Mattiew’s eyes opened to a...well, landscape wasn’t the word for it.

A flat, still surface of black water spread out across an eternal void that seemed empty, yet full of life at the same time.

Innumerable whispers hissed directly into his ear, yet could be heard from miles away. A million billion voices, all talking amongst each other.

There was a tranquility in his chest as though it were completely silent in this world of contradictions.

“Where am I?” Mattiew muttered.

Was this place a construct of sorcery? Like Yasha’s Champion’s ability?

Or was it something more ethereal, connected to the forces that Andar was playing with? Connected to the gods. Did Tiamat know the circlet would bring him here?

“It has been a long time since we’ve had someone arrive from the serpent…” The voice that spoke was one, but countless millions, all at the same time.

The half of Mattiew’s senses that said the voice came from one source pointed to a single eclipsed star in the darkness. That seemed to be the only remnant of Rosalia.

“Who...what are you?” Mattiew asked.

“Who, what, and where are all the same.” the voice said. “The world you live in is a battlefield, like all other worlds, between two forces. The being your people call ‘The Scaled One’ and the collective will of humanity. We are all who am. We are the sum will. The infinite intelligence of all sentient mortal beings across all worlds and all realities. Of humanity. Some call us a god. Others call us a hive of subconsciousness. It is down to your preference, Mattiew Nikoliades.”

“Did...did the Ouroboros of Tiamat bring me here?”

“Yes.” The collective unconscious said. “We have brought here you because you do not bear the gift. And you still have infinite potential.”

“You mean sorcery?” Mattiew said. “You brought here me because I’m a commoner?”

“The gift was something we once bestowed upon the humans of your world in their darkest hour. Or rather, they bestowed it unto themselves.” the unconscious said. “What you call sorcery is a manifestation of spirit and faith. It was birthed here by the belief of humans in your world that there was undoubtedly a way to defeat the Scaled One’s Keepers.”

“You mean to say that people just…invented sorcery to defeat the gods?”

“And now, your world is yet again under siege by the Scaled One. To prevent your world from falling into despair and apathy, we will bestow the gift upon you, as we did for your ancestors. With it, and your strength of character, you must force back the tide of despondency”

“Hold on, I didn’t come here to become a sorcerer.” Mattiew said. “I just need to defeat Andar Callione.”

“There is no difference. Sorcerer or not, you still possess the spirit of a human. Except your once infinite potential will become finite. But, it will no longer be potential. It will be action. It will be your force of will, made real.” the collective unconscious said. “But the choice is yours.”

Mattiew looked into the endless darkness around him.

Out there were billions upon billions of souls. All like him.

All who knew what had to be done.

He didn’t really give a damn about fighting the Scaled One or fighting on behalf of humanity. He just wanted his brothers in arms and his friends and loved ones to be safe. He wanted to pursue that which gave him joy in life. He wanted the ability to back up his courage. He wanted to be better. He wanted to make history. He wanted to have the strength to achieve his goals.

He wanted to be happy.

So, to this end, Mattiew nodded.

“I accept your gift.” He said.

“From here on out, you will lose your ability to visit the infinite intelligence. You will become part of us for the rest of your days and until the end of time. Your identity will be your own, but in us, you will find strength and faith. Are these terms acceptable?”

“They are.” Mattiew said. Now was not the time for second thoughts. Now was not the time for hesitation.

“Then go forth. Blaze your trail. And when the Survivor comes, be a warrior befitting humanity.”

***

The realm between realms was known by many names, but to Kalai, the King Cleaver, it was her home in death.

She stared into the black abyss and the golden ribbons that streaked across its skies.

Her boots crunched on the ancient decrepit stone beneath her that was once a monument to something too old for even the spirits that inhabited the realm to remember.

It would happen soon. It had to happen soon.

“Come on, Mattiew.” Kalai muttered.

A skeletal form sidled up next to her, following her gaze.

“I’m surprised you lasted this long, Queen of Conquerors.” Annoub the Imperishable said.

“Quiet.” Kalai hushed him. “My king...he’s about to do something.”

