Chapter 37: Tiger and Wolf

We're screwed!

Me versus Wulfrock is the first match… A Fire-type versus a Rock-type… I have a type disadvantage against this foe. Wulfrock is the far superior fighter. And what's worse, after me, Rose will have to fight Rin, a Fire-type.

We're screwed! We are so screwed!

"Adam! Adam!" Josh yelled at me as he shook me to snap me out of it. "Hey! Say something!"

I had no clue what to say. However, as I snapped out of my daze, I found that apparently, I had collapsed onto the floor. Rose was trying to heal me with Aromatherapy, which helped slightly, but Josh was the one showing the most concern as he helped to sit me up. As Josh helped me up, I asked "What happened?"

"You fainted, that's what happened," Josh mentioned, even pulling out a small plain seed in his paw. Chuckling to himself, he added "Good thing I brought this with me in case something happened."

He wasted a Reviver Seed on me? I didn't even battle anyone yet. But still… I nervously clutched my head, as panic started to seep back into my system. I remembered that I was assigned to fight against Wulfrock in the stadium. I was the one going first. And this wasn't a sparring match to help hone my skills. This was a legit battle. My nerves were shot as I could feel my own body tense up and tremble from the stress.

"We're done for…" I muttered to myself out of fear. "We're going to lose."

"Adam," Josh said, placing a paw on my shoulder. "Look at me."

I turned to face Josh, and instead of fear on his face, he appeared to be giving a vibe of serious air about him. His eyes stared right into me, and could tell that I was faltering back. I lowered my arms down, and without even saying a single word to me, I could tell that Josh was putting up a brave face to boost my morale. He stared at me for a good few seconds, which seemed to have lasted far longer than I would've anticipated. Soon enough, though, he smiled and patted my back. "Get up," Josh said as he got onto his feet. "We're given the spotlight for the first time ever, and you're trying to tell me that you can't do it. I thought I told you to find your flame, not smother it."

I sighed as I held out my hand and Josh helped me up. Once I was back on my feet, Josh patted my arm to comfort me. Rose could only stand there and give an encouraging smile that was hiding her own feelings of unease. I took the time to look at the both of them, and I instantly felt pressured.

Josh shrugged and shook his head as he saw how scared I was. "I don't know what's going to happen out there, Adam," he said. Once again, he turned his attention to the monitor. "However, after Nick's speech, the audience is expecting the best that we could muster. He wanted us to give the performance of a lifetime, and the reason for that was to show that we were not going to be lost in the shadows anymore. We are not going to hold back. After all, the whole world needs to know what is happening in this game."

"Yeah, but… I don't know if I could do this," I admitted as I felt the tension of what the audience expected of me to leave me feeling stiff.

"You can, and you will, Adam" Josh encouraged as he looked back at me with a smile. "I know you can do this. I've seen just how strong you are firsthand."

I nervously laughed at that, remembering exactly what he was referring to. "Sorry about that, by the way," I said.

"No. What I saw was just how much you cared to protect me, and not from that one incident, Adam," Josh added. "Not just me, either. You helped Cross. You helped Rose. Adam, you are a true and considerate hero."

I scoffed at that mention. "Even though I'm considered the Heel Pokémon? Let's face it, Josh. I'm no hero."

"Yes, you are," Rose brought up, looking at me with a gentle smile. She then pulled out something from inside of her scarf, and handed it over to me, closing my hand around it. "You think about others. You care for their well-being. If it weren't for you, we would've perished thinking all hope was lost."

Confused, I asked her "What do you mean? When did I even step in to save you?"

Rose turned to Josh as if wondering if it was alright to tell me, and Josh nodded. Rose lowered her head as she turned back to me, and mentioned "If it weren't for you, Cross and Josh would've died on Mount Ebott by Zeraora."

This made me recall the incident on Mount Ebott, as Cross was holding back Zeraora's attack to protect Rose and Josh. Josh was nothing but a bloody pincushion as he was unconscious and collapsed on the ground. Cross felt like he was going to give way. Rose was in abject horror as she couldn't move over Cross's efforts.

All the while, I was hiding, not sure on what to do at the time. The one thing I seemed to remember was that I was scared, hiding behind some large rocks to avoid Zeraora once Cross distracted him. I saw how Cross and his team effortlessly fought against Zeraora without difficulty as I regained consciousness. My next move was to sneak over to Rose and Josh by hiding behind boulders so I could help them escape. And then…Zeraora took out Chris and Nolan, knocked Cross aside, and thinking that Rose was an obstacle in his path, Zeraora charged after her.

But as Cross held Zeraora back as best as he could, I could feel my own body acting on its own accord, as I suddenly rushed out there and landed a powerful strike against Zeraora. The feeling itself was like a more visceral, dangerous side of me had woken up, and was telling me that if I didn't act then and there, my friends were going to die.

I was soon brought back to the present as I looked down at what was in my hand. Inside, there was a small red gem, complete with a flame symbol on it. As I lifted it up and inspected it, Josh was the one who brought up "That's Firium Z."

"Firium?" I asked, surprised that apparently, Josh and Rose knew about this behind my back. "Where did you get this?"

"I didn't get it," Josh said with a smile. "Rose was the one that got it."

"Rose?" I wondered, looking at my Roserade teammate.

"I figured that you might need a bit of a power boost moving forward," Rose said. "So, while you were busy with your chess matches, I requested permission from Cross to gather supplies we think might help us out." She then lifted her neck and revealed that attached to her scarf was a Grassium Z. She then commented "I'm not certain how much this will do when I fight Rin, but I know for certain that you need the boost."

"Wow…" I took a moment to really take in how the Firium Z glowed in the light of the room. Curiously, I asked Josh "Did Rose give you something?"

Josh smirked, and revealed under his scarf was a Fightium Z. I took a second to really take it in before Josh lowered his scarf again. "I would've loved a Groundium Z, but unfortunately, it was out of stock for the entire week," Josh said with a slight chuckle. "So naturally, I work with whatever I've got."

"No doubt that Team Delta will have a few tricks up their sleeves, too," Rose mentioned. "In case something happens, you need to fight back. Don't hold up."

