Jon sprinted until he suddenly found himself out of the forest.

He had broken the barrier of trees, and now he was standing on more grass hills much like the entrance of the forest.

The difference was that further ahead, within walking distance were two large mountains forming a valley.

He could see the ground changing from low grass to a rocky and barren floor. Even beyond the two mountains in front, he could see even more of them up ahead.

A buzzing sound worked its way through Jon’s astonishment, and he turned to see Mercy and Jun still engaged with their fight.

Since they were back at a wide-open space, Mercy and Jun were it to their full advantage. Mercy kept her distance, making large hops and extending her blade at will wherever she thought she could manage a hit.

Jun danced around Mercy’s sword, deflecting several of her strikes with her forearms while also trying to close the gap in between them.

Jon figured the battle had been going on for a while, and without the breaks that Dot and Hector incorporated in theirs. Jon was starting to understand that each women were probably the most efficient mana user in either of their groups and as a result of that, this battle would be the most drawn out of any of the other fights. Exhaustion wouldn’t be a problem for either of them, since it would just be a fight for the last one standing.

Jun, landed on the ground after dodging one of Mercy’s attacks before she broke into a full sprint. It took Jon a moment before he understood that she was running in his direction.

He brought his gun down and got ready to fire, but then he remembered his incident and froze up.

Thankfully, Mercy accelerated at twice the speed and got in between the both of them before Jun could even touch Jon.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Jun said with a large smile while she backed up slowly. “I’m coming over to make sure he doesn’t shoot me in the back! Isn’t that fair?”

“I will kill you!” Mercy gripped her energy blade with two hands and pointed towards Jun.

“Ha. You can try.” Jun’s casual retreat was revealed to be a ploy as she spun on one foot, kicking Mercy in the side of her head and sending her to the ground.

Ohh…

Jon hadn’t seen Mercy take a direct hit like that in a while. He was surprised she even let it happen, considering her martial art prowess.

“You’re so worried about everyone else but you,” Jun yelled at the floored Mercy. Despite Jon holding his gun tepidly, Jun didn’t even grant him a second glance.

“You even let me get a free hit in!” Jun exclaimed.

Jon was ashamed that he didn’t take a shot at Jun, but he also didn’t want to injure himself and become another problem for Mercy to deal with. Last thing she needed was for him to collapse and become paralyzed again.

He was shaking with his gun so much didn’t realize that Jun was staring at him before she spoke.

“Your mana’s out of wack,” Jun noted about him. “Are you even capable of fighting right now? I doubt you could even get a-”

Mercy came back with her blade, swinging at Jun while closing her way in. Jun laughed as she weaved through the sword’s offense.

Finally, Mercy made a double feint, flourishing her sword twice over and forcing Jun to stop her rapid movements.

Mercy then took her blade and thrust it forward.

The strike looked to aim true, but Jun punched forward without missing a beat.

Her fist entered into the end of the energy blade, shattering it until it was just an inch away from Mercy’s black tool.

“Ooops.” Jun’s supposed aloofness made Mercy snap into a rage as she reached out for Jun’s face.

Jun leaned back in time for only a single finger to scratch across her face, leaving a cut on her cheek.

Mercy reached out again, completely forgetting about her back tool as it was dropped to the ground.

When she did, white mana energy extended from each of her fingers until her hand resembled claws, extending her reach.

She continued scratching at Jun, her attacks becoming more frenzied as she kept up the aggression.

Mercy…

Jon watched Mercy’s composure deteriorate as she continued making more desperate attacks.

Jun, despite the small wounds she had gained, kept her composure and looked even more in control before. Even with her extended claws, and tight-knit proximity, Jun had no issue with the knife-like structures so close to her face and body.

Eventually, Jun found her opening, skirting to the side and elbowing Mercy in the temple.

“Mercy!” Jon called out. She had been hit twice now. He was afraid that his presence was in fact disturbing to her engagement.

Not that it mattered now. She already seemed to have lost herself in the fight. She didn’t respond even after being followed from the hard elbow.

