"So you've got the hammer, the trigger and the safety," I said, pointing to the respective pieces of the firearm in my hands. "These are the main parts we want to be concerned about for now."

Handing Ace over to a patiently waiting Ghost, he gently took it from me, careful to keep his finger off the trigger for the time being, despite having the safety flicked on and no ammo in the cylinder—a good sign.

"First things first: you'll want to point it down range at all times when you're practising to minimise the risk of harm in case of an accidental discharge and when not shooting, you want your finger off the trigger, which I see you're already doing," I told him as he listened to me intently.

Lightly taking his arm, I lift it up and adjust Ace to a better position in his hand.

"You want your hand as high as it'll go. Try to get the centre line of the bore in line with your arm, that way it'll only recoil back. The more leverage and leeway you give it, the more it'll kick," I instruct him as I then take his free hand. "Next is what to do with your support hand. What I like to do is get my hand under the trigger guard here-" I motion towards the mentioned portion of the revolver. "-and really wrap my thumb around it and push in and lock in your grip."

Stepping back, I give the taller man a little space. "Oh and don't be too rigid. Keep your arms firm yet delicate, like a tense jellyfish."

Ghost looked at me strangely before nodding and lifted the high-power revolver. Slowly pulling the trigger, the hammer moved back softly before slamming forward, striking the bullet primer, causing an internal chain reaction. The bullet zoomed out through the barrel, leaving behind a fireball bigger than a balled fist as it exited. Ghost flinched and stumbled back a few steps as he experienced the Ace's recoil.

"Oh ho ho ho!" He chuckled loudly, his eyes full of a glee I hadn't seen from him.

"Right?" I smiled widely. "How's it feel?"

"Stronger than I expected, I won't lie, Sir," Ghost replied. "I've seen you handle it like it's nothing."

"To be fair, I've been handling similar weapons for a long time, so I'm used to it," I shrugged.

"If I may, Sir," Ghost said, carefully looking over Ace. "What is it exactly?"

I look at the firearm for a moment before I look back up at the waiting man. "A piece of long-forgotten technology."

"How do you mean?"

I wave my hand dismissively. "Ah, it doesn't matter."

Ghost squinted his eyes a little before raising Ace and aiming down its sights again. "Permission to speak freely Sir?"

"Always Ghost," I reply.

"You're a strange one," He said with a light tone of mirth in his voice.

I couldn't help but grin at his words. "Oh believe me Ghost, I know."

Ghost waited a moment before pulling the trigger again, the same fireball emitting from the barrel accompanied by the Ace's signature loud boom. He stepped back, this time not knocked back as far as he had the first time and rolled his shoulders while flexing and bending his arms. Though his face was covered as always, I could see the enjoyment in his eyes. It reminded me of my first time firing a gun.

"So what do you think of the stone?" He asked.

I Folded my arms as I watched him retake aim. "I dunno. It's a strange one. It's gotten the Mages really flummoxed. Whatever it is, I've got a bad feeling about it."

"Gut feeling?"

"You know it."

Ghost fired another shot, this time he was able to keep his ground and not flinch nearly as much as his previous rounds.

"You've gotten used to that," I commented.

"It's nothing like I shot before, Sir," He replied. "But it feels...natural."

"That's good," I nodded. "Opens up a new avenue of possibilities for use on the field. Want to keep going?"

"If you don't mind Sir?"

My grin widened. "Not at all Ghost. It holds twelve rounds so when it runs dry, let me know and I'll fill her back up."

"How does work Sir?" Ghost asked. "Your munition supply I mean. How do you have so much at any given moment?"

"Honestly? Not a damn clue. All I know is that it works and if it ain't broke, don't fix it," I shrugged.

Reaching my left hand into the right inner pocket of my purple fabric and leather coat, I immediately feel a cold metal cylinder materialize in my grasp. I quickly pull it out and huck it up slightly into the air, catching it with a small flourish, rolling it in my fingers as I flash it at Ghost who simply looks at me confused and mildly amazed as I sit on the wooden bench in front of us.

"Like I said, if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Ghost looked at the cylinder for a moment, reaching down for it and looking it over, spinning and rolling it around to better look at its every detail before shifting his gaze to Ace and then to me.

"How can this-" He holds the cylinder up. "-hold twelve rounds?"

I shrug again. "Magic most likely. That stuff can honestly explain most of everything. No clue how it works, no matter how many times the Princesses try to explain it to me."

