Belial watched as general Tiko crashed through the trees, chasing after Andra. She had pinpointed him perfectly, rushing off after him almost instantly. He watched her almost catch up and slice, nearly catching Andra before he dashed back with the help of a speed-boosting sigil. A tree had been caught in the swipe, collapsing against the others around it, completely severed at its trunk. Belial raised an eyebrow in appreciation. That was just with her longsword. She had gotten even stronger since he’d last went up against her at Yhor’Dheel. He wondered what she could do with that claymore strapped to her back. Andra stopped for a few seconds, several sigils appearing at his shoulders, hipline and chest. He glowed a bright purple for a few seconds before vanishing completely, barely avoiding a lethal slash from general Tiko. Belial chuckled to himself as she took a moment to orient herself before rushing off in his direction. She knew as well as Belial that the teleportation ability available to users of the witchcraft discipline was very short-range. Belial followed a safe distance as she chased, making sure to step in at the opportune moment in order to strike the fatal blow.

General Tiko burst into a clearing and was immediately blown off her feet by a wave of energy. Belial grinned. Of course. Andra was smarter than he was skilled or powerful, he had teleported away in order to set up his arena. Belial watched as the hooded man brought his arms in, sigils on the ground spinning and lances of energy bursting up from below. General Tiko swiped with her longsword, slicing them apart before leaping into a roll over the spears she had sliced as more sprung up where she had been standing. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy, she had decades of combat experience. She was fast, strong, her reflexes were sharp. But Andra was also at the top of his game. More sigils glowed, spinning, before firing beams of power. General Tiko waved her arm and a silver shield appeared, deflecting four beams, whereas another two were batted aside with a simple sword swing. The general sprinted at Andra, though sigils appeared down his arms and in mid air behind him. He waved an arm and a massive wave of energy rushed at the general, though she turned her shoulder into the assault, her arm up to cover her face and the energy washed over her armour, the only casualty her cape which ended up tattered and ripped. Andra grunted as the general closed in, sword whipping out at him and almost catching him, though he fell back and splayed his hand, twin beams of light shooting at the general from the sigils behind him. The general may have been quick, but she wasn’t quick enough to avoid the attack from point blank. She fell to the side, crying out as she crashed into the foliage and went tumbling, her armour scorched and smoking. Using the momentum however, she rolled onto one knee and stood straight back up, whirling her sword up into a two handed grip. Andra responded, the sigils on his arms spinning again. He sent a lance of magic at the general, though she swiped it away easily enough. She dashed back in towards him as he sent a dozen blades of energy slicing across the ground towards her. With a leap and a roll, however, she sailed right over them and came up quickly, steel blurring as her sword arced round.

Belial watched, slightly stunned as blood splashed the ground around the general and Andra. The robed man staggered back from the blow, hand at his hip as his other waved, a desperate barrage of energy blades swiping for general Tiko, though they were easily dispatched. She was about to fall upon him again and finish him off when Belial stepped in. Red filled the clearing as his own magic burst from his outstretched hand, spearing general Tiko straight through the shoulder, right in the space where her breastplate met her pauldron. She screamed, the magic dispersing as she fell to one knee, blood splashing from her. Belial turned to smoke and burst from the trees, taking his form again in front of Andra and sighing.

“Make your escape.” He said softly, and Andra nodded, readying his teleportation.

“Belial.” General Tiko growled, sheathing her longsword and placing a hand on that huge claymore on her back.

“How wonderful to see you again, general,” Belial smiled at her, “How long has it been? Eleven years? My lord, how the time flies.”

“Woulda been happy to never see you again, honestly.” The general muttered, taking the large blade from her back and whirling it like it weighed nothing, sinking into a low stance with the blade resting on the crook of her right arm, pointed at Belial. He responded in kind, a long, wickedly curved red blade appearing in his hand. He brought it into a basic stance and it left a faint red trail in the air where it moved. The general made the first move, roaring and dashing towards Belial, who laughed as he leapt to meet her.

