AN: Hello. Sorry this Chapter took as long as it did. I had to do a bit of reference work.

Also, another soundtrack for your listening pleasure, for the 4Blite vs Spring fight: Hallmore - Piece of Me.

Disclaimer: I don't own Minecraft. If I did, I'd give swords longer reach.

Chapter 250

Lock and Chain

[Duel Arena]

Ember blinked in shock, her search for Mox forgotten as she loitered in place and watched the duel closely. Spring was combo locking - doing GardenWalker's signature technique.

"What is HAPPENING, folks!?" The announcer exclaimed, his voice rising an octave in a mix of hysteria and confusion. "Spring is getting a steady stream of hits in and 4Blite is doing NOTHING to stop it!"

"Why is he just letting himself get hit!? DO SOMETHING, 4BLITE!" Members of the crowd hollered.

That's what you see, but you wouldn't get it unless you were the one facing it. Abyssmal's eye narrowed as he watched the technique from his seat. He knew the move well. He had seen Garden pull it off numerous times. So how did Spring know it?

Combo Locking. The penultimate culmination of reflexive legwork, spacing, and attack timing. Invented by GardenWalker, it allows for a fighter to repeatedly damage an enemy without getting hit, effectively locking the enemy out with a continuous combo. Hence the name, 'combo locking'.

The first attack is a sprint hit. Sprint hits cause low knockback on the first hit only. The technique user sprints at the enemy and lands the first hit at a perfect distance without being hit back. In that same instant, the technique user does a quick backstep, while the sprint hit's knockback sends the enemy away to further ensure a healthy spacing and avoid counterattacks.

But then, with tremendous leg strength, the technique user has to dart back in on the same leg, resetting a new sprint hit, and starting the process all over again. Without the backstep to reset the sprint hit, the repeated knockback wouldn't occur.

If pulled off correctly, like Garden was wont to do, the technique user could combo indefinitely, hitting and retreating without getting hit, until the opponent perished. You combo locked the opponent out of countering. In some respects, Erma_Gourd's 'HAWAWAWAA!' style was a kind of combo locking.

Of course, combo locking was only applicable to close combat. Whenever Abyssmal fought it, he'd just pull out a bow. Ember fell victim to it constantly in their spars, and she had to mess up Garden's timing just to break out of it.

That was another thing. Breaking out of the combo was simply a matter of throwing off the combo locker's timing. There was a rhythm to it. Da-ta da-ta da-ta. Jab-dodge jab-dodge jab-dodge. If you got too close, the enemy could get a hit in. If you jabbed too early, you'd miss causing knockback for that little bit of extra space and get nailed. You walked a fine tightrope; the timing had to be perfect. It wasn't something just anybody could pull off.

Spring's been busy, it seems. Abyssmal internally remarked, looking pleased. It was things like this that substantiated his Darwinian philosophy. He's been thrust into an impossible situation, which has forced him to evolve or die.

Question is, is he versed in the advanced form of combo locking? Garden's ultimate technique: Crit Chaining.

[Lazuli Tundra: Border]

"Come on!" Queen Wynn_Whispers spurred her horse to go faster, guiding it in a serpentine fashion to avoid the black and blue skulls dogging their every gallop. Hooves crunched against and kicked up snow just before a skull projectile left a crater where they had been.

Lazuli had lent her and KenjiStrawWalker their best steeds after affirming her plan to take out the Withers was viable. Suicidal, but viable.

When a Wither was spotted, Wynn would get its attention on horseback and lead it towards the Border, like she was doing at the moment. Kenji followed on horseback from behind, shadowing the Wither without being noticed. Wynn saw the outline of cobblestone on the ground that denoted where the Border stood.

Now the dangerous part! She thought anxiously. This was the fourth Wither she'd done this to so far.

As she approached the line of cobblestone, she veered the horse's reins to the left, the animal's legs sliding along the snow in a dangerous drift that threatened to topple them. However, the horse always recovered despite the skull projectiles detonating at their heels.

Sometimes, however, Wynn got nicked.

A skull exploded too close, and Wynn's arm got caught in the Wither effect. She gritted her teeth through the draining pain as her Hearts turned black and began to deplete. The horse was spared, though. She touched it out and righted the horse's reins to ensure it would gallop right along the cobblestone marker of the Border.

It was a tightrope she was walking; a fine line between life and death. But she had to evolve to stop these rampant Withers terrorizing Lazuli. Fighting an enemy she had no chance of beating alone, she had to think.

