Talius.

Clang. Clang. Clang. Clang. Our swords clash over and over again, each strike ringing in the dark abyss, dying out in time for the next clang to take its place. The force of our swords colliding causes small shards of crystal to become dislodged from the ground, and a particularly sharp piece flies up and scrapes across my shoulder. It is the only wound I've sustained in this battle. "Legion" isn't so lucky. Blood runs in a small rivulet from the corner of his mouth where I landed a kick to his face. One of his cheeks has a deep gash in it. I also managed to score a wound to his shoulder. He is breathing hard, attacking quickly and furiously in the hopes of catching me off guard. As I parry his strikes, I feel memories surging inside of me. My mind occupies that time, centuries ago, when I fought "Legion" for the first time -

We fight savagely, viciously. I grip the spear in my hand as if it is all I love in the world. The one who will become "Legion" makes a thrust at my ribcage. I move to get out of the way, but I am too slow. The blade makes a neat incision across my upper arm. I try to use the butt of my spear to attack his face, but he deflects it with his forearm. No human should be able to do this, but I know his secret. Yochanan has strengthened him, made him more powerful. His spear comes near to my face. I bat it away with mine. "Legion's" kick lands squarely on my sternum.

"Legion" dodges my sword by a hair's breadth, and it crashes into the ground, sending crystal shards flying in all directions "Legion" hopes to surprise me, making a thrust directly at me. Anticipating the attack, I sidestep and swing up, trying to sever his hand. He dodges, but not before I've laid open a fair portion of his forearm. He moves out of range of my blade. After a few moments, "Legion's" execrations fill the air.

"Can't heal yourself, can you? The Black King's Sword is too powerful. You can't reject its energy. I've already won, 'Legion'. It's just a matter of accepting it."

"Fuck you."

I can feel the spear slide sickeningly through my left hand. I grit my teeth in pain as it spreads apart my metacarpal bones. I try to kick at "Legion's" head. He catches my leg and throws me into a stone wall. As I slump down, I feel his knee impact my stomach. He grabs my face and smashes my head into the wall. I feel the stone crack under the force of the impact. I cannot force my eyes to focus. I duck "Legion's" punch. A second kick sends me straight through the wall. I stand up again. I aim a punch at his face, I then grimace in pain as "Legion" catches my fist and completely macerates every bone in it. He twists my arm. I hear one, two, three, four, five cracks as his augmented strength snaps my arm in five places. He smashes my head into the ground. He raises his spear -

Clang. I deflect "Legion's" sword. As he drops his guard briefly, I thrust my sword into his shoulder. It slides smoothly under his collarbone. I hear and feel a small snap as the Black King's Sword splits his scapula in two, the blade coming out his back. "Legion" howls in pain as a burst of energy builds up around him.

"Bastard... you're going to pay for this..."

"I'm trembling."

A large amount of energy flows into "Legion", and I realize that he is putting all of his strength into his blow. He moves faster than he ever has before. I don't have time to move my sword. I can just see the afterimage as his blade arcs toward me -

- I can feel the spear going through me. "Legion" pushes it through me slowly in order to maximize the pain.

I catch the White King's Sword with my bare hands.

He pulls out the spear, and stabs me again. And again. And again. I hear Her voice in my head, in rhythm with "Legion's" spear - "It has ended. You have been defeated. You have proven yourself unworthy of becoming the Holder of Legion. For your failure, you will be banished to the Void for eternity. In addition, you will be struck with the highest of curses: all 2538 Objects will despise you for the rest of time."

"No -"

"Legion's" mouth opens as if to say something. It closes. He is able to barely step back as the Black King's Sword scores a massive slanting gash from the top of his pelvis on his right side up to his left shoulder. If he had not stepped back as he did, he would have been cut in two by my strike. "Legion" gasps, coughs up blood, and falls to his knees.

That curse really is the worst a Seeker can be stricken with. The Objects are a Seeker's all, their existence. Life without the Objects never crosses most Seekers' minds. I feel the full weight of the curse and the scream of hatred from the Objects upon me. My body disintegrates into the Void.

I stand over him, thoughts rushing in my mind. The time of my retribution is at hand, I think to myself. "Legion" is defeated in front of me; I have proven that I am the rightful Holder of Legion. And yet, is this what I really desire? Do I really want to coldly murder "Legion" the same way he did me so many ages ago?

Yes, I do.

I kick viciously, catching "Legion's" face right above his upper teeth. With a gargling, yelling sort of sound, he flies backward onto his back. The blood streaming from his nose and mouth traces his trajectory through the air, making a sort of shining red arc to where he lies. I feel as if time stands still, and I can see the arc of blood suspended for but a moment before it falls to the ground. It is almost graceful. I walk up to where "Legion" lies. Standing right beside him, I point the Black King's Sword at him so that the tip of the blade touches his throat.

"It's over, 'Legion'."

I plunge the Black King's Sword through his ribs.