The tunnel was quiet. Too quiet. However, the twins continued with little hesitation, ignoring the sudden lack of enemies. The fighter walked a few paces ahead of his brother, scanning the dark terrain in front of them for evidence of where their quarry had run off to. A torch burned in his left hand, lighting the way as he delved into the dark hole. The mage carried a torch of his own and monitored the rear, wary of any potential ambushes or traps. They kept their guard up but allowed themselves a brief few moments of complacency. All to keep their fatigue low and recover their stamina for the real fight.

The fight with whoever that mage was.

In all prior reports, there hadn’t been any mention of a powerful mage or any threat other than spiders. The very first report mentioned a large broodmother and dozens of spiderlings. Following records slowly lost their detail as the number of returning adventurers dwindled. After some time, documents ceased to mention the brood mother herself, likely reflecting an expansion in the brood’s size and strength.

Even so, none ever listed a human mage as a threat. It was always strictly spiders. The twins even interviewed a few adventurers that still lived in the nearby towns directly to get as much information on their target as possible. Thus, the sudden appearance of the new existence told the twins that this individual was new here. They likely may have arrived at some point between three months ago when the reports stopped coming in, and today.

Maybe the mage was the cause of that sudden shift. After a failed raid, it was typical for at least two survivors to make it back for a debrief. Three months ago, that stopped happening. The spiders wisened up, decided to stop letting people run off, or grew too powerful and too large for any typical party to handle without getting wiped out. Reasons that were more inline with dens and monster holes in other places in the world. For it to happen here was nothing unexpected because of its size. Except other places didn’t have anomalies like a human threat teaming up with monsters.

“Hey.” The fighter stopped and turned towards his brother. “That magic. What would you rank it as?” Having seen a glimpse of what the other mage was capable of, the fighter found himself uneasy. They’d battled magical beasts and monsters before so it wasn’t new. It was the firepower and explosiveness that stood out. Those spells were well beyond the typical and were a massive cause for concern. Dealing with a barrage like that wouldn’t be easy.

The mage raised a single hand, drawing a letter in the air- “S.”

S Rank. The highest possible rank for a spell known amongst adventurers. A rank given based on a multitude of factors; spell casting speed, spell strength, effects, and mana density. Those fire spears were capable of blowing apart the frontline composed of skilled tanks. They overpowered the tank’s armor, knocked them off their feet, and then demolished a party of nearly a dozen adventurers. Each spell on its own was lethal with just impact and heat alone. Add in the secondary explosive effect that each spell carried and it was like taking a cannon shot to the face. To be capable of saturating the air with spells like that meant this mage was a terrifying foe to have to deal with. Someone far from the ordinary.

If the mage brother was saying he was an S-Rank caster, then they might find themselves in a pinch.

“Great,” the fighter turned forward and continued walking, putting together a way to deal with the anomaly. As he developed a plan, he also took into account the large number of Arachkin and the brood mother they might have to simultaneously fight. All variables that made this job far more of a problem than he was beginning to think worth the money. Though, should they be successful, he figured there would be plenty of treasures left behind from the other dead adventurers from previous failed raids. They could scavenge from the pile to their heart’s content.

The Arachkin scattered into the main den, spreading out along the walls and to the various other tunnels where they could huddle up out of sight. Their brood mother squatted down in the center of the larger lair, her eyes glistening as she stared towards the main tunnel. She watched as Jake emerged, flanked by a messenger Arachkin and one of her larger daughters. The trio were the last to return. Having counted, Rey’ra realized just how many of her children were missing. She had hoped that Jake would bring good news. Only to lose that when she saw the tense expression on his face.

“There’s a troublesome duo coming down here. I’ll handle them. Get your family out of this room so I can fight.” The human walked past her and to his pack, where he pulled open the top so he could fish inside.

Rey’ra watched him work. “I can do so, but I will not be leaving. This is my home and I will fight for it.” The broodmother tapped her fangs together as she stared at the Human’s back.

Jake fished out his spell blade and replaced one of the elven blades with it, stuffing the borrowed weapon into his pack with the others. He then carried his pack to the wall out of the way of any potential fighting and secured it to the floor using magic. As a final measure, he covered the pack in stone to protect it.

