Orange and Navy (The Many Colours of Life and Death AU)

Chapter Forty-Seven

The Byzantine Empire kept up nearly one hundred illusions as he tried to watch his father's battle from afar. He'd somehow managed to murder an immortal and gain his power, which was shocking and quite disturbing.

Then he spotted his sister.

Too close to their father. He'd already seen her, but she was aloof as usual. BZE could stay silent no longer. He had to protect her.

He surrounded OE with confusing shapes and darkness, almost like a maze. He needed him to be distracted.

Then he ran as fast as he could.

ROE readied his dagger. And BZE crafted an illusion of the man his father hated most right in front of the Western Roman Empire, before quickly moving the illusion away from his sister.

The illusion of the Austrian Empire darted towards ROE, holding his hand out to touch him. He instinctively twitched backwards to get away, forgetting his own immortality. It was enough time for WRE to realise what was going on and get away.

ROE tried to murder the illusion, only to find out the truth. He scanned the battlefield, before meeting eyes with his son, who was only a few metres away.

"I couldn't let you kill her," BZE said calmly in the face of death himself.

"Then you've become the one thing I feared the most," ROE scowled, but there was a shocking hint of pain in his eyes and his voice. "A coward."

Before he had time to process, BZE was promptly tossed twenty metres above the ground via telekinesis. He braced for impact as the ground rushed closer and closer. Upon impact, he tore through the ground, creating a scar on the earth that was less permanent than the wounds on his body.

"Ouch," he hissed. His armour didn't do him much good. But at least he was far away from the battle. That was a plus. Except for the fact that he had no idea how to keep his father from murdering his sister.

A distant shape grew near. Very, very quickly.

"Fu—" his naughty word was cut off as metal met oak wood. "Can I have a moment of peace after my noble and valiant effort?" BZE said to the Ottoman Empire as spear and sword clashed together.

"You don't deserve peace," OE growled.

"That's... that's fair I guess," BZE sighed. He did help murder... a few countries.

OE whipped his sword around and sent it slamming down on his spear, causing a small, insignificant chip in the wood. BZE continued playing defence, searching for an opening.

Slash after slash after slash, he could feel the weight of each swing in his arms.

"Can you please just focus on the actual enemy?" BZE asked.

"Like I'll fall for that." OE rolled his eyes.

"Like how you'll fall for this?" BZE created an illusion of the Swedish Empire punching him. OE flinched, giving him enough time to create some distance. Thirty illusions sprouted from BZE, each one doing something different. Attacking OE, standing defensively, or running away.

The Ottoman Empire sped around, stabbing through each one. BZE barely had time to react before he found the real one.

A slice through his cape proved that he was real as the pieces fluttered down to the ground. He parried the next attack, before attacking where he assumed OE's chest would be. Sadly, the speedy little country had gotten away.

If you want a real fight to the death, I'll give you one.

BZE stopped for a second, searching for patterns. OE seemed to be rather defensive as well, but bold at the same time. If he believed he could win a fight, he would take the chance.