The messengers note came with directions to his next match, a letter, and a prize. It was the custom the courier had said after matches the winner won a prize from the bets, but it left a terrible taste in David’s mouth. Being rewarded for taking another persons life was sick. He just kept telling himself that it was either fight or die, but that didn’t make it any easier. Two days later and still he kept flashing back to it, that piece of rebar in his hands blazing with fire burning through that man’s chest; David didn’t even know his real name. Murderer or not there was no justice, it would just be another unsolved murder. As a cop David had only ever shot a man once before, and that had been to save his partners life; a life he regretted saving now. David let his frustration out hurling the gold chased prize box aside not even bothering to break the seal. The fruits of his bloody gift could rot as far as he cared.

He picked up the heavy parchment envelope, the seal of the masters pressed into the black wax. He broke the seal and pulled out the letter.

As with before the inscription made it clear once broken it had to be read before the last letter faded. There were no second chances they had told him, it was his family who would pay the price. His rage boiled and he felt the urge to crumple the whole thing, but the letters at the top began to fade already and he instead hurried to finish it quick.

The letter was written in two very different hands. The first bit he recognized but the second part had to have been written by someone else.

*Dearest Drynwyn long have I awaited for a chance to fight you once again. I know that this time we will settle the score. The question as to which of us is truly the greatest once and for all.*

The last letter faded leaving only the map which he quickly looked over committing it to memory. He wondered who this person was, and what history they had. He tossed the letter out the window watching it sink away on the breeze, the last lines of the map disappearing triggering the seal. It burned away in a flash so hot and quick not even a speck of ash remained. He looked down at the hole in his rug remembering the last letter he had received.

The time had said twenty one hundred hours this time, nine o’clock; not much time really. He got his coat on and headed for the subway down the street. The directions were easy enough, an old park on the lower east side. He knew it well.

Two trains, and a cab later and David stood at the gates to a snow covered park he recognized from an old case. Three kids had been caught selling drugs, it seemed so mundane now what with magic wielding psychopaths running about.

He looked about the darkness, sparsely lit by lamps it looked much less inviting then it was in daylight. He sat down across from the swings clearing snow from a bench; he pulled out his phone, eight fifty seven. He sat back watching the swings sway in the evening breeze trying to get his mind in the game. His nightstick tucked into his belt he still felt nervous.

He wasn’t there long when a faint tapping heralded the arrival of another to the park.

He couldn’t see them at first, but rather felt them, knew them; David could feel such familiar power.  But she was not what David had imagined, hobbling down the paved path, this old woman approaching him out of the lamplight. The last time he had seen his foe Kusanagi had been strong and physically beyond compare; memories suddenly flooded back to David. Not his but another’s, another Drynwyn. Memories of a duel, a man with flowing black hair stands in a red coat, they clash, the other man falls, then, nothing. This frail old black woman was the one who had called him out?

She tapped her way along, an old metal broom handle as her guide.

"You’re blind!?"

"But I’m not deaf hun." Her smile was bright, a sparkling white glimmer against her ebony skin.

"Why, why are, you, challenging me?" His mind raced, this was who he was going to fight?

“Easy, to prove which of us is more powerful.” She stood there still as a stone. Her shawl waving in the wind like some wool knit cape.

“Then you’re not being forced to fight?”

“Heck no, I’m old child and have outlived everyone I loved. For me, well this seemed a good way as any to end my days. To accept who, and what I am."

"I won’t fight you, I refuse to fight."

"Then you’ll die."

"You’ll die if we fight!"

"Then it will be my time. Rebirth is all we know, why fret about just one life. My name is Mable Andrews and I am Kusanagi, the one who cuts like the wind. Slayer of mountains and men, as per the pact I challenge you." She levelled her cane, pointing it right at David’s heart.

"I don’t want to kill an old blind woman."

 Her smile, if it was possible, seemed to stretch even wider. "Oh hun you’ll never beat me with that attitude.” She steeped sideways her stance changing as she took hold of her cane in both hands.

