10th Autumn Moon, 908 – Telo Martius Colosseum

The biggest event in history since the civil war of Telo Martius. With the recent defeat of Tyranno in the colosseum, news of the defiant Buneary spread like wildfire, earning the awe and intrigue of the city's civilians to come witness what would certainly be a historic event in New Chariot's history.

A gladiatorial battle between Emperor Nero and Skill Hunter Harlow.

Seats were packed to the brim, and the stomps of excited attendees echoed across the vast space as preparations were being made. Alterations had been made to the arena for the chariot portion of the battle, with obstacles to navigate around and disposal weapon racks to utilize in between laps. Thankfully, the massive tree growing out from the center would not impede the match.

Nero's chariot was attached to two Rhyhorn, his most trusted steeds for the races. For Melissa's, much to her annoyance, was being pulled by two sluggish-looking Zebstrika who seemed too distracted chitchatting with each other to notice their partner. She facepalmed herself, rattling the chains cuffed to her wrists.

Of course they would stick me with something like this.

As the guards made final checks on the chariots, Nero turned to Melissa with a candid, yet dark grin. "You do know how to operate a chariot, right?"

She pouted. "I'll figure it out."

"Love that enthusiasm." He turned and waved to the audience, igniting their cheers into greater fits of passion. As he waved, he said, "We are the stars of today's show, Skill Hunter. We must put on a good performance for these adoring eyes. You've obtained quite the fan club with your actions of late. I almost consider it blasphemous seeing as you tried to kill me twice, but who am I to deny a little drama into the fun?"

Melissa glared. "Is that all you see here? Entertainment?"

"Life's a bore. I say enjoy every moment for what it is. After all, if I worried myself over every bit of strife in this world, I wouldn't be the beloved figurehead I am today. I have given my people the comfort and luxury they deserve, and they will continue to get as such."

"…" She looked away. "You don't have an ounce of empathy in your soul, do you? Tch. Now I can see how you killed your brother so callously."

"…" Nero sighed. "I try not to dwell on those facts. I did what I needed to do. I knew my brother better than anyone. He wasn't going to give up on his ideals."

"Seems like all of the Martius family are stubborn like that."

"Yes. It seems so."

Nero chuckled. "Well, for what it's all worth, I'm looking forward to an interesting match. May the best warrior win."

"…" She nodded slowly. "Yeah. May the best win."

From the royal booth, Lord Tiberius Martius leaned forward in his seat, observing the proceedings with an uneasiness, one that was sensed by Gemini and Jason as they stood dutifully by the former emperor's side. Nero's harem girls didn't share in his distress, cheering on their lover with rounds of liquor and the like. All except Fortuna, the only one sharing in Lord Martius' doubts.

"You have nothing to fear, Lord Martius," Gemini assured. "Nero is the best chariot rider in the empire, and not even Skill Hunter's adaptiveness will assist her in properly commanding her partnered steeds."

"But this isn't just a chariot race. This is a gladiator match." Lord Martius grimaced. "The only outcome in these matches is death. Those two will eventually have to clash for the right to live, and Nero knows this."

"…" Gemini gazed upon the arena, his gaze ever calm and fixed. "You know what your son is capable of, milord. He's not going to let this slow him down."

"I hope you're right…"

Ceres threw her head back and laughed. "Oh, what are you chumps worrying about? Nero's going to skewer that little bunny!"

Invidia grinned. "Ooh, after this, we should totally go out for dinner tonight! Nero's treat, of course!"

Juno scoffed, sipping her ale. "This is a waste of time. We already know he's going to win."

Salacia glanced down at Fortuna. "That's your prediction for the match, naturally."

"…" Fortuna laughed uneasily. "Yeeeeeah. Told the good news to Nero last night. Heh. Yeah." She gulped, clutching her ale tightly. There's a first time for everything. I…have to be wrong, right? I'm losing my touch, that's all. He's…going to win. He will win. Yeah.

Wings flapped over the booth, signaling the return of Commander Nemesis. He landed beside Gemini and whispered, "Seems your snooping paid off after all."

Gemini glared. "Report."

"It appears an army bearing the banner of Umbra Clock was seen marching upon our territory from the south. And it appears our scout spotted some who bear the uniform of the Foresters."

"Have they made any sudden advances?"

"No. They're just standing out in the open and waiting. Waiting for something to happen."

"Hmm. Best to quell that. If they are waiting for something, wait them out. If anything happens that rouses them into action, immediately crush them. Send a letter to Centurion Decimus. If our guests make any sudden moves as well, eliminate them."

Nemesis spread his wings. "For the glory of New Chariot." He took off into the sky.

Gemini turned his attention back onto the arena, scratching his chin as he glanced over at Jason, seemingly unaware of the secret conversation. His attention seemed solely on the arena as preparations entered finishing stages.

Something about this seems…off. I managed to dig into Miss Vibiana and concluded she came into service under mysterious circumstances, though I have yet to prove if she is a Forester or some kind of refuge who snuck her way into the city. I ordered the centurions to keep an eye on her, and they haven't reported any suspicious behavior recently. Then again, she was unnervingly calm during interrogation. Then there's the matter of that potential rebellion being plotted at Fort Gladius. We have not discerned what will happen with this rebellion, but something is coming.

The question is: how will Umbra Clock respond should their charge be thwarted?

Meanwhile…

"We've been spotted by their scout, Your Majesty."

Tadhg stood at the head of his army, donning silver armor with a purple cloak draped over his shoulders. His father's broadsword was sheathed onto his back, its hilt shining in the sunlight. Leitis stood by his side, arms folded behind her back, donning similar colored armor with her helmet's visor lifted. Her twin tower shields sat anchored on both sides of her.