“Fine. I don’t care what you do. Just get your kids out of the way or they’ll be caught in the fighting.” Jake had seen enough of the duo’s ability to know that they wouldn’t be an easy task to manage. The lack of information on these two made him nervous.

The fighter on his own was enough to stalemate Jake in straightforward swordplay. He was quick, sharp, and decisive. His shield skill was also on another level, and his use of the tool would make landing any meaningful attacks significantly more difficult. The mage’s enhancement magic added an additional layer. With those added in, the fighter would be more of a problem that Jake didn’t quite know how he would counter. Even though Jake had trained against capable Oryx in Mur’s Hall, he hadn’t crossed swords with a proper swordsman in a fight to the death. Not since his duel with the Black Knight.

The mage was the shortfall. Jake could deal with his meager spells and could likely overwhelm him in the beginning of the fight. It would be when Jake was distracted that he’d prove harder to manage. With the fighter in his face, Jake wouldn’t get a clear attack angle on the mage nor would he be able to react as smoothly to incoming fire. If Jake could box him out or cut him off, that would be the easier method. Yet, the certainty of that working was unknown. If the other mage was smart, they’d have a way to get out. At a minimum, based on the magic Jake had seen, this mage was able to cast both Light and Fire magic. A duality that meant they had a high mana capacity and control. If that was the case, then they might have other tricks.

Jake didn’t like this. He felt cornered down here, but there was no running from it now.

“You speak as if you’re going to fight by yourself,” the broodmother narrowed her eyes as she watched Jake walk to her side. His eyes were harsh, glaring towards the entrance of the lair.

“I am,” Jake pulled his swords from their sheathes and held them by his side. “So, if you would so kindly- move.” He glanced over toward the broodmother for a moment to show her his sincerity, then looked forward again. His mind continued to spiral, considering dozens of ‘what ifs’ and going over contingencies. He juggled whether to use overwhelming magic, or to try his hand and offer to dance more intimately with them. Either choice had its downsides and both made him uncertain of their outcome. If only he had more information…

“I will not let you fight alone, Human. My children aside, I am far more capable than I look.” Rey’ra scoffed and asserted herself at his side, stubborn in her own way as she refused to obey his wish.

She let out a loud chitter, her fangs rattling and her voice carrying as she ordered her children into the shadows. A few showed a moment of disobedience but were promptly shepherded out of the room by their older siblings. After the commotion, aside from Jake and Rey’ra, only the oldest Arachkin children remained. They stood in pairs beside each tunnel leading outward, acting as guards should the worst happen. Behind them, peeking from the shadows, Jake could see dozens of leering eyes. Though the children had been pushed out, they still remained close enough to watch.

Just as Rey’ra had said before. In this fight, Jake would prove his worth. Those eyes would decide whether he was someone worthy of the title, Emissary of Lady Rastua. Apostle of the Arachkin.

The pressure made his palms slick and he felt his jaw tense up. The culmination of emotions rattling through him made his mind whirl and he felt incredibly off center. The waiting. The stress of an unknown foe. His inability to come up with a solid plan of action. The intensity of those lingering eyes. The risk he was gambling with. The uncertainty of the outcome here. And, most of all, the penalty for failure.

A faint light appeared in the distance, revealing the approaching threat.

Jake took in a deep breath, held it, and then exhaled slowly.

It didn’t calm his racing heart in the least.

The first to emerge from the tunnel was the fighter. He took a half step into the lair before his eyes immediately swept the walls. He had already noticed the two threats in the center of the room, thus he checked the walls, ceiling, and took a headcount of the Arachkin pairs by each of the other tunnels. Noticing their posture, he recognized they would likely stay out of the fighting. They looked more like guards than combatants. As he finished his assessment, the mage stepped to his brother’s left side. He too took stock of the room, but his eyes looked rather for magic traps and potential angles for surprise attacks rather than enemy combatants.

“Well, it seems our eyes weren’t fooling us,” the fighter muttered as he stared at the pair in the center of the room. The large spider was the broodmother, which was obvious from her race and stature. The human figure off to her right, however, was their anomaly now confirmed. The human was dressed in traveling gear and wasn’t pale skinned. Evidence of plenty of sunlight recently. He wore black pants, a tight top with leather armor layered in, and boots. Though, the fighter didn’t see a rucksack or bag anywhere so the guy must have stashed it somewhere.

