Mortimer stood amidst the desert wastes of Utopia. The terrain was broad and flat, the silty ground packed hard by harsh winds which, for the moment, had settled.

He had sent thousands of fliers out across the world, stopping in each major city and letting the pamphlets fall out of the airship, raining down on the people below. Anyone who was capable of killing him within the next three days would be given everything he owned.

However, it was never so simple. Mortimer was too proud to go gently into the night and when the first person came to kill him, he would be ready. First he drew forth the shield of the spring palace, letting it float aloft in the air and begin multiplying, floating and swirling around him. His left hand would dissapear into his coat and return with the gun clenched in it. A weapon crafted from the essence of shadow. In his right hand he would retrieve an item of even darker purpose. An indestructable sword, a gift from his late student. The tiger, his companion, became transparent, then invisible stalking the area around him and looking hungrily for a meal...or any wayward fool who wished to challenge his master.

These however were only trinkets and he would need more...MUCH more than this. Calling upon his shadow, he melded the blackness around himself, the rising sun providing plenty of darkness to work with. Wrapping, coalescing and binding itself around his body, he would soon be fully adorned in a suit of weightless plate armor made of shadow.

He would then summon his servants. Incanting three spells of summoning monsters appeared around him. Three with razor sharp claws and cloaks ready to lash out at any who came to close. Three who were broad, barrel chested and blocky entities, more square than man, these would defend him and die in his stead. The final three were more spheres with tubes extending out of them, floating above they turned every which way ready to fire blasts of magical energy at any who approached.

Finally, he encanted his most powerful spell, summoning a massive guardian to protect him. Blade like ribbons surrounded it and massive fists able to grasp or smash his opponents. Its lower body a billowing cloak of darkness ready to enclose and guard him against any threat it percieved. Forming the last bit of free shadow around him, Mortimer created a small pillar which rose and coalesced beneath him. He was ready. The question now, was who would seek to break through and destroy him in this, his ultimate defense.

Joshua had stumbled upon a flier on his travels, though it seemed to be around for a little while ago. He read through it and something seemed to peak his interest, it was not the stuff mentioned as a reward but the thought behind such a challenge. Joshua didn't know at the moment who exactly this challenge was coming from but they had met before.

This was the first time Joshua would travel for a challenge such as this but he had to meet the person who had set the challenge and why something like this was even considered. They must not only be strong to send fliers out everywhere but must be seeking something... but what were they after? A real battle? As Joshua read closer something didn't feel right about the challenge, this person was willing to give away everything to the victor... That had a darker meaning behind it. This was a battle to the death... or at least until the mage had either died or lost interest in his opponents.

Whatever the real reason behind such a challenge, Joshua wanted to at least meet this person face to face. Though he had little interest in the rewards and was a little hesitant to fight. His skill level was notably above most but this person would be on a whole other level. His mind was made up and Joshua began to head towards the allotted location mentioned by the flier. It was a couple days away but Joshua knew he would make it quite late in the night so he hoped the man would still be there.

It did take him a long time to travel though Joshua made sure to keep well rested for what would be a dangerous encounter. Joshua had been walking for over 16 hours that day and it was well into the night by the time Joshua was close to the meeting place. The only light visible was from the moon which was just bright enough to illuminate the ground. He didn't know the power he was about to witness, though this darkness could work to his advantage because not only he would be almost invisible but so would his summons.

Joshua was within a couple kilometers from where he hoped the man would still be standing and Joshua wanted to see if he could approach safely before putting himself in too much danger or if this was a strait rush into the danger zone. With the wave of his hand, Joshua summoned a shadow mage and took total control of him. It left his body defensless but he should be safe where he was. As Joshua took control of the shadow mage, his summon finished the rest of the walk towards who would ultimately be Mortimer waiting for an opponent.

Minutes passed and the summon came into range of Mortimer, the first thing Joshua took note of was how the man was already seemingly prepared for war. He held nothing back and Joshua could feel a power unlike any other. Something clicked in Joshua's mind and seemed to relate him to the man he met before. "So it's you setting this grand challenge..." Joshua would say through his summon. If his summon would last long enough, Joshua wanted to talk to the man but if not he would have to decide what he should do from there.