Rather than be distressed by the news, Tadhg smirked. "Good. Everything is going according to my design."

Zephora balanced her glaive over her shoulder. "This will work, right?"

"I planned out every detail to the letter. I foresaw every outcome. Everyone played their part perfectly."

Sidney glared. "Guess I might as well get my team into position."

Valentine nodded. "We'll see you in the city."

"Right." She whistled to her underground team before diving below the surface, heading off to Fort Gladius.

Leitis shuddered. "It's almost unnerving coming back here. To think we managed to escape this wretched city during that dreaded civil war eight years ago. Escaped our…former owners."

"…" Tadhg patted her shoulder. "If you wish not to participate, you're more than welcomed to stay back."

"…" The Buizel clenched her fists. "You know how bad the scars on my body are. I took so much punishment from our owners just to shield Una. The things they did to us…can't be forgotten." She sighed, glaring ahead determinedly. "But even when we ran away and came under the service of Castle Foirbeis for our own protection, even assigned as your personal servants…you never used us. You never took advantage of us. You…were so kind. You taught Una how to read. You taught me to love myself. You…have us hope."

"…" Tadhg chuckled softly. "So, that's your answer."

"I'm not running away. I will fight by your side. I will be your shield."

"I expected as much coming from you. However, you won't be defending me." He took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You, Una, and I will be defending each other. No one will take the brunt of an army alone."

Leitis' cheeks turned red with embarrassment. She looked away. "S-Stop that!"

"Heh." He glanced over at Jet, who stood firmly with his arms crossed and gaze fixed in the direction of the city. However, he noticed the Oshawott wavering a bit, and his face seemed warm. "Jet Fyrewalker—"

"Don't talk to me. I'm focusing," he grumbled.

"You appear ill. Are you coming down with a fever?"

"I'm fine." He clenched his fists and growled. "I won't falter. Absolute victory must be achieved."

Tadhg narrowed his eyes. I can't tell if he's sick or…no, it's something else. There's definitely a heat burning inside him. Something raging to be let out. Heh. These Foresters are full of surprises.

"Uuuugh!" the Quaxwell soldier groaned as he slumped over the table. "I can't believe we still need to train today. I was really hoping to catch today's match."

"No kidding," the Weavile soldier said, twirling his fork against the table. "It's been ages since the emperor challenged someone to a chariot match."

"A gladiatorial match at that," the Sandslash soldier reminded. "I hear his skills are positively divine. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see true skill unfold." He sighed. "Well, there's no getting around it. If we're lucky, the match will be over in ten seconds."

"Even those ten seconds would've been glorious to watch."

"Lunch time, everyone~!" Their moods perked up as the servant girls entered with bowls of piping hot soup, and their moods tripled with joy when the lovely, eyepatch-wearing Meowstic approached their table, handing out their meals with a wink…or it could've been a normal blink. They couldn't tell, but who cares?

"Thank you, Miss Vibiana~!" they exclaimed.

She giggled. "You're quite welcome. I know you boys are upset you can't attend the chariot match today, so hopefully this soup will turn those frowns around."

"Oh, it smells divine, Miss Vibiana," the Quaxwell complimented.

"I'm glad you think so. I helped out with the preparations. I made each and every bowl especially for everyone. Just the right amount of everything to build up your strength."

The Sandslash soldier grinned. "You didn't have to go through all that trouble just for us."

"Oh, but I did. I most certainly did." She leaned forward, smiling beautifully. "Now, you all enjoy. I have other matters to attend to." She walked off, her tail sweeping along the ground.

The trio sighed dreamily. "She's amazing~," the Weavile said.

"Yeeeeah." Quaxwell glared. "Though, am I the only one noticing our superiors giving her the side eye recently?"

Sandslash shrugged. "Can you blame them? She's gorgeous!"

"Yeah, but they seem kind of…suspicious of her?"

Weavile waved it off. "Bah! They're probably just freaked out because Advisor Gemini had that talk with her. You know how invasive that guy gets when he's doing his inspections."

"Eh…yeah, you're probably right." He took a spoonful of soup and raised it in the air. "Well, here's to a wonderful day of training, I guess."

"Here, here!" They followed along with their fellow soldiers and took a hearty sip of their soup.

The horns blared over the colosseum, drawing out a roar of cheers from the audience. With preparations complete, the arena was cleared, and Melissa and Nero took their places in their chariots. Nero waved to the crowd, basking in their admiration, while Melissa tried to figure out the proper way to hold the reins…as well as trying to see over the chariot.

"Of all the…!" She groaned and hopped onto the front of her chariot. "Hey, I can't see anything in here!"

Nero shrugged. "Well, you should've been born taller."

"…I am going to crush you. So hard."

"Getting into the spirit already? Very good." He tightened his reins around his fist. "Try not to fall off too early."

She grumbled, but decided to turn her attention ahead, mirroring his stance as best she could.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" the master of ceremonies roared over the crowd. "We've got an exciting match for you today! After her recent victory against the ferocious and unmatched Tyranno, Skill Hunter Harlow declared trial by combat against our glorious emperor! Is there no end to her bloodlust? Or does she favor the fervor of battle as he does?!"

The audience roared, a mix of cheers and boos, the latter clearly directed at Melissa. She rolled her eyes and tried to drown out the announcer.

"The emperor accepted her challenge by his own generosity. The stakes are high! Gladiatorial chariot combat! Only one shall survive today's match! Will it be our undefeated God of War who will take home victory? Or will his pint-sized assassin best the odds in her favor?"

