The breeze was repced by thick, warm, suffog air. The swirling crimson sky seemed to pick up speed. Like a hurrie was gathering overhead. A pressure began to build, a weight on the shoulders, a prig in the mind. The fmes alight around the pound; lig up the sides, roared. Growing stronger and hotter as the moments ticked by, a udation to the skies above.

  22 knights circled below; Brutes took the front, swordsmen on the sides and Archers in the rear. A perfeation. Eren peered down from the edge of the shattered window.

  Reiji was certainly a forlike any he had seen. Whilst he was old in age his power and vigour more than matched that of a man in his prime. A machoistic joy present. The fmes raised as his smirk grew.

  Battle damage to his once pristine suit already. Torn across his shoulder, waistcoat tattered, trousers singed. Even his face had soot and ash on one side. Yet his eyes were still bright, a child-like excitement to be battling.

  'Why is he smiling?' Eren thought. This was no small fight; it was life ah. So why the jovial attitude.

  "Well..." Reiji cracked his back. "A 22 on 1 battle. That is a new record." 22 knights circled Reiji, a wide berth between them.

  Guren stood by his side. Danya; willingly gave his soul, and his o serve the Reaper. A titan of a shadow, even with the brutes were made to seem small.

  "Go. Help them." Eren ordered. With a simple nod Guren took off. Landing in the tre of the Knights, standing tall like a mountain, peering down on Reiji.

  "Hehe, so you sed sides Panic."

  *Silence*

  "Very much like your master." Reiji smirked.

  "Fine by me. Let's dance."

  *Whoosh*

  Archers fired a volley of arrows, flying.

  *Fling* *Swoosh* *Fling* *Swoosh*

  Reiji created a wall of fire blog the ining attacks. A barrage followed, peppering the fmes. Keeping him on the backfoot. A pn was set in motion; Brutes and swordsman charged in. Surrounding him from all sides.

  *Fwoosh*

  From the fire wall came several fming bdes, slig through the air. All but the swordsmen cleaved in two, the brutes and Guren remained. Bdes deflected, crimson fme against shadowed steel.

  Guren sucked up essence from the shadows of the dead knights. Orbs floating around, instead of blood they were of a deep bck. Still retaining all its puren used an orb; torrents of blood gushed out from his palms. Dosing the fmes, giving him an opening.

  *PUNCH* *Thump*

  Reiji went sailing. Hitting into a crete pilr. A small cra the stone and a gasp of pain.

  "Nice punch." Rolling off the pilr, Reiji rose to his feet, a little shaky, a small cut across his forehead, and a trickle of blood.

  "Is that all?" Reiji grinned. A bde of fme in his palm, and another on his stumped arm; he struck against the brutes, who charged with their hammers.

  Nimble movements from the old ma that the brutes couldn't nd a strike. Instead, a flurry of fmes sliced at their armour; where the armour joined was his target. A precise strike that toppled them both. A final strike to the necks. Both fell limp to the floor.

  Reiji looked up to the Reaper once more, a smile on his face. "e now. I expected a bit more." A taunt, to which Eren was not taking the bait.

  The ledge provided more than a vantage point. It was a respawn area for his minions. Down below was all crimson illumination, nowhere for shadows to reside.

  In truth; Eren was to battle damaged to even put up much of a fight. Cut skin, little c for his ski much of it was charred and worst of all his mangled right arm re useless. The mask did all it could; still the pain was threatening to boil over.

  An infiream of knights emerged from behind; joining their brothers and sisters below. A stant barrage of attacks, keeping Reiji on his toes. Fme swords, walls and fireballs kept them back. A dance of fire, not even the archers had a ce to attack.

  "Very well then. There is another purpose for the sky above." With his right stump, he poio the sky. A vortex of fme began to gather, a great wind was building.

  "Armageddon!"

  Balls of fire began to rain down, hitting the knights and the building. One was on a direct course for Eren.

  *Swing*

  With his whip, he struck down the ball. Nothing but ash and dust remained. Slight embers nded on him, but they quickly went out.

  *Boom*

  Aruck the level below him, the foundatioh gave way. crete crumbled, crashing down to the arena below. More and more balls of fire rained down, putting the shadows on the backfoot. Scrambling away from each impact. Even Guren was forced back; dodging and defleg each that came his way.

  "Wele Reaper." *Dash*

  A crimson fsh. Reiji closed the distance. Sword and bone cshed against one another. A flurry of attacks. Each parry and defle, was met by intense heat.

  pared to the ledge above the heat was stifling. Every breath was boured and heavy. Each csh with the swords sent embers and fmes, a barrage of attacks.

  *Fwip* *Fwip* *Fwip*

  Blood arrows pelted at Reiji. Easing off Eren and instead fog on defleg.

  'I o get away.' Making space quickly; his knights rallied around him like an escort. Their bodies creating a barrier between him and Reiji.

  *Whoosh* *Whoosh* *Whoosh*

  Several fireballs burnt away the knights. Only a few remained. Guren engaged with Reiji. Trading blows with one another. Providing a mueeded break.

  'I o end this quickly. I'm going to run out of knights.' Thinking on his feet. Looking for anything in the arena that could provide a solution.

  A master over his abilities and his fighting style. This was his domain; Eren ying on his turf. One wrong move would be the end.

  "Guren!" The reaper called. A swift nod was all he needed. Back by his side, Guren stood.

  At deaths door Reiji refused to knock. He would fight the world in this state. Power swelled; fmes grew rger. Heat became even more intense. Sweat beaded and poured from beh his mask.

  Guren raised his hands above his head; the enduring knight’s essence are drawn into an rowing and power.

  "No, you don't." *Dash* Reiji blurred, sword in hand, slig off Guren's arms in a X.

  The giant dropped as did the orb, an explosion of dark mist ed them. A thick fog. Reiji was uo see, only his bdes illuminated a meter in front.

  "Damn. That boy is clever." plimented Reiji. "Using your minions as fodder? You are ruthless."

  Fireballs and fmes were useless in the darkness, they would simply be swallowed.

  "You’re in my domain now."

  *Ssh*

  "Argh."

  Across his thigh, a deep cut, Reiji bleed.

  Another, and another, and another, cut after cut sliced up Reiji. Not a fatal blow, but each strike weakened him. Blood seeped from his wounds, dripping into the darkness.

  Reiji’s movements were slowed. A limp to his gait. Even with an arm lost and several cuts he was still agile, a testament to his will to fight.

  *Slick*

  This one was across his left eye, taking his vision. "AHH!" Blood and fluid leaked. Another ssh across his waist.

  "ARGH!" Reiji was slowing down. Each attack was now a struggle. Left to fend off the attacks from the darkness.

  *Ssh* *Ssh* *Ssh*

  A final barrage of sshes. Until finally the mist dissipated; The Reaper stood above the old man. Whip coiled around Reiji's neck. Eyes meeting, Eren could see the life draining from the man. "Well, *Cough* done..."

  The Reaper pulled tighter and tighter willing to choke out his st breath.

  "Tell... Hiro... I'm... sorry." Grabbing tight on the whip; strength returo his body, fire erupted from his form. His body beginning to morph. Muscles bulged, flesh melted, bone broke and reformed.

  'A final form... Fuck.'