Amused red eyes surveyed the scene.  The orange haired one was lying on the ground like the trash he was.  The two ‘Seraphs’—the little liar and Lilith’s little crush—stood defiantly in front of a fuming Eve.  What would<span style="font-style: italic">her majesty</span>do now?<br/><br/><span style="color: #8080FF">“You wretched Seraph! I will kill you!”</span>It took no more than a surge of Sin for the previously burnt hand to become new once more.  Regardless of Syndra’s opinion of the blonde, even she had to admit the other demon was powerful.  The God of Sin’s consort.  Pale lips twisted in a scowl before smoothing away.  So much power wasted on such a fool.  Red eyes flickered down at the still huddled Vulcalina—just like this one.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">“You’re welcome to try!“</span>Lillith’s crush boasted arrogantly, drawing his sword and pointing it in Eve’s direction.  It was a different one from the one he used against her, she noticed idly.  This entire charade was boring to her.  All she’d wanted to do was come, get Vulcalina, and get out.  However,<span style="font-style: italic">her majesty</span>had decided to come along as well.  Why? Syndra had no idea.  Maybe to gloat; the blonde was fond of gloating and speaking monologues.  But now the boy had to appear and what was supposed to be a simple extraction had turned into a debacle.<br/><br/><span style="color: #8080FF">“Luck won’t save you this time.”</span>A motion of her hand made it clear that Eve wanted the boy to herself.  The second Exalted stifled a sigh but let her gaze travel to the only other worthwhile opponent: the little liar.  A predatory smile broke out on her face; it would be fun to play with the little liar again for a bit.  She nudged Vulcalina with her foot, prompting teary red eyes to look up at her.  Oh Sin, did she<span style="font-style: italic">look</span>like a babysitter or something?!<br/><br/><span style="color: turquoise"> “Come.  Revenge cures all.”</span>She nodded in the little liar’s direction, turning the orange-haired demon’s attention that way.  Eve and the boy had started fighting and the girl seemed to be trying to find an opening.  As if feeling their scrutiny, the little liar turned in their direction.  From the corner of her eye, Syndra saw Vulcalina stand up.  Now they had the girl’s entire attention, her sword raised up defensively.  The second Exalted clenched her left fist, feeling the wires in them slip around.  How would the little liar look all strung up?<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>The Seraph’s words added more fuel to Eve's ire. Not a breath later, she lunged forward, summoning dark waves of Sin to form an elongated sword, wicked in design and radiating with so much Sin. This was her personal sword, given to her by the God of Sin himself, used only when she decided to fight seriously. Eve closed the distance between her and Guilford in just seconds, delivering an overhead strike from her vicious blade. Much to her surprise, Guilford blocked it with little difficulty. Eyes widened, heart rate rose: Eve's instincts yelled at her to back off and reposition.<br/><br/><span style="color: #8080FF">"You..."</span>she growled after jumping back and switching to the defensive. Forced to take caution, Eve circled around the Seraph, watching his every move, waiting for an opening.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Sorry to disappoint you."</span>the Seraph said with a smug smile.<span style="color: #0080FF">"I'm not the same Seraph you once fought."</span><br/><br/>Seraph or not, this was an unexpected hurdle for Eve. She hated having to acknowledge power other than hers and the God of Sin's but this man was clearly something else. For him to have to force her to bring out her true sword and still manage to pressure her by this much? It was the first in a long time. Eve's eyes began to burn red; she had decided to just overpower the Seraph before her and get it done with before he could serve her another dish of shame.<br/><br/><span style="color: #8080FF">"Have you forgotten that I haven't fought you at full strength back then?"</span>she smiled, her eyes continuing to burn stronger and stronger.<span style="color: #8080FF">"Your life is mine!"</span><br/><br/>Guilford noticed the straightforward blast of increased Sin intensity. Instinctively, the Seraph coated himself with his Providence, letting it creep around the battlefield to protect Lance and Lethe. Guilford then tapped into the Divine Realm, matching the same amount of Sin Eve was putting off with Light’s Wrath. The clash of opposing powers distorted the air, causing light and dark sparks to flare randomly when the two auras clashed. Having made sure that he had matched his opponent's intensity, he shifted his stance to an older one, sheathing his sword for a quick-draw motion.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"I'm right here Eve!"