I was taken aback by all of this, not entirely sure what to say. I took a look at the Firium Z in my hand, and once more, I could feel my own doubts start to slowly creep back in again. Josh apparently sensed this as well, so he walked forward, and he closed my hand around the item. Giving a smile at me, he mentioned "Keep your eye on Wulfrock, learn his strategies, and put aside your doubts, Adam. Your true strength…" He points to my head, saying "It's not in the brain." He then pushed my closed hand towards my chest. "It's the fire I see burning inside your heart. Your own passionate aura that yearns to see the real world once again." As he backed up, he crossed his arms, and gave me a nod. "I know you can do this, Adam. I'm putting my faith in you."

I felt so touched by Josh and Rose's kind words and advice. They truly believe in me, I thought at the time. I felt my own eyes well up with tears as I gave a heartfelt smile back to them. These guys truly believed in me from the very beginning. I gave a partial sob as I was quick to then wipe away my tears and remember all of the advice and support of my friends all at once. If everyone seems to believe in me, and they know I can pull off a victory, even despite the odds against me, who am I to be letting them down?

With renewed confidence, I raised a fist as I was now motivated to go out there. "Thank you, guys," I said. "I promise you that I won't fail."

The crowd was cheering as both teams made their way towards the entrance of the battlefield, ready for whatever was bound to happen next. I could feel my heart was pounding the whole way, though. Josh and Rose chose to walk with me up to the battlefield through the access tunnel that was closest to our waiting lobby. I believe they did this because they wanted to comfort me as we approached, which I appreciated.

On the other side of the battlefield, in the opposite access tunnel, I could only make out the gleaming red eyes of Wulfrock staring at us. The Lycanroc was looking at us all with some form of unease as well, but hid his true feelings behind a stoic expression that seemed impossible to look past.

To me, however, it made me wish I was anywhere else but in the field of battle. I've sparred with Wulfrock on numerous occasions, though I would always lose to him. I remembered this one time that we both took each other on a couple of years earlier, and he beat me so badly that I was in a bit of a depressive funk for a couple of hours. Thankfully, he cheered me up by telling me some sagelike advice, telling me "The greatest part of defeat is that you can only use it as a tool to improve on yourself." That advice stuck with me all of this time, and from that point on, we would spar, and he would always win, but his kindness and wisdom was able to always bring me back from the brink of despair. Nowadays, whenever we sparred and he beat me, I wouldn't feel bad. I would carry on his advice and use it to improve whenever I could, even writing down possible strategies which I've kept in journals that I've stored in my room.

I've recorded battle strategies of almost every foe I've come across over the years, coming up with whatever new techniques I could so that I could stand a little bit of a chance against them. I would still feel like I'm inferior, though, until Josh came rushing in to help save me.

Here, however, I was going by myself, and I was going to need all of the knowledge of what I know about Wulfrock to my advantage. I've only seen him once in a tournament, and from what I could tell, he seemed like a crowd favorite because of his "mad dog" personality that he evokes while in combat. He would always tell me that his savage nature on the battlefield was just for show, and he was always trying to woo the crowd by doing this behavior. I honestly have no idea if that's true or not, since I've read somewhere that Midnight Lycanroc are rather excited with battles and often act rather savage and wild while in the field. Kind of like how an Incineroar battles, now that I think about it.

So this first battle was between two heels, ironically enough. And yet, despite his "mad dog" personality while in the stadium, the crowd seems to love him. I honestly had no idea how I could fight something that's supposed to be my equal, even with my constant sense of doubt over my own powers.

Josh saw me taking a few deep breaths to calm myself down, and asked me "Are you nervous?"

"Yes," I answered. "Very nervous."

"Don't worry about this, Adam," Josh mentioned. "I've battled John before, too, and I even found he just uses that wild attitude to rile up his foes. Don't let him get to you."

I had to believe that Josh was right about this, and I chose to mentally prepare myself in case I had to face the worst of it. I looked at the Firium Z in my hand, and I soon clasped it onto my scarf, where the red gemstone stood brightly in the stark contrast of the blue fabric. With a final look at Josh, I saw my brother give an encouraging smile, and the two of us bumped fists.

"Wulfrock is a Rock-type, so he's going to be quite the challenge for you," Rose advised. "Does he have any moves that Adam should worry about?"

"Stone Edge, for one," Josh said. "And I don't really know what else he has, but I am aware that he was rather insistent on keeping that one move on him at all times."

"That must mean he uses a Z Crystal as well," Rose pondered. She sighed, looking out into the field with worry. "I just hope Adam can survive it."

"Same here," Josh said, before grabbing my attention. "Listen, Adam. My advice is that he always tries to coerce his foes into attacking him. He always prefers attacking when his opponents have their guard down."

"But what if he goes first?" I asked.

"I'm sure he will," Josh added. "His main method of attack is provoking his foes to try and counterattack whenever possible. That's why I'm telling you to not let him get to you. He wants you to lower your guard."

I nodded as I listened carefully to Josh's advice. "I'll keep that in mind."

Soon, the crowd began cheering again as Nick flew into the field to take the referee stand. Meanwhile, the two announcers are ready to provide their commentary on the goings on in this stadium. "Well, I feel the crowd has waited long enough, and it's about time to introduce the combatants for the first match," Yamatochi said.

"And here he is, ladies and gentlemen," Eccho announced, as the monitor above the stadium showed Nick standing firm at the referee stand. "Infernick is just about ready to announce our first battle for today. Let's all give him a big round of applause." And just like that, the whole crowd cheered as Nick waved up to the audience.

Once Nick lowered his arm and the cheering subsided, he smiled as he confidently made his announcement of the first battle. "Fellow players, it is my honor to give to you the first match of the experimental setup I am presenting you today. Based on your decisions, I think it is just about obvious what the first match should be. We have two players who are equal parts supportive to their allies, yet fearsome on the battlefield. A wolf and a tiger who are as prideful as they are determined. So, without further delay, let's go and bring them forward!"

The crowd cheered as Nick extended one wing towards my direction, signaling for me to step forward. I nervously gulped as I clenched my fists and walked forward. Looking back at Josh and Rose, I gave a thumbs-up, telling them "Wish me luck."

Josh gave a thumbs-up in return with a smile on his face, telling me "You've got this one, Adam. Go get him!"

"We believe in you!" Rose replied with confidence.

I nodded, and turned back around as I walked forward to the battlefield. Nick announced "In the blue corner, we have the namesake of Team Inferno himself. He is the king of the ring, and the bringer of flames. Give a warm welcome to the stadium debut of Team Inferno's very own BlazeTiger!" Once I was in visible sight, I could see that the monitor showed me walking forward as the crowd cheered for me. Not wanting to give a bad impression, I casually waved to the various players in the stands, giving a smile while doing so. A bit mundane, sure, but I don't want to give a bad impression at the start.

