Jarek, Erika, and a small group of elite soldiers approached the gates of the citadel. They stopped as the sentry men atop the defensive walls shouted, “Who goes there?!”
Jarek shouted back up to the men, “I am Jarek Heraklinos, and this is Erika Sage. We demand an audience with Xenia BloodStar.”
The sentries were stunned, “Jarek Heraklinos? Shit! Get Mattison on the radio immediately, so he can contact the Warlord!”
One sentry frantically raced to get Mattison on the line while the other shouted back down to Jarek, “Give us one moment while we relay your message to Warlord BloodStar.”
Jarek nodded and turned to Erika, “That is about as warm a reception we could have hoped for.”
Up on the battlements, Mattison had already checked in with Xenia and relayed her message, “The Warlord is preparing for a sparring match with Katya Nova. Please inform our guests that Erika Sage is allowed to enter alone. She may view the sparring match from the Master Suite, and after the match, she can speak with the Warlord.”
The sentry replied, “Understood. We will escort Erika to the stadium at once.”
The soldier leaned over the battlement and shouted down, “The Warlord has permitted Master Sage entry alone. Warlord BloodStar is preparing for a sparring match with Katya Nova which Master Sage is invited to attend. Afterward, Master Sage will have the opportunity to speak with Warlord BloodStar.”
Jarek sighed, “A clever move from a clever opponent.”
Erika scoffed, “She may think so.”
Jarek turned to her, “She will isolate you and test your emotions. She will look to rattle you. She will look to elicit a response from you in order to merit killing you or Jacek. Don’t let her do it.”
Erika flipped her hair, “I can handle myself, Jarek. Though, I thank you.”
Jarek and the elite soldiers took several paces away from the gates showing their willingness to allow Erika to enter alone while they stood behind.
The massive gates began to creak open and slowly swing outward revealing glimpses of inside the citadel to the group. Without looking back, Erika entered confidently as a soldier greeted her and escorted her to the stadium.
As Erika followed her guide to the stadium, she looked around in awe, “How did she manage to build such sturdy and elaborate buildings within this citadel in such a short time? She extracts expectations and success from her soldiers.”
It wasn’t long before she arrived at the stadium when she was again struck with awe, “Such a beautiful structure.” She looked on to the stadium which took cues from the ancient Roman Colosseum on the exterior with an up to date and futuristic interior filled with new technologies throughout.
The soldier led her to the Master Suite, “If these accommodations are to your liking, you may watch the sparring match from here Master Sage. I believe you are just in time to see the Warlord’s entrance.”
Erika nodded and walked up to the open-air lookout where she looked down upon the arena.
Katya was already standing in the arena. She wore a white plated armor set with blue outlines on each plate, and she held her master’s old sword in one hand with another sword sheathed on her back.
A booming announcer then shouted through the PA system, “And the moment you have all been waiting for… your Warlord! Xenia BloodStar!”
The crowd erupted with cheers that lasted for minutes. Erika could feel the entire stadium beneath her feet quake as Xenia walked out into the arena waving to her admirers.
She wore a short and loose black silk robe with her hair up in a messy bun, and her feet were adorned by knee high black leather boots. She waved with one hand and carried the hilt of BloodBane in her other hand.
Katya snarled to herself, “A silk robe? She really isn’t taking me seriously at all, is she? Let’s see if I can make her regret wearing such an outfit in a live sparring match with me.”
Katya reached behind her and unsheathed her second sword and looked to Xenia as she stood gracefully with two swords in her hands. One sword with a black-grey blade shimmering with a luster. The other sword with an ivory white blade. Both swords could channel void energy although Karasu’s old sword was much more efficient in doing so.
Xenia then pulled a microphone from the belt of her robe, “Welcome to a not-so-friendly sparring match! Katya Nova vs me!”
The crowd went wild once more until Xenia calmed them and continued, “I will do my best to not kill my opponent; however, should she, or lord forbid I, die in this match, it is allowable.”
Her silk robe sleeves gracefully billowed in the ambient wind within the open-air stadium, “Without further ado! Fight!”
Xenia threw the microphone aside and activated her sword as two long, red blades of powerful ki shot out from each side of her hilt.
