#5 - GAUNTLET OF THE ALLSMITH

[Belial]

E V E N T # 5
GAUNTLET OF THE ALLSMITH

*****

March 3rd
2:01 PM
Arena of the First Blooded

The tide rung true with the calling of blood, cacophonies filled the air chanting death in their putrid demonic language, bloodthirsty crowd of lesser demons overlooked the arena from where once stood what were and always will be in the past, present and future, the wrecked remains of the ancient Roman arena. They gathered around and about on the audience stand in which in the middle remained a circular clearing, with grayish sand stained with crimson that be of blood, further filled with foggy vapor of red. In both extents that are true, they oft happen to be the silver of the soul, the vitae of life, all in the same that is blood. Staining the ground forevermore and always as the glee of contestant and spectators alike reveled in this bloodshed and violence, overlooking the odd queer sort out different from the majority of the demons here, in which repentant souls are scorned as weak and to be fed as fuel to the fodder.

But NONETHELESS, this is a day of merriment and happiness. In full regalia and parade-like hysteria filled the inhabitants as the day dawned as huge. From outside mountains of bodies were formed in trying to look inside, those unlucky enough to be left outside, slaughter the constant as the Silver Knights -- the elite cohort in whom Belial himself commands, bifurcated and gored whomever dared trespass upon the domain of the Undercroft's patron warmonger. Steely with mechanical-like precision, they stood fast, eliminating ALL uninvited or merely unwarranted within entry into the 1,000 meter sized arena that one would say is breathtakingly colossal in what would be girth, width and height, if not as well length.

The warmonger that was Belial sat upon his golden throne shimmering with the prized steel, and adorned with bloodied skulls of his many enemies cracked under Belial's tremendous weight if not shattered. His featureless helm watched below unto the arena grounds, forlorn and foreboding it may be, below him by 100 meters as what were eagle-like vision gazed upon gladiatorial contestants, death dealers, blood spillers all they be, trading blows in intent, be it for...

GLORY. Those that seek personal fame and enhancement of their prestige. To stand above their brethren and boast with pride and haughtiness, the lowest and most... deplorable of the lot.

BLOODTHIRST. Insatiable psychopaths with a penchant for destruction, getting off of pain, death and destruction, sometimes all three, sometimes one of them, and sometimes some of them. Pretty fun lot actually.

LIFE. AH YES, the interesting ones. Attracted here within the wretched arena by the threads of fate, and the links to their life easily severed. Upheld their promises they have, in which desperation perhaps fuel their drive. The man knowing of his demise with certainty fights far harder than those easily vexed with the uncertainty of life. A fine and noble quality.

And then the rest of them, whatever their reasons, they all are the same. Clamoring for justice, for retribution, for pleasure, for power, or perhaps merely out of boredom. All reasons are all the same. Death is about looming as a veil of shadow, as a cloud of dark red literally set over the arena, shading the place and yet light lingered enough as to not make it dim but merely shady.

All contestants should be standing before Belial, BELOW him. Ingrates, FOOLS, PROFLIGATES, HACKS, DOOMED BY THE GREAT BEYOND YONDER TO BE SWALLOWED WHOLE. Demons and humans, Templars and Ritualists, all were equal under the yoke of Belial's arena. In the end, blood was red regardless where it is spilled and from whom. Death is the only equality given right to ANYONE, for anyone can die, for death makes no distinction.

Belial clutched his sword handle resting by his side against his leg, facing downward, "Here one must leave behind all hesitation; here every cowardice must meet its death. Warriors, renowned, bade far and wide do I greet thee to my arena. In honorable combat, shall you death deal and plunder, let none know that quarters are to be given. Mercy is undeserved to all ye whom dwell in the recesses of Hell, damned by He, cast away as the degenerate lot all of you are. What peace earned be warranted in death, in that you shall finally find rest in oblivion." He leaned forward ever so slightly, "Dispense forth any proclivities of mercy, for none shall find it here. All notion of such were abandon, all ye who entered here. There are but no rules in which to do GLORIOUS battle, but that of a custom observed in which before you may skewer one another with grossly incandescent glee. To iterate... an INTRODUCTION is required, mandatory else death be your sentence. Now SPEAK, lest you forever hold peace."

Stoically leaning back, he rests the chin of his helm upon his fist as his elbow straddled upon the throne's arm chair rest.

[Something Has Happened]

ROUND ONE... FIGHT!

From the grates around the arena spill out the five Hawkscouts and their respective five Underbeasts, alongside a further ten Berserker Demons.

[Seishin Akanami]

Well, looking at the given predicament, Seishin had a few thoughts circling about his brain. The first of which were the circumstances and the events that lead himself to this situation. Second, was trying to process where he was, who was addressing them, and Seishin's involvement. He could tell without a doubt that this was hell. The crimson splashes of blood on the ground below his feet, the cheering of guttural and satanic voices. His mind was,one by one, putting the pieces together. He was surrounded by thousands of entertained creatures. His gaze kept sweeping the area. Maybe it was to confirm where he was, or natural fight or flight told him to look for the nearest exit.

This was an arena. Gears in his head were clicking and churning as he was grounded in reality. He was in his attire as usual, and his weapons laid before him. Now that he remembered, he ran into some trouble a day or two prior. A blade entered his vision as he watched it remove the bindings around his wrists. The ropes were awfully tight, and made his wrists slightly raw. He was getting too old for this shit. Before his could move, he felt two swords cross over his collar bone, the steel making him remain motionless. Looking up, he noticed the looming figure upon his throne address the masses and his warriors. This seemed to be either a sick joke, or something else entirely. Realizing that the request, or more so the demand for introduction was meant for him, Seishin locked eyes with the figure. He couldn't distinctively tell who this was, but if he had read enough books, Seishin knew full well that he would be an attraction. A battle to the death? Why not. He could use the exercise.

Shifting a bit, he spoke loud and clear. "An introduction? Well, I guess I have no choice but to play.." Seishin cocked his head some. "My name is Seishin Akanami, One of the Seven Paladins of the Templar Order. If maiming some demons will let me continue about my day, then so be it!" Seishin's augment began to spill forth dark iron powder, as he turned around to face the rest of the arena. The tendrils or powder grabbed his weapons laid out before him, with his silver chain and sickle setting up in his grasp. His pistol and shotgun were neatly holstered on his back, as he watched his opponents surface from the underbelly of the pit. He ignored the other contestants, at least for now. He didn't know their stories, and frankly, he could manage. He didn't get this far on the path of a warrior because death tried to impede his past. Looking at the beasts that made their entry, he let the volume of powder swirl and shift around him, taking up a stance with his kusarigama, as he swung the sickle end at his side. Grinning somewhat at the turn of events, he beckoned and taunted the creatures to come. "Come! Let's see what you got!!"

[Cael Gladius]

Cael had entered here a hunter to begin with. One of which was brave enough to pursue battle within the great coliseum without its master's content. Now he entered a gladiator, fighting not for glory, not for fame, but for his life. To live and breath another day in hopes of slaying those in this realm who would keep him bound. The samurai would only be bound by honor, nothing more.

He watched as the great archdemon gave his speech above the handful of competitors alongside him. During this he wondered how it was he had survived the mighty blow dealt to him by this beast of raw strength and command incarnate. Truly that was impressive enough on its own, but he would need to prove himself further if he was going to survive this.

The first to introduce themselves, referring to themselves as Seishin, gave forth the fact that they were of the group of Paladins within the Templar order. Cael knew not the Templars or their ways, but the ways of paladins he knew to be similar to samurai. Serving under their lord and riding forth upon steeds to do their master's work. While the times had changed and the paladins of old no longer existed, the same could be said of samurai. Neither of these two men truly held the title they clung to, but Cael knew not to make judgment within his mind or otherwise.

"You know me by name, beast of the Undercroft! Roman Cael Gladius IV, he who participates in your most sadistic of games to understand a lesson just as morbid!" Holding his hand outward, almost as if he would be reaching out to his captor, Cael summoned his blade in preparation for the demons which had begun to lurch their way from the arena's holding pens. "Know now that my blade thirsts for blood, and it will be spilled! Upon my honor as a swordsman, upon my bloodline as a Demon Hunter, I hereby swear your armies will fall before the Gladius crest once more!" He smirked as an uproar of boos and exclamations rose from the crowded stands he had once had the pleasure of being thrown into. If they didn't like that, they definitely wouldn't like what was to come.

