[[Day 27 of Month -4 :: The Barrens]]<br/><br/>“Anrui.”  The petite demon turned at the summons, head bowed in the presence of her master.  “How are things going?”  A tall, gangly figure emerged from the doorway.  Most of his features were hidden under the swathing robes he wore but red eyes burned through the darkness that surrounded him.<br/><br/>“Well, Master Amon.”  Anrui replied in a soft voice, moving out of the way to let her Master take her place by the window.  Master Amon preferred meek demons, though the Sinners she oversaw might contest such a description of her.  “Sinners 84 and 23 have started some promising projects.  Sinner 57 is continuing the new crystal alloy and should have a prototype ready in the next few days.<br/><br/>The first Exalted nodded his head as he swept a gaze over the minions below.  He trusted his Anrui to oversee their experiments which left him with more time for his own intellectual endeavors.  The two lapsed into silence as the first demon contemplated his current experiment, boiling away in his laboratory.  It was a variant of one of Anrui’s projects.  He’d taken over once he’d seen the potential in it though she was already through her first testing, which reminded him, “And how is your project coming along?”<br/><br/>A smirk crossed the black-haired demon’s lips; her pretense of docility had no strength against the satisfaction at her success.  “Very well, Master Amon.  There is about sixty percent coverage already.  It should be ready to be implemented in a week or so.”<br/><br/>“Very good, Anrui.”  The commendation sent a thrill of pleasure through her.  Luminescent golden eyes peeked up at the other demon before skittering away.  “The God of Sin has returned.”  Amon had felt reality scream the previous night of new moon as Eve had summoned his old friend back from oblivion.  It had been quiet since, but Amon had no doubt it would be time for visiting soon.  “I think your project should be a sufficient welcoming back present for my old friend.”  In a rare display of affection, he petted the shivering demon on her head.  “In two days’ time then.”<br/><br/>“Of course, Master Amon.”<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~</div><br/>[[Day 27 of Month -4, Afternoon :: Gless ]]<br/><br/>“Good job everyone! Dismissed!”  With that rare shout of praise, Leona dismissed the trainees and turned to leave, following her own command.  There were sighs of gratitude as the veterans lowered their swords and shields, slipping out of defensive stances into more casual ones.  The buzz of conversation quickly filled the training yard as they started chatting.  Dietrich let a sigh escape him as he too lowered his weary arms.  His sword he stashed away in the scabbard by his hip, enjoying the solitude for a second.  His arms no longer ached as much as they had when he first started.  He no longer felt dead tired at the end of each training session.  It was improvement.  A pleased smile crept onto his face at that thought: he was improving.<br/><br/>The slap of a hand on his shoulder snapped him from his thoughts and he turned to see another of his trainees.  The shared experience of all being veterans, survivors of the First War, made camaraderie easy among all the trainees.  The two were swallowed up by another group and they left the training grounds at an easy pace, discussing their training, the amazing battle between Masters Guilford and Lethe yesterday, and other random chitchat.<br/><br/>They were just leaving the Cathedral when Dietrich caught sight of a familiar silhouette.  Joaquim!  Making his goodbyes, he headed towards his old friend.  “Joaquim!” He greeted cheerfully, stepping into place next to the other Knight.  He was pleased to see he no longer looked like a twig next to the other man.  He still had nothing on Joaquim but, he touched the growing muscles in his arm with a jolt of pleasure, he was catching up.  His happiness waned at the sight of his old friend’s face.  “Is something wrong?”<br/><br/>The smile Joaquim turned his way was strained.  There was a pallor to his face that suggested unhealthiness and in his heart, Dietrich started to feel the stirrings of worry.  What had happened?  “I’m fine.”  Joaquim replied ineffectually; he knew he’d failed to reassure Dietrich when the younger veteran looked<span style="font-style: italic">more worried</span>after such a brush off.  He couldn’t blame the brunette; he wouldn’t have believed such poorly uttered words either.  “I just have a lot on my mind.”<br/><br/>“Are Bianca and Jessiah okay..?”  Dietrich asked with an anxious look, eyes darting in the direction of the Joaquim household.  