The General’s proclamation sent a sharp, almost electric thrill through Raeanne before it curdled into a sense of foreboding nausea for me. Despite my mental protests, my body moved briskly under her command. The arena’s rough, dark walls loomed ahead, towering against an ashen sky. As we came upon the grand archway, the General’s silhouette vanished, his crimson backlight fading like expended embers.

  We entered, stepping onto the ground floor of a vast battleground encircled by a fusion of colosseum and fortress. The stands were half-filled with demons, packed shoulder to shoulder, claw to talon, even fang to horn. Some perched precariously on ledges, others rocked in their seats, barely restraining themselves. A cacophony of snarls, hisses, and sharp clicking sounds reverberated through the air, the strangely staccato rhythm suggesting they made up a language unknown to the rest of the world. Animus clung to them, roiling like a dark, foggy mist born of their frenzied anticipation.

  No. I was wrong in my initial assessment.

  As I watched a dark curl of vapor seemingly appear from nowhere, I realized the animus was attracted to them, not produced by it. However, one small section of 'no animus' seating was dedicated to the eerily silent, hard-eyed tiger clan.

  General Ragnerus waited at the far end of the arena, his massive crimson form contrasting against the black background haze. Four familiar figures flanked him, each more unexpected than the last.

  Taika and Bodhil stood at his right, deliberately ignoring each other's presence, while Belgaldi and Morcelos occupied his left, angled away from one another as much as possible while still watching our advance.

  Taika had done nothing I knew of to earn his ire, but the other three had disobeyed him… yet they were honored spectators here. It was even more curious that none bore the marks of punishment. If anything, they looked more substantial. Morcelos, in particular, had transformed, his upper half more human than before, though his armored, segmented tail still coiled beneath him, supporting his weight.

  Just as Ragnerus stepped forward, two demons started to shriek. For a moment, I thought it was some weird cheer, but closer inspection found them fighting, with one grabbing the horns of the other as it tried to bite the side of the first one’s head. Ambient animus clung to them so heavily I could not make out any other discerning details.

  “Banish Privates Psilos and Mikros, Sergeants,” General Ragnerus ordered, his gaze never wavering from us. “And any others unable to maintain decorum.”

  Belgaldi moved first, flickering out of sight before reappearing to restrain one demon, while Bodhil, after sneering at us, went after the other. The two weak demons barely had time to react before their superiors were upon them. They snarled, lashing out with desperate swipes, but it was futile, as they were outclassed before the fight had begun. Both of the weaker demons shuddered as their bodies distorted, their forms unraveling, ostensibly sent back to whatever abyss served as General Ragnerus’s sanctum. With a nod, Belgaldi and Bodhil returned to Ragnerus.

  The General knew their names...

  Ordering a simple banishment for interrupting him? Except, he had passively phrased it as unable to maintain decorum.

  Maybe I'm reading too much into this.

  “You came alone,” General Ragnerus noted almost casually as he restarted his slow advance.

  “There is no need to involve the others,” Raeanne retorted, her footfalls matching his.

  But… wouldn’t they have come anyway, despite my, er, her actions?

  What was taking them so long?

  The General stopped short and exhaled slowly through his nose. “Perhaps. But the world must bear witness, and humanity is a part of it, for now.”

  Several portals flared to life without warning, crackling loudly as they tore across the empty half of the arena behind us. From their depths, knights, priests, and mounted marksmen tumbled down, all representing the Order of White. Some landed on their feet, while others stumbled, disoriented. Their wide eyes darted across the colossally confusing structure and the mass of demons on the opposite side.

  Panic erupted as some soldiers tried to flee through the upper exits, only to be repelled by an unseen force. Others collided with each other in confusion, their shouts of alarm rivaling that of the home team’s horde. Several demons lunged forward, eager to engage the intruders. Not to be outdone, the Order also drew their weapons, a few crossbows glinting as they were aimed.

  “Dread General…” Morcelos bowed his head deeply as he pointed toward the impending clash with a trembling, oversized hand.

  “Merely instinct,” he replied cryptically. “There is no need for further intervention.”

  Several twangs rang out, but the bolts launched by the White Order bounced harmlessly off an invisible wall. The demon’s charge was also cut short as the swiftest ones hit full force into similar unseen barriers at the edge of their own side.

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  “Those within my house will follow my Rules,” General Ragnerus announced. “Let no other blood be shed until one of us claims victory!”

  This wasn’t just a show; it was a grand spectacle!

  And the spectators weren’t just witnesses. Were they powering this mad palace with their mutual bloodthirst?

  No. It’s even more than that. This will be the flashpoint of the next great war. No matter who wins here, the General has practically guaranteed mutually assured destruction.

  Captain Ironwrath, you need to look at the big picture here. This isn’t what you think it is—

  "Steel thyselves, Wardens of the Pale!" Raeanne shouted in righteous fervor as she raised her sword. "For once I lay low this boundless evil, the hour shall be upon thee. Gird thy arms, summon thy resolve, and strike with all thy might!"

  None of this was part of the plan!

  Where’s the Order of Gold?!