“Ha!” Despite her gloat of a laugh, Jun used the space she had to run away, not following up with some more attacks on the ground. Jon wondered if Jun was still wary of Mercy’s attacks, as even one cut from her hands might have caused major damage. Jon noted that even though her sword never seemed to draw blood whenever it contacted skin, Mercy’s clawed attacks did so regularly whenever they appeared. Jon didn’t have an answer for this, however.

Mercy didn’t respond to Jon’s cry for her. She leaped back onto her feet and stabbed her claws into the ground if she was going to lift the earth below her.

Jon wouldn’t have put it past her, Mercy showing incredible strength before, but instead, Mercy pulled up and waves of white mana energy rippled in Jun’s direction.

Jun pivoted on one foot and pulled her foot back. She timed her response and punted the ripples once they got near. They also shattered upon hit.

Oh. Watching Jun dispel Mercy’s energy attack gave Jon an idea of what was happening. From what the group had discussed before, Jun was able to link into the properties of mana spells and dispel them with her hand.

Jon understood that many of Mercy’s strongest attacks were powered by mana energy, and were like spells themselves. Maybe Jun had figured out how to dispel any and all of Mercy’s attacks.

Adding to that, Jun already seemed to be a talented martial artist. All of the Duckett siblings showed prowess in that, even the ones like Jules and Gina who weren’t as physically strong.

She doesn’t think she can win… Jon frowned. Just like with the final Period of Power round, Mercy was becoming desperate, and her opponent was able to dance outside of her attacks just enough to make it more so.

Jon groaned. He picked up his gun and looked down the side of the barrel, trying to decide on his target and whether he should shoot while he watched Mercy continue her assault.

At first, he considered shooting at Jun. Maybe he could distract her long enough for Mercy to get a good hit in finally.

She won’t fall for that. She already knows I’m here.

Jon hated feeling like he was a nonfactor, but he had to consider truth in Jun’s awareness. So, he pondered shooting at Mercy. Mabe a good shot would calm her down like he had done before.

However, the image of Mercy’s destroyed face when she looked back at him tore him up inside, and plus, he didn’t like having to treat Mercy like an out-of-control animal. Even with Luther’s advice swimming his head, Jon decided that he would avoid that as much as possible. But were there any other solutions? Her Uncle Jun would know something.

Do they have the same name?

Jon tried to ignore that thought. Jun seemed to be aware of Mercy’s tendency to lose control, but Jon didn’t know him well enough.

Who else… Sabez!

Sabez had to deal with Mercy. What did he do to calm her down?

“Calm down!” Jon tried to yell, but It didn’t feel good to him, and so the shout came out half-heartedly.

Jun was still fending off Mercy’s claws. Thankfully, Jun wasn’t able to get any good hits in, but Mercy was gonna tire herself regardless. Jun would definitely have an advantage then.

“Believe in our friends!” Jon yelled out.

“What?” Jun kicked Mercy away before breaking down into laughter. “What?”

Mercy also turned to Jon, her teeth still bared in anger.

What?” Mercy yelled, this one a little more scarier than Jun’s.

Jon tried to think of what else to say. At least she was paying attention to him now.

“Jon, I need to-”

“Breathe.” Jon remembered dropping to the floor in the middle of the forest, and how he so sorely wanted help to get back up.

This time, Mercy lost her scowl and her face showed more interest.

Her shoulders relaxed, while her back straightened out so that she wasn’t arched forward.

“Breathe…” Mercy whispered out, even though it seemed to Jon that it was more to herself than him.

He grimaced and decided to do something as a gesture of good faith.

He saw Mercy’s tool on the ground and decided that would do.

He walked over to it and picked it up.

“Jon!” Mercy cried. However, Jon had grabbed it with ease.

“You still trust me,” he said.

“I… I do… of course…” Mercy shook her head. “I didn’t mean to make you think I was-”

Jon had already opened his blunderbuss at the action and loaded up her tool. He was concerned about shooting, but he had faith that his gun would work in this moment.

When he snapped it back closed, it stunned Mercy, interrupting a sentence.

“Catch,” Jon said.

He fired the gun.

Mercy turned back around to outstretch her hand to the side. She caught her tool without giving it a glace.