"Kenshi no kokoro." He had yet to use his more defensive stance here in this realm, but he could tell he would need it. Both arms straight out, clenching his blade which he held near-vertical, feet pressed firmly to the ground. His weight was completely evened out throughout his body; a nearly immovable object. While he had slain the blade-armed Berserker Demons before, he had never dealt with them in groups of more than three. On top of that, there were five demons each in control of large beasts, neither of the species he was familiar with. "Step forward, spawn of Inferis. Step forward and know the sting of The Beginning of the Flame."

[Seishin Akanami]

Seishin gazed out of his peripheral to quickly assess the man that would be fighting as well. The man announced his name to the less than pleased crowd as Cael Gladius. He seemed young, and he was awfully quick to speak of his origins as a Demon Hunter, and was confident as well. He only caught a glimpse of the man using his evocation, and even after a thousand times, it sure was quite a spectacle. He never understood the mechanics behind Demon Hunters, and he felt indifferent about the class altogether. He had encountered Demon Hunters before in years passing, and while most were hostile based on their paranoia of templars, he didn't blame them for defending themselves. Some were more level-headed and made good chatting buddies, only for him to see them off their merry way. Hopefully this man would be a useful combatant. He didn't want to pick up someone else's slack and pull double duty, but based on the prior notion that this Cael fellow was hand picked by Belial himself, well.. That was enough to vouch for his talent.

His gaze quickly averted towards the twenty demons before him. He deduced that the Beserkers would charge into the fray, leaving the Hawkscouts to stick out of plain view to catch the warriors off guarded. Though it was a thought based on previous exposure the beasts, he could always be wrong. Battles were very spur of the moment with some adrenaline thrown in; Plans were great if you were a genius and an absolutely sure that your opponent would meet each benchmark to the tee. With a chuckle, he addressed the Demon Hunter. "I've always wanted to see your kind in action. Let's hope you can keep up!" with a lightheart laugh, he arched his back some as the shell like augment on his back slowly ejected four metallic rods, each the length of an adult forearm, as the sound of pressure being released hissed slowly. Swinging the chain and sickle in his left hand, he grabbed the five rods in between the fingers of his right, as they gave off a slight blue aura. Added with the veil of metallic dust around him, he was quite a technical marvel. With his battlefield survey complete, he charged into the fray.

His first two combatants were a pair of rampaging Beserkers. Their endurance surely was something to behold, but the mightiest of shields always had a knick somewhere in the fine finish. As he closed the distance between the two savages, he quickly swiped his right hand, one of the rods being set loose. He didn't thow it at full force, as he watched the killing machines strafe to the side. With a grin, he watched as the armored black and yellow boots he wore gave off a hum, only for Seishin to disappear in a flash, the only thing left in the wake of his previous location being a dust cloud. The beserkers skidded to a halt, surveying their environment in utter confusion. Much to their shock, the other berserker could only watch as a large silver sickle came barreling down on top of the berserker's cranium. Blood began to spurt and gush, with the demon's flesh being scalded by the blessed metal. The chain leading back from the berserkers now lifeless body clearly showed where Seishin had decided to appear; Right next to the rod he had thrown, which had impaled the ground behind the beserker. The withdrawing his kusarigama back, he remained crouched behind the beserker, about five meters as he grinned at the creatures stupidity. He didn't blame the thing either, as he had traveled way faster than the thing could keep up.

The remaining berserker could only let out a blood curdling howl in its frustration. Seishin didn't have many options on the table left for this creature's demise. His rail induced movement was expended for now, and would take a few minutes to sipher more soul energy, and his kusarigama would be null against a beast who felt no pain as it was, so he would have to settle for the original. Before be could really think a little more, the beserker was already hot on his trail, determined to dine on his flesh and slice him to ribbons. With a grunt, Seishin remained motionless as the beast now rested at 5 meters away. With no discernable motion on his face, the cloak of powder that hung around his form sprung into action, as it began to violently seize the limbs of the beserker, holding the writhing, rage filled individual in place with the magnetically imbued powder appendages. Seishin only watched as the powder began to enter the beserker's mouth and nose in copius amounts. After a second or two of struggling, the beast began to cease movement as spikes of blood coated iron erupted from multiple spots from the beserker's head, a large volume of blood showering the sand before them. Dropping the corpse with little regard, he resumed his swinging of his kusarigama, looking over at the other contestants, the veil of powder resuming it's protective mode. "It would be rude to kill all these pests by myself, though if you wish, I will gladly do so."

He looked back at the other demons, now taking note of how many magnetic rods he had left, and the patterns of his combatants. Something told him the color of this arena would become a very deep crimson by the end of this event..

[Cael Gladius]

The swordsman made note of the Templar's skills. He could be quite useful given a need for an ally. Though he already had someone in mind who had yet to engage the opponent. Taking no time to look across the field to find the demon named Gaius, Cael made a leap forward, coupled by a high jump from the ground. This feat of acrobatics was finished by him flipping his blade in mid-air and impaling a Hawkscout who had mounted one of the snarling beasts through its mask. With a shove, the demon fell and dispersed back into the dark mana which its body was composed of. From the soul energy they were born, and to it they would return.

Kicking the corpse away, Cael managed to grab the Underbeast by its reigns and lead it stampeding into the center of the arena, bucking wildly like a bull to get him off. The hunter shouted happily and tossed an arm upward into the air. While he wasn't exactly proficient in mounting beasts, there was some fun he had with Matiz in the past as far as bull riding was concerned. Definitely not his first rodeo.

"YEEEEEEEHAW!!!" He exclaimed, quite comically, as he ran the snarling flesh pile straight towards the other demons. "Seishin, you're quite the cocky one!" He flipped off of the Underbeast's back and allowed it to crash into the other Berserker Demons. While they were not dead, this would leave them unable to fight for a few moments.

"Never underestimate your comrades though. In here we are all brothers, bound to fight by the same monstrosity." He stepped next to the Templar and clasped his shoulder affectionately. "I hope you'll see me the same way, at least until this is over." He gave the man a smile. Youthful at heart, no matter the time, this would more than likely seem to most something that would lead to his death. However, a Gladius always knew how to handle themselves. A boy at heart, a man in battle, and a force of nature within a war-torn world.

"Now then." He positioned himself back into his previous form, eyes looking back to Seishin only momentarily. They were soon daggers upon the enemy once more, however, his smirk falling into a look of sternness which he had picked up on from his South African comrade in Russia. "Let us do what we do best, hmm?"

[Gaius Octavian Skipio]

In Inferis the only constant between the realms was that, eventually, all things died. And in death all things are equal. From the greatest kings, to the lowest of paupers death made everyone and everything equal. And in death, even those beings that ruled over hell would find their just rewards if only for that ignoble second in which they teetered on the brink between this reality and another. It was for this reason, and this reason alone that Gaius did not fear his own inevitable demise. It was for this reason that he lived every day of his life as if it would be his last, and it was for this reason that he found him self on the blood soaked field of the Allsmith. Even had he not been forced their by circumstances beyond his control Gaius knew with in his heart of hearts that little to nothing would have changed between this reality and the next. No, the Centurion didn't just need to be there, he wanted to be there. He wanted to pit his steel against the best that his infernal patron had to offer. And in the end he wanted to rise above and beyond that challenge and stand victorious atop the corpses of his enemies. Or, conversely the Deathseeker  sought just that. His death at the hands of a worthy adversary and in the end that's all he could ask for out of his hallow life of his, a warriors death.

Two of his fellow warriors raised their voices to the demands of Mars, and while outside this place and time they would be nothing more(Or perhaps nothing less) then trusted enemies for this brief instance, in this place and time they where comrades in arms and as one they would face down the coming trials or they would each fall on the blades of the coming hordes and become nothing more then meat for the demonic masses.

The Paladin spoke with a sort of bravado that Gaius found distasteful, as if he a human, doubted the strength of the demonic horde they would soon face. In his experience, such words where hardly ever fallowed up by the might required to back them up. Gaius hopped to what ever gods there may be that this was not the case... At least this time. Then spoke a warrior that Gaius knew well, or as well as anyone might know another by crossing blades with them. His words while boastful, where tinged with a certain self certainty that off set the bravado at least in his mind.

