Scipio swung his sword down. It met Ichi's red pulsing sword. Scipio pushed forwards into Ichi's face as he stared at Ichi's sword.

"It's not cutting? Why isn't it cutting? Do you know what this sword is, Ichi?"

Ichi pushed Scipio back in response. He struck through Scipio's defense again. Scipio right arm flew off, but a tentacle placed it back on. Ichi saw Scipio's confusion and pressed his attack. Each strike would go anywhere but where he aimed, but it would cut. No matter how many times he cut Scipio to shreds, Scipio still could strike back.

The battle was already over. Ichi knew that. He couldn't win.

Until he smelled Renya behind him. Ichi turned in a flash, blocking Renya's strike. She was panting with a silver sword in her hands. His eyes moved to the cat ears on her head. His mind nodded in silent approval as his eyes drifted to the sword coming for his neck.

"Syon handed them out like candy, didn't she?" Ichi thought to himself. "She's desperate."

A rain of silver strikes that blocked Ichi's vision flew down upon him. From the other side, Scipio snuck in a cut to his ribs before Ichi could block. He didn't have time to do anything but trust his sword would move as he was sandwiched between blocking gold and silver slashes. Ichi's shoulder tore, his thigh took a stab, the weight the strikes pushed him around like a leaf in the wind. The red orc sword went everywhere. All Ichi could do was keep the magic of flawless strike channeled. His calm mind and the orc sword allowed him to survive. The silver sword and gold sword were ploughed aside. Renya's strikes stopped.

Ichi channelled the black stick in his hand. It grew violet and pushed his body away from Scipio, away from the white stick on his back.

Renya faced Scipio.

"You're in the way."

She launched herself into him. Ichi watched Renya's strikes pour down on Scipio with relief. He didn't think he would have lasted much longer against both of them at once.

Renya diced him. Each of Scipio's strikes outward could block maybe a hundred of Renya's strikes. However, Renya's strikes were like raindrops. What's worse was that they increased the longer she attacked. Scipio's face only contorted more as his body flew into pieces. Tentacles surged out to pass the golden sword back to him but a silver flash cut them. Renya didn't move, yet the locations of her strikes did. The pile of flesh that used to be Scipio moved as tentacles curled out from portals, tending to it.

Ichi smiled as he saw Scipio's sorry state until Renya rushed him. He saw Rikya and Satou walk out of the fort. By that time he was already deep in the forest fighting off an excited Renya.

"You'll kill me at this rate." Ichi complained.

Renya laughed heartily in response. Ichi kept swinging his sword. He had to keep calm. He had to keep swinging. He had to trust that Rikya and Satou could handle Scipio's scraps from here. He doubted he'd live to see them again if he didn't.