Annoub scoffed. “Your king? You’re dead, Kalai. Your king is now whoever summons you next.”

Kalai didn’t respond and continued watching the darkness.

Technicolor lightning split the void, shining in the same way platinum did.

A cacophony of a trillion voices cried out from the beyond, screaming until they harmonized with one another into a chanting chorus.

“Manifest, O lord survivor of the Dragonland!” the chorus called. “Live again, thy will and soul! We beseech thee to destroy the weakness and despair of the world!”

The other Champion stood from their stone perches, stunned. Ancient knowledge from their first resurrection made itself known to them and asked them to join the chorus.

“We of the Infinite Intelligence, call upon thy grace and thy faith, O Eater of Gods.” Kalai chanted along with the abyssal choir and the other Champions. “Sharpen our blades so we may fight! Harden our armor so we may endure! Immortalize our wills so we may outlast the cruel tide of fate! Be his vessel, Mattiew Nikoliades! He Who Scourges Destiny!”

It was done.

Mattiew had followed in the footsteps of every Champion that lived within this realm and had become a sorcerer. The way it originally came to be. The way that only accepted the worthy.

***

Chaos and probability flowed like water around a hydromancer as Adriana directed the cosmic energy.

She ducked as Andar’s jaw opened to unleash a torrent of azure flames. She scraped her sword against the road, sparking another fire of her own.

Andar evaded and rushed at her on wings.

Adriana summoned the winds and threw his flight patterns into chaos. He spun off the side, but launched off the side of a building, nearly taking her head off with a spinning kick.

He whirled around and grappled her like a wrestler. They struggled against each other, grinding their fangs, unable to get the upper hand on the other.

The scarlet of her sorcery clashed with the verdant glow of her father’s mystical gifts. She anchored her feet as her father dug his claws into her arms.

Andar lashed out with his curse of spite. Adriana broke from her entanglement. Streaks of red electricity created a barrier of fortune around her, knocking away the storm of shadows that sought to rip her apart.

Crimson static crackled in the air as both combatants took a few much needed breaths.

She dug her fingers into the roads, sending her curse of chaos rippling down the street. The cobblestones under her father’s feet exploded just as he leapt to the side. He took flight with his wings and let the resulting wind carry him towards her, close to the ground.

Andar covered his advance with repeated bolts of blue flame.

Adriana’s curse caused a building behind her to collapse. She used the falling debris as stepping stones, jumping over the bolts.

Andar swerved around the falling building as Adriana landed and let loose an intensely bright jet of cold inferno as he circled her.

She willed the ground to rupture beneath him, but he was too fast for her to predict where he’d be.

Adriana motioned her arms, directing the surrounding air into another twister that knocked Andar out of the sky.

He tumbled and rolled across the cobblestones with a grunt, skidding to a stop. Andar heaved as he staggered to his feet.

“You’re slipping, Andar!” Adriana said. “Or do you finally get that you’re beyond rescue?”

“Slipping?” Andar growled. “You’re the one who’s slipping!”

Andar knelt down, ready to spring off her legs. But before he launched off, his eyes flickered to the right.

Adriana spared a glance back at Mattiew. By the time she looked back, Andar was flying straight towards him, claws poised.

“No!” Adriana leapt in front of Andar’s path.

Coldness washed over her as Andar’s arm punched through her abdomen. She felt his claws rip through the flesh at her back, skewering her.

***

Mattiew opened his eyes on the ground. The weight of the circlet on his head was ever so slightly present.

He watched as Andar impaled his daughter with his arm. Blood leaked in buckets from Adriana’s wound as Andar withdrew his claws, letting her fall to the ground.

“Adriana!” Mattiew scrambled to his feet, but a blast of blue dragon fire cut him off.

He glared at Andar as the sorcerer stepped over his wife’s body.

“Andar.” Mattiew said as calmly as he would if he were stating his own name. “I’m giving you this one and only chance to surrender. Otherwise, I will end you.”

“My daughter lies on the ground, soon to be dead.” Andar said. “My clan lies dead. My city is dead.”