"You know of me!" The voice of the Undying rose above the riot of sound that filled the stadium of the Warmonger. "You have given me names that you whisper among one another when you think others can not hear!" The change over took him then, and where once had stood a nearly naked man now stood a true and full blooded demon of war. "You have called me Blood Drinker and Skull Taker!" His skin once of an olive complexion was now an ashen grey, and where no cloths had been before appeared the golden regalia of a  centurion. "You have named me the Undying!" His once fierce if human eyes seemed to burst into flame leaving nothing more then smoldering red pits. "You have called me the Blood Drinker and Kin Slayer!" With a voice that was just short of a raging fire he continued to speak, ash slowly and methodically falling from his skin as he moved. "You have named me Warlord, and the Dog of Rome!" A smile spread over his demonic features and his hands griped both his shield and sword as the later was raised above his head. "You have named me thus! But let it be known that it is I Gaius Octavian Skipio the last true son of Rome that fights here today! And it is I, not my legend that will vanquish those that stand against me!"

From the grates all about them spills forth a host of demons strong enough to overwhelm any one of them, but standing together Gaius knew that they could with stand such an onslaught. Lowing his blade, he pointed towards the bulk of the gathered demons and with that voice of fire he spoke the question that lived in his soul. "IS TODAY A GOOD DAY TO DIE?!" And with that he charged forward, straight at the bulk of the enemies, knowing that to wait was akin to suicide, and while he knew he would be out numbered others would soon fallow suit and then the battle would be joined. " I ask again! IS TODAY A GOOD DAY TO DIE!?" The fires of war burned in the Centurions eyes, and if looks could kill his surely would have.

[Seishin Akanami]

Watching the young demon hunter in action, he could only marvel at the swordsmanship displayed. For a young individual, he showed mastery of a blade that only samurai showed. Cael seemed to have the beast's attention for the time being, letting him survey for the other contestants. One in particular came into view. Seishin could keep a sheepish look on his face at the sight of the man. He reminded him of a Roman Centurion, not to mention he was quite intimidating looking. He didn't know what the man was, but could only deduce that the man was a demon, based on his predisposition on the demonic language, and his mentioning that he was the last son of rome. Seishin could only laugh in his inner monologue. So that's where the intimidation factor came from.

Seishin watched as Cael landed next to him, feeling his hand on his shoulder. It was almost reassuring, even though Seishin had a few decades of combat experience under his belt. He spoke of their predicament, and how they would need to fight together to win. Seishin was somewhat taken back at the modesty of this man. He was young, yet had the maturity and wisdom of a Paladin. Seishin could only curse his own idiocy as he stood back up from his crouching position. This man was right. No matter where we came from, this was the fight we had to endure. Looking at the Demon Hunter, he took note of his sincerity. Seishin couldn't help but smile back, as he clenched his fist before him in a display on determination, looking back at the demon fodder. "For a warrior so young, you speak words of wisdom at the level of a sage!" swinging his kusarigama, he gave a warm laugh. "You make me realize that even at almost fifty years of age, there is still much to learn. Let's fight to conquer this pit of despair!" Planting his feet, he sprung into action.

The veil of powder move in unison with his body, his gaze swept for incoming assaults, as his pursuit was interrupted by two hawkscouts and their underbeast mounts. Skidding to a halt in the sand, Seishin stood fast against the growling monstrosities. Keeping himself focused, he made no movements. The veil of sand began to grow in size, as the sand rushed out and began to snare the beasts and their riders. Without further wait, the sand flung the four beings into their comrades, sending them off balance. Seishin gave a sigh. These beasts were uncoordinated. However, Seishin didn't have much time to think.

Behind him, he heard erratic footsteps and gurgling, the sound of shifting sand alerting him to a presence. Cursing a bit, he turned, his bells around his waist giving a jingle, as he was greeted by two rampant Beserker demons. The one on his right raised its blade and brought down to strike. Now that he mentioned it, these beasts were known for their unrelenting assault. With a quick jerk, Seishin shifted his weight sideways as to avoid injury. He needed some distance. Seishin quickly sprang into a back hand spring, his gear rattling on him as he gained footing. The left beserker charged in unison with its companion, the being's claw aimed at his tender throat. Seishin had to act or die. This was no time to think. Bringing up the chain on the kusarigama, he managed to parry and entwine the beast's arm. Using the being's own momentum, Seishin spun, the chain slamming the beast down hard on its face. Seishin quickly pinned the flailing beast, his knee on top of the creature's back. He could barely manage to hold the beast down long enough to parry a secondary strike from the second one. His sickle came up to block the sword with one hand, Seishin giving a grunt as he pushed back on the blade. It was quite the pickle.

First, he needed to deal with the one he had pinned. Using his spare hand, he drew one of his five sevens, his thumb releasing the safety. With the barrel lined up a few inches away from the beast's noggin, he quickly pulled back on the trigger 5 times, the silver tipped rounds soaring through the flesh. Blood was flung in every direction, as Seishin felt the liquid splatter on his chest and face. The barrel of the gun steamed gently, the smell of rotten blood and gunpowder assailing his smell. The beast layed under neath of him in a splayed stance, brain matter and blood dotting the sand. He still had the other being to worry about, his arm getting a little stiff. Hooking the beast's blade with the sickle, he also brought him to the ground with a thud, Seishin once again brought down the silver weapon onto the creature's head, it sinking all the way through to where the tip was jutting out the beast's face. The silver caused the unholy flesh to sizzle and pop, as Seishin took a deep breath. He wasn't as young as he used to be.

Standing up, he holstered the pistol again on his backside, and brought his kusarigama back to a ready stance. He could have killed them with his magnetic cloak, but if he always relied on that to save him, come the time it failed him, his body would not be prepared. With the iron shavings taking up position on his back, the mass constantly shifting and moving, always ready, he took note of the other contestants. Seishin knew these were just the opening acts. He could only guess that the real horrors dwelled below the coliseum floor, waiting for a new victim.

[Elijah Cross]

Elijah wasn't exactly sure of HOW he managed to get himself mixed up in all of this but, quite frankly, he didn't care. He just knew that blood was going to be spilled. Who didn't want to be a part of that? This was the second time he found himself within Inferis, the realm of demons and their superiors. So far he had only met face to face with one, the ruler of everything in this place: Lucifer. The thought of their encounter was enough to send a chill through his body. No, now wasn't the time to think about that.

Unfortunately, Elijah wasn't going to be alone in this little trial. There were three others, and each introduced themselves one after the other. A man named Seishin revealed himself as a Templar. He sounded confident, almost cocky. It would be nice to see him taken down a peg or two. Cael came second, speaking with a certain bravado that just rubbed Elijah the wrong way. God, it just sounded... Annoying. The third man shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice overpowering the crowd. As he spoke, his skin turned to the color of ash and a golden armor appeared over his previously exposed body. This one was definitely something different...

When the time came for Elijah to introduce himself, he took a step forward and looked to the Hell Prince Belial; the Cheshire grin beginning to form on his face, "My name is Elijah Cross, a Demon Hunter!" He looked to the other three for a brief moment before continuing, "I've yet to use my abilities to their fullest... So let's find out how they work together, eh?"

With that, Elijah stepped back and turned to face the gates as they opened to reveal what vile creatures the four of them would be facing. This was the first time he ever saw a demon, aside from Lucifer... But instead of being filled with terror, he found his grin growing even wider.

The young man charged into the heat of battle alongside the Roman, his entire body glowing with a bright red aura, "Roman!" Elijah shouted, already forgetting Gaius' name, "Let me grab your blade!"

Elijah doubted the man would actually go along with what he had said, but the two of them definitely couldn't do this alone. For the time being, they had to work together, "I know it seems like a stretch, but you need to trust me on this one. If I were to betray you, it would be detrimental to me because I'd be alone in this fucking group!"

Elijah paused to extend his right hand, "Doing this will only make you deadlier!"

If the Roman were to heed Elijah's words, he'd find out something wonderful. After laying his blade into the Demon Hunter's hand, it would be engulfed by the same red aura that surrounded his body. As a result, the weapon would be able to slice through just about any defense with relative ease.

[Gaius Octavian Skipio]

The flames of battle where nearly impossible to extinguish once lit. They where a fire built from the passions of man kind, kindled by their anger and fed by their needs and wants. It was these flames that burned with in Gaius, it was these passions that drove him to fight each and every day of his demonic life. And it was those same needs and wants that made him seek his death in battle. Why you might ask? Well that was simple. Gaius sought out immortality on the blade of a sword. And only in death could he truly find that immortality. His name would live on in those legends told about him, and as time passed his legend would grow to rival that of any epic hero.  But to do so he had to do something truly worthy of a tail, and charging into an enemy army(Or the closest thing to one) was just one way to go about doing that. Nothing could halt Gaius's steps. "Roman! Let me grab your blade!" Nothing that is but a man offering to grab his blade. This out burst caused the warrior to stumble a step and lose his voice mid shout as he turned and looked with incredulity at the human that was offering sex at such an inopportune time. "It is hardly the time for such propositions." If the ashen warrior could have blushed... He would have.

