Stress Relief (Closed)

[Ioder]

This is a three way fight between myself, Shin, and Anethrium. There is a strict 48 posting window before the next character in rotation is allowed to skip whomever didn't post. The first person to respond will determine posting rotation.

It was magnificent, all the attention to detail that the monks of the Citadel we're capable of. Ioder simply asked for a spire, with multiple balconies striping it's entirety. But the mystics that craft these remarkable arenas had so much more in mind. Ioder sat perched at the very point of the massive tower with his wings folded over his frame like a cloak of feathers. His oppenets we're due to arrive at any moment.

The spire itself was jaw dropping in the fact that over each edge only white clouds could be seen below. The length of the tower was segmented in thirty feet increments by railed balconies large enough for an elephant to feel comfortable traversing. These flat walkways circled the tower and had four doorways leading only through to the opposite side of the catwalks. The sky's around we're calm, not so much a breeze on this sunny day.

Today's contest of might and magic was open to three competitors. One of which was the seraphim but the others remained a mystery. He let out a muted groan as he waited full of lackluster anticipation. It wasn't that he was without excitement, rather he was here on important business. Ioder was in search of strong allies, people with connections and ambitions like his own. He felt an emptiness since his resignation from the Tarot Hierarchy, which needed to be filled.

"Let the games begin," he said as he uncurled his wings and stood balancing on the tip of the spire. He was wearing traditional dueling attire covered by an ornate white cloak. His medium length blond locks we're pulled back in a small bun and his crystal eyes glistened in sun rays cast from above. He stayed still for a moment embracing the calm before closing his eyes and leaping forward.

Ioder plummeted downward for a few moments skipping three circular porches before extending his wings. He caught himself about mid way between the tip of the spire and the cloud barrier below. His momentum forced a swift bank before he landed on the central most balcony where he first teleported in at. This would be the most likely place the others would arrive at. It would be unsporting of him not to at least meet his competitors.

[Antheruin]

“Captain… captain Daerleon?”

I had heard the acolytes approach, and while I had not been certain, I had guessed that he was coming to collect me for the tourney that I had paid the retainment fee for an hour gone. It was several moments though before he finally spoke, time which I allowed him, even though I knew that he was studying my person with the same absorbed care that I was giving the aged tapis.

How many times had I heard that title and surname? how many times with that same level of barely concealed anxiety? The answer did not come to mind, but no matter.

If you had changed that wall hanging to one more familiar, one more poorly constructed, one with less historical significance, then I might have forgotten I was in the Citadel and thought I was back training fresh-face lads & lasses. This one certainly acted like one of those new recruits.

“Yes acolyte”

Turning away from the meticulous depiction of Erelyn Silverbow and Balaena Kiaran slaying one another, which always seemed to hold my attention whenever I came to this temple of arts marshal, my gaze alighted upon the cream skinned innocent human youth, who was at that moment turning his nut hued eyes down to examine some spot on the glazed tiles beneath our feet. He was also trying, rather unsuccessfully; to hide the nervous blush that was turning his otherwise palloris skin the same shade as his hair. Perhaps some girl, somewhere, would find that kind of thing cute. To me it was only mildly exasperating, and a reminder how much I hated youths of any race. It was justification to what I had previously surmised, true, but the realization brought me small comfort.

“You have come to lead me to the proper chamber I take it.”

There was no point in wasting either of our time with him stammering out his purpose. Perhaps I would discover someday exactly what aspect of my person that intimidated so many, until then however, all that could be done was to simply carry on in spite of the annoyance.

Apparently this one wasn’t used to military succinctness, as he jerked with all the suddenness of being slapped.

“Yes Captain, if you will follow me.”

His response was as close to a squeak as could be without actually hitting the mark, which I could not be sure, if it made it more infuriating or less. If this one had been a recruit, I’d be admonishing him at that moment at his lack of backbone.

We did not speak again after that, he quickly and promptly traversed the three hallways, and a large open intersection, which could have held a family comfortably, before reaching the door. All the lad did was gesture towards the door, at which I merely nodded and stepped through.

It had been thirty years since I last set foot in one of these arenas, and three months since I’d been injured at the hands of Haraldur Rekajaven, it was time to see how rusty I’d become.

