FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The Beastridden

Rite of Carnage

In the early ages of man-

With the gnashing of many fanged mouths, a wounded beast god limped and bled, one of its heads frantically looked over a shoulder for its pursuers. Its presented eyes found no chase, and it stopped to breathe; an action it was unfamiliar with since it was forced to incarnate, to accept an terrestrial form. Instead of omnscient awarness, it saw that it had many legs, more than any natural creature on that plane of existence. Its body was covered in a maelstrom of fur, scales, and feathers that seethed as its form was almost amorphous. Its many, varied tails lashed gashes into the earth it stood on, another action it was unaccustomed to, and some of its ears heard signals of pursuit. It ran further, bouldering into a nearby grove of trees and wailed; its bleeding wounds crystallized in an opaline substance, like scabs. With terror upon the realization of this, the beast god limped further and stopped. With great heaves it wailed loudly, the orchestra of agony drawing shouts from nearby.

"AHEAD, MEN! THE DEMON GOD!" a voice bellowed, and the beast god trembled with fear.

The pursuers of the beast god followed the trail of blood it left as it fled, their leader sure of their quarry's position.

"WE'RE CLOSE NOW! VICTORY WILL BE OURS!" he exclaimed, fanatical of his crusade against a creature he didn't even know of days before. With the group of warriors was someone totally obscured by robes and sashes, but had no weapon. The robed figure knelt and grasped at the bloodstained earth, and an energy invisibly passed from it into them. With sorrow they stood, and simply looked in a singular direction.

"CHAAARGE!" the leader commanded, and the warriors brandished their weapons, tense and eager with bloodlust. The beast god shuddered as its new ears heard the sounds of armor draw near.

Finally within sight of each other, the group raised their weapons and rushed, a few of them stabbing the beast god's wounded body with polearms, and the rest with swords advanced at a slower pace. With terror and pain the beast god lashed about with instantly grown tentcles of force, slashing and piercing through hardened steel armor sets. Those with swords rushed the injured god and met their fate with the swiping of various claws, tossing them about like dead leaves. Their commander stood with his mouth agape in shock, his troops reduced to corpses in mere moments, and with his teeth gritted he drew his own sword, gilded with his rank, and left the robed figure to stand alone as he rushed headlong to his fate, actually running his blade through the god's side to the hilt. The wound was deep, but immediately cased over as soon as the god's blood met the open air with a crystalline substance, trapping the blade in a hefty shard of glittering material. The commander tried to pull his blade free with a grunt but found he was bound. Meanwhile, even through the pain, the beast god turned its head and opened its many jaws to deliver a hurricane of vicious bites.

After all that remained of him was a bloody hand grasping the hilt of a sword, the god turned its haried gaze to the robed figure, who did not approach.

"I'm so sorry..." the figure began, as the beast god collapsed from its injuries, spilling more and more blood from its wounds that casked over its body, slowly. Some of its many eyes looked at the figure, seeming to plead with the remaining person before it.

"Yes, yes I will." the robed figure said, almost begrudgingly, before making their way to stand ahead of the vortex of mouths that calmed down a degree. The many mouths melted into a singular muzzle, heaving and bleeding, and cementing itself shut just a little.

With an extended hand, the robed figure placed it on the slowly crystallizing form and spoke with thunderous diction.

"ORuPHOS eXEM PHRASpha..." the figure said, the words themselves exploding with force and forming hard sigils that crashed through the beast god's hardening body. As the force traveled through the mortal and battered form it cracked all over and bled from fresh wounds, which then iced over to create a thickening shell that, with time, created a large idol amongst the corpses. The force speaker then lowered their head for a moment, and added a final phrase that flowed like a raging river.

"O suras SEM ph'Ras EUS..." they concluded, and the flesh and blood form in the idol's core grew smaller and smaller before it radiated harshly, then exploded from the inside out.

The blast was immense, scattering bright sparks into world with concussive power that roared, utterly decimating the area.

The force-speaker was unharmed however. They stood there undisturbed, their head lowered solemnly, reverently regarding the passing of the beast-god with guilt.