But the young mans words where made more clear as he ran his hands down the length of his sword, and with that the a faint red tinge did come to his face as well as his weapon. Clearing his throat, the Roman once again hefted his weapons and turned to face the enemy... Only to find that they had moved while he had stood their befuddled. Three of the Hawk scouts and their underbeast partners ranged around him and while he knew their tactics well, he would be hard pressed to counter them on their own terms. If he moved after one another would go for his back same to if he waited to for them to come at him. In fact that would have been even worse, strong as he was even he could not fend off sex trained creatures if they attacked in a coordinated fashion. Gaius considered his options, and while both plans of actions held risks he chose the one most suited to his style of combat as well as the one that could yield the highest reward. That being a full out assault.

Without warning Gaius charged, and in his hand his sword changed. Growing longer and finally resting in the form of a spear some six feet long. He knew that the others would move in but a few moments, but that was all the time he needed to kill at least one of the two demons in front of him. Knowing as he did that the Hawkscout was much faster then he, Gaius aimed for its Underbeast servant not wanting to risk losing what little advantage he currently had. The dumb beast leaped right towards him, and while for some this would have been enough to halt them in their tracks, this was not the Case for Gaius. With the reflexes born from centuries of conflict his shield rose and the beast bounced harmlessly off its gleaming exterior and then with all the strength he could muster he thrust out his spear and ran the foul creature through. With out losing his forward momentum the spear shark, dislodging its self from his fallen foe as he barreled passed both its carcass and its master who lashed out with its twin daggers barely missing is both instances. Its allies on the other hand where not so unlucky. Using the time afforded them by Gaius's head long rush they had drawn their bows and fired at the unsuspecting man in rapid order, and while most simply skittered off his armored skin, some found their mark and sunk into the Centurion. With a roar he came to a halt and spun to face his assailants shield once again raised. First blood for both sides had been spilled.

[Cael Gladius]

Cael's eyes shut and he smirked once more, meeting the Templar's clenched fist with his own. Truly a brotherly moment between two humans who, on any other occasion, would more than likely be tasting one another's steel. Not due to the hunter's choosing of course. He knew most Templars were less than courteous in the presence of Demon Hunters.

"I will return to assist you in a moment." A nod and in an instant he was sprinting towards one of the Hawkscouts making aim towards Gaius with its bow. The crowd definitely wouldn't be pleased with contestants helping one another survive, but it would put the lot of them at an advantage here. Leaping over a Berserker Demon as it attempted to leap out at him, Cael used the back of its head as leverage to make his own leap toward the closer Hawkscout. Just as it released its bow, Cael's sword met its hands, causing the arrow to veer off into the stands.

"You fight like cowards!" The samurai ran his blade through the archer's gut and sliced it out between the creature's ribs. It was then he ran to the next, using his flash step and parrying another shot just as it was being aimed at him. "Meet us headlong like men instead of keeping within the shadows, vermin!" At this the Hawkscout let out a primitive growl, pulling its daggers out and making way to slash Cael. He dodged the first strike, stopping the second with his blade and kicking back the demon.

"Continue." He taunted with a sneer as the demon ran towards him with its blades. The two warriors traded many blows, each being blocked by the other. This lasted until Cael had pushed the other to the center of the arena, where he knocked his assailant to its knees. Blade to its shoulder, the swordsman's smile he wore in the heat of battle turned into an executioner's stern gaze.

"Worthy you were to cross blades with me." The Hawkscout dropped its head, its blades fallen from its grasp as realization of its fate dawned upon the being. "If the circulation of spiritual aether so chooses that our paths will cross once more, I do hope it will be under the circumstances of a more heart-filled battle." Cael pulled up his sword and ran it through his opponent's neck, ending the ordeal. He then turned around and stepped outward, blood covering his hakama. His eyes were as cold as steel, but switched to those of a life filled youth once more as he put a closed fist into the air.

The crowds screamed at his ruthlessness, they yearned for more. They would have it, he didn't care. This was quite possibly the greatest moment of his life. An archdemon allowing him to do what he loved, to better himself in battle, in return only for having him arrive on time? Irony it was. Sweet, amazing, beautiful irony. Once he survived this, the same knowledge he gained from such a tournament would be used against the prince of Hell.

[Seishin Akanami]

Seishin wiped away the beserker's blood from his face with the sleeve of his haori. Looking at the smeared crimson, his eye brow twitched some, as he gritted his teeth. "This stain will take forever to come out!!" A little irritated, his moment of childish pouting was cut short, his head and ragged blond locks turning to see the commotion. Seishin then had an epiphany! HE WAS STILL IN THIS PIT!! Seishin could only curse, seeing the Centurion being surrounded by the hawkscouts he threw earlier. Seishin needed to help the man. Before he could take a step, he stopped to witness the swordsman act, as two of the three hawkscouts were slain. He deduced that those two, plus the other demon hunter, Could easily handle the opposition.

Seishin watched the three from afar, as he smiled. It reminded him of his fire team when he was still an SAS member. Sadly, Seishin was too preoccupied with his thoughts, not to mention the overwhelming noise from the audience, to hear the sounds of footsteps from behind.

Seishin's grin faded slowly as he felt a sword come down hard on his shoulder. Even with the reinforced kevlar and tempered steel trauma plates, the striking strength of this sword was not human. Luckily, he got to keep his arm, but a searing hot pain arose in his shoulder. Dropping his sickle, he grunted in discomfort, the powder that resided on his back smacking the Beserker away. Seishin turned and jumped backwards, as he watched the beserker get up, sand falling off its body as it let out a deep baritone chuckle. Seishin took note of the sickle laying in the sand, as he was taken back a bit. He would have to assess how much damage he had taken, and formulate his battle style from there.

Navigating his arm out of the sleeve, he noticed that the trauma plate had taken full impact, and was severely warped. Had he taken anymore blunt force trauma, he wouldn't have a shoulder. His eyes looked on his left shoulder as he could only grit his teeth, letting out a sigh of frustration. His shoulder was blue, red, and any other color a bruise could take. Seishin tried to roll his shoulder, but was taken down to one knee as he gasped a little at the pain. He had heard stories in the SAS of paratroopers who had missed their zone and broke an arm out in wilderness. Some completed their missions with undying courage, others.. Well.. The others never made it home.

This was bad. Seishin knew that his shoulder was broken, and that his left arm would be rendered useless. Withdrawing his other sleeve from the haori jacket, he quickly leaped back a few paces from the beserker. Kneeling down, he formed a thick dome of iron shaving around himself. He needed to keep the creatures at bay for a little bit. He could hear the unholy blade pounding against the outside of the shell. Picking up the haori jacket, he used the iron powder to help him tie his left arm to his side with the jacket. He needed to immobilize the arm for now, less he suffer more damage. Next, he took off the twelve gauge off his back. It was battered and had seen use. He hadn't fired it yet today, but it would save him. Of course, firing it would be another situation entirely. His eyes did light up some with ingenuity as the augment on his back expelled more powder. The new powder clung to his side, taking up the shape of his now defunct arm. He wouldn't need to risk firing a shotgun with one arm. Now, he fould continue.

Bracing the shotgun against his right shoulder, the makeshift powder arm grabbed the shotgun by the pump and slid it forward. A shell was now ready to go. Looking around his makeshift fortress, he could feel where the iron was taking the most pressure. Finding the spot, he took a deep breath, and count down from five. The amount of concentration it would take to maintain the fake arm would severally limit his magnetic control. Bracing his body, he smirked, as a bead of sweat rolled down his temple. "Watch over me, my brothers in arms. It's time to rock." The powder separated, revealing the creature's face. With a squeeze of the trigger, a loud roar erupted inside the dome, causing his ears to ring. He stood fast, as the stream of fire, light, and silver pellets erupted with the fury of God, straight through the beast's skull. Blood showered indiscriminately, and the corpse was immediately knocked down. The dome around him collapsed, as Seishin looked down on the beast.

The head was gone, and he sure as hell couldn't see where it went. Not at that close range. It was out of existence at that point. Seishin's ears were shell shocked from the close quarters confinement, as now the only thought that ran through his mind was the drills and training and any information that pertained to combat, and survival. He acted autonomously, his makeshift arm, pulling back the pump the eject the spent shell casually into the sand. With a click, the pump was sent back forth, another shell in the chamber. He would eviscerate these demon pests without mercy.