The fighter also noted the swords. “I thought he was a mage…?” He mumbled, glancing around the room again. Odd. There wasn’t another human in the den. None that he could see. Were they hiding?

The mage tossed his torch so he could sign with his hand. His fingers moved frantically to alert his brother. “Big problem. High mana. More than me.”

The fighter furrowed his brow as he mentally translated the non-verbal words. Baffled by what his brother was alluding to, the fighter blinked. “What? The sword guy?” He wasn’t quite sure of how to deal with that.

“Yes. High mana. Dangerous. More than spider. Caution.” The mage clutched his staff and squeezed his jaw as he fought the cold sweat washing over him. His stomach twisted and every nerve in his body warned him to leave immediately. Something wasn’t right about that guy and he didn’t like it one bit.

The fighter, on the other hand, scoffed. “You sound like you want us to just run. The fuck is with you?” They had come this far already so it would do them no good to turn tail and run. Plus, now that they had made it to the inner den, there was no way that human would let them just straight up leave. The pair would have to fight their way out.

The mage let out a sigh and shook his head. “Fine. Don’t blame me. Hope you like dirt.”

Rolling his eyes, the fighter looked away from his brother and towards their counterparts. He advanced into the den, tossing his torch halfway between himself and the other human. Doing so lit up what effectively would be his dancing space.

“Does it speak?” The fighter shouted.

Jake narrowed his eyes. “You tell me.”

“So it does,” the fighter huffed, drawing his sword. It was well maintained. “I’d ask why you’re here but I don’t particularly care. I will ask you to kindly move out of the way, though. I’d rather not have to kill you.”

Using the opportunity, Jake pooled mana at his feet and began to collect a huge portion of it into his shoulders, upper back, and his hands. His dense mana tails swayed at his back, his flow working intensely as he prepared for the fight. “Is this where you ask me a bunch of annoying questions?” Jake fed mana into both of his swords, igniting the enhancement sigils in his spell blade and causing the elven sword to shimmer to life.

The twins took notice. The mage immediately cast enhancement spells on his brother, pouring mana into the fighter to give him as much of an edge as possible in the impending fight. The fighter’s body stiffened almost out of natural instinct, ready to react.

“No. Like I said, I don’t care about your reasons for being here. I don’t care about the adventurers you killed either. I’m just here for the coin purse that comes with chopping her head off.” The fighter gripped his sword and squeezed the leather straps on his shield, clutching them firmly. Almost desperately. Losing either of them during this fight would signal the end.

“Good. I hate talking.” Jake took a step forward, testing the mage.

Reacting, the mage raised his staff. His left hand centered on his chest. Seeing the movement, Jake pumped mana into his eyes to trigger his sensory magic and took note of the mana collecting around the mage’s staff. The mage wasn’t chanting incantations, but the staff was glowing and mana was flowing into the various crystals embedded inside of it. When the mana had filled the gems, he swayed the tip of the staff, drawing runes directly into the air. Script Casting.

It seemed the staff was the mage’s medium for his spells, then.

“Clearly. You don’t sound good at it.” The fighter widened his feet and lowered his hips. In preparation for the fight, he assumed a stable, medium stance and readied himself for his opponent. As the mage finished each Enchanement, one at a time, mana draped over the fighter like a cloak. Various colors flowed into the aura of power, distorting the air around the fighter. The external veil of external aid glimmered in Jake’s eyes, and it only glowed brighter as the mage channeled more mana to strengthen the buffs he’d applied to his brother.

Both not wanting to wait for the results to take effect and intent on getting the upper hand, Jake moved first. The mana around him compressed and furled, igniting into a dozen fire spears. Their tips bristled with heat as several explosive runes glimmered within them. After some minor trajectory adjustments, Jake triggered the spears, launching them across the cavern’s expanse towards the twins. The close proximity made them difficult to avoid but both twins reacted accordingly.

The fighter stepped forward into the spears and swung his blade in a wide arc. The edge of the weapon glistened, flaring as he cut two of the incoming spells down in a single stroke. A second, back swing, cut another pair. The final two he guarded with his shield, blocking a direct hit from them. The explosive runes within the tips, however, flared to life upon striking the metal.