*** *** ***

Cajo stirred: his bloody stump of a wrist stopped by a section of cold just beyond the cut. He drifted in and out of consciousness, his awareness fluctuating between his current position and beyond; his farsight flickering randomly. He saw and heard remotely and locally, his hearing and sight catching glimpses of a battered Hornstrel. He heard a number of shouts and curses from a source he couldn't focus on, and he...caught scent of his cousin who had been absent. He even...thought he could see him, but just as easily dismissed the idea as a hallucination, a fevered dream brought on as he saw he was sitting in a puddle of his own blood. He shivered, a chill almost totally draining him of energy as with his Beastridden power sapped, his healing halted. The hybrid swordsman Senryul wasn't immediately present, but Cajo felt his threatening aura nearby and hoped that if the cousin that he saw was the real thing, he would be able to push back and fight for those lost.

His cousin drew closer with no hurry, until he stood before the wounded lycanthrope, and stood almost with Cajo's nose in his crotch.

"Daaaamm cousin, you smell like fresh bread..." Cajo said, his weak pulse quickening as his cousin hooked his thumbs behind his waistband and dropped them knee-low, and Cajo stared at Knuckle's scrotum and sheath unashamed.

"For me?" Cajo asked, and the figure took a small step to drop his low and heavy pair onto the wounded fighter's snout. Cajo almost lost consciousness altogether, the thrill of the situation making his heart pound. Back and forth Knuckle dragged his dangling, impressive nutsac, and Cajo was restrained with surprise, and delight as the heavy organs painted and signed his snout with the smell of his cousin's musk. Cajo looked up to see his cousin's eyes, and was surprised to see that he was knelt low to meet them level.

"Wake up now, wake up! Don't you do this to me, we gotta go! Cajo!" Cajo listened on, and as he grew more and more aware he realized he was dreaming.

"Cajo! Wake up!" His cousin vocalized, shaking him by the shoulders.

"CAJO!" Knuckle shouted, and the two-toned werewolf awoke with a jolt and a shudder, as well as disappointment as he found Knuckle's indecent behavior was just a product of his mind.

"Shiiit cuz, what happened to ya?" Knuckle said, locating the severed hand lying lifelessly in the wide, red puddle.

"Th-the swordsman..." Cajo said, and Knuckle snarled, before his body flashed over with scars that crept into view like the shadows of bare tree branches. Knuckle grunted and swallowed his anger down, and a sudden heat he felt grow within himself died just as swiftly as it arose, and his marks faded from view.

"Where's Jonas?" Knuckle asked, and Cajo shrugged: Knuckle glanced around as while he couldn't find Senryul by smell or pressure, he knew he was waiting to make his move.

With just a moment later, Knuckle took Cajo's good arm and put it over his shoulder.

"We're gonna move now..." Knuckle began, and Cajo stood up as Knuckle seemed capable of much more than just helping Cajo catch his footing.

"Ah'm takin my cousin somewhere safe, Senryul! Then we can have it out, just you and me!" Knuckle shouted loud with just a breath.

In his delirium, Cajo neglected a sense of observation, like he was right in front of someone looking at him.

"Are ya...gonna carry me, cuz?" Cajo weakly asked with a smile, and while Knuckle knew he wouldn't even notice he was carrying him he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, okay c'mere.." Knuckle said, as he reached low with his right arm, scooping him up easily.

"Ah heard ya call for me.." Knuckle said softly, sharing warmth from within himself to his ragdoll of a cousin who sighed a bit in relief.

*** *** ***

Senryul and his subordinate sat on benches in a gazebo behind a fallen tower facing one another. He eyed the bear across from him as he utilized his ability to remotely view his adversaries. Previously, the bear had met a swift defeat and had since lost his edge, even with the aid of his ferocious weapon. Senryul however, by that time had a new outlook that granted Futo an opportunity to help his master fulfill his Rite of Carnage.

"They're leaving now, and the young master is in battle..." the bear muttered, opening his eyes with his statement siezing Senryul's attention.

"'In battle?' Where?" the hybrid pondered, completely absorbed by the idea of his son ever struggling to defeat an opponent. His subordinate closed his eyes again, the texture of his eyeballs darting around under his eyelids.

"Part of the central annex, and he's fighting the wolves' otter who's holding him off with some new power. The young master's not alone: his friend is with him!" he exclaimed, a little more enthused than he had expected to be. Senryul then curiously pictured the possible scenarios offered by that information.