</span><br/><br/>The other, having suffered enough injury to her pride, scowled at seeing her own power held at bay. In a burst of anger, Eve attacked first, completely disregarding her defense, with only Guilford's head on a plate as her goal. She leapt into the air, coming down on Guilford with murderous ferocity. She pulled her sword back and slashed hard, aiming to slice Guilford in two. A loud<span style="font-style: italic">clang!</span>followed by a violent outward burst of wind ensued when Guilford met Eve's sword midslash, diverting its trajectory safely to the side. In that small moment, Guilford unleashed three rapid slashes, all equally parried by the other. Not a moment too soon, the two had engaged in a fearsome swordfight.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>Lethe dodged to the side, instincts warning her to get out of the way.  Her sword lashed out but hit nothing.  What?  “BAD DOLLY!”  A scream diverted her attention back to in front of her.  The orange-haired demon was flying through the air at her, arms raised high above her head.  It didn’t take a genius to figure out what was coming next.  Lethe vanished from her spot, feeling the still-disconcerting tug as she shifted from the physical realm onto the divine.  Color vanished.  Black and white, light and darkness: that’s all she could see.  To her side, a figure filled with light battled a depthless darkness.  But more importantly right now, a blotch of darkness fell towards her.  One of her keyblades appeared behind the demon and she switched herself there, reappearing behind the demon as she re-emerged on the physical realm.  Lethe struck out with Luna but just like earlier, the demon vanished.  Even injured, the demon moved too quickly.  If she pursued, it’d be another futile game of tag.  Abel’s dimensional blade—if she could get it to work again.. She turned to track the orange-haired demon’s movements, drawing Luna close.  If she could injure the demon again, perhaps.. She had to abandon her thoughts, and her position, when a Sin blast destroyed where she’d been standing.  Surprised blue eyes turned towards the origin, only to see the brown-haired demon from earlier waggle its fingers mockingly.<br/><br/>Lights, how had she forgotten about the second demon?  As if responding to her inquiry, she felt a sudden wave of exhaustion.  How long had they been fighting?  Weariness had long ago settled into her bones, studiously ignored until now.  She clumsily brought her sword up to block the next hammer swipe, her legs too tired to move.  Unsurprisingly, she went flying through the air.  If she had held any other sword, it would have been reduced to scrap metal from the force of the blow.  But Roland was the best blacksmith around and had created Luna just for her, well aware of the dangers she met.  The light around her sword dimmed to nearly nothing but didn’t shatter.  Her Heavens Judgment swords had instinctively appeared behind her, slowing her fall into a controlled flight. She bounded off a still standing lamppost, aiming for the brown-haired demon.<br/><br/>Before she could get close, the orange-haired demon reappeared with a ball of Sin gathered in its hands.  The bunny-loving demon threw the attack at her and Lethe was forced to abort her attack, falling back onto the ground instead.  The moment her foot touched the ground, everything within her screamed for her to move; she jumped back up but couldn’t move.  Something kept her foot anchored down.  She pulled at it, even phasing back onto the divine realm, to no avail.  All she could see were three black wires, sheathed in Sin, wrapped around her ankle and keeping her down.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/><span style="font-style: italic">'Focus! You can't keep putting off this much Divine Magic!'</span>Gil repeated the thought like a mantra, feeling the strain of being a conduit for both realms taking its toll on him. In addition to that, Eve's attacks were relentless, forcing him to restrain himself from overextending their trade of blows and limiting his attack options by a great deal. She wasn't kidding about not fighting him at full strength.<span style="font-style: italic">'...and you just had to mock her,'</span>Gil cursed his loudmouth remarks earlier, grunting as he parried another series of sword slashes that came his way. Had Eve been a Pristine Knight, she would no doubt qualify for the same title as his.<br/><br/>Whether it was by luck or by skill, Guilford forced an opening by luring the demon to try and take his head.  Eve overextended her attack pattern and attempted to slash his head off, ending in a too wide swing of her sword. Guilford swayed back to safety, missing the tip of Eve's sword by the skin of his teeth. As if his body was set on automatic, Guilford's sword arm immediately swung up, the Seraph feeling the tip of his sword slice something. Taking two steps back and a breath shortly after, Guilford was relieved to see that Eve had broken off her attack to look at the corset around her waist; it had fallen lazily to the ground. Soon, a dash of red stained her clothes. She had been wounded.