Ghost simply nodded, placing the cylinder back down onto the bench. "Magic," He repeated. "You aren't the only one it confuses Sir."

"Glad to know I'm not the only one," I chuckle. "Magic's a real bitch."

"So how do you produce the fire then if you don't understand magic?" He asked suddenly, aiming again.

"How do you mean?" I ask, quirking an eyebrow.

"Well you told me about when you fell into the tunnel," He explained. "You produced fire that helped you see. I was wonderin' how you did it."

"I..." I paused briefly. "I honestly don't know. It just happened."

"It just happened?" He repeated. "So it happened randomly?"

"Not quite," I replied. "The best way I can explain it is it felt like...I dunno, instinct I guess? I feel like I could control it if I wanted to, but it also just kinda...happened."

"Permission to speak freely, Sir?"

"Always Ghost, you know this."

"That doesn't make any fuckin' sense," He said. "How does that make sense?"

I sigh deeply as I look at my hand, clenching it momentarily, feeling it heat up before letting it go slack. "That's what I'm still trying to figure out."

Ghost gives me a momentary side-eye before looking back down Ace's sights. "With all due respect Sir, you make less and less sense the more I get to know you."

I couldn't help but laugh. "You aren't the only one!"

Ghost once again pulled the trigger and seemed to have adjusted well to the firearm despite having fired it for the first time not five minutes ago.

"You handled Ace remarkably well Ghost."

"How do people normally handle it, Sir?" He asked.

"Well, people would fall over, it would kick back and hit them in the face or it would fly completely out their hands," I laughed. "That one's always funny."

I could hear Ghost chuckle softly.

"How did you handle it, Sir?"

"Oh it flew clean out of my hands," I replied before I laughed again. "To be fair I was like, ten and barely broke four feet."

Ghost chuckled again along with me as he continued. "It's strong, but it feels amazing I won't lie."

"I know the feeling."

~~

I sat on the stone railing of the balcony of my room as I stared out into nothing in particular, my sword leaning against the railing beside me. Idly, I shuffled the thick stack of cards that Rarity had been so kind to gift me those months ago that felt so distant yet so recent. I looked down as my hands worked on their own as I sifted through what few tricks I had been able to learn when I had my last deck before I lost them.

I slightly shifted my head as I heard the door open behind me, a heavy and distinct set of footsteps getting closer before stopping a few paces away from me followed by a soft thud as the individual presumedly rested on a nearby chair. A soft smile worked onto my face and I looked back out at this and that.

"You alright Celestia?"

Celestia seemed to shift a small bit as I could hear her roll her shoulders which let out some small pops.

"Tired, stressed and all I want to do right now is sleep," She replied before letting out a soft laugh. "But what's new?"

I chuckled a little as well. "I bet. Though you handle it remarkably well."

"Well, I have been doing this for well over a thousand years," She replied. "I'd hope I could 'handle it well'."

I chuckled again. "Touche."

"But enough about me," She said suddenly. "I came here for you."

"For me?" I asked, briefly pausing shuffling the deck in my hands.

"Of course," She replied. "With how hectic things have been recently, we haven't been able to simply sit down and talk."

"Come to think of it, you're right," I agreed.

"Exactly. Plus, I also wanted to make sure you were alright as well, given how stressful things have been as of late," She said. "So how are you, Percival?"

"Honestly, it all feels like an elaborate fever dream," I chuckled.

"What does?"

My shoulders slouch slightly. "Everything really. Being your Paladin. Las Almas. Ghost. And don't get me started on being a General."

"Last time I trained troops, I swore to myself I wouldn't do it again, that I had had enough," I continued. "Like I told Twilight, I've seen more than my fair share, and now I'm back in the middle of the thick of it I can't help but feel it's all just...another nightmare. But I'm constantly reminded it's real."

"Do...do you regret your decisions?" She asked after a few moments.

"No," I answered quickly, turning around to face the Solar Princess. "I was a wanderer for a long time, a man without a purpose or reason. I think this, for whatever reason, be it divine or otherwise, is my purpose."

"Percival, this may seem odd but may I ask you something?"

"You're my boss so I can't really say no," I smirked.

"How old are you?" She asked.

I paused.

Memories flashed through my eyes. Memories of Earth, both pleasant and otherwise. Memories of my Grandfather, of my Sister and of the man I had long hated. Memories of the people and places I had seen and been. Memories of smoke, fire and death, of comrades and enemies. All in the flash of a second.