With a devilish smile Senryul stood. Holding his belted sword horizontal, he looked in a direction and voiced a command to the dispirited bear, "Contact the Council. Xarieos either failed or gave up, meaning I'll have the pleasure of doing much more of the work" he stated with a smile, extending his arm to let his Beastridden power trickle down it to form a jagged, sharp looking crown before he took two quick steps and blasted off in a searing sprint, his burst of speed pulling a damaged structure down after him. The crown clattered on the ground before the bear's feet.

Futo sat silently, torn and sullen, and got to his feet after he collected the dense, thin, keen-edged headgear.

The moment he gripped the crown with surety he found he was in another place, dimly lit and stained lifeless with intense presences. However, instead of fear, Futo was perturbed with the weight of this task: he could be shredded and Senryul wouldn't be bothered by the outcome. Within the span of a step he was immediately obstructed by two figures who could fight over the world, and tear it apart. The bear knelt, presenting Senryul's crown before the two and they approached, closer, enough for the now, and rightfully trembling ursine to see.

One was titanic in comparison to the bear and his own companion, whom Futo found to be even in height with him. He had a jawline framed with glistening black spines symmetrically groomed. He had white fur that looked like frost on his nude form, and eyes with multiple pupils cast amongst them. The other was closer to ten feet tall than nine with massive muscles, and fur colored like autumn with streaks of yellow and white on a background of reddish-brown, and he was skyclad as well.

The two Council members were silent, even when their pursuit of the intruder brought them right to him.

"My master Senr-RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH" the more massive beast roared, his arms raised as he totally drowned out the bear, with the inside of his slobbery, dangerous mouth growing in brightness as particles aligned at a center most point before the energy payload built. Futo was muted with the force of this roar, dropping the crown as he was instantly blasted to his back. He looked on, terror holding him still like cornered prey, with the beast producing another massive set of arms that flexed and bulged with red light, growing massive as the energy neared a critical limit. The other beast was silent as he witnessed this massive offense build, his eyes glaring at the bear, and the discarded crown...

"Taurem, maybe hear him out." he said, sharply groping the massive beast's rear, a mix of an affectionate caress and a lewd swipe. The attack immediately ceased, and Taurem stumbled clumsily to the side as his companion stepped past him, squatting to look the bear in the eyes.

"Who gave you a backstage pass lil fella?" he asked Futo, who barked his response. His heart was pounding, and blood trickled from his ears from the cacaphonic roar. Taurem's eyes flashed as he sighted Dzuruuk's rear-facing curves, then his muscular back.

"S-Senryul! Senryul sent me!" Futo screamed, thrashing and flailing his limbs in sheer terror as he tried to escape. The beast called Taurem smiled madly, and spoke with a monotone voice that greatly disturbed the bear.

"Sennnnnnnryul thinks we should jump at his beckoninnnnnnng and commmmmand? HEEE'S TOOO NEEEW TO MAKE DEMAAANDS OF US, DZURUUUK!" he roared, shifting from an unsettling tone to a tyrannical one. The other beast looked the frightened bear in his eyes, peering motionlessly but effortlessly into his very soul, and looked upon his Beastridden spirit that was erratic in its flow, destructive, and omnipresent.

"He sent you here with his crown, for what?" Dzuruuk asked, and when his multi-adapted eyes all seemed to focus on the bear they all merged into a heterochromatic set of eyes that seemed to reach out with invisible arms. These unseen arms then stroked the bear's head and tugged him closer by his foot, and Futoranda managed a labored gulp before he exhaled.

"H-he said... He declared the...destruction of Hornstrel his Rite of Carnage." the bear began. Dzuruuk and Taurem let their eyes meet as they heard of the new member's declaration.

"He said, the landshark either gave up or failed, so he'd have to do most of the work himself." he finished with a sigh.

"Xarieos always liked to play around." Dzuruuk said, after a moment of silence.

"Asking for even one of us is overkill..." he continued, and Taurem clumsily approached his side, equipped with a terrible and massive erection, and Dzuruuk jumped when he saw it. It glistened in the darkness, drooling heavily onto the ground releasing hisses of vapor.

"DZURUUK, I...I NEED TO..." he gasped, placing his hands on Dzuruuk's shoulders and thighs, before burying his horrible length into Druzuuk's unguarded rear, helplessly compelled. Dzuruuk spasmed and seized, and the bear was totally thrown off by such savage display of lust and...trust here.

"Ooof, Taurem..." Dzuruuk groaned.

