Curse magic! Serenity disliked curses. He knew many - they were associated with Necromancy as also being “of the Dark magics,” even though they weren’t actually related in any way. While they were useful, they were far too similar to Divine magic for his taste. They weren’t always about calling on outside forces, but most were. Any time you called on a Power to accomplish something, you were admitting you weren’t good enough. That was sometimes necessary but -

[Curse resistance unlocked]

Finally!

Serenity’s leg uncramped as he tried to roll out of the way of Raymond’s overhead slash. He wouldn’t have had a chance if Raymond hadn’t decided to seriously over-telegraph his intentions like he was in a movie or something.

Perhaps Raymond just didn’t know how to fight?

As it was, Serenity didn’t quite make it. He jerked his left arm out of the way at the last moment and the slash hit him in the side a few inches below his ribcage, close to where Raymond’s bullet had hit a few weeks earlier - much deeper, but fortunately all it cut was muscle and fat, since that was all Serenity had there.

Once again, grateful to not have intestines. I have got to stop getting hit!

Serenity tried to get up only to find out that those cut muscles were pretty important to the process. It took him far longer than it should have, and his flexibility and strength were both damaged until he had a chance to heal.

On the positive side, his left shoulder was working again.

He glanced over at the fight between Echo and Macho, to see Echo stabbing Macho while he held his head in pain.

Under control. Good enough.

As he looked back, he saw another man running towards the fight. One of the archers. He hadn’t even discarded his bow.

Shit. Out of time. Help had better get here fast -

Serenity might not be able to swing his body at the moment, but his legs were fine. He launched himself at Raymond, tackling the man and knocking him to the ground.

Serenity’s left arm was free, and he had a moment to choose - did he put the knife in Raymond’s right shoulder and take him out of the fight or put it in his eye and take him out permanently?

It wasn’t a hard choice. There wasn’t any information they needed from Raymond, and he’d attacked Serenity twice - this time definitely trying to kill him.

The knife went in Raymond’s eye. It lodged there, and didn’t come out when Serenity tugged. He didn’t have time to fight it, so he abandoned the knife to roll to his feet.

It was a good thing he carried two knives.

Serenity managed one foot and a knee as the damaged muscles in his side betrayed him again. He swayed on his knee and grabbed his side. Macho was down and out - Serenity couldn’t tell if he was dead or just unconscious - but the archer was nearly to Echo. Hopefully Macho would survive so they could find out why he’d attacked Rissa, but he wasn’t the priority now.

While Serenity struggled to his feet, Echo seemed to yell at the archer, though Serenity didn’t hear anything. The archer grabbed his head for a moment and dropped his bow, but it was only a step later when he dropped his hand to his side to draw his sword.

Serenity made it to his feet and ran to intercept the archer. It suddenly clicked who he was - Entherys, one of the other Trial instructors. Serenity didn’t know him well; he seemed to vanish into the background whenever he met the other instructors. Sillon was the only one Serenity knew well.

Still, that meant he was at least mid-Tier 2. If he was before the stat boost at 50, Serenity might have a chance - if he weren’t injured.

Serenity doubted Entherys was that low anyway.

The real problem was that Serenity didn’t have a Path yet. He couldn’t effectively use his Affinity once combat started; it simply took too long. A magic-combat Path would provide the tools, but that didn’t solve the problem now.

“Echo! Run!” Fortunately, Echo followed Serenity’s instructions, so he was able to stop a bit farther from Entherys.

Unfortunately, that was when another arrow came out of the distance aimed at Echo. Serenity didn’t see it coming - he was distracted by another man running towards them from the direction Entherys came from - but Echo saw it. She shouted something and a distortion in the air hit the arrow, shattering it and making the arrowhead spin in the air.

Serenity took a step towards Echo, to block Entherys from attacking her. He didn't expect it, but that didn't mean he shouldn't try.

It was pure good luck that put him between the arrow and Echo. The arrowhead hit Serenity’s armor with the broken shaft. It knocked the air out of his lungs, but didn’t penetrate.

The man running towards them was Doyle. Serenity was relieved that help was coming - hopefully Doyle would be soon enough to save Echo - but that still meant Serenity had to hold off Entherys for a while.

Entherys feinted towards Serenity as the arrowhead hit him, but seemed surprised when Serenity didn’t fall down. “Your little pet saved you.”

If Entherys wanted to waste time talking, that was fine with Serenity. “That’s what happens in combat. A team supports each other. You wouldn’t know that, would you?”

Of course, if he could anger Entherys into making a mistake, that would be even better.

Entherys roared, stepped forward, and stabbed at Serenity. It was easy enough to fade back a step and simply avoid the attack.

Serenity’s side wasn’t bleeding anymore, and it felt like the muscle was holding together. It was weak, but at least it wasn’t severed anymore. The ability to quickly heal in combat was amazing, but Serenity could tell that he was nearly out of healing energy. He needed to stop taking damage.

Serenity was theoretically at a disadvantage, with only a long knife - not even a shortsword in length - against Entherys’s longsword. Even the few steps he’d taken showed him Entherys was also a hair faster - but only a hair. They were closely matched there.

Whether or not Entherys had better strength or stamina - well, strength didn’t matter. Serenity couldn’t afford to get hit. Stamina probably didn’t matter either. Serenity only had to hold out long enough for help to arrive, and if he could fight Kerr for hours, even at that lower intensity … surely he could hold Entherys off for minutes.

Entherys stabbed again, the same move. Serenity decided to fade in the opposite direction this time - he didn’t want to risk Entherys deliberately baiting him to go one direction.

After the fifth attack, Serenity recognized the moveset Entherys was using. “Swordsman line, courtly subset, specialized in dueling with rapiers. Noble Fencer, or something like that. What the hell are you doing using a longsword like that?”