My mind was then quickly overtaken by images of black expanses, dotted by white specks that moved and shifted, bobbed and weaved with seemingly random, but beautiful grace. It was overtaken by memories of peeling skin, shifting bones and melding flesh. Images and memories that felt as though they went on for eternity and aeons and went by in an instant flash. Contradictory periods of time at odds, forever at war for what is right and what is wrong.

My mind snapped back to reality when I felt a soft hand on my shoulder. I looked back and saw Celestia looking at me, worry clear in her bright magenta eyes.

"Are you ok Percival?"

"Yeah...I'm alright," I replied evenly. "To be honest Chief...I don't really know."

"You...don't know?" She repeated incredulously. "What do you mean you don't know?"

"I've gone through a lot of shit," I said honestly, shrugging as I did. "At some point, I stopped caring and I lost count."

In the distance in the peripheral of my hearing, in an almost ethereal way, I could have sworn I had heard a familiar, deep and almost offended and shocked gasp, as though the words alone were enough to elicit capital punishment.

"I'd ask what happened to make you stop caring...but I don't want to push my luck," Celestia said, stepping back as I spun my legs around, letting them touch the balcony floor as I leaned against the railing.

"We'll get there one day," I said, placing the deck of cards in their box before folding my arms. "Just not today."

"Well, when you feel ready, I'll be there to listen," She replied with a nod, lightly placing his hand on the shoulder.

"Thanks, Chief," I smiled quietly.

"Of course," She said.

She let go of my shoulder and stepped back. That was when an all too familiar sensation washed over me. Butterflies fluttered around in my stomach as my finger began twitching and my heart's pace picked up, while my senses became acutely aware of the surroundings. My eyes snapped up as I realized what the feeling meant.

"Move!"

"Celestia move!"

Rushing forward, I grabbed her by her shoulders and threw her to the side as hard and fast as I could in the short amount of time I had before the door to the room exploded in a shower of splinters. While I shielded my face on instinct, a sudden force rammed into my chest, sending me flying back into the solid stone railing, which promptly broke and crumbled from my impact as I barely heard my sword clatter to the floor. I tried to move to check on Celestia but felt a weight forcing me into place. My gaze shot up to be met with a wide wild grin and bloodshot eyes.

"Miss me?"

With my eyes wide as dinner plates, I reached to my thigh and hastily gripped Ace, moving as quickly as I could to bring it up. The man on top of me simply grabbed my wrist, slamming his free fist into the nook of my arms, the bones putting up little resistance as they shatter, forcing me to drop my gun.

"Nu-uh!" The man shouted as he stood with lightning speed, rapidly taking hold of my ankle and sending me flying.

I could briefly hear Celestia call out my name before an alarm blared to life a few seconds later. I crash into the ground, skidding across the cobbled pavement and leaving a deep crater in my wake. The Nobles and other residents scrambled and ran for their lives as I collided with the stone ground. Moving shakily to my knees, I gripped my now limp arm as I felt the bones and muscles shift and pulsate, stinging pain surging up the rest of my arms. Leveraging it against the ground, I tightly grasp the mending joint and push, the sudden motion snapping it into place I yell from the pain.

A loud crash alerted me to another presence while I stood as quickly as I could. The tattooed man walked towards me, fists clenched with said tattoos glowing, shifting between red and blue while he rolled his shoulders.

"I'll admit, you held on rather well last time," He said with a sarcastic clap, his voice even scratchier than when I last saw him. "So well done for that."

"How the hell-"

"Doesn't fuckin' matter!" He snapped. "What matters is this," He motioned between us before spreading his arms. "So, care to try again?"

The man burst forward, his tattoos flashing a brilliant blue. Falling back, I roll my feet up and over my head and push against the ground, sending me down the street. Easily following me, his fist collides with my face then another with my stomach. As I recoiled back, I twisted my body and shot my foot out, the metal plating connected with the man's cheek. With the momentary distraction, I rush forward.

The man quickly recovered and effortlessly blocked and dodged my attacks, an ever-unimpressed expression plastered across his face. Ducking to the side, he brought his fists up to the side of his head, stepping to the side while he struck with disturbing accuracy followed by a powerful kick to my side, using the momentum to send another to the side of my face as he spun. I flew back several metres as I tried to stay on my feet while I once again skidded to a stop.