"I'm not that much shorter than other Buneary!" she snapped, making Nero laugh.

"The rules are simple: survive! Our two racers will lap around the arena, clashing until the other rider is taken out! Each lap, they'll have a chance to draw from the weapon racks positioned all across the arena! Be quick and be wise with what weapon you take! Some may aid you, and others may hinder you! But do not lose hope if one of them falls off. This is trial by combat! As long as you survive, the fight will not be over! Only death will decide!"

"YEEEEEEEEEEAH!" the crowd roared.

Nero smirked. "Good luck, Skill Hunter."

"Tch. Same to you." Melissa tightened her reins.

"Are both racers ready? Then, let us commence with the gladiatorial chariot duel! Racers, on your marks! Get set!"

Melissa and Nero hardened their stances. Everyone watched with bated breath, a momentarily silence falling over the colosseum. Jason watched on from the booth, his gaze cold and focused solely on his partner.

Melissa. You can do this.

"…GOOOOOO!"

At the announcer's signal, the racers were off. Their steeds roared and broke into a swift gallop down the marked track. Immediately upon moving, Melissa slipped from her perch and fell back inside her chariot.

"GAH!" she gasped, scrambling to take control of the reins again.

Both chariots raced alongside each other, kicking up a trail of dust as they raced a quarter of the arena in a manner of seconds. Melissa struggled to pick herself up, shaking from the rattling of her chariot as it passed over the uneven terrain. Despite the renovation efforts from her battle with Tyranno, the ground was uneven, hiding the cracks that were hastily patched up.

Nero, however, kept his balance on the terrain, and his Rhyhorn partners raced over the ground with little trouble. He glanced at Melissa's chariot and laughed. "You were quite foolish for letting me decide the terms of our battle, Skill Hunter. I reign supreme in the arena!"

Melissa gripped her reins tightly and pulled herself back up while trying to peer over the front of her chariot. "Sh-Shut up!"

"Oh well! Try and not lose your head too soon." Nero snapped the reins, ordering his steeds to pick up the pace.

The first weapon rack was in sight, and Nero reached out to grab his weapon of choice. Unsurprisingly, he claimed the spear as his first weapon, proudly spinning it in hand even against the rushing wind.

Melissa jumped onto the edge of her chariot and tried to reach for anything of use. However, unaware of her Zebstrika steeds sharing conniving expressions, her chariot suddenly jutted to the side, causing her to yelp and fall back inside.

"Ooohhh! Emperor Nero has claimed the spear, his specialty! Ah, but it seems Skill Hunter Harlow didn't have the nerves to take a weapon for herself. Hopefully that will not impede her performance!"

"Didn't have the nerves? Oh, spare me." She pulled herself up and glared over her chariot. "Hey! You two did that on purpose!"

The left Zebstrika snorted. "We don't know what you're talking about."

"You're probably just getting jitters since this is your first chariot race," the right zebra taunted.

Melissa growled. Did Nero set it up like this? No, he doesn't seem like the type to rig matches in his favor. How else would he have an overinflated ego if he just let himself win? That means the colosseum officials are against me themselves. Don't want to make this easy for me, huh?

Nero smirked over his shoulder. "What did I just say, Skill Hunter? You don't want to lose too early, remember?"

"Oh, shut it!"

They continued to race around the arena's perimeter, coming up to the next weapon rack. Nero effortlessly snatched a couple shields for himself. Melissa perched herself on the chariot again and reached out as the rack came into range. The Zebstrika duo, however, performed their same maneuver and attempted to jostle her back inside.

Did you really think I'd fall for the same trick twice?

Before the chariot could be jostled, Melissa kicked off the outer side and lunged into the rack itself. She grabbed a shield and some bolas before bouncing back toward the chariot before it got out of range. She grabbed the bottom edge, feeling her heels drag over the ground briefly. She threw herself back inside, lying upside-down as she caught her breath.

"EH?!" her steeds gasped.

"Ooooh! Skill Hunter Harlow barely managed to grab herself some equipment and still made it back onto her chariot in time! What a move!" The crowd cheered her on, especially her mini fan club as they waved their banners in celebration.

Lord Martius breathed a small sigh before chuckling. "She's remarkably nimble, Stormbreaker. I was sure she wouldn't have returned in time."

Jason's brow furrowed deeper. "She doesn't look like it, but she's a quick thinker. Always coming up with unorthodox ways to get the job done." He glared at the former emperor. "Though, I do take issue with the match being obviously sided against her."

Lord Martius shook his head. "I don't know what to tell you. We obviously don't want the young emperor to die."

"Hmph." He looked back at the arena. After the hell she endured, this'll be nothing.

"Ooookay…" Melissa picked herself up, massaging her head. "That was a bit reckless, but profitable." She picked up her shield and inspected her bolas. "Okay, they obviously couldn't have tampered with the weapons without screwing over Nero. The only saving grace to this stupid match."

The racers came up on a forest of wooden beams. Tight gaps for only the most skilled riders to weave through. Nero pulled on his reins, subtly informing his steeds on how to move. Like flowing water, they bend and twisted around the pillars without a scratch to the chariot.

Melissa pulled on the reins and yelled, "Alright, uh…do what he did!"

The Zebstrika steeds smirked. "With pleasure!" They galloped faster and began weaving through the pillars…with enthusiasm.

