One Reason

Brunswick took several backwards steps toward the exit while brushing his uniform. Shadows between torch light hid him.

The containment staff erupted in cheers as if they had money on the fight.

Specks of brown and grey dust penetrated condensed Zinnian orbs Kurl was already busy collecting. They burst, dispersing Kurl’s attempts. But he doubted the depth of their mana reserves, so he renewed his focus on wrapping the angel in Zinnian. He’d make this about persistence.

Adam stood behind Kurl and whispered, “I have limitless material. Would you like me to take them all out?”

“We’re not trying to kill anyone!” Kurl yelled, mini vortexes formed around him, “Use what you have for suppression.”

“Yes, I’m trying! I meant knock them out! Poor choice of words but I doubt you’d understand!”

Adam felt an invisible slap and rubbed his cheek. He concentrated on gathering more dust and stone into a compressed space to work with as he stepped back into the shadows.

The angel tensed her back. Boots cracked loose stone underneath her heels. The spear rose with her forward charge and swung wide before Kurl’s chest.

He dodged backward and to the side. Compressed Zinnian slowed the weapon’s momentum by wrapping it in a high-pressure muffler. Containment failed. Zinnian dispersed as mana poured into the shimmering silver. A stabbing thrust aimed for Kurl’s shoulder.

Roxanne jumped from the side, growling like a tigress. Her open palm beat with blood and cushioned muscle. It slammed into the spear’s stem. The strike pushed it off target.

Kurl retreated left.

Spear cap slammed into Roxanne’s stomach. Abs tensed against the strike. She let herself get pushed back.

Frederika’s long skirt swished as she retrieved a curved dagger of black tarnish. She ran at Roxanne from behind. The bade gashed Roxanne’s left shoulder with a shallow bleeding wound.

A hail of brown and gray tarnish powder struck in clusters followed by a dense cloud of chalky powder. Murky clouds formed around Roxanne. A tail of red hair swayed as she jumped through the smog holding her breath. Her left hook connected with Frederika’s cheek; the maid dropped, sprawling.

A rock from the smog flicked against Jessica’s forehead, another struck Susana. Their small sampling of affinity floated inactive, “Small timers need not interfere in the affairs of their betters,” Adam smugly brushed off the sleeves of his military jacket.

The angel felt light headed. The cave made her nauseas. Mana infused infinity coalesced around her, “Asphyxiation techniques! How dare you!”

Frederika struggled to her feet while wiping blood from her lip. Her maid uniform shredded patches. Tarnish plates ripped from pockets, leaving gaping holes in her clothes. A chain of linked tarnish flowed around her like a metal dragon. Silver tarnish circled as she pulled out a second curved dagger. Three plates launched toward the angel. They swirled around her blonde hair while fanning aggressively, “Worry not my angel! I’m not done yet.”

Roxanne struck a plate hovering to protect Frederika. It struck the target in the chest with enough force to push breath from her lungs. The circling tarnish plates pulled back as the battered maid slid.

“Your control is really good, but you lack range,” Frederika spat, “I can slice you to bits with my shards.”

“Your range is pretty limited for a metal user.”

The chain cracked. A black tarnish throwing star spun into Roxanne’s leg, drawing blood. Mana concentrated around the wound. The plate fell, deformed. She kicked it across the cavern.

“You have a really strong mana barrier,” Frederika held the curved blade in front of her mouth. The whip rolled into a coil. She waved her arm and flicked her wrist. Whip uncoiled as it swung for Roxanne’s ankles. Her target jumped it. Frederika let go; the material slithered, lashing out in bursting whips. It couldn’t manage to connect before she ran out of range.

The maid adjusted her heavily torn uniform. Affinity material shaped her affinity with elegance. Her skin remained dry and posture relaxed while Roxanne struggled to keep the black tarnish snake from striking her. With distance, the tarnish slowed, so it returned to Frederika’s hand.

A hail of small rocks forced Frederika to dodge left toward Roxane, who closed the distance by sprinting forward. She punched between floating plates and struck the maid in the forehead, knocking her out.

The tarnish fans around the angel dropped, only to be replaced by twirling silver sheets.

Stones surrounded the angel’s legs. They clumped around her feet. Silver stretched into sheets. It coated stones floating around her. It formed a thin armor that caught and wrapped them.

Adam took shelter as the mana controlling his hail of stones dissipated into pressurized coatings of thin silver. They returned. A wall of limestone, chalk, tailings, and rocks drew from his surroundings rose to protect him.

The attack cracked stones from the loose wall. Pieces shattered. But he pulled back the material it lost to hold it together.

Kurl clicked his tongue as Adam hid behind an increasingly larger wall. His Zinnian struggled to gather near the mana powered tarnish fans encircling his target. So, he concentrated on more pressure. Orbs of compressed Zinnian hugged the angel’s spear. She took the bait and attacked with a forward stab. He grabbed the spear to wrest it from her control. Mana flowed through the stem. A spike of silver burst through his palm.

“I thought you were a warrior?”

Kurl cursed his mistake as he pushed it away. Blood spat from his opened palm. They stared at each other. Kurl’s fists curled while she tightened the grip on her weapon.

The spike separated from the large spear and formed another fan that prevented her asphyxiation. The angel scoffed at his wounded hand, “That’s not a wound someone like you deserves.”

As he concentrated, she ran forward with the spear aimed for his shoulder. He stepped aside and caught it through his right palm. Blood spurted down his wrist as the arrow widened the wound.

“Give me one reason I should take a single command from someone as pitiful as you?”

Kurl nodded.