Erin, Hirst and Casius gathered in close. They were standing on the furthest edges of The Faux, just outside the village itself. With the exception of a few stray rocks and a couple of shrubs, the area was completely deserted, making it the perfect place for a tactics discussion.

After all, nobody would risk eavesdropping on them here.

'This is what we're going to do,' Erin explained. She snatched up another stick and made a rough sketch of the arena, using the dirt floor as a canvas. 'Once Casius enters the stadium, he's on his own. But...' She held up a finger, silencing Hirst before he could interject. '...that doesn't necessarily mean the end of the world. Why? Because I've got a plan that will guarantee Casius' victory.'

* * *

Blood.

The necromancer was using blood to fuel his own magic. Casius could see it now. A strange, vine-like object hung down between his arm and the staff in his hand, connecting them both together. It looked like a tube of some kind, enabling the summoner to transfer whatever blood he needed in order to stabilise his magic.

Ignoring the pretentious grin plastered across his opponent's face, Casius proceeded upwards once again, beating his wings with all of the strength he could muster. Wild laughter broke out from below.

'There's nowhere for you to go!' Wyatt exclaimed. 'Robus, intercept him!'

Casius smirked as he shot upwards, continuing further towards the sky. His fingers preserved themselves around Millennial's hilt and he glanced down at the world beneath his feet. Robus' wings expanded to their full size and the bison made an effort to jump up, although is movements were somewhat slow, restricted and hindered by its vast size.

Casius looked up at the sun, which seemed to stare down at him like a wicked, yellow eye, daring him to come closer.

And that was exactly what he was planning to do.

* * *

'You remember what I told you back at The Faux Bar?' Erin said. She looked up at Casius. 'You know, about how necromancers need to use a foreign substance other than spirituas to ensure the stability of the undead beings and creatures they summon?'

The angel nodded. 'Of course.'

'Good. Now, the general battle tactics and approaches you use are completely up to you. But whilst you're dancing with that womanising bastard, be on the lookout for any potential foreign substances he might be using whenever he activates his magic.'

'But that could be anything!' Hirst exclaimed, his voice more bitter than usual. 'Sweat, a lock of hair, maybe even a finger if he's brave enough to sacrifice one.'

'Well, whatever the case...' Erin made a few more illustrations. One depicted a person - preferably a man, judging from the spiky hair she added in - holding a long metal object in his right hand. '...it shouldn't be hard to find out what it is. Just make sure to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. That will be the vital clue as to what particular substance the guy is sacrificing in order to fuel his magic.'

* * *

Robus quickly closed the gap between itself and Casius. When the angel dared look down again, he saw that the winged bison was almost level with him. Still, he continued to ascend, creating a short distance that narrowly separated him and breast. His wings thrashed behind him, pushing him even higher.

'You coward!' Wyatt's voice echoed furiously from below. 'What exactly do you plan on achieving by running away?'

A grin pulled at Casius' lips. 'Who said I'm running?'

Wyatt paused. 'So, then...what kind of trickery is this?' he demanded.

Casius refused to acknowledge that question with a response. Instead, he watched, his eyes burning, as the sun drew nearer.

Three...

And nearer.

Two...

And nearer.

One...

* * *

Casius nodded as he took Erin's words into account. 'I understand.' After sparing the drawings another glance, he looked up. Undisguised curiosity danced within his eyes. 'And then what do I do?' he asked.

The magus smirked and looked down at the drawing of the man. It gazed up at her with a pair of beaded eyes and a crooked smile. Erin, as if offended by its expression, used her hand to brush it away. She swept at the dirt until it smoothed out, eradicating the illustration in the process.

'Then you use it against him,' she said. 'Whatever it takes.'

* * *

Now!

Casius tucked his wings in, halting his ascension in less than a couple of seconds. He came to an abrupt stop in mid-air and looked down, watching as Robus' monstrous form came speeding towards him. The beast, as if sensing something was wrong, pulled back in order to slow itself down. However, by the time the giant bison drew to a hovering halt, Casius was already plummeting down to meet it.

I've only got one chance at this, he realised.

Tightening his grip on Millennial, the angel tucked his knees in towards his chest and tilted his weight forward, allowing himself to plunge head-first back to earth. He saw Wyatt's face blanch, though the necromancer made no attempts to move as he came rocketing down towards him.

'Robus!' Wyatt's voice was but a hideous shriek. 'Pull away! Pull away now!'

The bison bellowed in acknowledgement, but by the time it comprehended its master's words it was too late.

Casius had drawn level.

With the reminder that he only had one chance, the angel didn't hesitate. He bought Millennial up and lashed out with a one-handed strike - a horizontal slash. Channelling all of his strength into the single attack, Casius felt the sword's broad steel blade slam into the middle of Wyatt's wand and watched as the slightly curved sword tore through the thin, metal exterior, slicing it in half as though it were a soggy tissue.

Finally, he had done it.

'NO! ROBUS!'

Casius continued to fall whilst the harsh winds blew against his face, drowning out Wyatt's petrified screams. He twisted round and looked up in time to see Robus' form break away. It diminished from underneath Wyatt's feet, disintegrating into a series of crimson-coloured particles that seemed to melt under the strain of the air itself.

With nothing to anchor him now, Wyatt could do nothing but scream as he fell, helplessly descending through the air, his body ceaselessly spinning. He came rushing down to meet Casius, who reacted with lightning reflexes, reaching out in time to grab the necromancer before he shot past.

The angel's wings then burst out from behind, instantly halting his rapid descent and allowing him to hover above the stadium grounds.

Foolish Mortal, he thought, grasping a terrified Wyatt by the neck of his shirt. Only creatures with wings can actually fly.

* * * *

And so the duel has finally come to an end, with (some) secrets revealed and (some) questions answered! Hoozar!

Now we've got the battle aftermath to look forward to. Will Wyatt be a gentleman and just accept defeat? Will Hirst become a human cannonball? And will Team Erin find Excalibur and finally free Merlin from the-- No, wait...that's the wrong legend. Sorry about that.

Anywho, if you enjoyed this (short) chapter then don't forget to vote! :D Any thoughts? Comment below!