"WAH!" Melissa jolted as the chariot grazed against the pillars, throwing her and her equipment around. "Wah, hey—WHOA!" She rolled and flipped around, nearly flying out the back had she not caught the sides. She yelped and pulled herself back in before her legs were crushed between a pillar and the chariot. "Stop that!"

The steeds just laughed, continuing to throw the chariot side-to-side before exiting out of the obstacle.

Nero looked back, laughing as Melissa struggled to lift herself into view. "Not as easy as it looks! Doesn't matter how adaptable you are! These skills were molded from ages of experience! They're not something you can just copy on a whim!" He pulled on the reigns, ordering his steeds to slow drastically.

Melissa's eyes widened as she suddenly caught up with Nero, who swung his dark-infused spear at her. She shrieked and bent backwards, tensing up as the weapon sailed over her face. She took the lead while Nero started picking up speed again.

"Ebony Soul: Arrow!" Darkness crackled off the spearhead, and he thrusted it forward once he got in range.

Melissa bent her stomach back as the spear shot past and pierced through her chariot. Nero ripped his spear free, taking out another chunk of the ride. He swung his spear again and bashed it across the side, the shockwaves causing the chariot to rumble.

"GAH!" Melissa stumbled back into the low walls, nearly rolling out the back again. "WAH!" She scrambled back to the front and panted in relief.

Nero raced off ahead as a new weapon rack came into sight. He swiped a couple of bolas off the rack, letting them sail in his grip. "Don't let me take all the good stuff, Harlow!"

Melissa pulled herself up and attempted to jump for the rack, but her steeds decided to move her closer…by jostling the chariot against the rack. She slammed face first against the rack, which shattered against the chariot's way and sent weapons scattering over the ground. The steeds steered the chariot back and threw Melissa inside.

"HA! I haven't had this much fun in forever!" the left Zebstrika exclaimed.

"Hey, do you think if we stop hard enough, it'll throw her out in front?"

"Oh, hopefully she's quick enough to get out of the way in time." They burst with laughter.

"Oh yes, very funny~."

Their eyes widened a sinister aura permeated from the chariot strapped to them. Before they could look back, it felt as if something slithered around the right Zebstrika before pressing its fangs to his neck. They nearly froze up upon seeing it was the Skill Hunter herself, an ominous glow of red in her eyes and a wicked smile as she pressed a dagger to zebra's neck.

"So, here's what we're going to do now, hon~. You and your friend do your jobs correctly, or you two will be the first casualties in this death match~. Sound fair~?"

Right when they rammed her against the previous weapon rack, she managed to snatch a dagger out of the air. She figured channeling a little of Marie's persuasion was all she needed to get the two Zebstrika to see reason.

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" they squeaked.

"Good boys." She jumped back into the chariot and shook off the brief emotional shift. "Oof, that feels weird every time." She grabbed the reins. "Speed up!"

"Yes, ma'am!" They kicked their legs faster and flew across the arena, galloping up on Nero's chariot.

Nero looked back and smirked. "Well, looks like you three are cooperating more efficiently. Unfortunately, that's not going to be enough to win." He spun his bolas and threw them at the legs.

Melissa threw her dagger and caught the bolas out of the air. The Zebstrika steered around them, though less forcefully than they've been doing. She kept her balance and raised her shield as she caught up to Nero's side.

"Take this!" She swung her shield at him like a club.

He blocked it with his own and laughed. "I don't think that's how you use a shield, my dear."

"Shut up! I'm improvising!" While fighting against the bumpy arena, she continuously bashed her shield into Nero's all the while he just laughed at her attempts.

"If you're going to act like that, put more spirit into it!" He countered her next strike, causing her to recoil. "Ebony Soul!" He swung his fist.

Melissa raised her shield, but her whole body rattled from the black flash crackling against it. She fell down, dropping her shield, and lay paralyzed for a moment as her arms trembled from the pain. His strikes don't have any more force than a standard punch, but the kinetic energy it releases is intense. It's like he's compressing and releasing it at a single point from his fist.

"Ebony Soul: Consume!" Nero briefly jumped out of his chariot, gripping onto the edge, and stomped his foot down. A surge of dark-colored rock erupted out and charged in the path of Melissa's chariot.

Melissa jolted up and screamed, "Dodge, dodge, DODGE!"

The Zebstrika hurriedly moved out of the way, but the chariot scraped along the rushing rocks. Melissa shielded her face from the debris and sparks shooting off.

"We're sorry!" the zebras screamed. "Please don't hurt us—"

"Shut up and keep your eyes on the path!" Melissa snapped.

"Yes, ma'am!"

Melissa winced. Yeesh. I can't tell if that was Jet or Pandora I was emulating. I'm starting to remember my circle of friends is made up of the craziest people.

Her steeds galloped faster, tailing behind Nero's chariot as he relaxed against the edge. He beckoned to the Buneary. "I'm barely trying here. Don't make this too boring for us. After all, this may be your last day of breathing."

Melissa growled. "Are you so conceited that you think I'm the one who'll be dying today?!"

"If I feared death, I wouldn't be accepting these stupid challenges." He stood up, balancing perfectly on the rumbling chariot, and spread his arms out in a grand display of authority. "A god does not fear death. I enjoy every moment of life I have, and I shall not regret a single moment!"

"Like how you don't regret ruining other people's lives?! Starting a war that no one wanted?!"

Nero smirked. "If you survive today, you'll understand in time. You'll lead your own war of your own volition, and lives will be taken. You can't have peace without war, therefore peace will never truly last. My people understand this. If I were to die today, our peaceful existence would be destroyed, but they will be prepared to overcome. It's in our nature to fight. It's in our nature to rebel against those who wish to overtake us in favor of greed."