Nick then waved his other wing down the opposite direction. "And in the red corner, we have the heel of Team Delta. A winner of 10 tournaments over a long four-year career in game. He is the radiant moon, and a beast of nature. Let's give a grand return to the one and only Wulfrock!" Upon his announcement, Wulfrock ran forward and leapt into his starting spot on the battlefield. He then gave a remarkably loud howl for the crowd as his image was shown on the monitor, and the crowd ultimately went nuts as they chanted his name on repeat.

Oh no. I'm in trouble. I turned back to look at Josh and Rose, and they both seemed to be eyeing me with looks of concern. I started to once again feel uncomfortable, as I turned back around to face Wulfrock, who was raising one paw up into the air while placing the other paw to his ear, hearing the cheers of the crowd. If this personality is just for show, he's doing a pretty damn good job to express himself. I don't even know if I could compete. He soon took a battle stance, ready to face me. Trying hard to motivate myself, I gave a determined expression right back at him as I took my battle stance. He has an excuse to be all cocky in the battlefield. He's grabbing the crowd's attention. Oh, I'll show him! That crowd is as good as mine! I soon did a double-take at that last thought. Wait, why am I suddenly thinking that?

"No hard feelings, Adam, but I don't really have a choice in this matter," Wulfrock said with a smug grin. "Nick wanted me to go all out, so I'm afraid I'm going to give you the true taste of my strength over the years."

I nodded anxiously, and replied "Right back at you…" Come on, Adam! Don't be nervous! Defense! You need to focus on defense! You can do this!

Soon enough, Nick flexed out his wings, and a countdown clock showed up on the monitor, giving a beep as the seconds kept on ticking down. 10 seconds. 9 seconds. 8 seconds. 7… 6… 5…

Just breathe, Adam, I thought to myself, as I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. 4… 3…

I exhaled, and opened my eyes as I faced Wulfrock with a plan in mind. I just only hoped it could work. 2… 1…

Once the countdown clock reached 0, a buzzer went off, and the battle has begun.

Almost immediately, Wulfrock ran towards me, his claws glowing a bright red. He came in with a lunge, and I decided to block off his attack by shielding my torso with my arms. I remembered how his moves worked as I tried to conjure up an assessment of my foe from the research I've done on him. I know he has Stone Edge, which if I keep my guard up, I might be able to mitigate the damage. Sandstorm could be a problem if he chooses to unleash it against me. And I believe he also knows Swords Dance to increase his own strength. This move, however, I was starting to draw a blank on as he kept on slashing at me with his claws. I had a good defense going, so I just kept on blocking as much as I can.

"Well, would you look at that?" Eccho announced. "Wulfrock makes the first move as BlazeTiger is doing everything he possibly can to defend himself against this vicious assault."

"I wouldn't blame him," Yamatochi replied. "That Crush Claw is a dangerous move to be up against, especially since Wulfrock prioritizes weakening defenses."

Crush Claw? What does that move do again? My mind was drawing a blank as I kept on trying my best to defend myself. But then, oddly enough, I could feel my arms suddenly start taking extra damage before Wulfrock broke through my defenses, catching me by complete surprise. I was very quick to counterattack with Darkest Lariat to force him back, which he leapt out of the way to avoid taking damage.

The moment I stopped spinning, I inspected my arms as the announcers said "What a stellar counter from BlazeTiger with Darkest Lariat. Too bad it wasn't enough damage to be considered worthwhile." As they commentated, I inspected my arms, and I saw how badly scratched up they became during my moment of defensive play. Where did these scratches come from? I thought I was being defensive here?

My mind suddenly raced as I quickly recalled when Wulfrock competed in a tournament and used Crush Claw on a Mr. Mime as it used Barrier. However, Wulfrock was able to land consecutive scratches that led to that barrier being shattered. The Mr. Mime then got smacked hard across the face and was knocked back by the Crush Claw attack as the crowd cheered.

Wait… I remember now. Crush Claw has a chance to lower defense. If that's the case, then that means… I then remembered Josh's advice. "His main method of attack is provoking his foes to try and counterattack whenever possible. That's why I'm telling you to not let him get to you. He wants you to lower your guard." I stared over at Wulfrock as he started to use Swords Dance to increase his own attack power. It was then that realization dawned on me. No wonder he's waiting for openings. He's a physical fighter, and exploits enemy weaknesses to land critical strikes. Crush Claw can sap defense from opponents. Swords Dance can increase his attack. And if that's the case, he prefers to end his opponents quickly and efficiently. He's a glass cannon! I need to finish him off fast!

Without thinking, I chose to use Bulk Up to increase my defense and physical attack power, and decided to rush in there with a Fire Punch. I just knew that if I didn't end this soon, he was going to beat me and I'd be no further than when I started. As I charged forward, Josh was quick to yell out "Adam! Don't do it!"

I chose not to listen, unfortunately, as I was eyeing Wulfrock intently as I was ready to strike him. He predicted this, smirked at me, and suddenly used Stone Edge, which struck me hard in the gut and knocked the wind out of me. I was knocked back rather far, landing on my back with a resounding thud, as I could feel immense pain in my body.

The crowd cheered at the counterattack by Wulfrock, much to my own surprise. "Oooh! That Stone Edge is going to leave a mark!" Eccho announced.

"Honestly, it's as if Wulfrock is just toying with him at this point," Yamatochi added. "That attack was a super effective strike. I don't know how BlazeTiger could ever recover from that."

I winced with pain as I steadily got up, making another battle stance as I faced my opponent. I panted as I had to catch my breath from that last attack, and I ultimately chose to use Bulk Up to increase my attack and defense again. I then took a glance back at Josh in the access tunnel, and gave an apologetic look to him. You seem to be trying to warn me that Wulfrock was a glass cannon, Josh. It's no wonder I kept on losing to him with offense alone. Taking a glance back towards Wulfrock, he once again was charging towards me with Crush Claw, and I chose to try and counter him with Fire Punch as he attempted to slash at me. With every slash, I was being pushed back, all the while my flaming fists were barely even touching him. His main strength is his attack, but how am I supposed to take that out without getting taken out myself? He has a full grasp on what his moves could do, and I don't. I just need a few solid hits on him with Fire Punch. Hopefully, that should lower his attack a bit. But what else can I do? I don't have any other attacks that could take him out at a distance!