***

Mordred approached them carefully. He wasn’t in a stance, but he had his legs slightly apart, knees bent. He was slightly side-on to them, broadsword in the hand closer to them. He was wary. Kito splayed his hands, energy crackling at his fingertips. He had only gone up against Mordred a couple of times in the past. He was monstrously powerful, even though he didn’t use any magical Disciplines. Katy and Seiko had both gone up against him many more times than Kito had, and how guarded and cautious they both were told him all he needed to know. Seiko made the first move, a simple punch that blasted a large fireball towards their foe. Mordred simply whirled, absorbing the impact on his shoulder and letting the flames billow around his cloak, though they didn’t catch. Continuing the movement, he let his spin take him towards Seiko and brought his sword around and down, though Seiko dodged the blow easily, stepping to the side and firing a jab into Mordred’s breastplate, followed by a cross to his helmet. Flames burst from Seiko’s fist, though it only made the giant man tilt his head slightly. That sword came back around and Seiko ducked the swipe, coming back up with a huge hook that again, only made Mordred’s head bob slightly. Though the push kick that followed sent him back a few steps, right into Katy. Her gladius came at him in a tight arc that he blocked with his own blade, parrying it aside and spinning, his own sword held at his waist. Katy jumped back to avoid the point of the sword as he spun, though he followed the movement up, whirling his sword and bringing it around with all that momentum towards Katy, but she ducked around it with ease. When she came back up she jumped, the point of her gladius plunging towards Mordred’s neck. He shifted slightly and took the blow on his breastplate, the blade clanging from the armour harmlessly. Katy tutted as she weaved around another return blow and flipped away from him.

Mordred moved again, sword whirling. Katy dodged backwards, avoiding the swing, though it continued around as Seiko moved in from behind him. He grunted as he had to shift his weight, instead of kicking he let himself fall and slide on his knees along the undergrowth. Mordred aimed a kick at his head, though Seiko rolled from the attack while Katy jumped in again, knees slamming into Mordred’s chest. He staggered back as she flipped from him, her momentum still taking her forward and sliced, though Mordred was able to block the majority of the blow, the rest being absorbed by his helmet and sending him staggering once again. When she was about to follow up, however, his sword sought her out once again. Though this time he was blasted forward several steps by a burst of blue energy. Kito sent a wave at him next, though that only made him raise his arm as it washed over his armour. That was enough though. A gust of wind blew him off balance, and Seiko leapt in, flipping with a huge kick that sent Mordred staggering once again, this time almost toppling.

“Still as hardy as ever…” Seiko muttered, flames still licking at his boots.

Almost as if to answer him, Mordred dusted off his shoulder and dashed into the fray once again.

Seiko ducked a vicious sword swing and punched, fist rocking Mordred’s helmet as Katy spun in, lashing out a kick to that same spot that spun the giant man. Kito followed them up with a blast of Aura that he batted aside with the back of his hand. His sword came round, clanging off of a green barrier Katy had erected. She let it dissipate and went in for another stab, between the plates like before. Mordred grabbed her blade, however, yanking her forward into a stagger, though before he could capitalise, blue energy blasted against him, spinning him as Seiko roared, flipping and bringing his heel up and over, then down onto Mordred’s head. Flames erupted from the impact and wind billowed as the huge man was finally brought to his knees, hand slamming against the underbrush. Seiko staggered back, limping slightly. Kito charged magic through his arm, aiming to end it with an aura lance, but Mordred suddenly got to his feet. Kito jerked to the side as the sword swiped at the space he had just been. Mordred’s speed had increased massively as he spun, sword arcing once again for Kito. Green filled his vision and Kito darted back, towards his sword as the shield Katy had erected shattered. Kito leapt to his sword and rolled, coming up while pulling it out of the sheath and settling into a stance all in one fluid movement. Mordred had clearly decided to take this fight seriously, they couldn’t hold back.

Mordred made his move, darting towards Kito with a quick plunging attack that Kito parried aside. Katy followed him up, her gladius clanging against Mordred’s pauldron heavily. The large man spun with the impact, Katy’s sword being parried by the armour as his sword whipped around. She ducked it, coming back up with the blade scraping along his breastplate, this time leaving a deep groove in the metal before he quickly swiped at her, forcing her to leap back. With a grin, Katy did a few swings with her sword in mid-air, the wind whooshing with each swing.

“That was a decent warm-up,” She said, “I have a feel for that armour now. It won’t protect you anymore.” And with that, she dashed in, weaving around a quick swipe of Mordred’s sword and plunging her own blade straight towards his chest. He batted it aside and dashed back, realising all too late that she had cleaved straight through his gauntlet. No blood dripped, but she clearly hadn’t been lying or exaggerating. That armour wouldn’t stop her blade anymore. The large man finally settled into a stance, holding his sword out. He made a move for Kito, who raised his guard in response, though it became clear quickly that it was nothing more than a feint. The huge man changed course abruptly, just as Katy moved in to back Kito up. Her eyebrows rose, eyes widening as he closed in quickly. She was forced to block his first assault with a Sentinel barrier, though it shattered instantly. His attack was stopped, however, and it gave her time to get her bearings and lash her gladius towards him. He once again caught the blade, and while it cut into his fingers, he yanked Katy towards him, slashing upwards with that large blade. Katy twisted just at the last minute, though blood still splashed as the blade sheared through her shoulder. She screamed as blue energy exploded against Mordred, taking him clean off of his feet and spinning through the air with a cry of shock. He crashed against a tree, wood splinters showering the brush around him, then fell painfully onto his side.