Chapter 21

Sol looked at Alviss. "Safe to assume you want the Knight?" Alviss blinked, startled, then nodded. "Fine. Since Rolan's still playing the part of a chicken-shit, star-eye will probably be up next. I'll head out." She strode out to the field, Babbo hopping beside her.

"Looks like Solara is stepping up next." Mr. Hook observed. "She and Alviss won't be easy."

Rolan whimpered slightly. "Y-you're probably right." He looked up at Kannochi, sitting on a tall rock. "What should we do, Mr. Kannochi? Who should go next…?" Kannochi didn't react. Rolan frowned, confused. He reached up to tap his boot. "Mr.…Kannochi?"

The tap caused Kannochi's foot to move. As a result he started to rock…back and forth…back and forth…back and – "Augh?!" THUD!

Mr. Hook, Pano, and Rolan stared in startled amazement. What the…?

Kannochi sat up and looked around. "Eh? Where's Alibaba?"

Chess jaws dropped. "He died in the first match! How… Don't tell me… You…were asleep this whole time?!" Pano exclaimed in outrage, loud enough for their opponents to hear.

Sol's look of surprise, shared by her teammates, quickly morphed into one of annoyance.

Kannochi shrugged. "Pinch hitters don't have to watch the early innings. So who's left…besides me?"

"M…me…?" Rolan's answer sounded more like a question.

"You don't say." Kannochi seems unperturbed by Rolan's flimsy spine. "Then Kannochi will go next. Who's left on the other side?"

"Solara and Alviss, but Solara's already out." Pano pointed at Solara standing on the field, clearly annoyed.

"Well, the girl who defeated Garon? Not bad." He skipped into position.

"Chess Piece – Rook – Kannochi vs. MÄR – Captain – Solara! Fight begin!"

Kannochi pointed at Solara. "BOOM." …he did nothing else. Sol cocked an eyebrow. She glanced at Babbo, making sure nothing had happened to him… Nope. She looked back at Kannochi.

"You have now been cursed by Kannochi. Poor girl!" He lifted his hat, revealing a burning candle attached to the top of his head. "When this candle burns out…so, alas, will you! Bye-bye!"

Sol blinked. Jack and Snow screamed in horror. Ed spat out his cigar, startled. Babbo looked horrified. Alviss cussed. "Destroy his ring, Sol! He's telling the truth! That's the Darkness ÄRM 'Body Candle'!" Alviss shouted.

In response to Alviss' warning, Kannochi took the ring off and…swallowed it. He giggled. "All gone!" He revealed that his bird headed staff could spew fire. "Just like any hope for your life!"

Solara just gave him a disgusted look. "You were seriously asleep." It was less a question and more a statement.

"Yes -" Solara cut off his attempt to defend himself.

"So you're just a lazy shit." Now she just looked pissed. "Can't bother to pay attention to your teammates battles, can't bother to actually participate in your own."

Offended, he lifted his fire-vomiting staff to the candle. "Every second counts – it's time to melt you down!"

Solara started dripping… melting.

"This is bad… He would have to be a darkness wielder…" Alviss was sweating. "Darkness ÄRMs are bad to deal with. Very unpredictable. Just like Nanashi found in that tough second battle…a straight-forward defense is limited!"

Jack shuddered. "Is there any way…to defeat that spell?"

"There are two." Snow said quietly. "Destroy the ÄRM itself…or use a Holy ÄRM!"

Ed grit his teeth. "Damn… I should've made Sol go up against that fool from the first match!"

"Alviss," Sol said calmly, much to her teammates surprise. "you owe me."

"Wha- why?!"

"Because I at least would have been able to have a fight with Rolan." She growled. "Babbo!"

"Yes! The time has come to use it! …as much as I abhor it as a gentleman…" he moaningly agreed.

Solara closed her eyes and centered herself. The shift in her magic energy made everyone jump.

"Gargoyle?!" Jack cried.

"No." Alviss replied. "It's different."

Ed's jaw went slack. This feeling of power… Can it be…?

Sol opened her eyes. "Version four. Alice." A young woman with long black hair, huge black eyes, and a black and white goth outfit appeared, floating. Alice closed her eyes and held her hands out towards Sol. Golden energy gleamed as the melting process reverted.

Snow gasped. "She s-stopped…melting…! So that's Babbo's fourth power!"

"A Guardian with Holy ÄRM power!" Ed grinned. "Lucky she created that power before this battle!" Now Sol can nullify the curse of darkness. She's Danna's daughter alright…!

