Howdy,

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"Shall I prepare Arragance, Master?"

For a moment, smacking down those blowhards with overpowered might seems like an awesome idea. Taking a breath made me realize how bad of an idea it was. Partner had caused more of a stir than I'd have liked for it's size alone, never mind how much they are underestimating its combat power. Showing armor like that would cause too many problems, far too many questions, and a lot of people trying to steal it.

"No, I don't want the idiot rangers making some hypocritical stupid complaints. Seriously, under normal conditions, it would be like a rich kid buying a formula 1 car to race an everyday stock car. That I have a vehicle from the age of hover races is just a window for an excuse from those fools."

"I am pleasantly surprised. I must warn you that the odds of beating all of them without your 'hover car' is low."

"That's why I want you to modify one of those old wrecks we found. How strong can you make it without altering its appearance?"

"Calculating; I can assure your victory, but would that not still be considered cheating?"

"Only if they find out."

"Your desire to show you are more devious than your the new humans is most commendable."

"Shut it! And prepare 500 platinum coins as well."

"Oh no, don't tell me you're going to defend my honor in that thing." Angelica moaned.

Olivia "I have to agree, Leon, it looks sort of... cheap."

"Don't focus on the cosmetics. I may not have been able to afford a new coat of paint, but it's in tip-top shape where it counts."

Angelica snaps. "With the sort of money you bet on yourself? Maybe if you didn't have such a gambling problem!"

Ouch, she got me there. "Just trust me. Please." It's not that I couldn't see what they mean. The armor has pealing gray paint, a few dents, and zero ornamentation. Even the twin axes in its hands have seen better days.

Climbing into the cockpit Luxion shows up. "Activating Deception."

"You could have given it a new paint job."

"But Master's instructions were not to alter its appearance."

"Whatever, let's just get ready. Brad is coming up now."

Brad "I'm impressed you didn't run away. I can respect that. But respect won't stop me from crushing you in that cheap tin can. My armor is made by master smith Aldanter himself. Forged from Tershium ingots, this beauty was designed with magic conductivity in mind.."

"This match is supposed to be about who can fight better, not how your daddy can afford to give you better toys than I can salvage."

Brad "How dare you!"

Ref "Combatants state your names."

"Leon Fou Bartford" "And I am thy Brad Fou Field" "Fight"

Brad started by charging his drone lances. "I will defeat you with one mighty blow! Prepare to die!"

I raise an axe, and a yellow spell circle forms and shoots a lighting bolt that connects to Brad's lance and forks into the lance drones. Brad's armor falls flat, his drones clattering to the floor behind him. "Um, Brad?... Hey ref, he isn't moving."

"Winner... Bartford!"

"I only meant to stun him." Someone in the crowd yelled, 'Come on, I blinked and missed it!' That snapped everyone out of a daze. "Hey Loxion, is Brad .. OK?"

"My biometric scan shows he is unconscious with second degree electrical burns. Master's ruthless use of his armors own conductivity was quite superb."

"Dud, warn me about that! He might have died!"

"Would not one less male increase masters chances of finding a mate?" Dam heartless A.I. "Master Greg is taking the field. Get ready."

Greg. "Hey Boonies Baron, you didn't win that fight because you're tough. You won with a cheap trick."

Leon "Combat isn't a sport, Greg. If you'd rather settle this by debate, we can have tea and cakes instead."

Greg, "I will destroy you."

Ref "Combatants state your names."

"Leon Fou Bartford" "Greg Fou Seberg" "Fight"

Greg ran at me, screaming and striking wildly. "OH is the Boonies boy scared! Is that all you have?!" I blocked every blow with minimum effort. Greg may be ferocious and strong, but his mass-produced antique is in disrepair, and those powerful strikes took much more out of him than blocking them did. I dropped one axes and grabbed Greg's spear. "Get your paws off my weapon, mongrel!"

