- Lucifer, Peter, Oliver -
"You're barely a match for me, so I don't know where ya got the idea to start shit with Luce," Peter mocked.
Oliver didn't respond. He took a deep breath in through his nose and exhaled through his mouth. He had a mountain of issues with Lucifer and Peter that had led him to say things he regrets. These regrets, however, did not outweigh the decades of Grim training he had received. The moment the fight started a switch flipped in his mind, clearing his thoughts and focusing his attention.
Peter made the first move. He brought his sword down, aiming for Oliver's head. The attack was blocked, but the sound made from the two weapons made it seem like one of them had been broken. The noise from the clash had the spectators wondering if the two opponents were really human.
Peter lifted his sword from the staff and stepped back. Oliver followed him, jabbing his staff forward rapidly.
"This it?" Peter sneered as he dodged the jabs.
Peter kept dodging, slamming his sword across Oliver's face once he had an opening.
"Peter's wi-" Lucifer stopped after seeing Oliver put his hand up.
'Know when you're beat,' Lucifer thought.
"Not done," Oliver said through his dislocated jaw.
Peter spoke in a regretful tone, "I get it, ya have a dual affinity so ya don't train much with weapons. Just accept the loss."
"Give me one more round," Oliver asked Lucifer.
"Healer!" Lucifer shouted, rolling his eyes.
Oliver's jaw was fixed and the match was back on. He and Peter had noticeably less anger in their eyes now. He changed his stance to be lower while holding the staff with both hands. He pointed it at Peter, waiting to hear the starting call.
"Begin," Lucifer groaned.
Oliver got far more aggressive this time. He pushed Peter while primarily using his staff to block hits. He kept pushing into Peter's space, nearly tangling their feet as he did.
Peter was getting annoyed by Oliver's strategy. He couldn't swing his sword properly and it was clear that the Grim had been trying to make it a game of footwork. If not for the "No dirty moves" rule that Lucifer added he would have just elbowed Oliver in the face.
'I respect usin' the rules to your advantage, but fuck off,' Peter thought.
Eventually, the two were locked. If either moved they could easily be tripped by the other. Oliver had planned on taking the fight to the ground, assuming that he would have an easier time fighting down there than Peter. He hadn't planned on Peter keeping up with his footwork.
'I guess you weren't exaggerating his skill, Zach,' Oliver gritted his teeth.
Peter had gotten the anger out of his system with his first hit. He hated fighting humans, especially Grim. He was half-tempted to just give Oliver the win until he remembered something he had heard long, long time ago.
' "A thrown match is just a loss for both sides." ' A male voice said in Peter's mind.
Peter made the first move. He shoulder-checked Oliver who tried to follow through with a kick to his legs. The kick connected, but it didn't stop what came next.
Oliver had expected the kick to at least somewhat shake Peter. His breath had been partially knocked out making it difficult to fully prepare for what was coming his way. He saw a wooden sword hurtling down towards his head. He put his staff up in time to block it, feeling his hands burn as the sword broke against his weapon.
Peter followed up the heavy swing with a hard jab of the broken sword's handle into Oliver's stomach. He dropped the sword and placed his leg behind the retching Grim. He gripped the staff with one hand and put the other on Oliver's chest, proceeding to shove as hard as he could.
Oliver flew back as he released his weapon. He couldn't believe the difference in strength. He stood up, still barely able to breathe because of the prior attacks. As he looked up at the figure before him he shuddered. Peter's eyes looked down at him, and for a moment, Oliver thought the man's irises were black.
"Match over!" Lucifer yelled, unsure if Oliver could still hear him.
'Why are you looking at him like that?' Lucifer wondered.
"S'not fair," Oliver whispered. "This entire match was never fair!" He shouted at Lucifer.
Peter walked over and offered a hand up to Oliver. After the first hit against Oliver, he regained his common sense and knew that this match's outcome would be bitter.
Oliver ignored Peter's hand.
"How about you fight me with magic so it's actually fair?" Oliver demanded.
Peter kneeled down and gave Oliver a hard stare that was a warning not to interrupt. "Do ya really think that ya would win if we used magic?" he glanced at Lucifer. "I've fought beings of your strength before. I know for a fact ya can't say the same," He stood up and offered his hand again. "It's both our losses. I'm sorry for actin' how I have."
Oliver felt mortified. He had challenged someone far stronger than himself, someone he knew through plenty of stories was and is his better, and now had acted like a child in the face of an expected loss. He grabbed Peter's hand and stood up.
"I know what it's like when ya lose someone..." Peter whispered. "Ya want to fight anyone and everyone who dares cross ya."