The Wither let loose a terrible shriek as it followed the Captain along the Border. It also walked that fine tightrope of life and death.

All it needed was a push.

Captain Kenji aimed carefully, his Punch II enchanted bow tracking the Wither's flight path as he rode parallel with Wynn. He'd done this three times, and he'd do it three more. The conquest had somewhat lost some of its splendor after the third time.

His eyes sharpened as he saw his window, and he let loose the arrow. It flew right into the Wither's flight path and struck its skeletal ribcage. The damage registered and the Punch II effect activated, knocking it sideways. Straight into the invisible Border.

Almost nothing could survive contact with the Border. As soon as one of the Wither's three heads clipped it, the whole thing died in a shower of EXP. Its Nether Star landed outside the Border, but the EXP floated down and slowly gravitated towards Wynn as she slowed her steed to a canter.

"Agh... haaah..." Wynn dismounted, falling to her knees in the snow as the lingering Wither effect left her drained. She grabbed some milk and Potions of Healing from her backpack and drank greedily while a Wither's worth of EXP floated into her arm. It wasn't a lot. Not compared to the amount of Lazuli Crafters it got killed.

Kenji galloped up to Wynn and dismounted to check her over. "You good?"

She broke off from drinking her potions for a breath of air before speaking. "...Fifth Wither was last sighted east of here, near Samoens." Wynn took out the map marked by Lazuli's guards and traced her finger to the mountain range to the east where the village was nestled within. "Let's get back to the ship."

Kenji was quiet as he watched Wynn shake off the lingering effects of the Wither. She fed her horse and climbed back on without showing an ounce of exhaustion. She was doing all the hard work, acting as bait and risking her life. Her persistence and single-minded focus were quite Carys-like.

"Is an alliance with Lazuli really what's firing you up?" He asked. "Even in this cold?"

"I'm fired up," Wynn spoke without looking at him, "because my little brother is out there on the front lines, right now, assaulting the Eastern Division and subduing Hackers. We need to unite the kingdoms if we're finally going to rid ourselves of them for good. If I can't do at least this much," Wynn spun and held her arms out, "how can I show my face to him? My pride as a citizen of Ringwood is at stake."

"Fair point." Kenji nodded. "Can't deny you're doing the Paragons a favor bringing in Jolin, Lazuli, and Daymonte."

The advice they sent to Jolin to handle their 'KillRoy's Furry' Wither had been well-received by King Ahote and well-implemented by the Berserkers. The guards and guild of Bounty Hunters were able to collaborate on a plan of ambush using tipped arrows of Healing as per Wynn's suggestions. There were casualties to some extent, but it was expected when dealing with a Wither. If anything, their losses were mitigated thanks to Ringwood's advice.

Advice that originally came from Mob books written by Herobrine, but Jolin didn't need to know that.

"If you're good on arrows, we need to hurry up." Wynn advised. "There's still two more Withers to track down, and then there's the cult's new Northern HQ to find. I don't want to wait until a snowstorm hits."

[Duel Arena]

4Blite bit back a frustrated snarl as his advances were repeatedly met with Spring's stabs in a rhythmic back and forth that made it impossible to strike back. His armor deflected a majority of the damage, but it was starting to stack up, and without any counterattack of his own landing against Spring's unusual move.

4Blite couldn't even use his signature invisibility tactic since it would mean shedding his Netherite armor. Only without armor could he be truly invisible, but it was too good a defense to pass up.

Spring, on the other hand, was exhausting himself fairly quickly. In his week of training, he had fought Carmen and her clones all at once to drastically improve his stamina, practice his situational awareness, and try out the techniques in GardenWalker's book. Combo Locking was passable, but Crit Chaining only worked for him once. Most of the time, he screwed up the timing or the moves. Using it in the duel was an all or nothing last resort he didn't want to fall back on. There was enough to keep in mind with Combo Lock, and his face was screwed up in focus as he followed the moves he practiced as outlined in the book. One mistake and 4Blite would break out of it. He had to keep the combo going, but 4Blite's armor wasn't cracking!

Finally, Spring was forced to break out of it once his Hunger Meter got too low to sprint. He darted back and took out some of Carmen's specially made stew.

4Blite had his own meal break, undoing all of Spring's damage with a rare Enchanted Golden Apple. Spring gawked in horror.