"A weapon you hold but don't know how to use belongs to your enemy!" As much as Greg was determined to hold onto his weapon, that just made it easier to cut off one hand than the other. Greg fell backward, now disarmed in every way. I knelt to retrieve my other axe and had to dodge a kick aimed at my head. "What the fuck do you think your doing?! The fight is over, you have no fucking arms!"

Greg "SO WHAT I'LL KICK YOU TO DEATH!" He tried to kick me again. And had his leg cut off with his own spear for the attempt. The back strike severed the other leg. Greg just kept screaming even after the cockpit hit the ground, mostly obscenities. Finally I reached down and ripped the frame open killing the systems external speakers.

Greg was yelling. "This isn't over. I'll keep fighting even if I have to do so without my armor."

"I won't attack the weak, unlike you and your friends."

Greg. "Your calling me weak! I've conquered just as many dungeons as you!"

"HAHAHA.. You really have no self awareness do you? I'm a real adventurer not some wannabe who uses his influence to have the monsters culled of any real threat before going in." Ok admittedly that was probably his family but he would have noticed if he wasn't such a meat head.

Greg just started bashing into my leg with a piece of scrap.

Ref "The .. the Winner is Bartford. Greg Fou Seberg, please leave the arena. "

After the staff cleared out the debris, Chris stepped out onto the field. "I won't underestimate you like those other two did. Prepare to fight at full strength!"

Leon "Be careful what you wish for Lord Arclight. You may just get it."

Chris "Your arrogance shall be your undoing."

"Get a mirror!"

Ref "Combatants state your names."

"Leon Fou Bartford," "Chris Fia Arclight," "Fight."

Chris started by charging at me. In Swords ONLY combat, Chris might even be better than the Black Knight. Sadly, for Chris their is a lot more to combat. He doesn't even use a shield or second sword, effectively tying one hand behind his back. Don't get me started on his footwork.

I met his charge with a double swing of my own. One overhead, one from his left, the fool managed to block both leaving him wide open. This is where Loxion really helps. The two small guns on my shoulders opened fire. At point blank, even the non-lethal rounds punched right through the weak armor in the armpits. Thanks, Loxion, for handling the timing and aim.

Chris is forced to back up as his sword arm is rendered useless and drops the sword. The Referee gives the sign to stop. Before the ref can speak. "Are you serious?! How dare you fight without a shred of chivalry?!"

"Oh? Did you not tell me to fight at full strength? Or maybe you think only pure swordsmen, like you, have chivalry? No spears, guns, or even a shield. But that would mean your colorful friends also have no chivalry."

"I didn't say that!"

"Then state clearly how I in my third fight in salvaged armor was unchivalrous to you. Someone fully rested in expensive custom armor." Chris had no response.

Ref "Winner Bartford."

Jilk is calling for an intermission. Sure, I need to take a dump. And pretend to run some maintenance.

"Master, your sister has placed a bomb on Deception's back. It seems a strange way to show familial love until I found out your next opponent coerced her. I should also inform you that he is loading his firearm with armor piercing rounds forbidden by dual rules. Both can cause serious damage to deception and yourself."

"We figured he'd try that sort of shit. What are the odds if you go as planned?"

Jilk is waiting already, "I was starting to think you ran away."

"Someone tried to force my dear sweet sister to plant a bomb on my armor. Fear not. We turned it over to the authorities. It just took longer than expected."

Jilk "Yes ... good. I wouldn't want any unfair play." I can just imagine him in a cold sweat.

"Could have fooled me. You and your friends have been nothing but unfair from the start."

Jilk "How dare you! You're the one who cheated your way to victory so far."

"How, what proof do you have? For that matter, what proof did you have that Miss Angelica is a bully. There was none. Nay less than none. There was evidence proving her innocent. But by royal degree, she was guilty."

Jilk. "Silence Knave!" Jilk raised his rifle at me.

"Looks like you clearly can't gauge your enemies' strength, can you."

