*bzt* "So, what're the odds up to?"

*zzzt* "Really? Your placing bets now Meme?"

*bt* "I think Niles and Ty had 50 on him getting out on the final three."

*zzzt* "Nie I taught you better than that!"

*bbztt* "What? Tlaci's good but-"

*zzzt* "I taught you to not discount your allies. Double on him making it all the way, easy"

*bzt* "Well yeah, but there's no real money in easy."

*bbztt* "A-and I'm just being realistic. Look at all that meat down there. He'll be lucky to hit round 2. If he can even handle the load."

*zzzt* "He can. And he will. Don't write him off just because you are scared."

*bbztt* "He-hey! I'm not scared! I just…"

*bt* "Just like losing money. I'll take that bet too."

*bzt* "And here I thought your family was united."

*zzzt* "You'd be surprised. Now keep your positions. The show's about to-"

"GREATNESS!!!"

A voice beyond its station rattled jubilance to silence. Revelry imbalanced by just mere proximity, muted. Strained and sobered by just a word. Even those awaiting on the sand reeled in their excitement, as something twitched behind every smile. The leader of this prolific cult sounding less like the frail old man he was and more like the monster he was sycophant to. A buzz in the air carrying his tone to all, and killing his one sided display in the process. The crowds, the fighters, the sky all stood still. All waiting to hear what 'Rage' had passed down. All but the one who actually bore that name.

"Greatness… is not given!!"

Even as his tone evened out to bear the words.

"Power... is not offered! Authority... is not made manifest! All the sigils and signs of your worth… Must be earned!!"

That constraint on their excitement finally faltered as smiles returned. With teeth far sharper than ever.

"Must be striven for!! Fought for!! Suffused with the demand at the core of all being!! To own this life yourself!!!"

Tension stifled the air between bodies. Closed the gathered fighters' ranks despite a slow methodical spread. One leaving Seth out of the loop for an unnerved second before he followed suit and backed up with the nearest group.

"All may bear it! All may earn it!! No method or means is beyond magnanimous!!"

They splayed back the way they came, bubbling out to one side into a set quadrant. Circling up to equidistance, so all knew who they were... being set against. The disheveled man and the gaudy gauntlet wielder standing out, but plenty of others drew disregarding glances. Mostly servos and scraps spread out among them. The dregs of the bunch.

"The thief may steal and trick for their stake!! The honorable may curry favor and receive in kind!! The strong may take and win by force!! But all must abide one true tenant!!!"

"""You must keep what you claim!!!"""

All the fighters spoke like trained unison. Even the nervous guy to Seth's left said this mantra without fail. Spikes of fear hit his spine as the moment passed without his input. As leering shadowed eyes scanned down the curve. Hesitant to turn and blare the fact they heard absent. But not restraining from knowing its source in stolen looks. Seth stayed his stare at the stage, fire in his eyes to catch out even those leers. Hope to pass as just mute and incapable, or too engrossed to dare unfocus. Whatever the effect, it was only allowed this moment of fear, before being swallowed up in the blaze surrounding.

"So let this be our greatest reclamation!! Our truest denial of this world's false absolutes!! Let it tremble before the might in the mere mixing of our blood!! Let it rue and revile ever claiming its height!! Let those who lord power over all be brought down to their lows!! And let Rage bear witness to this our solemn demand!! That his foretold coming be their day of reckoning!!!"

As it was made bonfire.

"Now bleed!!!"

A beat of that staff jolted the sand, tangled its tendrils in prickling surge and sent all crumpling inward still on their feet. Muscles clenching but swallowing this charge. And passing it along to those earned pieces of worth!

"Strive!!!"

Another surge like lightning across the nerves. Reaching Seth's heart like a prod of the soul! Demanding he bring all out and bear his claws! That he rage wild and take what was his!

"And bring back the light of that second dawning day!!!"

A final slam sent sand jumping from this massive pan, sent untold atrocity across every waking fiber. A one way screaming out of another's soul. A wide blinded out expanse daring to be taken in. The day Seth died so clear it beat against all cataclysmic. But reversed in its view from more distance vantage.

This bastard saw the birth and death of the god Seth had to become, and dared to claim his sainthood for it! Watching Seth tear himself and Resent apart just to put this world right, and then twisting it hollow and demanding he do it again!!

"So that this world may burn for its transgressions and be made anew!!!"