"My my! 4Blite has an ace up his asymmetrical sleeves!" The announcer shouted over the din of cheering 4Blite supporters. "Enchanted Golden Apples are exceptionally rare! Where could he have gotten one?"

"He got it from me~~~!" Mona took credit with a regal wave to the onlooking cultists. "No item is too rare for the merchant Lemonada! Whatever you need, I can supply!" Her high-pitched, sweet-sounding voice rang out like an advertisement. "You can get a look at my many wares in the Southern Division, once Dracula wins~~~!"

"...Dracula is 4Blite." Erma leaned forward to explain for everyone's benefit. "In case... anyone... wanted to... yeah..."

A golden apple was bad enough, but an enchanted golden apple was so much worse, providing not only Absorption and Regeneration, but an additional Resistance and Fire Resistance effect.

"More like Fool's Golden Apples!" Carmen and her clones chimed in. "Too high in aurum!"

"My food is packed with nutrients and tastes deliciosa, Spring!"

"I've also secretly been feeding the Eastern Division as their five-star chef!"

"So if you want more of my gourmet food in the Southern Division, you'll all root for Spring!"

At her reveal, the members of the Eastern Division in the audience - all of whom had tasted some of the Hybrid's cooking - shared looks and murmurs.

"She's the one been feeding us...?"

"Wait, so if Spring loses..."

"...the Hybrid chef dies..."

"...and we never get to taste her cooking again?"

There was a long pause as the crowd thought it over.

Then...

"GO SPRING!"

"BEAT THAT ALBINO JERKWAD!"

"HE'S LIBERATED MORE OF HIS OWN MEN THAN HE HAS CRAFTERS!"

"HE'S UNFASHIONABLY ASYMMETRIC AND IN DESPERATE NEED OF A TAILOR!"

"SPRING FOR THE WIN!"

"""SPRING FOR THE WIN!""" That cheer in particular seemed to resonate as Spring suddenly had a surge of support from the Eastern Division. The other divisions couldn't understand, not having tasted Carmen's cooking.

"What the hell is wrong with you guys!?" Brandeen accused the ones who had shifted loyalties to Spring.

"Sorry, Brandeen! Spring may be a traitor, but he'd make a better Executive. We're thinking about the greater food - good! The greater good!"

"You don't think I heard that!?"

"This is why you need fear to rule." 4Blite lamented as the crowd changed sides. "People are fickle. Buying them is a matter of meeting their price, but fear is absolute. As they'll soon realize." He added darkly.

Spring tried to get back into his rhythm with another combo lock, but 4Blite was more careful. He backed up a bit and let Spring overextend before punishing him with an unexpected throw of his axe which connected with Spring's helmet. The knockback still carried, even with the heavy throw, and Spring was sent hurtling to the edge of the arena. Carmen and her clones winced from the hard hit while 4Blite recovered his battleaxe.

"Come on, minion! Fight back!" KillGore urged.

Spring shook it off and darted back in. This time, he pretended to overextend to trick 4Blite into making a swing. Then he ducked it and spun with a forward step to initiate a new combo lock.

And he found a problem.

The enchanted golden apple padded 4Blite's Health Meter with eight extra golden Hearts as well as a Resistance effect to limit all melee damage by 20%. Add in the tough Netherite armor and 4Blite was basically a tank with a battleaxe. The combo lock worked, but it just didn't have the damage Spring needed to outpace 4Blite in attrition. Spring would lose steam before 4Blite's Health Meter ran out.

I don't have a choice! Spring thought. The technique is gonna fall apart! I can't worry about conserving my stamina! I have to use my other technique!

Spring broke off the combo lock for a moment and recentered himself before leaping at 4Blite. Crit Aura emitted off the blade, but not before 4Blite's axehead slammed into Spring's throat.

In the stands, Abyssmal frowned. His timing got thrown off...

The first swing landed, but Spring was knocked back by the axe's effect, ruining his timing and giving 4Blite a chance to get some licks in.

4Blite hefted his axe on one shoulder and ran in before funneling his momentum into his swing and cracking down on Spring's collarbone. The underdog's arm spasmed painfully from the hit, but Spring bit back a pained yell and kicked the Lieutenant away before choking down Carmen's regenerative stew.

"You think you can beat me? Me, who's suffered and slaved away while you had a couple of lucky breaks?" 4Blite challenged.

"Tune him out, my loyal servant!" KillGore cried out in his shrill voice. "He doesn't know the hard work you put in for KillGore's Wither skull grinder!"

