?"Jackson Seraphin, I hope this reaches you well; I mean as well as can be when your loved one is robbed of what she desires. Now you understand how I have been feeling as ofte.


    You have robbed my beloved Viktoria Snow of her sole dream since she was a small girl, so I have decided to deny your little girlfriend her freedom.


    You are at this moment challenged to a Mhanátou No''naya Shiáchi! Fighting in my stead will be my appointed Champion, Lexx Seifer. If you wish for her survival, cross the bridge to Fort Vetus ALONE, the Hollows have been cleared out, Imperia Snow."


    The Mhanátou No''naya Shiáchi was an officially sanctioned duel endorsed by The Climber''s Association. Each party would offer coteral as equity in the contest; if you lost, your equity was given to the victor. Jackson gritted his teeth and mmed his fist against the desk, sitting down in the chair, panting heavily.


    "Jax... I''m sorry..." Alijah said sheepishly, hesitantly holding her hand toward him as she crept closer.


    "It''s not your fault, even if you had given them the credits, they still would have taken Megan..." Jackson sighed, shaking his head, "I''m not mad or angry at you, just this whole situation..."


    "I''ve had every street urchin looking for them in Duskgate, not a single peep. Headmistress Tara came looking for you after she was taken; she looked worried but wouldn''t say anything to me." Alijah said, stepping closer.


    "Good, keep looking. I''ll go see herter... I am heading back to God''s Tower right now to get Megan back!" Jackson said, standing as he brushed past her.


    "Jax, wait!" She said, grabbing his wrist, "Amelia needs you to go to her shop first; she has something for your WarFrame!"


    "Amelia''s and then back into God''s Tower: Got it!" Jackson said, turning back toward her, smiling as he patted the top of her head and quickly exited the shop.


    ***


    Lexx sat atop the battlements of Fort Vetus, one knee in the air, resting his elbow on it, the other leg dangling off the stone walls. He had utterly conquered the entire ind and locked the boss away in the dungeons as he and his guild, ming Dawn, farmed the slowly respawning Hollows.


    His eyes were locked on the bridge connecting the inds, and he never strayed as he waited. Only one person would ever be crossing that bridge, and the second they appeared, they would be incinerated.


    His guild members stopped everyone from attempting to clear the ind as they monopolized the floor while waiting for his prey.


    Many climbers hadined, but no one would dare show any resistance to any order given by a member of Tetraktys, such was the power gap between the top and the bottom.


    Far in the distance, the most diminutive silhouette appeared and started growing more prominent. A wicked grin spread on Lexx''s face as his eyes perked up, and he focused on the approaching figure.<novelnext></novelnext>


    He stood, opening both hands as balls of mes appeared in each as heughed,unching himself forward as he fired two streams of mes behind him, rapidly flying through the air.


    "Finally, Jackson!!!" He shouted,nding on the bridge in front of the insignificant ant, "I was starting to think you had died!!"


    "No, I didn''t die; now, release Megan!" He red back, his chest heaving as he pulled back his hood, revealing his face.


    "She was released the second you exited Fort Novus. You don''t need to worry about her; I know Imperia trusts her daughter''s estimations, but I strongly believe you should focus on me right now!" Lexx shouted, gripping the greatsword and detaching it from the back of his jacket as it burst into blue mes.


    "I don''t know why you are so obsessed with me, but I will make it quick!!" Jackson growled, his fists clenched around both Twin Moon Scimitars, spinning them around his body and twisting around, connecting them and converting them into their Warive form.


    Lexx leaped forward, twirling the massive ming sword around his body once as he unleashed an overhead sh.


    Jackson grinned, kneeling down as he raised the central hilt of his Warive, which had formed a giant shield protecting the handle as the greatsword struck it, a torrent of mes bursting forward as Lexx''s body remained in the air as he exerted increased firepower from his de.


    "Tch!" He clicked his tongue, the heat pouring away from him, causing him to sweat buckets. He gripped both sides of the hilt and stood, throwing Lexx away as his WarFrame sprung to life, the gears twisting as his armor appeared over his bodysuit and under his cloak.


    Lexx roared, his body glowing as he flew backward, ming phoenix wings exploding out of his back as he spun in the air as hended. He jumped in the air, his sword shing as he shed downward, flying toward him.


    Jackson gracefully spun the Warive around his body as he flowed through the motions, deflecting the attacks as he continued to spin, his body blurring as he deflected the strikes, his movements bing more and more fluid.


    Lexx swung his sword, flying past Jackson, adjusting his angle midair when Jackson''s metallic wings burst out of the WarFrame''s back andunched into the air toward him. He quickly raised his massive sword in front of him, blocking both attacks and tumbling through the air from the unexpected attack.


    "Maybe you are everything Viktoria cracked you up to be!" Lexx shouted,ughing as he couldn''t contain his excitement, "It''s been a while since anyone has seen me go all out!!"


    Jackson floated down, hovering in the air across from Lexx, squinting his eyes as he red at the man.


    "Thank you, Jackson!!" He shouted, grinning wide, "Warm-up time is over, I''ll give you the honorable death that you deserve, Climber to Climber!"


    "No, Lexx... No one is dying here!" Jackson shouted as a torrential pir of mes erupted from Lexx, consuming the man''s entire body as he squinted his eyes, raising his hand in front of his face as a fireball struck him in his chest andunched him, crashing into the ground below.