Despite what the other man said, Joaquim was his savior and his family was important to the newly returned Knight as well.  There was a wave of relief when the black-haired Knight shook his head.  “Jessiah has a bit of a cough, but he’s fine otherwise.”  Dietrich nodded his head in acknowledgement; the Joaquim family was fine then.  But what else could be bothering his friend?<br/><br/>“Uhm.. Is.. is everything okay with your squad..?”  He tried hesitantly, knowing he’d succeeded when his friend’s face closed off immediately.  His accomplishment brought him little joy.  Whatever had happened was clearly not a good topic.  The two walked a few more minutes in miserable silence before Dietrich meekly mentioned he needed to leave.  Joaquim’s lack of protest just emphasized how poorly he’d done.  With a feeble wave, the younger Knight scurried away.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~</div><br/>[[Day 28 of Month -4 :: Rasova]]<br/><br/>Romauld lifted the last shirt on his bed, folded it, and placed it in the duffel bag.  Turning, brown eyes swept over the room he’d called home for the past three years.  It was empty now, devoid of the personal touches he’d inadvertently added over the years. The watercoloring of the West Lake, a reminder of his hometown from before the Rising, no longer hung on the wall; his collection of books had all been packed away.  Its emptiness was disconcerting in its unfamiliarity, and he slowly sank into the mattress, taking a moment to absorb the solitude of the room.  It seemed to contain a finality he’d been previously missing.<br/><br/>There was nothing like the sight of a home no longer being a home to drive in the fact it was time to move on.<br/><br/>He sighed slowly as he took a moment to let the events of the last few days settle into him.<br/><br/><blockquote class="uncited"><div>[[Day 24 of Month -4 :: The Grand Cathedral]]<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Knight Commander Romauld, may I speak with you?”</span><br/><br/>The brunette turned at the words, the sound of his name enough to pierce the haze he felt trapped in.  The God of Sin had been revived.  Solemn blue eyes stared at him; it took a moment for him to realize who was addressing him.<br/><br/>“Master Lethe.”  His voice sounded distant to his ears as if spoken from across a cavern.  In between echoed those damning words: the God of Sin had been revived.  The God of Sin had been…<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “This way, please.”</span>  This time it was the touch of a hand that broke his reverie.  Romauld followed the Seraph dumbly to one of the side rooms.  The walk—short though it was—gave him the time to try to regain his bearings.  He was a Knight Commander.  He’d been deemed important enough to know. . . The God of Sin had been revived. . . revived. . . The door shut behind him with surprising volume.<br/><br/>Now the look Master Lethe was shooting him looked worried and a touch uncertain as if she was reconsidering something.  That hint of doubt <span style="font-style: italic">about him</span> was impetus enough to make him force his mind to the present.  He was the Knight Commander of Rasova.  Whatever Master Lethe wanted to speak with him about, he would prove himself worthy of it.  As if sensing his change in resolve, the apprehension vanished from the Seraph’s face.  Instead, her expression was cool, resolute.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“There is another issue Master Guilford and I neglected to mention earlier, Knight Commander,”</span>  The Seraph began even as Romauld straightened at her words.  <span style="color: silver">“We need more leaders.  We need more <span style="font-style: italic">Seraphs</span>.”</span>  Blue eyes stared at him expectantly.<br/><br/>Romauld could feel his eyes widen at the implication.  “And. . . you think I. . .?” he croaked out.  A sharp nod answered the rest of his unspoken query.  He looked away, mind whirling as it tried to process the unexpected news.  Him?  A Seraph?  He was flattered and terrified.  It was undoubtedly the greatest honor to be considered worthy to be an equal of Master Lethe and Master Guilford.  But. . . more Seraphs?  In what world did they live that these two titans—and he remembered clearly the sheer <span style="font-weight: bold">power</span> that had swept through Luciano on the last night of the abruptly ended Liberation campaign—weren’t enough of a vanguard for the Light?<br/><br/>High Councilor Cornelius’s words from earlier dropped back into his mind: <span style="font-style: italic">“The God of Sin has been revived.”