“Are you done yet? Jun asked, wiping a tear. “I’m tired.

“You’re stalling,” Mercy said. “Trying to give your father more time.”

“I’m trying to kick your ass, that’s what I’m doing!” Jun responded.

Mercy had stopped paying attention to her, however, She had brought the tool close to her face, and her eyes were closed.

“Breath…” she muttered.

And as such, she started to inhale.

“Are… your eyes closed?”

Despite Jun’s bewilderment, Jon decided to trust Mercy. Even if Jun was buying time for her father’s scheme, and it was the middle of a fight, it was important that he didn’t rush Mercy. Right now, it was more important for her to be in the right frame of mind.

“Believe in my friends… I’m am not alone…”

“If you spend any more time with your eyes closed,” Jun began, “I’m gonna have to come over-”

Mercy’s blade finally extended. However, gone was its usual fuzzy shape, replaced with a sharpened form that resemble a sword like Hector’s, even to the point where it grew its own guard right above the hilt.

Different.

Jon wasn’t sure what an energy sword would do with a guard, but it was impressive nonetheless. He would have to remember to ask Hector what a sword guard was in the first place.

“Fancy shape!” Jun continued in her far away taunting. “Not that it’s gonna make a difference!”

“I’m not done,” Mercy muttered. Jon doubted that Jun could even hear here.

“Huh?”

Mercy ignored her after, instead turning the sword around and plunging it into the ground.

A circle buzzing with the same energy as her sword surrounded her feet.

A spell circle?

Jon was tempted to push himself on his tippy-toes to get a better look.

Is Mercy gonna cast a spell… wait, her attacks are spells…

She pulled her black tool behind her shoulder.

The blade enlarged in size within seconds, large enough to cover a big part of the field behind her.

Jon expected her to raise it, but apparently, Mercy still wasn’t done.

She clenched her black tool, and the entire blade set on fire.

Jon didn’t know if it was just his imagination, or if he was really being warmed by the mana.

“That’s… new…” Jun squeaked. “But I can still-”

Mercy leaped into the air, the sword following behind her as if it was the same weight as any other sword. The shadow it cast put to shame anything the trees in the forest had to offer.

Jon was caught up in its awe he almost forgot to look at Jun. What was more important than the attack was how Jun reacted.

However, Jun didn’t even seem to have decided that for herself. She also looked up in awe, teetering in place, probably deciding if she was gonna try to stay in place and try to break Mercy’s attack, or try to run out of the way.

“I can… I can…” Jun tighten her fist. “I got this. Haaaaa!”

Jun closed her eyes and pushed up as Mercy brought the blade towards the ground as she descended.

When Jon was sure the blade was gonna land, it disappeared instantly, as if Mercy had just retracted it.

Mercy landed in front of Jun without making a blow. Jun’s hand was still outstretched towards the sky.

Jun opened her eyes to see that there wasn’t a large sword coming for her head anymore. She saw Mercy crouched beneath her, and decided to bring her hand back to defend against the weapon pointing at her.

However, Mercy, still holding on to the tool with both hands, was pointing it directly at Jun’s stomach as she was bracing herself.

White mana energy suddenly surged out from the tool, enveloping Jun within a giant beam of light and piercing into the scene beyond.

Jun’s body disappeared from view for several moments until it revealed itself again, launching from the remnants of the beam and crashing onto the hill behind her and rolling down painfully.

That was a lot of energy…

Jon watched Mercy to see how she was doing.

He was pleasantly excited to see that she had turned around for the same reason, catching his gaze. She looked tired, and her face was burning red, but she was also smiling.

“I had developed that… from watching Liz… and you…” Mercy scratched the back of her head.

Jon didn’t know how Mercy developed that move from watching him. He could see the resemblance to Liz’s attack of the same style, though.

Jon wasn’t finished being impressed while she turned back to her opponent.

“We don’t have to fight!” Mercy yelled down the hill, approaching slowly. “I know you’re only doing this because your father-”

“Shut up!” Jun had run back up the hill swinging. Mercy dodged it and began navigating backward while dodging Jun’s strikes.

