The kismets in disarray turned on their heels at once, but in their desperation failed to react to another fireball materialize in front of them, and by the time they felt the heat upon their skin it had concussed them all backwards and onto the ground, with Ursus only yards away. Mirai kicked forth a wall of earth to keep him from advancing, but Ursus walked through it as if it was made of paper – and strode towards Isaac's limp, struggling figure – Elwin stood to shield Isaac, conjuring shardlings of ice from all the water he could muster, trying to stab Ursus, but with a swing of a single arm Ursus melted the tips like fire to butter, and with a whip of flame he grabbed Elwin by the waist and flung him aside, the totality of his gaze on the green-haired boy on the ground. Mirai shielded Isaac next, flinging a sharp, well-placed stone into the bend of Ursus's knee that for the first time, made him groan – but all it did was to make him pound the earth with his foot, launching a pillar of earth in her direction which smashed her stomach and sent her flying; they could only watch in horror as Ursus stood over Isaac's struggling figure, grabbed him by the lapel, lifted him high into the air and with a single swing pummeled his limp body into the earth.
Alexander palmed his head and looked away; Katherine struggled in her seat, to run out into the arena, but was held down by the entourage of her family's guards. Professor Aionia and Headmaster Abraxas grimaced and gripped their seats. Artens did not learn the battle arts until their second year – how to attack, defend, parry, riposte, feint, and all the skills that came with choosing a House. Ursus was superior to them in close quarters, at range, at virtually every metric that made this not a battle but a slaughter; it was terrible to witness, especially for Maximus who knew he could fight Ursus squarely if given the chance, but could not. If only he was allowed to fight, if only he made acquaintance with Katherine earlier that year... if only he was there sooner! That crook Alexander... Stand, Elwin, Stand! If you don't, you cannot win!
Elwin and Mirai, as if they'd heard him, struggled up again at the last second, dodging out of Ursus's path. They limped their way as quickly as their bodies could carry them, towards the other end of the arena, towards the pool of water where the moat was drawn. But there was only so many places they could run, and they had to face Ursus again.
Mirai whispered through hurried breath.
"Can – can you cover Ursus in water?"
"To freeze him?"
"No, no ice. Just –"
Blood came from her cough.
"Just liquid will do."
"Where do you want me to drench him?"
"All of him. All of his metal armor."
Elwin didn't know what the next plan was, other than to survive, but there was a hint of confidence in her voice: they still had hope.
Ursus stopped unexpectedly. With a gentlemanly voice that did not fit his figure, he declared to them aloud; the incongruity disturbed them both.
"Your green-haired friend is downed. You are both injured. It is not my wish to hurt the unwilling. Do you concede?"
Katherine and Alexander teetered in their seats.
"NO." Elwin and Mirai replied, their faces stern.
Ursus shook his head. "Then you shall perish braver than most."
"MAIOR FORTIOR," he commanded, roaring his Quan to life for the first time in that battle.
All around him loose sand, gravel, and pebbles began to swirl, until all was a hurricane of earth. With a blast that shook the walls of the arena he launched himself at them both, shearing everything away like an approaching sandstorm. They felt the heat of his approach on their faces, stinging with sand.
"Not yet... not yet... hold..." she whispered, waiting for a marker that only she knew.
"When? Mirai, when?" Elwin pleaded, seeing him ever closer.
"Almost...
Almost..."
She narrowed her eyes.
"NOW!"
Elwin hurled the largest mass of water he could muster at that instant towards Ursus, through the wind, through that impossible force; though most of it was scattered away, a thin rivulet did make it onto Ursus's lustrous armor, and seeped into the loose mail.
It was just enough.
Mirai held out her Quan, still as an oak amidst the storm.
"Enin Rakurai."
There came a blinding flash of light as lightning crackled forth from her Quan and shot across the air like an arrow of gold loosened from a bow. It thundered across the dust and the winds as a roaring dragon, following the path of Elwin's rivulet of water and searing space with its heat, and in the fraction of time had pierced Ursus's defenses and wreathed him in yellow flame. Instantly the duststorm he'd gathered vanished about him; and Ursus tumbled to the hot earth, rolling several yards, seized by a force he had never expected.