"…" Melissa wrung her reins around her fist. "And yet, I wonder if you would still be playing that same tune had you tried actually talking to Mercurius."

He groaned. "You sure do love bringing up the dead. He reminds me of you: stubborn, hard-headed, unable to see the flaws in his ideals."

"Guess that runs in the family."

"Tch." Nero raised his spear. "Funny. Well, regardless, I made a promise not to die today. And I'll make good on that promise after I eliminate your little rebellion being crafted behind the scenes."

"…" Melissa narrowed her eyes.

Nero smirked. "You played a good game, but you're not that clever. This scheme was bound to unravel from the beginning!" Taking his spear in both hands, he swung it across the air and released a solid half ring of dark energy. "Ebony Soul: Storm!"

"Duck!" Melissa ordered. Her steeds and she ducked as low as they could before the energy hit. It obliterated the top half of her chariot, sending shrapnel scattering behind her. She donned her shield and stood up. "Now advance!" They sped up after Nero's chariot.

Nero snapped his reins. "We're coming up on another weapon rack! Get me closer!"

"Yes sir!" The Rhyhorn duo steered toward the upcoming rack.

Melissa peered ahead and saw that it was armed with a single crossbow and an attached pouch of ammunition. Acting fast, she picked up her bolas and threw it ahead. Right as Nero reached for the rack, her bolas connected and pinned his arms together.

"Eh?" he mumbled.

His chariot sped by the rack, leaving Melissa open to reach out and take it for herself. "HA! Mine!"

Nero glared over his shoulder, a brief annoyance on his grin. "You cheeky thief."

She raised the crossbow in the air and stuck her tongue out. "Better luck next time, loser!" Oh, Pandora would be so proud of my improved trash talk.

She dropped back into her chariot and inspected her prize. Fishing through the pouch, she found iron spheres no bigger than a croquet ball. That explained the size and shape of the crossbow, being designed specifically for this kind of ammunition.

"Heh. One blast from these babies should do some—" However, as she tried to pull back on the drawstring, a horrifying realization dawned on her. She curled her fingers around the mechanism to load the drawstring back, finding that it could not budge. "What the—" She pressed her foot down and bent herself back, putting her weight into the drawstring. Sadly, her fingers slipped, and the tough wire left a thin cut behind. "Ow!" She suckled on her fingers.

"Ohhhh, Skill Hunter~!" She looked over her chariot and saw Nero had untangled himself from the bolas. He tossed them aside and asked, "Having trouble with using that crossbow? I hope you can work around the weight of the drawstring. After all, it needs a lot of power to fire those iron spheres!"

Melissa growled. Are you actually kidding me right now?! She threw the crossbow down and picked up her shield. Great, a weapon I can't even use! Wonderful, even!

They made another lap around the arena, watching as the weapon racks shifted with underground gears bringing out new weapons from below. Nero snatched some kind of woven sphere with a wick attached to the top. Upon inspecting it, Melissa's eyes widened in horror.

"Oh, come on!" she snapped.

Nero grabbed the neck of his spear and smirked over his shoulder. "Oh good, no explanations needed!" He scraped the wick between his chariot and spear, catching it on fire. He tossed it over his shoulder, letting it bounce and roll into Melissa's path.

"Turn, turn, turn!" Melissa yelled, pulling on the Zebstrika steeds' reins!

They screamed as they made a hard left, tipping the chariot over and swerving around the explosive. A colorful blast erupted from behind, throwing pieces of the bomb's shell across Melissa's back. She yelped and patted the smoking debris off.

"Think fast!"

"Huh—AH!" Melissa ducked as Nero once again slowed down and swung his spear once they were side-by-side. The wind rushed from the force of his swing, blowing back her fur.

"HI-YA!" Nero snapped the reins and commanded his steeds to speed up. He channeled dark energy through his spear and thrusted it. "Ebony Soul—"

"Normal Shield Move, go!" Melissa raised her shield and blocked his spear attack. However…

"Shatter."

Energy rippled through the shield, concentrating from the point of the spear. It vibrated intensely in Melissa's hands before shattering to pieces. The spear came hurtling for her face, but she pivoted on her heel and barely avoided it as it ran through another chunk of her chariot.

Right as Nero pulled his spear back, Melissa took hold of it and stood her ground. "Oh no, you don't!"

Nero laughed. "You really shouldn't be playing this game with me! Up you go!"

Melissa gasped as her feet left the rumbling chariot. With a hard swing, Nero tossed her off and sent her flailing above the arena. She kicked and spun her limbs, trying to swim on the air, before plummeting toward the ground.

"Faithless Imitation! Lambert Style—" She picked up a piece of shield she grabbed and kicked it toward her chariot. "Trick Switch!"

With a clap of her hands, she swapped places with the shield piece, causing her to crash back inside her chariot. She pulled herself up, then gasped as Nero ran his spear at her again. She backflipped on top of her chariot as he tore out another chunk of its hide. He ripped his spear free, tearing out more metal, and rode his chariot alongside hers.

"You're barely putting up a fight!" Nero taunted. "Come on, give us a show, Skill Hunter!"

"Skill Hunter! Skill Hunter! Skill Hunter! Skill Hunter!" the crowd cheered. Even Nero joined in their chanting, much to her frustration.

"Quit encouraging them—WAH!" She backflipped across the chariot's edge, dodging another swipe of his spear.

"Why should I?" Dark energy crackled from his eyes as his smirk grew. "I'm not having any fun yet!"