The mana within them rushed outwards, blasting apart the fire spears and combusting the air around them. The explosions sent both heat and a concussive wave over the fighter’s body. His clothes fluttered and burned briefly, the fire singeing his clothes and his face.

The mage reacted more elegantly. He waved his staff, conjuring up several fireballs that were sent to counter the incoming spears. They intercepted the incoming spears high in the air, impacting them with equal force in order to cause the explosive runes to trigger and blast apart. Yet, the mage lacked accuracy. Of the six, three made it through.

With another wave of his staff, the mage conjured up a nearly invisible wall of some sort, one that distorted the view around him. Jake could see the mana disperse through air and watched the wall twinkle and blink. When the spears slammed into the wall, their trajectories changed. The spears twisted away from the mage and soared harmlessly over his head and shoulders, disappearing into the tunnel behind him where they blew up safely.

That was an interesting spell.

From behind the smoke of the explosion, Jake emerged in the fighter’s face. The fighter clenched his shield and raised it up, the metal wall collecting Jake’s spell blade. The blade vibrated and quaked as it smashed into the bulwark. The shield rang and sparked as it fended off the weapon.

With a shove, the fighter pushed Jake back and filled the space with a swing of his own. Jake parried with his elven blade then swung again with his spell blade, sweeping at the fighter’s legs. The fighter backstepped, twisted and stabbed at Jake’s head.

Redirecting the jab aside, the elven blade sparked as the weapons dragged against each other. Jake shoved the blade away from his face and then thrust his spell blade upwards, aiming for the fighter’s stomach.

The fighter slid his shield in to block the strike before resetting his feet. Rotating his shoulders, he raised his sword again for a downward swing this time. However, Jake moved to the side, dodging the blow. Before he could take advantage of his new position, the fighter twisted his wrist and sliced outwards. He rotated with the swing, brought his shield to bear, and then lunged forward again.

Once more, they clashed. Their blades collected as Jake and the fighter contested for an advantage. The shield kept Jake’s blades at bay, blocking and deflecting the swings. Even when Jake tried to swing over or below, the fighter reacted by either stepping away to reposition, or he changed levels. The level change would place his shield on the same plane as the incoming sword without over exposing his body to the elven sword. Sparks flew as their stalemate intensified, both swinging wildly and more hastily as they danced.

In an attempt to break through the defense of the fighter, Jake backstepped to make space. Then, he raised both swords overhead. In a swift and powerful cut, he dropped them down onto the fighter’s head. The fighter’s eyes lifted and he moved his shield to counter, shielding himself from the blades with a stubborn block. However, with his eyes lifted, he missed the kick.

Once his blades locked with the shield, Jake buried his boot in the fighter’s stomach. The fighter coughed and recoiled. He took three steps back and he lowered into a crouch, hoisting his shield in front of himself. Jake stabbed around the shield, using the blind angle to stab at the fighter’s shoulder.

The blade failed to penetrate, however. Chainmail and protective leather protected the fighter’s shoulder. The weak stab couldn’t punch through deep enough and Jake was forced to pull back without a successful hit. The fighter recovered his breathing and rose back to his feet.

Seeing an opening, the fighter rushed into Jake’s face and lowered his blade to his right at an angle. Jake glanced downwards, his eyes tracking to see where the swing would come. In doing so, his vision tunneled. The fighter then stepped to the same direction of his blade and feinted a swing. Jake flinched, shifting on his feet and turning in preparation for the blow.

Over the fighter’s left shoulder and from behind the shield, a trio of fire balls cut into the melee. Jake’s eyes widened and he instantly noticed his predicament. He’d narrowed in on the fighter and lost track of the mage.

“Shi-!” Before his curse could finish, Jake conjured a pair of water balls and volleyed them at the fireballs. The third spell he cut with his spell blade. The mage cursed and moved to the right, sprinting for another, better angle. The fighter moved in, swinging as Jake was distracted. Forced to respond, Jake blocked the blade and shoved into the fighter to keep him from advancing further.

“Eyes on me!” The fighter barked.