“A smarter person would have figured it out by now how I’ve made it this long in the tournament."

David stood up wanting only to leave but feeling a sudden and powerful pressure weighing him down. The old woman suddenly flinched a motion David almost missed barely reacting fast enough to draw his baton catching the blast of pressure and blocking the attack. Her cane came at him lightning fast, the pressure shifting and driving David back. He swung wide barely blocking in time for a second, the a third attack. The old woman was fast. David reeled away looking for an opening, anything. The next attack came faster then even before he felt the rustle of the leaves from behind. How had she gotten behind him so quick. The pressure was to much, this was it, he didn’t want to die like this.

The blow rang out the strike never falling on him, a resonating boom like that of a bell, and the pressure was gone.

Snow and old leaves blasting away in all directions in a gale of clashing forces. Inbetween Mable and David now stood a woman; she was tall and thin almost awkwardly so. Yet she smiled with such confidence she seemed happy. She held an umbrella standing face to face with Mable. Walking stick and umbrella sparked and skittered against one another throwing off fountains of charged aether.  Their pressure flaring giving body to their true forms. Fabled Kusanagi held back by.....

"Aegis?” Mable growled the name through gritted teeth.

“How dare you interfere in our fight." The other woman just kept smiling.

"We booth know e is not ready fer the likes a you Grasscutter!" Her accent was thick, Scottish from the sound of it. A slight lilt that made her seem to sing while speaking. Mable however no longer seemed amused.

"Oh so true. None are deary, not even you."

"Ah, so they say, yer one of the great swords, Grasscutter said ta be able to cut true anythin..."

"Versus one of the legendary armours that cannot be broken.” The aether swirled about them like a storm neither woman giving ground to the other.

“Oh child, this will be fun!"

“Sorry ta have te rain on yer parade granny; but dis match is already over.”

“Please you think you can beat me shieldbarer?”

“Oh ei I could, but we’re not getting the chance.” She never blinked but something made David look around seeing exactly what this Aegis woman meant.  The pressure he had felt before from the two of them dwarfed beneath this new one; these new ones. Sitting perched like crows in the branches were dozens of men and women all dressed in ink black clothes. Their faces hidden by black masks and hoods and all of them looking at Mable.

Her milk white eyes glanced about quickly as if she could see them. Obviously noticing their pressure entering the mix.

“So you didn’t come on your masters order to collect this little wild card?”

“No, and I din ne come alone. Ye cheated Grasscutter you’re ranked three levels higher than the boyscout here; did you really think no one would care?”

“His power rivals even my own if unturned as of yet. He came and as per the pact he accepted.”

Aegis let out a sudden guffaw of a laugh.

“We booth know thas a lie, if he had them shifty fucks would a never let me cut in. Now I’ll say this once; back, OFF.” Aegis’s stance shifted quickly shoving forward aether surging like a flashbang illuminated everything around them. Dozens more of the ninja looking people stood in among the trees too. David gripped his nightstick tight using his senses to follow those behind him closest, but they never even moved.

When the light faded Mable stood back a ways cane planted in the snow.

“Don’t think this is over deary, and you Drynwyn. Battle hard and stay alive, your head will be mine, count on it.”

“it’s over for now Grasscutter, consider this a forfeit and count your blessings; now shove off ya daphy ol bird.” Mable’s cackling laugh pitched high, and in a swirl of snow she disappeared, seeming to take the people in the trees with her.

Utterly confused and feeling way out of his element David walked back to the bench and sat down. Tucking his nightstick back in his belt he sighed staring out at the swings. All aether pressure gone his body relaxed letting go of his own as well.

“You all right love? Wanna get a nip?” It was the first time she had spoken to him directly, her tone softer like she was talking to a child.

“Sorry?”

“Fer wha?”

“Oh, you asked if I wanted something.”

“Yeah thas right, cam on follow me, great pie place near ere. I hate explainin cap on a empty stomach, an I promise it’ll be worth it. An I don me jus the pie.” She turned and started walking away, without anything else he could think of to do David followed.