Oliver looked at Peter's aged hand he had been holding. He often struggled with the fact that determining a human's age through looks simply wasn't possible in this world. He remembered stories from Zach, tales of all the fellow Grim the leader once knew. He pictured the look on Zach's face as he remembered Zach explaining the hollowing feeling that out-living so many brings.
'I can only imagine what it's like living as long as you have,' Oliver gave a shifting look from Peter to Lucifer. "I don't think humans should live as long as you have," He let part of his thoughts slip. He was about to apologize until Peter responded.
"I agree," Peter sighed as he turned away.
- Peter and Oliver -
Lucifer had left, assured by the expressions on the two's faces that their conflict was over. Even if it wasn't, he knew he couldn't stick around forever.
"Wait!" Oliver said to Peter. "I don't want to leave things like this."
Peter's expression was as tired as his tone. "We need to meet with the unknown's commanders. I think it might be best if we just go now before one of us says or does somethin' stupid again."
"I just wanted to apologize for not considering your side in this," Oliver said.
Peter wanted to just walk away. He didn't want to waste the control he felt over his emotions. The fight he had would be something he'd later try to forget.
"As I said, ya loss two friends, and I know what that does to a man," Peter's tone changed to firm for the next thing he said. "I'm sorry for your loss, genuinely, but I won't tolerate ya or anyone questionin' my and Luce's decisions. If ya have a problem with us then just leave before we waste any more time on each other."
"Trust me I'm done doing that," Oliver scratched his arm. "Besides, no Grim in their right mind would give up a chance to fight alongside Death. The few of us that have get treated like royalty because of it," He smiled.
Peter's face scrunched with disappointment. Oliver thought he had offended him, not expecting the actual reason for Peter's reaction.
"This isn't a game," Peter said with no emotion. "I know how ya grim feel about Death, believe me, I understand the admiration, but not a single one of ya should ever hope to fight alongside him."
"What?" Oliver's tone hinted anger.
Peter's tone stayed emotionless, "Death is an ancient. Whatever battlefield he's fightin' on will be a nightmare,." He looked to the side as he continued. "War isn't glorious. The Grim you've heard tell tales of fightin' with Death make it seem like somethin' great to hide what they actually feel."
"And that is?" Oliver asked, his tone getting more irritated.
"Fear," Peter said, making eye contact with Oliver. "Not a single one of your kind, except for one, would ever want to fight Death. So ya can imagine what fightin' his enemies would be like."
Oliver suddenly felt very young. Peter's words were so obvious that he couldn't believe he was hearing them. He had gotten lost in the idea of fighting with Death without remembering the clear implications of what would come with it.
"Sorry," Oliver apologized. "I didn't mean to sound like some green recruit."
Peter sighed. "It's fine, Come on, let's go meet the others."
- Yamato, Peter, Oliver -
Peter and Oliver arrived at the meeting spot for the faction's commanders. The area was identical to the one the three leaders were discussing their plans in. The two noticed it was only Yamato.
Without his cloak, Yamato's heavily tattooed arms could be seen. The most notable tattoos were the kanji on his left arm that reads "Even humans can be gods" while on his right it was a man climbing a spider's thread. He was wearing a tight black shirt, black gloves, and black pants. His face had a stern expression that seemed almost frozen with how stiff it was.
"Where are the others?" Peter asked.
'You'd think he was a Grim with that outfit,' Oliver thought.
"They'll be with us shortly," Yamato said, keeping his eyes to the table as he spoke. "Some won't be joining us. They're either helping the rescued or assisting the scouts at the edges of the illusion."
"That's fine," Peter said, scratching the back of his head. "I use fire magic so ya know."
"Water and earth," Oliver added.
"Wind, lightning, healing," Yamato responded.
Oliver couldn't hide his shock. Triple affinities were rare enough among humans to almost be considered a myth. He looked at Peter who was giving a curious stare.
"How old are ya?" Peter asked.
"Old enough," Yamato said, still staring at the table.
"What deal did you take?" Peter followed up quickly.
Oliver couldn't believe Peter's rudeness. He wanted to say something, but he was too curious to pass up the opportunity.
Yamato looked up from the table at Peter. His expression made it difficult to read whether or not he was upset with the questions.
"R'yarj," Yamato answered.
Peter's eyes widened. Oliver couldn't understand why so he decided to ask.
"What?" He looked back-and-forth at Yamato and Peter. "Is that some high-ranking demon?"
"That's an eldritch," Peter said, shifting his eyes from Oliver to Yamato.