'FUCK YOU!!!'

"NOW!!!"

That staff swung out, all eyes curled their focus away. And too many eyes drove daggers into the fire set alight in Seth's bursting seethe!

"FIGHT!!!!"

Overdrive slammed the world hard, took it all away from these heathens who distorted who the hell he was! Who claimed righteousness and meaning beyond what had just been burned into their eyes! But the moment he stole bred a cope to the inflaming blasphemy. It was too soon, too early to obliterate this heresy. He needed to wait until the rest of his suit was clear and present for the taking.

This was a contest, a proof of strength to earn more power and take spoils. Another fucking free for all sprung on him out of all that it would stoke. His life perverted, given meaning it shouldn't have. Made into a collision of wills already tearing sand to splintering jets. Already letting fly all the power their stolen worths allowed.

Fists bunched as bounds became lunge. Screams harmonized discord into a slowly rolling thunder. Surged in tainted coil from all that taken metal. Catching up with the overdrive in this given back time. Just enough to hem in the worst of the true Rage that these fools had sought to rouse. Again. But not enough to fight back what Seth wanted to do to them. To the first in line, rocketing toward with gleaming paired Ark metal shadowing their eyes. Murderous intent and hollow will. Only to be outshone in the plasma truth flashing behind the true menace brought to bear.

A flurry of steps swinging under and parallel. Running down that fist with closing hand. And crashing Seth's overdrive into this ingrates face! As all that thunder became bass and crescendo! Meat smacking en masse and bones striking their cords! As all these fighters collided in ritualistic fervor! And beat the ever living shit out of each other!

Like a fusillade of shots, impacts cracked the air. Added in tenor by the snap of a jaw taking full managed force. Whipping its head overt and pulling a gleam to jangle into the air. Consciousness sputtering and spiraling out of whatever he'd hoped to accomplish. Before being shoved out of the way so that menace could find the next coming to meet their god!

The melee before him already devolving into wild swings and ringing metal, as a woman sprinted free in Seth's line. A halo of quickened blood arcing free from her sliced up hand. A jagged shard of his jaw turned dagger already tasting the grip bleeding around it. And playing in the orchestra with metal string and bow, as it scraped across Seth's mask with no meat caught but the shin loosed out to take another down.

Knee cap dislodging and angle falling farther than wanted. And added to in pure vitriol as Seth rose back up with fist reasserting his line. Adding another metal ring to bring forth the baffle to this blasphemy. Send her to the ground to staunch that hand with sand.

A wild wavering follow through, a curt refusal to acknowledge these heathens. That surge had yanked too hard at his being and called him too loud to not wade into the fray. A recoiling fighter with nothing but a servo ring getting the harsh backhand of 'get the fuck away from me!!' A titanium bracket secured to a man's chest was hammered for all the air in their lungs.

Two rolled free with one clear on top, hands trying to be claws as they tried to scratch at the other's face. Receiving instead a swift kick out of their lights, and the other the rebound as that shoe came back with no mercy for the downtrodden.

More bones, more blood, more cracks and yells. All of it nothing. All of it noise! All of it a raking at his neck! At his tone! At his threads! At everything he was!

Demanding he fall! Demanding he burn! Demanding he rip these bastards apart at their seams and take what was his! But that wasn't what he was. Wasn't what he wanted. But it's what it wanted! What it was blaring behind his eyes!

Armored clangs echoing deeper than this rising conflict. Rattled his skull agonizing, with pain like his face was just seared half away. A hate, a jealousy, a want for a sword just like that. A want for everything, for strength, for life, for more than just a stupid power he didn't even get all the way! Everything!

And yet nothing!! Words from that speech jumbled together, rasped at him in half measures of his own power! As deep fires swallowed them like bricks of dynamite! They were nothing! All of them! Just noise! Just fury! Just more of that stupid programed ha-

*KKKINnngggg*

A falling body becoming soul object in range and yet disregarded, sent sprawling back in rebuke as Seth's psyche flailed for a hold. As that body flailed for hold. The suit piece talisman around his neck providing unequally. As he bashed that disheveled body away, seen only now in the spark adjoining it to his chest. As it snapped apart and left him.

