-Battles Come Cold-

ClING… CLING… SHHHING…

Our swords echoed across the floor, the light brown hardwood floor hardened our footsteps, the windows to my right highlighted one side of my face and shaded the other, I looked at my opponent, all I could see is his gloating blue bright eyes, his bright blond hair glistening in the sun.

I hate it

My sword was getting blocked by my opponent, sweat was dripping down my face trying to get an opening, I lunged into him, he blocked, I backed and he lunged, I dodged.

His stance is firm and could block and attack from the front but will be vulnerable from the back.

He grinned and said in a posh voice "What are you scared I'll kick your sorry ass,"

I took a deep breath, he lunged and knocked me down

"What are you gonna do about it," He said slowly stepping closer breaking his posture

I rolled forward and swept my foot across the floor to knock him over, he lay on his back in surprise, I quickly put my left foot on his crotch and put pressure, he tried getting up but I blocked him with my sword to his throat.

"That's what I'm gonna do about it," I said slowly, pulling the sword away from his throat.

I stepped over him to gather my coat and put away the sword back and reclaim my sword to my side, duellist have a bond to their weapon with enough strength and training you can tame ur weapon to how u fight to make it yours and use your mind to call it.

As I walked to the exit I heard him say something under his breath "Fukin' bitch,"

I was used to the comments by now cause men are always so pressed when a woman does a job better, it's so idiotic, but I spoke back headed out the door, "Yes, I'm a wonderful bitch."

I turned down the hallway to spot my friend, I hadn't seen her in a hot minute, I got promoted and he's mostly in the field. I stepped up behind him and hit his shoulders.

I moved close to his ear and said in a creepy raspily voice, "Hehehe,"

"Ew, you and that voice," He said in his flamboyant tone, pushing me away and patting his shoulders off, he got a haircut and had pink hair and eyebrows, it went well with his caramel complexion.

"Hehehe," I repeated looking at him

"Lord help me," He asked looking at the ceiling.

His name is Francis but people call him Pacho, I call him Jaffel.

When I opened my mouth to speak I was covered by an alert.

BEEEEEERRR BEEEEEERRR

I sighed and jogged a long and continuous hallway to the auditorium, the doors, solid cold black, windows, bright clear blinding windows, floor, and ceiling look identical… I got dizzy from time to time running down this hallway when I was a rookie.

…

I got to the auditorium just in time for the commander to say the location: "Westchester Yonkers, Tibbest brook park… MOVE MOVE MOVE," He yelled and I flinched when everyone in the room moved abruptly, I started to sprint down the long and narrow hallway, white floors navy blue walls I spotted the changing room and did a quick check behind me, Jaffel was bolting behind me speeding up.

"I'M GONNA GET YOU BITCH," He yelled across the hall

"I turned and tried to pick up my pace, I laughed at him "HA HA HA, RAT,"

I burst through the door and looked for my storage, I took my coat and watch, I looked at the window and had a bright idea, Jaffel came through the door and looked at me and smiled, I looked at the window and bolted out of it before Jaffel could grab me.

I was falling when I heard him yell, "YOU BROKE MY NAIL, BITCH,"

"I BUY YOU A NEW ONE," I yelled back.

I looked down below me at the low hanging clouds the air in my pants felt nice, I looked at the ground and aimed my feet to plant them.

My feet touched the ground and I stood there a moment looking at the ground, the ground was dark green with dirt spots on it, then, in a second pushed up with all my force and shot into the air, the wind pushing my hair back, I glazed behind me Jaffel just touched the ground.

"I'm already halfway there buddy," I said under my breath

I planted myself on a mountain to take a second look behind me, Jaffel was close, to close.

I pushed off and shot into the air and glanced behind me again, Ryan the man I fenced with earlier, "This bitch?" I sighed and touched the ground again. I saw the buildings on-site, I pushed off again, I aimed for the roof of a building.

When I stomped on the roof I took a look at the demons in the distance.