</span><br/><br/>Oh Divine Light help him.  He swallowed drily, trying to coax moisture into his suddenly parched mouth.  The God of Sin had been revived.  That was the type of world that needed more than just two Seraphs and they thought him a potential. . . equal? Replacement?  Brown eyes sought blue ones as realization dawned.  Successor.  They were search for successors.  As strong as they were, they still thought they might die.  And he… they wanted him to be one of them.  Seraph.<br/><br/>Could he?<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">Ask not what the Divine Light can do for you, but what you can do for the Divine Light.</span><br/><br/>Brown eyes filled with determination.<br/><br/>Yes, he could.</div></blockquote><br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~</div><br/>[[Day 28 of Month -4, Morning :: The Grand Cathedral]]<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“A spar?”</span>Lethe echoed in confusion, glancing over at the dark haired man beside her.  She’d been entering the Cathedral when Guilford had waylaid her, seemingly waiting in a mix of anticipation and dread.<span style="color: silver">“We’re not supposed to fight needlessly..”</span>She pointed out doubtfully despite the tendrils of interest pooling in her stomach.  It was hard to improve when she only had herself and a mirror to judge her accomplishments against.  It was an unfortunate fact that among the Immaculate, there were few who could give her a challenge.  Of her enemies, there were more than enough but, a wry smile crossed her lips, she rather doubted she could ask<span style="font-style: italic">them</span>for tips to defeat them easier.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">“It’s not needless fighting, it’s sparring—with the goal set to <span style="font-style: italic">improvement</span>.”</span>the male Seraph countered almost immediately,<span style="color: #0080FF">“There aren’t a lot who could help ‘us’ in that matter now is there?”</span><br/>She lifted an eyebrow skeptically but when her options were a chance to spar without having to hold back or a mountain of paperwork, her decision really wasn’t a hard one.<span style="color: silver">“Alright!”</span>She conceded with an amused smile,<span style="color: silver">“Now okay?  I have a meeting with Councilor Laith in the afternoon so it’ll have to be now or at night.”</span>She hoped that it would be now though; meetings had the tendency to spawn even<span style="font-style: italic">more</span>paperwork and she couldn’t guarantee something ‘urgent’ might not come up and delay their spar.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">“Now’s perfect.”</span>Guilford agreed as he led the way to where Master Jung was waiting.<span style="color: #0080FF">“Master Jung will be watching us.”</span>He warned; it wouldn’t be fair for her to be surprised when they reached the training grounds.<br/><span style="color: silver">“Isn’t he supposed to be helping come up with the new training regime?”</span>There was a niggling sensation in the back of her mind at her own words.  Master Jung knew the gravity of the situation; she doubted he’d be wasting his time unless,<span style="color: silver">“Or is this to help with a new training regime?”</span>Lethe questioned, levelling a look that was half amused and half suspicious.  A smile answered her question and startled a laugh from her.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Oh wow..”</span>For a moment she forgot she was twenty nine and had been a Seraph for over a decade.  For a moment she was fifteen again, walking through the worn hallways of the Pristine Knight Academy with a fellow student, marveling at this unimaginable opportunity.<span style="color: silver">“Master Jung huh?”</span>Hands clenched in eager anticipation even as a shy smile broke out on her face.<span style="color: silver">“I hope we’re worthy of his time.”</span><br/><br/>The male Seraph scratched his head in response,<span style="color: #0080FF">“If we weren’t, he wouldn’t be there.”</span>her blue-haired companion smiled,<span style="color: #0080FF">“Let’s show him what Seraphs are capable of.”</span><br/><br/>Lethe laughed, feeling some of her tension dissipate at Gil’s confidence.  Of course he’d think that.  He was good at swordsmanship!  As for herself..  She forced herself not to disparage her capabilities with the weapon.  She may not be Chevalier but she could (she hoped) at least hold her own.<br/><br/>When they arrived at the training field, a smile was still lingering on her face at her own silliness.  