Katya wasted no time charging towards Xenia with both swords as she sent both slashing horizontally at her. Xenia casually blocked the attack and began her own offensive spinning her double-bladed saber rapidly and alternating attacks with each end of her weapon.
Katya could feel herself at a disadvantage with speed, power, and technique. It was no understatement to say there was no better swordsman in the world at the moment than Xenia.
Katya managed to channel her ki into her swords creating void energy with the blades. She then spun in a circle releasing a concentric blast of void energy which Xenia merely smiled at as she blocked the attack with her ki blades.
Katya frowned not knowing how she could block such an attack. It was her understanding that void energy would instantly send anything it came into contact with, including ki, into another dimension.
Xenia smiled at Katya, “Karasu couldn’t understand it either. You aren’t alone!”
As Erika looked down on the match, she heard one unruly fan that stood out from the other soldiers. This man shouted, “Let’s go Xenia! Get her!”
Erika took note and softly said, “Jacek? Why is he cheering so avidly for Xenia?!”
The man shouted once more, “Show us your footwork!”
Xenia smiled as she looked over to Jacek who was leaning over the railing in the front row at mid-field. She winked to him and blew him a kiss, “Okay darling! I will showcase my footwork!”
Erika assumed a disgusted face as Xenia blew a kiss to Jacek and winked at him, “How could she!? How could he?!” She slammed her fists on the railing and continued to watch in anger.
Xenia looked to Katya, “I admit, it’s a little early to be showing off such an advance set of moves; however, my lover Jacek has requested it personally. How could I say no?”
Katya grit her teeth, “Do your worst!”
Xenia smiled, “Very well.” She charged Katya swinging her blade with purpose. The most alarming part of her approach for Katya was indeed the footwork. She couldn’t tell which way Xenia planned to move next until it was too late.
Katya struggled to keep up as Xenia made intricate move after move, and Katya soon found herself backing up and using all of her mental energy to keep up with blocking the incoming onslaught of attacks.
Xenia twirled her double-bladed saber in front and behind her sometimes also somersaulting and flipping through the air as she continued her onslaught mercilessly on the hugely outclassed Katya.
Katya even swung strikes of void energy at Xenia to interrupt her kata of sorts; however, it was all for naught as Xenia continued like a machine of death coming towards her.
Xenia’s movements continued to pick in speed moving faster and faster until finally Katya lost track of her feet and her blades. The mistake was nearly fatal as Katya noticed all too late that Xenia had let loose a horizontal strike directly at her waist.
Xenia’s blade cut through Katya’s waist like butter as her body was cut clean in half. Xenia’s blade had been moving so fast and so perfectly straight that Katya’s upper body still sat atop her lower body although it had been completely sliced through.
Xenia walked up to her, “You should thank me. That sequence of strikes isn’t meant to end with a horizontal blow. It is meant to end with a vertical strike to split your entire body into left and right pieces. Thank Jacek for convincing me not to kill you today.”
She then leaned in and kissed the stunned Katya on the lips. After her kiss, she pressed a single finger against her chest causing the upper part of her body to fall to the ground in a pool of blood.
Her intestines and uterus peaked out from the massive injury, and Xenia aimed her healing ki at Katya. The white light began to heal her; however, Xenia merely healed the gaping wound to stop the bleeding. She left Katya without a lower half.
Xenia then turned and pointed directly at Erika Sage, “In honor of our special guest in attendance today, Master Sage, I have spared Katya Nova’s life, and I formally gift Katya to the Sage Empire.”
Xenia turned back to Katya and knelt down beside her, “I hope you learned something here today. That is what you wanted isn’t it?”
She then stood and walked out of the arena to a deafening and thunderous roar of applause from her soldiers.
As she exited, she looked to Mattison who stood waiting for her, “I will now see Erika alone. Prepare an afternoon tea time on my terrace.”
Mattison nodded his head and motioned for the nearby soldiers to fulfill her orders at once.
Meanwhile, a soldier entered the Master viewing suite and addressed Erika, “Master Sage. If you will follow me, I will bring you to Warlord BloodStar’s private tea time on her terrace for you two to privately discuss your affairs.”
Erika was furious after watching Jacek cheer for Xenia, of all people. She had also watched the dismemberment of one of the most talented swordsmen remaining in the Allied Forces ranks, and she was prepared to give Xenia a fiery ultimatum.