"Okay, I'm gonna *hnng* drain him then we'll *uhh* be there. This *grrr* better be worth it." Dzuruuk groaned out, before Taurem began to rut him rhythmically, drooling like it was his favorite meal. The bear watched a moment before stepping away as he witnessed their violet union and saw a sort of...charge build between them. An arc of power flashed into view as it jumped from Taurem's tense and contoured shoulder to the ground, with Dzuruuk's face contorted into a glacial grin as his body took devastating impacts.

The bear shuddered as he continued to walk away, shortly passing through a jagged hole in space and followed his master's searing footprints at a slow, but steady pace, with the wound in space healing instantly as he lumbered away.

*** *** ***

Cajo awoke with a shudder and a jolt. He gasped as his eyes darted around, realizing Knuckle had taken him to shelter: a downed rooftop. He struggled to get up but Knuckle was close by to lend a hand.

"Whoa cuz, easy..." he said, and the duo-tone wolf groaned as his cold, bloody stump bore against the dirt floor.

"Aahh, shit!" Cajo screamed, and Knuckle frowned.

"You got yer tail handed to ya! Don't try t'move!" Knuckle urged his cousin. Cajo grimaced, grabbing his wrist for a moment, then his cousin's leg.

"Rudderbutt... He's gonna end up in a bad spot Knuck, you gotta go!" he said, his teeth bared in a worried expression. Knuckle was silent as he was thinking of the otter as well.

"This might end up one of two ways, Knuck..." Cajo said ominously, and Knuckle turned to leave.

"Find us with that sight of yours." the brown wolf said before he left.

***

As Knuckle emerged from his makeshift shelter, some of the downed enemies began to stir and rouse as time allowed them to heal. Many of them had weapons, and Knuckle was warned by the landshark that they were mainly there to cause harm. To himself, and his companions.

He went largely unnoticed though, and a quick glance revealed an unwatched passage that he slipped through with haste.

Once sure he was undetected he began to pick up speed, his Beastridden marks fading into view, a maelstrom of jagged bite and claw marks. As he picked up speed he began to spark and flicker with arcs of his energy, his legs stamping rugged and smoldering paw prints into the ground.

He rounded corners and jumped over shattered barricades with efficiency, ending his movement with a roll. He looked up from his low posture, noticing the clouds in an irregular formation, thin and stretched around a jagged hole in space. He looked on, and saw from the ground that two glimmering points fell from the hole and were headed to make impact farther from his position.

With a swift scan of the area Knuckle located a tall building and scaled it with expertise, barely making contact as he mounted the thankfully forgotten structure. Upon the rooftop he watched the blazing points land, their impact gentle but traumatic. The moment they met the ground their auras released in a destructive wave of grand, golden light, a burst that scattered the wreckage of Hornstrel like leaves.

The blast was immense but Knuckle was out of it's reach, and when the concussion calmed Knuckle could see two beasts: a white-furred one his own size and another much larger, with reddish-brown fur. They stood in the center of a bare circular area, crackling with power that made Knuckle's mane stand on end.

"Aw shit..." Knuckle cursed, and the two beasts angled their heads up as their gaze landed on the brown wolf. The white furred wolf approached a bit, enough for Knuckle to see his expression.

With a smile the white wolf spoke.

"Hey you, up there. You with Senryul?" he asked, and Knuckle snarled.

"Hell naw! Are YOU with Senryul?" Knuckle shot back, and the white wolf crossed his big arms.

"Well, we aren't here because we want to be, but Senryul's a...work colleague. I'm Dzuruuk and this is Taurem. He and I are gonna smash the shit outta this place." Knuckle scowled and leaped from the top of his tower to land before the two who reacted mildly if at all. His present marks flashed in response to their carrier's emotion, and Dzuruuk's smile shrank into a grin as he thought to himself.

"I get it. You must have met our friend. All of those marks: look at you, you're filthy with Beastridden power!" Dzuruuk praised. Taurem looked around blankly, his massive frame heaving in the fading sunlight.

"Yeah, Ah met him. My type 'vantages let me drill'im somethin' fierce." Knuckle said, and then relaxed a bit. Dzuruuk and Taurem chuckled in response, and Knuckle glanced Taurem's way and back, acknowledging that they were both nude.

"Why ain't y'all attackin' me?" he asked, and Dzuruuk nodded.

"Well, you're pretty handsome, and we don't really like Senryul. He killed one of us to get a seat on our council by our rules, but the three of us warmed up to one another." Dzuruuk said simply, nodding at the huge beast near him. Taurem chuckled once again, and Knuckle's face shifted backwards.

