Guardian Angel

Chapter 8: True to oneself

*5 days later*

On the desert plains where the Garden of Eden once dwelt, the clashing of steel echoed through the sky. Kiba and Túrin were locked in heated combat as the devil and the archangel did battle. Entering a blade lock, Túrin, using his superior strength, overpowered Kiba and struck Kiba's sword out of his hands.

"Not bad Kiba, you last longer against me every day, though keep in mind that you neither hold your sword too loosely or too tightly," Túrin reminded him. "Also remember to keep your feet spread apart at all times, with one foot always in front of the other, it'll help tremendously with your balance and leverage when you enter a blade lock with your opponent," he further instructed the young knight.

"I'll keep that in mind," Kiba assured him before he walked over to his sword and picked it up off the ground. "What next?" he asked his mentor.

"For now take a ten-minute break, I have to go check up on the others to see how their own training is progressing," Túrin notified him before walking over to where Akeno, Rias, Issei, and Asia were currently practicing. "How's everything over here?" he asked them.

"Very well so far, Asia's progressing incredibly fast with her magic training," Rias informed him.

"And the rest of you?" he asked her.

"Going smoothly so far," she assured him.

"Is it now? Alright then, I want all three of you to attack me," Túrin instructed them.

"W-what?! No! I would never attack you!" Asia cried out nervously.

"Calm down Asia, I'm simply gaging where everyone's power level is at and how well you're able to work as a team," Túrin assured her. "But if you're still worried, would it calm you if I wore my armor?" he asked her.

"Y-yes," Asia confirmed.

"Very well then," Túrin smiled softly before his armor formed around him.

"Quick question, what's that giant golden ring behind your wings?" Issei questioned pointing it out to Túrin before he grabbed it with one of his hands and brought it forward. "Yeah that! What is it some form of weapon?" he inquired which only made Túrin laugh in amusement.

"No Issei, this isn't a weapon, this is my halo," Túrin revealed.

"What?! I thought haloes would be tiny little rings that floated above your heads?" he inquired.

"Well I don't see a pointed tail on your lower backside, nor horns on your forehead," Túrin rebutdtaled.

"...Yeah, that's fair," Issei admitted. "But seriously, if you sharpened the edges of your halo you could totally use it as a weapon of sorts," he suggested.

"Never really thought of that before, but I'll keep it in mind. Now enough dillydallying, and attack me," Túrin challenged them with a certainty in his voice.

Taking their positions on the seemingly endless plains of desert, Akeno and Rias were the first to attack. Sending a bolt of lightning into the ground to create a dust cloud around Túrin, Rias moved in behind and struck him from behind, or so she believed.

"Ahh! Watch where you're aiming Rias," Akeno demanded.

"Sorry!" Rias apologized before Túrin sprang from the cloud of dust using his aerokinesis to knock Rias off balance, before using an energy pulse attack sending her hurdling backward allowing him to just focus on Akeno.

Unleashing a maelstrom of lightning upon, Túrin unsheathed his sword and proceeded to deflect every bolt of lightning, sent his way. Astounded, Akeno quickly got her head back in the game and switched to using ice magic. Freezing Túrin's legs in place, Koneko and Rias attacked from his blind spots knocking Túrin forward where he was struck by lightning from Akeno. Waiting for them to make their next move, as soon as Rias started to move he used his geomancy to entrap them waist-deep in the ground.