Tough Fighters, Tougher Hide

'What is this, some sort of secret club?' The scarred woman laughed almost as obnoxiously as Tiam when they made food that Leo actually liked.

Leo raised a finger. 'Actually, it's more of a safehouse for our alli–'

'Don't care!' The woman gripped a pair of longswords, crossing her arms and pointing them outwards like a bull's horns.

'Before anything, I have to ask you,' Tiam began. 'In a single word, what are you see–'

'Shut up and fight us!' The woman flourished her blades, and her companions readied theirs.

Leo swapped frustrated glances with Tiam, and they both drew their weapons slowly. Maybe a bit of Tiam's dramaticism had rubbed off on him, but Leo enjoyed the looks on the woman's companions as lightning splintered from his blade and Tiam lifted off the ground, blade glowing bright. Hopefully, they realised their apparent leader was leading them way out of their depth.

Tiam crossed their scimitar and large cutlass, flat over flat. 'Would you do me a favour, darling, and take them from the ground?' they asked with a sweet coo.

'Naturally. Lightning is scariest when it strikes the earth, anyway.' Leo darted away to the path that led behind the building.

'Oh my, it's such a shame you're taken.' Tiam giggled before swooping with their blades focused on the woman.

Leo cut off the group's escape as he bolted behind them, swinging his blade in an arc. The three followers turned on him, as their leader defended against the cuts made of light from Tiam.

'Covenant Rev–' Leo couldn't finish calling the attack as the fighter with the glowing dagger leapt over his shot. Leo rolled back, barely with enough time to dodge the dagger man and a flying hammer. A burly woman created another hammer out of nothing, then flung it like an Olympian competing in discus. As Leo pulled out of the firing line of that attack, the third follower drove a spear inches from his face. She snarled and twirled the weapon, barely missing once again.

'Coven–' Again, Leo couldn't call his attack. Dagger had managed to get behind him and was aiming for his neck. Leo dodged aside, but was met with another hammer which struck his gut and sent him tumbling. Spear came for him again, but he managed to catch the strike between the prongs of his sword.

Breaking free of their three-way assault, Leo attempted a new attack, raising his weapon above his head. Lightning split from the points of the weapon and curled to the floor around him like a protective barrier. He tried to come up with another name, but at this point, realised it was pretty useless trying to name every special move he pulled.

'Ah, screw it. Get back!' Leo cried. He could practically feel Raphael sighing with relief that he wasn't going to come up with more attack names.

'Yeah right!' Hammer threw her weapon again, and it flew through the arcs of lightning with ease. Leo managed to catch the weapon in his palm, which threw all three off their game. It was painful, but worth the reactions. The weapon vanished and reappeared in Hammer's hand, and she inspected it with distain like it was diseased.

Leo needed to strike Hammer down first, as she clearly held their whole formation together. And frankly, her attacks were just annoying. He let the lightning gather in a ball of light at the tip of his blade and he ran for her. The others didn't react fast enough, giving him the chance to loose his blast into Hammer's gut. The electricity fizzled out and she fell to the dirt, down and out.

Leo turned his attention on the next most difficult opponent, Spear. She came at him thrusting her weapon low, then high, driving him back. He anticipated that Dagger would use this chance to attack, so turned on his heel just in time to meet the man with his blade. The prongs sunk deep before Leo could pull back with restraint, but at least that was another one taken care of.

Leo thought he might try something different, asking, 'how about you help us end this fight, and you join the House of Power?' He gestured openly with his sore hand, as something crashed behind him. He ignored the sound for now, focused on winning Spear over.

'How about you die, and I win this whole thing?' Spear thrust her weapon true, but Leo expected the blow. He stepped in and grabbed the spear between its wielder's hands. He pulled her close and sunk his blade into her without breaking eye contact.

'You're a strong fighter.' Leo whispered. 'Hopefully, we can meet on better terms, if you can muster the good in you.'

'Screw you.' Spear spat on Leo and fell limp. A small bout of anger pushed him to throw her to the floor without a second thought. He turned to see how Tiam was doing.

'Well, this isn't spectacular.' Tiam was impaled by one of the woman's blades. Her entire body was covered in rocky plates, and her weapons were still crossed to look like a bull's horns. One of those horns pinned Tiam in midair.

'Tiam!' Leo shrieked. Not again, not again. He couldn't lose Tiam, not like this. He didn't even know where to find them after this.

'Looks like I couldn't cut deep enough.' Tiam's eyes glazed, and their swords fell with a clatter.

Far, far away, three figures stood atop rowed seating that held thousands of angels, demons and humans. One, a tall and lean man, kept out of sight as if other people seeing him would spell trouble. He gestured a heavily tattooed arm to a large image of Leo watching Tiam perish.

'You see, mother, father,' he began, breaking a smile at the two tall beings behind him. 'It's worth watching the early level matches.' He folded his arms, geometric shapes configured in intricate patterns across both. 'We might yet find a way to tear this system down.'