The Four Guardians

"So… I'm fighting myself?" Ifer said as he inspected the perfect clone in front of him. Secretly trying to pull out his spear and test the waters. Alerting the civilians around them, who slowly started to back away.

He swung it forward knowing it was going to miss. The clone flipped backwards and landed upright, something Ifer was impressed with.

"I don't know if you move like me as well or if you just know that. I guess it's cool…"

Ifer continued to attack. He swung wide again and again. Each time he was aware of what would happen. Each attack was slow and obvious.

"This is stupid." The clone said having a feminine voice despite it being Ifer's skinny male body.

"That's not how I sound?"

"Why won't you attack?" The clone said revealing herself to be a slim female wrapped in tight clothing. Her hair was short and her eyes were tired.

"Who are you?" Ifer asked as he was the one that was meant to be answering questions.

"I'm just a gymnast. But, although I do wield Gluttony. I guess you could call me Gluttony as well?"

"Nice to meet you, Gluttony," Ifer said rather politely. "Do you mind giving me that sword back?"

Gluttony didn't respond but instead went on the offensive. Each swing of her sword got caught up with Ifer's lance, unable to cut through it and being deflected away. He spun it around with expert timing, bouncing each swing and redirecting it away.

"WHY WON'T YOU ATTACK!" The sword screamed. "KILL EVERYONE NEAR US!"

Gluttony obeyed every order the sword gave. She dashed to the closest person and cut her clean in two. Ifer stood around and watched with a blank smile as all the civilians screamed in panic. By the time Gluttony was done, she charged back at Ifer who was struggling to deflect her attacks.

"MORE BLOOD!" The sword demanded. "MORE!"

"I see," Ifer said with an understanding. "You kill people and absorb their abilities. Passing it into the user. How interesting."

"HA! He knows!" The sword said. "SO WHAT? WHAT WILL IT HELP?"

Ifer stood and looked at Gluttony with a look of tiredness and boredom.

"That is a strong sword. I'm going to need it back"

"HERE HE COMES! QUICK DEFEND!"

The sword was cautious of Ifer's charge for the first time with his spear held behind him. By the time Gluttony was able to put up its defence, Ifer had already ended up behind them.

Cla-clink.

The sound of metal hit the floor. Gluttony looked down to see the sword resting below her feet, next to her cleanly cut off hands.

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED!" The sword screamed as Gluttony's head was cleanly cut off from behind.

"Told you I'd get you back. Shame, I was expecting a stronger opponent."

# # #

"I got the sword," Ifer said to Tempus as he held it to him, wrapped in almost a hundred layers of cloth so the sound of his complaining couldn't be heard.

"T-thanks…" Tempus said unsure what to think. "I need you to do me a favour." He said,

"What is it?"

"Look for Mane. He's vanished with the gloves and I fear the worst."

"What about you?" Ifer asked.

"My battle is about to begin."

Tempus looked down from the tower, into the Demon Realm as a portal opened up in the centre.

"Space magic," Tempus said to himself. "I feared Sophia betrayed me. My suspicions were true. Oh well, I guess Thorit doesn't need to come back and tell me what I already know. "

Outside the portal stepped the person that Tempus hadn't seen in a while. The boy that he humiliated at the Magia academy, the student of Beck, Ren.

Alongside Ren stood the other members of the Jester Masks.

"Are you going to be ok?" Ifer asked.

"I'll be fine. Go find Mane."

Ifer didn't question it. He saw the power his opponents had and ran to do what was ordered. You could call it cowardly for him to run away from his position. But all the other guardian's were wishing the same.