The Count's hammer came down on me hard. I only had a split second to react.

Throwing myself to the side, shards of rock pelted my side as the Count's massive bronze hammer cratered the arena floor where I'd been standing.

"Not bad, kid." Before I could recover, the Count was pivoting on his heel, his massive hammer whistling through the air as it carved a wide horizontal arc through the air before slamming into my ribs.

[Unbreakable]

Every rib—no, every bone—on my right side shattered before snapping back into place due to my talent. I was thrown through the air a good twenty feet before I came to a rest against the arena wall. Khadrel was so strong. He was absolutely still stronger than me, though the gap had shrunk considerably since the last time we'd fought.

"On your feet, boy!" The dwarf was on me in an instant. Ripping me back onto my feet, he twirled, his hammer whipping in a circle, and struck me in the center of my chest.

[Unbreakable]

My breastplate shattered as I was thrown backward. At this level, what even was the point of armor? I'd have to get something better when I got out of here. If I got out of here. I was getting crushed out here.

"After his meteoric rise this past month, the Iron Sentinel has clearly... Met. His. Match!" The announcer growled his final words. The crowd began cheering and stomping its feet.

After rolling to a stop, I looked up to see a sea of bronze helmets in the audience. He was definitely the crowd's favorite. If I'd been fighting as the Pit's underdog and Vral was its heel, the Count was definitely its face.

Something flashed over my head.

[Iron Skin]

Khadrel's hammer struck my chest an instant later, burying me a good foot into the dirt before my skill wore off.

"You've gotten stronger," the dwarf rumbled, his voice practically shaking the ground. "That attack would have crumpled the boy who showed up here five months ago looking like a lost puppy." He placed his hammer on his shoulder. "You've earned my respect."

I spat blood and stood. Holding my shield up and sword out, I said, "Thanks. I've worked hard."

"It shows." The dwarf smiled. "It's not enough to beat me, but it shows."

My hands started shaking. I couldn't take much more of this. "What am I missing?"

The Count stopped and looked me over. "Your movements are efficient and your form is solid, but you're thinking too much like a human."

"What does that mean?"

"You're trying to go toe-to-toe with me, but that won't work. You're just a human. Even with all those levels and all that training, and even with you being born under the Shield, the gap in our resilience is too large." He started winding his hammer in a large circle. "Don't take every attack head-on, and fight more fluidly. No matter how strong you become, there's no sense in taking more damage than you have to." With his last word, he pivoted his hip and swung a half-powered swing. Was he training me right now?

My first instinct was to block the attack, but I shook that thought off. Instead, I stepped back in time to see the hammer hum past my head, then stuffed the dwarf. Shoving my shield against his arm, I raised my pommel and struck him in the center of the helmet.

It was like hitting a brick wall.

"Better. Now you're thinking." He shoulder-checked me, throwing me backward like I was ten pounds. I stumbled backward until I hit the arena wall. "You're faster than I am. Make use of it." He raised the hammer overhead and swung downward.

Jumping to the side, I watched as he carved a foot-wide gouge into the arena wall. The entire wall shook for a second like it wanted to buckle. A few audience members screamed as the bleachers shifted, but the stone found a new position to settle in before the wall collapsed.

"Damn..." Was I ever going to be that strong? This shit was crazy.

"Good. Now, do it again." His dense muscles tensed, and he swung his hammer with a single-handed backhand, making it look like he hadn't just torn free a hammer buried three feet into solid stone.

Covering my head with my shield, I ducked under the attack. The dwarf's hammer screamed as it glanced off my shield, and he was thrown off balance.

"Now counter!"

Darting forward, I leveled my sword at a chink in his armpit. Striking it directly, I watched as my sword nearly bent in half and looked like it wanted to snap. Ripping it free, I could see a small dot of blood coating the tip.

"Again!" The dwarf raised his hammer high and swung downward again.

Having no other options, I dove forward into a long diving roll and sprang back to my feet just as his hammer buried in the stone wall again. The bleachers shuddered, and the audience members screamed for a second time.

"In his sheer intensity, his overwhelming might, the Pit's very own Count may just bring the stone down on our heads!"

Before the dwarf could recover, I slashed at his hip. This time, the attack sank in deeper, and the dwarf even let out the smallest grunt I'd ever heard. "I'm getting the hang of this!"