"Checkmate," Cross said as he beat me in record time. "That was a lost shorter than yesterday, so that means your reaction time is improving."

I groaned as I faceplanted onto the table from that loss. "What am I doing wrong…?" I complained. "I tried to go against you and Lucian with every strategy I could think of, and I'm going nowhere."

Cross gave me a pitying look as he smiled at me. "Adam, it's not the end of the world if you lose a chess match. I've lost plenty of chess matches when I was younger."

"That's easy for you to say," I argued as I looked back at him. "I tried every defensive strategy against you that I could think of. And still, I'm unable to properly win a single match."

Cross sighed at my plight, and mentioned "I think you're taking this whole 'a good defense makes a great offense' thing a little too seriously. After all, I hardly ever use defense when fighting solo."

I sat up as I stared at the Gallade with intrigue, wanting to learn more. "How do you make up for it, then? Gallades are mostly offensive Pokémon, aren't they?"

"They are," Cross answered. "I lack the physical defense to take on a tough opponent, which is why I usually like to prioritize one thing. And that is the counter strategy."

"Counter strategy?" I asked.

As the Gallade nodded at me, he was very quick to return to giving me advice. "Take for instance, a glass cannon like myself, rushing at you with a powerful physical attack. What do you do?"

I had to think about it a little, before I soon answered with "Well, I obviously defend myself, right?"

"True, but defense can only go so far, I'm afraid," Cross admitted as he looked down at the board. "You only lost because I utilized a Queen's Gambit. I deliberately chose to sacrifice my pawn to come up with a counter play and take your rook." He then rearranged the chess board, moving the white bishop and queen pawns forward by two spaces, while the black queen pawn moved up two spaces. "Your big mistake was taking my pawn on C4 with your own pawn. This allows me to move a pawn to E4 and take control of the center of the board."

"So…how do I counter that?" I asked, feeling puzzled.

"Simply put, one optimal strategy is the Albin Countergambit," Cross answered, moving the black king pawn forward two squares. "If you move this pawn to E5, then my only real option would be to take it from you." He then moved his D4 white pawn to take out my E5 pawn. "After that, you move the D5 black pawn forward by one space…" He moves the only black pawn that's in the field to stand on D4. "By doing this, you create a wedge in order to counterattack white. Say, for instance, my knight moves to protect my pawn on E5, you then move your own knight to counter that one."

I nodded in understanding, and focused on the board. "I see. So, you're telling me if I put the pressure on you, I could exploit any openings you have left."

"No, what I'm telling you is that a defensive play is good," Cross pointed out. "What I'm saying is that every attack has either a counter, a parry, or a defense to go against it. If defense is not going smoothly, focus on a counter. The main idea is to apply pressure to your foe, otherwise they will have the advantage in the fight. You have to turn your foes own attacks against them if you plan to win."

That ultimately made me think of Josh's small scuffle with Sabrina days earlier. Instantly, I just hit a eureka moment, and raised my voice pretty loudly. "AH! I get it!" I slammed my hands onto the table, and I said "Josh lacks defensive tactics, so he counters whenever possible! All I've been relying on was defense, and it's only led me to feel defeated! Josh improvises defensive strategies on the fly, but they weren't just defense. He's countering against other attacks!" I realized the words of Josh's strategies again. "He always said the three fundamental steps of combat: plan, deceive, and attack. I didn't know what he was saying at the time, but I just followed his instructions blissfully unaware of what the weight of those words meant. I get it now…" I then gave a smug grin, looking Cross in the eye and saying "One more go, Cross. This time, I think I know what to do!"

Cross smiled as he saw me finally come to grips with basic combat techniques. "Now you're getting it. But let's see if you can apply that to chess, shall we?"

"Oh yeah! Bring it!" I taunted, ready to take him down.

Spoiler alert: I still lost. But at the very least, Cross said I was significantly getting better at the game. The next match of chess I had was the day after with Lucian, and I was able to beat him. If he brought up a gambit, I would counter it. Any openings on his side, I do what I can to apply pressure to him. It was a game of intelligence, and I was proving that I could accomplish this chess match if it meant I could rub it in Lucian's face. It sadly didn't happen, since Lucian kept that blank expression on his face even after he lost, but even then, I felt like I had that spark of hope guide me to victory at that time.

Wulfrock and I kept on parrying our attacks with each other as I kept on backing away towards the edge of the arena. I was quick to come up with a strategy to hopefully give him a burn status, but he kept on dodging or blocking my strikes as I kept on being pushed towards a wall over how much stronger an attacker he was.

This was on purpose.

The moment my back was to the wall, Wulfrock summoned up another Stone Edge attack heading my direction. As the rocks ejected from the ground as it fast approached me, I patiently waited as I decided to come up with a bit of a gamble. The moment the pillars of rock were a foot away from me, I quickly used Throat Chop as I predicted when another stone pillar was about to show up beneath me. Instead of hitting me hard, I struck back against hit, mitigating the blow as I was launched up. I kicked against the wall as I was launched as well, flying forward as I was fast approaching Wulfrock with a Fire Punch, which he didn't have much time to react to. I smacked him in the face, sending him flying back into the center of the battlefield as I faceplanted onto the ground.

The crowd was in awe at the improvised counterstrategy I was coming up with. I soon got up onto my feet while Wulfrock staggered a little before shaking his head to steady himself. "That was a great counter play from BlazeTiger!" Eccho announced. "Wulfrock didn't even have time to react!"

"Too bad the hit wasn't very effective, otherwise we would've seen Wulfrock suffering further damage," Yamatochi chimed in.

"But despite all of that, the crowd is in awe over BlazeTiger's quick thinking to turn the tides," Eccho replied. "Can he keep it up?"

Wulfrock was quick to wipe at his face to shrug off the Fire Punch I gave him, giving me a grin as he readied another Swords Dance. I decided to offer him more of my strength with Bulk Up in response. This won't help me too much, I thought. His attack is still much higher than mine. I can only delay the inevitable a little bit. Just about two or three more hits from Stone Edge, and I'm done for.

Wulfrock cackled as he saw me thinking carefully about what I was planning on doing. "Not too shabby, Adam," he said. "I never thought you'd use the wall of the stadium in that manner. You really are Josh's brother."

I sniggered at his comment. "I only learn from the best, of course." I then knelt down to one knee, my own hands lighting on fire as I mentioned "But I'm afraid I'm not going to allow you to stop me from earning my win."