Ref "Jilk Fia Marmoria, control yourself."

Jilk. "Bartford, you have no honor."

Ref "Combatants state your names."

"Leon Fou Bartford," "Jilk Fia Marmoria," "Fight."

Jilk starts by tossing a smoke grenade as he gains some distance and height. There are so many openings in that dude. What ever lets just hit him.

Jilk fires on me as I exit the smoke. "What, how did I miss." His round goes into the arena floor to my left.

"What can't hit a moving target? Haha, pathetic." Bastard is trying to run, but he was already almost out of bounds. My axe cuts into his rifle. In a real fight, this might have been more trouble. In a CQ duel, a sniper build just isn't any good.

Jilk pulls an axe out. "Why are you desperate to fight the prince. Your life as a noble will be over."

"Like I care." Using the flat of my axes, I bash the fools head hard. As he slams into the floor, "Be grateful you live."

Loxion. "Your ruthless use of force is commendable. If not for healing magic, he would never walk again."

"He wanted to kill me." I'm shaking. It just hit me how close that really was. Without the warbler (magnetic projector that drastically alters bullet trajectory), he would have just killed me.

Greg 'prepare to die,' Greg 'I will destroy you,' Chris may not have said it but his killing intent was evident, and if Jilk's plan had been successful only his families influence would have stopped him from going to jail for murder. "They all wanted me dead! For what? Standing up to them."

Loxion. "This is why I recommended Arragance. It's armor is impenetrable by current new human means."

"Just give me a minute." I should have that as I wait for the other blue ranger.

Insert Julius intro.

"Can we have a chat man to man. Ostracizing Angelica and the Redgraves will have serious consequences. You could even be stripped of your right to the throne. Do you really want to choose Marie over everything else in your life?"

And I don't want to be a prince diatribe.

"Don't say I didn't try."

Ref "Combatants state your names."

"Leon Fou Bartford," "Prince Julius Rapha Holtfort," "Fight."

To Luxion. "Julius has some really fancy armor. Think it'll actually put up a fight."

Luxion. "His armor is rather impressive as an art piece. It is, however, no stronger than the others."

"Cool, I'll go attack it then." I ran at Julius axes at the ready. As predicted, he raised his shield, sweet. When I'm almost in range, I jump. Planting my feet into the shield, legs bent and kicking out as my feet connect. The resulting velocity change was jarring, and I landed on my back. Kicking up and back into a standing position, I can see what I was hoping for. Julius took all the momentum of the kick and a running ton of metal and was sent flying clean out of bounds.

Ref "Win... Winner ... Bartford."

Julius struggles to his feet. "No! I refuse to accept this! This match doesn't end until one of us is dead!"

"Should we take that as a royal decree? If it's not, it carries no weight."

"Bartford!" Julious runs and lunges at me.

I shift to the side a little too late as Julius uses his booster at the last second. The screeching metal on metal as his sword connects, and he scores a glancing blow across the cockpit. Thanks to Luxion assisting me, that's all I got. Let's not tell him that he's got a big enough ego.

Grabbing his sword hand, I pull down. Between his own momentum and my grip, we fall to the ground face first. From my position pinning Julius to the ground, I shift to have my knee in the middle of his back. Julius is screaming variations of 'get off' with rather colorful language for royalty.

Enough of this. Ripping off the back maintenance hatch, I find what I need. The magic crystal power supply, extracting that makes the armor into an art installation/ metal casket for the pilot.

The crowds reaction is still overwhelming negative. Every dismissal this lot ever gave me and belittling of what I had to do just to survive to this point came back in a rush. "THIS! This is what it means to stand on your own! This is what it means to have strength instead of using your ancestors' achievements as a crutch." A lot of them got angrier, especially the girls. "I don't have enough gloves for everyone, but the dueling floor is open. So bring it or shut up!" They finally did shut up. "Thought so."