"Ah'm handsome? There's regular people dyin' here over his pride! This ain't a game!" Knuckle shouted. Taurem stepped past his fellow councilman and towered over Knuckle, albeit with a...slumped posture. Looking down at Knuckle their eyes met, with neither sensing malice toward the other.

"Dzuuuruuuk, if Sennnryul wants us to kiiill the inhabitants of Hornnnstrel, he will have his wish." the giant wolf muttered, as his absent expression became devilish.

"Aw hell, you're right." Dzuruuk said, he and Taurem stepping past Knuckle who turned around, alarmed at their declaration.

"Hey no-" Knuckle stopped speaking and raised his fists, as he was faced with many enemies that had gathered to observe the appearance of the Council of Fangs. Many were armed, but none of them looked like they called Hornstrel home. He even remembered a few, either downed near where he took Cajo to rest, or when he reemerged from underground.

"You guys with Senryul?" Dzuruuk asked. There was a wave of varied agreements and affirmations that followed, and at once, Dzuruuk swiped a hand upwards that emitted an icy trail along the ground far ahead. He seemed to glisten like frost for a moment as he held his pose, gleaming brightly in three places, and along the trail of ice, jagged drills sprang from the ground to skewer and root their victims with terrible wounds. Taurem leaped ahead into the crowd before him and thrashed about, his four hands grabbing and tearing as he left a screaming trail of gore and viscera behind him before he ended his movement, his mouth agape and luminous with his hands raised, each taking a unique hand sign and fired three beams from them: a crackling red ray that left a trail of blue flames as it sliced through flesh it traced over, a spout of molten gold metal that spewed over targets from a small gate conjured by that hand's sign, with the last beam a lance of white light that ran targets through and left them hollow. His last hand was pitch black and red, and whatever it merely touched hissed with traces of a terrible toxin. His chosen enemies fell, with Dzuruuk impaling and shattering those he engaged.

"Rite of Carnage my ass..." Dzuruuk said, his mastery of immense cold scattering those before him with the most minimal effort.

"FOOOR REZZAAAKE!" Taurem responded.

Knuckle watched both powerful beasts revel in massacre. Taurem had a corpse that hissed with smoke impaled upon his toxic hand and roared. Dzuruuk froze a few before him solid before he simply shattered them with a slap. With Jonas on his mind he met a fork in the road. He could help the two Beastridden and have their aid in return, but every moment spared meant he was that much further from protecting his charge. Opposite this idea was leaving them alone and finding his friend himself, but that meant facing whatever forces he encountered alone.

The two Beastridden raged on, and Knuckle's gaze wavered and fell.

***

A gust of wind whipped across a court of cracked concrete, between Jonas and two more assailants, Kera and Silvus, Senryul's son and pupil. The massacre at Hornstrel revealed many capable powers.

Jonas fought them both to an impressive standstill, having activated a hidden state that drew from his newly acquired Beastridden powers, instead of his own internal reserves. He showed no fear, even projecting stalwart defiance with his pole tall beside him.

From across the short distance Silvus lunged again, a streak of blue that was almost transparent, with a swing of his curved blade. Jonas stepped out of reach and began to gently whirl his pole, turning with it to parry the attack laterally. Silvus beat the parry back but Jonas's pole went with the strike, whirling backwards to attack. Silvus frantically drew his sword to close his right side to parry, ready to counter with a thrust, but Jonas stuck his pole between the trainee's grip, along the backs of both hands and swung him in a circle back to his position. Kera struck at what he believed was an opening to attack when the otter turned his back, but ended up walking into the rotation of the staff and fell, and Jonas released his companion to stagger backwards to trip over the downed hybrid. Both looked at one another, then to Jonas, and got to their feet with Kera recovering by sweeping his spread legs to end up on one hand, before he and Silvus crouched in a three-point pose.

