The meeting room in Team Crafted's castle was usually a good size, with a table large enough for everyone to sit down and have their notes out in front of them and still have room for a large map of the surrounding land to be laid out flat. But today, with the Lords and Captains and Generals of seven different armies present, the room felt quite small and cramped.

          Present were all the Generals of Team Crafted, Lords Ghetto, David, Gizzy, Patrick and Dan, Steve, Notch, and finally Captain Andreas, although technically he was General Andreas now, having forgone the titles of Lord or King (the latter makes more sense as Anne was the Queen of the Snow Strikers). Each leader had a second in charge, most of whom were standing to allow the Lords and Generals to sit, with the exception of Mitch and Jerome who leaned side by side with their backs against the wall, watching the conversation from afar.

          The room was a constant hubbub of voices and the scratching of pens as they decided where the final battle would happen and whose armies would move first and what order and what would signal the retreat and the charge and who was assigned to carry what and so on. For a few hours, they were locked away working out the details and when the door to that meeting room finally opened, it was go time.

          Orders were called, items were assembled, carts were loaded, horses were saddled, weapons were sharpened, armour was burnished, hands were shaken and troops marched out for the battlefield. The journey was only a day by horseback but with the added dely of the sheer number of people meant that evening was approaching on the third day when they finally reached the camp of Lords Vikk and Noah, who had been attacking this base over the past weeks, where they would make the final preparations for the battle.

          "You were right," General Mitch said quietly the night before the final battle. He was looking out towards the enemy base that lay silent and dark in the distance, save for the occasion flash of red or green like headlights in the night. Or eyes.

          Steve, standing beside him, hummed and leant on the cart in front of them. "Whatever they're planning, what with the synthetic magic and all, none of the other bases had their equipment, so this one has to have it. That means that they'll defend it with everything they've got and to nearly any cost."

          "Are you sure you can handle them?" Ty muttered to Adam, the two standing on the other side of Mitch.

          "I'll only be fighting Entity," Adam reminded. "Seto and Aramis will be taking on Dreadlord and Acid."

          "And none of you will be fighting them alone," Steve added. "That's the most important thing to remember, that no one takes them on alone. We have to work as a team."

          The three men mutely nodded. This was going to be the hardest fight yet. They had the feeling that not everyone would survive.

          The thought was only reinforced by the constellations of Anne and Hero hanging high above them.

          Morning dawned cool but with a thin fog surrounding the world that was burned up as the sun rose into the sky, already promising a hot early summer's day. The warm light beamed down on the lines of warriors that were forming up at the edge of the ridge that dipped away to create the valley that the black creatures were assembling on. Entity, Dreadlord, and Acid were there, doing final checks as their warriors stood silent, facing the allies.

          Adam nervously fiddled with his leather bracelets as he watched the enemy, making sure that they wouldn't accidentally slip off. The last thing he needed was to lose control of his magic during the battle. He saw Entity look up at the army of Team Crafted, who were going to be at the head of this charge, and turn to speak to Dreadlord, having a small conversation that seemed to end with Dreadlord nodding and Entity slipping into his army. Adam made a mental note to keep watch for red-eyed man as he flicked his eyes across the enemy lines to land on another figure who was striding along.

          Up until now, Acid had been rarely seen by anyone, and it was surprising how human he looked. He had dark brown skin and a shaved head that had lime green tattoos stenciled into it, two lines moving down his face to meet his glowing green irides. His armour scheme was black and green, fitting in with the rest of his aesthetic. He was potentially the most dangerous variable in this battle. Thanks to Herobrine, Adam knew what Entity and Dreadlord were capable of, but Acid was unknown. They were betting on the fact that since he hadn't been very active up until now, he mustn't be that much of a danger. At least, that's what Adam hoped.

          His thoughts were broken as two short, sharp blasts of a trumpet broke the low muttering of the armies. It was the signal to be ready to charge, and everyone lifted their weapons and checked their shields and gave a cry of defiance that nearly shook the earth itself. But the cry died a little as for the first time, the black warriors responded, giving screaming, curtling howls that grated on the ears and teeth and they swarmed forward in their lines, breaking into a sprint in only a few steps.

          The horn came again, this time bellowing a long, low sound that sent all of the army rushing forward, the army of Team Crafted leading, their horses cantering down the slope, spears lowered and the deadly points aiming true, the warriors bent low over the necks of their horses, urging them to greater speeds as they drew ahead of the warriors on foot who charged after. Adam ran only a little behind those on horseback, easily keeping pace but leaving his sword sheathed for the moment, magic coursing through his veins.

          The army lines were moving closer and closer, the allies an impenetrable wall of spears, the black creatures still in their neat lines, howling as they charged with their midnight blades. Adam waited and watched as the armies came closer and closer and- something was wrong.

