The Virtues' Magecraft

Page 20: Paladins

From behind his belt, he grasped the black sword hilt. A wry smile floated onto his lips, as he pulled out the hilt. As both his hands coiled around the hilt, a blade began to materialize purely out of darkness. "Now then..." he muttered.

"When was the last time that I've gone all out?"

He gripped the blade with both his hands, raising it above his head. He glared at his opponents as he slowly exhaled.

The blade was brought down in a blinding flash of darkness.

"Dark Magic: Black Tear."

The blade expelled a vertical wave of darkness, headed straight towards his opponent.

Arnhild smiled through her hood, appearing right before Nero. "Dammit," he muttered, twisting his sword, pulling it upward.

She smiled, blocking the blade with her own. Her blade of light was thinner and longer, her movements, faster.

"First time I'm meeting one of you," Nero said, continuing to clash his blade with hers, continuing to block her attacks. "So tell me. You really believe in creating a new world?" he asked, as the corners of his mouth began to arch.

"You must be very blessed if you haven't noticed the cruel disparities of this world. The distortions of life. Some die of starvation, while some have more than they can ever eat. People are classified by their magic or by their wealth. People are hurt or killed due to the circumstances of their birth. They're hurt due to their religion or race or species. They're in the name of false justice, and false virtue. We were born of these distortions. The Golden Dawn was born of these distortions. In order to correct them."

Arnhild smiled, as her hood fell off her head in the wind.

As Nero's obsidian eyes met hers, he smiled. "You don't really believe that, do you?"

Alexander and the others could do nothing more than watch the battle between High-Grade warriors. They were evenly matched.

Until Arnhild's grin widened, that is. A thin slice of light slid past Nero's face, cutting his face. Another to his leg. Another to his arm. Another to the side of his chest.

The Commander of the Golden Dawn was stronger.

"Of course I believe it. We must answer the sin of the world with our own sin.

Nero swallowed his saliva, wiping the blood on his face with the sleeve of his black coat. "Well," he said as he spat out a sigh. "I can't say I dislike people like you."

"But your ideas... That's what I can't stand!"

With each slash of his blade, horizontal arcs of darkness shot out, the distance between them grew. Arnhild had to evade this barrage of attacks any way she could.

"You really don't think this can work, do you? I'm so much faster than you after all."

Nero let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm not dumb enough to think that. I don't think I can beat you normally, if I'm being honest."

Arnhild looked up at the cave's ceiling. It was cracked, breaking, slashed apart.

A thin, nervous smile grew on her lips. "You..."

"Dodge this," Nero smiled.

Dozens of stones and rocks crashed down from the ceiling. Their field of view of each other began to be obscured, shrouded behind the oncoming storm of boulders.

Time seemingly slowed as Arnhild's golden eyes met Nero's.

Nero smiled in return. "I hope I see you again. A rematch would be fun," he said, as dozens of boulders crashed down onto the distance between them. "See ya."