"Together now..." Kera whispered, wiping a bloody lip. The two ignited, their auras enveloping them and at once, a red and blue comet raced toward the magnificent otter that spun his pole swiftly, his robes of light recoiling silently from the release of pressure. Jonas stuck one end of his pole toward the airborne Kera who evaded with a downward roll, and the silent rapids that was Silvus swung at one of Jonan's legs that he evaded with unbelievable precision, and toppled, rolling away uncontrollably by his own strength. He recovered with a swift translation into a roll, and by the time Kera hit the ground Silvus rushed Jonas again, who then turned to strike the hilt of his sword and grasping fingers with his pole, and swept it into a vortex that disarmed the blue wolf. Once again Kera tried a sneak attack but Jonas swept him off his feet so cleanly he was aloft. Jonas grabbed the end of his pole and thrust it against Kera's chest as he landed, claiming his victory. Slowly withdrawing his weapon Jonas began to leave, giving the young fighters a chance to live, with only a glance.

The otter had made it a short distance from his previous battle site, but stopped. He knew he would hear...

"You would be the perfect weapon against him, at this height you've reached. You will fight, hard, and ultimately, fall to this blade."

Jonas turned and saw Senryul standing between his son and his pupil. Both looked emboldened, with Senryul's hand on Kera's shoulder.

"Worry not boys..." Senryul said, before dashing at the otter...who didn't move. While he was on the way toward him Jonas remembered the past, and how Senryul would allow himself to help someone who would prey upon the innocent and hopeful. He remembered how the swordsman's mate cruelly overpowered him to demoralize Knuckle, and how Senryul hoped they would be destroyed.

Senryul drew closer and when he was within reach of the ascetic otter he drew his sword, the steel blade cracking through the air at an angle that Jonas, with a swift twist of his feet, deflected. Facing Senryul again he jumped away, his pole spun into a disc. Senryul followed instantly, his glee showing with a smile as the otter was masterful enough to repel him with instinct alone. They flew away from the area and landed on a busted building close by, with Senryul dropping into a crouch to power a downward swing. Jonas circled around the warrior and reset his grip to long reach with a strike aimed at his ankle but Senryul rolled ahead, both fighters on a vertical surface. Jonas thrust his pole out long and Senryul evaded, returning with two blindingly fast swings that Jonas managed to parry and escape, making his weapon rattle in his grip. The otter winced, and after a moment his breathing slowed to normal. He withdrew the glowing piece of coral from his forehead, and added it to his pole. Senryul looked on, heedless of the otter's upgrade as the pole shined like a beacon, a single, bright star. It calmed to reveal it had transformed the pole in entirety, creating a brilliant spear with a wicked, broad head that was translucent. The haft was etched with banners all the way to it's shiny round end cap.

"You have so much blood on your hands, Senryul... You would also be satisfied with mine." Jonas said softly, with a few voices. Senryul silently raised his sword, maintaining a one-handed grip for speed. Jonas drew his spear back, looking Senryul in the eyes despite their difference in height.

"You really did shame my boys here, didn't you?" Senryul asked. Jonas immediately responded with a slash of his keen spearhead that Senryul parried, spinning into reach away from the blade. Jonas swung his haft at Senryul and he blocked that strike with the hilt of his sword vertical, the smooth wood of each drinking the impact down to nothing. Turning his haft aside the obstruction Jonas's spearhead arced upwards to chop Senryul's left hand off, with the warrior sidestepping the swing to counter with a downward swing, ending in a crouch. Jonas had readied his counter attack when his haft met the bare steel blade, a thrust aimed into the crouched swordsman's torso but Senryul swung low toward Jonan's ankle, and rolled to his right. The otter evaded by turning his spear vertical as the blade moved by, and cartwheeling on the ends to travel to the roof of the building along with Senryul. The swordsman succeeded his footing with a leap above, his sword swept up, severing and scattering rooftop tiles. Jonas attacked from the ground, whirling once and slapping the roof with a hard swat that smashed where Senryul stood, both fighters attacking and defending simultaneously.

At his height Senryul fell, sheathing his sword by the time his smoking feet met the scarred rooftop.

"Hah." he said, as if Jonas's resistance was a bad joke. Jonas rose from his fully-split stance, the spear's end cap greeting the tile underneath.

"You'll like this..." Senryul said, as he drew his sword into a vertical grip, the cross guard level with his cheek and he pulled it down. The blade began to glow red as it lowered, finishing as the master swept it downward, scattering red sparks.

