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.

sword? Just one? Look, 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

be a professional warrior, someone 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

opponent's foot

FAST!

CLANG!

nerves fire and I shift my position, angling my head to the side

my thorax with both feet to create some distance before he readies himself again. Not wanting to be caught out, I turn to

Whoa!

CLANG!

high into the air. This time, I’m not going to let him reset himself so easily. I lash out with

one of my mandibles in mid air, using the force of the blow to bring himself back down to the ground. Legs tucked, he prepares to

a

least, I try to, but he somehow senses it coming and leaps to the side. So I try it again. And again. And another five times after that. I don’t manage to land a hit. Even though the spell itself is invisible, he somehow knows it’s coming, but I’m not allowing him the

A wave of crystalline sword-light is formed on the edge of the blade before it flies off, racing toward me with

Skill. Of course, my reactions are on point and I angle my carapace perfectly. When the light hits, I

Gweheheheh.

The crowd gasps as one, shocked that the mighty cut wasn’t enough to get through my exo-skeleton, but the dog-Folk isn’t

at me. A roar of approval bursts from the

to take this a little bit