Despite his greatly increased resources and power, Samuel knew that his heightened state wouldn’t last very long. Striking again and again, darting away at the last second, he continued to fend off the attackers. They had abandoned their attempt to focus on Shigeru and Grimr now, solely intent on taking down the stranger hampering their efforts. This was what Samuel wanted, but he didn’t know how much longer he could keep up the blinding speed of his attacks. Over half of his original enemies lay upon the ground, but the mana coursing through his body didn’t agree with him, and he could tell it was doing more and more damage to his body the longer he channeled it.

Just five enemies left, and Samuel felt his body begin to falter. He leaned back to avoid one dagger cut, striking the one who swung down with a blast of energy. He kicked out at another one, sending him into a comrade, and both flew back to hit a nearby tree with enough force to be knocked unconscious. Now there were just two left. He turned to face them, smiling in spite of the pain racking his body.

“Cut the vine, Samuel!” Grimr shouted. He was still in a fight with Arwinn and had glanced over long enough to see the state his young friend was in. “Cut it now!”

Samuel didn’t even think to question or doubt the order. Almost of its own volition, a small little lick of fire appeared on his wrist and severed the vine. It dropped to the ground at once, turning grey and withering away. Samuel immediately felt the pain in his body come to an end, but panicked as the lack of power came over him. He still had a fair amount of mana leftover, but he knew it wouldn’t be nearly enough to deal with the last two enemies.

Shigeru, breaking away from the fight with Arwinn, had appeared on Samuel’s left. He placed one hand gently on the mage’s shoulder, stepping in front to protect him.

“Leave these two to me, Samuel.” He said calmly. There were no signs of his previous injuries. He looked to be in perfect condition once more and stepped forward to face the last two without hesitation. “You’ve done well. I’ll take care of the rest.”

The last two opponents were each armed, and Samuel saw that they were the two who had stood beside Arwinn when he’d awakened. They were undoubtedly stronger than their comrades and waited patiently for Shigeru to advance. It looked, for all intents and purposes, as if they were waiting to begin a simple sparring match.

“Master Arwinn has told us much about you, human.” The one on the right said, his voice soft and melodic. “We have not met a mortal like you. You shall be a worthy opponent.”

“Though no mortal, human or else, has managed to even wound us in combat, of course.” The other added, taking one step to the side. It was a woman, her voice also soft. “I wonder how well you will hold yourself in a match. Take your time to arm yourself.”

Shigeru stopped when he was about ten feet away from them, and seemed to consider their words. Then, to Samuel’s surprise, he offered the two a deep bow, which they returned. It all spoke to some unknown code Samuel had never encountered, but he knew better than to interrupt. His own weaknesses aside, he knew how important honor was to Shigeru by now, and he didn’t want to tarnish it by interfering.

“I appreciate your consideration,” Shigeru said. “But you took my weapons from me, and thus I have nothing to wield.”

The man laughed softly. “We know you bring the pup with you. Call him, and let us test you both.”

The side of Shigeru’s face that Samuel could see was curved in a smile. He inclined his head slightly as if in acknowledgment of the comment offered to him. He rolled his head to the side, emitting a soft pop as the joints in his neck relaxed. He pulled the tattered outer robe he wore from himself and dropped it to the ground, exposing the simple tunic he wore underneath.

“Come to me, Longfang,” He said softly. “It is time to hunt.”

Confused, Samuel looked around the clearing for the thin parcel. How did Shigeru expect a weapon to move on its own?” Then he found the area of ground where the parcel had lain previously, and his jaw dropped open. A large wolf, its hide white as the purest snow, stood there in the open clearing. Its eyes were a deep violet in color, much like Grimr, and despite its apparent youth, there was unmistakable wisdom and power about it.

The wolf paced forward slowly until it came to stand behind Shigeru, it’s head standing a good foot or two higher than Shigeru’s shoulder. It put its head down closer to the swordsman, who lifted a hand to lightly touch its muzzle. At once, the white wolf dissolved in a cascade of white energy that surrounded Shigeru’s arm and hand. He lowered his hand as the energy condensed, leaving behind something long and thin in his hand.