<br/><br/>It should be something to be proud about, injuring such a strong opponent, but Guilford began to regret the act when Eve's burning red eyes lost their glow. A chill, regardless of how hard Guilford tried to ignore it, ran down his spine as Eve's face lost all emotion. The ground shook, the already heavy taint in the air amplified until it threatened to choke him. Guilford tightened his grip on his weapon by sheer instinct, as if asking Light's Requiem for comfort from what he was seeing. Eve's former appearance was no more. Instead, it was replaced by a hideous form, shrouded in tattered black cloth, bladed metallic hands now replaced the previously slender ones, her feet utterly shredding her shoes as they morphed. She was everything but pretty now and her height was even taller than a Reaper.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Light's above..."</span>was all that he could say as Eve's true form graced the battlefield.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>The look of surprise was a dessert meant to be treasured.  Greedy red eyes soaked in everything she could remember about the moment: the surprise, the horror, the barely concealed desperation.  All and more were painted on the liar’s face as she realized she couldn’t move.  From above, a cackling Vulcalina descended on the trapped Knight.  A manic grin twisted Syndra’s face: good bye litt—something slammed into her face, sending her sprawling to the ground.  The wires in her hand jerked with the movement, Lethe similarly being thrown to the ground as her foot was yanked out from under her.<br/><br/>Up above, a white faced Deimos appeared atop the orange-haired demon that had just tried to kill his Captain.  Four katanas reached out and slid against the demon’s flesh before she screamed and released a burst of Sin around her, obliterating his clones.  The real Deimos grabbed Lethe from the ground and ran, terror propelling him away from the demons despite his exhaustion.  Eve, and even demons, were not within the range of his abilities.  With his team, maybe.  One by one? Impossible.  But there was no way—had been no way—that he would leave Captain to die.  Only the realization that if they didn’t do something,<span style="font-style: italic">anything</span>, that Captain would die had prompted him and Seraphim to move.  He set Captain back on her feet at his and Seraphim’s hiding spot, turning to see if the other Knight had returned.  But no, unlike him, Seraphim hadn’t retreated.  Despite the overwhelming Sin that no doubt cloaked it, the enraged Knight stood by the brown-haired demon, a vicious kick punting the demon towards the collapsed orange-haired one.  The pink-haired woman screamed in rage, the aura around her flaring into blinding white.  In front of Deimos’s astonished eyes, Seraphim ran towards the demons, fist pulled back no doubt to drive into her target.<br/><br/>Syndra spat blood to the side, feeling her body already start to heal from the pervasive taint in the air.  She reached out for the once-again-sobbing Vulcalina, snapping the other demon from her pain-induced fit.<span style="color: turquoise">“Get us out of here!”</span>She kept one eye on the approaching Light menace, the other focused on getting Vulcalina to respond.  The orange haired demon looked ready to cry again so she shook the other demon,<span style="color: turquoise">“NOW!”</span>Vulcalina finally looked in her direction, caught sight of the burning figure just a few feet away, screamed, and then teleported the two of them off Palaugrim.<br/><br/>Seraphim’s fist slammed into the ground, barely missing the two demons that had just vanished.  The ground buckled under her attack, a crater immediately forming around her hand.  She snapped back up and looked around furiously.  Where had they gone?  A sudden blast of Sin cooled her ire immediately.  She looked in the direction, seeing a cloaked figure with a curved blade for an arm hovering in the air.  Even under the cloak of her Valkyrie, Seraphim felt herself tremble.  She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.  The rage that had powered her vanished before the sight of the fearsome Reaper.  She.. She couldn’t..<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Thank you, Seraphim.”</span>She startled at the sudden words and the unexpected pressure on her arm.  When she turned, she saw Lethe standing there smiling at her.<span style="color: silver"> “I’ll take it from here.”</span>Her mouth opened to protest but no words came out.  There was just no way she could win against that.  Even from here, she was struggling to draw breath under the terrible oppression of Sin.<span style="color: silver"> “Can you grab Lance and guard him with Deimos?”</span>Like a puppet, Seraphim turned to look in the direction Lethe had indicated, spotting the fallen figure.  The loss of pressure had Seraphim turning back in time to see Lethe walking away.<br/><br/>“Wai-” She couldn’t even speak properly, yet Lethe paused to look her way.  “Don-”  Lethe smiled and interrupted her before she could finish her words—<span style="font-style: italic">don’t go</span>—<span style="color: silver">“I will be the change I seek in this world.”</span><br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>Eve had vanished and something more terrible had taken its place.  It must be Eve’s ‘true form.’  The records had made mention of Eve having a monstrous form but she would have never expected such a sight.  It was covered in a black cloak though black metal? bone? protruded from it menacingly.  One limb was a long curved blade while the other held a harvester’s scythe by a skeletal hand.  Had this been the inspiration for the Reapers?  The skeletal face leered at Gil.  The last time Gil and Eve had faced each other, Gil had almost died.  Now, Eve was in her true form and both she and Gil were exhausted from hours of fighting.  Could they win? Only the Light knew.  Most would say no but—lips quirked up in a mirthless smile, a sudden sense of déjà vu striking her as she settled into a stance.  No one had expected her and Gil to live through the Final Battle with the God of Sin either.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“Gil, Jack in the Box!“</span>Thank the Light for Estella only being able to remember short attack names!  If they had gone with Ingram’s suggestions, Eve could have responded before she finished!  (“Dance of the Cranes under a sun-stained sky of Demacia!!!” was simply too long a combination name.)  She shot a blast of Banish at Eve, teleporting to one of her keyblades on the other side of Eve.  She dashed past Eve, returning the way she had come, before spinning and sliding along another route.  From the air, her keyblades shot one Banish after another, trying to simulate Estella’s ability to strike from all directions.  It had been Ingram’s, Estella’s, and Nike’s jobs to keep the target disoriented while Daria, Gil, and Abel landed finishing blows.<br/><br/>Jack in the box, how nostalgic. He hadn't heard that in what felt like forever, but the rhythm and pattern of the attack was seared in his mind. He could visualize it even in his sleep, and execute it even flawlessly. First comes the Banish bolt, a distraction really if anyone paid enough attention to notice. The moment the Banish came whistling past him, Guilford made his move, repositioning himself to the blind side of the enemy, where one of Lethe's keyblades will no doubt appear. Then comes another round of attacks, from Lethe's keyblades this time as she repositions herself for a barrage. During this time, Guilford was channeling his sword with enough Light magic to deliver a powerful slash. He watched Lethe unleash a hail of Banish on Eve's true form, keeping the demon in check while he powers up the sword for a decisive blow. Eve reeled from the barrage, more annoyed than hurt as the monstrosity weathered through it, blocking a few and dodging some.<br/><br/>The problem with doing their signature combination attacks with only two people was that they depended on eight. Lethe was still in the air above Eve when she saw the demon stop Gil’s attack with just one hand. Normally Nike would increase her attack now as Abel and Daria pounded at the enemy to get its attention, but there was no one else: only her and the about to be dead Gil. What to do? Her mind raced for ideas but Guilford quickly decided to abandon his sword before she could make up her mind. The blue haired Seraph retreated out of Eve's range, throwing a Banish at Eve to cover himself. It took but a moment's thought and Lethe reappeared at Gil's side.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">"Here."</span>She offered Luna, unsure if he wanted it. Gil had always been a better swordsman than her; if they had to swap roles, against a foe like Eve, she doubted they'd do well.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"What about--"</span>his unfinished question was answered when one of her Heaven's Judgment swords appeared in her other hand. It wasn't ideal, and he frowned at the thought of denying her the use of her own sword, but even he understood that him being swordless would do them more harm than good.<span style="color: #0080FF">"Sorry. I'll make good use of it."</span><br/><br/><span style="color: silver">"Drop it when you get yours back. Luna will come back to me. Now, Eve. Shall we dance with the wind?"</span><br/><br/>Guilford swung the ornate sword to get a feel for it, noticing the light surrounding it immediately dimming. It was significantly lighter and a little shorter than what he was used to, no doubt because it was meant for his fellow Seraph.<span style="color: #0080FF">"We don't have enough people for that. Let's go for a duel."</span>He directed Light's Wrath into the sword, the weapon immediately flaring in response. There was a shrill ringing from the sword forcing him to decrease the flow of magic as it dimmed to a more manageable glow. It wasn't easy using a sword he was unfamiliar with.