With my hand intertwined with Tress’s, I activated the first [Lightning Momentum], launching us to the side and toward the wall on the giant’s back.

  However, the monster seemed to sense the movement. Its face was now uncovered from its hand as it entered a frenzy of anger, no longer caring about the spells coming its way.

  Arrows and magic flew toward its open chest and face as it swung its club at us. The monster was fast, but my spell was faster.

  I activated [Lightning Momentum] again and felt my feet gain leverage against the surface of the monster’s weapon, which we had dodged by mere inches.

  The second spell launched us directly to the wall, right in the middle of it. Tress released my hand as she instinctively searched for something to hold onto.

  I grabbed a crevice as gravity tried to pull me down. Thankfully, Tress didn’t take long to find one for herself. I looked to the side—Max was already near the top.

  “We’ll have to go again,” I told her, offering my hand.

  The monster turned to attack us, and in our position, we’d be sitting ducks.

  Thankfully, Mila kept her promise. Someone flashed through the night, hurled into the sky. It was Mary.

  She swung her shield mid-air, and the impact struck the creature right in the face. Teeth shattered as the blow connected, and I wasted no time.

  I launched myself and Tress forward with another [Lightning Momentum]. We were now at the same height as Max and his friend, but he didn’t seem to have a skill like mine.

  After Tress grabbed my hand again, I used another spell. We were now level with the monster’s head. I took the moment to release a lightning bolt at its bald, glistening skull and was rewarded by the sound of its teeth crackling from the shock.

  The monster halted as my allies took advantage, either trying to unstrap it even more or kill it directly. I couldn’t keep up with that, though. I had a race to win.

  The fourth [Lightning Momentum] threw me right to the top of the slope. Exhaustion started to get the best of me. If I used the skill again, I wouldn’t be able to repeat it. I had no choice but to keep going without using it until the right moment came.

  I took a good look at my surroundings and saw the source of the light at the top of the mountain.

  Nearly a mile away, a circle—probably the size of my hand, though it was hard to tell from this distance—stood with its light piercing the sky, almost like a beacon.

  For me, it was a beacon of hope. The system had promised advantages for the next tower incursion and help for our people back on our planets. I just needed to reach it before Max, and I had the advantage.

  So, we ran.

  Tress was faster, less exhausted than me. She pulled me by the hand, trying to help me gain speed, but it wasn’t working. My legs were sore. I just needed to keep going for maybe three-quarters of the way, then I’d activate my spell, fly toward it, grab the stone, and end this once and for all.

  “Go ahead. If you reach it first, it’ll make no difference,” I told her, watching as her speed increased dramatically. One mile was nothing to Tress—her speed stat was clearly superior to mine.

  She ran ahead of me for half a minute before she fell to the ground.

  A thunderous sound echoed through the mountain slope. A sound unmistakable to anyone from Earth.

  Someone had just fired a rifle—and hit Tress.

  I looked back, eyes wide, and saw Max’s right-hand man getting up, shrugging as if to apologize. Then he started running after Max, his rifle disappearing into his inventory.

  The fucker had a rifle!

  I rushed toward Tress, the city stone becoming an afterthought.

  I turned her over and was relieved to see her eyes wide, her breath labored but steady. It took her two seconds to speak again.

  “My left shoulder. I can still fight,” she said between breaths.

  “Stop them, though. I’ll go ahead.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  I helped her up and saw the hole in her armor, blood pouring out. It was a small-caliber shot, cleanly passing through one side and exiting the other. A precise and powerful hit.

  He could’ve killed her. It wouldn’t have been hard to hit her in the middle of the back, severing her spine, or even in the head. The dark-skinned man had chosen to slow us down instead of killing her, and I hoped he had only one round in his rifle.

  Tress rushed toward him, sword in hand—using her bow was impossible with her shoulder so wounded.

  I kept running. Max was ahead of me, but he was clearly exhausted.

  I threw a dagger at him, aiming where he’d be in the next second. It was meant to hit him right in the neck. Just in case, I threw the second one—the Lyrathos blade—toward his stomach.

  As I ran, a red wall erupted from the ground to protect Max. It was like a shield made of blood had appeared out of nowhere, an instinctual defense.

  The shield lasted only a second—long enough to block the first dagger but not the second.

