Nitro leaped rapidly down the street, building immense momentum as he ran. He slammed into Peter's chest, throwing up a cloud of dust.

Peter swung his fist rapidly, Nitro expertly blocking each wild flail with his forearms. Spinning to catch him off guard, Peter roared in anger and threw Nitro into a bank building.

Nitro smashed through the front door and slid to a landing, laughing wildly. "Hot dog you are strong! I haven't had this much fun in weeks!"

Peter growled, reaching down into the street he had opened up with his blows. He yanked out a massive chunk of concrete pipe, throwing it at Nitro.

Nitro punched clean through the pipe, only to have a boot slam into his head and knock him to the ground.

Peter stomped on his chest hard, rooting him in place. He began a torrent of blows onto Nitro's torso, each one slowly collapsing the building they were in until it sank on top of them.

"Nitro!" roared Masher, only to wince and stop. He had regained consciousness a moment ago, but was far too injured to assist.

Peter stood tall in the rubble of the bank, his fists covered in blood. He was panting from exhaustion, steam floating off his skin. Before him was a large pile of rubble, obviously what was left of Nitro.

He grunted, turning away to face his other attackers.

Suddenly the pile of debris exploded, revealing Nitro standing tall. He was covered in cuts and bruises, but had a massive smile on his face regardless.

"Impressive!" he snapped. "Very impressive!"

He began to rapidly pose dramatically, flexing his various muscles to show their size. "This sort of fight was planned generations to come! It is no surprise we met on this day to fight! Surely it is fate!"

Peter's eyes widened slightly. "…where do they find people like you?"

[Scotty "Roundhouse" Dale] "In some crackhead teenager's imagination apparently."

[Richard McGuiness] "Wait, he's a crackhead? I fucking knew it."

Nitro ripped off his shirt, pointing at Peter intensely. "Now let's finish this thing! There can only be one winner in this fight, and I eagerly want to see who it is!"

Peter adjusted the belt around his pants, straightening himself to his full height of three meters. "Conqueror, for only one will be alive after this. We shall decide this with one blow."

Nitro grinned widely, flexing his right hand. "Very well! Be prepared for the worst!"

They both paused for a few moments, breathing deeply to concentrate. Then, like lighting, they struck.

Nitro and Peter slid to a stop, now on opposite ends of the street. They stood still for a few seconds.

Then Nitro's left kidney sliced open, rupturing across the street. He grunted, grasping at the wound. "Wow…that was…a good blow…"

Peter snarled, then his neck exploded. He collapsed to his knees, only able to breathe due to his powers. "…damn it…I can't…even move…"

Nitro grinned widely, turning back to face him. "A great fight Peter Gorman! While this wound is not lethal to a man like me, it was definitely a good one!"

Suddenly Peter's arms began to crumble into dust, collapsing into the street below. He sighed, glancing at the Grave Knight Mark on his chest.

"…it appears his majesty has decided I am dead…" whispered Peter.

Nitro stared at him astonished. "He's…killing you?"

"His majesty can take and give powers with ease. He has decided to do so with me."

Peter glanced at his opponent. "Kill me. I would prefer if I died in battle."

Nitro shook his head. "…no."

"Pardon?"

Nitro tightened his fists. "…what does Cassius mean to you? Why would you sacrifice so much for him?"

Peter paused, glancing up at the sun above him. He looked to be pondering the question, even as he was dying. "…if I told you it was for the sake of dedicating my life to a worthy cause and no other reason, would you mock me?"

Nitro shook his head, offering a small smile. "No. I think that is a very good reason indeed. Peter Gorman, of all men, you are the greatest I have ever fought."

"...to you as well, Nitro," spoke the juggernaut. His torso began to disappear, though now he wore a grin on his face. He began to laugh, like a child. "This is…a good end to my life. At last…"

Then Peter Gorman was completely gone, vanishing into the wind.

Bastien stopped dead, sensing something in the distance. He looked around frantically, his eyes wide.

"Peter! Peter! Are you alright? Where are you man?!" yelled the swordsman. His face grew pale. "…Peter…he's gone…"

"The other's must've succeeded," noted Elena. She glanced at the swordsman. "…while we are enemies, I give my sincerest condolences for your fallen friend."

Bastien closed his eyes, breathing deeply. "…I just hope he died doing what he wanted."

Stan then stabbed him clean in the heart, stopping him dead in his tracks.

"You are foolish," snapped the knight. "Never lower your guard."