It took a moment for my eyes to adjust, but when they did I took in the winged man, and our surroundings at a glance. The third participant had not yet arrived, which meant I had a moment to assess the feathered fellow, just as he was no doubt assessing me.

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

The Citadel
Kokushi
Thirty minutes prior

The room, if you could call it a room, was smothered in a dense lilac mist that rolled over a dark granite floor and cascaded down from a cracked, mossy stone ceiling thirty foot above. There seemed to be no walls. There was just an expanse of void that stretched on far beyond what the eye could render, obscured by the thick, humid steam-like substance pouring down from above and columns of black and grey marble that jutted out of the floor at ten foot intervals. As the feeling returned to his face, Shinsou could begin to taste a familiar electricity in the air, a static charge that curdled the blood and left an awful metallic aftertaste on his tongue. Then suddenly, although muffled at first, sounds began to erupt around him.

The ethereal effects of Kokushi’s seventh level were already beginning to burden his opposite number.

His opponent, Anubis of Skavaria, looked particularly bothered by the parching heat whilst the former emperor of Telgradia was instead now finding himself gradually acclimatizing to the harsh conditions despite the battle being in its infancy. However, that itself was soon to be a moot point. If the monks had truly emulated the horrors of this unforgiving penitentiary, it would not be long before that acclimatization started to wane. Even having been imprisoned here in the shadows and subjected to its hellish whims for three years, Shinsou knew that one did not simply learn to cope with the effects, and that eventually they would take their toll on them both.

As he closed down his opponent, dashing between two smoke-smothered rows of the cracked and mossy stone pillars scattered throughout the strange room, Shinsou’s sweat-less grip was so tight around Enpera’s ivory hilt that his knuckles whitened with the sudden impact of their crossed blades. The two weapons collided with an ear-splitting metallic pang, and the sharp, polished edge of his kurai sword momentarily bit into its cruder iron counterpart, before grinding harshly down the length of the sword. The Telgradian, his fist clenched even tighter around his smooth guard, bore his pearl white teeth as he further pressed his weight towards into the lower half of his blade. Anubis was strong, but the momentum that the Golden King had carried with his strike was enough to force the blade from his opponents grasp. With one last pulse of strength from the Telgradian, Anubis’s sword was liberated from his clutches.

To think that Enpera Hitsugi has already regained this much of its potential after so long…this is most pleasing indeed.

Shinsou’s golden eyes flitted, for a second, to his left. They followed the silvery object between two of the many stone pillars littering Kokushi until it clattered onto the floor and subsequently disappeared beneath the smothering blanket of purple mist that hugged the dark granite floor.

It was then Shinsou felt it. The sensation was that of a sudden tingling of pins and needles in the pit of his gut, and it was a feeling he had rarely. The Telgradian paused, cocking his head to his right and stared beyond the void. He could sense a power, somewhere, far greater than anything in this room or any of the other rooms of the Citadel. Like a fly to light, Shinsou found himself at its mercy, fixated on its warmth. He was already bored of this fight, having increased his power beyond what he thought Anubis was capable of, and was considering heading for pastures new.

He wanted to find out what that power tasted like.

“The battle is over, Anubis.”

The words seemed to momentarily stun the warrior who had come so far to take up Shinsou’s challenge. Before the young man had a chance to respond, Shinsou had already turned his back and had started to make his way towards Kokushi’s entrance, pacing through the thick purple smog with purpose and pace. The Telgradian tapped Enpera’s point once on the floor and summoned a shimmering circular portal in the centre of the room.

“Forgive me. There is something I must see for myself.”

With that, Shinsou walked through the glistening membrane of the gateway, its silver surface rippling as his body broke the skin of its surface.

The Citadel
The Tower

The cylindrical walls of the interior of the Citadel’s portal rippled and crackled as the plasma like substance comprising it bent to Shinsou’s every whim. Anomalies morphed and swirled in front of his face before screaming into a whirling orbit of white orbs. As this acidic, liquefied existence began to congeal into something resembling reality, the Telgradian remained stoic, waiting for the moment when his short journey to this new arena would end.

As the twisting, wild amalgamation of colours abruptly dispersed, Shinsou felt his feet touch solid ground. His soft golden eyes swerved around and took in his new surroundings. Three or four feet in front of him, there was an expanse of nothing but blue sky, carpeted with a continuous and unbroken layer of thick, white cumulus clouds. Separating himself and the sky were a series of railings that protected Shinsou from what he assumed would be a very long fall, and as his eyes traced the railings along the edge of what appeared to be a balcony he soon realised that he had materialised on the walkway of a giant tower.

