Reflections on the Warpath - [An Isekai Progression Fantasy]

Jay followed behind Akira as he flung open the door to the Celestial Swords. Behind them walked Lyra and Karis, who'd ended up on his desired team after all.

Lucky for some.

The crowd had erupted in rumours after Jay had been selected by Amaya. Sure, some of the viewers would know the history between Jay's group and the Flaming Tomb Alliance, but he reckoned most of the conversation centred around why the lowest ranked gladiator had been picked at the start of the second round.

They didn't speak much on their journey back to the Celestial Swords. Jay, Lyra, and seemingly Karis too, were all deep in thought. Akira filled the air with insults towards Jay's future teammates that grew increasingly creative the further they walked.

Jay walked up to the rooftop staircase. He didn't stop to order a drink, but acknowledged Florian, the familiar bartender, as he passed by.

"Can you make sure nobody follows us up?" asked Jay.

Florian glanced over, dragging his eyes away from a system screen that looked like a green blur to Jay. The bartender paused for a moment before waving them all further in.

"No problem. I guess it's closed for maintenance today!" he said with a wink.

Jay collapsed into a wooden slatted chair and leant onto its back two legs, tilting his head up to look at the coliseum in the distance. The first sprinklings of rainfall tapped his forehead before Ping flew above him and diverted the droplets aside.

Even if the heavens opened on Jay, he'd rather stay away from prying eyes and ears while discussing his future survival. If the downpour drowned out their conversation, then nobody listening in would know his plan.

"So… what do we do now?" said Jay.

Jay was glad Lyra had chosen Karis as her third. Of all the people he knew, Jay reckoned the Frontiersman was probably the most knowledgeable about what advancement would entail. He was the perfect person to pull Jay out of the pit Amaya had just dragged him into.

"Let's work our way through a solution." began Lyra. "I assume the coliseum has no measures against infighting, which leads me to assume that Amaya and Ezekiel will try and kill you the second the tournament starts. Does everyone else agree?"

Everybody nodded.

"Assuming that then. Jay has two problems to solve: Escaping from his… teammates at the start of the tournament and completing the tournament's task on his own. Let's focus on the second point first. It's easier, but less straightforward."

"The tasks during advancement are usually simple." said Karis. "However, many of them can't be performed alone. If that is the case, then Jay's number one priority should be reuniting with us once he has escaped his own team. Then, after we have completed our tasks, we can assist him.

"Without knowing the exact parameters of the tournament, it is hard to create a targeted plan, so we shouldn't get mired in specificity."

"How do you know so much about the tasks?" asked Jay. "And why do you want me to return to you guys? Surely that's not efficient for your progress?"

"Efficiency isn't about being needlessly cutthroat, Jay. Where would ignoring your plight get me? Trapped on a team with two stronger gladiators? That's far from the most efficient way to complete a task. If we want to advance, then we need to work together." shot back Karis.

Makes sense. Maybe I need to remember that too.

"As to your other question, my home, the Crystal Grove, is a repository of knowledge deep within the Verdant Frontier. It is a safe haven for anyone crossing the region, but records the memories and knowledge of those who rest there. Several former gladiators have passed through the Grove. Their memories were not shielded by the coliseum system the way this morning's announcement was."

"Anyway." said Lyra, drawing the group's attention back to the tournament. "How do we meet up with Jay after the tournament starts? How likely is it that we start close by each other? Do you think he'll be able to find us right away?"

Lyra turned expectantly towards Karis.

Jay and Akira did too.

"I don't know everything!" he chuckled. "But I don't believe it to be likely. With so many gladiators, the teams will presumably be spread over a large area."

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

"So we've gotta search for each other." said Akira.

Karis nodded. "My crows can all search for Jay, they'll have the best chance of finding him, meanwhile we can focus on completing the task set for us."

"Wait, why should we focus on the task?" said Akira. "We need to find Jay first. That's more important."

Akira seemed angry, or at least annoyed, that Karis had even suggested prioritising the actual task of advancement.

"Yes. But what can the three of us do that my crows cannot?" Karis replied. "Simply searching would be a waste of our time. If we start the objective before we find Jay, it will save us time after we find him to complete it and help him complete it too."

There's the efficiency again.

But he's not wrong.

"You're correct." said Lyra. She began tapping her fingers against the rooftop railing, staring up at the coliseum. "But you're missing a piece of our strategy. We didn't enter the tournament just to advance into D grade. We're here for revenge against the people who killed my sister."

Lyra turned around and stared into Karis' diamond eyes.

Jay analysed the pensive man's face, searching for any expression.

Wishing you were on a different team now?

All four gladiators stood in silence. The pitter-pattering raindrops filled the air, like a weight pressing down on their strategic discussion.

