More than camaraderie

Shin, as rabid of an animal he is, retreats at the sense of overwhelming danger before him. Locking eyes with Cecil made him see himself die fifty-seven times.

However unfortunately for him, Cecil boldly springs forward to give chase and keep him at arm's length. The sharp glower of her eyes are giving her an image of a wolf to Shin, and that forces him to suddenly take up a defensive stance as Cecil starts pummeling him with lightning-fast rapier thrusts.

With two sword-fighting styles clashing against each other, it's difficult to guess the other's attack tells and what their defensive stances are because of the difference in understanding.

That's why Shin has given up on complete defense and is now doing his best to protect the vital parts of his body from Cecil's attacks that continue to corner him into defense.

'It was his mistake to go on the defensive against me. But, even I didn't think I could push him into a tight spot like this. It was a really risky gamble.' A drop of sweat runs down Cecil's left cheek.

It's just now that she's beginning to realize just how dangerous it was for her to act on impulse. No matter what the adrenaline in her body may tell her, it won't change how she could have died on the first step she took.

She becomes nervous, but she uses that to keep her wits up against Shin.

Even though Cecil's on the constant offensive, because she has no understanding in eastern swordplay, that she doesn't let her guard down.

That proves to be her undoing as Cecil flourishes her sword to prep for an attack which instantly snaps Shin out of his defensive stance and into attacking Cecil.

The timing's too perfect and there's no way for Cecil to counter as she's still midway into her prep. Stepping back leads her to kick her other heel. There's no escape as Shin's blade is right in front of her.

It's by her nervousness that kept her guard up that she stumbles into a fatal mistake that's about to cost Cecil her life. However, she's reminded that she's not alone in this fight as Sigmund grabs hold of her shirt collar and pulls her away from Shin's strike.

That of course causes Shin to glare at Sigmund who is already scowling back the mercenary.

"I'll cut you both down then!" He roars while swinging his sword only for Sigmund to block it with the sole of his boots.

"I'd love to see you try," Sigmund replies coldly as he kicks Shin's sword back.

Just as the red-haired commander is about to do the same to the mercenary's face, Shin jumps back and immediately takes up an attacking stance.

"Are you alright?" Sigmund asks Cecil while keeping his eyes on Shin. For the better, because when Sigmund grabbed and pulled Cecil out of danger, the top buttons of her uniform came loose, leaving her shirt open to reveal her frilly pink bra.

"Y, -Yeah. I can't believe that I stalled for too long by being cautious. I should've gone for the kill when I had the chance," Cecil berates herself.

"You said it yourself, Sir Cecil. This is our fight," Sigmund replies as he puts his hand on top of her head.

Shin grows tired and irritated by these two. To him, they're nothing but because they're giving him a hard time that it drives him over the wall.

The mercenary charges towards Cecil and Sigmund, his bloodlust so apparent that the two can feel Shin's fangs digging into their necks.

"If you're afraid Cecil, then let me put you at ease." Sigmund takes the rapier from Cecil's hand and uses it to parry Shin's strike using a type of swordplay more common in arming swords than in rapiers. "Cecil!"

After parrying the attack, Sigmund throws the rapier into the air where Cecil catches it and unleashes a flurry of rapier strikes at the dazed and enraged Shin.

The mercenary's blood splatters everywhere as he receives multiple flesh wounds in the form of small but painful cuts across his body. His armor, a do-maru, is built mostly against sword swings and not sword thrusts.

"Sir!" Cecil shouts as she throws the rapier to her right and there to grab it is Sigmund, who lunges towards Shin with a prepped sword swing.

A beast cornered and wounded, by instinct, should retreat while it can. However, Shin is not just some beast.

Rather than falling back, as he's done to avoid danger, Shin finally faces it and strikes the rapier with his katana. A sharp metallic crunch echoes in their ears as Cecil's rapier snaps in two. Sigmund soon finds himself with a diagonal gash opening across his torso.

As Sigmund steps back, blood spills out from his new wound. It's a miracle he's alive and equally as miraculous is Shin who did not lose any of his eyes from the diagonal gash across his face that stretches from his right forehead to his left cheek.

"Sir Sigmund!" Cecil runs up to her commander only for him to throw the broken rapier into the air. She knows what he wants her to do, but right now if she doesn't do anything for Sigmund soon he would lose too much blood.

Time slows down for Cecil as she faces a difficult choice.

With an anguished look in her face, she runs past Sigmund and grabs the broken rapier. Her eyes glare at Shin who now realizes that blood is pouring over his face, obscuring his vision.

So rather than guessing where Cecil will attack him, Shin waits for Cecil to plunge her broken weapon into him, and like a springloaded trap, he'll bring down his katana and cleave her in two.

'That anger will narrow you. I got you now, lamb!' A nasty grin comes over Shin.

However, Cecil's attack wasn't going to come from the front. As she charges towards Shin, she leaps over him and landing against a wall she propels herself from it and drives the broken sword against Shin's back.

"AGH Y, -YOU" Shin hacks up blood as he finds himself lying on the floor with Cecil on top of him, her rapier driven deep into his back.

"Stay there and die already!" She demands staying on top of Shin until he goes limp.

It didn't take long for that to happen and Cecil gets up running towards Sigmund who's lying on the cold snow-covered streets of Aspen.

"S, -Sir! Please stay conscious, I'll treat you right now I just- My suitcase!" In a panic, Cecil rushes to her suitcase and for some reason, it feels much heavier in her hands right now.

Tearing Sigmund's shirt open to get a clean look of his wounds did nothing but bring Cecil fear as blood continues to flow out of them with each passing breath Sigmund takes.

"Please, please don't die. Sir!" Cecil shouts as she nervously takes out a spool of thread and tries to tie it into a stitching needle, only for her shaking hands to fail her. "Dammit! Why!? Stop shaking!"

"Cecil. Shouting at yourself like that won't help. I'll be fine, I'm not going to die on you," Sigmund says hoping to pull Cecil out of her nervous breakdown.

"I'll be putting my complete trust in you, Cecil. Don't worry, just get me stable enough that I can walk. Heka will heal my wounds for me. So, don't- … -worry." Putting his hand on her wrist, Sigmund reassures Cecil and for a second time, he smiles at her.