Wulfrock was quick to raise a paw towards me, and in a mocking tone, said "You still have a lot to learn if you think one significant blow against me is going to affect me in the slightest." He then let out a mighty howl as he then stared at me with a wicked grin and his claws poised at me. "Now you've let the mad dog loose from his leash. Be ready to learn why I'm the king of the arena!" He then charged towards me, like I expected.

I smirked as I chose to charge towards him as I used Darkest Lariat, becoming a literal flaming tornado as I made my way towards him. The both of us weren't letting up, as Wulfrock started to use Stone Edge to create a rocky barrier to protect himself. As I collided with the rocks, I broke right through them as they shattered into multiple pieces. Wulfrock was able to lift himself into the air using Stone Edge to avoid me hitting him.

This was a big mistake…for him. I ran into the stone barrier on purpose, shattering it to make a bunch of smaller rocks for me to pick up as I spun around. Anticipating him to be in the air, I chucked the rocks towards his direction, each of them being propelled by my Darkest Lariat attack. Wulfrock didn't see this coming either, and soon used Crush Claw to try and slash through the rocks heading his direction. He was successfully able to destroy a few of the rocky projectiles, but soon got smacked hard in the head from one of the rocks, dazing him as he fell to the ground from above.

I took that opportunity to stop my Darkest Lariat attack and leap on top of one of the rock pillars he used to propel himself into the air. I soon leapt off of the rock and made my way to Wulfrock, where the moment he started to come to his senses, I struck him hard with a Fire Punch below the jaw, landing a solid uppercut. As he was knocked back slightly, I grabbed at his leg, and used Darkest Lariat to spin him around in the air and chuck him hard onto the ground, causing him to crash down like a meteor onto the arena floor.

I landed on my feet as I smirked at my defeated foe. The crowd was cheering as I was suddenly witnessing the tides of the battle start shifting into my favor. As an added precaution, I used Bulk Up to improve my chances once more.

"This is starting to become a spectacle unlike anything we have ever seen before, ladies and gentlemen," Yamatochi said. "No wonder Incineroar are labeled as the Heel Pokémon, am I right?"

"Yes, but while that may be true, BlazeTiger still has a way to go if he thinks Wulfrock will go down without a fight," Eccho added. "That combo move did a number on him, but was it enough to turn the tides?"

Oddly enough, being called a heel by the announcers felt a little bit dirty, and stung right into my core somewhat. And while that would normally make me recoil out of disgust for using such dirty tactics against my foe, I could hear the crowd cheering on like a form of comfort for me. This feeling… Is this what it's like to be an Incineroar? To woo the crowd? I must admit, it feels good. I soon flexed an arm with a grin, causing the crowd to cheer me on further. Really good. I think I might just keep this power in check for future reference if that's the case!

This was it. The tides were turning! I was going to win!

The image of me attacking Josh and knocking him out of the sparring grounds reached me. He was in critical condition for a good while.

Volt told me about what being a heel meant, telling me that heels were considered villains in the world of wrestling.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, seeing an Incineroar stare back at me. Out of anger at what I was, I punched at the mirror and shattered it.

I cried into Josh's shoulder as he comforted me. Our own room was a mess over how frustrated I was for being placed in this position to begin with.

As memories of my past started to haunt me, I immediately calmed down and looked at my own hand, and I could see it visibly start shaking. I gripped my arm, trying to calm myself, and I could feel my own body start to feel tense as I was starting to feel a near panic attack start settling in.

"Wulfrock is still active, crawling out of the rubble left in the wake of BlazeTiger's destruction. I see that he's still got some fight left in him, ladies and gentlemen." Eccho then looks over at me from his position, and adds "Hold on… Something seems to be happening with BlazeTiger here."

Suddenly, the monitor displayed me in a near-panicked state, and the audience's cheers started to diminish, as they all seemed to be looking at me with sudden confusion and concern. This only made my anxiety worsen as I saw the crowd start to see me as a scared little kitten. What am I doing!? Now's not the time, me! Stop panicking! Stop panicking! Stop panicking! As I was left to contemplate my options, I was thinking about those negative memories again, and all at once, my own inner thoughts were starting to shatter my own confidence. I winced as I clutched my arm tightly, almost on the brink of tears. Dammit! DAMMIT! Why must I be backing out NOW of all times!?

In the audience, Cross, Chris, and Nolan were starting to look concerned as they saw me just stand there, already on the brink of panicking then and there. "Ach nein!" Nolan said with worry to his team. "Is Herr Adam giving into fear?"

"I was afraid of this," Chris admitted. "He did the exact same thing during our battle yesterday. Whatever seems to be affecting him is weakening his resolve."

Cross gritted his teeth as he stood up from his seat, shouting "COME ON, BLAZETIGER! YOU'VE GOT HIM ON THE ROPES! HIT HIM WHERE IT HURTS!"

Meanwhile, Sabrina and Lucian sat there with differing expressions. Sabrina was looking a little uneasy, but irritated. "Crap. He decides to chicken out now of all times?" she complained. "I thought you gave him some help, Lucian!"

"I did," Lucian said with a stoic expression, eyeing Adam carefully. "However, trauma is a rather difficult thing overcome. Adam seems to be blocking off memories because of his own trauma that he himself is unaware of."

"He can do that?" Sabrina questioned as she looked at her brother. She started to feel worried as she then turned to see my still and frazzled body standing there like an idiot. "Lucian…how many futures did you say you saw where this exact scenario happened?"

"Approximately 14 million," Lucian explained. "The other 5 million futures were results of him either fighting without a panic attack occurring, or him being defeated quickly. At this point, the future for Adam is becoming clearer."

Chris turned to face Lucian with an annoyed glance. "If you know the outcome, then tell us already!"

"I wish I could," Lucian said, turning to face Chris with a blank expression. "Any slight movement can change anything in this fight. Not even I know what Adam is going to do."

Back over in the access tunnel, Josh and Rose were looking at my panicked state with sudden concern. Rose looked the most worried, asking Josh "What's happening? Josh, why did Adam tense up?"

Josh gritted his teeth in frustration, and he answered with "Adam's been afraid to show his true strength in combat for years. Is he seriously still held up on that day?"

Wulfrock saw my panicked state, and looked at me like I was a timid little boy, shaking over how anxious I've suddenly become. "What the…?" he muttered. He turned to look at Infernick, and he saw that the Charizard was staring at Adam with a stone-cold expression. Once the Charizard took a slight glance at Wulfrock, he shifted his eyes in a downwards motion as if giving a subtle nod. All at once, Wulfrock looked over at my direction, and sighed.