Bastien snarled at him, grasping him by the neck. "Stabbing a grieving man…disgusting for a knight."

He drew a large axe and chopped into Stan's shoulder, splitting it down to his ribs. Shoving him away and pulling out the blade, he roared in anger and began swinging his weaponized arms at his opponent.

Elena dashed in and began blocking to help him, barely able to keep up with the sheer number of blades against her. "Some help would be nice."

A storm of razor paper shredded through several of Bastien's blades, effectively disarming him. He snarled, dashing away and drawing new weapons.

Wolfenstein tackled him to the ground, binding him into place. "Someone bind him! The contract still applies to him!"

The pores on Bastien's skin opened, expelling huge amounts of steam from within. Wolfenstein reflexively let go, his skin bubbling off like glue.

Bastien stood, his arms combining into two massive pillars of muscle on either side. He cracked his shoulders, admiring his new body.

"…you all have pushed me farther than anyone else before," stated Bastien. "But you won't win. This is a fight, and I don't lose fights."

Suddenly his Grave Knight Mark began to glow, causing him to pause. He glanced down at it, noting how it was beginning to disappear.

"What?! Why is it…? But I'm fine! Why would…?"

"Cassius is giving up on you," explained Swarna appearing from the shadows, her entire body covered in black ink. "He is reallocating his power to his closest minions for his true mission. You were to serve as a distraction."

Bastien snarled, glaring up at the sky. He could see his power siphoning into the clouds, being transferred back to Cassius. "Your majesty…did you really care about us?! Gueule, Peter?! Were we just pawns to you?!"

"He abandoned me as well," stated Swarna, exposing her lack of a Grave Servant Mark. "He needs as much power as he can for this mission."

"What is he planning?" demanded Baldemar.

Swarna glanced at him with cold look. "He's going to attack Arlon."

Grave Lord Cassius walked across the frozen tundra, the wind completely gone due to his aura. His bone circlet no longer fit on his head, now being worn as a loose choker around his neck. He had gotten broader and taller, the slow absorption of Peter's power increasing his own power.

"Such a wasteland," he commented absently. "I am less than Arlon? I have cities, towns, people. He has nothing."

"Absolutely sire," agreed Vincent, strutting beside him in high heels. He didn't look cold at all, even with over half his skin exposed to the winter air.

"No fucking doubts," grunted Tamara, her fur coat offering great protection against the wind.

[Richard McGuinness] "Wait, where's the Ritalian?"

[Scotty "Roundhouse" Dale] "I don't see him…shit that's eerie."

Cassius stopped at the rusted iron gates, adjusting the bone choker on his neck. The gate began to warp and bend into a ball, tearing and shredding itself apart. Finally it lay to the side, completely broken.

"Pathetic magic," grunted the Grave Lord walking forward. He paused, noticing something.

Vika Grieve stood at the steps of the castle of Arlon, her twin swords strapped to her sides. She looked annoyed, staring down at him from the bridge of her nose.

"Ya must be an idiot, showing up here," snapped Vika. "Or ya must be ready ta die."

Cassius smirked, then took another step forward.

Vika tapped her foot into the ground, releasing a wave of energy. The statues in the courtyard leaped at Cassius, aiming their stone weapons right at his heart.

The weapons all warped around Cassius in a perfect circle, none of them touching him. He did not move, or gesture, or even breathe. It was like he was a magnet repelling them.

Vika snarled, drawing a revolver from her coat. She fired all six rounds of it, each one sliding right past Cassius in the same circular arc. She swore loudly.

"What the fuck is this?" she demanded. "This can't be your power."

Cassius's shadow began to bubble, shapes appearing inside of it. A voice emitted from inside his shadow, a deep male one. "Oh? So who really is the idiot here?"

A figure stepped from the shadow, standing with his back against Cassius's. His cigar was floating smoke into the distance, his face in a wide grin.

"As long as I shadow his majesty," spoke Adamo Caro, "none of your attacks will ever hit him."

Adamo Caro (Intoxication): To Warp

"Oh, that's an interesting power!" complimented Saji Mayer, standing to the side. He began unwrapped the bandages on his face, laughing lowly.

"But you see...I don't really notice shadows, or much of anything really. Because above all..."

Saji exposed the flesh under the bandages, revealing that he had raw flesh where his eyes were supposed to be. In the center was his Grave Knight Mark, flashing red with energy.

"I can see through your technique," whispered the blind boy, licking his lips tauntingly.