It was a sword of some kind. Five feet in length, and no thicker than any of his other blades, it radiated the same white energy that the wolf had been made of. It rolled over the blade, like a small wave that burned bright as a tiny sun. Shigeru dragged the blade through the black moss on the ground in front of him, burning the corruption away as easily as if he’d lit it on fire.

“I think you will find that I exceed your expectations,” He said finally, addressing the two who stood before him. “Come and see.”

Without hesitation, the woman stepped forward, lifting one hand almost lazily. She held a small dagger like the rest, though it was made differently. A black jewel was set in the hilt, and the dagger had minute carvings along the length of the blade.

“Anvari.” The word was spoken quickly, and a tendril of black energy flashed out, racing towards Shigeru, who burned it away with one swipe of the long blade.

The man smiled. “Impressive reflexes, Shigeru Tokugawa. Very well, let us begin.”

Shigeru stepped forward as he said this, giving a few experimental swings of the white blade. It was much longer than the swords he’d used previously, but it seemed light as a feather in his hand. He lashed out with a quick jab at the man who raised his own weapon, a longer dagger, to block. Quick as a flash, Shigeru switched to a powerful backhand stroke that forced him to leap back.

“Not too bad on the reflexes yourself,” Shigeru said. “Do try to challenge me, will you?”

The woman darted forward, slashing at Shigeru’s right side. As she swung, her dagger seemed to grow longer, until it more closely resembled a scimitar. Shigeru parried the blow with almost contemptuous ease, then dashed the man’s weapon to the side with another quick swing. He seemed to be completely at ease in this conflict, showing no sign of fear or hesitation.

“Your names are Dagorra and Angorra, aren’t they?” He said calmly as he parried another strike and lashed back in return. “You are the twin servants of Neratas, offered to him by Arwinn.”

“What of it?” Dagorra said, darting in and slashing twice. Shigeru took the blows with the white blade without effort, then struck back with his left fist. It connected, sending the elven man staggering back.

“Well, that means that you are slaves,” Shigeru said. “You are forced to be here against your will.”

He stepped forward to Dagorra, swinging the hilt of his weapon down with brutal force. It slammed into the side of Dagorra’s jaw, spinning the man in place and dazing him.

Angorra dashed forward with a few more vicious swipes, and Shigeru stepped out of her range with one quick move, then stepped back in and kicked her in the stomach. She let out a gasp and clutched her stomach, staring at Shigeru with amazement. It was clear that nobody had been able to handle the two of them so easily before.

“Even if you knew all that to be true,” She hissed. “You would know that we have no choice but to kill you, or be killed ourselves.”

She swung again, but Shigeru deflected it. He lashed out one hand, in another of his classic palm strikes that collided with her forehead, repelling her once again. She swayed where she stood, clearly dazed by the strike.

“You have another option,” Shigeru said, watching the two as they recovered from his stunning attacks. “You can surrender now, and be spared your lives. Worry not. Before we leave this forest, Neratas will be dead, and your master will no longer be a threat. You can be set free.”

“There is no freedom for us!” Angorra shrieked, dropping her mask of calm indifference. “Either you die, or we die!”

She darted forward as she screamed, the long dagger swinging down with murderous intent. Time seemed to slow as Samuel watched Shigeru. The swordsman closed his eyes, whether, in sorrow or impatience, he couldn’t tell. He stepped to the side with a gentle movement, wasting no movement as he avoided the dagger with ease. Then, just as gently, the long blade in his hand came up and around, striking Angorra in the back as she moved past him.

Angorra hit the ground with a light thud, lifeless and unmoving. A dark stain was spreading from the massive wound in her back, quickly staining the clothes she wore an even darker color. Shigeru looked down upon his fallen enemy with sadness in his eyes.

“May your soul find rest from your struggles.” He said, forming his hand into some kind of blessing as he looked down upon his fallen enemy. Then he turned to face Dagorra, his face still troubled, but resolute.

“What is your answer?” He asked. “Will you fight, or surrender and accept defeat?”

Dagorra was staring at his sister’s body with wide, horrified eyes, and didn’t answer for a few seconds. The utter shock of the moment, from the deceptive ease with which Angorra, to the overwhelming skill and power shown by Shigeru, showed clearly in his eyes. It was inconceivable that a mortal could stand against them in battle as an equal, let alone defeat them. But the proof in front of him was undeniable. In this combat, Shigeru was his master.