"Does that change anything?" said Karis. "Finding our targets is the same as finding Jay. My crows will be much more effective than the three of us. Searching will be a misuse of our time. Even if killing Amaya Ironglove and Ezekiel the Soulsnatcher is of a higher priority than completing the tournament's task, if we can't meaningfully progress that objective then why bother chasing it?

"Also, given the number of unknowns, we have no idea whether completing the task could help or harm our search for Jay and our targets. We need to at least try, rather than blindly searching for Jay."

Again, Karis' words made sense. Jay was impressed at how quickly he'd accepted their change in priorities. Perhaps this was the Frontiersman's efficiency, rather than the ruthlessness that Jay had expected earlier.

Akira looked ready to protest the newcomer's reasoning, but Jay found himself agreeing with Karis.

"That sounds like a good idea," said Jay. "You shouldn't waste time looking when the crows are already on it. I'll work on whatever objective we get too. Karis, how good are your crows' eyesight? If I make a trail of markings, would they be able to follow me?"

"They see well enough." said Karis. "But others will be attracted to a trail too. Are you sure you want to make one?"

"I think it's worth the risk if it means finding you three sooner." Jay replied. "I'll try hide it from most gladiators. I don't think we can plan much more than that."

"What happens if Jay doesn't complete his task? What happens if he can't complete it after we kill Amaya and Ezekiel?" asked Akira.

The falling rain punctuated Akira's foreboding question.

What happens than?

Do I just die?

Jay met Lyra's expressionless stare. He remembered how their first scrimmage had ended, with Lyra prioritising revenge over their objective. He wondered what she'd do if revenge meant leaving him to die. If Amaya and Ezekiel's death meant more than his life.

Her stony grimace gave away nothing.

"Failing the task isn't usually lethal. It just means you won't advance to D grade." said Karis. His diamond eyes darted between Jay and Lyra, as if he knew the tension between them, but not why it was there.

Better than dying… But will I have to wait a year for the next tournament?

"Onto the next problem." said Jay, sweeping his future uncertainty under the rug. "How the fuck do I escape them at the start?"

Jay began planning, another spell of strategic silence hung over the rooftop.

"We shouldn't over think it." said Akira. His voice interrupted the tacticians' spiralling ideas.

"Jay's faster than Amaya or Ezekiel, and Amaya has to set up her puppets anyway. So she won't be able to attack him right at the start. That leaves only Ezekiel, all Jay needs to do is create a big enough distraction and he can simply run away. We're not gonna be in the newbie arena, put enough distance between you guys and they'll never find you."

"What kind of distraction though?" replied Jay.

"Anything. Like we said before, there's too many unknowns to plan it all out. Just cause a bunch of chaos and trust in yourself to figure something out."

Lyra didn't look too pleased with Akira's 'strategy' but Jay saw the reasoning behind it. He had no way to create a foolproof strategy, and there was no use relying on an incomplete one.

Jay had faith in his speed, he just needed to create a situation to use it in. He agreed with Akira that plunging Ezekiel into chaos was his best way to escape.

Luckily, thanks to a couple of eccentric raccoons, chaos wasn't exactly hard for Jay to acquire…

Jay and Akira rushed towards Hawker's Octant, eager to reach the Clockwork Vault before Pippin closed for the night and unwilling to talk to anyone on the way there. Jay swung open the door and ducked inside.

At the far end of the store, reading a book while nestled behind the counter, sat Pippin. He glanced at Jay with one eye before returning to his book.

"Back for more? I'm afraid I don't have much new to sell you."

"About that…" said Jay as he walked deeper into the store.

Akira appeared fascinated by the mechanical oddities encased in glass, but he joined Jay as he walked closer to Pippin.

Jay rested his hands on the countertop and flashed the raccoon a nervous smile.

"There's been a little change in plans, Pippin."

The shopkeeper shut his book. He slid it across the counter, removed his half-moon glasses, and returned Jay's smile with an ominous grin.

"Oh, how marvellous. Please, tell me more."

"I might need some of those bombs after all."

"Wonderful! I knew you'd come around. May I enquire on the specifics? Which explosives would you like to purchase?"

Akira clasped his hand on Jay's shoulder. His eyes lit up with a mischievous smile and he leaned closer to Pippin.

"We want all of them. The more chaos the better."

Easy for you to say…

Akira spoke with the confidence of a man bereft of consequence, relaying Jay's situation to Pippin. Jay couldn't do much other than laugh nervously, sandwiched between the two loose cannons currently deciding his fate.

The chest behind Pippin flipped open.

The raccoon turned around and muttered under his breath.

"Oh how I have been waiting for this day!" said Pippin.

Jay couldn't tell whether the shopkeeper was speaking to them or himself.

"Time to put on a show ol' Pip! Time to put on a show…"