"Come on, you can do better than that," The man commented.

Just as the words left him, a blue light flashed above his shoulder and shot out in a fast-moving projectile. My eyes widened as I jumped back, using my weight to twist my body and whirl my feet up and over my head. As I did, thick orange flames shot out and left a momentary trail, the projectile colliding with it and dispersing in a shower of sparks as another formed and rocketed towards me. Leaning to the side, the projectile shot past my head while I bobbed and weaved a flurry as the man simply stood there, a shit-eating grin spreading across his face.

Disappearing in a haze and a puff of black smoke, I hear him yell from behind me, his foot above his head, forcing me to dodge forward, more flames leaving a trail from my shoulders, lower legs and arms as he landed with a shuddering crash behind me. Stomping the ground, I propelled back and shot my leg out while the man leaned to the side and sent out a punch as I leaned back.

This back-and-forth went on for what felt like hours, the two of us sending powerful strikes, only to have them dodged or blocked. His speed was honestly impressive and I was having a hard time keeping up but I did so for as long as I could before backup arrived. The entire time, I hoped an opening would reveal itself and thankfully, one did.

Stepping to the side as the man brought his leg down, I ducked down low and brought my arm up, sweeping his other leg out from under him and drove both of my fists into his chest as hard as I could as he fell.

I ran after him as he tumbled and stumbled down the street, all while I continued his momentum, kicking and punching his flailing body until we ended up in the secluded park where we had met the first time. Kicking him one last time as he toppled over himself, he briefly touched the water's once-still surface before he collided with the park's solid marble railing that overlooked the Everfree and the mountain range beyond it.

Before the man could recover, I slammed my armoured shin into his face, picking him up by the throat and sending a flurry of punches across his stomach, chest and face, delivering one last hit that broke and crumbled the railing he leaned against, leaving him groaned as he fell to the ground, his face and body dripping with fresh blood.

"I don't know who the hell you are, but I've had enough of you."

"You'll know," He slurred, his accent a little stronger somehow as his jaw hung loosely. "You'll know."

"What the hell are you on about?"

"You'll...see," He grinned, his eyes twinkling his malis and contempt. "We...haven't gotten to that part yet."

"It's...a shame you weren't killed in Las Almas, but I can't...say I'm surprised really" He continued. "Little Prince was so sure of himself."

"Prince?" My eyebrows furrowed heavily. "What-"

"Percival!"

Glancing over my shoulder, I spotted Luna, Celestia and Ghost jogging up to me, along with at least ten Guards following closely behind them. Celestia held my sword tight in her hand while Ghost had Ace trained on the mystery man's head. Stepping up, the Solar Matriarch swiftly handed me my sword while her eyes never left the man kneeling, bloodied and battered at our feet.

"So this is him?"

"Princess Celestia! Oh, how you've grown!" He said, his tone mocking and spiteful while his jaw snapped and crunched back into place. "I see you've finally grown into your wings!"

"You talk as if you know us," Luna said. "Who are you and what is your purpose?"

"Oh how we forget," He said in a mock offended tone. "Alright, fine."

Gripping the marble railing, the man's legs shook as he hefted himself to his feet, stumbling and leaning his into his hands to keep steady. The Guards all drew their weapons while the Unicorns amongst them readied their magic as did the Princesses, their fingers twitching at his every move. Ghost never once lowered Ace.

"My name is Damien!" The man, now known as Damien, proclaimed. "And my purpose? Making sure Percival Felwinter's life is a living hell!"

Damien's tattoos flashed again as he lunged forward. Reacting on pure instinct, I whipped around and shoved the Princesses back as I felt Damien tightly grab my wrist before he swiftly pulled me in close, wrapping me in a tight bear hug. We both stumbled back, tripping over the broken and shattered railing and began rapidly descending.

"Percival!"
"Sir!"

We hit where the City met the mountain and hit the jagged rocky surface, sending us both into a tumbling freefall. Rocking my head back, I could faintly hear Damien's nose shatter over the sound of the wind passing past my ears as his grip loosened enough for me to break his grasp on me. I turned as best I could, grabbing his shoulders as I repeatedly slammed my fist into Damien's continually reddening face. Moving at lightning speed, he broke free from my grip on him and rammed his feet into my chest, sending me straight into the mountainside.