"You always had Ember to save you from me. At the Gathering, then after the Creeper Herd you botched." 4Blite continued as he advanced. Spring rolled back to dodge the heavy axe swing that cracked the smooth stone slabs. "You always needed to be saved because I'm better than you! I'm faster than you!" 4Blite darted forward and kicked Spring in the ribs, rolling him back. "I'm stronger than you!" There was another powerful swing that knocked Spring back so that he skidded against the arena floor, his Health low. He grimaced as the shadow of 4Blite loomed over him.

"And you're weak!" 4Blite hefted his axe with both hands as he readied an overhead swing to finish the duel. "WEAK!"

The axe swung down and Spring rose to his feet, his hands coming up and together to catch the axe along the flat of the blade. The axe strained as the two engaged in a contest of strength. A contest that inexorably went in Spring's favor as the axe was pushed back and Spring began to rise off his knees to his feet.

"Actually," Spring's dangerous smile was full of teeth as he rose to eye level against a struggling 4Blite, his EXP strength surpassing the dark-skinned man, "I'm a lot stronger than I thought!"

With a shout of exertion, Spring pivoted and dragged 4Blite forward by his axe. The sudden change in resistance had 4Blite stumble forward, allowing Spring to wrench with his hands and steal the battleaxe right out of the Lieutenant's grip. Once he had it, Spring whipped it sideways so that it skipped across the arena and clattered off the side.

"Woooo! Go Spring!" Carmen cheered, followed by a resounding chorus of "Spring for the win!" by the crowd.

"You're not the only one who wants it, 4Blite!" Spring shouted as he slashed at the Lieutenant. 4Blite brought up his arms to block with his Netherite armor, but the slash was merely a feint so that Spring could get close and switch to a grapple, throwing the Lieutenant over his shoulder and further from the discarded battleaxe. "I want to win too! I want it more than you do! Because you're just some asshole I've had to put up with!"

4Blite grunted as his shoulder struck the arena floor. He recovered fast, pulling out a backup axe - an enchanted diamond one he used prior to receiving the battleaxe.

"Ember only had to protect me because I was holding myself back from my true potential." Spring remarked. "But no more. In here, we're equals. And I'm gonna surpass you!"

"You're DELUSIONAL!" 4Blite screamed, his cold demeanor cracking. "After all I've sacrificed, we're not equals!" He charged forward.

"Here we go! All or nothing!" Spring hyped himself up before eating a regenerative stew. Crit Chaining was the only way to break through the Netherite armor. With a Sharpness V diamond sword, he'd dish out the most damage with a constant stream of crits. Enough to overcome the strongest defense. Spring met 4Blite's charge.

Axes may have been stronger than swords, but they were also slower.

Ember's eyes widened and she felt her breath leave her as Spring jumped to the left in a partial strafe, dodging just as 4Blite swung first. Then, as Spring started to descend in his jump, he swung, and the white stars of Crit Aura emitted from his blade. For a second, it almost looked like Garden was down there. She was taken aback.

"Heeeeh..." Abyssmal grinned as Spring's form matched Garden's. It took him back. His Foresight predicted the outcome of the match before it was even over. "That rookie actually managed to pull it off..."

It was almost poetic how the new Southern Executive would win with the old one's technique.

Crit Chaining. The advanced form of combo locking.

Crit Aura - the white stars emitted from an attack - only triggered when attacking while falling, or if you were attacking with a Tinker's Cutlass. Jade could've pulled it off. Critical Hits dealt 150% of a weapons damage, including potion effects, but before enchantments. By leaping like a, well, a spring, Spring was able to time his attacks while falling to get Crit Aura on every swing.

It used all the same facets of combo locking - reflexive legwork, spacing, and attack timing. The difference being it shredded through Health Meters and armor. Instead of having to reset his sprint with a backstep, Spring needed only to keep sprinting and jumping, attacking only when he's falling and strafing left and right to dodge any and all counterattacks. It was a chain of crits that left zero chance for a comeback.

The Netherite armor may have been tough, and 4Blite may have had the extra Absorption Hearts and Resistance of an enchanted golden apple, but Spring was Crit Chaining with a Sharpness V diamond sword. Even with damage reduction, he was dealing one-and-a-half Hearts per hit where before, with combo locking, he dealt one Heart per hit. Plus, Spring knew 4Blite had no Protection Enchantment. Protection and Blast Protection were mutually exclusive enchantments; 4Blite prioritized and guarded against explosions only.

