The air whistles and powerful gusts were knocked around everywhere, Lady Hammer’s thrusts alone were enough to have pressure changes in the area. Her warhammer was especially made for her, unwieldy weight and impact durability was the core design to it. For Hammer though, she used as if it were some child toy.

Dodging blow after blow, Grusha held herself back diving head first. Biding her time to wait for an opening, even though Lady Hammer left little room for error. It was frustrating for Grusha, between the warhammer that was constantly being flayed about and the round lion-shield that kept her from going in on the other side. Lady Hammer’s form was perfect, and her swings were spot on point.

“You and your skorto equipment!” Grusha said.

Lady Hammer grinned. Side stepping closer, she smashed into Grusha with her shield and then golf-clubbed her from below followed by an overhead blow. She dodged in time, the warhammer impacted the ground sending debris everywhere. The edge of her warhammer scraped the edge of her arm, chipping away a piece of her skin.

Grusha exchanged glances with Lady Hammer. “Is your plan sincerely to just chip away at my defenses?” She asked.

Lady Hammer lifted her weapon. “Aye! The best of battles are won with the finest of tactics, you proved as much with your forethought on your opponents.”

She grumbled. “Hardly a tactic. Wildebeest commands as Wildebeest sees best, I simply heed its voice.”

“Ah, yes, but your confidence in that voice is what led you to this point. In a sense, it was that tactic that found you success.”

“Fair enough.” She said.

They lunged at each other, Grusha grabbed hold of her warhammer by the handle and manhandled her. Both of them fought for superiority over each other's strength, that was what this battle will ultimately boil down to. They each had formidable defenses, and both had incredible strength.

Grusha asked as she struggled to force her way with the hammer in hand. “Tell me, what is your purpose?”

Lady Hammer grunted as she struggled. “You ask now?”

Escaping from each other's grasps, they leapt apart from each other. Staring dead in the eyes, alert for any aggressive movements.

“Did Static seriously believe I thought so little of myself that I’d turn myself in willingly?”

Her opponent's stance did not change. “It would seem to be that was at least a hope of his, but I must confess, I would not know if he expected you to or not. What does this have to do with my purpose? It would seem to me Wildebeest entirely uncorrelated.”

“Perhaps.” She admitted. “I fight for myself. My ideals. Now, it seems my ideals have been misplaced. What about yours?”

Silence.

“My ideals are the glory and honor accoladed from bouts of battle, the truest expression of one’s self and determination. Cavalry happens to be the finest way fulfilling my desires, and now, my desires lead the swings of my Pegasus. So brace yourself, Beast!”

Lady Hammer lunged at her again, followed by a series of seamless swings that did not stop when failed to land. When she missed a hit, she twisted her wrists and stepped closer to strike Grusha with her shield to then swing with the warhammer in her other hand again. After she swung and missed again, Grusha propelled herself upwards and grabbed onto her shield, wanting to strip her of her gear. The shield was ripped from her possession, and Grusha tossed her shield unbelievably far away.

Landing back back on her limbs, she hunched her back challengingly. The quills shivered menacingly, sensitive to information that reached her brain. Perspiration, from it was just the odor of adrenaline in its purest form, not even the slightest hint of fear. Lady Hammer was a beast just like her, to her it was satisfying to know someone like her existed.

Her opponent stood across her and wiped the sweat that rolled down her cheek with her free wrist, Hammer was having the time of her life. Flexing warhammer spins, she launched greaves onto her location. The cape often made it difficult to tell the arcing trajectory of her warhammer in this one-on-one engagement, not that it mattered that much, Lady Hammer was the master of the warhammer and could change its course on a dime.

The hammer swung behind her as she lunged in, forcing Grusha to defend on her left side by holding her arm up to block it. At the tip of the swing, her warhammer curved towards the opposite direction and struck her on her exposed right side. A second blow landed against her, sending her flying over a hundred meters across.

Shaking her head to reboot her senses, she felt her atop of her about to strike another blow on her backside. A foolish mistake, her quills were the strongest part of her body. The hammer struck her backside on the quills, fissuring the ground beneath Grusha from the impact. Her quills twisted upwards, sending the hammer flying far away. That last blow left her gasping for breaths, even though it did not cause her physical harm, she could feel her skin starting to soften. This was not good for her, her impenetrable armor was the main thing that kept going to begin with.

“You’re waning, Wildebeest. It would seem to be your limits are near, meaning it is curtain falls for you.” Lady Hammer taunted.

“Waning? I barely started.”

“Snarky does not befit you my beast.”

“Neither you, Enyo.”

Her rival's expression grimaced, implying certain death. “For the final time, I go by Lady Hammer!”

She whipped around and in a wide arc aimed a heavy blow on Grusha’s tender side. Expecting this move beforehand, Grusha channeled a great deal of strength into her right arm. Swooping against her warhammer, she swatted her weapon away from her grips, sending it flying far away much like the hammer.

Lady Hammer was knocked back, flipping back onto her feet. Now weaponless, she held her fists up ready to brawl with her bare hands. She slipped forwards on her knees and punched Grusha in the abdomen, knocking her up. Hammer then grabbed and brought her down, kneeing her in the abdomen then tossing her aside.

Grusha stood back up immediately and flayed in from sideways, aiming swings on her sides. Hammer just blocked her attacks with her gauntlets, and held her hands. Taking advantage she was on one foot, she swung her aside onto the hard ground sending her rolling. She regained balance and stood on three limbs again. Steam began to envelop her body, sending vast amounts of energy to waste. It was now or never to decide the outcome of this fight.

Hammer knew that Grusha was very near her limit, she did a flying kick at her and aimed her strikes at her back. She had her front side covered from taking anymore blows, forcing Lady Hammer to attempt blows on her much sturdier shoulders and back. On top of that, she avoided her approaches waiting for her opening. Then she saw the opening she was waiting for.

Now that they were on moist soil, Hammer’s heavy armor dug her deeper into the ground than Grusha. This change of environment was all Grusha needed, her wide hands and webbings made it easy to travel on this type of terrain. Lady Hammer learned what was going on a moment too late, she tried to jump out but was hampered by the slick terrain. Taking absolute advantage of the circumstances, Grusha flipped up and over Lady Hammer. She grabbed hold of her shoulders and knocked her down onto her back, sinking her into the moist ground. Without hesitation, she ripped her right arm off.

Lady Hammer screamed in pain, with her left hand she grabbed at where her arm was moments ago. Grusha stepped back, letting Hammer grope painfully at what was now no longer there. She keeled over on the muddy ground, screaming in agony.

Lifting her opponent by wringing her fingers around her neck, she stared at her deep in her eyes. Her helmet slipped off and fell to the ground, revealing her muddied up face. A once beautiful art of a face was made hideous as she sobbed, ruined from her emotions running amok. Her perspiration reeked of fear for the first time, which satisfied Grusha greatly. Her entire backside was covered in mud, ruining the entire warrior persona she had identified herself as.

“Fair Wildebeest.” She hiccuped between sobs. “Make my death legendary.”

Wildebeest wrung her fingers tighter nervously, there was slight hesitation. A part of her told her it was not necessary, but the voice inside shouted loudly and clearly. This was the law of the beasts, the only one they would abide by. The law of the strongest. If anyone were to reach the top of the chain, it was going to be her. Then and only then, would she carry out her will and end the existence of all demis once and for all.

A deep breath, she acknowledged her rival’s request. “Very well. As you wish, might Lady Hammer.”

Lady Hammer smiled through her sobbing, happy from her name being used by her revered rival.