<br/><br/>Lethe's uneasy look was diverted at a sudden sense of danger. Eve had lost interest in Gil's sword and was rushing towards them. The white Seraph prepared to evade even as Gil settled into a defensive stance. Did he plan to stay? She shifted into a block as well even as Gil dropped out of his. The two shared a wide eyed look, but it was too late to change. Eve was upon them. Lethe, who was already on guard, moved in front to cover her partner. The Providence around her flared as Gil contributed as well as he could given that he wasn't in position to block. The clash of blades rattled through her smaller frame, almost sending her stumbling back. Lethe strained against Eve, trying to position her sword to better lock the curved arm in place so Gil could attack.<br/><br/>Realizing that Lethe bought him an opportunity to counter, Guilford stabbed into the mass that was Eve, reaching over Lethe's smaller frame. The skeletal face released a soundless roar, though he had a feeling it was from anger rather than pain. Bladed fingers flattened and stabbed at him forcing him to sway to the side. His wrist instinctively twisted to bring his sword right back up to cut through the over extended limb. Luna struck the arm and bounced off.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">"Move!"</span>He retreated backwards at the command. Lethe pushed the blade away with a grunt and disengaged as well, only to stumble into another body. She turned to look in confusion but was yanked up into the air. Wings spread to catch the currents. Eve turned to see her opponents slowly drifting to the ground. All too easy. Sin bolts rained down on the helpless Knights even as she gathered Sin in her other hand.<br/><br/>Their slow float ceased the moment Lethe realized they were helpless in the air. Carried under Guilford's arm like a sack of potatoes, she couldn't maneuver as she normally would. Similarly, Guilford clearly wasn't used to aerial combat and one hand was busy holding Lethe anyways. They dropped in an awkward bundle amidst the torrent of Sin, at least coordinated enough to mount a rushed defense. Lethe's blades blocked from above as the blue haired Knight sliced Eve’s welcoming Sin blast in half, the dark attack streaming around their Providence encased forms. The moment the barrage stopped, both Seraphs rushed forward to attack.<br/><br/>Eve stopped the girl's sword thrust with her hand, catching the blade in a repeat of the beginning of the fight. The boy's attack she deflected with her aura, solidifying it effortlessly.<br/><br/>Eve's free hand twisted to punch at them. Guilford managed to sway out of harm's way but heard a yelp of surprise. He ducked when Eve's hand passed through where his chest used to be, Luna falling out of his hand. At his feet, Lethe was on her knees, one hand pressed against her side. Blood was seeping through her glowing hand even as Sin swirled around the wound in anticipation.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"Lethe!"</span>He realized immediately what had happened. He reached for her but had to pull back when her keyblades went whizzing through the space between them to strike at Eve.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">"I'm fine!"</span>She struggled to get the words out, her face clearly contradicting her statement. Indecision warred within him but he still commanded:<span style="color: #0080FF">"The night is too young!"</span><br/><br/>She was wounded, much to his surprise and concern, but Guilford knew that they couldn't let up on their offense. They had to continue piling on the pressure against Eve if they wanted to create an opportunity for either one of them to deliver a significant blow. He felt bad having to force Lethe to increase the pace when she was already wounded but what choice did they have? They needed momentum on their side and to get that, they had to speed up the tempo and fire off one big move. The only good thing that had come out of that exchange was that he had managed to get Light's Requiem back.<br/><br/>Lethe nodded and got back to her feet, calling her keyblades back from distracting Eve, the only reason for their temporary respite.  The eight blades formed a circle above her head: her symbol. Patience. Closing her eyes, she ignored the fizzling wound in her side as she concentrated.<br/><span style="color: silver"><span style="font-style: italic"><div style="text-align: right;">brighter than the highest noon, redder than the blood that flows</div></span></span><br/>Guilford rushed towards Eve in a barrage of fist and sword strikes. With Light's Requiem back in his hands, he needed to buy Lethe time to finish her spell. It used to be Abel who took her spot in the original ‘night is too young' combination, with Fenix and Daria safely defending him as the others bought time. Now it was just him to fulfill both roles of defender and distraction. It wasn't going to be easy but if it meant protecting Lethe, he wouldn't have it any other way.