"Good, boy. Good."

Another swing, this one coming up from below. I backpedaled, but the hammer's head clipped my shoulder and spun me around. I managed to keep my feet, barely.

"Now, you're relying too much on speed," the Count continued, following up with a thrust of the hammer's handle that I had to deflect with my shield. The impact sent shock waves up my arm and slid me backward a good three feet. "Against power like mine, you need to hold fast. Commit."

"Which one is it, then?!" I shouted.

"Both." He swung his hammer along the ground. Rocks flew as he carved a wide furrow in the ground. "And more."

I jumped over his attack and stabbed forward, directly at his eye. He barely turned his head, and my sword glanced off his helmet.

"Good instincts." He caught my neck in one hand and planted me on my back.

I grabbed at his hand and tried to pry it away, but it was no use. His skin was steel, and he didn't need a skill to make it that way.

He lowered himself until his face was inches from mine. "Whether they're stronger or weaker, faster or slower, every fight has a tempo. Learn to feel it, and you can control the flow of every battle." Lifting his hammer, I readied it to strike. "Now, commit!"

[Iron Skin]

His hammer struck my chest and buried me into the dirt again.

"Tempo!" He raised his hammer again.

Normally, I'd take the next hit and hope I'd hold out. This time, though... I kicked out with my heel, aiming for his knee.

"Oof!" The dwarf actually grunted for real this time and fell back a step. "I'll feel that tomorrow." He recovered fast. His next attack was a massive overhead swing that I barely avoided with a roll. The hammer buried itself up to the hand in the packed earth.

Springing to my feet, I darted in and slammed my pommel into his helmet again. This time, the bronze rang like a bell, but the Count just shook his head and backhanded me with his free hand.

I hit the sand hard and rolled away as his boot stamped down where my head had been.

"Better," he said, sounding genuinely pleased. "Much better."

"You're starting to sound like Renard out here!" I shouted as I jumped past another hammer strike.

"It's not abnormal for brothers to sound like one another," He chuckled as he swung low again.

"You're brothers?!" Everything was making sense.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

"Always have been." He smiled and struck at me again.

Our fight went on like that for a dozen exchanges. He would test my reactions, coaching me through every exchange. As he did, my movements and attacks got better. And, as we fought, something strange happened. I started feeling the flow of the fight. I could anticipate his moves, could find the rhythm of combat. My strikes became more deliberate, my positioning more aggressive.

"Good," Khadrel said after I managed to hook his ankle with my sword and nearly trip him. "You're learning. Fighting isn't just about having good technique. It's also about adaptation. That's something my Renard always overlooks, being as talented as he is."

"Understood," I said as I pivoted away from another attack and struck his bracer. That made his hand unclenched for an instant. I was getting somewhere. "Why are you helping me?" I asked, ducking another swing.

"Because I enjoy it. It was my favorite part of my old life, learning how to make the best use of the people around me. Helping them excel. I lived for it." He paused his assault for a moment, and his voice took on a different tone. "Tell me, young man. Do you believe that your good intentions and hard work will lead you to success?"

I blinked. "What?"

"It's a simple question. Do you think being good and trying hard will get you the outcomes you seek?"

Another swing forced me to focus, but I could tell he wanted an answer. "I... I don't know. I hope so?"

"They won't," he said matter-of-factly, following up with a thrust that I barely deflected with my shield. "Not alone. Good wishes and hard work help, but they're their own rewards. They lead to a life worth living. However, they aren't enough to bring you the life you want. You have to be wise, too. That's something I never learned." He knocked his head against his helmet. "I'm too simple-minded for my own good."

"That's pretty philosophical for someone trying to crush my skull," I said as I narrowly avoided that very fate for the twentieth time.

The Count laughed. "I suppose it is. I have a lot of time to think these days." He swung at my shoulder, but the attack was wide. I barely had to move to avoid it. "I never regretted the path that led me here, you know. I was the best man I could be, the best ruler I could be, and the best friend I could be. Whether it's right or wrong, I can live with myself knowing that I was the man I chose to be."

That resonated with me. "Yeah, I think I feel the same way."

"I'm glad to hear my evaluation of you was correct. Though, I would hope you'd have wanted a little more out of your life than this." He backed off and placed his hammer on his shoulder again. I could see the sweat coating his face now, and he was breathing hard. The fight was a siege, but it was starting to go my way. "It's good to have a clear conscience when our time comes."