The nervous zealot who had nothing but a single claw to his name, rebuffed by power he could not hope to contend with. But contend he had. And gotten his hands on more for the trouble. As the world that was fading to nothing but someone else's memories, and the resentful causality of its purest insult, snapped back to clear cut brawl with far too much power. As a spiral he didn't even know he was on righted back in whiplash rectification. And recoiled him back in a breath both reviled and shallow.

Like that tainted sliver had been pulled out of him again, Seth was caught in a lurch and grit. Like his being electric was just pulled taught and snapped back. That surging signal, that over share, it was both call and taunt. A frenzying tone to send all these fighters into more welcoming rage and have them turn this sand red for their god. And these damn scattered fractions of his suit were acting as conduits! Burying themselves in and wrenching up the will to kill from all those damn flash fried memories!

'Control of your own life my ass!!'

It couldn't contend with his own tone, his overwriting and overwrought being, only feed the fire of what it wanted with the raw vitriol of some hapless piece of shit still scattered throughout it. But that thing found easy pickings across these disillusioned… And in that disheveled.

As his tone... as his fire spread.

And left him cold.

A feeling of empty space, of familiar chill. Both the one once pressed to chest and the one now rippling from the form on the ground. Seth's grip finding a hole ripped jagged across his being, as the grip over his talisman became a flare of snaking intake and clawing pain. Way more than they was ever prepared for, but everything they'd wanted. What they needed!

Will and intent raking out like that surge! And lighting Seth's seethe on fire like this guy's nerves! His own threading taken along with like rooted dirt, not just the off tune stuff still roiling in the metal. Those differences forcibly harmonized in the mask he still wore, but not alleviated in the rest slung over his shoulder. The weight now pressing harder than ever should be reasonable.

A weakness, a loss, like a piece of himself ripped free because he didn't fucking take the time! Because they were just memories, just images! Just a different bearer of his armor trying to gain power in his stead! Except they weren't!! They were completely anathema!! Something new!! Something worse!! Something wanting and giving in caustic measure!! And leaving him racked in the middle of...!

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He couldn't feel them, but he knew what they all saw, in horrid realization. As the punches, the beatings, the snapping… and the sizzling. All stopped in the vicinity too close to go unheard.

As those still standing turned all their focus to the one that no longer seemingly bore any worth at all. Any strength. Any power to stay and fight. Any power to heal back what was coming for him in realigning jaws and closing welts. In sealing wounds and popping joints. And in growling rise from the one who stole away his deterrence. Teeth gritted to cracking agony, and eyes shooting open beneath ramshackle mask. Slit lines of malice glaring for more.

"FFFFFFUUUU-"

The world tried to turn black in a pounding crack, that first countered punch finally coming in from behind him. That gleam of Ark metal eye shadow taking opportunity in full force right to the back of Seth's head. And failing to finish it even at that! His seethe came about in the lurch and concussed neurons, his own fist hardballed before the ingrate could follow through. And smashing their face right back in with ballistic retaliation! The world only rebrightening in time to feel the on rush set off. And the sudden claustrophobia diminish as that disheveled true believer crashed into it all!

Half the crowd converging getting bowled over and sighted for their own dangling worths. Like a true greed unholy had taken over and made him the slavering animal he was inside. The rest disregarding, accepting that one of their own had turned feral, so they could blitz the weakest link!

A hit from a jingling servo struck hasty guard, real power holding but pain shooting true through that torn gap. Blaring louder as a spike stabbed his side and the weight on his back tripled. The jaw dagger shiving his kidney and toppling his defenses. Leaving him open as it pulled free and rose higher with the pull of his cargo. The red sizzling of his blood failing to catch on as that glossy gauntlet struck out for themselves. And sent Seth spiraling with his jaw cracking apart.

All the pain, all the hate spilling over in flashed teeth and wicked glare. All the truth they tried to ring into his thick skull. All the validation of their misanthropic theology. All of it succeeding in pissing him off! In rousing that fire so constantly prodded at! That demand that had been made but refused in good conscience! That will to keep some semblance of balance until the moment arrived! Well fuck it!! He needed more!!

Fiber bulked off held back reserve and righting surge. The pack taken for all it was and made part of himself. And all that force cutting his jaw to splinters taken away and made his as well. A whipping swirl, full body turn back to face those calling his death. In a flash so extreme it may as well take heads off. Arms made flails and pack made ride from hell!

The gauntlet wearer's face bashed away malicious, sent into the other trying to edge back in. The dagger wielding bitch on his back cracking shoulder in catapult over. Smashing into a fourth barely affiliated. A curt display but more than too much. And yet still too slow, still not enough to stop the mob!