Mattiew furrowed his brow as Andar tilted his head towards the heavens and adopted a fang filled smile. He sighed. In relief.

“‘Destroy that which binds you,’” Andar mumbled.

“It’s over, Callione!” Mattiew picked up his sickle sword from the ground.

“‘Turn to the Unseen World,’” Andar continued, closing his eyes. “‘Open to destiny’s whim, and become free.’”

A sudden shock wave of force threw Mattiew backwards.

He slid across the stone brick roads, but staggered to her feet as Andar Callione’s body glowed with brilliant golden light. It forced Mattiew to shield his eyes until the glow died down.

When his sight adjusted, Andar was...gigantic. He had to be ten heads tall, his shoulders and chest bulging with lean muscle, while his hands and face became even more draconic. His eyes held slitted pupils. A tail whipped around from his backside as his wings stretched as wide as Andr was tall.

“Free…” Andar’s voice now contained the reverberation of a dragon’s roar. “I’m finally free.”

Sediment from the ground swirled to life, puncturing Andar’s chest with a spike made of it.

Andar’s breath caught in his throat.

“I...Sett is...dead.” Andar said.

“It wasn’t Sett.” Mattiew muttered as he thanked Khemti for sharing the truly extent of his power.

“So the crown...it creates sorcerers.”

“Where do you think sorcery came from, Callione?”

Andar rushed at Mattiew. He tethered himself to a nearby piece of fallen debris, and was dragged towards it by an invisible force.

“What the-” Andar exclaimed as he narrowly dodged the attack.

Mattiew responded by tethering himself to Andar and flying back towards him. Upon impact, he sent Andar into the building across the roads with the Curse of Inertia.

Mattiew rushed over to Adriana to check on her. The wound in her abdomen was closing up, but slowly. Ironic that a gift of the Scaled One saved her from the dragon’s own disciple. She would be alright until he finished the fight.

Mattiew cracked his neck before turning back to the pile of debris he’d buried Andar under.

He frowned. Andar never broke through the surface. There was no way that was enough to kill-

Mattiew lost all breath from his lungs as a force from above landed on top of him and smashed him into the stone below.

He craned his neck to see out of the corner of his eye, Andar crushing his body under the immense weight of his new form.

With the Curse of Inertia, Mattiew shoved Andar off of him with half as much effort and rolled back to his feet.

All the sorcerous abilities Mattiew had truly figured out weren’t very useful in combat. Yasha and Adriana’s cousin gave him mobility. Adriana gave him luck. Khemti’s ability could be used as a weapon, but there was a bunch of scientific knowledge that went into it. Not to mention that his version of each power seemed weaker than the original. And he could feel each ability fading at its own pace.

None of them helped close the gap in power between himself and Andar. Unfortunately, he never got around to understanding Semiramis’s ability in full.

Andar circled Mattiew as they studied each other.

Mattiew still had to kill him using metal alone.

Now that he thought about it, Andar’s current physical condition made him pretty similar to Utica, the Apex Predator. With the added caveat, he had to keep all hatred out of his mind.

Mattiew’s allies had fallen. His weapons had run out. Even this new gift of sorcery only let him survive a little longer.

It was all on the blade in his hand. On the strength of his body to rip through that scaled flesh and rend Andar Callione’s head from his neck.

Mattiew positioned himself low to the ground, the blade at his hip. His eyes never left Andar’s chest. His peripheral vision could pick up any move he made far better than if he focused on his face.

“Andar Callione.” Mattiew said. “I challenge you to a duel.”

Andar paused his circling.

“A duel of a single strike. If the next strike doesn’t kill you...well, I’ll just think about how much I hate you.” This was his decision. The angle to which he would commit every ounce of his unwavering will. If he died...well, that was that.

Andar grinned. “Keeping things simple. I like that.”

“Maybe we really are alike,” Mattiew muttered. “Just not in the ways you wish we were.”

Then his foot left the ground.

Mattiew used Yasha’s ability to shift his incoming attack from in front of Andar to an angle from behind.