Jarek, Erika, and a small group of elite soldiers approached the gates of the citadel. They stopped as the sentry men atop the defensive walls shouted, “Who goes there?!”
Jarek shouted back up to the men, “I am Jarek Heraklinos, and this is Erika Sage. We demand an audience with Xenia BloodStar.”
The sentries were stunned, “Jarek Heraklinos? Shit! Get Mattison on the radio immediately, so he can contact the Warlord!”
One sentry frantically raced to get Mattison on the line while the other shouted back down to Jarek, “Give us one moment while we relay your message to Warlord BloodStar.”
Jarek nodded and turned to Erika, “That is about as warm a reception we could have hoped for.”
Up on the battlements, Mattison had already checked in with Xenia and relayed her message, “The Warlord is preparing for a sparring match with Katya Nova. Please inform our guests that Erika Sage is allowed to enter alone. She may view the sparring match from the Master Suite, and after the match, she can speak with the Warlord.”
The sentry replied, “Understood. We will escort Erika to the stadium at once.”
The soldier leaned over the battlement and shouted down, “The Warlord has permitted Master Sage entry alone. Warlord BloodStar is preparing for a sparring match with Katya Nova which Master Sage is invited to attend. Afterward, Master Sage will have the opportunity to speak with Warlord BloodStar.”
Jarek sighed, “A clever move from a clever opponent.”
Erika scoffed, “She may think so.”
Jarek turned to her, “She will isolate you and test your emotions. She will look to rattle you. She will look to elicit a response from you in order to merit killing you or Jacek. Don’t let her do it.”
Erika flipped her hair, “I can handle myself, Jarek. Though, I thank you.”
Jarek and the elite soldiers took several paces away from the gates showing their willingness to allow Erika to enter alone while they stood behind.
The massive gates began to creak open and slowly swing outward revealing glimpses of inside the citadel to the group. Without looking back, Erika entered confidently as a soldier greeted her and escorted her to the stadium.
As Erika followed her guide to the stadium, she looked around in awe, “How did she manage to build such sturdy and elaborate buildings within this citadel in such a short time? She extracts expectations and success from her soldiers.”
It wasn’t long before she arrived at the stadium when she was again struck with awe, “Such a beautiful structure.” She looked on to the stadium which took cues from the ancient Roman Colosseum on the exterior with an up to date and futuristic interior filled with new technologies throughout.
The soldier led her to the Master Suite, “If these accommodations are to your liking, you may watch the sparring match from here Master Sage. I believe you are just in time to see the Warlord’s entrance.”
Erika nodded and walked up to the open-air lookout where she looked down upon the arena.
Katya was already standing in the arena. She wore a white plated armor set with blue outlines on each plate, and she held her master’s old sword in one hand with another sword sheathed on her back.
A booming announcer then shouted through the PA system, “And the moment you have all been waiting for… your Warlord! Xenia BloodStar!”
The crowd erupted with cheers that lasted for minutes. Erika could feel the entire stadium beneath her feet quake as Xenia walked out into the arena waving to her admirers.
She wore a short and loose black silk robe with her hair up in a messy bun, and her feet were adorned by knee high black leather boots. She waved with one hand and carried the hilt of BloodBane in her other hand.
Katya snarled to herself, “A silk robe? She really isn’t taking me seriously at all, is she? Let’s see if I can make her regret wearing such an outfit in a live sparring match with me.”
Katya reached behind her and unsheathed her second sword and looked to Xenia as she stood gracefully with two swords in her hands. One sword with a black-grey blade shimmering with a luster. The other sword with an ivory white blade. Both swords could channel void energy although Karasu’s old sword was much more efficient in doing so.
Xenia then pulled a microphone from the belt of her robe, “Welcome to a not-so-friendly sparring match! Katya Nova vs me!”
The crowd went wild once more until Xenia calmed them and continued, “I will do my best to not kill my opponent; however, should she, or lord forbid I, die in this match, it is allowable.”
Her silk robe sleeves gracefully billowed in the ambient wind within the open-air stadium, “Without further ado! Fight!”
Xenia threw the microphone aside and activated her sword as two long, red blades of powerful ki shot out from each side of her hilt.