Jun may have been frustrated, but her strikes were still quick and direct. Mercy was barely able to stay ahead. She had to work as hard as possible to deflect Jun’s blows. However, seeing the strain on Mercy didn’t deter Jon’s belief in her. Even if things were hard for her, he’d believe she’d find a way.

Mercy raised her knee, catching and approaching Jun in the chest before pushing her back. Before Jun could react, Mercy zoomed into the air.

Jun had almost reached up for Mercy’s leg, but it was nowhere near fast enough to catch her.

Mercy dipped back so that there was space between the two women again.

Jun stopped herself before chasing Mercy. Jon could see that she was deciding whether to wait and stall for time or to charge after Mercy again.

“I’m coming after you, like it or not!” Mercy yelled.

That decided it. Jun ran after Mercy.

Mercy drew her sword and used it to shoot herself back into the air again. She darted over Jun’s shoulder before leaping off the air at an angle and going into the space right above her opponent.

Mercy made one more leap, heading straight down while flipping with her sword, becoming a spinning white wheel of death with a black center.

That’s Tallow’s move…

Jun teetered again between trying to stop the attack when the wheel ignited on fire.

When that happened. Jun immediately ran forward before being bounded on by the wheel.

Although Jun ran forward, Mercy caught herself on the ground and propelled herself forward into a body slam.

She tackled Jun in the back, and they rolled over on the hills.

Jon was taken aback by how much he was seeing. He knew that Mercy had some control over fire, but he couldn’t have imagined that she knew enough to set her blade on fire. He would have to ask Mallory about why it happened.

Heck, Jon probably had a million or more questions he should have been asking everyone. Mallory, Hector, Mercy, and even Tallow. There was so much he didn’t know so much about life outside of the farm, and he had steeled himself to asking many more questions. He should have been learning more about how Mercy’s blade worked, or about how people could learn to cast different spells. He spent so much time being impressed, he probably should have spent it trying to learn as much as he could instead.

Not only was Jon astounded by Mercy’s accelerations in skill, but for whatever reason, he could see that the fire was scaring Jun enough to force her to move instead of trying to fend it off. Twice, she had lost her usual composure when confronted with the prospect of a fire sword. And yet, Jon had watched Jun dispatch other spells with ease.

And here was Mercy, rolling down the hill after Jun, after copying both Tallow’s and Hector’s movements and incorporating it into her strategy.

Mercy wasn’t even in the battle with Raglace, and here she was, copying Tallow’s special move nearly verbatim.

Jon shook himself out of his awe and ran after Mercy. If he lost himself too much, he wouldn’t be able to help her out, and he wasn’t doing much in the first place.

Jun finally caught herself at the bottom of the hill and tried to stand up, but this was met by another grapple from Mercy, who wrapped her arms around Jun and shot up into the air before crashing headfirst once more.

Mercy flipped away from Jun, who was recovering from the landing.

“That hurt… both of us!” Jun said, fixing a helmet while struggling to stand. “Why?”

“Makes it more interesting,” Mercy said.

“It’s foolish.” Jun raised her fists in front of her face. “You’re foolish. You’re hurting yourself to hurt me.”

“Well, it’s working,” Mercy said. “That’s all that matters.”

She flourished her sword before bringing it down in front of her.

Jun growled.

Jon felt that too. Mercy’s fighting style, for better or for worse, was reckless, but Jon could see merit in it. It was a way to survive. And she was pretty good at it.

“I’ll let you walk away,” Mercy repeated. “Please.”

“If you want to walk anywhere, you’ll have to do it through me,” Jun said.

Mercy sighed.

“I respect you… and I’ll respect your strength…”

“...Shut up!” Jun cried, her face showing that she didn’t know quite what to make of it.

Mercy drew her sword back. It extended, becoming a cone of surging energy. It wasn't anywhere near as big as before, but it still looked packed full of strength.

Mercy ignited it again, fire seeping from her hilt.

“Bring it!” Jun said. “I’m not scared! No more running away!”

“I respect that too,” Mercy added. She swung.

Jun raised her forearms in front of her face and turned to the side to fend off the oncoming sword. There was a searing noise as the blade made its way past Jun’s body.