[Elijah Cross]

For a moment, it seemed that there was nothing anyone or anything could say or do to keep Gaius from charging headlong into the field of battle. He wanted to spill blood, he wanted to tear through the creatures sent out to kill the four combatants... Nothing other than Elijah's words, however. The Roman stumbled a bit and that fearsome battle cry of his was cut short when Elijah spoke. Why in the HELL was he just standing there, "It is hardly the time for such propositions."

Wait, what? What was he thinking? No, Elijah couldn't afford to think about it at this moment. They were surrounded by monsters capable of ripping them all to shreds. Rather than explain the situation, Elijah just reached out and ran his hands along the blade. This motion imbued it with enough of his soul energy to remain almost unstoppable for the time being. However, it would lose energy with each consecutive strike.

With that bit of confusion out of the way, Elijah watched as Gaius went to work with his upgraded weapon and dove into battle while the other demon hunter provided backup. He wasn't fast enough as the Roman was struck with a couple of arrows, but Cael was quick to end the lives of both creatures. As for Elijah: it was time for him to actually get into the mix. With a roar, he charged in the direction of two berserker demons that responded to his advance in kind. The pair at him until they met together in the center of the arena where their battle would begin. The beasts were menacing, muscular creatures with large blades from the forearm down. This gave him a form of advantage, considering the fact that Elijah wouldn't have to worry about losing a limb. That, however, didn't mean that he was in the clear. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that they could still bludgeon him with those damn things...

The first demon raised its right blade into the air with a gutteral shout and brought it down with the intent to sever Elijah in two. Using his natural agility, he sidestepped the attack and placed the top of his boot on the grounded weapon to keep him from raising it temporarily. This caused the second to swipe at him in a similar fashion and he leaped backwards off of the pinned arm. The momentum of the second's strike was too great to stop and it followed through, severing the arm of its ally. To Elijah's surprise, it seemed unfazed by the loss of a limb... Did these creatures even feel pain?

[Iaska]

Oh, yay for artifacts. They sold well in Iaska's past, often or not to some crackpot demon or some other such fool. This was no exception and not only was if for a nice little bauble, it could make his name better known. More merc work, more money. It was a win-win. He stood among the others, peering at them through his lenses with his hands in the sleeves of his indigo kimono. At his foot lay a large clay jug which he swirled with the ball of his foot, waiting for the archdemon and the others to silence themselves. Iaska wasn't too much for the boasting, but if theatrics was what half of these kind of matches were...then where was the harm. He cleared his throat as he folded his glasses and plopped them into the wide mouth of his jug. "I'll make this brief. I am Iaska Kirizu, 14th and last samurai of the Kirizu clan, called to arms by the 56th daimyo. Now I am a mercenary, loyalty to coin only. And I'll have you all know..." He threw off his kimono as his skin began to shift, muscles expanded, wounds reopened and scarred and his skin became nightshade and eyes became crimson, shark-like teeth casting a grin on the crowd, "To place your bets on me, because I'm the greatest swordsman here and I WILL be winning this little contest."

The others were dealing with their own little battles, some performing with little acrobatics moves and showboating, but Iaska had different ideas. Hawkscouts were a bit too easy and Underbeasts weren't much different to a sword meant to slay horses. But Berserker Demons, ooooooh, those were fun. His hand swirled up a long scabbard from which he pulled his blue handled nodachi. Two would be enough for right now. Not a one one one, but not a complete overload. Lumbering, menacing, hulking brutes, with large claymores. These two were of...Celtic descent. Blue streaks of war paint and kilts abound on these two, fresh off the set of Braveheart. They moaned and then began to sprint at the swordsman. He held his ground with a stable stance, his sword low in both hands.

He didn't even have to move. The one on his right ran straight into blade of his sword, lopping off his right leg and cleaving through half of his left one. He smiled and blood spiraled as he ducked and spun, a crimson whirlpool dripping off the tip of his sword. The Berserker went down with a thump as it tried to move, crawling with its one free hand and the other growling in displeasure. "Aw, tsk, tsk, looked like you missed, William Wallace. Perhaps you should cut down on the meat and potatoes, hmm?" That pissed him off and with his speed, he came barreling back again. But these people were here for a show. Why not give them one?

His sword split Iaska's body in an almost symmetrical shape, eyes peering from each side of the steel. He closed his eyes and heard and felt the thumps of his every footstep, his every rage-filled scream that chilled Iaska's blood. His mind retreated into a dreary darkness of silence and blindness and yet, he could see everything. Every spectator, every beast, every combatant. And just when swords would cross...

"Ole!" He moves and got his foot, lobbing it clean off. The crowd went up with cheers as he continued his little battle dance, taunting the poor limping bastard, getting closer and closer to the man with his sharked toothed smile and soon he was upon him, ramming his blade through her like a helpless little praying mage. Oh, but that wasn't the end of it. The blade was facing up and with both hands and a shoulder, he just brought it up all the way, slicing him in half from the abdomen up. He bathed into the blood, relished it for only a moment in its slick, warm embrace. He walked away from the corpse with a bit of a kick just to degrade the undisciplined soul and walked towards the the crawling Berserker Demon. His foot kept the blade down and his other foot ground the demon's hand.

Speed and power accounted for little in this instance. Not without functioning legs. This one had no guard, not even armor, to defend himself. He was undisciplined like his friend and for this, he would be taught his incompetence in death. From a swirl of shade came forth his tanto and took the demon by his hair. He placed that razor sharp knife to the throat of the warrior and began to saw, coating his nightshade flesh in dark red. The body convulsed, twitched as he began he sliced through the throat, spinal column, and soon the last of his skin. Then he plunged the blade into the forehead of the decapitated skull. He lifted it high into the sky, letting the blood drain from the stump of this head over his braid and his face, getting that nice shock factor in.

"ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!?"

[Something Has Happened]

ROUND TWO... FIGHT!

All standing Demons immediately cease combat and retreat - as they do, from the grates around the arena spill out the three Blight Titans and four Obsidites. Finally, two patches of shadow conglomerate, and then finally take shape as Architects.

[Seishin Akanami]

Seishin could only watch as the demons retreated back to their grates, as he lowered his shotgun to observe what would happen next. Seishin gritted his teeth some as he could only assume that they would send in the deadlier creatures. Seishin felt slightly moronic, having been wounded so early in this trial of death. He would do what he could for the others. It was a batch of people he didn't resonate well with, but he would need to work with them.

His eyes narrowed at the creatures that began to spew forth. They were a lot bigger than the first group. To go hand to hand with these beings would kill him quickly, especially in the state he was in at the current moment. His shoulder would not stop throbbing, and it felt like it was on fire. "Be on guard, everyone! This group will be a lot tougher!" Seishin began to hustle towards the rest of the contestants, knowing full well that cohesion would be the game changer. Cocking his head to the side, he was forced to stop as to avoid the oncoming Blight Titan. Seishin cursed as his breath was seized by the foul odor the lumbering creature emitted. Seishin quickly leaped back as to avoid the claws that swung for him. Letting out a roar of frustration, Seishin locked eyes with the beast. The beast was slow, but one hit would spell doom for him. And he did not plan on dying today!

Propping up the shotgun to his shoulder, the beast began barreling forward. His feet struggled to maintain balance, but he managed to fire the twelve gauge into the chest of the titan. A chunk was sheared off the beast, but the pellets did little than make an aggravating flesh wound. The pellets began emitting steam as Seishin was forced to tuck and roll, narrowly avoiding being turned into pulp. Seishin could only figure that he would only exhaust his stamina and ammunition. He would need to slow or subdue the beast. He would need to trap it. Taking one of the magnetic rods off his back, he dug around in his pouch for two soda can size canisters. He would need to time it right, and the window would be small.

As the blight titan began to charge for him, Seishin remained still, his gaze focused on the zombie. He averted his gaze upward at the beast, its claw over his head. It thrusted it's arm down, intending to impale Seishin. Pulling the pin from the two grenades, Seishin flung the rod up into the air up over the titan, adrenaline kicking as the claw seemed only inches from his face. Before he could be skewered, the two grenades erupted with a blinding and deafening flash, enveloping the two in a cloud of iron powder and flame. It would appear almost that Seishin martyred himself, but that was the complete opposite. Seishin had teleported to the rod that had been thrown up in the air, as he landed outside the smoke cloud, maintaining distance for his safety. "That was close. Perfect timing." Dropping the magnetic rod that he had snatched, Seisin clapped his hands together.

