*The Black Knight was firm in their stance. They rarely, if ever attacked first. They were fair, trying to give everyone the chance to avoid needless suffering. But when they failed to listen to reason, such pain became neccessary for the good of the rest of the universe. As Gus approached, they'd begin to feel something weighing down on them.A pressure almost otherworldly... It was like the air itself weighed hundreds of pounds, forcing air from their lungs and threatening to choke them just from getting closer. Even those farther away would start to notice it.A morbid change in power. Even if they couldn't sense it, the effect it had on the world around them was all too clear. Wisps of black energy manifested around the towering night. Their already impressive energy magnified multiple times over in a matter of seconds! If they thought they had a chance at all before? Such a hope would be crushed and burned with the flick of a switch.

Gus would feel the weight of death itself upon them, an absolute end unlike any other. The knight slowly unsheathed their legendary blade. Fire burst from alondite's sheath, a black flame all-consuming without a trace of mercy or leniency. Only judgment for the wicked.The moment their finger touched the armor, they'd be met by an immense force, a concentration of pure will and oppressive intent slamming right into them without the giant even raising a finger. It was unlike that of any foe the man had faced before, the entire desert shifting like a small tsunami outward from the pressure of the unseen strike. The explosion would do absolutely nothing, not even scratch the suit of armor. It was unlike any other material they had dared to touch, nigh unbreakable just like the man inside it. The knight stepped forward, whether the shockwave of energy knocked the man back or not. If it did, they would pursue them ever-so-slowly. And if not? He would just push them forward with each step, showing them to be less than something worse acknowledgment.

They were parasites before a Gpd's will. *
Gus grits his teeth at that amazing power, the oppressive weight it produced. Even his explosions seemed to be weighed down, less vigorous as they surged off of him regularly.

But as Gu's head began to bow under the pressure, as the weight began to force his knees to bend he'd grit his teeth and clench his fists, raising his eyes slowly to look updirectly at the armored brute. The Knight thoguht to knock him away with raw power? Thought to walk through him as if he weren't even there...?!

"Fuck.... You....!" Gus would say in a quiet Snarl before his own power would explode around him to briefly Match the Black Knight's  own incredible levels, his explosive Saiyan soul shining through and sending a pillar of flame soaring into the sky.

This was just a portion of Gus' true strength, the barest part of his full potential... But he couldn't maintain this strength long, and the explosion that engulfs him seems to burn even his flesh as he stands there in opposition, aiming to reach up and grab the Black Knight by his helmet and cry out a roar of defiance*
*The Black Knight had expected such cards to be played. These people were no weaklings, even if his every move had the purpose of proving that they were. The surge of flames did absolutely nothing to deter the Knight's actions, but they did make him take them more seriously. They had seen what the ARC could do, and the power they showcased was unquestionable

"Descend.."

He spoke, drawing his legendary blade of flames and dawning the stance of death and judgment.

Gus would understand despair when this was over.*
*The Black Knight was practically unharmed. Even tapping into that overwhelming power of theirs? The Saiyan didn't stand a chance. They matched the Knight in terms of energy, but that was -far- from the only factor in play between them. What they faced was an overwhelming strength that could make the very gods question themselves and resilience to match. The explosions had done very little damage to the giant, scuffing their suit of armor and nothing more. They may have had the determination and power of destruction, but as the Knight had proven time and time again.

They were an absolute, indestructible force.

In the final moments of conflict, the knight brought their blade forward, the burning weapon of legend aiming to pierce the Saiyan straight through the chest and cut through their flesh to the other side! They purposely missed their vitals, wanting to inflict a painful, agonizing end to leave a message. The flames burned their insides, even before the finishing move was uttered.

"Into the abyss..."

The blade turned, and if none got in his way? Gus would be consumed in the dark flames of judgment.*
Lord Blackfist shakes his head. The mongrel did worse than he had anticipated, but that was fine. Blackfist wanted to see how round two would go, he had never gotten over the humilation he felt last time they fought. He had been destroyed in every sense of the word, literally doing nothing. But now...Now he had a trick up his sleeve.

"Well since the party has already started, let's see how round two goes. DROWN IN SIN, MISSION BEGIN!"

Blackfist pulled out his Devil trigger, quickly striking a pose with the device by his ear. He mashed in the activation code. He didn't know if he could beat the man, but he was done hiding from mongrels. That was what he swore when he gained the devil trigger. That was what gave him the right to be a Devil Force Ranger.

A blinding red light shot out of the device. His devil trigger was nearing it's next evolution, ever since he had first tapped into the power of the Satsui no Hado he could feel it. He'd need to fight more though, he needed to get lost in eternal battle. LUTE wouldn't tell him the easy way to gain access to the Satsui No Hado, so he'd simply fight his way to it.

The red light didn't even have a chance to fade away, Blackfist bolted out of it, donning his Prideful Red Armor. He didn't really care if gus died or not, but he wasn't going to miss a chance to try and end the Black Knight.

"Devil Force Ranger, Prideful Red!"*
*The Black Knight turned their attention to Blackfist..He remembered them well. Another practitioner of the deadly arts of hand to hand..A foe wowrthy of his blade. With the new adversary fast approaching, the titan of steel pulled their blade from Gus's chest, kicking them away from the next battle with a fearsome strike! Their defeated body would go flying into the mountain side, injuring them further and leaving the field open for the next and more intense battle. The knight remained composed, the moment of peace giving them time to recover the slightest damage the Saiyan had incurred. This would be a proper fight.