4Blite growled as Spring's sword kept cracking at his armor in consecutive Critical Hits. This was unheard of! Critical Hits were supposed to be rare, but his diamond blade was emitting white stars as if he was wielding that blasted Jade's diamond Cutlass! He also couldn't land a hit back for how erratically he was bouncing all over the place. His axe was too slow!

"Why! Can't! I! Hit! You!?" 4Blite frustration mounted, further spoiling his focus. The icy calm the Lieutenant prided himself on was boiling over.

In six hits, his Absorption Hearts were gone. In nine hits, his Health Meter was at half capacity. It was at eleven hits - with only one-and-a-half Hearts left, that he was forced to indulge in his last enchanted golden apple. He regained his eight Absorption Hearts and the twenty seconds of Regeneration II started to fix his standard Health Meter.

But Spring didn't stop.

"CRIT CHAINIIIIING!" Spring focused up, his legs continuing to bounce and propel him past exhaustion as he kept his attack timing and spacing to perfection. He knew if he stopped, he wouldn't be able to start again. It was like his foot was pressed on the gas, and he wasn't letting up for an instant.

The second enchanted apple may have bought him some time, but 4Blite was still taking damage. He tried tanking some hits to land something, but Spring was too all over the place. He then tried to disengage or run away, but Spring kept pace and kept slashing at 4Blite's retreating back, whittling away more Hearts and slowly breaking through the Netherite exterior.

The Plagues in the stands shared worried looks as their boss was about lose. Their investment was in jeopardy.

Spring's arms felt like concrete and his legs felt like tight rubber bands, but still he pressed his advantage. He had to for Carmen, and for himself. He wasn't 4Blite's grunt anymore! He was an Executive!

"GO DOWN, 4BLITE!" Spring shouted as the chain of slashes upped in intensity and kept raining down. 4Blite's defenses crumbled. The golden Hearts depleted. The final red Hearts were almost through-

A high-pitched whistle rent the air before blue sparks detonated in a burst that consumed both Spring and 4Blite, breaking the Crit Chain. Spring was blasted back and was left prone from exhaustion, but 4Blite's Blast Protection shielded him from the damage.

The cultists - even some pro-4Blite supporters - were on their feet in outrage, for it was Sam_Vatar, the Plague, who fired the firework.

"INTERFERENCE!"

"UNWORTHY MEDDLING!"

"HE'S VIOLATED THE SANCTITY OF THE DUEL!"

"Cocinaré a esos bastardos en un guiso y los serviré para la cena!" Carmen screamed in fury before supersizing and running out onto the arena to get the prone Spring.

Meanwhile, when the angry cultists closed around Sam, the other Plagues sprang into action. They were all on the same page.

Drowned bucketed out water onto the stands to wash away the cultists from the front. Mona hurriedly placed cobwebs and obsidian to slow or impede cultists from the right. Keen set a wall of fire at the back. Cyan threw down Lingering Potions of Poison to keep cultists at bay from the left. And Erma just pulled out her diamond blades and swung them in her 'HAWAWAWAA!' style like a helicopter to keep any other cultists from attacking. The stands were in disarray as the Plagues went rogue.

Ember drew her rapier and readied an ender pearl from her position in the stands. Her light-blue eyes flashed dangerously as she took their interference in the duel as a gross insult. Abyssmal felt the same, and he drew his bow in one fluid motion with the intent to kill Sam.

However, before he could fire, Cyan jumped in front of Sam with her arms spread out and her eyes locked on Abyssmal's position. The Eastern Executive remembered their time in bed a short while ago and hesitated for a second, the bow lowering slightly.

That's when the pair of flashing Withers dropped from the Asmodeus.

Cultists screamed and panicked as they saw the creatures of death and their slowly filling purple Health Bars, knowing exactly how much havoc they could wreak. Cultists started evacuating from the stands, creating pandemonium. Ember was jostled and had to fight the crowd just to get her arm ready for the pearl throw. Her eyes flew to the Asmodeus as it descended closer to the arena despite the Withers it had just dropped. Those Withers were left over from the drop tests she did on Lazuli's villages. Ember could just make out Mox's midnight blue hair from the airship's bridge.

"Quick! Extract 4Blite and get aboard! If you want to live, that is!" Mox's magnified voice came out of the airship's speaking tube.