Jake grunted and detached, springing backwards to create space. In that moment, he fired several spears towards the mage. He then moved against the fighter, swinging and shifting his feet to move back to the fighter’s left side. The fighter moved in the same direction, keeping Jake in the semi-pincer.

The mage stopped running and cast reactive spells to the incoming attacks, throwing his own fire balls at the spears to cut them out of the air. Two spears overwhelmed his fire balls and continued to fall threateningly, but one slammed into the lair wall off target. The other smashed into the floor at the mage’s feet. The explosion scattered rocks and shrapnel into the mage’s face. He used his robe to shield himself, protecting his body from the heat and stone barrage that threatened him. Aside from getting his robe cut open and lightly burned, the mage was unharmed.

When the air cleared, he looked out into the lair and spotted his brother and Jake. He recovered quickly and continued on his task.

Unable to break through the fighter’s left due to the sword actively working to stop his momentum, Jake instead began moving right. He swung into the shield, forcing the fighter to keep his arm raised high. Doing so impaired the fighter’s vision. Jake then moved into the blind spot, positioning himself directly between the mage and the fighter.

The fighter shifted his footing and sucked his teeth as he moved to keep Jake from fully rotating around him like a top. He shoved his shield forward to bash Jake, forcing the man to step to his left. When Jake’s foot landed, the fighter cut at his leg in a swift slicing motion.

Jake stabbed his elven blade downward to block the strike, rotating his arm and locking out his elbow. The fighter twisted his left arm and then punched at Jake’s face, thrusting the sharpened edge of the shield at the man. The motion loosened the blade lock and Jake ducked underneath. Twisting his right hand, Jake punched and slammed his fist into the fighter’s stomach. Utilizing a blast of wind on his elbow, Jake accelerated his fist to boost the power of the hit. The impact was firm and harsh, cratering the fighter’s guts. The fighter coughed again and once more was forced to step back and catch himself.

Rotating right, Jake sighted the mage. Three fireballs were already on their way, with others in tow. Jake answered by shooting several fire spears. He then bolted after them.

“Fucker!” The fighter snapped, giving chase.

The mage’s eyes shot open when he noticed Jake was coming and he glanced around, looking for an evasive route. Seeing none, he set his feet and grabbed onto his staff with both hands, revealing that he was determined to stand his ground.

The fire spears blasted apart as they struck the fire balls, creating a screen of smoke and dust. The mage took the moment to run to his right, sprinting away from his previous position. Jake emerged, blades at the ready, and landed in front of where the mage had previously been. Spotting where the man had run off to, Jake once more gave chase. The mage launched several fire balls in his wake, trying to keep Jake from closing the gap. Jake simply answered with several Water ball spells, canceling out the weaker fireballs and snuffing their flames out.

The fighter emerged from the smoke several steps behind, and Jake rotated to target him with fire spears. The fighter was forced to block, his heels rooting in place as he shielded himself from the magic. Pinned beneath the fire, he fell even further behind.

Jake accelerated through the air using wind magic and pounced on the mage before he could get far. The mage, not a fan of close quarters but not inexperienced in it, twirled his staff quickly to deflect a flurry of swings. Wood met steel and mithril. The loud clunks and thwacks echoed into the lair as the mage desperately fended off the potential doom awaiting him.

Left. Right. Diagonal and then reverse. Jake’s arms smashed into the wooden staff relentlessly. Yet, though his swings were quick, the mage’s eyes moved just as fast and picked up every swing. The damned staff of his twirled in response, parrying and bunting away every attempt at a cut.

Once more stalemated, the fighter quickly caught up and Jake failed to effectively punch through. Sucking his teeth, Jake took one final swing to force the mage to raise his staff, much like how he’d done with the fighter. When the mage exposed his stomach, Jake drove his boot into it. As the mage spat and tumbled backwards, Jake spun and sidestepped. The fighter slammed his sword into the rock floor, his swing heavy and powerful in an attempt to save his brother. A follow-up spinning cut was blocked by the elven sword and Jake jumped backwards away from any additional combination swings.

Two fire spears fell from the sky, forcing the fighter to shield his face and body as they blew up against his shield. The mage recovered from his tumble and threw a set of fire balls at Jake. All for them to sizzle out of the sky and two additional fire spears to come flying at his face. The fighter moved into their path, blocking them both with his body and the shield. The spell that hit his body shattered a chunk of the fighter’s chainmail and burnt a hole in his right shoulder armor, exposing the flesh beneath. He remained uninjured, however, and shrugged off the blow. He was lucky.