"Inhale," I said and took a deep breath and held it for 5 seconds

"Exhale," I said softly and let out a shaky breath

A tap on my shoulder to my right, Jaffel stood by me, the high sunbeam bounced off his tone skin, he spoke in a low voice "Are you ok?"

"Yes, just the wind, you know… a little too fast," I smiled that turned into a grimace, I looked back and saw Ryan across three buildings, he jumped down to the demons, my gaze followed him.

"Hey, just relax… it won't happen again, I won't let it," He said looking at me caressing my shoulder, after 3 seconds he spoke again "C'mon he's gotta head start and I know u like the last kill,"

I smiled at him and nodded, he took his hand off my shoulder and walked to the edged of the building, he looked back and gestured to come on.

"Aight," I said as I watched him jump off the building, my eyes held a cold gaze onto a certain demon next to Ryan, I jumped to a near light pole and climbed to the top, I held a cold gaze to the battle in front of me; the sight was sickening; mortifying even, I took a deep breath to take in the sights.

Straight ahead stood Jaffel, His legs swiped a demon and dug his spear through their chest, lifted the body with it and threw it aside, and bolted to his next target, leaving the old one in a cloud of dust.

To the left, I saw more duelists running down the hills of buildings, headed straight for the open football field where the battle took place.

To my right, I saw demons coming from the seats and dropping down… sadly, those people are about to die when it isn't their fault.

I jumped up to have my hair being forcibly pushed back by the wind and to have a birds-eye view of a tragedy, I pulled out my sword from my side and shot down into the dirt, a few kilometers up I saw a demon clot. (It's where a few demons are stuck together to create a bigger demon, for that to happen some of the limbs may have been cut off but the demon was not killed.)

I ran with my sword at my side and ran around the clot looking for entry points.

The being had 4 heads along the top 8 arms along the body and just a mash of body parts ina discombobulating form, the being to a step and took a leap past the clot to sever their far-right head, the being shrieked in pain.

AAAAAAASSSHHHHHHRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

The screech shook the ground and anyone in its vicinity, I felt off-balance and kneeled a few feet away, the clot turned to face me and opened its many eyes, they all examined me with different ideas in mind.

I bounced around behind the clot to slash 2 arms and push my sword into its back another screech I was preparing for came, but this time it was a shout all the voices were yelling.

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I tried to release my sword, but it was stuck between the many layers of the integumentary system, I saw an arm breaking itself around me, I pulled away leaving my sword lodged inside.

I looked over at Jaffel who was coming towards me, he drew in a breath and let out a stream of the coldest winter nights, he danced around the clot as I made myself useful and snapped one head, the clot was slowed down and I pulled my sword up and kept pushing it up.

The monster screeched.

The people that were jammed inside of this were now weeping for aid.

But with me have given the final blow and one more scream ripped from the clot.

The clot waved it's arms around and one of them pushed Ryan a few kilometers back, I looked at him and started sprinting towards him; in the distance, I saw two demons coming for him I felt a cold wind come over me that didn't feel right.

I ran past Ryan to attack a demon, I turned to Rayn to see that he chucked his knife at another demon and missed and hit Jaffel.

I leaped to Jaffel to get there before a demon did, I touched the ground and ran to Jaffel.

"Shit," I said, scoping out Jaffel's wounds.

The blade touched his stomach, he held in his breath I put pressure and looked around, more duelists have gotten here, they were unneeded now.

I picked up Jaffel on my back to jump easier.

"Jesus Jaffel... what the hell do u eat," I said shifting his weight from side to side.

"The same shit..." he paused to take a breath then added "you eat,"

his voice was weary, I started to run to the end of the field, my foot grasped one of the seats and I pushed up as high as I could.

I just barely made it to the top, I landed on my knees and dropped Jaffel, he rolled forward once.

"You're such an amazing rescue..." he said with a straight face.

I stepped on the metal top of the stadium, echoing my footsteps as I got closer.