A tackling shoulder and weight smashing his chest, hucking grab tried at by sheer press of force. And failing to even push the air out of his lungs. A knee retaliating before leverage found sway, the shape of a knee servo indenting and crushing sternum. Own grapple tossing the struggle aside before another took the opportunity, guard up as that other came in regardless. A pitiful hit only adding to the back hand dashing them back.

The other hand catching a boot and articulating it to tension. High kick becoming a complete invalidation of applied force and weight. His own tension shooting it all wide, and spinning the over eager fool to fall on their back. Right below Seth's demanding return to his advance. His own threaded shoes stamping diaphragm to all its contents disgorging.

And yet still. Still too slow! Still not enough to stymy one last oncoming!

A feral glare half covered in spiral set to loose. Not yet a glow but liable to if given more. And he wanted more! The disheveled zealot already bearing one more amongst its collection yet finding it wanting. And knowing only one source for that true prized worth. As Seth's hands shot back up with not enough time spared. As that spiraling twist became wild back swipe. And all the power taken as rooted detritus was slammed into him in greater disability to hold back.

Footing disappeared, gravity given over to, a breath and a bunch fighting to see him off as a wheezing missile of agony. Tendons tore, bones threatened to snap, and all the weight over his back saw him back down to sand. To rolling just shy of the far wall of repurposed metal as a ragdoll of fulcrums and impacts and unbridled contempt for this test!

Both screaming hands shooting down as he tumbled over, sand in his hair being added to in trenches dug by claw. Shoes rutting deeper and breaking all that stolen power away. As Seth stopped his fall in sheer defiance of this whole charade. Clawing hands gripping that sand near to glass. Lurching form hunching away at the indignity. At the bullshit! At the hole in his chest trying to refill like so many others but with nothing to heal it! At the cheers bellowing up all behind him! At the enjoyment and pride felt all around! At lengths he had to go to, just to reclaim what was his! And at the meager weight pressing into his back like…!

Like it wanted of him to.

The weight disappeared. The clash and struggle roiled away. The ozone burn and bloody additive fell to nothing. Even the grit between fingers disappeared. As pure condemnation grew too powerful to be contained. For the blaring thrum crying out from his pack to cover up any longer.

Its buried misnomer. Its greed manifesting. Its call to be not the only one to have and have not. But the one highest among all in taking. This thing, this want, this buried memory trying to realize itself in scattered puzzle. Deserved no mercy.

A foot scraped up, defying that nonexistent weight. A slow stand back up against yet another attempt on his sanity. Full contact not even needed for it to worm its way in to his already threaded being, just sheer proximity enough to rile his resonance in its call. Baffle his own psyche with peaking roil. He was just too susceptible to this bullshit. This twisted amalgamate that dared to string itself back together with his framing tone.

As it fell on deaf ears at last.

The visage, true and reformed, rose back up to the blasphemy surrounding him. Those cheers for every cracking hit, for every shaking impact. To welcome their god back into their world with blood and long awaited revelry. The cacophonous rumble reverberating through sand and metal alike. The burn of the energy coursing through it all. Feeding it. Driving it. Corrupting it. And demanding it be rejoined as one in power and form…

Utterly refused!!!

A hand snapped up, tore that link of spared threading out of its course around his pack. Snapped the linkage keeping strap across his chest. Dropping both tainted power and tainted tone down to the sand it called harbinger. Down to the wayside of this battlefield demanding all hear those calls and castigations of what this world should be. Crashing as just another metal tang in the symphony of melee. As that visage rose higher to bear it all in true sight.

As a step was taken back like so many inciting before it. One too many after such rebuke and contempt. Hollow eyes and hollow core bared to those speaking such. In fists and fury seeking only to rise above meager existence. Thinking to reclaim what was lost. To add, to earn, to speak their worth.

To dare defile further what had been co-opted.

One seeing the affront to their efforts that but one step back in could do, making his voice heard in rebuttal guttural. As another strike rose, another impassioned denial of his reason for being here. Of denial of true belief in the all-consuming faith. That their Rage was a god of pure intent and beyond reproach.

And not just carrion being fed on by worms.

As his rebuke fell short as a hand beat that punch to the lengths already gone to. Defeated that stolen power so fervently relied upon.