Andar’s eyes followed him. No good.

Using the Curse of Inertia, Mattiew easily switched directions. He kicked up a cloud of sediment with his launch towards a new position and sent the cloud flying into Andar’s eyes. With a boost from the Curse of Chaos, the sediment blinded the dragon.

Mattiew spun and let himself lift into the air along with his inertia.

He launched off a ruined building, aiming for Andar’s neck. But something gave away Mattiew’s position, allowing Andar to catch his leg.

Andar swung Mattiew towards the ground with an amount of force that would undoubtedly turn him into a red stain on the road.

A rush of darkness left Mattiew’s body and entered Andar. In an instant, mauling and lacerations painted themselves across Andar’s scales, causing him to roar in pain and let Mattiew go.

He rolled across the ground and popped back up to his feet.

“You were close…” Andar grinned as blood spilled from his wounds.

“Didn’t make my strike yet.” Mattiew shook out his leg. He couldn’t put much weight on it without the pain overtaking him.

Mattiew collapsed into a roll to cover his advance. As he sat up, he slammed his elbow into one of Andar’s torso wounds. Callione staggered, giving Mattiew the opportunity to shove his hand into the gash.

Andar groaned through his teeth as Mattiew dropped his sword, pulled an axe from his hip, and embedded the bronze edge in the back of his neck.

Not letting up, Mattiew rolled around to Andar’s front and drew two daggers, cutting into the already exposed flesh wounds on Andar’s torso to keep them from healing, before shoving one dagger into his carotid artery.

He tried to do the same with the other, but Andar made him crumple with a single chop. Mattiew tethered himself to a fallen rock as Andar blackened the ground where he laid with an azure firebolt.

If Mattiew could weaken his neck, he wouldn’t need such a clear opening to make his shot.

He willed a volley of glass blades to shoot towards Andar’s neck as he stood. Callione’s wings lashed out, shattering the blades.

Andar responded with a jet of blue dragon fire. It closed the distance two quickly and scraped Mattiew’s shoulder.

He collapsed to his knee as a cool burn spread across his arm. He gritted his teeth through it.

Andar followed it up with a stream of the cerulean heat. Mattiew pushed himself up with the aid of Harpax’s curse and collected enough sediment to make a rock shield around himself.

Andar only intensified the beam, causing the shield to glow with heat. Mattiew shoved the shield forward, but Andar shattered it with his fist, the dust obscuring a small black bolt.

Mattiew’s eyes widened as an invisible force lacerated his flesh.

He screamed as his innards carved themselves up.

He staggered backwards, clutching his abdomen as it threatened to fall out. But it could’ve been so much worse. A few deep gashes wouldn’t kill him. For now, at least.

If he prolonged this, there was no question about who would win.

It was now or never.

Mattiew reached out his hand and drew his sword back to his hand with Yasha’s ability before launching off the ground towards Andar.

In the split second he had in the air, Mattiew mapped out his plan. He folded his sword under his arm and drew his penultimate throwing axe.

He slid between Andar’s legs and sank the axe into the back of his knee. Callione grunted, falling on that leg.

Mattiew swung around to Andar’s front and, through a flurry of strikes, beat through Andar’s guard and stuck an arrow through his eye.

He leapt over Andar’s shoulder and after hanging his head to lament his eye wound, Andar Callione had exposed his neck.

Mattiew grabbed onto his sword with both hands and launched off the cobblestones.

He put every ounce of luck, inertia, and his own strength into that strike. Sediment coated the edge of his blade, making the cutting edge even more razor thin.

His muscles burned with effort as he readied himself to make this single strike.

Mattiew’s iron sickle sword, which had been with him since the start of this tournament, since he was a mere boy, which had slain dozens of powerful sorcerers and had been the culmination of his will, passed through the scales and flesh of Andar’s neck as it would pass through a stream of water.

Mattiew landed on the road before him, his momentum scuffing up his knees.

Blood showered from above.

And the thunk of Andar Callione’s head hitting the ground echoed across the eons. Every member of the collective unconscious heard it and smiled.