  The Lyrathos blade sank deep into Max’s side. I watched as he stumbled, rolling to the ground, screaming in pain.

  I used the momentum, screaming with him, pushing myself faster. I couldn’t have had more adrenaline in my blood than in that moment.

  Behind me, I heard Tress clashing metal against metal as she fought the other man. But I didn’t stop to check on Max, didn’t glance at the fight. I just kept looking ahead.

  Feeling I was getting close to the halfway point—one quarter more, and I’d activate [Lightning Momentum] to ensure I got the stone.

  That was when the air near me rippled apart, and my senses screamed at me to dodge. As I rolled to the ground, something red and sharp cut through the air.

  I only caught a glimpse, but it looked like the silhouette of a blade made of blood. I stumbled to my feet and kept running, now keeping one eye on Max, who had thrown my blade away and was sprinting toward the city stone again.

  Somehow, the bastard was gaining speed, almost matching me after I’d had to get up and start again. I watched as he summoned his blade once more. As he made the cut, the air crackled again—right next to me.

  That was his deity skill. It became clear. Something related to blood.

  The magical blade appeared right in front of me, swinging directly toward my heart. Once again, I had to duck, sliding my whole body across the ground to avoid getting hit.

  I didn’t see him strike again, but I felt it—another of those blood blades slashed into my shoulder.

  It cut deep, enough that I had to suppress a scream.

  I still got up, holding my left shoulder and rushing forward. He was so close to the city stone, needing only a quarter of the distance to reach it. I was just a few steps behind.

  I’d have to use [Lightning Momentum] now if I had any chance.

  So I did. I flew toward the city stone as fast as I could, feeling the air sting against my wounds but ignoring the pain. I was so close. Max became a blur at my side until [Lightning Momentum] burned out, and I hit the ground, rolling.

  The time it took me to get up was the time he took to catch up.

  Both of us were now only less than fifty feet from the objective.

  I thought about throwing another dagger at him, but that would’ve cost me time, and he seemed to share the same thought—no blood blade came my way.

  It was impossible to tell who would win the race at that moment. I had to take a chance. If it didn’t work, I’d probably be stuck in place, but Max was running faster than me.

  I noticed blood encapsulating his boots, probably boosting his speed.

  Just one more. I activated [Lightning Momentum]. It was weak, devoid of the thunderous strike it normally caused beneath my soles, but I had no choice.

  The skill was just enough to throw me a few feet forward.

  The distance I needed to reach the city stone.

  I outstretched my hand and felt it connect with a cold surface—at the same time, with warm fingers.

  It was hard to look up, my breath labored, but I forced myself to do it. When I did, I met Max’s blue eyes staring straight into mine.

  He looked just as exhausted as I was—no grin on his face, no victorious expression. Neither of us had the energy for that.

  We just kept staring at each other, polar opposites in the same game.

  For a moment, it seemed like nothing would happen. Our bloodied hands remained pressed against each other and the cold blue city stone for what felt like an eternity.

  Then, the moon shone brighter—like an alien ship abducting people in an old movie. All sounds of battle disappeared on the horizon, and a familiar voice reached us.

  It was the show’s hostess, but she wasn’t speaking inside my mind or from a monitor. She had stepped out from one of her portals and halted right in front of us, her grin wide, her skin glowing in the light. She looked as uncanny and beautiful as the first time I’d seen her.

  The four sets of arms on her tube dress made her unmistakable.

  “This has happened before, boys, and normally it’s a great moment, so keep it that way just a second longer,” she whispered, then stepped back out of the light.

  The next second, she reappeared with her hands to the side, wearing a different outfit—a gala dress covered in diamonds, nearly blinding me and Max.

  “It’s with great pleasure that I announce to all of you watching live now that we have a tie!” she called, her voice loud, as if expecting someone to respond. My blood ran cold as I kept my gaze locked on Max.

  “And as we’ve done in other editions of the show—whether in a city stone dispute or a tower one—the two caught in the tie will have to duel for the right to the city!” she announced.

  Max’s eyes widened just a little, a smile creeping onto his face.

  “We’ll replenish their health and mana and watch as they battle to the death. One gains it all, one loses it all. What do you say?” she asked the audience, but Max’s grin told me he didn’t need their approval—he was already in.

  I wasn’t surprised when I realized I was grinning from ear to ear as well.