Somehow catching my footing, sparks, smoke and fire rocketed from the soles of my boots as I skidded down the sheer jagged cliff with the same ease as skiing through snow. Glancing over my shoulder, I spot Damien colliding with the mountain and pushing with frightening might as he soared through the air towards me, decimating the solid stone and sending it flying through the air in chunks and large boulder-sized pieces over our heads. I spun and brought my arms up, but it did little.

Ramming his shoulder into me, I felt the bones in my arms utterly shatter, my ribs crack and break and my lungs collapse as my feet completely left the mountainside and we plummeted into the ground below.

As we landed with a thunderous boom, the ground exploded from our impact. Dirt was sent up into a cloud around us and trees shattered, putting up little resistance as the once large boulders were broken down and shot through the air like bullets.

Laying in the several-metre-deep crater we left in our wake, I quietly gasped for air as my collapsed lungs slowly mended themselves, while my now destroyed back shifted, cracked and snapped along with my arms and ribs. Tears involuntarily ran down my face as I grimaced at any small movement I made, small wheezes being the only sound I could make. I had never tested what my healing ability was actually capable of as I didn't exactly have a desire to hurt myself, and with how little was happening, field tests weren't a viable option. Ponyville was the extent of my knowledge, and even in the cavern beneath Las Almas City Hall, all I got was bites and claw scrapes, all easily healed from. But this...this was a deep pain.

"Tsk tsk Percy," I heard Damien say from outside my vision. "Once again, incredibly disappointing."

Grabbing my ankle, he effortlessly chucked me further into the dense forest, resulting in my body crashing into a few trees, and sending me spiralling through the air. I tumbled and rolled across the destroyed dirt, hitting and rolling over sticks and stones as I came to a stop.

"Percy."

My arms jittered and shuddered as the broken bones shifted and undulated as they moved to their proper place.

"Let go Percy."

My chest clicked and snapped as my ribs reformed, the tiny shards fitting back together like a calcium puzzle.

"I know you can hear me, just let go."

Air quickly filled my lungs as they reinflated, a deep gasp and blood-filled cough racked my body as the crimson ichor flowed up my throat and out of my mouth.

Hearing a shrill whistle, I groggily look at the source, spotting Damien roughly ten metres away. He throws out his arm and a second later, my sword embeds itself into the ground in front of me. I roll onto my side, getting to my hands and knees before pushing myself up with a grunt. I stumble briefly, my back landing against a tree that had been broken halfway up. I stagger forward, quickly grabbing my sword and pulling it from the dirt. It felt heavy in my hand for a second or two as the final bone popped into place.

Rolling his neck, Damien reached up and grasped his jaw and pulled down suddenly, dislocating it entirely, loose skin keeping it in place. He then let his head hang back, slipping his hand deep inside his mouth and continuing further into his throat until he was nearly elbow-deep. His arm shifted a little until falling still before he slowly retracted his arm from his distended neck. As he pulled out, he held something in his hand.

A white-wrapped handle with a golden pommel and a golden hand guard pushed his slack jaw down further. A deep blue almost black curved sheath continued out his mouth with two surprisingly dry navy blue tassels hanging from near the sword's hilt—a beautiful piece tarnished by the man holding it.

Disturbed by the scene unfolding, I quickly distracted myself with the blade he produced and furrowed my brow. It looked familiar, I knew I had seen it somewhere before but that wasn't why I reacted to it. No. It felt familiar in a different way, as though I had a deep history with it and I somehow knew that he should not, in any way, have it. My gaze snapped up to his maniacal grin.

"See something you like?" He sneered as he held it to his side, using his thumb to push it out slightly. "Well...if you want it, then you'll have to take it."

Rapidly unsheathing our swords, we rushed forward, kicking up dirt and pulverised stone behind us as we met in the middle with a booming clang.

Our blades met and bounced and despite our strength, we stumbled back. I was quicker to recover, sending an upward slash at his chest, only to meet empty air as he dashed behind me. Reappearing in a small puff of black smoke, he held his sword back, still sheathed as his hand hovered above its handle before he partially pulled it out and resheathed it in quick succession. The air rippled around me, causing me to raise my blade as cyan slashes filled the area, a few clashed against my sword while the rest connected with my body.

Ignoring the pain with a small grunt, a familiar blue projectile whizzed towards me before I ducked under it, using the motion to rush forward. Damien readied the same movement he did before but this time fully unsheathing his katana, slicing through the air and leaving a bright brilliant blue wave to hurtle at me.

