Chapter 15

"First match! Chess Piece – Rook – Leno! vs. Cro-er, MÄR – Alviss! Begin!" a mild blush darkened Pozun's face when he slipped up, calling Alviss a Cross Guard.

Leno activated two ring ÄRMs, creating two large triangle blades that were as long as his forearms. He charged at Alviss. "You talk big, pretty boy!"

Alviss activated his Thirteen Totem Pole, turning it into a rod that he could use as a weapon. He blocked Leno's attacks easily.

"You said he's a Rook?" Pozun jumped, finding Sol suddenly standing next to him.

"Ah, y-yes."

Sol frowned. "And all he's using is the same ÄRMs as a Pawn?"

Alviss and Leno raced back and forth across the platform, Alviss repeatedly blocking Leno's attacks.

Up in Lestava Castle, Phantom watched the battle with his black robed companion. He smiled that hazy dreamers smile. "Hm… that boy as grown up a bit… a reminder that six years have passed… it brings back memories. I can't really tell with that clothing… but I wonder if the mark I gave him as a present continues to progress? You came to see me, didn't you… Alviss?"

"Stop! Stop killing my friends!" Alviss yelled at Phantom, who was standing over the body of a Cross Guard.

Phantom and Babbo turned to face him. Alviss glared, trying to look as intimidating as a ten year old could. Phantom stared at him.

"You have sharp eyes." He walked towards Alviss, raising Babbo's hammer. "Let me give you a nice present… for your bravery."

Alan was a ways off but noticed what was going on. He started running but knew he wouldn't make it. "Phantom, no! Alviss isn't part of the War Games!"

"This is a token of my regard. And it will guarantee that you come see me again someday." He pointed the spike on top of the hammer at Alviss' chest. "Zombie Tattoo!" A burst of energy hit Alviss in the chest, knocking him flat. His shirt was shredded, showing a new mark on his skin. A red and black yin-yang flame.

Phantom held up his right hand, revealing the same mark on the back of it. "The moment that tattoo has covered your entire body… you will be the same sort of being as I. A living… corpse. We'll be friends forever… Alviss."

Leno and Alviss lunged apart. Leno laughed and activated another ÄRM. "Nature ÄRM, Flame Ball! Catch these – and burn to death!" He launched numerous fire balls at Alviss.

Alviss easily dodged them… meaning they went sailing towards those off stage. Jack yelped and dove for cover. Sol turned sideways so one shot past her. Then she used Babbo's hammer to bash away a fire ball going straight at Pozun's head.

"Watch where you're flinging those, moron. You ain't gonna win by killing the ref." Sol snarled. Leno may have been surprised, but it was hard to tell with the mask. Alviss bit his lip, so he wouldn't laugh.

As the two went back to swinging at each other, Sol called Dorothy over.

"Yes?"

"You got something Pozun can use to defend himself from stray attacks?" Dorothy and Pozun both looked surprised. "Nobody wins if the referee dies."

Dorothy looked thoughtful. "Hmm… I think I might have something. Let me look." She wandered away to check her many ÄRMs.

Meanwhile, Alviss and Leno had broken apart again. Alviss deactivated Thirteen Totem Pole. "…maybe I'll give you a choice. Between a defeat with pain… and a defeat without pain… which would you choose?"

"How about a third choice? Like – you die?!" Leno snapped.

"I won't kill you. I'd hate to become like you guys." Alviss smirked at Leno's fuming. "I'm only out to get one person, anyway."

Pano stomped her foot. "Hey, Pops! He's talking like we're not good enough for him! That makes me so mad!"

Garon spoke for the first time. "Stand down, Leno…" His children both looked at him, surprised. "He's a bad opponent."

"Stop talking garbage, Pops!" Leno snarled, upset that his dad didn't think he could win. "Flames! Surround these blades!" As fire engulfed his blades, he charged forward.

Alviss activated his ÄRM. Thirteen Totem Pole erupted from the ground, slamming into Leno. Due to the fact that Leno had been leaning forward as he ran, he got hit in the chest, knocking the wind out of him as it lifted him high in the air. "So you've chosen pain."

Thirteen Totem Pole disappeared, and Leno dropped, crashing into the ground twenty feet down.

"Winner – MÄR – Alviss!" Pozun announced.

"Sol." Dorothy had come back. "Here." She handed her a ring ÄRM. "It's a deflector. It doesn't require a lot of magic to use, so it should work for him. It's not designed to stop direct attacks, just deflect careless shots or misfires."