The monsters to act would be the three sphere like beings which slowly circled and wafted around him. They were simple things, but they possessed the uncanny ability to float as well as to fire concentrated blasts of magical energy, akin to a converged Saggita Magica attack. It was with these abilities that the spheres fire at the approaching enemies. Their master silently directing them. All around them was darkness and shadow...but he knew shadow greater than any other in this land. It flowed through him and any who sought to gain purchase by attacking unawares, especially at night, would be met with a rude awakening.

The three monsters unleashed their blasts at the concealed shadow monster, unleashing a steady volley of attacks but proving untireable. Had the creature itself sought to attack him, he would move one of the large block like constructions into its path to defend him. He would keep the tiger and the assault-model minions in reserve for the moment. With the blasts fired at it, how long would the puppet being last?

Joshua would have a very small amount of time to react to the first volley of blasts and with this mage Joshua would only be able to dodge one or two at most but he had no intention of attacking yet. Talking was obviously not an option, with all the defensive measures set up and attacks already being used. The shadow mage raised his arm and summoned a shield in an attempt to block the first series of attacks. Joshua shouted something loud enough for Mortimer to hear.

"So much for talking. I guess it was never an option..." He said before releasing the mage from his grasp. It took him a minute to recover himself properly so for the time being he hoped the mage kept Mortimer busy. The summon was intelligent enough that if the wall could block at least one set of attacks it could evade enough to keep the orbs busy. Surely the shadow mage wouldn't last long but in the mean time Joshua was ready to go all out.

Foolish child. The orbs began moving, adding suppressing fire as they advanced toward the shadow creature, one seeking to float over the wall while the other two sought to flank him on his left and right. With a triple assault of the cannons, it was unlikely the shadow mage would last long.

Furthermore, the young man had called out, revealing his location. As such the assault warriors would make their move. Running swiftly but silently. Equally hidden in the shadows of the night as they sought the summoner. Claws raised, they would seek to slash his hands and feet first if they reached him in time, utilizing vicious sideswipes of their razor sharp claws. However it would be far more likely that the young man would complete his summoning prior to the attack, in which case, the lead shadow minion would leap first, leading with its legs, seeking to dropkick the first minion in place, its razor feet aiming for the enemies torso. This in turn would be followed with the second minion tackling whatever came next, seeking to lever its head into the enemies stomach and stab them in the back with its claws, while the third would charge onward, spinning wildly, its claws outstretched seeking to spin and slash with wild abandon anything in its way.

The shadow mage didn't stand a chance. In a matter of moments the wall shattered and with the orbs surrounding all sides it was all over. All three shots penetrated the shadow and it wasn't more than a moment later that the summon was gone. Joshua knew this would be tough but now he realized the level of danger this really could be.

To Joshua's surprise, he had already been found. With nothing said aloud and a relatively low profile he was almost shocked. This person was on a level he couldn't comprehend and for that he had to either find a direct path to him or get out of there, even leaving at this point would be to little success. He had to do something but his options were limited.

Luckily he was able to summon his group before everything went wrong. Two Morphs, a swordsman and a mage were all summoned after a quick concentration and release of magic. He said something to the shadows in a language few would understand and they instantly obliged. As the danger approached, the morphs shifted their arms into blade-like weapons and slashed at the things attacking them. Their speed was admirable and hopefully enough to thwart the enemy from destroying them. The dropkick would knock down the morph but with it's arm still active, the blade would slice through the legs of the creature attacking it. The morph would be destroyed but at the same time the thing attacking it would be crippled and more than likely die soon.

With the second creature approaching it was the swordsman it would face. Before any contact was made the swordsman concentrated and shundo'd out of the way before spinning around gracefully and being only a couple meters away form the creature it would attempt to isi and strike through the torso before the enemy could recoil or even figure out where the swordsman was.

With the last rampant enemy getting closer to Joshua, the mage ran in front of it and said "Nori!". A condensed ball of what Joshua called 'Shadow' launched from it's directed hand in an attempt to damage, if not kill the approaching enemy. The ball of shadow launched directly in the path of it's enemy.