Thinking quickly, I bend my legs and jump and as I fall, I feel a solid surface form beneath my feet, letting me gather further air. I plant my armoured boot on a somehow still standing tree and kick-off of it, sending it crashing to the ground as I propel forward, raising my sword above my head and bringing it down as hard as I could as I fell. Our blades meet but with the force I had behind mine, Damien stumbles a few steps.

Lunging, I aim the tip of my sword at his chest, only to have it pushed aside. Damien jumps into the air with a red flash and brings his katana down in the same motion I had and at the last second, I bring my sword up to block it. The swords connect, but this time, I'm sent tumbling back again but I get to my feet as I stop.

He lunges forward in a burst of speed, reeling his sword back to stab. Just as he was about to connect, I used the back of my blade to push aside his attack, using the motion to deliver an overhead slash. I manage to catch him, my blade slicing clean through his chest and scraping against his ribs. He stumbles again and yells out. I slash again, once then twice more, delivering one after another in one clean motion.

Clutching his cleaved chest, I notice the wounds begin to heal, scabbing over, scarring and ultimately disappearing at a rather impressive rate.

Damien squinted his eye and his brow furrowed as he straightened up, the wild grin he wore disappearing, making way for a serious scowl. In a puff of smoke, he once again appeared behind me, slashing at my stomach and quickly resheathing his katana, the same blue wave as before cleaving through me as he twitched his blade out from the curved sheathed as the area rippled again, and before I could react, the piercing white slashes racked my body as he continued his assault, slamming the blade's sheath into specific pressure points before slashing and cutting with the sword itself.

Slicing up, my feet left the destroyed ground while Damien cut overhead, the blade's tip leaving a bright blue trail that passed through my body as I felt my innards split and my bones splinter. Jumping up, he planted his foot on my chest and pushed me to the ground while he once again sliced upwards, throwing me into the stump of a tree.

I groaned as I attempted to stand, but the man was quicker than I was. He kicked my sword from my hand, the hefty blade embedding itself in a tree some ten or fifteen metres away. Grunting, he buried his sword into my chest, barely missing my heart and pinning me to the stump. I yelled out and gripped the sword's hand guard in a vain hope of resisting, but in my state, he easily overpowered me, burying it until the guard stopped it from going any further.

"You're better with a blade than your fists I'll give you that," He said in an almost genuine tone, crouching in front of me. "But you're not the 'Percival' that I know of. Not exactly."

I opened my mouth to speak, only to choke, sputter and hack up blood as I still tried to pry the blade from my chest.

"No. You're different," He shook his head, poking my nose as I continued to choke on my own blood. "You're...younger, inexperienced."

"I thought if I can use that to my advantage, I could kill you now, change how things played out, but the higher up didn't want that," He continued, resting his head in his hand as he leaned against his leg. "I just don't think he's seeing the bigger picture. Taking you out now means less of a problem for us, meaning all of this," He moved his hand in a circling motion. "Would be so much easier!"

He quickly stopped and hung his head, chuckling quietly to himself. "Look at me. You caught me monologuing."

As he continued to speak, my eyes started getting heavy, the peripheral of my vision becoming dark as my head began lulling, the grip I had on his sword becoming looser and looser. Blood seeped out of slowly closing wounds, and pins and needles spread throughout my arms while my chest slowly heaved. My body was losing strength from the continually broken and shattered bones. My coughs and hacks were becoming weaker as breath became harder and harder to find. But most worryingly, my heartbeat was also becoming slow and weak, which only helped to make my mental panic rise.

But before I could lose consciousness, the world around me appeared to slow down to a snail's pace, Damien himself slowing down to a crawl.

"Let go Percival!"

Heat started to rise in my chest, spreading out into my arms and then into my legs as adrenaline surged through my broken body. My cuts and slashes healed faster than before, my bones reformed in a near instant and my lungs filled to the brim with cool air. The heat continued to rise as my breath followed suit, quickening to match the heat's pace as though I were having a panic attack. It rose and rose and rose until it hit the breaking point.

"Unleash the flame!"

The world around me resumed in an instant when the heat hit its peak as flames burst out in an explosion of brilliant orange light, my voice echoing out as I screamed from the burning pain that cascaded over me. Damien flew back from the sheer force of the blast as the fire passed over him, charring his skin and burning his hair. The dirt kicked up as it too burned around me, trees turning to nothing but charcoal as leaves disintegrated into nothing.