<br/><span style="color: silver"><span style="font-style: italic"><div style="text-align: right;">buried within the streams of life is where your power grows</div></span></span><br/>Glowing blue eyes watched as Gil assaulted Eve in a flurry of blows, trying to keep it busy. Eve was well aware something was happening and kept trying to get around. She feinted to the right but Guilford was too experienced to fall for such a trick. He aimed for Eve's stomach when a blur of silver appeared.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Nothing could have prepared her for witnessing how Seraphs battle. Everything from speed, power, skill, and coordination: all were at a higher caliber than she’d ever seen before. Though both Guilford and Lethe were struggling at some points with their coordination, to the outsider’s eyes, it was still a flawless execution. Everything about the battle with Eve was on an entirely different level, a level Fiona now thought she could never achieve. How were they doing it? The brunette couldn't stop the shaking of her legs, not from exhaustion this time but from the overwhelming anxiety and fear she felt due to the ridiculous amount of taint Eve was emitting. Her skin was crawling but she knew she couldn't cast Prayer if she wanted to keep her presence hidden.<br/><br/>"If I come out now, I would die... I need to time it right... I need to time it right..." Fiona kept mumbling, desperately holding on to the last shred of composure in her.<br/><br/>She had arrived just as the battle broke out between her Captain and Eve. However, the unbelievable pressure that the two had released in their fight had rendered Fiona speechless and immobile. Perhaps it was for the better that she stopped to think. Now that she can see how the battle was unfolding, she realized that had she joined in earlier, she would have only served to anchor the two Seraphs down. Instead, she decided to play it smart and recover from exhaustion while waiting for an opening in the shadows.<br/><br/>With the rest of Squad Eight still elsewhere, it was up to her to help her Captain in any way she could. Attacking from that monstrosity's blind spot seemed like the obvious choice. But was it a wise one? The hesitation from having to go toe to toe against that thing was evident with the way Fiona's heart was beating wildly inside her chest, as if it wanted to jump out and dance around. The battle was so intense between those three that every bone crushing blow they exchanged made her cringe and grimace.<span style="font-style: italic">'Can I really do this?'</span>She kept second-guessing herself, trying to find something more reasonable than<span style="font-style: italic">‘I have to help my Captain’</span>to justify her decision of attacking. Her sense of duty and her desire to not die warred within her.<br/><br/>She was outmatched in every respect against Eve; of that, she was painfully aware. One false move would spell her death in more ways than one. Still, seeing her Captain and Master Lethe duke it out against such a powerful opponent kept a certain fire in her burning: the Light of Hope. Fiona's eyes never left the battlefield, mind tuning out anything that served as a distraction–even her wildly beating heart--to focus on one thing and one thing only: that much desired opening.<br/><br/>And then it came!<br/><br/>Eve tried for a feint against her Captain, aiming to circle around him and reach where Master Lethe was channeling her magic. However, her Captain's experience easily predicted the feint and allowed him to use a counter-maneuver to force Eve into a deadlock. Seeing the way how her Captain was powering through the deadlock made Fiona realize that this was the opportunity she had been looking for. Everything went silent for her as she took a deep breath, jumped out of cover, and drew her sword as she made a beeline straight for Eve. Focused on her objective, Fiona paid little attention to anything else but the moment, gathering every scrap of magic she could pull from her reserves into this one single attack that she had committed to.<br/><br/>She closed the distance in a matter of seconds but it felt like forever for Fiona. Perhaps there was too much adrenaline pumping through her veins; it felt like time had slowed down the moment she jumped up and drew her sword back to strike at Eve's neck. She knew she had caught the demon off-guard, the timing was spot-on, and the execution was perfection itself.  She only needed to wait for her sword to cut off Eve's neck so they can all call it a day. She could already see it, feel it, taste it—the victory that was within reach when a loud<span style="font-style: italic">clang!</span>echoed throughout the battlefield.