Jonas began to spin his weapon like a wheel by his side, fast enough to dig into the roof and fired chunks of wood and clay tile, while advancing with steps that did the same. Senryul blocked and deflected the ranged attacks, snarling as he leaped to his right to evade and Jonas swept his spear in another slash that made sparks as the warrior beast blocked it. Jonas thrust his spear and Senryul evaded the attack, and the otter spun his pole into a disc, marching toward the master swordsman, gouging a ditch into the rooftop and harrying the master backward. Senryul found the axle of rotation and thrust the pristine tip dead center. Jonas sidestepped, sweeping the keen-edged spearhead upward, and Senryul beat the attack past him on its course. Spinning the haft to keep control Jonas then switched the rotation to a circumference, his spear like a comet in orbit as the failed attack returned in the form of a long thrust. Senryul evaded with a twist of his waist and Jonas attacked with a blocked strike from the spear's end. Jonas spun the spear free and reversed the swing to reorient the spear and thrust again, an attack that made Senryul lift his foreleg to parry and deflect with his extended leg with an agitated grunt, stomping the sharp head into the rooftop. Jonas turned and wedged the haft over his shoulder, pulling down to free his weapon. Senryul rolled backwards from his low posture to save his foot, grimacing as the otter refused to be caught. Swiftly rushing Jonas once more he drew his laquered scabbard with his free hand, swiftly brandishing the blunt instrument. Jonas immediately responded with a storm of rapid thrusts, the last deflected away and Senryul swept his right leg in a kick to Jonas's head. The otter pulled the spearhead close to block the kick, and grappled the leg before jumping, turning tail over head and Senryul growled, rolling with the motion to escape all while airborne, throwing his sheath at the otter in a storm of motion. Jonas swept his spear into an impermeable disc and the sheath was reflected back to its owner.

"How kind..." Senryul said dryly, before advancing with a series of heavy chops that Jonas parried with the end of his spear. The otter then returned to the offensive with jabbing feints of his spear, galloping ahead with Senryul keeping distance, whirling his sword around with the head, ready to deflect. With swift, water-striding feet Jonas advanced and swept the spearhead down, leading to attack with the weighted buttcap. Senryul spun to his rear to evade, his rotation leading to an attack aiming to take advantage of the failed attack with a swing of his sword, and Jonas turned as well to return his thrust and the warrior parried it down, his stance wide as he slid his leading foot ahead, grunting again in frustration. Strong forearms raised "Sunderer's" blade to cut with the reaping, curved back edge, and the otter whirled behind, swinging the spear's haft to strike his exposed back. The cutting motion served to aid Senryul by blocking that attack, his glowing blade scattering sparks. The confines of the defense allowed Senryul an elbow strike with his left arm and Jonas ran around him, both swiftly circling each other until they struck again, with Senryul taking the initiative to strike before the anticipated moment, but Jonas's amazing clarity allowed him to act in tandem and deflected the hot blade once more. Both fighters backed away from each other, but Jonas noticed something vaguely wrong with Senryul, and twisted to his right as a searing streak of red light crashed into the rooftop where the otter was, cutting it through longways. Jonas landed on a nearby building and watched: The structure began to collapse as it also released smoke; the cut was hot enough to birth embers within the section. From a point on the ground, another streak flew his way horizontally, albeit slightly angled and Jonas ducked it in a scramble, with sounds of demolition behind him. Jonas rose, still calm and he sighted the master on the ground with his form blurred, standing still, his sword calmly over his shoulder. He was even smiling at the otter, who was still until a swift, auburn form rose before him, and a loud, shattering "CRACK" alerted Jonas to the bifurcated building underfoot, where the form became Senryul, his sheathed sword ready to be drawn at supersonic speed and aiming to behead the otter in one swing. The otter's footing failed from the critical structural damage and he fell, evading the drawn sword with the purest of luck and grabbed onto a portion of cracking wood. Senryul looked down through the crack, standing over the otter with contempt. Jonas looked below himself and saw the building had begun to burn on the inside, the rooms already uncomfortably warm.

"I suppose dying in an inferno is better than bleeding out..." Senryul said. With strong feet he backflipped from the roof to land beside his other blurred form on the ground below, who in turn ignited his sword with the same red light he did before. The clone did the same, and with a flurry of far-flung streaks of red light the two Beastridden razed the building with glee, smiling as it collapsed into a cruelly-large funeral pyre. The two blurred forms sheathed their swords, and they both rejoined to restore Senryul to normal, standing between where his split-forms were. With heaving shoulders he turned and walked away, one step closer to achieving his goal.

Shortly after, he returned to his pupil and son, whom were both wide-eyed and applauding his victory.

"I hope you were able to follow all of that..." he said to them with a smirk.