Damien tumbled and rolled, digging his feet and hands into the blackened dirt as he came to a stop. Glaring up, his lips parted into a malicious but amused grin, his eyes twinkling with excitement I hadn't seen before.

Reaching up, I pull his sword from my chest as I notice my gauntlets encased with a yellow flame as well as my boots, the fire stopping around my elbow and knee respectively. The air rippled slightly in my peripheral as tiny licks of fire and embers passed my vision from my shoulders. Stabbing his sword into the dirt, I sprint towards him as he uses his position to rocket forward.

Our fists collide, the loose ground beneath us kicking out from the impact. Landing on the ground first, I jab at his neck, the strike sizzling his skin and disorientating him long enough to continue my assault. Delivering a series of quick and powerful kicks to his chest, arms and legs, I drive the tip of my bott into his chin, sending him into the air while I jump to follow after him. I kick him once then twice to throw him further up before ploughing my heel into the back of his head, the flames surrounding my foot propelling it downward. He slammed into the ground with a grunt, he braced his arms and jumped back as I landed.

Sprinting in a blur, I shoot my leg out as he prepares to strike, our feet bouncing off each other, while our fists bounced similarly in the follow-up. Damien was faster to recover, quickly socking me in the chin and chest, my feet digging into the charred remains of the once grassy ground. I leaned to the side to avoid his following attacks while I blocked an unavoidable jab and uppercut that vibrated my bone but, surprisingly, left them intact.

His eyes widened while I used his momentary surprise, punching and kicking in succession, building up speed and power before ultimately jumping a little and planting both feet to the centre of his chest. Peering up at me, his eyes locked with mine and I could see his face contort into a look of surprise and uncertainty, his eyes darting across my body as he seemed to be caught off guard.

The grin he had disappeared, making way for a deep sneer, his teeth bared at me as he grunted, rushing headlong at me as a wild look overtook his eyes. Planting my feet firmly on the ground, I waited until the very second, stepping to the side and grabbing his ankle as he passed by me, rearing my fist back before driving it forward as hard as I could. The back of Damien's head crashed into the soil beneath him while the ground shook and the crater deepened as his face swiftly caved inwards, chunks of bone and clumps of his grey meat splattered across the now-dead land.

I remove my hand with a sickening crunch and squelch and step back, the flames around me disappearing with a fwoosh, I look down at the limp body in front of me, I briefly regard the flattened head as the lower jaw hung from the pulverised flesh by loose skin and slack sinew. Sneering at the body, I grip both ankles and yank them apart, tearing the body in two, blood and entrails spilling to the ground in a hot puddle before I toss the lumps of meat and bone to the side.

The scavengers would make short work of him.

All of a sudden, my vision swims and my knees almost buckle as my head becomes light and my stomach churns. Placing my hands on my knees, I breathe slowly as the adrenaline begins to slowly wear off.

I shake my head and stumble away, and before long, I come to the now-dead man's sword, still planted firmly in the ground. Removing it from the ground, I admire the blade's incredible craftsmanship, every small detail exquisitely designed. Giving it a few sloppy practice swings, I tiredly nod in approval. Beautifully well-balanced. I look around for its sheath before I feel a weight form in my other hand, the scabbard forming seemingly from nothing.

Storing the blade, it didn't take long to find my own, sword and sheath and all. With one last glance at the body I left behind, with my sword on my back and the other simply in my grasp, I start my tired trek to the nearest civilisation.

As Percival slowly stumbled away, dragging his feet behind him as he left the battleground, three individuals watched from afar, their eyes watching him until he was out of sight.

"Are you sure he's the one?" One said, pushing up her gold-framed glasses.

"I'm sure," Another replied, his bright golden eyes moving to his smaller compatriot. "Uncle was quite clear with his description."

"There is still plenty of time to determine if it really is him," The last added, placing his hand on the first individual's shoulder.

"I know," She replied. "If he really is the one, he has his work cut out for him."

Author's Note

God I suck at fight scenes
Oooo, our mystery man has a name, and what secrets does he know?
Do we recognise the sword, anyone? Should be fairly obvious. And what significance will it have?
Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z!!

Not much else to say for this one, hope you guys enjoyed

Please point out any mistakes I may have made
Constructive criticism is always appreciated
Until next time, TTFN!