Byxx let out a resigned sigh and nodded. He turned back to his partner. Let him have his fun for now, he thought. The archfiend would keep Toji occupied long enough for whatever Khazmine had in mind. All Byxx needed to do was his part.

Keep the bastard busy.

Zayne shifted position behind Iris, his nerves on fire. He’d watched Khazmine and Byxx spar many times, but he’d never seen them go against an actual enemy before. To him, that’s what the Devil Gods and the boy were; enemies. The imp boy was a strange anomaly, but seemed harmless. 

He hoped.

The strangers may have the answer for Iris’s declining health, but the scarred one was a callous and vulgar snake, one undeserving of his respect. Zayne hoped Byxx buried Toji in the dirt and taped over his mouth so he couldn’t say another foul word around Iris again. She was a gentle being; Toji Kanaki was a monster with a pretty face, scarred though it may be.

The only thing that was keeping Zayne from stopping this whole ordeal was nestled into a comfortable chair, shivering for warmth and comfort. They were doing this for Iris. If it meant running a marathon through Hell and back to ensure she was safe, happy, and healthy, every last one of them would do it.

Alden gritted his teeth. “I really hope they know what they’re doing,” he muttered.

Zayne bit the inside of his lip, wondering the same. “They’ll be okay…I think…”

Iris frowned, tugging the cape tighter around herself. “Guys, is this really such a good idea?” she asked, her voice weak and trembling. “M-maybe we should just go home. I’m not so sure about this whole thing, and I really don’t want anyone to get hurt.” 

Especially not over me…

Zayne bent over and kissed the crown of Iris’s head, catching a hint of the sweet-smelling floral shampoo she always used. “I’m sure it’ll be alright,” the Paxoram said with a warble of unease in his voice. “Byxx is the strongest man I know, and Khaz? Well, she’s practically indestructible.” 

Saying it out loud, he could feel his anxiety slowly slip away. It was foolish to doubt his tribemates. Zayne might not know the Devil God and the young God Prince on the field, but he did know his friends. The enemy was unpredictable; he was sure of that much. 

His friends, he could trust.

Iris wasn’t convinced. “I don’t know,” she said weakly. “It just doesn’t feel right, those two fighting over medicine…” Her gaze slowly slid to the massive Sword still stuck in the ground a few yards away, the energy waves dancing lazily around the tightly wrapped blade. The fight wasn’t the only thing that was making her uncomfortable. 

Silver shifted into his small monkey form and perched on Natsu’s shoulders, folding his tiny hands on the top of his Master’s head. “I wouldn’t worry too much, honestly,” he said easily. “Master Toji won’t kill them. Not unless they deserve it.”

Four heads slowly turned in his direction, dumbfounded. Silver met their gaze, an innocent smile on his adorable face. “What?” he asked.

“What?” Curtis parroted in disbelief. “You said it was a mock fight. Why would you say such a thing?”

The imp shrugged. “Shit happens.”

They turned away and Zayne shook his head. He folded his arms over his chest and stared out across the field, hoping that whatever Khazmine and Byxx had planned would be enough to help them win while keeping all their limbs attached.

Alden glanced down at Iris, her face twisted in a grimace. He frowned. “Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked.

She gave a small hesitant nod. “I’m fine,” she said, her weak voice betraying the truth. She glanced up at him and smiled. “I’ll be fine. I’m just nervous. That’s all.”

Alden wrapped his arm around her, crouching next to Iris and placing his forehead against her temple. “It’ll be fine, love. Everyone will be just fine.”

Curtis reached down and grabbed Iris’s hand, his gaze fixed on Byxx, his heart pounding. “Please,” he prayed. “Don’t get hurt.”

Zayne swallowed hard, Curtis’s soft plea reaching his sensitive ears. He nodded his agreement. “Please don’t let anyone get hurt.”

Alden tightened his hold around Iris, resting his lips against the side of her head. “No one will get hurt,” he murmured.

Iris stared out across the field, trying desperately to keep her eyes open. Somehow, she doubted that was true.

***

Toji’s eyes shifted, his catlike pupils narrow as he stared at his opponent. “Let’s see just how badly you want this, Byxxy-boy,” he muttered to himself. He gripped his sword tightly, Natsu’s stream of energy rolling gently around his mind, keeping the madness in check. He hated it, but sometimes it did come in handy in a fight. But, seeing as this wasn’t a real fight, he had to behave himself.