Solara crossed her arms. "Since I didn't see a side effect when you used it, is it reasonable to assume that your laziness is about to backfire in your face?"

Kannochi stood slumped. "…I suppose…you're right. I was lazy. I didn't watch the starting matches… I didn't really watch the first two battles either… so I didn't know as much about you as I should have…" The candle on his head stared rapidly melting. "I never should have used Body Candle. Particularly given…the side effects…" The melting effect quickly extended to Kannochi himself.

"It's the price." Alvis said grimly. "A Darkness ÄRM inflicts its own cost. The price of the Body Candle… 'Failure will melt the one who cast the spell.'"

Solara and Babbo, who had reverted, watched Kannochi melt disgustingly fast completely stone faced.

"But now…" Kannochi managed before his face totally dissolved, "you will begin to face the Knights! From here on…you will face the true enemy!" And really… It's not so bad, leaving this world with such words to toss at my opponent… Were Kannochi's last thoughts as he collapsed into a puddle.

"Fourth match! Victor – Solara!" Pozun announced. "Now for the final match!"

Sol walked back to the others. Alviss received a hard look. He grimaced. "I didn't know he wouldn't –"

Sol gave a sharp shake of her head. "It's fine. I'll deal with it." She pointed her finger in his face, close enough to make him go cross-eyed to focus on it. "Don't you dare underestimate him just because he acts like a dweeb. He's a Knight, selected by Phantom. Phantom's not going to give that title to someone who doesn't deserve it, no matter what his teammates think. Do you understand me?" Alviss nodded, wide-eyed. "Good. Go." The group watched as Alviss walked onto the field.

"Oh my…" Rolan whimpered, "my turn…is finally here…" He wandered out to the field, then, after hesitating, he skipped over to Pozun. "Um… Since Team MÄR has already won…do I really have to fight?" he simpered.

Solara dropped her face into her hand, frustrated, while the members of both team had expressions ranging from full blown shock to complete disgust.

Pozun blinked. "I'm sorry, but all team members must fight in order to determine their eligibility to participate in future battles. You must fight." He explained.

Rolan slumped and pouted. "Alright." He moved back across from Alviss and stood nervously.

"Third battle, last match… Begin!"

Alviss wasted no time. "Thirteen Totem Pole!" Huge totem poles began erupting from the ground, advancing towards Rolan.

"Oh dear…" Rolan watched with wide-eyed fear. He jerked sideways to avoid one. "Yeeeek!" he shrieked like a little girl.

Most everyone was shocked. Sol was just exasperated. "Seriously…" she muttered.

He continued to bounce around, avoiding the poles, shrieking the whole time. When Alviss stared, slack jawed at the fact the Rolan had dodged them all, Sol snapped, "He's a Knight, you moron! Was I talking to myself or is your memory just that bad?!"

Alviss flinched and flushed with embarrassment. "R-right…"

Rolan giggled. "Whew! W-well, then…" and his expression turned sinister as he finally dropped his stupid act, "It must be my turn." He lifted his left hand and activated a ring ÄRM. "Stone Cube!" Rocks lifted from the ground and compacted themselves into numerous large cube, floating in the air. "Strike…!" The cubes surged forward trying to smash Alviss.

Alviss jumped and landed on one of them. "Three." Alviss blinked. Who said that? "Two." He looked down and saw a stylized face in the stone. "One." Shit!

BOOM

The smoke cleared and Alviss crouched on the ground, holding his shoulder. "Explosive rock… Nature ÄRM!"

Rolan's sweet smile returned. "Uh-huh… Very good!" He looked at Alviss and his smile dropped off his face as his eyes widened. "! Y-you…received the mark…of Phantom?" Alviss jerked slightly. "Then…you're the same…" Rolan pushed his sleeve up, revealing a black, jagged, intricate tattoo that reached halfway down his forearm, "as I am…"

Snow, Jack, Babbo, and Sol had no idea what Rolan was referring to, though Sol noted that it looked like the one Alviss had on the back of his hands. Ed stared blankly, to surprised to come up with an expression.

"Wh…Why?!" Alviss cried. "Why would Phantom do that to one of his own?! That's a Zombie Tattoo!" Alviss was clearly freaked out. "The moment it covers your entire body…you'll turn into a living corpse. Never to die – and never to truly live again!"

Snow gasped. "A zombie…?!"