Jun succeeded in deflecting the blow. She was knocked back, but other than the residual flame mana burning away on her shoulder pads, she looked relatively unscathed.

“I… I…”

“I’m not done!” Mercy said, immediately pulling from the first swing in order to make a second one.

This time, the fire was replaced by a gust of wind energy blasting from her hilt.

That’s new.

“Hey!” Jun cried. “That’s not-”

Mercy swung again. This time, even as Jun defended, she was fully knocked aside.

“Sonuvabitch!” Jun yelled, but Mercy was already bracing for a third swing.

“Not this time!” Jun pushed herself up with her and moved at Mercy with alarming speed.

“Jon!” Mercy cried.

Even as she called out his name and extended her hand, Jon had understood what she wanted.

He tossed his blunderbuss high into the air.

She caught it with one hand and spun around, breaking the blunderbuss open as she did.

As she spun, she evaded Jun, who clumsily tripped past her.

Mercy threw the black tool inside of the chamber of the gun before snapping it back into place.

She pointed the gun at Jun before she could completely recover.

“What?” Jun cried.

Mercy pulled the trigger.

The back tool fired from the gun, spinning through the air like before.

It went straight into Jun’s forehead.

On impact, there was a burst of white energy, expanding into a person-sized sphere before disappearing.

Jun was knocked onto her back. This time, she didn’t get back up.

Mercy pulled the gun back up and blew the edge of the gun.

Jon finally walked up to her.

“...That was cool,” Jon said.

“Huh?” Mercy looked at him. “What was?”

“Blowing.”

“Oh.” Mercy looked at the gun. “Yeah…”

They both looked at Jun’s body.

“...She can deflect energy,” Mercy said. “But your gun… it doesn’t just shoot energy.”

“Huh?” Jon asked.

“Your gun. She can deflect energy,” Mercy repeated. “She can. And so could Bal, that swordsman… but they can’t deflect flying objects. Like… swords…”

“Or books,” Jon added.

Mercy nodded. “Yeah. She was able to lock on to my energy, but using others… using my friend’s mana… I was able to cloak my own mana. I mean It’ all my own mana. I confused her. I gave her too much to think about. I…”

She walked up to her tool and picked it up. “I beat her at her own game.”

Jon looked at Jun. Her helmet had been knocked off. Unlike Gina, Jun had long dark hair. There was a broken piece of string nearby, which Jon assumed she used to tie her hair back.

A family of fighters. That’s what the Dukett family was. Just like Hector’s family.

Jon remembered being frustrated with his father’s inability to help him. Now, he understood how much good his father did by letting him decide what he wanted to do. IT didn’t matter if it was hard for his father. His father had struggled with it, and that meant more than anything in the world to Jon.

Granted, the worst that would have happened would be that Jon became a farmer, and not a trained mercenary, but he praised his father all the same.

Mercy held out his gun to him.

Jon grabbed it. When he did, Mercy suddenly came forward and hugged him.

“Thank you…” Mercy said.

“What did I do?” Jon asked. “You did everything.”

“No, Jon…” Mercy shook her head. “You-”

“Guys!” Jon felt relief in hearing Hector’s voice. He thought that Mercy would become agitated from being interrupted like last time.

She gave a small smile.

She kissed Jon on the cheek close to the mouth before walking up to greet Hector.

Jon felt his lips tingle.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Mercy said to the approaching Hector, who was quickly and carefully making his way down the side of the hill.

“Don’t worry about me!” Hector said. “We-”

He stopped himself by clearing his throat. “I mean, I’m glad you guys are okay as well.”

He looked over at Jun.

“She’s okay,” Mercy said. “She’s just out.”

“...Right,” Hector said.

Jon could see the slight relief in Hector’s sigh. It made so much sense, considering what his own family had gone through.

“That’s everybody, then,” Hector said. “We have to hurry. We found their father.”

Mercy nodded. “Let’s.”

Jon hesitated before leaving Jun.

“Jon, we’ll come back for her. Promise,” Hector said. “Come on.”

“Okay,” Jon said.

The three of them jogged back up the hill.