The smoke began to swirl faster and faster, condensing more and more as the titan finally became visible. The cloud of dust seemed to form itself into tendrils, the large volume of powder created by the grenades serving as a magnetic medium. Wrapping around the titan's legs, arms, and neck, the beast let out a deafening roar as Seishin kept his hands together, grunting a little as his arms were beginning to fatigue. This beast was proving to be hard to subdue, so the window would be small. His hands clenching tighter around themselves, Seishin looked at the other gladiators. "Quick! Sever the beast's head! I can only subdue him for a little longer!" Looking back at the beast, Seishin began to fasten the powder around the beast even tighter, the titan struggling against its bindings. He would have formulate another strategy to deal with the other beasts. He didn't want to use his full power yet, and his injury would only keep getting worse. He needed to stay sharp.

[Gaius Octavian Skipio]

Blood had been drawn, and with it came a certain thrill that only came from fighting for your everlasting soul.  IT was a thrill that could not be replicated, and while some adventure seekers claimed that theirs was the ultimate rush, that sex or mountain climbing could compete with the sheer savage pleasure that was battle. Clearly these people had never once seen combat, for if they had they would know that it was at those moments that your life was hanging by but a thread and that any mistake you made could be your last that you truly and absolutely felt alive. It was then and only then that you knew exactly how rare and precious your life was and is, and it was then and only then that you could see the world with a perfect clarity. It was for this reason, this clarity of thought and purpose that Gaius lived for. It was why he sought greater and grander challenges, and it was why he lived each and ever day of his life as if it would be his last because sometime in the future, ether near or far... It would be, and he as both a man and a demon did not want to leave the world of the living with anything like regrets. And it was for this reason and this reason alone that he threw him self back into the fray with no regard for what would become of him if he happened to lose. Such thoughts where never important.

In those last moments of the first round he was a whirl wind of both death and destruction, his great spear and shield never seeming to cease motion and with every motion he left a trail of blood. Yes in those final moments he cut a swath through what remained of those lesser demons, but then sooner then he had expected they began to quickly withdraw, skipping away faster then the Warlord could fallow. "COWARDS! One and all! Come back and face by blade like a true warrior or live forever disgraced!"They continued to retreat, and this more then anything else fed the fire that was his rage. "YOU ARE BUT YELLOW BELLIED SWINE ONLY FIT TO EAT THE SHIT OF THOSE WORTHLESS FLEE RIDDEN DOGS YOU COMMAND!" The last remaining Hawkscout flipped him the bird as he made his final exit. The irony of the gesture was completely lost on the Centurion.

Still he was not left waiting long as new enemies made their way into the arena. From the shadows coalesced demons that seemed to be made of the murk that filled the air, and from that same shadowy substance came the sound of many more like it, or at least close to the breed that now faced them. From three gate emerged great lumbering giants of putrid and rotting flesh, that where at once intimidating and somewhat comical in their hulking, shambling gait. But of more immediate importance was what stood before him. Four creatures only vaguely humanoid had risen and seemingly made of stone lumbered from an open grate, and while they moved at but a snails pace forward these creatures looked both sturdy and well able to take care of them selves, what with their massive fists.

Still Gaius, while impressed by their sheer size was not afraid. Having taken on greater and larger foes then these ten foot tall men of stone. Not wanting to wait he charged forward, spear leveled at the nearest of the great golems. "GAHHH" His spear tip pierced the stony hide of the terra golem, but what should have been a victory turned into something of a sour defeat. With a crack, Gaiu's world was turned into something filled pain. Pain more intense and personal then he had ever heard before. Then rather suddenly he found him self on his back, some distance away from where he had stood, and as his mind cleared ever so slightly he saw the Obsidite retract its colossal fist. Shaking him self Gaius rose to a knee then glanced down and saw the source of his pain. Half of his spear blade was missing, snapped in half when he had tried to pierce the creature. He stood then, and dismissed both his shield and blade. His gaze lowered for but a second, and then he laughed. A great booming sound that echoed all about them drowning out even the crowed as they cheered for his death.

A single thick chain made of some sort of black dull metal fell into his waiting hand. Looking up he locked eyes on one of the advancing creatures  and the calmly he through his chain at the beast. It grew longer as it flew, seemingly able to stretch far into the distance. The with a sound of metal on stone the chain, as if with a will of its own circled the demon in question, and while the slow witted thing tried to fend it off it was far to late to stop what was to come. With another blood thirsty smile Gaius gripped the chain in one mighty fist... And pulled. He pulled with all his might and with each pull the chain grew shorter dragging the creature ever closer to the source of its confinement. Then with one last mighty heave the creature was pulled from its feet but before it could land Gaius, with all his strength began to spin his chain above his head.

Around and around it went, its odd sounding screeches almost lost in the wind kicked up by this makeshift helicopter. Then with a grunt of effort he brought his new flail to waist level and putting all his force and momentum into that single blow smashed his prisoner into his buddies. A great crash filled the coliseum, and suddenly his chain was much lighter then it had been. Not waiting for the bust to clear he continued his spin, turning his back on those things that he hoped where at least staggered for the moment so that he could face the downed Titan. With one last great cry he let fly his makeshift weapon, bringing down what was left of the Obsidite onto the rotting creatures skulls. In the end, the two thousand pounds of stone was more then enough to shatter the things head, causing a sickening explosion of gore to coat that entire area. Gaius's blood snag then, and he was as happy as he had ever been.

NOTES: Two Obsidites defeated, One Blight Titan finished off. Remaining 2 Architects and what we can assume to be 6-10 Penumbra, 2 Obsidites and 2 Titans.

[Cael Gladius]

Cael tightened his bandana around his head as the next batch of demons made their way into the fray. These were definitely a lot stronger than those they had just fought, but that wouldn't make their fates any different. These would fall, just like the rest. The only difference was that the samurai could start having more fun.

Seishin and Gaius further ahead of him, the swordsman began to make his way towards them before a shadowy figure slithered into his path. The Architect, a demon with great control of darkness, had decided that this man would not be assisting anyone. A wrong decision, but one it held to all the same. He kept his face stern as the umbric beast growled and lashed out with its rows of fangs.

In an instant the two were at each other's throats, sword versus claw. Cael managed to spin below the extended arm of the Architect, and sliced its side with his blade. His eyes widened, however, as a mess of tendrils escaped the wound and reformed the body to its previous state in a matter of seconds.

"Shit." That was all that managed to pass from Cael's lips as the shadow demon entangled him in a mass of tentacles. Great wings ripped themselves from the beast's back and it took off into the air. Cael was held inches from it as it continued to ascend. Just the fall from this height would be enough to injure the swordsman, but an injury was better than death. Thinking quickly, he bit the tentacle closest to him and the Architect howled in pain.

"Shit!" The curse came about in a scream as the demon threw Cael in the direction of Gaius. The hunter grinned as he looked down, however, landing himself atop the Obsidite the allied demon had begun to swing. As Gaius slung the chain round, Cael launched himself back towards the flying Architect using the extra momentum from the spin.

"YOUR END IS NIGH, BEAST OF BLACK!" And so it was, the swordsman's blade piercing down the Architect's open mouth and out through the back of its neck. A gargle came about, tar-like blood seeped from the orifice, and Cael merely watched with a smirk as the greater demon fell before his might. His fire would engulf all of this creature's kind, pain hundredfold upon the harbingers of sin.

He fell back to the ground, his clothing giving a snap as he landed. Dust settled around him, and Cael slowly rose back to full height. Four demons down of this lot already. Things seemed to be going well enough, for now, but there were still those left for them to deal with. It wasn't until the shadow of an Obsidite's great fist grew outward around him. A green blur of instinctual motion spun beneath the shadow, and soon enough he was back in his defensive stance and holding back the mighty punch with his katana.

[Seishin Akanami]

Seishin watched out of the corner of his eye as the samurai tangled with the shadow beast, and the centurion managed to fell some of them in an awe inspiring display of strength. Watching the two made Seishin's resolve thickin, as he growled some. The sand that bound the titan began to tighten so much, that blood began to spurt and spray as Seishin screamed. A writhing mass of dust began to loom over Seishin, as it rained down spikes that crucified the zombie to the sand below, as it howled in anger and pain. "This is getting out of hand"

Seishin extended a hand out to his side, the other in a closed fist, as he directed the powder towards the disgruntled samurai. The veil quickly snared the beast's wrist, easing up the pressure on the samurai, as Seishin directed his fingers down. The obsidite was dragged down by its arm, its body rocking the coliseum as it struck the ground. Seishin would have to direct the powder manually at this rate. Usually he could do it autonomously, but he could increase the speed and power by directing it. Seishin would provide support from where he was at now. The Architects surely would stop him from regrouping.