With but a simple push against.

In overdriven rage!

As another step was taken, then another! And another! Each one faster than the last without a break in stride! Each one refusing the contorted degeneracy of its relic's tone! Each one pressing that hand to servo bearing chest in complete invalidation of their faith! Of their inertia! Of their weight! Of even gravity's demanded course of events! Because those eyes had finally had enough of the proximity to their tainted hoard! And flashed their malice for all to feel the regret of their heresy! As that hand yanked taut that hated cordage, tore away that malignant tone with no care for its message or its history! And took the ungrateful heretic straight to the ground he belonged!

Crater and crash turning sand to wave, turning back bone to back blast, blood to steam exhaust, and forcing all those before him to see for themselves. The gravity of their crime reflected indefinitely in the aerosol and spray. As his own burst in turn tore him right back into the fray with no remorse left to hold but the unwillingness to see them die so easy.

As his real power sizzled through to nuke their worm infested hides!

Leg scattering trails of as it preceded violent, another knee cap forced to bend in three dimensions! The small batch of servos and miscellaneous metals around their neck taken hold and taken for all its corruption. Coming along with the ride all the way back round. And straight into that same unforgiving ground head first! Trenching the arena floor as twined cuts, one thrown the other rocketing under his own malicious need.

Fist flung to intercept but coiled around to knock wide, chest of trinkets and relics forced unguarded. For the other arm to pound them deeper into their heathenous flesh! Shattering sternum and sending ribs to open air breach, and studding more stolen metal about with no tune left to their song. New coil revving, yet scooping chin and head all. And tossing aside another to let fall in their own feeling bereft!

New kick off, sights set clear as the jaw knife wielder had her back turned and improvised shiv slashing away the gauntlet held gaudy. Until that swing stopped in crunching wrist and reeled back spine, that visage of real power rounding like a snake over her shoulder. And slamming that blade back over to see how she likes it! Jagged edge splitting collarbone and tendon as her unblown out knee was hooked and stamped down. And the other running shoe kicking up to press down to her crowded chest. Hand taking yet leaving that muted jag where it was. As that visage kicked itself up to use this bitch as a backstop. And find bigger fish to fry alive!

Launching skyward above it all, above the dregs trying to be equals, above the knockback ripping deeper that jagged edged lie! Above the melee and blood and snapping gongs! And above that still recoiled gauntlet. That shining mask of over smoothed luster a blighted rendition unfit to remain! An affront in the plasma reflecting over it! As the real thing roared back in parabolic arc! And brought down the truth of their gaudy mockery! That their flattery was nothing more than abject insult!

And needed to be shattered and spalled to spark laden halo!

So the skull underneath could feel his resonance pure and taking! And pinball to crumple under the weight of their collective bullshit!

A moment of darkness bidden by concussion made brighter by dancing fliers of friction fire. Dropping Seth back into knowing where and what the fuck he was, and yet alleviating none of the inciting burn. As he spooled back down, barren horns bared, and charged again with no care for who the hell was left in his way.

A hip was struck flat, joint impacting in crunching split while the rest of their form catapulted up and over. But not before a hammer fist slammed back on their chest and tore more power away from his tainted armor.

Whirling about rippling to a stumble, as competing forces plied. But those glaring eyes focused and pulled back from a pop fly trying to make this state permanent. A fist scraping its arm across his masking teeth, reeling nothing but Seth's own retaliation. Strike pounding the side of their head, knocking false form loose and putting his arm better in line. As it whipped back over, hooked neck and head in lock. And bent then backward so their charms could be excised of their stupid wanting. With the other arm over and knee beneath making anvil of this callous idiots chest cavity.

Seth tossed them aside as frothy blood leaked, owing nothing to these claimants, these botherers of a long dead god. These powerless assholes who thought that it was better to steal from him than just live normal fucking lives. They'd rather devote and devolve to fight off disillusion. They'd rather beat each other to fractions over slivers and trinkets that just used them! They'd rather go feral…!

Like the disheveled one ripping into some other fighters arm for the barest fragment of Ark metal. And coming free in bloody realization at the only one left standing before him. Because Seth wanted his worth back. And wanted to see this cult truly burn down now.

Bleeding, sizzling feet ground low. Electron thread held running shoes matched. Glares through metal holes bore down on each other. Slit pupils as unmistakable as the backlight behind Seth's. Some more nuance tethered in there. Some horrid possibilities hidden in. But no fucking care regarded because this self-unassured break in society wasn't long for the power he'd taken!