The final assault trooper would be knocked back and shattered by the shadow ball. It was hardly a powerful being and was more meant as a distraction, a means to test the mettle of would-be opposers. If they could not overcome these creatures, then they had no reason or hope of challenging him. The one standing atop the mage would be cut down by the attack in turn, as would the assault trooper who was cut down from behind.

Now however, it was time for Mortimer proper to join the fray. LIfting off from his pedestal, he would shundo towards the enemy, alternatively running and vanishing, moving from point to point, leaving afterimages of the hulking beast on his shoulders behind. As he sought to close the distance with his opponent, His familiar, the Nocturna Nigridinis, would utilize the ribbon-like blades on its back, seeking out the swordsman, carving through the ground, aiming to pierce or slash him to bits at a range before it once more turned around.

To Joshua's surprise, the creatures went down without a problem but it only meant that this was a mere test and the real danger was just beginning. Joshua stepped back a few feet as the battle was coming to him and the only way to protect himself was to dismiss his only offense which would also be bad as the focus would be all on him. His swarm would not be nearly enough to defend against everything this mage could throw at him.

As Mortimer came into view with speed Joshua was not used to it appeared that his target was the swordsman. It was easily one of the most terrifying things Joshua had seen thus far but his face didn't reflect a hint of the terror this moment reflected. Why did he travel so far only to put himself in such a position as this? Even if killing was not the overall goal of his opponent, it could very well happen if Joshua wasn't ready to take a hit. Escape wasn't an option, maybe he could somehow use surprise. What could he use as a surprise though? His swarm was the last thing he could use and that was a close proximity defense. The orbs that shot down his mage earlier would ensure he couldn't get close enough to try anything. He had to think of something fast.

The swordsman would be able to shundo out of the way of Mortimer's initial attack though after a misjudged shundo the summon overshot and fell over. One of the morphs turned from his spot and after leaping into the air shifted into a black cat-like creature that blended so easily with the night. The mage on the other hand shot two balls of shadow towards the charging opponent. One was on the right path while the other was aimed a couple feet to the left. All of this happened so fast and Joshua would have loved to have a fourth summon at this point but he had to wait what would feel like an eternity before he could channel enough magic to make this happen.

Mortimer would be undetered by the assault. He would ignore the cat morph for the moment, allowing his summons and "friend" to deal with it as they saw fit. It very easily could have entered into a battle between two invisible giant cats, biting and swiping each other to death. The downed swordsman would be made short-work of by the nocturna Nigridinis's razorsharp blade projections, aiming straight into the prone enemy. As the shadowballs were sent down the left and right pathways towards mortimer, the oversized shadow familiar would extend its arms, its massive hands moving to either side intercepting the path of the shadow spheres.

Seeking to catch the massive objects of solid shadow, the massive beasts arms would have been flung back, nearly tearing out of their sockets as they met their challenge. With luck on its side, the beast would keep hold of the destructive shadowspheres, and then seek to reverse their trajectory, throwing them back the shadowmage who had cast them. All the while, Mortimer continued to run towards the shadow mage seeking to close the distance so as to attempt to unleash the spheres at their greatest point of impact...and failing that, bisect the beast with his sword.

Joshua couldn't help but watch Mortimer as his team attempted to do some sort of damage but everything going on seemed to indicate that his efforts were futile though he wasn't done yet. With the swordsman already all but dead Joshua released him and in a puff of smoke the downed swordsman vanished. It would perhaps give Joshua some energy to conserve and if his opponent was kept busy long enough he could summon a couple more creatures. In his current state of combat though Joshua could sustain the two summons he had left but that wasn't likely to be the problem.

The mage watched as their projectiles were turned against it the quick reaction was a defensive risk. The mage raised it's arm and said "Toraga". A wall materialized in front of the mage, blocking the direct path from Mortimer but Joshua guessed that this would be anticipated by his opponent. This desperate act of preserving it's usability would no doubt cost Joshua another summon.

Joshua turned to the morph and silently gave it orders to protect him as best it could. The cat sprinted towards Joshua and was at his side in a matter of moments, both Joshua and this morph watched as the man with such power dealt with the mage. Though Joshua was mere moments from being able to summon more creatures once again that time would soon be over and he would be in direct danger.