The tower itself was constructed from some sort of white stone that had a particular sheen in the morning sun overhead. It was very quaint, almost religious looking and gargantuan in size. The Telgradian counted at least another ten stories up from his own position before he could make out the needle of the building and as Shinsou began to walk towards the entrance to the interior of the tower, he remarked to himself that it seemed to be quite the appropriate venue for whatever power it seemed to be housing. It had a somewhat otherworldly and ethereal quality to it.

As he walked through the door, Shinsou’s eyes fell upon the forms of two others. The tingling sensation in his stomach began to rage like an ocean in a storm, with waves of cold sweeping over his limbs and almost numbing his mind.

This energy…what is that?

The first person he looked upon was a winged creature, and Shinsou was sure that the source of the power he could sense emanated directly from him. The stranger bathed in the light that poured through the archway of the door, and Shinsou could easily make out some telling features. This one seemed to be childlike, an almost angelic form that gave off a sense of a higher status. Shoulder length blond hair adorned him, and a set of piercing, cold blue eyes stared back at the Telgradian from the interior of the tower.

The other one’s origin, that of a woman, was easier to ascertain. Shinsou had spent some time in Raiaera and had become familiar with its inhabitants and could straight away spot the Elven traits in her body. She had leaf brown hair, dark bluey-green eyes, ears that pointed up more poignantly than any other variety of species he had come across on Althanas and seemed to be emitting an aura of aggression.

“Apologies for the interruption,” Shinsou started, motioning with his hands at the general vicinity, “but I couldn’t help but notice a presence here, even from another part of the Citadel. That is quite a rare occurrence indeed. My fight there had come to a rather boring conclusion, and when I felt that power, I felt obligated to investigate it. So, I would be obliged…”

Shinsou carefully wrapped his hand around the ivory hilt of Enpera, slowly unsheathing it from within his greatcoat. The soft scraping of metal echoed around the room they were stood in.

“…If I could test the source of that power with my own blade.”

[Ioder]

It would be a lie to say that Ioder didn't feel pride as the golden eyed man approached him. Not since his time spent wandering the wastes of Fallien some hundred years ago did his power alone draw someone to him. Disregarding the hundreds who came to him during his reign as Judgment. He came to see the show, but was he going to like what he sees.

"Its hard to appreciate an admirer while they fondle their blade," Ioder said breaking his fixed gaze with the a smile. With a quick one two, he looked over the two who came forward. From their outward appearances neither looked like a fighter, and elf and a noble. That was all, nothing more. "But flattery aside," he continued shifting his left hand to his hilt. "We all came here for a reason." With these last words he drew Alessia.

His was an enchanted katana the color of Opal. He length curved and hilt adorned with black lace, no gaurd. It flashed in the sun before resting at his side. Ioder's expression was one without malice, only joy. He truly intended to enjoy every moment of this. Then without word or warning he singed with his free hand three ancient runes. His motions almost to quick for natural eyes, then halted.

"You're going to enjoy this," he yelled as he clutched his fist tight harnising his magic. White-gold streaks began shooting from his fist, energy litteraly radiating from his hand. "Ready yourself. For I will not hold back even for a moment." He cried as he once more extended his wings and leapt backwards. He crossed the catwalk and landed neatly on the railing. His balance was next to none with his wings at his aid.

With magic still pouring from his palm he raised his hand aimed towards both competitors. Suddenly a white mist like energy shoot froth swiftly towards the Telgrundian. It shifted and twisted as it traveled designed to catch, and constrict the man legs for a time immobilizing him. In it's wake a cloud of mist was left covinging Ioder like a fog. This was his perfect defense, the truth behind his might.

Despite his words he was merely testing the waters and had no real hopes that this would all pander out in his favor. He needed to locate individuals with a damn, this better not be to quick.

1 Use Angelic Wrath, preemptive use of Angelic Protection. In combat I tend to keep my posts short.

[Antheruin]

Obviously the human was a sword mage.
He and the winged one both had the vocabulary, and more importantly the posture of one trained in spell and blade both. With relative ease my mind conjured up a hundred previous instances were I had reviewed other such individuals, either on the battlefield or on the practice yard, and the comparison was as exact, as it was simple. So too was it a matter of the greatest simplicity to derive the prejudice gleem in the feathered-one’s storm sky tinted orbes.