To a point.

“Remember what I said about cheating,” Tristan warned under his breath.

“What did you say?”

“I said—”

“NOW!” 

Tristan growled and the two dashed forward to meet their fellow combatants. 

Toji kept low, swinging up high just as Byxx came down hard with his own massive blade. The archfiend’s eyes went wide as he staggered back slightly, the force of Toji’s hit rattling through his bones. He stared down at the feral Devil God in disbelief.

“Well done, old thing. You really are quite strong,” Byxx said, grateful that, regardless of how this fight may end, he had a worthy opponent to challenge him.

“What the fu…who are you calling old, Big Red?” Toji countered, his eyes blazing. He spun back and around, his sword sliding off Byxx’s before he swung back, meeting the sword with a clash so ferocious, a gust of wind burst from the contact, blowing out several feet in all directions. 

“It’s an expression, dear heart.” Byxx’s grin was devilish as he reared back and swung wide. Toji ducked, darting behind the archfiend so quickly, he was nothing but a blur. Toji straightened, kicking Byxx behind the knee and bringing him down.

“Ah! Gods old and new!” Byxx roared. He swung out hard, using the momentum to get back on his feet, spinning to meet Toji’s blow. The two struck at one another fiercely, neither of them letting up. Byxx did his best to keep his eye on Khazmine as she toyed with Tristan, ensuring he and Toji didn’t get too close.

He had no desire to get shocked again.

At the other end of the battlefield, the arena master amused herself, tiring out the headstrong young man she’d been paired against. Khazmine had no physical implement to speak of, and instead resorted to psychological weaponry. The Augment repeatedly ducked and dodged away from Tristan’s strikes like a nimble house panther, teasing the lad with false hopes for an easy victory, just like her mentor had done years ago.

“Stay still, dammit!” Tristan bellowed, only for his demand to fall on deaf ears. He continued to lunge, duck, and leap just as Toji and Natsu had taught him, becoming more and more irritated as Khazmine evaded him at every turn with such ease he may as well have been fighting water.

Toji’s gonna be pissed if I don’t get in at least one hit! 

“What’s the matter, Khazmine?” Tristan taunted, his ruby red eyes blazing. “You scared to get hit or something? Is that why you can’t stay put?”

The horrid woman remained silent, unblinking, and serene–unflappable to the young god’s complaints and swings. She had an eerie, calculating stare that gave Tristan the shivers, like someone was walking over his grave. And the fact that she wouldn’t talk to him, like the archfiend would with Toji…

I really hate this woman, Tristan snarled. He clutched the hilt of his sword and lunged forward once more. This would be so much easier if I could fly! However, unlike Toji, he wasn’t one to bend the rules. Natsu said no magic, Toji said no flying, and he would obey his Masters’ orders.

That’s right, little one. Khazmine allowed a curl to reach her lips as she maneuvered Tristan closer to the target. His swipes were skillful, yes, but predictable and easy to manipulate. This feisty little marsh pup was strong, ferocious, and well-trained, but critically lacking in battlefield experience that would serve him well here. Come closer. Away from your protector.

It was only a matter of time now; time which was on her side…

“Right here, big guy!” Toji growled, getting right in Byxx’s face. He punched hard, slicing Byxx’s cheek on impact. The archfiend dropped to his knees, cradling his jaw. The little fiend could hit! Toji stood over him, exuding such thick energy that Byxx chanced to look up and flinched.

Toji’s eyes were black. His expression was cold, almost hateful. “You fight me, you pay attention to me,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “Ignore them. Got it, asshole?” The blade of his sword lengthened, four curved spikes appearing on the edges. Byxx tensed his lips in disgust, finally realizing what this person was.

Mad.

“Fine,” Byxx barked. You want attention, you GOT it.

“Good.” Toji put his boot on Byxx’s chest and pushed, launching himself backward as he manifested a second sword midair. Byxx sprang backwards just as Toji came down hard with both. The ground erupted right where he had just been, and the archfiend used his momentum to put some distance between himself and this Kanaki fellow, dodging boulders nearly as big as himself as they fell.

“You really are stronger than you look,” Byxx commented with a lilt of sarcasm in his voice. This titan was strong, to be sure, but he was also easy to rile, and didn’t appear capable of splitting his attention effectively. Good. That’s useful.