The Plagues and 4Blite supporters did as ordered, either throwing ender pearls into the open loading bay doors of the Asmodeus to escape or throwing them into the arena to get 4Blite. The Withers were still flashing as cultists fled in every direction. The giant Carmen got between one flashing Wither and Spring and pushed it back with one foot like it was a discarded garment she was sweeping away.

Abyssmal whistled for his 'backpacks' to come over with the TNT minecarts and got his Railgun materials ready. There was an eager glint to his eye. The rogue Plagues were forgotten immediately. "After all these years, my long-awaited rematch! My greatest challenge I could never overcome! Come! I've prepared something special, Wither! It won't be one-sided like before!"

"Those loathsome curs are nothing but a couple of cheater, cheater, pumpkin pie eaters!" KillGore declared shrilly of the Plagues and pointed before being slid into cover behind Carmen's molten heel by the Hybrid's giant foot. Spring was already secured in her cupped hands. It was just in the nick of time, as the Withers detonated into motion. They left twin craters in the ground and proceeded to shriek and fire exploding skulls into the crowd of living cultists, withering and killing many and siphoning their Health.

Amidst the chaos, Sam and Brandeen went to 4Blite while Maira secured his discarded battleaxe. The dark-skinned albino freed a fist and grabbed Sam by his collar before tugging him down. His dark purple eyes were furious.

"You imbecile! Who ordered you to interfere!?"

"You were losing and about to die." Sam countered, unamused. "Or are you saying you had an ace up your sleeve and were just saving it for the last second?"

"I never asked for your help...!"

"If you die, we don't get the power you promised. If you want someone to blame, blame yourself. You're the one who couldn't deliver on beating Spring."

4Blite snarled something vicious, but he was also too weak to do anything but verbally chastise the Plagues trying to extract him. The Withers fired their exploding skulls dangerously close to the Plagues, and they were all forced to ender pearl into the Asmodeus. It was with great reluctance that 4Blite accepted the ender pearl and threw it into the airship's loading bay.

Carmen had her hands full - literally - carrying Spring and KillGore to safety. She was also dodging errant skulls, though the Withers never actually targeted her because she was part Magma Cube. She wasn't in a position to stop the Asmodeus as it started to ascend when the 4Blite and the Plagues were safely aboard.

Ember, on the other hand, finally freed up a throw and landed on the Asmodeus amidst pro-4Blite supporters and Plagues. Her light-blue eyes regarded them coldly.

"Upholding your loyalty to an also-ran must've been a difficult choice. Tied by tethers as you are, you couldn't tolerate an existence in this realm without being beholden to 4Blite." Ember said before jamming her diamond rapier through the armor, stomach, heart, and head of the nearest pro-4Blite supporter, killing him in a shower of gear. "I will honor your dedication and free you from your constraints. Come."

The 4Blite supporters did the opposite, either keeping their distance or escaping up the ladder to the other parts of the airship, but in the cramped loading bay, Ember had no trouble rushing them and using her rapier like a hole puncher. Her EXP strength and sword skills made her an unstoppable force as she mowed through 4Blite's supporters. Traitors, all.

Meanwhile, outside, a tremendous explosion shook the arena and demolished a section of the stands before an impossibly fast arrow struck the first Wither, killing it instantly. The Railgun made short work of the Wither, and Abyssmal's 'backpacks' cheered at the result.

Meanwhile, Abyssmal looked a little let down. "That's all...? One hit was... That can't be it. I'm... I'm not finished." He turned to the remaining Wither ripping apart the stands and killing cultists and grimaced. Not out of distress but out of disappointment. "The centuries of buildup only amounted to this much?" He sighed angrily. "I should've known not to expect cunning from a Mob! At the end of the day, even a Boss Mob is still just a Mob!"

"Sir! The next Railgun shot is set!" One of his 'backpacks' informed.

"Couldn't you do this much?" Abyssmal asked of the 'backpacks', sounded dispassionate. Lazy. Even when the second Wither was killing his own men. "Those things are one big anticlimax."

"SIR!"

"Fine, fine." He spoke in a bored manner as he kicked the stacked TNT minecarts off the rail and fired his bow. The Wither wasn't even trying to fly serpentine. The Night-Raven could read its flight pattern with ease, and the TNT propelled arrow struck the Wither in an instant, obliterating its purple Health Bar entirely and reducing it to a Nether Star and EXP.

The cultists applauded his efforts and celebrated the demise of the two Withers, but Abyssmal alone felt he hunted a butterfly with a cannon.