"You want us to do what?" Wulfrock questioned as Team Delta were the remaining players seated in Chateau Damascus.

"Nick, this is crazy!" Rin protested. "We can't hurt Josh and Adam like that!"

"My decision is final," Nick argued, staring down his team with a glare. "Whether you care for their well-being or not, you have to apply pressure into the field of battle."

"But Nick!" Wulfrock complained. "I know for a fact you haven't been back in Talis in years, but you can't force these boys into a pressured position like this."

"I'd say go for it," Volt argued as he sipped at his soda. This drew the ire of both Rin and Wulfrock as their attention was drawn to them. "The problem of these two is that they have goals set in stone, and yet they seem to be holding back in some capacity. Puss in particular is the biggest problem, dwelling on the past and arguing he's not a hero due to finding out he's a heel for the team."

"Hey! This has nothing to do with how wrestling works, Mike!" Wulfrock stammered.

"And why not?" Volt said with a glance to his teammate. "I've seen how you battle. You always act aggressively against your foes."

"I only do it for show, Mike," Wulfrock argued back. "Adam knows deep down I'm a caring individual."

"Tch! Try saying that to him tomorrow. You're only going to make his confidence shatter completely." He then returned to sipping his soda as Rin and Wulfrock just stared at him with great offense in regards to his wording.

"I know what Mike is saying is not the nicest thing in the world, but Josh and Adam deserve to know just how dangerous this world can be," Nick spoke up. "I've been so busy that I haven't actually seen them in their element yet." Lowering his head, the Charizard mentioned "I even owe them my life on the Zero Isles. Back there, I saw just how much potential the both of them had. Obviously, you guys have been a little too soft on them."

"Soft!?" Rin argued. "The only reason why we're being so soft on them is because Mike here is constantly nagging at them!"

"Guilty as charged," Volt reasoned.

"And that is why I'm encouraging the both of you to show how much the world is not just going to give them results without honest and hard work," Nick reasoned. "We have only three more months before the game is shut down completely, and so far, no progress has been made in finding either Zeraora nor MCP." The whole group fell silent and stared at each other with worry. So far, none of them had come up with any clever plan to argue against this news. Nick could tell they are uneasy about all of this, just as much as he is. Once he was made aware of how scared these guys were, Nick sighed. "I'll have you all know, unless we get this mission done, then all of our efforts caring for and protecting not just Josh and Adam, but all the trapped players are going to be in vain. Nobody else knows about this news apart from us and our closest allies." Once Nick gathered their attention, he then mentioned "That is why we are making this live. We are encouraging players to understand what's at stake, and hopefully be inspired to take on the world in their own ways."

Wulfrock mulled things over as he stared at his tea. He knows what he has to do. However, he's just afraid to carry it out. Nick then grabbed their attention again at his proposal. "Give Josh and Adam an experience that's similar to how they fared on the Zero Isles. I don't care if you guys don't want to hurt them. Keep applying pressure to them until they are forced into fighting back."

Wulfrock looked over at Nick dubiously. "I don't like the sound of this."

"I'm not saying you should," Nick argued. "Adam's been holding back purposefully, you say? Then do whatever you can to force him to release his true strength."

On that uncertain note, Wulfrock and Rin looked towards each other with worried looks. Wulfrock sadly knew that given their current situation, they need as much help as they're going to get. By the next morning when they sat down in the waiting lobby, Wulfrock was in such a bad funk that he was incapable of acting upbeat for his team. Rin didn't fare much better as she sat there and mulled things over. Her worry was by far the most striking among the group, as she stared at the monitor to see a panning shot of the stadium and the crowd that was being gathered. With a pained smile, Rin mentioned "Nick wasn't kidding. This brought in quite the crowd."

Wulfrock sighed as he looked over at Rin with uneasiness. "Rin? Do you think that we can do this?"

"I don't know," Rin answered. "But what other choice do we have?"

Wulfrock looked up at the monitor as well, noticing that Rose approached the stadium with Chris and Nolan by her side, the three of them laughing and smiling as they were getting ready for what was about to come next. Wulfrock couldn't help but give a worried grin. "Those kids are going to face their first tournament together. And against us, of all people."

"Yeah," Rin agreed. "I envy them. They don't realize what's really at stake here."

"They don't need to know," Volt argued as he sat in the back end of the room with his arms crossed. "The last thing we need to do is make them worried before their matches."

"Wasn't it Nick who mentioned to apply pressure to them, though?" Wulfrock argued.

"Do you want to apply too much pressure by adding this extra incentive they don't need to hear?" Volt retorted. "They already have it rough as it is. Let's not try to make them worry about our current problem."

"Oh, so you're saying that it's a problem to tell them the bad news as it is?" Wulfrock complained.

"I choose not to let them worry about political affairs," Volt reasoned. "If you're so keen to tell them the truth of the matter, then by all means, be my guest. See how it affects their performance once they hear from us 'Oh hey! Mind giving it your all considering that you'll all die in three months if you don't put in the leg work?' Yeah, good luck with that."

Wulfrock couldn't argue with that, as he bit at his lower lip in agitation over the fact he can't be forcing this extra problem onto us. At least not yet. He growled in anger over himself, and walked to the door in a huff. He even opened his menu and added a coat and hat onto his avatar, where they physically manifested onto him.

Rin looked at Wulfrock with worry, asking him "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to get some ice cream to calm my nerves," Wulfrock answered as he left the room in a huff. Once he was out the door, he slammed it shut.

He got his ice cream as he sat down at the steps of the stadium. Looking at the fruit pop in his paw, he realized that he was in quite the precarious spot. He let the situation start to sink in. Growling in irritation, he realizes that what Nick and Volt were arguing might be right.

Maybe he has gotten a bit soft on them.

Soft on us or not, however, Wulfrock clearly knows signs of me facing a near panic attack when he sees it. He's all too familiar with it. That subtle nod that Nick gave him was a message of sorts. Wulfrock knew what that message was. "Make sure you keep applying the pressure to him. Don't let him panic. Not in his moment in the spotlight."

Wulfrock cursed under his breath, sighed, and took a deep breath. Venting out his frustrations, he lets out a loud roar that ended up shaking the stadium to its core, catching practically everyone by surprise. It was even enough to snap me out of my funk a little as I stared at my opponent with a jolt.