"You could..." I paused to take in the sights "just save yourself,"

"Well obviously no, I can't, and are you really looking at the sky when I could be dying," He said pushing up to his knees

"Yes, and you're not dying, you would have an entire red carpet pulled out for you if you were," I stopped to look at him and he waddled to me and I grabbed him again, "See your fine," I jumped again and let gravity take me down the hill of the stadium.

... something tells me this has only just begun.

.

.

.

At the city leaders tower.

5:53 P.M.

"Call it," I said to the general, as we sat at opposite ends of my desk, I paused to think

"Is there anything else ma'am," His voice interrupted my daze

"I will let you know if anything else comes up but for now just send squads Leo, Aries, and Saggs, down to the south around the border with Mexico, with madam Chia-Wei," I said as I looked up

"Madam Chia-Wei?" The general asked in a bit of a posh tone

"Yes," I said with a grin on my face

"But we shouldn't bother Chia-Wei with such feeble matters, she would be rather angry if we disturbed her," he said with a touch of fright now.

"Also," I added his last comment flying over my head "I know those squads are handfuls but tell them that there general in command is not someone they'd wanna start with," I said

"Are you, Miss Katana?" he asked I heard him tapping his fingers on my desk

"Am I what?" I asked back confused at what he was getting at

"Are you going to go into the battle as well?" he said

"Yes, I will be there for support but it isn't my grounds, it's more folk land so I wouldn't have as much authority there then so, I would have to go and settle with the other leader what we are going to do," I spoke in a more aggressive tone then imagined.

"When will this take place?" He asked, his chair squeaked and I felt his presence dim.

"Tonight the squads will be dispatched, and tomorrow morning I will meet with the city leaders in the south to further discuss," I paused waiting for another reply.

"Ok," his chair squeaked again and I heard his footsteps move across the room there was a long pause. I thought he had left, then he spoke again "Could you give your secretary my number?" he asked.

"Do you even know her name?" I asked when I turned to the papers on my desk.

"Uh yes, it's Claire," he replied

"Chloé... It's Chloé," I said my eyebrows nearly touched

"Same... thing," He said with an uncaring voice, a pause again, "So you'll give it,"

I sighed and grabbed a pen and post-it, I wrote down the local police station number, I extended my hand and he swiped it from my hands.

"Awe, your a doll, have a great night boss," he said

"Yes, have a wonderful evening," I said waving

I heard the door close and his footsteps get lower across the hall.

The next few minutes were a bore, I was answering papers when a specific one caught my eye.

General Soton (NYC duellist) <Incident>:

There was an incident involving 3 duelists.

The incident took place at the football field in Westchester around 1 P.M. at a demon attack.

The Incident involved Yukata Castillo of Leo, Jaffel Somptueux of Sagg, and Ryan Koude of Cancer.

I paused to read the name again... Yukata Castillo.

I skimmed more to find that Mr. Somptueux was injured by Mr. Koude and should receive punishment for his carelessness around his fellow peers.

A knock on my door took me out of my thoughts, I faced the room and took a deep breath.

"Come in," I said

"Sorry to bother you but, ... here are the plans for the southern border, and your flight leaves at 5 A.M.," Chloé said extended across the room, I tilted my head down and extended my hand.

"5?... is that all they had?" I said as she put my hand on the papers.

"It's was either 5 A.M. or 3:45 A.M, I figured you'd want to sleep..." She trailed off

"Uh... no, your good, that's fine," I said and sighed

"Are you ok, Ms. Katana?" Chloé said

I looked up with the papers in my hand and took a deep breath

"Put my calls to voicemail, I'm gonna head home for the day," I stood up and added "You should too, I'll be gone for about a week and this could be a good time for you to stay with your husband," I said as I trailed my hand along the wall to the door, I opened it and pointed Chloé to proceed.

"Uh.. yes ma'am,"

"Oh and due tell the general you have a husband, it's dreadful to watch," I said and headed towards the elevator's big silver metal doors.

Maybe for a moment I'll be calm.