How weird to be reminded, again, that it had already been more than ten years since she’d last walked through the Pristine Knight Academy.  A wizened face turned in their direction as they approached, etched with an amused elderliness reminiscent of the Knights who’d first taught her how to hold a sword back in Cascadia.  Twenty nine and still taking lessons, still with the God of Sin looming over her.  For once in the seven days since Fiona had revealed that terrible news, the thought didn’t fill her with despair.  Instead, Lethe could only be amused by the odd circuity her life had taken: it was as if she’d never moved from when she was fifteen even though she was nearly twice that age.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Master Jung,”</span>She greeted with a bow,<span style="color: silver">“Thank you for your time.”</span>The elder nodded his head in acknowledgement, “I hope it’s worthwhile.” His wide smile took the insult out of his words but not the challenge.<br/><br/>Sharing a look with Lethe, Guilford answered for both of them:<span style="color: #0080FF">“We’ll make sure it is.”</span><br/><br/>The two Seraphs walked to opposite sides of the training yard; expectant eyes from a great many spectators trailing their every move—this much was to be expected.  After the Rising, not many have gotten the chance to witness their two leaders in a sparring match.  Had it not been for them taking command over their own squads, them training together would have been a common sight.  For these young cadets, new knights, and even veterans, if anything else, this was a great opportunity to pick up moves or even just marvel at what was obviously going to be a great match.  With bated breaths and heavy anticipation lingering in the air, they waited for the match to start.<br/><br/>Guilford stopped in his corner, already thinking of his first move.  Speed was going to be a key aspect against Lethe and her numerous blades; he couldn’t afford anything less than fast.  He’d also have to combine sword and martial skills against her.  With a quick motion of his free hand, Guilford drew his sword, keeping its scabbard held with his left hand.  While he did not favor shields, his scabbard would serve its defensive purposes later on for sure.<br/><br/>Lethe eyed her former squadmate in assessment, summoning Luna to her hand.  She was no match for Gil’s swordsmanship but, she settled into an offensive stance, she’d make sure she lived up to his words.<br/><br/>“It’ll be a free for all,” Master Jung piped up from the sidelines, hands now tucked behind his back and looking every bit the wise, old teacher.  “Both steel and magic are allowed.”<br/>The white-haired Knight felt a flash of surprise at the clarification before a knowing smirk broke out on her face.  So that’s why Gil had looked a bit apprehensive earlier.  Challenging blue eyes looked across the field to serious purple eyes.  With barely a thought, six of her keyblades appeared behind her.  Tightening her grip on Luna, Lethe shot towards Guilford with a flap of her ‘wings.’<br/><br/>At the sight of her swords coming out, Guilford sighed. He knew this was coming but just seven of them?  He felt slightly depressed.  Why not go full on?  Was she taking it easy on him, or was she confident enough that seven would get the job done.  Last time he saw her swords in Palaugrim, his count was at nine.  Perhaps she was testing the waters with just seven blades out?<br/><br/>Regardless, a poor decision would cost him a point.<br/><br/>Seeing his female counterpart charging at him with more fervor than he anticipated, Guilford smirked in response.  It wasn’t that hard to tell what she had in mind; she was obviously thinking she had the advantage if magic was allowed. But he would correct that notion soon.  He was not the same kid she used to toy around with when she first got those swords—how proud she was of them back then!  Oh those memories!  Now was as good a time as any to pay her back, if only to make her realize seven wouldn’t cut it against him now.<br/><br/>Settling into the defensive stance, Guilford activated his Providence, shrouding himself in white light as he extended the length of his sword forward, more to gauge distance than actually defending from the attack.  He was aiming for a swift counter, and he needed to time it right knowing Lethe’s habit of using her swords first before she decided to give him hell with her magic.<br/><br/>Did he really think she was going to attack him head on?  Well, in the past she might have but things had changed between then and now.  