          He barely had time to throw up a shield to protect those in front of him as a bullet the size of a man crashed against the lines with the crack of a thunderclap, the shockwave sending the horses whinnying in terror and falling this way and that but before Adam could run forward to help his recruits, a hand was grabbing him around the neck and throwing him backwards, then something slammed against the small of his back and he was vaguely aware of the wind rushing past him as he flew up and then something hit him again and he was crashing into the ground, his back flaring up with pain as he hit it but the surge of power warned him and he threw up another shield as the red bolts of energy crashed and crackled around him.

          Then he was up, flipping backwards to get some distance, golden magic burning around his hands as he landed in a kneeling position, two golden spears flying from his palms as red energy flew above him and he heard the "Oof" of his attacker and quickly backed up, gaining more space and taking deep breaths as his wits returned.

          He had been thrown away from the centre of the battle, landing with the edge of the army lines over to his right, the sounds of battle still loud in his ears. In front of him, standing with knees bent a little and a snarling grin on his face was Entity. The man straightened up to his full height which was nearly half a head over Adam, self-confidence oozing from his whole being.

          "So then you're the General I've heard so much about," Entity said with that twisted grin. "You know, you've caused me quite a bit of trouble, alerting Herobrine to what I was working on and everything. Although I suppose that in the end, I should thank you, since you were proof that I was close to achieving my goal."

          "And what about now?" Adam asked, drawing his sword. "Still think you're close to synthesising that magic?"

          "Oh I am," Entity said, starting to walk a little in a circle around Adam. He hadn't bothered to draw his sword yet. "Though I must admit that there have been delays. But don't worry." He gave Adam that grin again. "There won't be any more delays after this."

          "You bet there won't be," Adam growled. He knew that he shouldn't fight Entity on his own, but the man was so smug, so convinced of his victory, that Adam wanted nothing more than to smack that grin off his face.

          Entity stopped walking and faced the General. "Come on then," he said, drawing his black blade. "Show me what Herobrine taught you."

          At the word 'Herobrine', a scrap of a conversation had long ago jumped into Adam's head and finally, he returned Entity's grin. "Gladly."

          He sprinted at Entity, the world blurring at his sudden burst of speed but Entity wasn't caught off guard and he raised his sword, ready to block Adam's strike. Adam's sword came up but instead of striking, he jumped off of one foot, using the flat of Entity's readied blade as a springboard as he flipped up and over and backwards, leaping high into the air before landing in a roll and disappearing back into the army, leaving his enemy fuming behind him.

          Adam darted this way and that, slicing at enemies where needed, losing himself in the crowd. Herobrine's words from a late afternoon conversation so long ago spun around on repeat in his head, driving him further and further into the chaos.

          "Entity excels in single combat. Give him an open field and a single opponent and you won't be able to beat him. He is unstoppable. But he can't work in a crowd or with limited space, and he can't focus on more than one person. That is where we have the advantage."

          A shout from behind him caught his attention and he spun around, sword up, setting his feet as Entity's blade screeched against his, sending sparks down the blade. Adam backed up a step, ducking under the follow-up before darting forward himself, his blade cutting this way, then that and then his fist rushed up and caught Entity under the jaw, sending him reeling back a step which gave Adam the chance to dart back into the army again, barely able to dodge the hundreds of duels that were happening and leaping over the bodies of the fallen, unable to ignore the fact that so many of them were his recruits.

          Adam slid to a stop in a slightly clearer space of the battlefield, spinning to face the way he had come but he was momentarily distracted by a voice only a few steps away, the speaker nearly having to shout over the din of the battle.

          "General Adam! Who you running from?"

          Adam looked over his shoulder to see Lord Vikk cut down the black creature in front of him then glance over, wiping the sweat from his brow. Adam jerked his head. "I'm being chased by Entity. Wanna help?" he called back.

          Lord Vikk grinned. "I'd be delighted." He hefted his shining and blood-stained double bladed axe and stood by Adam's side. As the General turned to face the same way, some small part of his mind realised that in the sunlight, Lord Vikk's jet black hair had a deep blue tinge to it.

          Entity broke out of the crowded battlefield, his teeth bared, his sword bloodied, his red eyes ablaze with hate. They landed on Adam and Lord Vikk, standing side by side and ready to do battle. Entity grinned and bent his knees to a fighting crouch, his sword ready to kill in his right, his left hand doing the age old gesture of 'Come at me then'.

          So they charged.

I'm sorry for splitting the battle up into two parts, but I decided to skip out on writing the meeting in favour for having a more detailed battle, and no one wants to read a 4000 word long chapter.