“And I’m holding back,” Toji grinned. Byxx couldn’t help but notice his fangs had grown longer. He came at Byxx again, both swords raised. The archfiend blocked them at his chest, pushing back with a grunt.

“Why would you do that?” he goaded. “I expected your full might, Lord Kanaki.”

Toji nodded to the sidelines. “Because your boyfriend is watching, and I’d rather not have Natsu care for a coma patient, thanks.”

“So considerate…” Byxx needled.

The two leapt apart, crouched low, then ran at each other once more. Byxx struck out first this time, aiming high. Toji blocked Damocleaver with both swords in an X, pushing forward before swinging one wide at Byxx’s head. He watched as the blade sliced cleanly through one ceres, the tip spinning off into the thick cloud of detritus.

Byxx watched it go, eyes practically closed from squinting. He reached up to touch the wounded feature, his fingers tracing the slice where his horn used to be. It was fortunate that archfiend horns grew like fingernails, and it wasn’t a permanent loss. Still, it was terribly worrisome to poor Curtis on the sidelines, whose jaw went slack seeing his beloved under threat. He turned his stare back to Toji. 

“That, sir…”

Toji’s grin became far more maniacal.

“Was most INCONSIDERATE!” He lunged at Toji, pushing him back with one fierce blow after another, growing more and more frustrated as Toji not only met each one easily, struck out more fiercely, and his attacks were slightly more graceful, but the little bastard was laughing.

“Is this funny to you?!” Byxx roared, pushing an attack that Toji countered, leaping up to land on the archfiend’s shoulders and squatting down, one arm around his thick neck. 

“Hilarious,” Toji growled in his ear. Byxx could feel him tense around his head, the grip tightening. “What the fuck is going on?” he demanded in a low voice. “What the hell does that woman think she’s doing?”

Byxx grinned monstrously. The flesh on Toji’s arm felt warm to the touch where it clamped on the archfiend, until it burned with white-hot intensity. Finally angry enough to ignite his furnace, Byxx replied with his own husky, low growl.

“Winning.”

In the distance, isolated and alone, Tristan writhed in agony at another invisible strike he couldn’t pinpoint or avoid. Dozens of painful burns on his arms, legs, face, and neck seared into his skin, leaving markings like bolts of lightning on charred, agonized flesh. Tristan gripped his sword so tightly that his knuckles cracked, but pain had stripped the lad of all that fine training he’d received.

Uncle is going to be disappointed in me, he thought, despair leaching into his core. Years of training…and for what…Katsuki is going to dismiss me before I even begin my position as his Guard. 

Having people be disappointed in Tristan was nothing new; it was the main course served by his own parents for much of his life. But he couldn’t bear it from Toji. He had to get back on track… He had to prove he hadn’t been a waste of time. But this woman… No matter what he did, no matter how much confidence and resolve he regained, she stole it back with one glacier-eyed look.

Broken, frightened, and trembling in anticipation of her next strike, Tristan shivered as he tried to find defensible cover.

But how? How did she do it?

Khazmine had vanished into thin air, right in front of his eyes, with a strange ripple in her skin before disappearing entirely. Unfortunately, Tristan couldn’t detect any strange magic or energy, except for the barrier around them. If Khazmine was using some kind of magic, it wasn’t anything Tristan had ever sensed before.

“HOW?” Tristan managed to scream as yet another lash marred his skin.

A bracing sting from a whip end brought the youth to his knees, which crumpled the dried grass beneath him. Tristan’s shoulders tensed to his ears as a shiver crawled over his entire body. An electrical energy, potent and proximal, was inches away from his face.

“Technology, little one,” Khazmine whispered in his tensed-back ear. “Your Natsu made no rule against its use.”

That’s how… Tristan realized all too late, the epiphany tearing through his core like a thousand knives. This woman, this thing was synthetic. 

A technology golem…

She… She’s not REAL! No wonder she smelled so weird…she emits chemical energy, not supernatural. Tristan gritted his teeth, his hand burning with pain as he gripped the sword ever tighter. 

Brought to his knees and damaged by numerous, non-fatal wounds, Tristan shuddered horrendously. She could kill him, right here, right now, and he wouldn’t even see it coming…

“I can’t win this…” he whispered to himself, knowing his fate was sealed with that one, soul-crushing admission.

“Give in, little one,” Khazmine whispered, the faintest trace of her mechanical nature bleeding into the Augment’s voice. “Yield.”