The rekindled Blackfist against the reborn knight of judgment.

"Maybe this won't be too boring after all.."

They spoke in their forboding, oppressive voice, facing the Demon with the same, if not greater tenacity. The newfounmd might of t he Black Knight would be tested.

This would mark where the ARC would stand when war broke out between them.*
*Gus felt that blade pierce into his torso, a gasp of shock leaving him as his own flames were instantly extinguished by the dark flame of the Knight, whose very nature seemed to be weakening Gus with every blow they exchanged, until finally this is where he found himself.

Semi-conscious, he'd look down at the sword he was impaled on and cough, a gout of blood flying forth from some internal haemorhagge or another. He was in incredible pain, agony he'd hardly ever experienced and yet.... It was perfect, Gus's mind had never felt clearer. All other sensation was draowned in the feeling of that blade inside him.

Reaching down with the last bit of his strength, Gus would cling onto the blade with his still faintly glowing hands, refusing to let himself be go down in vain. "I'm not... gonna... die this easy." He'd growl, pulling himself more firmly against the sword.

With a death grip he wouldn't relinquish until his last breath, he'd aim to make himself the greatest hindrance he could to the Black Knight...! He had no idea of what power might engulf him, or what death might come for him, but he'd at least try to give Blackfist more of a chance by dulling the Black Knight's blows, with his own body!*
*Lord Blackfist ran towards the Black knight not thinking he could win. He could feel that the black knight was on par with him, no he knew that this man was stronger than him. Even as a devil force ranger he wasn't able to surmount the wall that was the Black Knight. He had thought that the Satsui No Hado would be what shifted the odds. He was wrong.

Blackfist's armor kicked into overdrive, healing the sword wounds that had been dealt to him. He pushed himself, he pulled out every ounce of strength he had. Even his ultimate technique, the Shinku Tatsumaki. But it wasn't the Ansatsuken that overwhelmed this behemoth. It was simply a punch packed with all of his killer intent.

He breathed heavily, looking down at the Black knight and the man who had been used as a blunt object. It was surprising, but he had overcome his opponent. He looked over at Aleck and chuckled, that mongrel thought he was better than him, insanity.

Blackfist reached down to pick up the Black knight, with one move he aimed to rip off the helmet. He wanted to see the man's face before he finished this.

"When you go to hell. Tell them the Blackfist sent you, it should get you the punishment you deserve."

Blackfist pulled his arm back, channeling his killer intent into his hand. Without any hesitation he attempted to run it through the man's throat. This journey didn't need a black knight. Not anymore.*
*Kelera watched the fight with a sense of dread overcoming her entire existence as she watched Blackfist rush into the battle, trying to get a true sense of exactly why she was feeling this, how she was feeling this...

Was it the Black Knight's terrifying power, was it the fact that she had grown to get quite attached towards Blackfist over the last few weeks, years, that in this moment his life could be taken from him at any moment as the result of this battle...

No... It was clear that her sense of uneasiness wasn't her feelings at all, as it was a feeling that came from a side of her not currently her own, it was a feeling that grew stronger as the Black Knight was drawn down into the ground, his life ready to be cleaved away from in this very moment.

A laugh grew from Kelera, one not typical, but certainly recognisable to those around her. The woman pressing her foot into the ground as she would take a blurring step of force that would blow away the snow dust beneath her as she aimed to smash her hand against Blackfists's own killing intent destruction, weaving her fingers between his own as her eyes widened immensely to giggling joy

"You asked me before what I wanted! AND I THINK I JUST WORKED IT OUT!" she screamed out, not in a rage, or a frustration, but an overwhelmingly calm sense of joy and ecstasy, aiming to link her fingers tighter to a grip to throw the man full force into the mountain and away from the Black Knight, 'Kelera' drawing her gaze slowly to the downed Knight with a swift kick of her ankle back into his armor, a small rattle to just see if he was alive before she drew her gaze back with a widening grin

"No... See... He wants to stop you getting the scriptures. AND IT'S COME TO MY ATTENTION... Rather recently, that one of the lead groups in this rat race of fun intends to use the scirptures to get rid of ME... Me... Now, I like me, I like being me... So..." she clicked her neck backwards for a moment, opening her hand up as a mighty amount of green sparks began to run around her hand as she took a few calm steps towards the Red Ranger now as a terrifying laugh escaped her lips, a few green sparks running around her body as she dashed forward into a mass of unrelenting kicks and punches, all the while the woman would be screaming in absolute joy to the moment.*
*Gus felt like he'd been put inside a food processor. His body had suffered the brunt of both armored fighter's mights, his torso wracked with agony as black flame washes acrossed most of his body. He was covered in wounds, and his consciousness was questionable at best, but still he held tight to that sword, using himself to dull the Knight's attacks and prevent him from doing the full potential damage he might have otherwise done to Blackfist.

He was still breathing when the Black Knight fell to Blackfist's mercy, or lack-there-of, but is in no condition to remove himself from that sword of his own accord...

A painful sounding wheeze wracks his body, over and over again..
Was he... laughing?*