  General Ragnerus froze, his single eye widening in recognition before the faintest smirk twisted his lips. “You reach into the depths of antiquity for such archaic words, Captain Ironwrath.

  Confused murmurs, loud gasps, and dismissive scoffs rippled through both sides of the arena, but Raeanne merely shrugged, impervious to their judgment. With a grand sweep of her arms, she summoned her aura. A blazing golden inferno erupted around us, flickering and flaring in rhythm with our heartbeat. The Will of Euphridia thrummed in resonance, sending radiant waves outward.

  Ragnerus responded in kind, unleashing a dreadful roar that shook the very foundation of the arena. The ground trembled beneath us, with waves of fine dust billowing before our feet.

  Hey! That dust might be useful—

  With a feral scream, Raeanne lunged forward, pouring every ounce of power into her first strike. Ragnerus met her charge head-on, his massive sword rising to intercept hers. The impact clashed like thunder, rippling as the strike forced us back.

  Privately, I reassured myself that my companions would enter soon, even if Ragnerus or one of his horde were trying to keep them out. There was no way he could hold them back forever. I just needed to wait a little longer to fix my mistake of letting her take the lead for too long…

  Raeanne drove forward again, her gold aura surging in defiance. She swung the Will of Euphridia in a wide, powerful arc. Blazing light trailed in the blade’s wake as it streaked toward Ragnerus. He snarled and twisted his jagged greatsword, meeting her strike and unleashing a shockwave across the arena. The crowd roared with each attack, animus swirling as the knights in the stands called forth their white auras.

  Raeanne fell back a few steps as Ragnerus took the lead, starting with several forward jabs that she deflected with Faith. When the barrage paused, Raeanne attempted a strike with her sword, but it was too slow to make its mark.

  A shield bash at the end of that flurry would have thrown him off. You need to adapt to his attacks!

  "Hold thy tongue!" she screeched, even though I hadn’t used it to communicate. "I know mine own strength!" With a surge of golden light, Raeanne channeled her full might into the next strike, her aura flaring toward the sky like a divine beacon. She twisted her stance, seizing an opening on his left, and drove the Will of Euphridia forward in a devastating arc.

  Ragnerus barely reacted, making no effort to catch the blow with his blade. His massive chest absorbed the strike, and though the Will of Euphridia had struck true, only a trickle of darkness seeped from the wound as Raeanne yanked her sword free. His lone eye gleamed with something dangerously close to amusement.

  “Why did it not wound him like last time?!”

  Before she could try again for any advantage, he pivoted swiftly on his back foot, lifting his jagged greatsword in a brutal two-handed cleave. The blade howled through the air, dragging a tide of writhing shadow with it.

  Raeanne barely pulled the tower shield in front of her in time, the blow ringing like a bell as it bore the brunt of the attack. Ragnerus howled triumphantly, and billowing black animus erupted around both sides of the shield in pulsing aftershocks, obfuscating our sight and sending an ominous chill through us both.

  Turn around, damn it, turn around!

  Knowing she wouldn’t comply, I took control of what I could, turning my hips to force my extremities to follow. Not to be outdone, my head snapped around and caught sight of what I had already surmised.

  Ragnerus was now behind us, his greatsword raised high above his head. We both pulled the shield to catch the downward strike, quickly scuttling back. For the first time, Raeanne hesitated.

  “He… became as shadow! Never had he demonstrated such skill before!”

  It’s about time you started paying attention! You’re fighting him like you did thousands of years ago, expecting him to be the same. But he’s had all this time to perfect his technique. Do you really expect to use the same moveset against him and have a different outcome?

  That’s a golden example of insanity!

  “I… fail to comprehend… That strike should have…”

  Ragnerus, several steps away, raised his blade, summoning the jeers of his army. He began to level it at us, a swirling crimson wind encircling it. Before he could release the attack, a loud explosion from the dark entranceway behind him forced him to dodge to the side.

  “Rae!” Nora cried, surging forward through the smoky breach as she gestured wildly, ripping curtains of animus out of her path. Relias followed close behind, his golden barrier shimmering, protecting them from counterattacks. Tetora sprinted, his iron claws gleaming in the dim light, and Aleph ran by his side, his war hammer held in both hands. Vernie brought up the rear with glowing knives at the ready.

  “No further!” Ragnerus bellowed. Bodil, Belgaldi, and Morcelos raised their arms in unison, summoning a barrier of flickering darkness that halted my companions’ advance. Taika took a deliberate step back, her scowl deepening as if distancing herself from the situation. While the General and his demonic lieutenants wrestled to contain my party, I seized the brief distraction to make one final attempt at reason.

  If you hesitate again, you know what will happen to us! If you can’t adapt, give me back control.

  “N-no… I, alone, must—"

  Then I’ll just take it!

  Secure in the knowledge that my companions had come for me despite my tendencies to ditch them and that my battle observations had borne tangible merit, I gathered my will. Taking a mental step forward, I forcefully pushed away all doubts and distractions, Raeanne included.

  Back of the line!

  “Oh...!” I gasped as I realized my success, my body now fully responding. I glanced at Nora, my smile brimming wide, something I was certain Raeanne would never, ever do.

  “Check it!” I shouted in excitement. “I am, so, so back!”