The rumbling of the chariot race echoed through the deep recesses of the dungeon. The prisoners kept their cool, lingering around the prisoner transfer doors and the broken elevator. It was a front to hide the tension. Any moment, they would receive the signal to act.

"Annnd…done." Decebal placed the last of the explosives to the center of the dungeon's ceiling and hopped down. "Heh, not a bad job, if I do say so myself."

Fintan narrowed his eyes. "There is no way these are powerful enough to break open the ceiling. We're several meters underground."

Vilde crossed his arms. "If Commander Harlow says they work, they work."

Galus gulped. "Galus hope."

"Still, this'll all be for naught if she doesn't win that chariot battle with the emperor," Vilde reminded. "We need a moment to catch him off guard, she said. The plan's pointless if she winds up losing. I wonder how she's doing."

"Flawlessly." The Armorouge turned toward Terrowin, who sat on the ground meditating. "Hold that hope closely. It will guide you well to our victory."

Vilde grunted. "I know that already, old man. I just know Nero's tough. This won't be an easy fight."

Alfhild scoffed. "{The sooner we get out of here, the sooner I can crack some skulls.}"

Terrowin looked up and smiled at the prisoners. "Do not fret. You will find that when it comes to impossible odds, that one is particularly averse to follow such logic."

Melissa steered her chariot recklessly as Nero hunted her down, swiping and thrusting his spear at her chariot with each successful hit shaving off another chunk. Thankfully, at least, Melissa could now see over the chariot as she barreled toward her imminent doom.

"I understand this is a race, Skill Hunter—" Nero rode by and stabbed his spear through the chariot, taking out another chunk. "But you may be missing the point of the battle portion of this competition!"

Melissa growled and pulled on the reins, commanding the Zebstrika to gallop closer to the wall. She reached down and plucked out a couple iron spheres from their pouch. Can't use the crossbow? Fine. I'll do it my own way.

She jumped atop the chariot and reared her arm backed. "Sadie Style—" Blue and orange energy swirled up her arm and infused with the iron spheres. "Assisted Destruction!" She tossed the sphere, distorting the air upon launching.

Nero ducked back and watched it sail past his face. It traveled across the arena and smashed into the opposing wall. He massaged his chin and laughed. "Clever."

Melissa wound herself up again and tossed another. The sphere ricocheted off the ground and punched a hole through Nero's chariot. The sphere scraped across his greaves, tearing the metal clean off his leg. A bit of blood was drawn, but nothing that wavered the confident Krokorok.

He burst with laughter. "Finally getting into the spirit of things, Skill Hunter?! Don't forget, our lives are the ultimate price!"

She sneered. "You'll regret saying that!" She shifted her foot into some shade within her chariot. Darkness spread along the right side of her body and wrapped around her arm. "Itzal Style—" She swung her fist, projecting an elongated shadow arm forward. "Shadow Stalker!"

Nero pulled on his reins, slowing his steeds down and narrowly avoiding the massive shadow arm. However, Melissa swung her arm and flung the shadow appendage after him like a massive whip.

"Ebony Soul: Arrow!" Nero thrusted his spear and tore a hole through the shadow arm, parting a path for himself.

"Althalos Style: Abyss Clouds!" She gathered the dark clouds with her hand and threw them at his wheels.

"Ebony Soul: Barrier!" Twirling his spear, he swiped it against the cluster of darkness and dispersed it before it could connect to his wheels. "Consume!" He briefly jumped off his chariot and stomped the ground, sending a surging wave of dark rock at Melissa.

"Sidney Style—" She leapt off her chariot and reared her arm back, manifesting an aura of superheated claws. "Fangs of Groudon!" She slashed with the surging earth, using her aura to cleanly cut through them and disrupt their path. She flew into the side of Nero's chariot and flipped herself on top. "HA!"

"Bad move!" Nero swiped his spear at her, but she flipped over and landed behind him.

"Kenny Style: Cruel Ice Age!" She gathered cold energy through her fist. One shot from this, and this fight is over!

She swung her fist for the back of Nero's head, but he spun around at the last second and backhanded her fist. The icy aura erupted through the air, chilling Nero's right side in a thick sheet of frost. Though frigid, he laughed through the blistering pain of the cold.

"Ah, I remember that little move you used in your first colosseum match." He grabbed her wrist. "Did you really think I wasn't paying attention to your tricks?" He pulled her off the ground, then slammed her down on the floor of his chariot.

"GAH!" she gasped.

He kicked her over the edge and kneeled over. Grabbing the back of her head, he slowly pushed her face toward the ground. She could feel the gravel being kicked up and pelting on the underside of her chin. She tried her best to resist the croc's strength.

"You think Lothar was the first troublesome fool we've had to execute? Even before I took command as emperor, I've been fighting in this colosseum for years. Took my first life at only twelve years old. I remember my first chariot execution match. Killed a man just like this."

"Gah…agh…" Melissa pushed down on the edge of the chariot, trying to fight back.

"Funny how it all works. We're all just dancing along trying to make the most out of a handful of sticks, but fire was the first invention we got out of those sticks. Suddenly, those who could naturally produce it were no longer the top hounds of the savage world. That's the natural state of the world: to adapt and overcome hardship by always improving. Always staying ahead of those who wish to crush us." He snickered. "You've so naïve. You think peace is this sacred goal everyone wishes for? Everyone has their own definition of peace. No one will ever agree on a peaceful existence. But war? That will never change. What makes you think your ideal world will be any better than the hellscape I'm bringing to Virdis?"

Melissa peeked through her clenched eyes as the ground came closer and closer to shaving off her face.