If he was bringing out his Providence so soon. . . She made sure not to smirk, not to<span style="font-style: italic">hint</span>, as she got closer before she teleported herself to her other pair of swords.  She reappeared behind him, Luna cutting downwards toward his back.<br/><br/>Teleport?! The sudden shift in the air behind him made Guilford painfully aware of Lethe’s point of attack.  With not much window to react, he gambled on a haphazard swing of his scabbard and felt relief when he heard the clang of steel.  Following through the defense, he shifted his footing and spun with a slash of his own.<br/><br/>Her attack was halted by Guilford’s scabbard.  Coated in Providence, the metal didn’t break despite her weight against it.  Guilford spun to strike her with his swords but the three nearest keyblades instinctively moved forward to intercept even as her feet touched the ground.  She withdrew Luna as her other set of swords struck out in an upwards arc.  She stepped forward with the movement, aiming Luna’s hilt at Gil’s stomach.<br/>Having seen the counter coming, Guilford swayed back to avoid the upwards slash from her magic swords. But Lethe’s attack did not stop there, she aimed for his gut which was left open after his swayback.  Clicking his tongue, Guilford had no choice but to back away and reposition.  She didn’t plan to make it easy after all.  Oh well, he might as well kick it up another notch. Now on the offensive stance, Guilford opted to show her his improved Light step, aiming to swipe her feet off the ground with his scabbard.<br/><br/>After her failed attack, Lethe backed as well, the two returning to each other’s original positions.  The white-haired Knight tightened her grip on her sword, preparing herself for her next attack when Guilford suddenly appeared in front of her.  He could also teleport?  He swept her feet off the ground and she aimed a kick at his face.  Her swords’ ability to act as wings had long given her an association with aerial fighting.  She flipped back onto her feet, slashing sideways at Gil with Luna.<br/><br/>She would kick him in the face?! Not a chance.  Raising Light’s Requiem, Guilford blocked the kick and attempted a counter-swipe, only to notice that Luna was well on its way towards him.  Shifting the direction of the his weapon, the two swords clashed furiously between the small space between them.  Spectators watching the fight, summoned by the news that the two Seraphs were sparring, gasped at the quick and precise exchange between their two Seraphs.<br/><br/>Guilford kept the swords at a deadlock and gazed at challenging blue eyes. He smiled. She wasn’t holding back her strikes at all. It would be disrespectful of him to respond otherwise.  Easily overpowering the deadlock, Guilford turned to his fast combination of sword swipes, attacking Lethe head on while keeping his eyes out for any straggling magic swords she might have commanded around him.<br/><br/>The moment they’d gotten their swords deadlocked, Lethe had already been preparing to retreat.  With Guilford taller and heavier than her, there was little chance she’d win such a struggle.  She’d just gotten her wings in place to propel her backwards when Guilford overpowered her.  The flurry of strikes clattered against her four keyblades as she retreated, her opponent following her.  Almost.. almost.. In a burst of speed, she leapt past the seal she’d been preparing, activating it as Guilford stepped into it.  She hadn’t had enough time to do more than a simple bind, but it was enough to arrange her swords, all eight this time, around him.  There wasn’t quite enough time for Heaven’s Judgment (nor did she have any intention of making him suffer the entire thing) but..  The tips glowed with magic as she started sending them towards Guilford.<br/><br/>Dread crept its way into him the moment he felt his body suddenly come to a halt.  Guilford looked down and spotted a cleverly placed seal that had gone unnoticed.  He had been too busy watching out for her magic swords that he failed to take into account her sealing techniques. It was too late now and the only thing he could do was grit his teeth in anticipation of what was coming next.<br/><br/>All eight of her magic swords were aimed at him, ominously glowing in white light.  Guilford increased the density of his Providence and pulled his sword and scabbard back into a defensive position.  He needed to get rid of the seal first, but with not much training in the art, he could only power through it to get the much needed mobility just in time for when the swords came swooping down at him.  He had to hand it to her, four of these were hard enough to deal with and he might have just asked for a little too much for wanting to contend with all eight.  