The way he said "the end" made my blood run cold. "You know, don't you? About what they're planning?"

"I do."

"And you're just... okay with it?"

Khadrel's hammer swept wide, forcing me back toward the arena wall. "There's nothing left to fight for, lad. Our tunnels are at their ends. Soon, we'll return to the stone to sleep for eternity."

"That's it? You won't fight?"

"Why fight the inevitable? Better to go in peace, I think."

No. I'd fight until the bitter end. "What if there was a way out?" I pressed. "Would you fight then?"

The dwarf paused mid-swing. "There is no path forward. Only suffering. And while suffering tempers us, makes our bodies and spirits strong, there's no virtue in dragging it out. When the mines collapse, better to sing the songs of your people and let the darkness claim you." He swung again, but something had shifted in the fight. I was getting stronger, faster, more confident. But Khadrel was slowing down. The massive hammer that had seemed weightless in his hands was starting to drag.

"I'll show you the way forward," I said, pressing my advantage. "All I need is your word that you'll help me when the time comes." I didn't know what that time looked like, but I knew I'd need him when it came.

"You're a good man, Alex," he replied, breathing harder now. "I've watched you grow. Seen how hard you try. How much you care. But none of it matters. Neither of us will escape this place."

"I don't believe that."

The dwarf smiled. "Be that as it may... first, you have to survive today. Because, if you hold back, I'll end you." His eyes met mine.

I realized what he was saying. He knew I was planning to throw this match in the end.

"Fight with everything you have. I won't accept your surrender. I'll only consider your words if you prove who you are on this battlefield. If you can't, or won't, or if you dishonor me by not giving me everything, I'll kill you without a second thought."

Shit. I couldn't fake this fight. The Count would see right through me. "But Aerell'll take it out on you. On us."

"So? Does she scare you? Because she doesn't scare me. Not one bit."

I realized something then. She didn't. Not anymore. She was nothing. "You're right. No more holding back."

He grinned. "Good lad."

[Provoke]

The dwarf's eyes flashed, and he brought the hammer down with earth-shaking force.

[Iron Skin]

I growled as I took the hit directly. The hammer struck my ribs like a battering ram, but my enhanced skin held. The impact still drove me to my knees, but I didn't break. While Khadrel was overextended from the massive swing, I surged upward with my pommel, catching him right under the chin.

Something crunched in his mouth, and blood flooded out of his lips. "Will feel that one, too."

He tried to back off, but I wasn't having that.

[Provoke]

My vision swam as I used another skill, but his feet stopped moving. A second time, I swung upward, this time with my blade. Catching his chin strap, I watched as his helmet tore off his head, revealing a weathered face marked by countless battles. I realized I'd never seen him without his helmet before. He looked like an older, more grizzled Renard. Before he could recover, I slammed my shield into his exposed head.

The Count staggered back, shaking his head.

[Second Wind]

I could feel the energy flood into my battered body, and I could feel the tempo shift. I was in control now. It was my turn to press the attack.

I came at him with everything I had, sword and shield weaving around one another, picking through his defenses.

The Count defended admirably, but he was tiring. Each parry came a little slower, each counter-attack with a little less force. My sword cut him above the elbow. Then, under the knee. I stepped on his foot and stopped his movement, then followed it with another pommel strike to the head. That one broke his nose.

As he stumbled backward, grabbing his bloodied nose with his hands, he began chuckling.

Just then, everything changed.

Khadrel's eyes began to glow with golden light, and power radiated from him in waves.

"Kneel," he commanded.

Every instinct in my body screamed at me to obey, but I managed to stay on my feet, if only barely. There was no black energy coming from him like when Aerell used the slave collar. No. It was exactly like what Elise had done to Aerell the first time I'd met her in her mansion. I had no idea what kind of magic it was, but he had it, too."

"Drop your weapon," his voice boomed as he gave his next command.

My fingers began to loosen despite my desperate attempts to maintain my grip. My knees buckled, and I barely caught myself on my sword.

"Kneel before your Count." His eyes shone with golden light.

This was it.

I was going to lose, and all because of some stupid magic I didn't know the name of.

