“Maur Crescendo is a dead man!”

I glare at Luer. I had defeated Classidine and was already exhausted. I was facing Luer now and he was insulting me. We were locking hands midair to start our duel. The last fight was already here and I was nervous. I look to my left and see Lani and sad Mona. They were waiting anxiously along with the others far below. I see Toah give me a salute and nod. Toah doesn't respond.

“He's saluting Luer. That traitor.”

Luer nods to Toah. He smiles smugly at me laughs at me. I notice the high priest speaking to another beside me in the air. He too, was angry that I was still alive. The high priest hovers next to us with his jet-pack. He gets the hourglass ready for the countdown.

My jet-pack sputters. I look Luer in the eyes and he smiles.

“What's the matter, Crescendo? Did you forget how to fly?” Luer laughs at his own joke and is quickly joined by the high priest. Everyone starts laughing as the high priest bellows to the crowds with his speaker.

I remain serious. I had nothing good to say. My actions would win this fight, not the opinion of the crowds. The fight starts. My jet-pack flew perfectly. It was just a little trick to have Luer underestimate me. I kneel against my pillar and push off. The weight of my shield and armor tries my leg strength, but I manage to push off just in time. Several bullets follow me in the sky, some hitting those below in the audience. The crowd goes crazy with joy. Luer laughs and drops his gun. He opens his arms to receive his praise. I pull out my own gun.

I fire repeatedly as Luer dodges me. He comes up from below me and loops. His knee-blade barely swipes my knee. Sparks from my armor fall and disappear as we switch sides. We position ourselves repeatedly, until we end up on our original sides.

“We came for a fight, not a stand off!,” bellows the high priest.

The high priest raises his hands like a divine moron. In seconds, he gives a shout and the crowds start chanting. They wanted a fight. They wanted the blood of the imposters. From the corner of my eye, I catch the high priest moving a small mirror. The sunlight hits my eyes and I become blinded for a second.

Luer hurdles toward me and bashes me with his shield. I fall back taking his momentum and spin toward the ground. Luer immediately ejects his knee-blade and throws it at me. It spins in the air and lodges in my shoulder plate. A sharp pain strikes my shoulder. I feel warmth. Before I can yank it out, Luer swoops in and knocks it loose. He catches it midair and flies back around. More spots fill my eyes as the high priest uses his mirror to blind me. He hides his weapon in his robes, as I try to position myself away from his attacks.

The hot air rushes by my face as Luer dodges my attack. He pulls in behind me, hoping to outrun me and knock me out of the boundaries. We go in circles and I begin reloading my gun a small amount at a time. Luer drops to pick up his gun, and starts to do the same.

“I'm going to kill you like I killed Cepertine. That was pretty much all me,” laughs Luer. He raises his hands in the air and the crowds laud him.

I ignore Luer and count the seconds. This was no time to celebrate. My rival was more skilled than me. Several gunshots fill my ears.

A sharp pain runs through my wrist as Luer hits me with a bullet. The armor on my arm takes the impact and I hide behind my shield. Before I can lower it to see, Luer flies behind me and hurdles toward me.

“Concentrate! Listen to your enemy!”

At the last second, Luer lifts up, taking his knee-blade with him. He cuts across my back. My shield scrapes with a nasty slash. I had flipped it over my back just in time. I drop my shield from the heavy weight. I listen to Luer shoot a me. He misses every shot.

I fly around, aiming my gun with both hands as I move. Luer tries to hide behind his shield and rotates as I fly around him. My vision blurs from light to dark, dark to light, and back again. Finally, I get a good shot. I fire several times. Two miss and another hits him in his back. He let's out a short-lived scream. A chunk of his armor falls away, but the bullet never penetrated. It only bruised him.

My next bullet bounces off his armor and I fire again. It hits his armored back and Luer hovers in the air. I fly behind my old friend as he tilts backward in the air. Just as I approach him to throw my knife at his face, he jerks his controls. He flies backward into me and we collide. I fall to the ground with him, feeling sore in my back as we hit. I try to look around, but the high priest blinds me again. Before I can react. I feel a knee-blade cut into my collarbone from above. I turn to face Luer and swing with my knife. I become weak, as he walks up to me with a sneer.

I watch in horror as Luer, cuts through my glove mercilessly. I stumble back again. My knife falls to the ground and Luer grins. He pushes me to my ground and steps over me with his leg. I try to strike him, but I'm cut across my cheek and fall down. I hear Lani shouting my name. In moments, a shadow looms over me and I see clearly. Luer grabs me by my front and lifts my visor. He spits in my face. Without warning, he takes his knife and stabs it through my throat.

I grip to Luer's arm desperately, as I choke on my own blood. The crowds cheer as Luer drags me along a short distance. He shows off his kill and we stare at each other. I fall to my knees, still gripping his arm.

“Moan loudly, Crescendo” sneers Luer with a devious smile.

I muster all my strength to stay something. I feel a strange peace. Out standstill continues, until a worried man enters the arena. Everyone panics at his screaming words.

“The pilot is here! He's going to redraw Capara!”

Luer drops me immediately as chaos consumes my ears.