Guilford skillfully blocked and parried what he could, taking a couple hits with reduced damage thanks to his Providence.  What could he use to get out of this situation? A decoy perhaps?<br/><br/>While struggling to fend off her magic swords, purple eyes scanned for Lethe’s current position, spotting her ways away from him while her swords did her bidding. He needed an opening. With her swords all the way here, she’s practically defenseless.. another Light step and he could counter.  With a wide circular swinging motion using Light’s Requiem, Guilford managed to knock away several blades wide enough to give him room for a quick dash.  He took advantage of the opening, sliding behind Lethe after having used too much force in his Light step.  Instead of swinging his sword in such close range, he kicked at her aiming to knock her off balance and fired two Banish bolts right after the kick.<br/><br/>The jolt of having several swords knocked out of their attack warned her that Guilford was planning something.  There was a surge as Guilford ran towards her, somehow travelling meters in a blink of the eye.  She knew he was fast but she hadn’t thought him<span style="font-style: italic">that</span>fast.  The feeling of dense Light’s Blessing behind her told her where he’d ‘reappeared’.  She teleported to the blades he’d left behind her, was knocked back by the first Banish bolt he sent her way, and was able to shield the second.  Healing magic flowed over her body to cure the aftereffects of the Banish and the cuts she’d sustained while preparing her trap.  How to end this.. He hadn’t been aware of her seals; his Providence probably clouded his senses too much for him to notice the more subtle uses of magic.  She returned his Banish bolts with a volley of her own, her keyblade lined up like soldiers to each release a blast before winking out, trying to find new vantages from which to attack.<br/><br/>He had wanted to try his hand at shooting down her Banish bolts with his own but that would be a foolish idea to even consider.  Eight cannons against his two palms.. it was obvious who would come out on top.  Instead of blocking, Guilford danced around the field, dodging the hail of bolts that came whistling past him as he side-stepped, ducked, swayed left and right, until the bolts became hard enough to dodge with their sudden increase in fire-rate.  Now forced to block most of it, Guilford found himself getting pushed back forcefully.  She had always been several levels higher than him when it came to magic, but given the years that passed, she had become even more painfully annoying to deal with in a spar, a fact he only realized now that he was facing her head on.<br/><br/>Options running low for him, Guilford lined his sword with his own magic; he may not be as good as her, but even he had some tricks up his sleeve.  Timing would be the key.  He carefully observed her swords, trying to find if there’s a pattern somewhere.  He had known that Lethe could only keep her swords effective within a certain range, but the former range he had in mind was probably even larger now given how randomly they were blinking in and out of the field.  He might as well give up on the idea of finding a pattern and create his own rhythm of attack.  Knocking away two bolts in succession, Guilford spun widely to the left, bringing his sword forward and firing a line of white light straight at Lethe.  He needed to give her something so he can take a breather.<br/><br/>Unlike last time, Lethe’s focus wasn’t on directing her blades.  She easily dodged the attack as she was already in motion but continued running forward.  She needed to keep his mind off her blades for just a bit longer.  Despite knowing Guilford was superior to her in swordplay, the white-haired Knight lashed out with Luna, now close enough to be within Guilford’s range.  Her swords maintained their sporadic barrage of Banishes, enough to remind the blue-haired Seraph they were still present.<br/><br/>She’s bringing the fight to him.  Guilford found it odd given how well she had been doing at range, but if she’s planning on taking him head on where he had the advantage, she would be more than welcome to try.  Dodging her first, second, and third strike with ease (while knocking away several Banish bolts in the process) Guilford took one step back at a time, admiring (criticizing) how Lethe’s swordplay felt.. lacking.  Maybe he should teach her a move or two.  Spinning around an overly-committed attack, Guilford tapped the back of her right leg with his scabbard, followed by a quick, light hit on her back, jumping away soon after out of harm’s way from a Banish bolt that whizzed past him.