Seishin averted his eyes to the splayed titan on the ground, its hands and feet pinned by rods of powder. Seishin brought his outstretched hand back home, as he clasped his hands together. The bindings around the beast tightened tremendously, severing the limbs off of the beast as a last deafening shriek was sounded by the dead beast. Seishin could feel his heart beating in his chest. Extracting this much iron from his own bloodstream was starting to increase his heart rate. He didn't have the stamina he used to, but the fact that his shoulder was more or less fractured played a pivotal role.

Seishin fell back to a sitting position as he reformed his dome over himself. Now i. A safe environment, he could check how bad his shoulder was now. As he looked at it, he noticed that luckily it was only dislocated. Seishin gave a somewhat sheepish look as he groaned. He would have to fix it now or suffer. Taking his shotgun and standing it on it's stock, he inhaled deeply before ramming his shoulder into it, a sickening pop heralding a ton of curse words from Seishin. He could feel blood flowing back through the limb, as he wiggled his fingers. With a chuckle, he caught the glimmer of an object in the sand. Turning his head, he identified it as his kusarigama. With a look of joy on his face, he quickly snatched it up. "Ah, There you are! I almost forgot about you!" Seishin was ready to kick some ass, as the dome once again dispersed, as he untied the haori from his waist and put it back on. He would need the extra protection. "Sorry I've been dicking around. It is about time to ramp it up."

[Elijah Cross]

Just as Elijah was ready to engage the pair of monsters once again, they turned their backs to him and began walking away. Just as quickly as the battle started, it came to an end. The roman to his right was simply infuriated by the sight of his opponents leaving the arena after they were called away, signalling the start of the second round. After his rather pitiful showing compared to the other combatants, he needed to step up and show why exactly he deserved to be here.

When the gates lowered for a second time to reveal their next opponents, Elijah's eyes locked on one of the giant stone creatures. 10 feet tall behemoths capable of crushing just about anyone they managed to catch in their massive hands. Getting close to such a beast was a high risk, but the roar of the crowd was enough to shake away any doubts he had about making an attempt. Unlike before, the Cheschire grin was nowhere to be seen on Elijah's face. The time for smiling had passed.

As the Obsidite lumbered in his direction, Elijah took a pause to remove the claws from their straps across his back. Death's Teeth, extremely sharp and deadly on their own. And with his primary ability, they'd be even more dangerous to encounter. Elijah gave a great shout to get the blood pumping and sprinted in a beeline for the beast. It locked 'eyes' with him and raised a fist, preparing to strike him down when he got close. Instead of slowing, however, Elijah continued his charge and slid across the ground just like a baseball player making an attempt to reach home plate. He felt the wind coming off the punch and grimaced as a bit of the sand carried found its way into his eyes, irritating them.  

If his opponent was as fast as it was powerful, it'd have no trouble turning around and reducing Elijah to a dark read stain of viscera against the sand. Luckily, that wasn't the case. Elijah got to his feet and charged at the Obsidite's exposed back. Once close enough, he jumped and placed the balls of his feet against the solid rock before jamming his claws into it. There was a roar of what Elijah assumed to be pain as the monster began shaking violently in an attempt to rid itself of the new pest. Unfortunately for it, he wasn't going to let go so easily. Considering the claws on his hands and the knives sticking out from Elijah's boots, he had plenty of hold.

With another shout and leap, Elijah sprung himself upward and sunk his claws into where its 'shoulders' would be, continuing to stab wherever he could. Keeping the claws sharp enough to pierce the beast was extremely difficult and with each strike it became harder to break through the rock and remove the blade, "Why!" SHUNK "The fuck!" SHUNK "Won't you TIC FALL!

Elijah's final stab should have found its way past the rock, but his claw simply bounced off. He was tired and breathing rather heavily. Just as the man raised his arm to give another attempt, he felt a hand gripping him around the torso and squeeze, causing him to scream in agony as his ribs began to give and crack. He tried in vain to claw his way from the stone golem's grip until it reared back and spiked him face down into the ground. There wasn't enough time for Elijah to even feel the air forced from his lungs before it lifted him into the air for a second time and hurled him at the Templar's dome as if he were a child's toy.

[Seishin Akanami]

Seishin looked up to see the demon hunter flung towards him and his gritty dome of magnetism. Seishin directed the powder towards the man, the dome catching him gingerly in the process. The powder carefully set him down next to Seishin. Looking next to him at the young man, he quickly stepped in front of him and put his kusarigama up, the obsidite slowly making it's way over. "Are you alright?" Seishin chuckled a bit as he smiled. "To go up against an obsidite head on was quite suicidal. You got guts!" Seishin braced himself for the incoming obsidite as he watched the creature bring its fist down upon the two.

Seishin withdrew a mass volume of sand to counter the punch, narrowly avoiding the death sentence. The powder began to pound against the creature, the force knocking it on it's back. Seishin quickly enveloped the beast in dust, all but its resemblance of a face. Looking back at the man, he quickly took the shotgun off his back. "I'll show you the best way these things die." Seishin quickly sprung forward, leaping up and onto the creature's stomach as he aimed the barrel at its glowing eye.

Pulling the trigger the first time chipped at the creature's face, a crack forming as it moaned in agony. Gritting his teeth, he quickly pulled the pump as a shell plinked on the ground, as he followed up another shot. This shot sheared off a chuck of rock from it's face, the light flickering a bit as it wriggled under the powder. He fired off two more shots, as the beast's head was almost gone, sparks spraying from the pellets hitting it's stone skin. The beast let out one more resounding cry before the blue light flickered and died for good. The obsidite layed splayed on the floor motionless as Seishin looked at the shotgun. He would have to reload when the time called for it. Turning back to the demon hunter, he leapt off the corpse as he made his way over to him. "These beasts are more resilient to blades and edges. Blunt force is your best bet." Seishin placed his shotgun on his back as he dug through a pouch on his side.

Seishin pulled out one of his grenades. He gave it to the man, as he stood back up. "The next time you are in trouble, use this. I'll be able to feel the electromagnetism from the grenade and be able to assist you." Seishin took out another black rod from his back as he prepared for the next assault.

[Something Has Happened]

ROUND THREE... FIGHT!

All standing Demons immediately cease combat and retreat. After this is done, the arena lays silent for but a moment; and then the three largest grates of all open. The fallen, defeated, though not dead Iaska is dragged away by the scruff of his neck to recouperate, allowed to survive this day for his bold tribute to Belial's entertainment; and from these three grates exit, shackled:

One Onyx Tyrant, one Kur, and one Warmonger.

The Warmonger's shackles are released with a click. It releases an inhuman cry and looks to Cael and Gaius, grazing its blades against one another.

The Onyx Tyrant's great metal hoops fall to the floor with a thud. It snarls and roars, pounding its claws against the grit and dust of the arena floor, ready to charge on Seishin.

The Kur's chains drop with a dull set of clinks. It releases a torque of flame into the air and then lets its bold, yet harrowing and demonic eyes fall upon Elijah.

[Seishin Akanami]

Seishin scratched his head at the sight of the retreating demons. They were sent back to their pits, as Seishin let out a sigh of relief. He didn't like the fact that an ominous silence crept over the stadium. It wasn't over, was it? Seishin could feel the ground under him shake some. This was going to have to get worse before it could get better, huh?

Seishin couldn't help but let out a grunt of curiosity at the site of the large grates flinging open. What could possibly be that big that it had to be kept in such a large cage? Thinking of it now, it could be anything. This was Inferis after all. Seishin could only watch in bewilderment as to the size of the monstrosities that had entered. Readying his shotgun once more, he hoped that one of the smaller ones would decide to take him on. Feeling a drop of sweat slide down his temple, he casted all optimism aside..

