The grass whispered around my boots as I stood in the center of the arena. The entire battlefield had changed again: no sand, no stone, no water. Just a stretch of soft green grass, rolling gently under a warm breeze.

  Tucker sat at my side, tail flicking, ears perked, eyes locked forward.

  Footsteps approached from the far end of the arena. Jase emerged from the tunnel, rolling his shoulders, twin daggers already spinning between his fingers. He grinned when he saw me. “I don’t plan on going down easy, brother.”

  “I know you don’t,” I said, matching his grin. “No matter who wins, let’s meet up at The Hungry Dragon and have a drink. Deal?”

  “Deal.”

  Before either of us could say more, Altus’ voice boomed across the arena.

  “IT’S HERE! The championship match between two System Champions! They’ve both been through a unique bracket in this tournament…”

  Aaron cut in, deadpan. “You don’t say.”

  Altus didn’t miss a beat. “As always, Guildmaster, thank you for the assistance.”

  “You’re welcome,” Aaron replied.

  Jase and I both cracked up, shaking our heads.

  “Guildmaster what do you say to getting this match started!”

  Then the laughter died. Aaron’s voice sounded over the loudspeakers. “Fighters ready! BEGIN!”

  Jase’s body dissolved into shadow instantly. Legs turning to drifting fog, arms sharpening into dagger-like points as the real blades melted into him. His eyes glowed like twin embers in a storm cloud.

  I drew a breath and activated Limit Break.

  A sharp twinge ran through my soul, like a plucked string vibrating too hard, but I held steady. Tucker’s speakers unfolded from his sides with a metallic click. “Just tell me when,” he said in my mind. “I’ll put everything behind it.”

  Jase struck first.

  A blur of shadow and steel. I met him head-on, Ember flashing, sparks scattering across the grass. We traded blows, his movements slippery and unpredictable, mine fueled by raw force and precision.

  Then he split. Three clones peeled off him, each identical, each armed, each moving with lethal intent.

  I didn’t hesitate.

  I flashed forward, Ember sweeping in a crescent-arced Eclipse Strike, and bisected all three illusions in a single swing. They burst into wisps of darkness.

  NOW! I shouted mentally.

  Tucker’s howl tore through the arena, deep, resonant, vibrating the air itself. The fog Jase had been weaving froze mid?swirl, suspended like ink in water.

  I saw him then. The real one.

  I flashed again, Ember blazing with sapphire fire, and slammed another Eclipse Strike into his chest. The impact cratered the grass and sent him crashing into the earth.

  Before he could recover, I was already there, Ember’s edge resting under his throat.

  The fog peeled away, dissolving into nothing. Jase’s form solidified, his shadow transformation fading until he lay there, blinking up at me in his normal body. “Do you yield, my friend?” I asked.

  Jase stared at Ember. “I… have no idea what just happened.”

  He looked over at Tucker with a curious expression on his face. I let a thin stream of aura flow through Ember. Sapphire fire danced along the edge, flickering like a living thing. I raised an eyebrow.

  Jase sighed. “I yield.”

  The crowd erupted, but all I felt was the quiet satisfaction of a promise kept, a fight worthy of the championship, and a drink waiting at The Hungry Dragon.

  Aaron’s voice boomed over the arena. “Winner of the Anchor Tournament. Riven Cross!”

  The sound of all those people cheering was something I’d never forget. Flower petals magically appeared from the sky, raining down on us. I helped Jase to his feet and gave him a pat on the back and pointed at him. The crowd erupted again. Jase looked around and smiled, taking the loss with good sportsmanship. And began to wave back to the crowd.Soon a guild escort appeared to take us back to a waiting area.

  The escort led us through the roaring corridors, past cheering spectators and guild staff scrambling to reset the arena for the ceremony. My pulse was finally settling, the adrenaline fading into a warm hum beneath my skin. Tucker padded beside me, tail swishing, still riding the high of the fight. “That howl of yours is Overpowered bud.” Tucker’s tongue lolled out as his tail swished harder.

  The escort ended up taking us to the same room I’d stayed in the night before. The door swung open.

  Balt was already inside, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, wearing a lopsided grin. He pushed off the wall and bumped his knuckles against mine.

  “Hell of a show,” he said.

  “Thanks, partner,” I replied.

  I had just shut the door when another knock sounded. Jason was there with a huge grin on his face. “Can I come in?”

  I moved out of the way and he walked over to the couch. “Let’s all take a seat and discuss what happens next.”

  We took our seats, and Jason began. “Alright,” he said, clapping his hands together. “Since no one was badly injured, the championship dais for the top three will commence in half an hour.”

  He pointed at Tucker and me. “You two obviously share first place.” Tucker puffed his chest out proudly.