<br/><br/>He had to be extra careful.  It was not like Lethe to do something without a plan.  Whatever it is, he needed to be on his guard.  It was hard enough to defend even with his scabbard, but it would also be easy enough for him to focus on offense should he discard it.  After all, staying defensive was not his style at all.  Tossing away Light’s Requiem’s scabbard, Guilford took a completely different stance; he was not getting anywhere if he wouldn’t commit fully to offense.<br/><br/>As to be expected, her swordplay was subpar compared to Guilford’s.  The fact her brain was only half on her swordplay probably wasn’t helping.  The rap of a scabbard against her leg and the tab on her back were reminders she needed to improve her swordsmanship, especially if she wanted to use a plan like this in the future.  She’d have to see if Lesus or Roland had time later.  The fight lulled as Guilford moved away, settling into an offensive stance.  She wasn’t dull enough to glance at the seals she’d prepared but she could feel their presences in her mind.  Her battlefield was ready; now she needed to get him into it.<br/><br/>Lethe stepped back into a defensive stance, ready to dodge whatever came next.  It’d be important to balance guiding him to her trap and not being too obvious about her actions.<br/><br/>First would be a frontal attack.  Guilford ran forward, not using his Light step move just yet.  This was to get her attention on him, to make her think he was coming head on.  As he closed the distance between them, he pulled his sword back and assumed a striking motion.  The moment he had brought his sword up was the start of his attack pattern.  Upon getting into range, Guilford finally used Light step, dashing to Lethe’s right side, the goal was to get her sword up to block his, and then Light step to her open side for a hit.<br/><br/>His dash to her right had her lifting Luna in preparation for his assault even as she flung herself to the left.  The bite of steel into her flesh, along with the sudden presence of Divine Magic, told her she’d just made a mistake.  It was a moment’s thought to vanish from her previous position on Guilford’s sword and into the safety of her still hidden seals.  One hand reached for the bleeding wound, a grimace crossing her face at the sensation of warm blood.  She hunched over as if in pain.  Come on Guilford, just attack her already.<br/><br/>A silent breeze blew between the two Seraphs locked in sparring.  The silence among those that spectated was almost too loud to be heard.  Everyone held their breath, everyone trying to predict who would come out as the winner of this match.  To the eyes of many, it looked as if the curtains were finally coming to a close.  Both Seraphs had just showed them a thrilling match and it would be a shame to them if they had not picked up a few things.  Still, eyes stayed locked at the combatants, eagerly waiting for the one to move next.<br/><br/>Guilford, despite the screams inside him telling him not to attack, wanted to draw the match to a close.  He couldn’t bear to see (much less continue wounding Lethe) his female counterpart getting beaten at swordplay. If Master Jung had any tips for both of them, it would be best to have a victor soon.  Taking a deep breath, Guilford lunged forward using Light step, stepping into his range and immediately swinging his sword upward with the goal of ending the match when he suddenly froze.<br/><br/>Lethe had fallen away from him, sluggishly, but his attack never connected.  She seemingly staggered away before straightening, a triumphant smirk on her lips.  Lifting Luna, she rested it against his exposed neck.<span style="color: silver">“Surrender?”</span><br/><br/>His smile was self-deprecating even as he covertly struggled against whatever was keeping him still.  It must be another seal, though he wasn’t sure how she’d had time to make one.  Maybe he could break it again?  His Providence flickered as if weakening though he was really testing the seal’s strength.  It refused to budge.  Instead, all eight of Lethe’s keyblades appeared around him in a clear warning.  She knew what he was attempting and she wasn’t letting her victory escape.<br/><br/>“I’ve seen enough. Well fought both of you.” echoed another voice after Lethe’s demand for surrender.  Eyes turned almost instantly over to the old man coming down from where he observed the match.  “Master Lethe, it’s your victory—but you have already died several times over for engaging Master Guilford in swordplay.” he chuckled and turned to the male Seraph, “Master Guilford, you lost the match the moment Master Lethe first succeeded in binding you.  