But, as I saw death flash before my eyes, the shadows came. They rose around me like smoke. Several glowstones in the arena flickered and went out. The air grew cold and still, and a familiar voice boomed in my mind.

LET ME HELP YOU.

The Dark Lord.

TAKE MY POWER. USE IT TO CRUSH THIS FOOL.

Of course, he'd show up now, when I was desperate and outmatched.

SAY YES. ACCEPT MY BLESSING.

The offer was tempting. So tempting. I could feel the dark power at the edge of my consciousness, ready to flood in and make me unstoppable.

LET THIS VICTORY BE OURS.

Ours?

TOGETHER, WE'LL BE UNSTOPPABLE.

We? Not a single breath of this fight had been ours. It had been mine. All of them had been mine. Every fight. All the blood and tears. All the hard work. It was all mine. And this victory would be mine, too. I didn't need anyone's help. Especially not some nebulous half-god from the bottom of the world.

"No."

"Strong will. Not bad, kid." Khadrel lifted his hammer. "But, can you stop me on two fronts?" He swung in a large arc.

I pulled my shield up and braced my legs. Using the Count's magic against him, I used the downward pressure and managed to take the hit without getting thrown to the side.

NO ONE WILL EVER COMMAND YOU AGAIN.

A second hammer strike sent me to my knees. "No one."

BE MY CHAMPION.

The Count spoke then, his eyes heavy as he looked down at me. "Why fight it? Even if you did leave here, what then? What will come of your life? Accept your mortality and drift into the endless sleep, my friend. At least you'll have known who you are. You can meet your end with pride." Another hammer strike, this one to my side.

[Unbreakable]

The shadows pressed closer, and the Dark Lord's voice became more insistent.

WHY SUFFER?

[Unbreakable]

"Because," I said through gritted teeth, my side screaming at me. "I'm not done yet." I forced myself to my feet, pushing back against both the magical compulsion and the dark temptation. Inch by inch, I rose until I was standing tall. "I choose when my time's up. No one else. And if it's hard? So what? In enduring, grow strong."

Khadrel's eyes widened. "Remarkable."

"I choose..." I gasped, raising my sword with tremendous effort, "to carve my own path forward." Stepping forward, I smiled and pointed my sword at the dwarf. "No one will hold my chains. And you'll be there, too. Just watch."

The shadows recoiled, and the Dark Lord's presence faded to nothing. As it did, Khadrel's magic faded.

With a roar of determination, I launched myself at the Count. He tried to bring his hammer up to block, but he was exhausted from the fight, and I was just getting started.

[Grit]

My renewed conviction gave me the edge I needed. My sword found the gap between his breastplate and pauldron, sliding deep into his shoulder. He tried to counter, but I cut into his wrist, right under his bracer. When he backpedaled, I pressed, slamming my foot into his knee again. His leg nearly inverted, and he grunted, dropped his hammer, and fell to one knee.

I pressed my sword to his throat. "Yield."

For a long moment, we stared at each other. Then the dwarf smiled. "I yield," he said clearly, his voice carrying to every corner of the arena.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" the announcer's voice boomed over the chaos. "AGAINST ALL ODDS, THE IRON SENTINEL IS VICTORIOUS!"

The crowd erupted in boos and cheers. I'd beaten their hero.

Looking down at the fallen dwarf, I asked, "You going to fight with me when the time comes?"

He looked up at me and shook his head. "Do you truly think there's a path forward for me?"

"If there isn't one, we'll make you a new one."

He smiled, then began laughing. "I haven't had hope in many years, boy."

"And do you now?"

He rose to one knee. "Through stone and fire," he said, his voice formal and reverent, "I pledge my service to the Iron Sentinel. You have proven yourself worthy of this old dwarf's respect and service."

Sheathing my sword, I helped the Count to his feet, and he clasped my shoulder.

"The Wicked Sentinel has spared his foe! What a tale for the ages!"

"When the time comes," he said quietly, "I'll be ready."

Words appear in my head:

You receive the quest [You Can Count on It].

You complete the Fighter task [A Good Fight].

You reach Fighter 8★.

You reach level 31.

+1 Strength, +1 Resilience, +1 Agility

I nodded and looked up at the cheering crowd. Lifting my fist to the sky, I roared.

After everything, I'd proven something to myself today. When the darkness called, I'd chosen myself. My path. And, whatever happened next, I knew I could stand tall.

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