<br/><br/>Brown eyes widened in surprise, the sense of victory immediately replaced by peril. Somehow Eve had anticipated her attack and managed to respond to it just in time to stop Fiona's sword from even grazing her neck. Time froze for Fiona. How could she botch this one opportunity so badly when all the conditions were perfect? Fear gripped Fiona's heart when burning red eyes turned to look at her own, piercing through her soul with its potent glare. She hasn't even begun falling down from her jump when she caught a glimpse of Eve's massive Harvester Scythe to her right, well on its way to chop her in half. As if accepting her defeat, Fiona closed her eyes.<br/><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"No! Not again!"</span>Guilford vowed as he skillfully fired a Banish bolt.  It struck not Eve but Fiona, effectively knocking his newest squad member out of the scythe's reach just bisect her. It was all that he could do in such a small window to keep Fiona alive.<br/><br/>The sudden impact of magic followed by a slicing pain in her abdomen made Fiona cry out, but when she opened her eyes, she couldn't believe herself. She had been blown back by her Captain's magic out of Eve's range, and most importantly, she was still alive, wounded but alive regardless. What in Light's name were these two Seraphs really capable of doing? How could her Captain react and still manage to save her while keeping Eve at bay? Now Master Lethe had stepped in as her spell finally finished, a blast of diving light enveloping Eve.  Fiona smiled faintly, those two were monsters in their own right.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>How dare they try a sneak attack on her?! Eve's eyes never left the puny knight that had tried to slice her neck off even while Guilford kept her locked in place. Such insolence would not go unpunished. Eve reared her scythe back as she willingly broke free from Guilford's deadlock, preparing to defend herself from the female Seraph's already incoming attack. She had meant to interrupt the channeling, but that pesky Knight had successfully drawn her attention away for a moment, costing her the time she’d needed to break through Guilford and mow down the female Seraph. Now she just had to deal with this attack and...<br/><br/>A drop of red from the edge of her scythe's blade caught her attention.  There was a faint fizzle as it fell through her aura and came in direct contact with her power. Her previous scowl vanished into a devilish grin just as a blast of divine magic struck her full on, bathing her in searing light.  It hurt, Sin did it hurt, yet her smile only grew despite the pain.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/><span style="color: #0080FF">"How do you like that?!"</span>Guilford mocked Eve while he watched her writhe under Lethe's magic.<br/><br/>They had successfully pulled off one of Squad Seven’s signature combinations with just the two of them, something Guilford felt proud about. It wasn’t easy, but thanks to Fiona coming out of nowhere, they were given just enough time to actually pull of their combo. Guilford watched Lethe's attack come to an end, happy to see that Eve had fallen to her knees and was using her scythe just to stay up. Her hideous form was smoking, much of the dark cloth that covered it torn or burned off by Lethe's magic, revealing more of her metal-like body for the eyes to see. It was time to put an end to this.<br/><br/>Guilford took a step forward, readying Light's Requiem for the finishing blow. He began to tap into the Divine Realm once again, directing its force to his sword for the final blow. He was exhausted from having to constantly access the Divine Realm between his Providence and now this, but he knew that he had to finish this. Just as he took his fourth step forward, Guilford's instincts suddenly told him to bring his guard up. He did so by sheer reflex alone, just in time to defend himself from a powerful blast of concentrated Sin from Eve. The moment he was able to shake off the attack, Guilford saw Eve already rushing for Fiona.<br/><br/>How could he have been so careless? Why hadn’t he sensed Eve's attack? Was he too exhausted? Regardless of the reason, he needed to react now.  Fiona wouldn’t die on his watch. There was simply no way the brunette could take on Eve, even with how weakened the demon was. Instincts took over: Guilford ran towards Fiona, but Lethe easily blew past him.  Had she sensed the attack sooner than him?  Much to their surprise, neither one could catch up to Eve. How could this demon still move so quickly even after the ridiculous amount of damage Lethe had leveled on it?<br/><br/>He’d never catch up to either of them.  Realizing this, Guilford skidded to a stop and planted one foot hard on the ground, swinging his sword forward and pointing the tip at Eve's back. He had not yet released the channelled force from the Divine Realm in his sword and he knew that now was a good time to do so. There was only time for one shot, so Guilford released everything he had channeled in his sword in a bright stream of light that went straight for Eve. His aim was not bad, nor was his timing. However, Eve seemed to have read one step ahead of him and managed to dodge the attack that blew past her, just in the nick of time.