The ready comparison between this one, who I would later learn was called Ioder, and my own father’s squally sky hued eyes, springing as eagerly to the fore of awareness, as the appraisal between sword mages past and present had been.

he thinks of me and this sword wizard as little and less.

Most elves would grow angry at such a realization. Many would lose all since of equanimity & decorum over half as much self-righteous sanctimony that was to be found in the glance that the blond haired avian attributed human cast our way.

I wasn’t angry at all.

I was merely intrigued.

There were many potent beings on and around the land of Althanas. The question was, was this one such, or merely a brash overbold fool drunk on his imagination’s evaluation of personal power.

As the two men exchanged words, I sent my psychic focus outward, attaching a psychic hook into the mind of the blue-eyed fly boy.it wouldn’t grant me knowledge of all his thoughts, true, only those that were on the surfice. It would also grant me access to his actual feelings, and a means to manipulate those feelings.

Having accomplished this, having made my selection of the feathered humanoid over the human, my focus turned inwards, calling upon those neuromantic skills to enhance my agility. Thus, the moment the one, who I’d later learn was named Ioder, moved and cast his spell; my body was also moving with a speed that would have shocked many an elf.

The first stride had me well away from the human and the spell sent his way. That same stride also found me with bow raised, arrow sited, and loosed at my target’s right wing.

The second stride saw me a third of the way towards the door – arrow sited, string to ear, then loosed at the male’s middle – with the same speed that most men spent drawing their swords.

I didn’t actually expect either shot to do any damage, as it was clear that he had erected some kind of shield. Still the arrows should have provided me with some distraction as I made my mad dash towards the appature that would take me off the balcony.

Executing a proper spin and leap, left leading, slightly raised, right serving to propel me into the air, a degree of satisfaction was felt at the level of power that had me clearing the marbeled floor. Tucking my bow against my chest, and pulling my head in underneath my arm – the coldness of the metal of vambrace easily penetrating the woolen of my tunic, which was serving as the most paltry of neck guards – the floor didn’t even have a chance to leave a lasting impression on my streaking form as I made for and through the door that took me into the towers central core.

If you want me bird man, you’ll have to come after me.

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

Shinsou watched cautiously as the nameless seraph spoke a little to him before getting straight down to the point, drawing a curiously beautiful katana much like his own Enpera from his attire. Oddly, it didn’t seem to have a guard, and this winged warrior lowered it to rest at his side rather than enter any sort of stance. The Telgradian’s eyes attempted vainly to follow the winged creature’s hand as he suddenly and unexpectedly performed some magical incantation at breakneck speed, one that enveloped his fist in whirling white and gold anomalies that sparked tendrils of gleaming dust, but it was all simply too quick for Shinsou to comprehend.

Wrapped in his white greatcoat, Shinsou was already thinking about his first move when the seraph had interrupted him with his magic. The Telgradian was about to panic and go straight on the defensive, but then he realised that the winged warrior ahead of him was taking his time, talking, even if only for a few seconds, but more or less advertising his attack in advance.

Instead of capitalising on his window of opportunity, for some reason he was now informing the competitors about “not holding back”.

What is he doing? Why is he not attacking? He could have hit me by now if he'd just got on with it.

Brushing a thread of chestnut brown hair from his face, Shinsou’s golden eyes steeled onto the form of the nameless aerobatic opponent ahead of him as he extended his wings and elegantly floated back, landing perfectly on the railings. The elven girl whose name he also did not know had already started to move, apparently prioritising the winged warrior over himself. For now, that arrangement was just fine. It was clear that the source of power he had felt was emanating from this strange fellow, so Shinsou believed he had nothing yet to fear from the girl.

The Telgradian then smiled as he finished his assessment of the situation and, closing his eyes, he waited for the predictable attack to come.

Come it did.

Shinsou anticipated that the next assault would be some sort of projectile, and he made mental preparations to avoid it. However, as the seraph held his open palm level with the pair of them, a white haze of energy erupted swiftly towards them, threatening to envelop them both. The dense mist rolled through the air, twisting and contorting, aimed specifically for Shinsou’s legs. It was not what he was expecting.