Muscle creaked, teeth cracked, plates angled like battering rams wanting dominant displays. And all the cheers and clangs deafened to nothing as only opposites remained. Only eyes and teeth and stolen power! Only worth and challenge and redemption in the blind and deaf! And only the unstoppable want to beat the crap out of this punk!

Sand blasts in fishtail unison eliciting violent acceleration! Two bodies charging with no hesitation to their endgame! Just pure and simple hate matched up and swinging wild! And crashing together in triple bone curdling-

*KRAKAngggg*

Seth's neck recoiled like a beaten spring, the feral zealot whipping away similar, and both reeling back before either could take any advantage. But his fist swung faster than clawing hands could come to bear. Jawbone off switch smashed in and broken, and ignored for all of its anatomical effects. Three fingers caught cheek and tore, nails digging surface level but still hitting hard. Blood sizzling under relocation snapping, trenched flesh reforming as retaliation took that facsimile of his face by the jagged welded teeth. So hammer fist could slam down hard on the border between scalp and metal, making them feel the regret they should for wearing this farce! But only winning a gut check for the effort.

Another attempt at a true disemboweling, raking broken nails into his side like an animal. Only tearing jacket and shirt but still stabbing hard at everything underneath. All power no infrastructure, and only making Seth want him unconscious even more! Wrangling hand releasing yet coming back balled, the other side rocked to brain turn off and to send the feral sprawling. Flailing into the sand for grip against tumble and finding it readily. In time for the kick to the snarl.

Leaping bound and cracking teeth, more distance run up to bring another hammer down. The feral sprawled out of their back so their own gut could get check with prejudice. Sand haloed as body curled, force enough to rouse both to height. And one to take their own hold. The feral refusing even this much forcible expenditure, curling up and grabbing Seth's real visage for all the hold it had on his being. And his body!

They whipped, Seth lost out, and now it was his turn to be sprawled out at another's mercy or lack thereof. Back to dirt, crick struck in his neck from all the weight forced along it, and stubborn breath holding yet seething up at the wild gleam and holler bearing down to wrench his eyes out. And getting intercepted by death grip fit for a thief. The other hand trying to free its other and receiving the same inverted treatment. And Seth, refusing to stay on the ground, reversed this turnabout in full body order.

A whipping like a fish out of water, carrying the feral along for the ride. Spinning them back on to their back with nothing to counter what was kicking Seth off the ground. Foot scathing sand into turbulent aerials and daring that ill healed brain to not shut the fuck off already!

Grip released to let limbs fall limp, but only proved the futility. A bloody howl and swipe at the air too much proof he couldn't just make this thing go night night by force alone. But it opened up the real answer clear as the day shining down. The metal gleaming over their chest like fused barnacles to a prow. His own arrangement and their meager treasure. Both were too much for this lunatic to handle. So they had to be taken away!

One final hammer down, chest cavity caved in to leave them incaped on the rebound but not outright dead. And to put Seth's hands right around HIS property! Jangle and tethers snatched wholesale, dug into and bunched up all as one. Fibrous taint raked in siphon, silenced in resonance impure and needing to die already! And all of it pulled, from being to binding to flashes of ions, right into that sky bearing the only witness! Refusing to answer to this heretical call, because the one who they sought was already among them! And wanted all that they dared to claim back!

The feral's body came along in wrenching motion, in arcing tenor to the refuted corruption. Small storm breaking as connections tore and being returned to better mediocrity. As the metal in Seth's hand was wrung dry and soaked deep of his own true song. Gleaming brighter in that sun overhead as the sounds of fighting died to raucous celebration.

Chants and jeers lost to the darkness falling over Seth's face. More admiration he didn't want. But at least it wasn't half as blind as last time. As the path of groaning bodies and bloodied sand could attest.

But still…

Still the clang of metal and the growl for more remained behind him. Remained as he looked to see for himself who had won out on their own gathered fronts. As a dark realization came in the shine of plates far more massed than last seen. As each victor, standing too tall to surmount, gathered up their winnings and saw them tallied to far greater cheer. Because...

Because this test wasn't strength and ability. It wasn't perseverance against false odds.

It was keeping what you had claimed…

And Seth had left everything behind for just one link in the chain.

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