Once he got everyone's attention, Wulfrock glared at me with a snarl. I previously thought he was intense before during our battle, but now… Now, he seemed incredibly pissed off, and that made me worried. He pointed his paw towards me, yelling "Are you trying to play the pity card during your moment of triumph!? Disgraceful!"

I didn't know how to respond to that. Letting go of my trembling hand, I questioned "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you, Adam!" Wulfrock yelled in anger. "Don't you even want to return to the real world!? Don't you want to give your all to save yourselves!? Well, judging from your actions thus far, I'm thoroughly disappointed."

The audience was stunned silent by Wulfrock's rant, which looked to me that he was legitimately angry, and nobody had seen him pissed off before. I was nervously looking up at the crowd, noting how they all seemed to be talking among themselves with worried glances. Has nobody ever seen Wulfrock this livid before? What is happening?

"You listen to me, Adam!" Wulfrock shouted. "I have been patient with you! I had to listen to everything you said! I trained you! I gave you shelter when you needed it! But I have my limits!"

"Wulfrock…" I whimpered. "What are you…?"

"I have had it up to HERE with your nice-guy act!" Wulfrock ranted, holding his paw above his head to emphasize his phrasing. "For three years, you've shown promise as a fighter! Well? Why aren't you fighting back now? That didn't seem like an issue to you a few minutes ago!"

Anxiously, I thought back to the time I hurt Josh badly during training, and I ended up trembling. "But I… I can't…"

"Can't what, Adam!?" Wulfrock ranted. "Can't accept the fact that you are an Incineroar!? Can't leave this world because you think you are too weak!? You have been given the TIME and EFFORT and TRAINING necessary to improve your strength! And yet every single time, you seem to recoil the very moment you gain the edge in combat! Well, TOUGH LUCK, ADAM! THIS WORLD DOESN'T ACCEPT CHARITY CASES, ESPECIALLY FROM A TIGER WHO SEEEMS TO BE STUCK IN THE PAST AND REFUSING TO BREAK HIS OWN LIMITS! YOU LOGGED INTO THIS GAME FOR A REASON, GODDAMMIT! NOW SHUT UP, RAISE YOUR FISTS, AND STOP YOUR WHINNING! FIGHT BACK, OTHERWISE I WILL MAKE YOU REGRET EVEN STEPPING FOOT INTO THIS GOD FORSAKEN GAME TO BEGIN WITH!"

Everyone was stunned silent from Wulfrock's rant. Not even the announcers had any words over what had just happened. Team Calibur and Team ESP were sitting there in the audience with their eyes wide and jaws dropped. Josh and Rose stood with silence, where even Josh was caught off guard over how angry Wulfrock was in that moment. Rin and Volt were looking at Wulfrock with sudden shock and wonder as they heard it all on the monitor. And no doubt that every player who was watching the livestream were just as stunned as the rest of the crowd in this instance. Not even Nick saw this rant coming, as he looked at Wulfrock with surprise, before looking at me to see how I would react.

For me, this was the straw that broke the camel's back. I clenched my fists in frustration, and felt so angry. At this game. At Wulfrock. At anyone who even dared to stand in my way. But most of all…I was angry at myself.

"You know something, Wulfrock?" I brought up, glaring at the Lycanroc in front of me. "You are right. I am a disappointment. I have all of this strength, and I chose to hold it all back." Trembling slightly, I said "I hate this." I then raised my voice so that the whole crowd would hear my rage. "I hate this game! The only reason I am here to begin with is because of Josh's own actions! I wanted to end it all, to get away from this place, and you know why? It's because I have no confidence in myself!" I gritted my teeth in frustration, and I added "I almost died on the Zero Isles because I couldn't stand this world anymore. I didn't care if my own death would mean I'd be gone for good. Death would've been a release from this place." I took a breath for pause, and I took a look back towards Josh and Rose, as they both stood there with worry for me.

I lowered my head, feeling my own eyes get all misty as I mentioned "But my brother, Josh… He saved me that day. He told me that as long as we were together, he would help me return home. He cares so much for me, he refuses to let me die because he wants some sort of comfort in this place as much as I did." I turned my attention back to the battlefield, and gave a look towards Nick, and smiled. "Nick said I had a lot of potential, telling me that if I evolved into an Incineroar, I could help Josh with this great burden to return home. So…" I then stared down at my hand, no longer trembling as I felt myself vent my frustrations. "I evolved, and I got to walk on two legs again, which was the happiest moment of my life inside of this massive hellhole. But then, the moment we returned here, to Talis, I chose to hide my true power. Not because I wanted to. But because I was afraid of how I would look and act in front of others I cared about."

Memories were flooding back to me as I recalled everything that Josh and I went through together. All of the smiles. The tears. The joys. The thrills. These three years with Josh in this world were some of the most exhilarating battles I've experienced. The greatest sights I've seen. I soon began to realize something as I shared these moments with Josh all of these years. Despite it all, amidst the turmoil, the strife, the envy I felt towards other players…I grew to understand and respect this game, and Josh even showed me the perks of this new body over the years. He knows how strong I am. He knows I can pull my own weight. Josh… You told me to broaden my horizons time and time again. And though I hate the fact I was forced to be an Incineroar in this game, I must admit: being with Josh helped to make this experience bearable.

I then thought about how I hurt Josh during training again, and how Wulfrock seemed to be using that as a means to rile me up. I turned to face Wulfrock with a glare, clenching my hand into a fist, which I ended up lighting on fire. "I am tired of this crap…" I mentioned as I walked forward. "I hate being here, that much is true. I've had to wait three years because you mentioned I don't pull my own weight. Well…" Using Bulk Up, I increased my attack and defense as I then ran towards Wulfrock with tears in my eyes. "HERE'S THE WEIGHT I'VE BEEN FORCED TO CARRY YOU BASTARD! TAKE IT, AND SEE FOR YOURSELF HOW STRONG I REALLY AM!"

Wulfrock scoffed as he then countered my attack with Crush Claw, the both of us in a deadlock. The shock of the impact left cracks in the ground beneath us, as all I wanted now was to bash this Lycanroc to a pulp because he not only hurt my feelings, but he also has yet to see just how strong I really was, and why I chose to hold it back for so long.

