(Saiph)

We step out of the portal and onto the hard, muddy ground. There is nothing in sight apart from the Buzzers clad in their ugly black and yellow uniforms, and the howling wind which sweeps away dry mud from the ground.

No trees, no vegetation, this part of Orion is barren.

The five of us stand in a straight line, facing them. They are ten in number, physically fit carrying advanced weapons, but it is the two in front that we need to watch out for.

The B-Twins as people call them. Betelgeuse and Bellatrix are very well-known in the supernatural community for their ruthlessness.

Betelgeuse has black hair and an intense shade of violet eyes, while Bellatrix has carmine hair and blue eyes. Their features resemble each other and yet they are different.

"Look who finally decided to show up," Betelgeuse cackles, placing his arm on his sister’s shoulder. His other hand, holds some kind of plasma gun. Its sleek body is metallic silver-white.

Betelgeuse is an energy drainer; he possesses the ability to break shields and siphon energy from charmed weapons.

I am pretty sure that’s what his gun’s function is. His powers have to be contained in the gun so he can use them with precision, hitting the targets with exactness.

More efficiency, lower rate of failure and energy depletion.

His sister, on the other hand, has two katanas strapped to her back. Her cunning sapphire eyes, which are the same colour as mine, swiftly find me, and her thin lips spread in an exuberant smile.

She creates dense and deadly mists and fogs, which if inhaled, will choke you to death. Like a poisoned flower, she is attractive and lethal. This is not the first time I have seen her. We have a history...the one I would love to forget.

"Saiph!" My name she takes with such venomous softness, but I know better. She is nothing less than a Venus flytrap; if you fly too close, she will eat you alive.

"Bellatrix!" I answer stiffly. I find the intense gazes of my companions on me, but I continue to stare ahead.

I can’t explain to them what this is, nor can I have this woman crawling under my skin again. I am mated now, and my body refuses to touch anyone who is not Amaia.

"We should begin." Alnilam steps forward without a care in the world.

"Too eager to lose or die?" Betelgeuse questions.

"Says the man who seems to have been named after a chitinous insect and crushed fruits." Karna lets out a teasing laugh, making Betelgeuse’s smirk disappear.

"I will have fun annihilating you." His cold eyes drift towards Zabiel. "In front of your mate."

"Delusional as usual. You didn’t bring yours? Afraid she will face the same fate, she did the last time we had a showdown?"

I had witnessed their previous face-to-face about six years ago. Zabiel critically injured Betelgeuse’s mate Hana. It resulted in him going feral and trying to kill Karna and Zabiel. Alnilam protected them and won them the battle.

"We will see, this time around. Let the battle begin," Bellatrix tilts her head towards the officiator.

The balding man steps forward. He wears a uniform which appears like something a butler would wear along with a white pin showing scales. The pin reveals he is neutral and a judge who would officiate this showdown and give the final verdict.

"Hello, I am Chalz Yamni and through the power bestowed on me by the International Committee of Justice, I will be officiating today’s showdown.

Before we begin, I will lay down the rules for both teams.

Both teams can have ten members and any member can join late.

Killing is permissible. If a team is completely wiped out, the other team will be declared the winner.

If one team chooses to time out, they will instantly lose and victory will be granted to the other team.

Critical injuries and being unable to fight will have you eliminated but your team can continue without you.

In case Alnilam’s team wins, he will be liberated of all charges.

In case the B-TWINS team wins, Alnilam will have to obey whatever order they give.

Let’s begin. May the odds be in your favour."

Alnilam snaps his fingers and we take our positions. It seems like I am filling in the position of Kayla, who used to be their fifth guildmate.

Alnilam moves his hand clockwise and his shield snaps into place, taking all of us under its protection. Jamina stands right beside Alnilam, her hands ready to open portals for us. I have practised numerous times with Jamina and Alnilam and they are a formidable team, almost unstoppable.

Zabiel extracts his mace, Karna swishes her whip, ready for action while my hold on the scythe’s handle, tightens.

"Bring it on." Bellatrix slowly wriggles her fingers towards me.

The whistle blows and chaos breaks loose. Jamina’s first portal opens not in front of Alnilam as they must have been expecting but me, as we had discussed. I roll inside and come out right at the back of their team.

Before they can turn and assess the situation, I let my nightmares loose and trap two of the reavers.

They scream, the horrors and nightmares amplify for them. My scythe glistens in the sun, flies through the air and removes the head of both, sending them flying away from their bodies.

A stunned silence follows as I jump back from the portal and return to where my companions are.

"Eight more to go," I smugly announce and hear a mad chortle from Zabiel. While my teammates give me appreciative nods, I feel Bellatrix’s presence near me.

Turning around I find her right behind me. With her head tilted and that creepy smile on her blue painted lips.

"Hello handsome, today you are mine."

Her long tongue swipes along her lower lip and she madly swings both her katanas and strikes against Alnilam’s shield, trying to cut through it.

"I am not yours, not today and not ever," I promptly tell her, swinging my scythe again. It strikes against her katanas with a deafening

’Ting!’

"Ah! And here I thought we could catch a drink or something just like old times," she winks, letting her dangerous mist through. Before it can even touch Alnilam’s shield Jamina opens the portal in front of her, sucking out the black mist.

I give Jamina a thumbs up before turning towards the maddening Bellatrix.

Our duel continues while Zabiel, Karna and Jamina take on the rest of the reavers while Alnilam faces Betelgeuse.