"Should be fine. I'm assuming this is fairly common?" Dorothy nodded. "You care if I just give it to Pozun outright? I'm sure we'll find plenty of far more rare and interesting ÄRMs throughout the Games."

Dorothy initially looked like she wanted to protest. Then she kind of deflated and said, "Fine." rather sullenly.

"Thanks, Dorothy."

"Um, excuse me." Pozun asked for Sol's attention. She looked at him. "Who's going next?" Sol looked up at the platform. They had gotten Leno down and Pano was waiting.

"Jack." He looked at her. "What are you waiting for? An invitation? Get up there." When Jack hesitated, Sol raised her left eyebrow. "Unless you're trying to tell me you want to take the Bishop on?" Jack blanched and shook his head. "Then move it."

Jack squeaked and scrambled up on to the platform. He swallowed nervously and activated his Earth Scoop.

As Pano sized him up, Sol turned back to Pozun. "Here." She handed him the ÄRM Dorothy had found. She told him what Dorothy had told her about the ÄRM. Hesitantly, Pozun took it.

"Why are you giving me this? I mean… why do you care?" The Chess Pieces hadn't given him to protect himself with. Why was MÄR helping him?

Sol shrugged. "Why not?" Pozun stared. Sol just smirked, then walked back over to Alviss to watch Jack and Pano.

"Uh… right! Second match! Chess Piece – Rook – Pano! vs. MÄR – Jack! Begin!" Pozun started the fight.

Pano charged and swung her ball on a stick at him. Jack blocked it. "Weapon ÄRM – Ball Hammer!" She kept swinging, Jack barely keeping up with the speed to block it.

Pano grinned. "You deflect better than I'd expect! But… how about this?" The ball suddenly detached from the handle. "BAM!" She shoved the stick towards Jack and the ball launched at him.

Jack dodged out of the way. Realizing that all she had was the stick, maybe he could hit her. Before he could act on his realization though, something huge slammed into the back of his head, driving him to his knees.

"This Ball Hammer can detach and reattach… and it always homes in on a moving target!" The ball snapped back onto the handle. "Ready to give up?"

"He should." Alviss said. "If he keeps fighting, he'll die."

"Tell me something, Alviss." Sol said. Suddenly, Babbo's hammer was the only thing Alviss could see, given that Sol had stopped just short of hitting him in the face. "How well would you function, if I hit you, full-boar, in the face with this?" She pulled it away. "I was training Jack before we went into the Training Gates. I hit him just like that several times. Jack took the hit and kept going. Jack may not have a huge power output, or much confidence, but if there is one thing he can do, its take a hit. A pair of werewolves hadn't managed to kill him when he had no training at all. Pano couldn't kill him if she tried."

Jack heard Sol and found himself smiling. He stood and dug in his pocket for some of his beans. He dropped them and activated his ÄRM. "Grow, Earth Beans!" The vines erupted from the seeds and tore across the space between them. Pano didn't have time to try to avoid them. She screamed as they wrapped around her, tying her up. Jack grinned.

His grin turned into a confused frown when Pano started shrieking. "Pervert! Creep! You keep away from me, you slimy perv! Don't you lay a finger on me!"

Jack turned partway to look at Sol and Alviss, who shrugged in confusion. Jack was a good ten feet away from Pano and hadn't even attempted to get closer. Pano was working herself in to a fine frenzy though.

"What do I do?" Jack had absolutely no clue how to proceed.

Sol shook her head. "I don't – Watch-!" Too late. The ball slammed directly between Jacks legs. "…out." Sol pursed her lips while Alvis turned mildly green. The men in the audience behind them all moaned sympathetically.

Pano looked just as surprised as Jack, thought Jack was clearly also in pain. Sol shook her head, her face in her hand, as Jack sank to his knees before curling in on himself, wheezing. "Pozun… call it."

"A-alright. Down! Winner – Chess Piece – Pano!" Sol hauled Jack off the platform.

Dorothy was a cross between disgusted and amused. Snow as just straight up confused. "Nanashi, seriously – does that attack really do that much damage?!" she demanded.

"Oh, yes. It hurts!" Nanashi replied, wincing at the thought.

"Now… Deciding match! Chess Piece – Bishop – Garon! vs. MÄR – Captain – Solara!"

"Are you ready?" Babbo asked her. She nodded. "Remember, as captain, if you lose, we all lose."

"I remember." Sol said. "…Let's go."