He looked to Shigeru now, noting that the human showed no sign of exhaustion or exertion as he held the long blade ready to continue fighting. His face showed nothing but fear as he focused on the white energy coating the blade like flames, and Samuel could see the bump in his throat move as he swallowed several times. Samuel had been on that side of the fear once when Shigeru had dispatched the leader of the bandits on his journey to Milagre. It was not an easy thing to witness. Seeing that kind of ferocity and raw power changed your perspective.

The sword fell from his limp hand, and he collapsed to his knees, shoulders slumped and head bowed. All signs of a fight had left him. Like Angorra, Dagorra understood that though he may not be mortal, he could be killed in battle. Continuing to face this mortal monster in combat, without his sister, would be tantamount to suicide. Certainly, if he left here and Neratas learned that he had surrendered, he would be killed, but at least with the latter, there was a chance of escaping undetected.

“Kamatayan,” He gasped, drawing in a shallow breath. “I surrender.”

Shigeru nodded his acceptance of the surrender, and turned away from Dagorra, sensing that the man was no longer a threat. He continued to hold the Longfang ready to fight, but he was no longer interested in testing the mettle of the grey-skinned figure behind him. He knew the shadow of defeat in the eyes of his opponent, and to him, striking down a defenseless opponent, regardless of his transgressions, was the height of dishonor.

“You made a wise decision today, Dagorra,” Shigeru said over his shoulder. “Let us hope it is the first of many.”

Turning his attention back to Grimr and Arwinn now that Shigeru was finished with his fight, Samuel saw that things had changed drastically in a minute or so since he’d last seen the Ancient. The two fighters still darted around each other with incredible speed and slashed with astonishing brutality, but it was clear that the tide of the battle had shifted. Whereas at the start, Arwinn had been the one fighting with desperation, it was now Grimr who was forced to give ground more and more as the half-elven man struck again and again.

Grimr jumped back to avoid a slash of Arwinn’s knife, then gathered himself and leaped forward with a snarl, aiming for a killing blow. Arwinn slid to the side at the last second, letting the Ancient fly past him. Then, much like how Shigeru had struck Angorra down, he slashed at Grimr’s back, opening a shallow wound between his shoulders. Grimr let out a feral growl as he felt the wound opened but moved too quickly for Arwinn to strike again.

Shigeru, also noticing the state of the battle, charged in and swung a mighty overhead blow, forcing the druid to leap back from his relentless assault on Grimr. One glance over to his two former retainers was all he needed to see to know that he was, at last, truly alone. Gritting his teeth, he jumped back several feet and drew the blade of his knife against his free palm. Blood flowed from his palm at once, but he spoke a quick word, and the flow ebbed.

The long metal knife in his hand was now pulsing an angry red in color and quickly grew longer, perhaps three feet in length. He swung the weapon twice in a cross through the air before him, then grinned maliciously at his two opponents as they waited for him to approach again.

“I always knew Dagorra was a coward at heart,” he spat. “But I thought he’d buy me enough time to kill the Betrayer, at least.”

Grimr took a step forward, seemingly undeterred by Arwinn’s latest move. “You will come to regret calling me Betrayer, Arwinn. I am a Paragon, and you will kneel to me.”

“Never!” Arwinn shouted, abandoning his cool, uncaring mask. For once, Samuel could see past the cool mask that he’d kept in place, showing the feral nature underneath.

The druid leaped forward with even more speed than before, slamming into Shigeru. Samuel half expected the foreigner to be knocked back by the force, but he stood fast, blocking Arwinn’s unarmed strike with his free hand, latching onto the arm and jerking him forward, off-balance. Arwinn countered with a lightning-fast slash to Shigeru’s unprotected side, but the blade seemed to hit an invisible barrier, reflecting off and missing by centimeters.

Shigeru grunted at the impact, then turned and threw Arwinn from him. The half-elf careened towards Grimr, who was ready with a wide swinging kick, but Arwinn rolled under it with ease. He blocked Grimr’s next strike with his left hand, which was emitting some kind of red barrier of energy. It absorbed the force of the next two swipes of the bone dagger as well, and Arwinn kicked Grimr away from him. The Ancient went rolling for several feet, then jumped back up at once to avoid a vicious slash of Arwinn’s dagger.