Doyle was nearly to the fight, and if Serenity distracted Entherys, maybe they’d get an advantage. Entherys was wearing armor, and it was better armor than what Serenity had. A simple blow to the vitals wasn’t going to stop him, unless you had the power to go through the armor - and Serenity wasn’t sure he did. Doyle definitely wouldn’t.

Serenity took an extra step back and kicked the ground. It knocked a divot of earth free, which landed on Entherys’s foot. He couldn’t openly say anything to Doyle without alerting Entherys, but maybe Doyle would get the hint.

Probably not, it was a terrible hint. More likely he’d just figure it out on his own.

“You can use any sword style with any sword! Idiot!” Entherys puffed himself up and posed. Serenity couldn’t believe how ignorant he was.

“Can? Maybe. Should? Definitely not. Did you ever learn the Astikran Counters? I don’t think they’re in any of the Path lines.” Serenity smiled. Doyle was crawling towards Entherys, and he was about there.

Entherys was still posing. “Astik- you’re making that up! Anything good would be in a Path!”

Such an idiot. Letting me delay him like this -

“Paths are for common use. Training is for special situations. Such as NOW!”

Doyle cut the back of Entherys’s right ankle, damaging his Achilles tendon. Serenity didn’t know or care how bad the damage was - it was the perfect opportunity.

Serenity remembered his past and allowed it to take control.

Serenity’s eyes glowed with blue-white fire.

He stepped forward, catching Entherys’s sword with his left hand and deflecting it. In the proper counter, he’d have been wearing a glove to protect his hand, but in an emergency anything up to and including impaling your hand on the sword was included in the counter. That was what healing was for.

If Entherys had known of the Astikran Counters, he might have been able to keep his sword free; he was faster than Serenity, even if only a little, and it was fairly easy to prevent that particular counter if you were faster and knew it was coming.

While Entherys was distracted by pain and Serenity’s hold on his sword, Serenity stepped in close and slid his knife into the space in Entherys’s armor under his armpit. While there was limited armor there, it was little better than cloth and the knife went a few inches in before it became too broad for the small opening.

It wasn’t enough to take out Entherys, but it made him let go of his sword to clutch at Serenity.

Who let this man out of the training courts with so little actual experience?

Doyle grabbed Entherys’s midsection armor where it flared out loosely just below the waist and tugged to the side and back. Without the support of his damaged leg, Entherys crashed into the ground.

Serenity hung on to his knife and followed Entherys down. As they fell, the knife came out of Entherys’s armpit. Serenity reoriented and as soon as they landed he pushed Entherys flat on his back and knelt on his swordarm. The other arm might or might not be usable after the damage to the armpit, but it didn’t have a weapon. Serenity held the bloody knife near Entherys’s face.

“Struggle and it goes in your eye.” Serenity was done with this fight, and it came through in the absolutely neutral, emotionless way he spoke. Previously, he’d been keyed up, but that statement sounded almost relaxed. The only reason he didn’t kill Entherys immediately was that there had been another attacker, one who hadn’t run into melee.

Entherys stopped struggling.

That was when help arrived.

Most of the new arrivals ran off to look for the second archer, but Serenity handed control of Entherys over to Kerr. “How -?”

Serenity spoke in the same flat, emotionless voice. “He never trained. Everything he knew was from a Path, and it wasn’t even the right weapon for the Path. It was a better weapon to attack with, perhaps, but he didn’t know it. I also had help.” Serenity nodded at Doyle. It was almost, but not quite, a bow. “Thank you.”

“Please take care of him. I haven’t decided what the appropriate punishment is yet. He needs to answer some questions as well. Also, the students, if they live.” Serenity gestured vaguely in their direction. “I’ll be in my room. I need to take a shower. It looks like I will also need new armor, but I suppose that can wait until tomorrow.”

The group watched as Serenity left. Kerr spoke, “That was … Serenity? Does he need - ?”

He didn’t even walk like Serenity.

“No.” Echo stated. “That’s who Serenity used to be. I prefer our Serenity. I think he just needs time.”

Serenity could hear them talking about him as he walked away. Echo was correct; he wasn’t exactly Serenity right now. Serenity was both the Final Reaper and Thomas. Both and neither.

Thomas was hiding, letting the Final Reaper manage things right now.

Serenity himself was … somewhere. Somewhere cold and distant, where nothing mattered.

Serenity could have turned back to say something … but he just didn’t care. Echo was right. He needed time.

For some reason, no one bothered the blood-soaked instructor with damaged armor, a bared bloody knife, and fiery eyes on his way back to his room.

Name: Serenity

Species: Human Chimera (Altered Template)

Core: Connecting

Progression: 83.2%

Features: 2/10

True

Crystal

Path: Paths Available

Level: 96 (730/970)

Tier: 0, 0/96 Spent

Path History: None

Condition: Healthy

Healing Available: Full

Mana: 750/750

Stamina: 800/800

Might: 70

Agility: 65

Phys: 70

Understanding: 67

Will: 65

Mind: 66

Perception: 65

Luck: 65 - 165%

Ev: 38

Resistances

Curse: 263

Pain: 1033 (33 active)

Pleasure: 23

Sleep: 1

Unknown

Affinities

Death: 101.83%

Life: 14%

Mind: 30%

Arcane: 50%

Plasma: 42%

Liquid: 6%

Vapor: 14%

Solid: 17%

Energy: 40%

Void: 60%

Time: 15%

Space: 5%

Concepts

Death

Mind: 15%

Void: 25%

Time: 5%

Unknown

Aspects: Unknown

Titles

Previous Supreme Existence

Altered Template

Named

Ghost in the System