Mortimer would leap the wall, not even bother with destroying it. A kick vertical shundo would give him air as he flipped over. While his face was closest to the ground in the arc of the flip, he repeatedly fired at the shadowmagw tih his gun before landing on the ground once more, his back initially to Joshua, but still protected by his gigantic familiar. Turning around he would advance forward slowly towards the challenger.

Cloaked in power and the most powerful of shadow summoning techniques he had no fear of whatever attack would befall him next.

Joshua knew that he was in big trouble, even though his shadow summons were not like normal shadows it was clear that he was outmatched and way over his head. For the first time in his adventures he was never so out matched like now and it was a spectacular thing to see. He was beat and his last hope was the swarm which would more than likely do nothing to this man. It was now, with the man strolling up to him that he could definitively say this was exactly who he thought it was.

"I don't know if you have intention of talking but I remember you, from the night you tried to provide me protection from those creatures that were out to consume me. I thank you for that, though I don't understand all of this. I remember exactly what you told me about the paradox of power... everything you told me." Joshua was done, the only reason he had to use the swarm was if his life was in danger though at such a close range he had no chance at surviving if the man really wanted to kill him. Talking was the purpose that Joshua originally came here and it was his last option. There was no doubt in his mind this was the same man he had met that one time.

Mortimer would advance closer. He would walk through the swarm. The combination of his familiar and his armor of shadow protecting him from the worst of it. Any that got through, he had no fear of. Standing directly in front of the would-be usurper he raised the sword to the young mans throat. "Why do you fight? Why do you seek power?"

Joshua hardly flinched as the man stood in front of him. All he had now was to speak. "I did not seek power when I came here. The power I seek is only that which will return me to where I call home. I fought because this was the only option you gave me. This opportunity to talk would only come after a fight but I sense that you do not wish to speak."

Joshua did not know the reason for this challenge but judging from the man's actions he had some darker plans behind it. "Why do you seek someone to give this power if you are not happy? Do you think there would be a better suiter?" Joshua asked, thought doubted getting an answer.

"If you wish to go home...all you must do is look behind you." He would then proceed to press his sword into the young mans windpipe before withdrawing it. It would be painful and it should be unlikely that he would be speaking for some time...but he would breath. His lungs still in tact and the veins adjacent to his windpipe untouched. "You are unworthy of power. You have no need of it. Now go" he said dropping a pile of drachma at the mans feet...or perhaps knees. More than enough for a shuttle to anywhere on this world...or even to the other one. Turning, he would dismiss his familiar and return to the pillar in the middle of the desert. There he would remain until someone worthy came to face him...or die of exposure and starvation.

Before Joshua had any time to do or say anything he felt pressure added to the blade and blood trickle down his neck. Surprisingly Joshua remained standing and as Mortimer stepped away the swarm that was around Joshua rushed to the wound and covered it, making sure he didn't lose much blood and that no further damage was done. It was done then, he could not fight and did not wish to fight this man any more. He was unable to speak and from the sense that he was getting did not want to talk so all Joshua could do was leave with nothing more than experiencing such raw power of a man he never really knew. It was disappointing but as he watched the man return to where he stood before Joshua knew that this was it, they would never meet again.

As Joshua finally turned to leave, he felt a deep sorrow for the man that he was moments ago fighting. The words he spoke were few in this instance but it was enough for Joshua to understand exactly what the purpose of this challenge was.

As the swarm covered Joshua's wound he turned around, not even bothering to collect the sum of drachma that was tossed at his feet. He had enough money to get by so that didn't matter. This was not for nothing though, the time he would take to travel elsewhere would allow him the opportunity to think about everything deeply. He had a lot to think about as well as he would be unable to speak for a couple days.

"I don't know who exactly you are but whatever hell you've been put through to reach this point I feel sorry for you." Joshua thought of the man as they parted ways. Maybe someone more suited for this challenge would appear but if not what would this be the final actions of the man? Joshua could only wonder. He was no where near returning home but the few words of this man made him wonder what Joshua was really doing or what he was after.

Rewards:

Alberio: 2 SP, 2 MP and 110,000 Drachma
Lyon: 2 SP, 2MP and 110,000 Drachma