The mage grimaced and looked at his brother, concern written all over his face.

“I’m fine.” Knowing his brother was watching him, the fighter answered without looking. “Keep on him!” Without hesitation, the fighter sprinted forward towards Jake again.

The mage nodded and his eyes hardened. Taking in a deep breath, he conjured several fire balls to launch over his brother’s head. A fresh volley that cleared the loitering smoke and plunged into Jake’s position. Jake moved away from them, stepping backwards to avoid their impacts.

The fighter sprinted through where they crashed, charging into Jake’s face. His shield twisted and was shoved forward first, forcing Jake to turn to his left and into the fighter’s sword. Jake parried it away and then cut downwards, aiming for the new weak point in the fighter’s armor. The fighter moved away and shifted his feet. A fire ball shot over head and Jake moved to his right to avoid it. The fighter took advantage of the step and bashed his shield into Jake.

It hit home.

The impact was heavy and struck Jake square in the upper chest and shoulder. He winced and stumbled, twisting to his left from the inertia and he found himself in the line of fire of the fighter’s sword again. The sword stabbed forward towards him, and Jake was forced to both duck to his left and swing his elven sword up to parry. He was a hair too slow, however, and the fighter’s blade cut across his shoulder. He was able to knock it away in time to avoid a potentially lethal strike but the blade cut deep into his leather under armor. Pain seared through his shoulder, giving away that he had been injured with that.

Gritting his teeth, Jake twisted back and then backstepped. Another volley of fire immediately filled the void but Jake had learned the pattern. He shielded himself with water balls and retaliated with fire spears, occupying the mage for a moment. As the fighter moved forward to lock Jake into another stalemate, Jake stomped forward and dumped mana into the floor. Between them, the floor broke apart and rock spikes suddenly sprouted upwards. The fighter’s eyes opened and, unable to fully stop his moment, dove to the right and out of the way to avoid being skewered.

In the brief opening, Jake caught the mage moving back to the right. He filled the air with fire and rained it down on the rat. Recognizing the incoming problem, the mage picked up the hem of his robe and sprinted for his life, knowing full well he wouldn't be able block them all. He cast and threw a few fire balls to shield himself, but he only did so to block the spears with more deadly trajectories. The wall and floor blew up all around him, showering him with shrapnel and heat.

The fighter sprang to his feet, only for Jake to target him before he could move. Fire spears slammed into his shield and the floor cracked beneath his feet. The rocks shifted and the floor began to crumble beneath him as Jake created a massive pitfall for him to drop into by tearing away the ground under the floor. The fighter jumped backwards to avoid the fire spells and rolled over his shoulders back to his feet. As he recovered, a trio of fire spears blasted apart the ground where he had been standing, revealing the hole he would’ve fallen into.

Jake sucked his teeth. Fighting in two different directions wasn’t difficult but adjusting the trajectory of every spear was straining. His precision was taking a hit and he was finding it hard to remain on target. It seemed fatigue was about to become a problem. He was going to have to finish off one of them soon or they might be able to out maneuver him at some point.

“Human!” Rey’ra shouted at his back, having remained out of the fray thus far. The swift movement of the humans, along with the deadly exchange of magic spells had been enough warning for her to not get involved. Such remained true even now.

“Stay out of the way!” Jake belted, reinforcing that detail as the fighter lashed out at him again.

The blades sparked, flashing in the dim light of the torch before the fighter tried to bash in Jake’s face with his shield. Rather than backstep, Jake slid to the right, using the shield to impair the fighter’s vision. The fighter noticed and swung his arm outwards, trying to backhand Jake. The shield only caught air and as Jake came into view, so did the tip of his sword.

Jake stabbed the fighter in the stomach, driving his weapon up and through the fighter’s gear. The chainmail failed to protect him and the leather split from the harsh shove. Blood leaked out from the wound, staining the fighter’s shirt. It wasn’t deep. The layers of thick clothing and protection had stopped Jake’s blade short but the wound was just the start. The fighter clenched his teeth as Jake ripped his sword free.