  Jase is in second place, and Balt and Shane will share third. Due to the… unique nature of this bracket, I’m not entirely sure how the System will allocate the top rewards to you and Tucker. There are technically five individuals in the top three as well, truly an odd tournament.”

  Balt blinked. “Five?”

  “Shane doesn’t qualify for rewards, so he doesn't really come into play here as far as the System will be concerned, but technically there are five of you,” Jason said. “Shane doesn’t even want to be on the dais. Normally we’d have Balt and Shane fight it out for third, but Shane declined. Said he’d had enough fun for one tournament.”

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  I was right next to Balt, where only I could hear, and I heard him mumble, “Thank the System.”

  “Eat something and tidy up,” Jason said. “The Guildmaster will present the trophies, and the System will make the rankings official.”

  Balt raised a hand. “Yeah, question. About the System rewards. If we get blasted with System energy in front of all those people… with that much energy, it could be embarrassing if I piss myself.”

  I choked on a laugh. Tucker didn’t even try to hide his.

  Jason pinched the bridge of his nose. “Put your mind at ease. This is not our first Tournament, a System icon— ‘LV UP’—will appear in your vision. When you access it, the System energy and full upgrade will commence. Not until then.”

  I sighed dramatically. “And here I was, looking forward to Balt pissing himself.”

  Tucker nodded up and down enthusiastically, tail wagging.

  Balt flipped us both off. “You two are the worst.”

  The room settled into a comfortable quiet as we all chilled out. The half an hour flew by and soon Jason knocked on our door.

  Jason guided us through the unfamiliar tunnels; the air grew cooler and quieter the deeper we went. The muffled roar of the arena faded behind us until it was just the soft echo of our footsteps and Tucker’s claws tapping lightly on stone.

  He finally stopped in front of a heavy double?door framed with carved guild insignias. Before I could ask what was on the other side, another set of footsteps approached.

  Jase appeared with a guild attendant at his shoulder, looking freshly cleaned up and far too composed for someone who’d just been slammed into the ground by a flaming sword. He gave us a nod, calm, confident, ready.

  Jason returned it. “Well done, all of you. Now… Altus will call you out in order. Third place to first.” Right on cue, the door cracked open and Altus’ head popped out, hair slightly frazzled, eyes bright with showman energy.

  “We’re ready,” Jason told him. Altus flashed a thumbs?up, then swung the doors wide.

  Light and sound crashed into us, cheering, stomping, chanting. Altus stepped forward, voice booming with practiced flair. “Here they are, folks, your top three!”

  The crowd roared. “In third place… the electrifying Balt!”

  Balt straightened his robes, smoothed the front as if he were about to walk onto a royal stage, then strutted out with a grin that said he fully intended to soak up every second of applause.

  Altus continued, riding the wave of noise. “In second place… the Shadow Mage, Jase!”

  The arena exploded again: cheers, whistles, a few dramatic gasps from fans who clearly loved his whole mysterious?fog?assassin vibe. Jase walked out steady and composed, giving a small wave.

  “And your champion’s…” Altus paused, letting the tension build, letting the crowd lean in. “The guy with the flaming sword and his musically inclined companion… Riven and Tucker!”

  The roar that followed hit like a physical force, warm, wild, overwhelming. Tucker barked once, proud and loud, before trotting beside me as I stepped into the light.

  I stepped up onto the dais as Altus guided me toward the center staircase. The platform was massive, wide enough for all of us to stand comfortably. Balt and Jase stood on slightly lower platforms to my left and right, while Tucker and I occupied the highest point in the middle. The breeze carried the scent of grass and fireworks.

  Aaron approached from the side, an attendant behind him holding a long wooden case with both hands. Altus adjusted the microphone so Aaron could speak clearly.

  Aaron opened the first case, revealing a ceremonial dagger, silver?edged, ornate, gleaming under the arena lights. He handed it to Balt. “A great showing. Congratulations. As a symbol of your prowess, I present to you this dagger. Let all who see it know that out of thousands of other combatants; you finished at the pinnacle.”

  Balt immediately held it up over his head, posing as if he’d just won a beauty pageant. The crowd loved it. Aaron looked like he was trying not to laugh.

  He moved on to Jase. The next wooden case opened to reveal a ceremonial sword, sleek and curved, clearly crafted for display rather than battle. Aaron handed it to him. “You fought bravely and honorably, and in this Guildmaster’s humble opinion. The System chose well when it chose you, Congratulations on finishing top two this year.”

  Jase bowed deeply, then smirked and lifted the sword in a smooth arc, pulling a Balt as he played to the crowd, earning another wave of cheers.

  Then Aaron approached me and Tucker. The final case opened, and inside rested a laurel crown made of what looked like gold lay there.