What the hell is that?

Though the attack was not as he anticipated, the Telgradian was still prepared. His expression curdled into a snarl, baring teeth like a wolf, as he back peddled on his left foot before spinning counter-clockwise to roll his body away from the path of the magical assault, which struck the dew-covered stone floor of the room beneath him and dissipated. It was then that thoughts accelerated inside his head, and his heart hammered against inside his chest. A brisk breeze from the outside brushed against Shinsou’s forehead as he righted himself, peering back towards his assailant. The sun beat down on the wings of the warrior, and the blue skies were bright, the sun casting its blinding glare upon him. The nameless foe was now shrouded in a thick veil of the same mist he had conjured, and the elven girl was already in a blurry kamikaze sprint toward his position on the railings. Shinsou noted she was frighteningly quick, even for a species renown for their agility. That mental note made, The Telgradian turned his attention back to his current problem.

Either that mist around him is some sort of by-product or a drawback of whatever spell he just cast, Shinsou supposed, or he’s readying something new. Either way, it’s time to take things up a notch whilst the Elf distracts him.

“Senkai: Enpera Hitsugi!”

Curling wisps of the remnants of the winged warrior’s first attack stroked Shinsou’s face as he dipped his head and raised Enpera ninety degrees to his shoulders. His treasured damascus blade began to radiate a strong silver light, and the Telgradian found himself savouring the familiar sensation of his fingers tingling with the power of his Senkai. The light smothered him, covering him in a glimmering blanket, and then suddenly sucked out the remains of the dissipating mist. Flicking strands of brown matted hair out of his face, the Telgradian snapped his head up and smiled slightly as silver light bathed him.

The light illuminated his little corner of the tower’s interior. As the light faded, Shinsou paced forward from the shade, the look of a demon carved onto his visage, wielding Enpera menacingly. Shinsou felt the intoxicating power of his Enpera Hitsugi envelop his body. He hadn’t used its full power, only increasing his agility by roughly double that of a normal human, but he supposed it would be sufficient to test his opponent’s true capabilities.

Shinsou wasted no more time, starting his short but blurry sprint over the bleak stone floor and between the archway leading to the balcony, the smooth surface of Enpera held straight and true at his side. Dancing upon the stone of the tower’s external walkway with a fresh new fluidity, Shinsou closed in quickly on his winged opponent, in tandem with the elf’s own assault, feigning a thrust with his deadly sword forward before spinning at the last second, attempting to catch his foe on the backswing.

[Ioder]

They we're definently quick, Ioder could give them that. Both worriors sprang into action like the weapons they are. First the elf, the tall archer unleashed two arrows slicing the air. One directed to the Seraphim and the other to the Telgrundian, both deadly. Ioder hadn't to incredibly much time to react, but thanks to his preemptive thinking his shield was already in place.

The rolling white mist around him shifted and twisted hardening around his right wing and torso. The arrow heads pierced the mist but did not travel more than an inch though it never touching Ioder. And as quickly as her arrow the elf dissapeared into the darker corridor ahead. She would be a tricky one thats for sure, but there was still the matter of the spell blade.

His sword was beautiful and by the draw of magic Ioder witnessed it must be one hell of a weapon. But there was one thing that he couldn't have intisipated about Ioder's attack. In an instant the his prior attack circled round and shot for the Telgrundian a second time. It tore though the tile floor sending debris in the air as it raged to intercept his attack.

But it was too late the spell blade was quick and cleared the gap between them in a near flash. All that Ioder could do was raise his blade along his shoulder catching Shinsou's blade on it's back swing. Ioder made a distinct point to use the blunt side of his sword. Alessia was sharp, sharp enough to pass though a Damascus sword like butter. Then with one mighty flap from his great wings Ioder pulled himself away and made for the air. His mist like attack still charging for the man aimed instead for his dueling hand, if it were to hit it would constrict with the force of a dehlar warhammer.

Now airborne Ioder had a clear advantage, this was his territory. As he flew at a breakneck pace circling the tower he began to shine once more. On each side of him two golden visages appeared, near exact copies of himself. The the trio of winged worriors broke into separate directions. One to fallow the elf, the other to circle round and are engage the spell blade, and the true Ioder accended to the next floor above to perch himself out of view.