Magic rushed to the fighter’s aid as the mage turned back to the fight. Having escaped the barrage, he found himself with an open line straight for Jake’s side. He cast four fire balls in his first volley, then threw three more. Jake didn’t respond to them, not in the typical way. Rather than dodge or counter, Jake pressed forward. The mage smashed the bottom of his staff into the ground out of frustration as his spells sailed by, missing their target as Jake shoved his brother backwards.

Recognizing the need to break the stalemate, Jake upped the tempo of his swings. He pinned the fighter behind his shield, forcing the man to block and protect himself as Jake attacked relentlessly. Swing after swing, Jake pushed the fighter onto his heels and drove him backwards, circling slowly to the left in order to ruin the mage’s angle on him. The mage moved in and circled right, rotating against Jake to rectify that, all for Jake to throw a bunch of fire spears at him to cut him off. The fighter, wounded, struggled to breathe and fought the light, airy sensation in his mind as his stomach bled.

“Fuck-!” The fighter’s left foot slipped, his boot gliding across a bunch of loose rocks, and his balance tipped. He dropped to a knee to catch himself from falling flat on his back and immediately began to rotate his shield up defensively. Yet, the opening had been made. Jake swung his sword down in a heavy, angled arc that would cut into the fighter’s shoulder. The fighter braced, gritting his teeth. His shield wouldn’t make it-

-Fire screamed overhead. A fire ball slammed into Jake’s chest and forced him to back away lest he get hit by a second. The fighter had fallen to a knee, which opened a clear line of sight to Jake for the mage. The mage could only fit two spells into the window but it was all that was needed.

With his focus on the fighter, Jake ate the first spell. His shirt was set ablaze and the centered impact knocked him off balance. The second flew over his shoulder as he pivoted to avoid it. Dousing the flames with water, Jake saved himself from any major burns and then stepped away further as additional spells fell around him. The mage covered his brother, giving the fighter an opportunity to breathe and get himself together.

After casting another trio of fire spells, the mage dipped the head of his staff and targeted the fighter. Mana channeled outwards from his staff and he began drawing the runes of several Enhancement Sigils. As they triggered and activated, the fighter’s body began to glow faintly in Jake’s vision. The air around the man shifted and the mana distorting the air around his body changed colors. Jake immediately worked to interfere, dumping magic into the floor and spreading it through the air as he conjured a mass of Stone Breakers.

He fired the volley at the Mage. The wind spells cracked through the air and smashed into the ground and wall, cratering the stone and forcing the mage to cease his casting. One spell slammed into his left leg, breaking bone and taking the leg out from underneath him.

The fighter got back to his feet as the stone in front of him exploded upwards. Sharpened spikes of rock aimed for his face filled his vision and forced him to jolt back out of the way. From above, a stone breaker fell like a hammer. He raised his shield to protect his body but the spell fell with far more force than the meager slab of metal could deflect. The impact caused the metal to sing and his forearm was shoved into his chest. Pushed backwards and down, the fighter slammed into the floor, the back of his head bouncing off the ground.

Both of the twins lay on the floor, struggling to recover from the magic outburst. The mage’s leg twisted in two directions and blood leaked from where the bone broke through the skin. He clawed at the ground, his nails scratching at the rock, and his mouth opened in a mute scream of pain. The fighter groaned and grit his teeth, his mind forcing his body to move even as it burned in agonizing pain. The hit had cracked his ribs and his spine hurt. His stomach ached from the stab wound and now his head throbbed. The back of his skull felt hot. It was probably bleeding, too.

Yet, the pair refused to just quit. Jake watched as the fighter slowly pushed himself onto his knees and he stabbed his sword into the ground, leaning on it as his eyes tried to focus. The mage cast recovery magic on himself, numbing the pain as he rolled over. He propped himself up against the wall and held his staff firmly at his side. While he wouldn’t be capable of moving, he would at least continue to support his brother from where he sat.

“Determined, aren’t you?” Jake spat, his eyes narrowing.

The fighter sucked in a breath and glared at Jake. “You... have no idea…” He grimaced and shoved himself up to his feet. After a brief check in with his body, the fighter turned to look at his brother.