Katya wasted no time charging towards Xenia with both swords as she sent both slashing horizontally at her. Xenia casually blocked the attack and began her own offensive spinning her double-bladed saber rapidly and alternating attacks with each end of her weapon.
Katya could feel herself at a disadvantage with speed, power, and technique. It was no understatement to say there was no better swordsman in the world at the moment than Xenia.
Katya managed to channel her ki into her swords creating void energy with the blades. She then spun in a circle releasing a concentric blast of void energy which Xenia merely smiled at as she blocked the attack with her ki blades.
Katya frowned not knowing how she could block such an attack. It was her understanding that void energy would instantly send anything it came into contact with, including ki, into another dimension.
Xenia smiled at Katya, “Karasu couldn’t understand it either. You aren’t alone!”
As Erika looked down on the match, she heard one unruly fan that stood out from the other soldiers. This man shouted, “Let’s go Xenia! Get her!”
Erika took note and softly said, “Jacek? Why is he cheering so avidly for Xenia?!”
The man shouted once more, “Show us your footwork!”
Xenia smiled as she looked over to Jacek who was leaning over the railing in the front row at mid-field. She winked to him and blew him a kiss, “Okay darling! I will showcase my footwork!”
Erika assumed a disgusted face as Xenia blew a kiss to Jacek and winked at him, “How could she!? How could he?!” She slammed her fists on the railing and continued to watch in anger.
Xenia looked to Katya, “I admit, it’s a little early to be showing off such an advance set of moves; however, my lover Jacek has requested it personally. How could I say no?”
Katya grit her teeth, “Do your worst!”
Xenia smiled, “Very well.” She charged Katya swinging her blade with purpose. The most alarming part of her approach for Katya was indeed the footwork. She couldn’t tell which way Xenia planned to move next until it was too late.
Katya struggled to keep up as Xenia made intricate move after move, and Katya soon found herself backing up and using all of her mental energy to keep up with blocking the incoming onslaught of attacks.
Xenia twirled her double-bladed saber in front and behind her sometimes also somersaulting and flipping through the air as she continued her onslaught mercilessly on the hugely outclassed Katya.
Katya even swung strikes of void energy at Xenia to interrupt her kata of sorts; however, it was all for naught as Xenia continued like a machine of death coming towards her.
Xenia’s movements continued to pick in speed moving faster and faster until finally Katya lost track of her feet and her blades. The mistake was nearly fatal as Katya noticed all too late that Xenia had let loose a horizontal strike directly at her waist.
Xenia’s blade cut through Katya’s waist like butter as her body was cut clean in half. Xenia’s blade had been moving so fast and so perfectly straight that Katya’s upper body still sat atop her lower body although it had been completely sliced through.
Xenia walked up to her, “You should thank me. That sequence of strikes isn’t meant to end with a horizontal blow. It is meant to end with a vertical strike to split your entire body into left and right pieces. Thank Jacek for convincing me not to kill you today.”
She then leaned in and kissed the stunned Katya on the lips. After her kiss, she pressed a single finger against her chest causing the upper part of her body to fall to the ground in a pool of blood.
Her intestines and uterus peaked out from the massive injury, and Xenia aimed her healing ki at Katya. The white light began to heal her; however, Xenia merely healed the gaping wound to stop the bleeding. She left Katya without a lower half.
Xenia then turned and pointed directly at Erika Sage, “In honor of our special guest in attendance today, Master Sage, I have spared Katya Nova’s life, and I formally gift Katya to the Sage Empire.”
Xenia turned back to Katya and knelt down beside her, “I hope you learned something here today. That is what you wanted isn’t it?”
She then stood and walked out of the arena to a deafening and thunderous roar of applause from her soldiers.
As she exited, she looked to Mattison who stood waiting for her, “I will now see Erika alone. Prepare an afternoon tea time on my terrace.”
Mattison nodded his head and motioned for the nearby soldiers to fulfill her orders at once.
Meanwhile, a soldier entered the Master viewing suite and addressed Erika, “Master Sage. If you will follow me, I will bring you to Warlord BloodStar’s private tea time on her terrace for you two to privately discuss your affairs.”
Erika was furious after watching Jacek cheer for Xenia, of all people. She had also watched the dismemberment of one of the most talented swordsmen remaining in the Allied Forces ranks, and she was prepared to give Xenia a fiery ultimatum.
