Edith:

“I’m sure you’ll win, Edith, but do remember this bout is as much for training yourself as it is for glory.” My grandmother lectured me, still full of life despite her advancing age. “You’ll need to be ready when you’re Chosen, and I’d like to see you practicing some of the less flashy magic you’re so fond of and more of the fundamentals. You’ll find basic self-enchantment more practical in the long run than more dramatic invocations, even as quickly as you’re able to pull them out.”

I nodded, heeding her words. She had been the Paragon of Light many years ago, and her grasp of the art of combat was still formidable.

She continued. “You know it’s about time for you to be Chosen, and this Round has been going on for a fair while. It could be any day now, and I would like for you to come back in one piece and continue our lineage.”

“Yes, grandmother.” I said. “I should, however, be on my way. The bout is starting soon, and it would hardly be proper for me to be late for an event thrown in my honor.”

“It’s convenient that it would cut me short, isn’t it?” She sighed. “Very well, off with you. I’m sure you’ll be grand.”

I nodded once more, and left for the familiar duelling arena. I briefly wondered who had been found for this bout, but dismissed the thought. Assuming to know more of the opponent and their talents would be a quick way to be brought low.

I had barely left the room when I saw my mother walking up the corridor. I wondered briefly if I would be able to duck her, avoid the conversation until after the duel, when her eyes met mine. That plan was suddenly out the window.

“Edith, what are you still doing out here?” She had a veneer of worry to her voice, but in my experience with her this was likely more act than genuine. “You need to get to the duelling grounds and get ready.”

“I am on my way there presently.” I replied, attempting to walk past her. She started following me. Wonderful.

“While you’re out there, don’t neglect your swordplay.” Her lecture began. “You’re absolutely wonderful at it, one of the best, and I don’t want you as wrapped up in your convoluted gambits when you can end it with just a quick cut.”

Yes, because combat was always as easy as just walking up to the opponent and cutting them until they yielded. I held my tongue, growing irritated with the unending deluge of the same repetitive advice as ever, even if it did come from a pair of successful Paragons of Light.

“Just remember, a purely magical approach just isn’t practical, and these duels are nothing like how actual combat works. It’ll be relevant to you in the very near future. Keep it simple, and you’ll stay alive long enough to give me the grandchildren I hope for.”

As we walked, her familiar lecture droned on as I became lost in thought, progressing through the path I’d taken a thousand times, completed the repetitive pre-match ceremonies, stood in my familiar place. It wasn’t until almost the last possible second that my attention snapped back, and I took in the scene around me.

“Combat begins when this cloth touches the ground.”

The judge dropped the cloth he was holding and retreated to the edge of the arena. The cloth floated down more slowly than it had any right to, taking a leisurely float down to the earth. It was wholly unconcerned with my impatience, and only barely responsive to the pull of gravity.

Eventually, a corner touched the ground, and I was free. The cloth had scarcely settled before I had crossed the twenty meters separating me from my opponent, the Geomancy pulsing over my feet to push me further than my legs would be capable.

My sword lashed out at my opponent’s stomach, a last second ward absorbing the worst of the blow. Still, though, the force of my impact combined with the magic of his ward was sufficient to push him back, a dust cloud billowing up and he moved, with the man barely managing to keep his feet. I started to press my advantage, closing the distance again, but was greeted this time by a sudden flash of fire.

I reflexively raised a brief wave of earth between us, blocking the fire but also losing my momentum. Another more concentrated gout of flame surged toward me, swiftly followed the first. I jumped over it, ceasing my attempts to close the distance between us, spinning with a flourish as I called for the ground to become spears, stabbing at my opponent.

My opponent rose, riding a tornado of fire into the air, landing and balancing on the top of one of the spires of earth. I landed doing the same. The moment we had landed, the onslaught resumed, fire flashing forward and meeting fleeting rocks over and over, my opponent dodging the enraged earth as I attempted to slow him down long enough to lessen the distance he was maintaining.

We stood there a moment, savoring a dramatic pause in the duel. The audience would adore it. As I was gearing up to strike once more, a Notice interrupted me.

The Paragon of Light has bested the Paragon of Shadows in combat! Round complete! View combat log?

I launched off the stone spire on which I stood with a flourish, spinning through the air. I would have to finish this round quick, as I found my attention drifting despite my best efforts to the contrary. As I flew, I gathered a shell of rocks around me, a defensive measure against the counterattack I was sure would be coming. This would be the blow that ended it.

This was it. Today was the day. After all the years of preparation and training, today was the day I would finally follow in the steps of my mother, her mother, and her father before her. It was the day of my twenty first birthday, the traditional age we have claimed our titles. Today would be the day that I, Edith Maxwell, claim my birthright as-

PATCH NOTES - PARAGON SYSTEM 2.0

-We have completely revamped the combat system.

-Physics have been disabled.

We hope you enjoy it!

My earthen shell shattered around me as it met an impossibly strong barrier mid-flight. I tumbled gracelessly from the sky, unable to keep any sort of forward momentum against this sudden shield. My mind raced, unsure of what had happened. My opponent was a Pyromancer, not an Aeromancer. This should have been outside the scope of his abilities, unless he had been holding a trump card the whole time. But if he had been holding back an entire school of magic as a trump card, why would he wait until now? It would have invalidated my entire strategy with the earthen spears if he had just flown.

The meaning of the Notice started to sink in as I came to my feet. My opponent hadn’t done anything. He likely was as surprised as what happened as I had been. Anger and relief filled me in equal measure. The duel had been collateral damage in whatever the Gods were doing. If the Notices were this active, though, I doubted it would be long before I, master of sword and sorcery, took my proper place as the-

You have been selected to be The Bulwark for this new cycle! Congratulations!

Excuse me, what.