Elwin looked at Mirai awestruck; but she was shaking, as if all of her Kaha was spent. She began to crumple, and Elwin caught her in his arms, so she did not hit her head upon stone.
But it was done.
They had won.
"I kept it hidden... until we were sure to win..." she smiled feebly, giving him a thumbs-up, before falling to unconsciousness.
The crowd erupted into a chorus of cheers and elated screams. Both Professor Aionia and Headmaster Abraxas stood, ready to jump over the arena walls to tend their injury –
"Celebrating early, are we not?"
Ursus's words silenced all in the Circuleum.
Once again Elwin could hear the creaking of his armor plates.
Ursus rose again like a monstrous beast, having weathered lightning through and across his body. The Sun was behind him, and all Elwin could see were shadows of his features, darkened, unfathomable.
"I apologize for underestimating you. You and your friend possess quite the chemistry for combat," he remarked, cracking his neck.
"But what will you do now?"
Elwin shook Mirai, for her to run; but she was unconscious.
Ursus tilted his head up at the sky, his chest racking with laughter.
"You worry for your friend more than yourself. I commend you! But have no concern. I do not harm the incapacitated."
Elwin gulped. So Ursus does have dignity.
"But –" he continued, "to you still standing, I can extend NO MERCY!"
Ursus roared, punching the air in front of him with a gauntlet of fire, splitting the air with a thunderclap. It singed the end of Elwin's short cape as he just barely dodged out of the way.
Elwin had no time to think. He had to run or perish.
Three pillars came at him from front and behind, intending to crush him. He slid past that gap in the nick of time. A jet of fire tore across his left face, setting his eyewrap on fire, which he barely doused with perspiration of his hair. Something about Ursus had changed – before, he was taking his time, having fun. Now, every step he took moved him faster, and every swing he made gave velocity to his next punch, his next flurry. Elwin weaved and ducked his way through the columns of earth, the lances of fire, whips of ash, the squalls of sands, the roaring stone, the peaks and lulls of spectators cheering them, booing them, all the while enduring the sting of his own sweat falling into his only good eye. Every miss was too close, every parry a lucky stumble. But despite it all, he was surviving, and that was all that mattered – now that he didn't have to defend his friends, now that they were no longer Ursus's target, he could pool all his thoughts into dodging and running for himself, to stretch out the battle as long as he could in his favor, in a battle of his Kaha against the other.
And gradually, without knowing it, Maximus's strategy was coming into fruition. The more Ursus missed, the more his strikes of fire and punts of earth met nothing but empty air, the more sluggish he became, the more his steely expression behind the helmet seemed to twist in effort. From how the shadows of the arena now looked, Elwin surmised, he must have been fighting close to an hour. It was far longer than any match he'd ever had – his first duel with Lucian on the contrary had lasted barely three minutes. And coupled with the fact that Elwin had run up and down that hilly summit two-hundred-and-ninety-seven times to train his endurance, to hone his Asha, the battle now was beginning to take its toll on Ursus. For the first time since the match, Ursus's armor appeared heavy on his body. And even from a distance away, Elwin could witness the minute trembling of the shadows cast from his trunk-like muscles; it wouldn't have been visible on person, but the draped shadow amplified it, provided Elwin a sliver of truth: the bear-champion was nearing his limit.
But Ursus wasn't going to concede just because he was out of energy. Maximus had told him to read him, to gauge his character, so Elwin could drive Ursus to surrender. But what was it? Just what could be the key? Why would Ursus become a guard if endurance wasn't his forte? That's when the truth struck him, the truth that Katherine dearly wished to tell him: Ursus's title and job was a misdirection told by Alexander Heriz. Sentinels of the Republics, as he recounted from his history lessons, were those who could hold out a siege for days on end with little food and support, who protected places of strategic interest through indomitable persistence. Ursus wasn't a sentinel; he was a watchman and a protector, whose duty was to shield Katherine from harm, bring her to safety as quickly as he could, and fight weak stragglers in the way of their escape. Elwin drawing the fight out an hour meant Ursus was a fish out of water: but for months Elwin had practiced nothing but endurance. Elwin was the water itself!
And while momentarily hypnotized by the chance of victory, he saw Ursus's colossal shadow beside him, who had launched himself with a finality of strength –
C R A C K – !