"You want to save everyone? Here's the harsh truth, Skill Hunter Harlow: not everyone deserves to be saved. There will come a day when you need to spill blood with your own hands to preserve peace. Because no matter how hard you try to deny it, we're always looking to go to war with someone! Doesn't matter about the scale, the prize, or the outcome! It can be as insignificant as an argument with a friend over a favorite dessert or as world shattering as global conquest! That fury and lust for victory is what drives us to become the better versions of ourselves!"

"…"

"Not that it'll matter in the next five seconds." He pushed her face closer and closer to the ground. "Hope Stormbreaker's watching. He's either going to foil your whole scheme to rescue you or watch in horror as a blood red ring loops around this arena."

"…" Melissa clenched her teeth. "I'm not giving up…on my ideals."

Nero smirked. "Spoken like a true fool—"

She flicked her finger. "Alfhild Style—"

BANG!

Nero's entire world rattled as an iron ball suddenly collided across the right side of his face, shattering the frost off his body.

"Alfheim Cannon."

Nero recoiled, blood spraying out from his maw. The iron sphere slid across his snout and bounced along the ground after fulfilling its purpose. He stumbled into the front of his chariot, keeping himself upright while nursing his wounded face. He watched as Melissa picked herself off up, panting heavily.

"I'm always watching amazing people around me do amazing things. I wish I could develop a technique as amazing as theirs." She glared over her shoulder. "Even still, I'll carry their wills alongside mine and make their skills my own!"

Nero's eyes sparked with black energy, though a bit of red mixed with it. His smirk grew wide. "Now you're getting into it!"

Flashback

"So, you can pull from any movesets you've witnessed in the past and manifest them into the present?"

Melissa presented the cluster of dark clouds known as Abyss Clouds. "At first, it took a lot of stamina to use a few at a time, but I've gotten better at switching off without facing the backlash."

Tadhg studied the dark clouds closely. "Due the effects linger after deployment?"

"They can, but not for long. And I can only use one person's moveset at a time, though I have been getting better at using mine simultaneously."

Tadhg scratched his chin. "Only one at a time?"

"Yeah."

"Is that the actual limit?"

Her eyes widened. "Uh, what?"

He smirked. "I can tell you've been putting a lot of hard work into molding this…Inherited Will, you called it? Molding it into something suited for you. But have you actually attempted to use two or more at a time?"

She frowned. "I…I guess? Nothing ever changed."

"But is that because that is your true limit, or simply you haven't pushed its limits yet?"

"I…didn't think I could push the limit of Faithless Imitation. Is that even possible?"

"Do you want it to be possible?"

"…Yes. I want to see how much stronger I can get."

Tadhg smirked. "Tell you what. Once our mission in New Chariot is complete, I will give you one of my special technique analysis sessions. If there is a means to increase your technique's copy manifestation limit…well, not only would you get stronger, but that just means more techniques for the both of us to discover."

Melissa dispelled the Abyss Clouds in her grip, staring at the lingering dust in awe. "Turning these copied, stolen techniques into…my own?"

With such a small platform to work with, Melissa did her best to maneuver around Nero's attacks. She wasn't nearly as skilled in hand-to-hand combat as someone like Ursula or Valentine, using the bare minimum of what she's learned to defend against her far more skilled opponent.

With dark energy crackling off his fists, Nero swiped and punched at the Buneary, who speedily hopped around the confined vehicle and parrying his strikes. Each one sent ripples through Melissa's body even as she diminished most of their impact. She could still recall the pain of taking one of his strikes and wished not to feel its full force.

Nero took hold of his spear again and thrusted it forward. With nowhere else to flee, Melissa leapt off the chariot and landed atop one of the Rhyhorn. They hardly paid her mind, focusing solely on lapping around the arena.

"You are a trove of surprises, Skill Hunter," Nero complimented, jumping on top of his chariot. "Why don't you go ahead and steal my Ebony Soul while you're at it? It may end up saving your life."

She struggled to keep her balance on the sprinting Rhyhorn. She wobbled back and forth before responding, "My life is far from over, Emperor Nero!"

Spotting another weapon rack coming up and that her chariot was still racing nearby, Melissa concentrated her energy through her leg muscles. Taking a deep breath, right as Nero thrusted his spear down, she rocketed away in the blink of an eye.

"Frantic Bunny Hop!"

She landed against the weapon rack, taking hold of a sword and shield, and flew toward her destroyed chariot. She landed hard, startling her steeds into almost tripping over themselves.

"Oh Nero, she's back!" the right Zebstrika screamed.

"Please don't kill us!" the left one cried.

"I said eyes on the path!" she yelled.

"YES, MA'AM!"

Her chariot sped down the track, leaving Nero's to tail after hers. Both racers sped laps around the arena, spinning round and round with a ring of dust kicking up into the air. The crowd was roaring with excitement, stomping their feet and cheering for combat.

Melissa kept a tight grip of her reins, looking over her shoulder as Nero caught up. She glanced down at the crossbow again. This thing is virtually useless unless I can pull the drawstring back. Guess I'll have to stick to chucking the ammo.

She reached down and picked up another iron ball. "Sadie Style: Assisted Destruction!" She tossed the sphere straight at Nero.

Nero flashed a cunning grin. "Not this time!" He extended his spear and struck the iron sphere midair. "Ebony Soul: Shatter!"

Energy rippled over the sphere before shattering it to pieces. Nero backed handed the shrapnel away from his face and commanded his steeds to pick up the pace, catching up on Melissa's tail.