Rolan and Alviss continued their fight, Rolan explaining that he had wanted the mark so he could stay with Phantom. Apparently, Rolan had been an orphan and no one but Phantom had been kind to him.

Alviss wasn't doing well. The revelation that someone had willingly taken on the tattoo having put him on the back foot. He insisted that Phantom was using Rolan and was further thrown off when Rolan stated that he knew that and didn't care.

During this Sol turned to Ed. "Explain."

Ed grimaced. "Towards the end of the last War Games, Phantom took notice of Alviss. Alviss had been tagging along with the Cross Guard and was upset by the deaths. He yelled at Phantom and Phantom gave him the Zombie Tattoo."

"It's a curse? From a Darkness ÄRM?"

"Actually…" Ed frowned. "No, not really. It is a curse, but Phantom gave it to him with Babbo…"

"…who isn't a Darkness ÄRM and no longer has that ability…" Sol scowled. "No one tried to remove it?"

Ed flinched. "What are you expecting? If we had a Holy ÄRM with that kind of power, I wouldn't still be attached to Snow's guard dog. Besides, the Zombie Tattoo cannot be destroyed unless Phantom dies."

Jack blanched. "B-but…he's a zombie, so…he can't die…"

Snow whimpered and leaned into Sol, who looped her arm around Snow's shoulders. She looked more thoughtful than upset. Until Rolan's Magma Snake slammed into Alviss, then ate him.

"Alviss!" her short shout startled her as much as it did her teammates.

As soon as the snake it the ground, it solidified. Then it started cracking, before it shattered to reveal Alviss' Thirteen Totem Pole. Alviss was sitting at its base, breathing hard from the exertion of shooting it into the Magma Snakes mouth as a split-second decision.

"He's okay!" Snow was excited, tugging on Sol's arm. Sol grimaced, sensing something was wrong.

"The rapid firing of ÄRMs…on top of his distress…shook his concentration!" Ed hit the nail on the head. "He's teetering mentally! Accept your defeat, Alviss!"

"Do you intend to surrender…? Alviss…?" Pozun's question was hesitant.

Alviss slowly walked towards Rolan. Sol ground her teeth but said nothing. He's prideful. Not the best trait, but he's intelligent enough that it usually isn't a problem. However, when his pride takes over…making him change his mind will be nye impossible. Babbo's observation of Alviss' biggest flaw, told to her while she was mourning, had stuck with her.

Rolan activated his Stone Cube ÄRM, looking sad. "I'd really, really…rather not kill anyone…if I can help it. Alviss…please give up…so you don't… have to die." The explosive cubes surrounded Alviss.

"High-speed…Thirteen…Totem Pole!" The pole shot out of ground centimeters away from Rolan. The wing of the top totem scraped across Rolan's face, leaving a bloody track behind it. Rolan's face was blank with shock. "I surrender…" A small smirk adorned Alviss' face. "I'm still far from Knight level. But I know now…that I only lack one thing! Magical stamina! I'll catch up to you before you know it…"

Pozun announced Rolan as the winner as Alviss walked back to the others. Well, Alviss… You have a clear goal for the next battle. Rolan smiled. Now I understand why Phantom bestowed the tattoo on you. You have great potential…

SMACK!

Rolan jumped at the sound of flesh cracking against flesh and looked across to Team MÄR.

Alviss hesitantly touched his cheek, now bright red from the sharp impact of Solara's hand. He stared at her wide-eyed with shock.

"You bloody imbecile!" Sol snarled. "First, you underestimated him immediately after I told you not to. Second, you got weirded out by a damn tattoo?! So what if it's a curse from Phantom, it shouldn't have mattered in that moment!" Alviss flushed, ashamed. "And last, but certainly not least… YOU ALMOST KILLED YOURSELF, JUST TO PROVE A FUCKING POINT!" Alviss cringed as her pupils shrank to tiny points, emphasizing her anger. "Congratulations, you just made Jack and Nanashi look like geniuses." Alviss opened his mouth, but Sol didn't let him defend himself. "Are you going to tell me that you honestly thought that was a smart idea?!" He ducked his head and shook it. "I didn't think so." Sol scowled at him. "You ever pull as stunt like that again, Alviss, and I'll bench your ass." With that, she turned to Pozun to indicate that they were ready to leave.

Alviss sputtered in shock. "Y-you can't do that!" he protested.

Sol whipped around, caught him by his shirt collar, and yanked him to her till they were nose to nose. "Watch me." She growled into his startled face, as Pozun used Andata.