I trust you already know what this means?” he smiled at the male Seraph, who had just now been released from his binding.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">“It’s my loss.”</span>he responded sulkily.  Payback would have to be for another time.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “And yet I’m the one bleeding all over the place.”</span>Lethe commented in amusement as she dismissed her swords and Luna so she could heal her wound.<span style="color: silver">“It’d be a bit sad if I couldn’t match you when we’re using magic as well, wouldn’t it Gil?  We both know you’re miles ahead of me in regards to swordplay.”</span><br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">“Yes, that would be sad. But your magic is really something else. I couldn’t keep up.”</span>he commented on the one thing that really pressed him hard throughout the match.<br/><br/>“Of course you couldn’t.” Master jung interjected, “You’re the sword, she’s the magic behind it. You two complement each other’s weaknesses perfectly.  This is why the training method I thought up would be themed<span style="font-style: italic">coordination</span>.” the old man flashed an amused smile. “Of course, it’s not as if we’d let your weaknesses stay as it is. We’ll work on them too.”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver"> “Thank you Master Jung, we’re honored.”</span>A sudden roar of cheering ended their conversation, startling Lethe into looking around.  The edges of the battlefield were crammed with Knights, Scribes, Advocates, and Healers.  Some of the surrounding hallways even had bodies half out of the windows, all craning for a better look.  The spectacle of two Seraphs dueling had drawn all the free bodies (and some who weren’t so free) to the training grounds.<br/><br/>Purple eyes looked around as well, now fully aware of the amount of people gathered to watch their duel.  He had not paid any attention at all to his surroundings outside of the battlefield (how could he?) given how hard pressed he was fighting Lethe.  Now that he could see all of the spectators, he felt a bit of shame for not having put his best foot forward.  Oh well, he knew why he lost, and he would have all day to reflect on it.<span style="color: #0080FF">“We should probably dismiss them all.. some of them aren’t even supposed to be here.”</span>he sighed at the sight of some people who were obviously not supposed to be there at this time.<br/><br/>Lethe’s embarrassment at having been caught in such a display (okay, it was just sparring, but it still felt like showing off!) waned at Guilford’s dry comment.  She took a better inventory of their spectators at his words, finally recognizing some of the men and women in the crowds.  Yes, she was fairly certain Head Cleric Heidie was not supposed to be standing by the window with a wide grin on her face.  However, the sight of the older woman’s smile brought a smile to her own face.<span style="color: silver"> “Probably not, but we may as well let them enjoy themselves.”</span>She responded in a fond tone, lifting a hand to wave at a cheering Cricket.  The rest of her squad were similarly standing on the edge of the training field, no doubt having bullied their way there.  Guilford’s squad she couldn’t see but with so many people around, she wasn’t too surprised.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“They’ll probably disperse once we leave, Gil.”</span>The reminder of her next location elicited a sigh.<span style="color: silver"> “And, unfortunately, I no doubt have a stack of reports waiting for me.”</span>She turned to face Master Jung, only to see he’d already wandered off as the crowd split before him like the parting of the sea.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">“You just had to say it didn’t you?”</span>he sighed at the reminder of paperwork, even as he raised a closed fist that garnered another roar of cheering from the crowd.<span style="color: #0080FF"> “Best get to it then,”</span>he paused and looked at Lethe, a sincere smile on his lips.<span style="color: #0080FF">“It was a good match. Thank you for the lessons.”</span><br/><br/>Lethe laughed in response, returning his smile with one of her own.<span style="color: silver"> “Thank you as well, Gil.  It was fun.  I look forward to working with you and Master Jung.”</span>She closed her eyes and bowed her head, for a moment ignoring the still cheering crowd,<span style="color: silver">“May the Divine Light guide us and keep us safe.”</span>