Are Carys and the Billionths really all that's left for me to look forward to? Abyssmal thought sourly. Or do I need to make the world even more dangerous to weed out my successor?

Meanwhile, on the airship, Ember just got done skewering a pair of 4Blite's supporters like a shish kebab before Erma moved to face her.

"Leave us alone! HAWAWAWAA!" The flurry of enchanted diamond blades would've been harrowing for anyone else, but Ember met them with her own lightning-quick and precise jabs, the diamond weapons clinking against each other as Ember's EXP strength stopped all of Erma's slashes cold. The Plague went white as a sheet as a particularly powerful thrust flung her arm back and left her open. Ember sidestepped into her guard, elbowed her in the chest to make her short of breath, then spun to reorient herself in preparation for her staccato three-pronged finisher.

Mona ducked beneath Erma's deflected arm and placed down two blocks of obsidian between her and Ember, blocking the deadly rapier thrusts. Following in her wake, Maira vaulted over the obsidian with an over-the-shoulder spinning swing with 4Blite's battleaxe, aimed to smash Ember's head in like a pumpkin. The Executive tilted and turned her head slightly, the blade just barely grazing her face, before she flicked her rapier to tear through Maira's throat and make her noiselessly gasp.

"We don't have to finesse it!" Brandeen exclaimed. He ran in with a shield up like a bulldozer and forced Ember to jump and kick off of it to gain some distance. The force of her kick made the bigger Plague recoil. "Nothing fancy! Just knock her off the ship!"

"Ooh! Ooh! I'll help!" Keen shouted, lifting her flint and steel only to get conked on the head and rendered unconscious by Drowned.

"The Holy Water has bestowed upon me the profound insight that fire and airships do not mix."

"How about poison, then?" Cyan smirked, chucking Splash Potions of Poison at Ember's feet. The Executive backflipped away, but then Sam shot her in midair with a firework rocket, blasting her right out the loading bay doors, clear of the airship.

"Get us outta here!" Sam shouted into the speaking tube, prompting Mox to put the pedal to the metal from the bridge. The Asmodeus ascended and barely clipped the lip of the arena before going south. The Plagues and 4Blite supporters sealed the loading bay doors to guard against further ender pearls or arrows while they made their escape. Anyone left behind wasn't their problem.

Back in the arena, Ember landed on her feet in the snow, but not without taking serious fall damage. Her gaze shot up and watched the Asmodeus sail out of ender pearl range.

They won't be hard to track flying that thing. She thought, sheathing her rapier at her belt as she let them go for now. She should have been more vigilant after Sdraw's warning; his Domino saw this coming from a mile.

The duel was meant to be something sacred. It was a one-on-one duel between 4Blite and Spring, where only the winner would survive and be granted the title of Southern Executive. 4Blite's Plagues had violated that rite. As far as the cult was concerned, they had all gone rogue and were to be considered traitors. No doubt this would elevate the opinion of Spring. Ember still couldn't believe her eyeballs seeing that young grunt pull off Crit Chaining, Garden's ultimate technique.

Speaking of Spring, and despite the ruined arena and wounded cultists, Ember still had a winner to declare. She turned to the smooth stone slab arena, where Spring was being brought to by Carmen's clones and some heavenly home-cooking. KillGore was there too, rousing him into wakefulness. Ember mounted the smooth stone slabs and stepped past the craters left by the Withers.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Brothers and sisters of the Endward Cult!" Ember declared, drawing everyone's attention as she gestured to Spring. "In light of recent duplicitous developments, and based off Spring_Fever's performance prior to said developments, Abyssmal and I have reached a consensus - one I hope you all can agree on."

Ember tilted her gaze to Abyssmal, who nodded back.

"Spring_Fever!" Ember's voice boomed. "Step forward, please."

Spring wobbled to his feet, his Hunger Meter full of filling stew as he was urged forward by the Carmen clones. He was shaky. He approached Ember with wide-eyed disbelief, as if he couldn't fathom how he'd actually done what he did. He stood face to face with Ember - his old crush - and watched her smile proudly.

"It is with great pleasure that I bestow unto you the title of Southern Executive, Spring_Fever." She grasped his hand in hers and shook it firmly. "I have the utmost faith that you'll honor the position and usher in a promising new generation for the Endward Cult. Well done. You've earned it."

Surprisingly, it wasn't Ember who started the clap. It wasn't Carmen, Abyssmal, of KillGore either.