"Crap!" Melissa reached for more iron spheres, but mistakenly took her eyes off Nero. She gasped as a pair of bolas suddenly struck and coiled around her. Her wrist got caught around the reins as she collapsed.

The Zebstrika steeds, unaware of Melissa's condition, followed her command and started to slow down. Melissa squirmed in her bindings, watching as the Krokorok traveled closer and closer to her chariot.

"End of the line for you! Ebony Soul—" Nero raced up to the side and thrusted his spear into her chariot's left wheel. "Shatter!"

The energy rippled across the wheel, breaking it apart. His chariot moved back as all the weight started shifting to one side, throwing the Zebstrika off balance. Melissa quickly untangled herself, grabbed the crossbow, and dove out of the chariot before it overturned on top of her.

The sudden ejection from the chariot sent her careening onto her back with a hard landing. She gasped breathlessly, tumbling a couple meters before laying flat on the ground, the crossbow sitting loosely in her grip.

Nero sped past her and started to make another lap around the arena. He raised his hands to the crowd, laughing with joy. "Thank you all for attending, but I'm afraid the show is about to end! Don't turn away yet!"

Their cheers roared louder than ever as Nero's chariot surged around the perimeter of the arena. The second he completed his lap, he will meet back up with the fallen rabbit and run her through with his spear. A perfect end to their duel.

"Skill Hunter Harlow! It's been fun, but it's time to close the show!"

Melissa cracked her eyes open, listening to the rumble of Nero's chariot as it made it halfway around the arena. She glanced to the side, watching as some soldiers raced onto the track and quickly escorted the wounded Zebstrika off the field. She sucked in a breath, pressed her hand down, and lifted herself.

Need to…catch my breath.

Lord Martius sighed, falling back in his throne. "I swear, that boy gives me anxiety attacks whenever he pulls stunts like this."

Invidia raised her ale and laughed. "To Emperor Nero, our undefeated champion of the colosseum!"

"Here, here!" the other girls cheered, clinking their bottles together.

Fortuna laughed nervously, sipping on her ale. Y-Yeah. Nero's going to win. It really was just nerves getting to me. Heh, so much for my lucky streak, but I'm proud to lose this bet.

Gemini glanced at Jason briefly before saying, "A shame it has to end like this. She could've been a valuable asset to the empire. If only she chose her allegiances wisely."

"…" Jason's glare deepened.

"It's almost frightening. Despite their differing outlooks, those two are scarily alike. Do you see that, Stormbreaker?"

"…If you believe that, then you know this battle is far from over."

Gemini narrowed his eyes. "Indeed."

The height of the audience's cheers reached its maximum as Nero completed another quarter of the arena, one away from reaching Melissa again. He held his spear tightly in one hand, rearing it back and smirking as the Buneary came within sight again. She continued to lift herself off the ground, swaying in place as she finally got hold of her breath.

"You put up a good fight, Skill Hunter, but I am the master of the chariots! I expected more from you after you defeated Tyranno!" He laughed. "Then again, it was the old coot who did the beast in, wasn't it? That tree he sprouted from the earth measures the gap between us all!"

"…" Melissa clenched her teeth.

"You want him gone, too, right? Don't try to deny it! He's an enemy to our futures, but I'll be the one to cut him down! What are you hoping to accomplish when you're too much of a coward to fight at your full strength?!"

"…" Melissa lifted the crossbow. "I may not be strong, but—"

"Ebony Soul: Arrow!" He cackled as dark energy crackled over his spear. "Time to die, Skill Hunter!"

"I've gotten by just fine…on my luck and cleverness alone!" She whipped the crossbow around and fired a surprise iron ball.

Nero's eyes widened. "Eh?"

It scraped along the side of the right Rhyhorn before smashing through the chariot's wheel. The chariot started to turn and skid out of control with the Rhyhorn blindly charging ahead as they do. Before the chariot overturned on top of him, Nero leapt out and rolled across the ground, springing to his feet.

Melissa sidestepped as the chariot detached from the Rhyhorn, not flinching as it sailed past her face and whipped her ears back.

"U…Unbelievable!" the master of ceremonies exclaimed. "Skill Hunter Harow just took out Emperor Nero's chariot in one shot! I've never seen anything like it from any other than the emperor himself!"

As the crowd screamed with trepidation and excitement, Nero stood up and dusted himself off. He smirked at the rabbit. "Clever bunny."

Melissa tossed the crossbow aside. "You did say I was full of surprises."

Nero narrowed his eyes. I get it. When she fell out of the chariot, she must've used the impact of hitting the ground to load the crossbow. This crazy bunny is always thinking outside the box. Heh. This just got even more interesting.

Melissa picked up the sword and shield that got tossed out of her chariot and armed herself. "Our contest isn't over yet, Emperor Nero. It's not too late to back down and surrender."

Nero took his own stance, channeling his energy through his spear. "Why would I do a thing like that? I never run from a fight."

She glared back at him. "And I don't run away from the path I've set forth."

"Neither do I."

One set of eyes blazed in silver light, the other crackled with darkness. Two sides of the same coin striving for a world of their own design, their ideals fixed on a single path. One striving to bring about true peace to the land, the other wishing to bring about an endless war to preserve his empire. Ideals too impossible for reality to maintain indefinitely. It was the truest form of a fantastical ideal.

Skill Hunter.

Unyielding Tyrant.

Mortal Marshadow.

God of War.

Names that transcend reality and become an ideal of their own. A symbol of how they will live their lives.

Could two such contradictory forces of peace and war ever reach a shared conclusion?

"The real battle starts now! Bring it on, Nero/Harlow!"