Chrysalis

Like I said, the Folk seem like they’re down to fight at pretty much the drop of a hat. Before ten minutes have passed, I find myself in an arena, surrounded by hundreds of spectators, while the dog-kin is stretching and taking some practice swings of his blade.

[How many of these arenas do you have?] I ask, a little bewildered.

[A lot,] he says. [We hone our skills in battle constantly against each other, and then against the Dungeon. Sometimes there are demonstrations where captured monsters are brought in so our warriors can test themselves against them. Most of these people probably assume that is the case here.]

He waves to the crowd and they cheer.

I wave to them with an antenna and get no response. Rude.

[Alright, what are the rules?]

[Fight, but don’t kill.]

[... That’s it?]

[That’s it. Use your full strength, because I will be using mine.]

So saying, he takes a firm grip of his sword and lowers himself into a grounded stance. The atmosphere becomes serious in an instant. A hush descends upon the crowd, as the audience holds their breath, waiting for the moment the battle begins.

I don’t have the biggest ego in the world, but I’m a tier seven, mythic monster over here. I don’t have the kind of ant numbers within range to really fuel the Altar, but am I even

who knows their stuff. Is there something going on he’s aware of but I’m not? It would be seriously embarrassing if I were to lose in an instant to some trick I didn’t see coming, so I decide to brace myself, spin up my

slight shift of my opponent's foot is all the warning I

FAST!

CLANG!

my position, angling my head to the side just in time for the blade, which would have punctured my

some serious speed! Surprised that he missed, my opponent is still quick to react, pushing off my thorax with both feet to

Whoa!

CLANG!

carapace, sending sparks flying high into the air. This time,

fast move, he parries one of my mandibles in mid air, using the force of the blow to bring himself

a little

that. I don’t manage to land a hit. Even though the spell itself is invisible, he somehow knows it’s

gets bored, or frustrated, and lashes out with a powerful swing. Unlike the other times, he activates a Skill. A wave of crystalline sword-light is formed on the edge of the blade before it flies off, racing toward me

Of course, my reactions are on point and I angle my carapace

Gweheheheh.

The crowd gasps as one, shocked that the mighty cut wasn’t enough to get through my

roar of approval bursts from the crowd, but it soon quietens

a little bit more