Despite Shigeru’s presence being put back onto the field, and the unmistakable power behind the new weapon he wielded, the fight was closer to an even match than it had ever been. Shigeru and Grimr worked together seamlessly, covering each other and striking at Arwinn from all angles, but the druid was now keeping up with even their fastest attacks, and striking back often enough to keep them at bay.

Grimr let out a frustrated growl as he was rebuffed again. Spitting blood out of his mouth, he put one hand to the ground and conjured more vines, which rose up as if they’d been hidden under the black moss for years, and lunged to wrap around Arwinn. The druid ducked and weaved out of their way, avoiding each lash at the last second to avoid leaving an opening for either Shigeru or Grimr, but he couldn’t avoid them all. One vine seized around his ankle, holding him in place.

Arwinn looked down to where the vine held him and swung his blade at it at once, but the half-second delay was all that Shigeru had needed. A massive bolt of white energy slammed into Arwinn the second he’d looked away, knocking him prone, and giving Grimr enough time to dart forward and put one foot on his sword arm, pinning it and him to the ground. More vines came to pin Arwinn down as well, wrapping over his arms, legs, and torso, until he was completely bound, with only his face visible.

“Stop struggling,” Grimr panted, sliding the bone dagger back into his belt. “It won’t make this any less painful.”

Predictably, Arwinn ignored the command and strained against the pressure of the vines. Despite not being able to move even half an inch in either direction, he thrashed with renewed vigor. Grimr let out an exasperated sigh, grabbed the half-elf by the forehead, and smacked it back down on the ground. Despite the soft cushioning of black moss on the forest floor, it was obviously a hard hit, and Arwinn ceased his struggling at once, clearly dazed.

“Finally,” Grimr said, keeping one hand on his head to hold it down. “You call me Betrayer, Arwinn, but it is you who has failed your code. You have allowed corruption to enter your heart and body, and your mind by the looks of it.”

Arwinn stared at Grimr’s face from between the Ancient’s fingers, his eyes narrowed in hatred. Then, at some change of expression on Grimr’s face that Samuel couldn’t see, his eyes grew wide and fearful.

“Don’t worry,” Grimr said with a rough laugh. “I do not intend to kill you. I would be quite within my right, mind you. But you still have a purpose to serve.”

Green energy began leaking out of Grimr’s body, slowly draping both him and Arwinn in a thick mantle and nearly obscuring them from view. Moving around to get a better view, Samuel could see that the Ancient’s eyes, normally a dull violet, were glowing so intensely it was as if a roaring fire had been lit behind them. Grimr’s face was contorted in concentration as he worked the energy leaving his body, forcing it to surround and cover Arwinn.

Grimr jumped off as soon as all the energy had entered Arwinn’s body, pulling the dagger from his belt once more. For good measure, Samuel conjured two balls of fire in his hands, ready to support him if need be. The vines erupted into flame, but it was a strange fire. Instead of the typical yellows, oranges, and reds of a normal flame, these were bright green in color. Arwinn had no chance to escape as the flames coursed over his body, engulfing him in an instant.

Arwinn let out a blood-chilling scream as he felt the touch of the fire on his flesh. Curiously, there were no signs of singing or blackening of the flesh. Rather, as Arwinn scrambled to his knees, howling madly and staggering meekly, the fire seemed to seek out the black markings on his body, feeding voraciously as the corruption in his body was burned away.

Samuel instinctively took a step back as Arwinn lumbered towards him, moving out fo the way, ready to attack. Arwinn didn’t seem to see him but was moving aimlessly, unable to escape the purging flames. They surged more and more powerfully until all signs of the black markings on his skin were destroyed. Then the flames sunk into Arwinn’s skin, the only sign of their existence in his eyes, which glowed fiercely green, the same color as the fire.

All of a sudden, Arwinn stopped moving and fell limp. As he hit the ground, the flames left his body, dispersing harmlessly into the air, and taking the corruption with it. Little black wisps of energy seemed to leak out of Arwinn’s flesh, until both energies faded, leaving his body. Arwinn gave one final, shuddering gasp, then lay still.