When he locked eyes with a Tyrant

Battle Time

Seishin could only lower his shotgun slowly at what seemed to be a hopeless situation. Slumping his shoulders, he leaned his head back as a sigh escaped. "Fuuuuuuuucckkk.." Seishin almost went deaf at the roar of the cyborg reptile. That deathly red glow it emitted was terrifying to say the least. Seishin had never fought something like this before, and as such, knew nothing of it's abilities. Seishin narrowed his eyes as he could see the T-rex's maw glowing brighter, with an accompanied mechanical whir. Shifting his feet, he didn't hesitate to start strafing as a MASSIVE laser ripped through the air, Seishin feeling the extreme heat of the beam on his back. Skidding to a halt, Seishin turned and looked back at the ground.

Or what was left of it. Left in his previous location was a large trail of molten rock, bubbling and hissing at the extreme temperatures. Seishin's face took on a sheepish look as he could feel a lump in his throat. If he was hit by that, he was a goner! Looking back at the lumbering beast, it reared it's enormous head, as it gave off a thunderous roar. He quickly brought up the shotgun to fire it off into the snout of the beast. A sharp ricochet was heard, paired with sparks from the impact site. The beast's head jerked a bit, until it reared it's massive head and roared even louder. His shot did nothing at all to it. Seishin quickly holstered his now empty weapon as he began to run again, narrowly avoiding another blast of heated plasma.

Seishin knew how futile this was. Normally, something like this would cause Seishin to retreat and live for another day, but retreat wasn't an available life line at this moment. The crowd was going insane, jeering for his death. Now behind the beast, Seishin's eyes widened as he saw the beast swing it's massive tail at him. Cursing, he quickly hit the deck, feeling a massive gust fly over him. He wasn't given any room to breathe however, as Seishin was forced to tuck and roll as the tail came smashing hard, the ground caving. Seishin quickly pushed himself up to his feet as he looked up. The beast was fully metal it seemed, which meant it was no longer a living thing at this point. Who knew demons were tech savvy?

Seishin quickly sprung into a back hand spring as a beam of light almost eviscerated him. Catching his breath, he began another strafe, a laser hot on his trail. He could feel the scalding heat behind him, as he gritted his teeth. One fuck up and he was dead. Seishin would need to think hard about this one. After all, not many things could take down a two story monster.

[Cael Gladius]

Cael panted, his breath hard to catch from that clash with the stone demon. This next one had to be the final round; at least, that's what he hoped as the crowd grew silent. The swordsman gave a quick look to the Archdemon seated safely above the masses, wondering just what he could have planned for them next. Belial had promised a tournament only for those worthy to survive in, and he hadn't stretched the truth there in the slightest.

The ground began to tremble, and Cael's eyes moved towards the largest of the doorways that had begun to open. Trembling lead to shaking as the swordsman shook his blade clean of the fresh, tar-like blood that the Architect had left behind. He stopped, however, as a bright glow came from the entrance closest to himself and Gaius. Whatever was in there moved towards the battlefield with confidence, the sound of steel grazing against steel piercing Cael's ears.

As he reentered his defensive stance, the samurai's eyes widened momentarily as the figure stepped into the light. Its form revealed, the Warmonger seemed to make only note of Cael and Gaius as it entered the fray. Silent it remained, but it continued to scrape its fiery blades together as if it had been too long since they had met an opponent. It took its own stance, and Cael's eyes moved to Gaius.

The two of them would have to fight this knight together.

Cael gave only a nod to his foe-turned-comrade, and then his eyes were upon the armor clad titan once more. Its eyes were not visible, but it still held understanding of its surroundings. Definitely not the typical demonic enemy, but neither were Architects or Obsidites. No, this was something far worse, far more powerful than any of the beasts they had taken on today.

A plan formulated itself quickly within Cael's mind, and he could only hope that Gaius would follow his lead on this. The battle stance the Warmonger took soon became similar to the samurai's own, the only difference being that it accommodated the use of a second blade. Was this its way of taunting him?

"Don't you dare mock me!" Cael shouted as he made the first move, first flipping his blade to his opposite hand while performing a side flip of his own to shift sides. His stance changed as he ran forward, his sword held backwards and his running form shifting more weight to the front. This would break through the golden defense Gin had developed, but just as Cael reached the warrior its own stance changed to block the oncoming attack. His single blade held between the near-omniscient demon's two, the samurai placed a foot back to hold his own weight forward. This was in vain, it seemed, as he was forced to utilize his flash step technique once more.

As he reappeared behind his opponent, it threw an elbow back and caught Cael in the chin. He fell to the ground, and the other didn't even bother to turn to him. Its sights were now upon Gaius it seemed, and it had left the samurai stunned with its quick reflexes. This wasn't any ordinary foe. How would they be able to take down something that read its enemies' movements quickly and acted upon them quicker?

[Gaius Octavian Skipio]

His enemies lay before him, some as nothing but ruble but most... Most where corpses still cooling the the night air. All around him, where the sounds of the dead and dying, the din of metal on metal and the sick sweet music that was blades sinking into flesh could be heard over all that. But whats more the roaring cheers of the demonic crowed rose even over the music of battle. And while at first they had booed the would be challengers, now they where a riot of cheers and applause. Yes, those who had wished only a short while before for their untimely and painful death no wanted them to push through, to win, or at the very least make it to that last round. The round that would pit them against the being that had held onto the title of champion for more years then most could count.  these prior rounds where just the warm up, the appetizer to the main event. Gaius, drank in the applause that came with their victory, and as the last remaining demons on the field where forced out, The Undying raised his arms above his head and let out a warriors cry. And with eyes still blazing with that insatiable hunger he turned to Belial. "IS THIS THE BEST YOU HAVE TO OFFER ALLSMITH!?! ARE THESE PATHETIC COWARDLY WRETCHES THE STRONGEST WARRIORS YOU HAVE TO OFFER?!? IF SO IS YOUR CHAMPION AS WEAK AS THESE?!" With that Gaius spit on the corpses of those creatures that he had slain, and it was then that the greatest gates opened.

Out came two great beasts, each fierce in their own right, each a mighty hunter of demon and man alike and each a true terror to behold. But as great as these creatures where they paled in comparison to the lone warrior that walked onto the Colosseum grounds with them. The masked General was as fearsome as those other creatures that had moved with it, and much more devious then those feral beasts. Those eyes of cold fire fell on the two swordsmen, as they rightly should, and it may have been in his mind Gaius could hear a dry rasping laugh. A laugh that mocked both him and his ally. A laugh that told him that this creature, this warrior did not fear for its life. "Don't you dare mock me!" Before Gaius could react, Cael made his move charging forward swords grasped in his hands. But as skilled as Gaius knew his enemy was, he also knew he was no match for the General on his own. No single warrior was.

Gaius had once seen just a single masked general slaw an entire army on its own, and while normal warriors tired during combat... Th General did not. If anything its attacks grew more swift and stronger the longer it fought. Still Gaius fallowed behind the quicker Cael, his chain whirling quickly above his head... And when Cael made his move, vanishing from his view and reappearing behind their foe he lashed out, throwing all his weight and considerable strength behind a single quick blow that he hoped would immobilize or at least slow down this nearly unbeatable opponent. And while his chain flew true and strong, it was not nearly enough to even make the Warmonger blink. Moving almost to fast for Gaius to track it ducked under his swinging chain, and with a single flash of his blade severed the head of his makeshift flail from the rest. The sudden loss of weight was enough to cause cause to stumble, and that was the only opening that the Warmonger needed. Yet again it moved, seeming to leave after images behind it as it closed the distance between them in but a blink of the eye. With more force then its smaller frame should have been able to contain, it stuck. Red flashed before Gaius's eyes, and red hot blood spewed from his chest.

The Centurion stumbled back, his chin fell to his chest and then he heard that rasping hallow laugh. "Is this the best you have to offer?" Its voice was as dry as its laugh, and filled with more disdain then even the most jaded of men could muster. Blood fell freely from his wound, the wet dripping making an odd counter point to the music of battle that went on all around them. Gaius raised his head then and instead of the look of defeat that his enemy had expected, he saw nothing but a blood stained smile. Gaius laughed then, and with each and every booming note his blood seemed to vaporize and coalesce about him, making it seem as if a bloody hallow surrounded his body. "I've not yet begun to fight!" With that, his sword and shield seemed to form from the bloody mist that surrounded him and with out warning a spectral chain shot from his gauntlet and attached its self to the Warmonger, binding the two together tell one or the other was brought down. Then with a voice laced with a cold calm rage he asked the question that none had yet been able to answer. "Is today a good day to die?" With that he brought his sword and shield to bare and the Undying met the All-Knowing in mortal combat for the first and last time. Blade met shield and sword met sword and they made the most beautiful of music.

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