  I tilted my head toward Tucker.

  Aaron caught the gesture instantly and smiled as he placed the laurel gently around Tucker’s head. Tucker puffed up, excited.

  Aaron turned back to the crowd. “What can be said about these two? They fought champions to get here. A performance for the ages. And I am proud to say Riven and Tucker are this year’s Anchor Tournament’s Champions!”

  Fireworks erupted overhead, brilliant bursts of color lighting up the sky. Flower petals rained down from somewhere above, drifting across the dais. The crowd roared so loudly it felt as if the arena itself shook.

  It took hours for us to get out of there.

  Everyone wanted to talk, shake hands, and congratulate us. The Duke found us at one point, smiling warmly as he clasped my arm. “If you’re ever out our way,” he said, “my estate is open to all of you.”

  I had no idea what “our way” meant geographically, but the gesture was nice. Eventually, Jason saved us and led us through a back corridor to avoid the crowds. The tunnels wound downward until we reached a quiet exit behind the stadium.

  A man I knew was leaning against the wall, waiting. Shane.

  He stepped forward, offering his hand. “I just wanted to say… I know you Outliers don’t stay on-world long after the tournament. So I wanted to wish you good luck in person, on saving whatever world you’re headed to next.”

  We clasped hands firmly. He reached down and gave Tucker a fond pat on the head. “Are you sure you don’t want to grab a drink with us tonight?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “I’m good. I’m heading home after this. My wife and kids are waiting and I miss them.” We exchanged final goodbyes, and then he was gone, disappearing into the night.

  By the time we reached The Hungry Dragon, the streets were empty. The tavern looked closed: dark windows, no lanterns lit. I pulled out the key Mei had given me and unlocked the door.

  We stepped into pitch-blackness. “I can see all of you, you know,” Jase said behind me, sounding far too amused.

  The lights snapped on. “Surprise!” Mei, Wren, Chu, and the boys shouted.

  A massive cake sat on the counter with Wayne holding a cutting knife ready to divvy out pieces. Pitchers of amber liquid were lined up like a challenge, and I had to say I was feeling up for it.

  I blinked as the LV UP icon pulsed in the corner of my vision. I guess that’ll have to wait until morning.

  Tucker barked in excitement, and the celebration began.

  The celebration went on late into the night. The cake vanished faster than Wayne could cut it, pitchers emptied and refilled, and laughter echoed off the tavern walls until my sides ached. Even when the night deepened and the city outside fell quiet, none of us were in any hurry to let the moment end. Balt and Jase were surprisingly the first ones to tap out, and I watched them stumble to their rooms, their drinking competition taking them both out early in the night.

  Eventually, though, exhaustion crept in on us all. One by one, people drifted off. Wren yawning behind her hand, Chu politely excusing himself, half-carrying the boys to bed. Tucker and I took our leave as well. Tucker helped guide me up the stairs.

  Our room felt blissfully still. I’d barely collapsed onto the bed when a knock came at the door.

  I groaned, rolling onto my side and scrubbing a hand over my face before forcing myself upright. “Coming,” I muttered, stumbling across the floor and pulling the door open.

  Mei stood there, cheeks flushed and eyes bright. She didn’t bother pretending not to look me over; her gaze flicked down, then back up, slow and deliberate. “Can I come in?” she asked softly, lips curving, “oh Champion.”

  I stepped aside, and she sauntered past me, letting her hair down as she walked.

  Tucker had followed me when we heard the door knock. Tucker lifted his head. “What’s up, Mei?”

  She gave me a look. A very pointed one. And patted Tucker on the head as she made her way to my room.

  “Tucker,” I said quickly, “I need to go over some…” I glanced at Mei again. She caught my eye and winked. “…very important things.”

  Mei walked into my room, cracking the door slightly behind her and turned off my lamp light. “Why don’t you go sleep with Balt,” I added. “Just for tonight.”

  Tucker’s ears flattened. “Do I have to? He snores.”

  I sighed, then thought of something. A second later, I summoned his bathroom bag, his toothbrush dropping neatly into my hand. “If you go sleep with Balt,” I said evenly, “I’ll let you get out of three days of brushing your teeth.”

  Tucker jolted upright, eyes snapping between me and my cracked room door. He didn’t know what was going on, but he absolutely knew there was opportunity here. “One week,” he said mentally.

  “…Done,” I replied. “Now scram. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Tucker huffed, and padded for the door, throwing one last suspicious glance over his shoulder before slipping out into the hall. A look of realization came over the K9 face. "Hey, are you two about to mate?"

  I closed the door and leaned back against it for a moment not answering the question, then turned and followed Mei into the bedroom, a grin spreading across my face.

  The tournament was over. The night, however, wasn’t done with me yet.