It was Parallel_Parker, Spring's old partner, who sparked the applause from his front row seat in the stands. The very many who passed on the book of Garden's techniques. He gave a standing ovation and clapped with enthusiastic vigor.

That one clap opened the flood gates. Throughout the stands, cultists - wounded or otherwise - rose from broken stands and applauded Spring's achievement. Gone were their doubts of his skills or loyalty, for they had witnessed the intensity with which he fought the Northern Lieutenant. They had all seen him unleash a devastating chain of aggressive hits that no Crafter could defend against. He stood his ground, and it was 4Blite who ran away. In their mind, 4Blite was as good as responsible for Mox dropping those Withers on the arena and Sam interrupting the duel.

Soring looked around in awe as the cultists that had previously booed him were now praising his triumph. None of it was grudging or reluctant. He could feel the sincerity.

And nowhere did it come more sincere than from his freshly minted 'Southern Lieutenants'.

"Hmph. Of course KillGore's minion would be capable of that much." KillGore praised in his own bumptious way while clapping. "KillGore could have done it twice as quickly, but it wasn't too shabby. Really."

"Woohoo!" "Hacer una reverencia!" "You kicked that bastardo to the curb!" Carmen's clones whistled and whooped in acclamation.

"Quite the victory, Spring." Ember clapped warmly before him. "I suppose with 4Blite having flown the coop, the only real loser here is me. I'm down another Lieutenant and with no one to fill the vacuum." She lamented. "But don't let that take away from your victory. You were amazing. I have to know how you... learned of... Garden's...?" Ember trailed off as Spring turned his attention elsewhere and left the Executive ignored.

The old Spring would have hung on her every word and been lost in her looks, but, after having overcome 4Blite, as well as his shallow feelings for the Executive, Spring felt there was someone else he'd rather celebrate his victory with.

Carmen.

Spring's face lit up when he looked to Carmen. As he got near, her clones glomped onto him and even dragged an unwilling KillGore in for a group hug. They jumped in unison, laughing and cheering and celebrating their continued survival. They had finally found their light at the end of the tunnel. Now that Spring was back in the cult's good graces and heading the Southern Division, they'd finally have some room to breathe.

Ember shuffled in place awkwardly, trying to salvage her pride as she was distinctly apart from the celebrations. She didn't mind, though. Spring had his own thing now. He wouldn't be chasing her anymore.

With the duel concluded, Abyssmal and the Eastern Division excused themselves. Ember's plans to join them to interrogate Lenzington were put on hold in favor of tracking 4Blite and his Plagues down.

Neither of the Executives knew that the Eastern Division was currently under attack by Cobb and the Paragons. The cultists of the Western Division and the cultists allocated for the Southern Division who had come to witness the duel wouldn't be returning to their designated regions with the Portal Hubs soon to be out of commission.

As for Spring_Fever, he had a force of seven-thousand cultists to command.

AN: The duel has been decided. Spring is the new Southern Executive, and 4Blite and his supporters have broken away from the cult. This all happened before Abyssmal got back. Worse, with the Portal Hubs out of commission, the new Southern Division and half of the Western Division are stranded in Lazuli until Abyssmal makes a new network of stable portals, which could take months.

Crit Chaining was GardenWalker's special talent, similar to Ember's Soul-Gaze, Abyssmal's Foresight, and Sdraw's Domino. Even with Spring's amateurish handling of Combo Locking and Crit Chaining, he's still able to conquer 4Blite with a little help from EXP supplements and good eating. He's also over Ember to the point of ignoring her instead of fawning over her. Good on him.

Maybe you all think Spring doesn't deserve it - he's just a grunt - but that's fine. Even he thought himself not worthy of it. He only accepts that his survival and evolution depend on getting thrown at obstacles and picking up the skills and luck to endure them. Abyssmal's Darwinian ideals, basically.

Combo Locking and Crit Chaining are a real thing in Minecraft PVP I had to study quite closely to get an understanding of. If you want to learn more, look up the following on youtube:

How to DOMINATE Minecraft PvP! (1.9-1.20)

More importantly, we're rejoining West Gang. Carys, Noman, and all your other favorites.

Cobb: What the hell? You guys don't want me anymore? I'M THE MAIN CHARACTER!

Carys: Too bad. I'm best girl. Now go cry in a corner while the real star of the fic gets the spotlight.

Cobb: T_T

FAV. FOLLOW. REVIEW. PM. FORUM. DISCORD. PIZZA BAGELS.