These deadly doppelgangers we're composites of his own unique soul fueled magic. They would be able to exist for only a few minuets before returning to raw magic. The first made way for the elf archer hiding somewhere inside the tower. Like all of his abilities they possessed some level of luminescents and as he shot through the darkening corridor the inside illuminated with a white-gold hue.The second visage flew back around to attack the Telgrundian.

Ioder did this to confuse the two combatants, as the vissages were created out of view. While his puppets attacked the two men Ioder, a floor above, began to release another misty cloak around him. It didn't matter it he needed it, he would not be caught off gaurde.

The same charge of Angelic Wraith is still being used against Shin, one use of Angelic Protection was consumed while another is created. And two uses of Angelic Visage have been used.

[Antheruin]

What on earth inspired the monks to create such an edifice using so much marble.

The entire central region of the tower – everything from the sconces shaped like youthful Maian, to the circular ramp that spiraled the full pinnacle of the structure,, to the benches scattered about inside the chamber, and of course the floor ceiling, and walls – were all made of the same pure white marble.

Now who in the Thayne’s name would light torches in the middle of the day? It’s as bright as midday in the middle of ascending summer outside.

It was probably not the most appropriate thought to be having in the midst of a duel, where either of one’s combatants could have taken me down with only a little luck and forethought. Perhaps it was the emotions of my airborne opponent traveling through the psychic line that bonded us together, who was most definitely enjoying himself. He probably wouldn’t have been quite as entertained if he knew that I could sense every sentiment that went through his body, or have pointed directly to his current position, if need or request had caused me to reveal this knowledge.

What was more, even if I could not perceive the conjuration of the mirrored duplicates of my flying foe, it was through good fortune that he wasn’t trying to hide his thoughts regarding the utilization of his mystical powers.

Well, that was not entirely true, the awareness of what each duplicate was capable of eluded me.

So, within the replicant of my antagonist flew through the doorway in search of me, it was immediately greeted by an arrow flying at its face. It might have caught a brief glance of me kneeling on the ramp that lead upward, close to the edge, and thus able to jump off to a lower position if need required, right before the string’s release, and perhaps not.

Spoiler:

Enhanced speed shall wear off at the end of this post, and leaves Antheruin with only four more psychic enhancements left. The psychic link is still in Ioder, and thus, Antheruin can still sense surface thoughts, emotions, etc.

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

Shinsou's grip was so tight around Enpera’s ivory hilt that his knuckles whitened with the sudden impact against Alessa’s blunt side. The two weapons collided with an ear-splitting metallic pang, and the sharp, polished edge of his kurai sword momentarily ground against the shaft of its counterpart as it tried to get the leverage. The Telgradian, his fist clenched even tighter around his smooth guard, bore his teeth as he further pressed his weight towards into the lower half of his blade. Shinsou was strong, and an excellent swordsman, but suddenly the Seraph pulled out of the grapple of blades and soared up high upon his mighty wings, the sun accenting the tips of his feathers like some holy aura had been bestowed upon him.

Shinsou’s golden eyes flitted, for a second, to his left. They followed the form of a silvery light that he caught in the corner of his eye. It was approaching at speed, darting through the archway from which he had just sprinted. Suddenly, from the fringe of his vision, the light snatched at him. Shinsou reacted quickly, hastily pivoting on his foot and snapping his other leg round to try and make his getaway, but it was already too late.

The attack he had assumed to have dissipated had come back for him with a vengeance.

The nebula cloud of white and gold particles smothered Shinsou’s right wrist, binding together around his greatcoat’s white sleeve to create an unbreakable shackle, and with a sudden pulse of energy the band of magic constricted. The Telgradian let out a blood-curdling scream as the force of the crush snapped the bones in his wrist as if they were kindling, releasing his grip, momentarily, on Enpera. A cold fever ran over him as waves of immutable pain ebbed out from the break. Droplets of sweat trickled from the crest of his forehead down his nose, leaving salty streams in their wake, before they shattered into hundreds of tiny pearls on the walkway floor.