The mage looked back at him, his jaw tense and his eyes waiting for the command. Tears dared to fall from the corners of his eyes as pain ravaged through him. What do they do now? Keep fighting?

“We haven’t had to do this in a long, long time.” The fighter rumbled as he looked towards Jake, then towards the Arachkin.

The broodmother had moved clear of the battle. She’d retreated to the far side of the den and was hiding in what was likely her own personal web. It seemed they wouldn’t be able to break through Jake with ordinary means. While his swordsmanship wasn’t great, his magic was a pain in the ass. The gap between his brother’s spell casting and Jake’s was too great, and that disadvantage would be their downfall. If they wanted to make up that difference, they would have to finally show their hand.

“But… I don’t think we have much choice.” The fighter grit his teeth, then looked at his brother again. It was time to level the playing field. “Eric. Do it.”

The mage’s right hand lifted as his eyes widened. Yet, when he saw the determined look on his brother’s face, he knew that there would be no arguing. This wasn’t a fight for money anymore. If they wanted to get out of this alive, then there would be no holding back. If his brother was committed, then so was he.

The mage’s expression darkened as he bobbed his head. Acknowledgement.

The fighter took in a long, deep breath, and squared himself with Jake. As he exhaled, his eyes closed and Jake watched the air around him change once more. The enhancement magic had caused quite the mess to look at due to the mash-up of various colors and clashing flows, but something from the fighter’s very core began to bleed outwards to overtake them.

Red, blood-like mana. Sinister and thick. It drooled out from the fighter’s mana source, pooling in his stomach before stretching outwards. Much like Jake’s Dragon Skin, it coated the fighter’s body from head to toe and clung to him like a veil. From how goopy and sticky it looked, Jake could tell it was incredibly dense.

Behind the fighter, the same scene was happening with the mage. Jake felt the hairs on his neck raise as alarm bells went off in his mind. Something wasn’t right here. His chest throbbed where the curse mark was buried inside and he felt his mana flow pulsate with it. His body didn’t cry out as a signal of danger. No. It was calling for help.

After his body was coated in the red mana, the fighter’s eyes opened. They glowed a dark, violent red as they glared in Jake’s direction. The mage’s eyes opened a moment later, reflecting the same change. The mana gathered tight to their bodies and coagulated slightly, increasing further in density. It seemed to make a fresh layer of protection over their bodies. Their skin sizzled where their wounds were, reflecting an acceleration in the recovery process. The mage snapped his leg back into place and waited a few moments before he was able to stand again.

That was fast. And this wasn’t good.

“You.” The fighter spat. “You’re not human either, are you?” His eyes narrowed as he stared towards Jake. Jake could see him glancing down at Jake’s midsection, likely towards his mana source, or to where the curse mark was hidden beneath his clothes. Could he see it?

Jake huffed and gripped his swords. “Human enough.” Rather than be caught off guard by whatever that mana would allow them to do, Jake channeled his own mana and donned his Dragon Skin. His mana tails twirled over his body and his flow expanded, covering him in the layer of protection. Enhancement runes blinked to life across his body as he mentally drew them on his limbs, hands, feet, and his torso. Anything to help give him an edge in speed, recovery, and vision. He had a feeling he was going to need it.

The fighter scoffed. “Dragonkin, huh? I knew you smelled disgusting.” The fighter lowered his stance and raised his shield. As his second skin settled, Jake watched as the viscous red mana on the fighter’s forehead shifted. A horn over his right temple began to protrude outwards. Jake noticed the same on the mage, except the horn stuck out over the mage’s left temple.

“Horns?” Jake mumbled, looking between the twins as he tried to distinguish what they meant.

The fighter smirked. “First time, I see. Well, it’s our honor to be your first and last!”

The ground cracked beneath the fighter’s feet as he launched himself forward, hurtling towards Jake like a cannonshot. Jake grit his teeth and his mind whirled over the strategy he wanted to take. He wasn’t fighting normal humans, so he was going to need to be quick on his feet and avoid a direct confrontation.

These twins…

As the fighter closed the distance, Jake’s teeth squeezed even tighter. His chest throbbed and bubbled. Heat radiated out from his sternum, scalding his skin as the power locked within threatened to burst out. That, paired with those horns, told Jake just who he was really dealing with.

Demonkin.

“Shit.”