<br/><br/>Red eyes gazed murderously at Fiona, a horrific smile on her skeletal face as Eve raised her scythe up in the air, aimed dead center at the knight who trembled in fear. Just as she was about to bring her scythe down, Eve caught a glimpse of the stream of light that had blown past her earlier returning back for her.  It was too late. She got hit and was blown back just by its sheer force alone. It didn't hurt as much as the previous attack but it was enough to stop her from getting to her objective: a direct descendant of<span style="font-style: italic">The Pure</span>.<br/><br/>"Not so fast there." Alfrei said with a confident smile, dual swords smoking before him, the rest of Squad Eight behind him. He was the one responsible for redirecting his Captain's last attack with the help of Vlad and Hyuga. All of them jumped down and landed around Fiona, encircling the trembling Knight.<br/><br/>Realizing the situation had spiralled out of her control, Eve paused and fell out of her combat stance.  Metallic blades hung loosely at her sides as burning red eyes traveled the landscape, catching sight with each Knight on the scene.  She may have lost this battle but she’d win the war.  A triumphant grin broke out on her face, the bone morphing to form the curved shape even as a rasping laugh escaped through the gaping maw.  A lazy wave of her hand summoned a dark portal as the laugh descended into mania.  Though her body vanished into the dark swirl, the taunting laughter continued to ring throughout the city.<br/><br/>For the first time since the start of this mission, Guilford relaxed, letting his guard down as he did so. They had won, yet the victorious feeling eluded him. Why was Eve laughing? What made her decide to retreat? Questions that Gil found no answer to. For now, he would have to be content that Eve decided to pull back.<br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~</div><br/>The chilling laugh still seemed to linger even after the portal closed on Eve, keeping everyone rooted in place.  The silence was finally broken by the sound of a body hitting the ground.  Lethe exhaled slowly from her new seat on the ground, forehead resting against her drawn knees. Her Prayer flickered around her, a manifestation of her exhaustion: she was tired, she hurt, and yet this night still wasn't over.  There were countless Knights still in Santa Olivia, no doubt floundering about what to do after that release of Sin and Light's Blessing and that laughter.  A chill slithered down her spine at the reminder but she was too tired to react further.<br/><br/>Behind her, she could feel seven people approaching.  They came to a stop behind her and she leaned back, head knocking lightly against metal knee guards.  The movement jostled her side and reminded her painfully of her injury.<br/><br/>“Let me look at that.”  Gauntlet-covered hands wrapped under her armpits.  Lethe sighed tiredly, face contorting in a grimace of dissatisfaction, but stood up with the movement.  The world spun white for a moment and when she regained her sight, a worried looking face dominated her vision.<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“I’m fine,”</span>She said uselessly, trying to focus on Adair and not the--<span style="color: silver"> “Lights!”</span>Her hand lashed out at Valiar, nearly hitting him in the face if Deimos hadn’t caught her.<br/><br/>“I don’t think the holes in your intestine agree with you.”  The cleric attempted levity to little avail.  He straightened up from his stooped position where he’d been inspecting her wound.  “And I can’t heal them here.  Too much Sin in the air.  You need to get back to Santa Olivia now.”  Lethe rubbed at her face tiredly.  This night really never would end.<span style="color: silver"> “I’m fine. <span style="font-style: italic">No</span>, really.  I sealed it as soon as I could.  We can deal with it later.”</span>Seven unhappy faces stared back at her, clearly unconvinced.<br/><br/>“Captain.. blood poisoning isn’t something to mess around with.”<br/><br/><span style="color: silver">“I know, the seal is keeping any more infection from spreading. Once we finish up here, I’m yours, okay? Now..”</span>Lethe extracted her arms from Adair’s grip and then motioned for them to all move.<span style="color: silver"> “Let’s regroup with Squad Eight and figure out what our next steps are.”</span>With another sigh, she walked over to Gil.<span style="color: silver"> “Sorry to interrupt, but I’m thinking we should get out of here?  The wounded need to get out from under this taint,”</span>she ignored the sudden stares boring into the back of her head,<span style="color: silver"> “We need to see what the aftermath of this fight was on the forces, get the absolved Sinner recuperated, maybe scour through the ruins if we can get some fresh troops from Bastille..”</span>She trailed off for a moment as if in thought.  The silence ran a touch too long before she seemed to recall herself,<span style="color: silver">“and tally up the aftermaths of this fight.  Am I forgetting anything, Gil?”</span>