Wulfrock smirked at me as he held my fists, all the while I growled in anger towards him. "So, the kitty really does have claws," he taunted. "Good! I was beginning to think you didn't have it in you. This fiery passion, this power…" Then, with a cackle, he stomped the ground, and I could feel a Stone Edge attack strike me under my chin, knocking me back. Wulfrock then leapt onto me, claws glowing red as he wrapped his legs around my torso. "Now…SHOW ME WHAT TRAINING UNDER INFERNICK WAS LIKE, DAMMIT!"

I knew that if he struck me with that Crush Claw, I was going to be in trouble. Reflexively, I grabbed at his arms, and held him tightly in a hold. With a growl in my voice, I proclaimed "Oh, I'll show you the results of my training, alright." I then leaned backwards and suplexed Wulfrock onto the ground, smashing his head hard onto the ground, causing him to wince and loosen his grip on me.

Almost instantly, I got back up on my feet, and struck against him with a Throat Chop, clotheslining the Lycanroc when he least expected it and throwing him towards the other end of the arena. The crowd was suddenly sounding amazed by the display set before them as they all went "Ooooh!" in unison.

With newfound resolve, I pointed towards Wulfrock as he staggered back to his feet. "Now you listen here, Wulfrock! As much as I hate getting involved in conflict, there comes a time where I have to put up my dukes!" What am I saying? "I do a lot of heavy lifting when you least expect it, and it helped to refine my strength!" Should I really be this angry? Why am I so heated? "I'll have you know, right here, and right now, that I choose to not run away with my tail between my legs. You know why that is?" I'm just talking out of my butt. Do I really mean these words? "It's because every single step I make in this game is one step closer to home! And I am not going to stop until I reach that point!" What am I even doing? There's no way that Wulfrock is going to buy this! Hell, I don't buy this, and I'm the one speaking!

Regardless of my mixed feelings regarding what's happening, I held firm with my words as my body started giving subtle hints of fire emerging all around me. No! I need to let loose. The weight of Team Inferno rests on my shoulders. I shouldn't let them down!

As Josh comforted me as I cried into his shoulder, he smiled at me, and said "Adam… You don't have to worry. I'm fine."

I looked at him with a somber expression, sniffing as I tried to hold back my tears. "But I hurt you, Josh! That's unforgivable! I didn't mean it, honest! And then Volt, he said it's because I was considered a heel, and that I couldn't control myself because I was so focused on winning. Josh…I'm so sorry…"

Josh sighed as he continued to hug me. "You really are like a lost child," he mentioned. He then backed away as he looked at me with what looked like a sad expression from my tear-soaked eyes. As he sat on his bed, he then said "Adam, you were rather determined to win no matter what. That much is true. And you believe that because you're an Incineroar, you acted aggressively." Between my sobs, and as I listened to him, he clutched at his chest, which was wrapped in bandages.

He then mentioned "That strength, Adam. The one you showed off during training. That strength was…..."

The memory faded from my mind as I suddenly snapped out of my own anger. The fires around my body died down to nothing, as I just stood there thinking to myself. Why am I thinking of that now of all times? I don't want to be reminded over how I hurt Josh that day! I don't want to remember something so horrifying for me!

I looked down at my arms, noticing how they were no longer lit ablaze, as I was still feeling conflicted about what was happening. The crowd was cheering in the moment of me smacking Wulfrock across the field. I could even hear a few players chant out "BlazeTiger" over and over again, which soon rose up into a chorus of players cheering me on as I looked at the audience.

"Well, this is truly something else," Eccho announced. "The crowd seems to want to root for BlazeTiger as a way to motivate him!"

"Yes, and while that may be true," Yamatochi added, "the battle has only heated up as Wulfrock's audience has suddenly turned against him. This is quite the turnaround, and I don't even want to know what's going on in both player's heads as they are fighting down there."

I'll tell you what I'm thinking! I'm thinking that I have no clue how to process this! I just stared up at the crowd of onlookers, hearing them chanting as they called my name. For some reason, this cheering…it lifted my spirits. Even though I admitted to them all that I was not the fearsome fighter everyone thought I was. They really believe in me that much? I don't know what to say.

Wulfrock growled as he gripped at his own throat. As I looked over at him, I couldn't even tell what he was feeling from his expression. Anger? Shock? Jealousy? Regardless, he just glared at me, and he ended up lowering his paw soon after. "AWOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he howled loudly, silencing the crowd.

He then smirked at me, and mentioned "Don't think that because you won the crowd that you've won, Adam! I'm still standing! But now, I must admit, I pegged you all wrong. You're no coward." He then raised his paws slowly, before declaring "But just because I don't think you're a coward, that doesn't mean you deserve to win if you refuse to put some backbone into your attacks!" He then slammed his paws onto the ground, and suddenly, a massive burst of sand started forming around him and quickly spread out around the stadium.

The sandstorm rushed towards me so fast I had to brace myself for when it soon reached me. I tried to look beyond the sand, but found it difficult to distinguish what was happening in front of me.

Josh looked at the sandstorm with worry. "Uh oh," he muttered. "This isn't good."

"What do you mean?" Rose asked him. "What's happening?

"Whenever Wulfrock is using Sandstorm, he uses it as a tactic to blend in with his surroundings," Josh answered. "He intends to finish Adam off while he isn't looking."

Rose gasped, looking back at the arena with renewed worry. "And Adam can't see in there, can't he?"

"No," Josh said bluntly to her. "Sandstorm damages any Pokémon that isn't a Rock, Steel, or Ground-type. Worse yet, since Wulfrock is immune to its effects, it's like his own personal playground to battle opponents. Adam has never won against Wulfrock, but with a sandstorm in play, Adam's chances are slimmer than when facing him regularly." Josh gritted his teeth as he watched the storm billow out before his eyes. "Adam… Please, hang in there!"

I had a hard time trying to stand firm amidst all of the sand being blown into my face. I couldn't see where Wulfrock was. However, I took a slight risk and opened my eyes to take a peek of Wulfrock's silhouette walking towards me, his glowing red eyes gazing into my soul. I almost gasped as Wulfrock stepped towards me, before he began to use Crush Claw and charged straight at me.

I didn't have time to react, as he moved quickly towards me, and landed a solid slash to my chest. I could feel my own defenses were giving way as the cuts on my chest started to bleed slightly, where I then staggered and fell to one knee. Clutching my chest, I could feel the blood on me as I tried to process what happened. I nearly stood still from shock as I looked at my hand and saw blood. My blood.

All the while, Wulfrock turned to face me again intensely. "Let this be a reminder of your place, Adam," he threatened. "No more messing around. The real battle begins now."