Things were starting to not go his way, and Shinsou didn’t like that one bit. With his right arm incapacitated, the Telgradian had little choice but to use Enpera in his off-hand. He knelt down, still seething in agony and hissing through his teeth whenever the edges of the broken bones scraped against his nerve endings, and wrapped his free hand around the guard. As he struggled on the floor, Enpera now locked within the grasp of his left hand, Shinsou could begin to taste an electricity in the air, a cold static that curdled the blood and left an awful metallic aftertaste on his tongue. The focus had been knocked out of him momentarily after that terrible wound, but now the Telgradian’s senses began to bring the battleground to life again. The hissing of the wind, the snapping of an electrical current in the magic binding his right arm, the sound of his own laboured breathing and even his heartbeat echoed through his head.

A silhouette swooped through the marbled expanse of blue and white sky, distorted by the tears of pain in Shinsou’s eyes in the same way scenery might have been blurred by heat in a desert. He didn’t know whether or not the figure was a fragment of his imagination, or the looming Seraph about to bring impending doom down upon him.

All he knew was that he had no other option.

“You’ve…shown me…your strength…” Shinsou huffed through pained breaths, “…now be honoured, mongrel…for you will be the first…”

Shinsou closed his eyes, his cheeks red and searing, his eyes ablaze and watering from the pain he was in. He raised Enpera, and slashed it across the air in front of him.

“…to experience my full, unrestrained power!”

Senkai Shinjitsu: Enpera Kurohitsugi!

As Shinsou knelt on the walkway, a wall of air behind him began to shimmer like the reflection of the moon on a lake at night. Forking tendrils of black and purple convulsed and converged around each other to form a fifteen foot wide circular portal of black and purple energy. There was a crackling sound as the strange, phantom like mist of the void met the cool atmosphere of the sky, the chemicals in each reacting violently and repulsing each other, but then in an instant the gateway was stable. Protruding from the abyss of darkness were fifteen thin, dangerous spears of dark matter, all aimed at the glistening form in front of Shinsou’s eyes, and they all hung there with an ethereal hum as they waited for an order.

Without even having to motion, Shinsou commanded five of the spears to attack. They shot out of the portal and wildly tore towards their intended recipient, forks of blue and purple electricity ripping at the air around them and scorching the surface of the white marble tower as they travelled.

[Ioder]

It felt nice to finally be back in the citidel, it had been too long since Ioder's last fight here. He missed the clashing of swords and exchanges of spirits he shared with all his oppenets past. Each significant in their own right, but none more so than the lovely lady Philomel. The beautiful faun maiden who bested him with her decatent earth magic still rests at the forefront of his mind.

She was such a catch.

As he stood a floor above the other competors Ioder gazed off into the distance. All he could think of was Philomel. As his mind wandered in that moment, he could only picture what he'd done. A frown peirced his face as he shivered reminiscing throwing her pet fox over the edge of their own arena. He had been an ass once or twice before, this was one of those times.

Below Ioder's visages met with fates befitting the average bandit. Within the tower decorated in marble the visage chaseing after Antheruin the archer met with the buisnes end of an arrow. Her accurate shot met with the clones skull and passed through it. As it exited his head it erupted into raw nebula energy, which in turn destabilized the visage entirely. As the rest of it's form returned to magic all of it began to shot forward towards the girl.

The special thing that separates Ioder's magic's from the run of the mill magician is it's nature. He harnesses this mist-like substance from a pool of energy that composes him. This is the Angelic Nebula, a collection of souls bound together, as malluable as loose sand. Ioder himself is nothing more than the dominant soul of the large number within his self.

As his nebula of souls torrented forth towards the elf perched on the accending staircase, it shattered the marble over each surface it touched. Like his previous attack against Shinsou his nebula was after her with relentless presitsance. Though it was not the quickest ability in his repertoire it could travel the distance between them in a matter of seconds. It was a slim window but one an abled worrior could work with. It wouldn't be able to fallow her to long before dissipating, but it only needed to catch her for a moment then crush.

Outside his other copy was completely obliterated by Shinsou leaving none of Ioder's nebula behind. His was the counter nature to Ioder's magic. And from the looks of things it was able to send his magic back to where it came from. This disturbed the seraphim greatly breaking him of his trance.

The faun would have to wait.

He didn't know what was about to happen, the elf was quick and the spell blade may be extremely dangerous. He couldn't fight them both at once. Time would be his ally, it only required patience. And that was a virtue he struggeled with.

Both Visages we're destroyed, one converted into a use of Angelic Wraith. I tried to show that the attack was not garentied.