonor me by not using your best effort.”

A strange cold light entered her eyes as I said that, and she offered me a humorless smile. “Very well. If that is what you want, then so be it.”

She gave the staff a few twirls, and it flared to life, covered end to end in dense aura. The eye tattoo on her forehead flashed, and she advanced once more. Just those two actions sent a shiver down my spine. The beginning of the fight was over. Now I was facing the true Master Selena, best staff combatant in the Reaper Clan, and the undefeated power of her Oracle. She’d explained to me that it allowed her to see several seconds into her own future. A few seconds might not be that long, but in a fight, that was like knowing everything.

Well done, Silas, Tomas said sarcastically. You woke the dragon.

Yep, and now it’s time to see what you’re made of.

Fine. Just try not to use any of Granis’s energy in this fight.

Selena’s eyes narrowed as Tomas strengthened his presence as if she could see him hovering behind me, holding my elbows and knees like some strange puppeteer. A small sneer crossed her face, and she began her attack. Her speed was more or less the same, but her strokes were much more accurate now, and I only barely managed to parry them. She knew where the weakness in my movements was thanks to her Foresight, and she pressed each and every one.

I gave ground, a few inches at first, then more, trying to find a way to break her momentum and return to the attack myself. I nearly managed it, flicking her staff to the side and sidestepping into the spin attack I’d used floors below, but she obviously saw it coming. She stopped the scythe before it could gain momentum, and whacked me across the face with the end of her staff, sending me staggering back. It was only the lightning-fast defense that Tomas had put up that saved me, and we all knew it.

A grin spread across her face now as she advanced again, forcing me back with her whirling strikes. She was getting through my guard more often now, striking my head, elbows, and knees with rapid ferocity. Tomas saved me again and again, but she was wearing me down too fast. Eventually, I would run out of my own aura, and be forced to rely on Granis’ power to survive. I wondered briefly if that was her goal. Granis’s energy could help me beat her, but I needed it for when I faced Rictus.

Enough of this, Tomas snapped. Let me take over.

But you need to fight Rictus, I protested. I can’t take him alone.

You’ll have to! He practically shouted. If I don’t take over, she’ll kill you.

Fine. I rebuffed Selena’s next attack and gave him control. Immediately, the fight shifted. Tomas took advantage of the opening I’d created to go on the offensive, swinging the scythe around in bewildering combos that I never could have imagined. The giant weapon looked light as a feather in his hand as he jumped, spun, and rolled, forcing Selena back onto the defensive.

She was still parrying each of his blows with the casual ease of Foresight, but Tomas attacked so fast that she didn’t have a chance to counterattack. I could tell by her snarl of concentration that she knew who she was facing now, and also that she knew she was outmatched. If it weren’t for her key ability, she would have fallen right away. He slammed the scythe, both blade and staff, into her with blinding speed.

Tomas switched the scythe to his left hand and changed his attack pattern. The weapon still flashed back and forth as fast, but now he alternated between it and martial arts. His body became a black blur, so many attacks coming I couldn’t even see all of them. Still, Selena parried relentlessly, knocking each blow aside as if they were slow.

I couldn’t tell what the advantage of Tomas’s tactic was until his first attack made it through her guard. His fist slammed into her gut just below the sternum, then he was forced back, and I could see the after-effect of his onslaught. He stood, cool as ever, looking unconcerned, but she was gasping for breath, and her legs were shaking. I also noticed that she no longer had any aura along her staff. There was a weak screen of it around her body, but it was clear what had happened.

Tomas had attacked so fast that he’d forced her to only defend, and he’d aimed his attacks so that she’d have no choice but to block. The casual power behind his strength meant that he could afford not to use aura in his attacks, but she’d been forced to use her own to avoid damage. Little by little, her aura had been whittled down, until she was barely able to stand.

“You know what will come of this, young human,” Tomas said. “You are a fine warrior, but you are misguided. Throw down your weapon now, and live to fight another day.”

I winced inwardly at his statement. Selena was one of the most stubborn people I knew, and that was a group that included Marisha and myself. Just because she’d lost a sparring match didn’t mean that she would give up so easily. But then my jaw dropped in surprise as she gave a heavy sigh, and let the staff fall from her hands. It fell to the ground with a loud clang, and her shoulders slumped in defeat.

“Thank you for sparing me,” she said quietly. “May I speak to Silas before you go after the Grand Reaper?”

“Certainly,” Tomas said. There was an understanding look on his face. “You’re up, kid.”

We shifted places again, and I blinked to see Selena leaning against the wall. Her face was pale and sweaty, and her entire body was shaking. But as she looked up at me, she seemed to relax a bit, and she offered me a smile. It wasn’t cold and humorless like the first one, but warm and slightly amused, much more like the Selena I knew.

“Why did you surrender?” I asked her. “That’s not like you at all.”

“Well, part of it was my Foresight,” she said with a shaky laugh. “I saw what would happen if I refused.”

“He would have killed you,” I said quietly.

“Without hesitation,” she agreed. “There is an old proverb. I don’t remember the exact words, but basically, the only way you can truly know someone’s soul is to fight them. It is only in the struggle that your true intentions can be revealed.”

“So,” I said slowly, following her line of thought. “You accepted his victory because you saw what he wanted?”

She nodded. “When the Grand Reaper appointed me as his guard, I made myself a promise. If you came, I would try to repel you with all my strength. But if I was beaten, I would accept it. Since you won, it must mean that you are on the right path.”

“The winner isn’t always the good person,” I protested. “But I understand your reasoning, I guess.”

She stood up slowly, grimacing as her legs took her weight once more. “I think I need a vacation after all this.”

“Yeah, you’re too old for all this,” I joked, grinning myself now. “Thanks, Selena. Thanks for understanding.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” she said, placing one hand on my shoulder. “You got a good heart. Keep that, and we’ll see each other again.”

Then she was gone through the doorway, leaving her staff behind. I stood stock-still for a few minutes, my eyes closed and my heart heavy. Selena had been my favorite teacher so far, and I’d had a lot more in common with her than any of the other Masters. I’d been devastated by finding myself her enemy, but at least that had worked out alright.

I found my way over to the elevator, the only way to reach the top floor where the Grand Reaper lived and worked. As the doors opened and I stepped in, I gave what was possibly the heaviest sigh of my life. I jabbed the button for the top floor with my finger and leaned against the wall.

Fret not, young Silas, Tomas said over the sound of the elevator music. Your struggle is almost done.

“After this, I’m done,” I said. “I’m done being a pawn. I’m gonna live life how I want to.”