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Joe was already dodging the attack as Fyrin told him to keep blocking, so he ignored it. Sliding out of the way of the attack, Joe brought his arm up. As it swung back down, another sword shaped itself, slicing into Saber's arm.
Skipping back, Joe fired that sword as well, right at its chest. A glance over his shoulder let him know that there was no move from Helmsborough.
Yet.

Siber had to think for a long while. Kayla or Linda? Sam or Joshua? There was no good choice here. Sam, he had no feelings for whatsoever. Joshua had nearly cracked his ribs, tried to humiliate him, and sent him on a mission that may or may not have been strictly humanitarian. He was, however, a tremendously powerful force against Legion, who would not simply go away once the Abaddon deal was settled, whereas Sam was just a lackey.
Between the two girls, there was no good option. He liked Kayla better as a person, but that was because she had had more of a chance to display cognitive and thaumaturgical ability than Linda.
A twitch. This insanity thing couldn't last too much longer; he was losing grip on the dæmon, and he didn't trust himself to begin chanting again. Plus, he could tell the effect it was having on his ability to rationalize. But he stayed in enough control to weigh his options properly.





"You drive a hard bargain. I'll see what I can do upstairs, and you will release Joshua and Linda upon my success. Their lives will be your responsibility until the moment of their safe arrival in my plane." Why did this creature sigh so much? "If Helmsborough won't listen to you, I can even make him listen to me, if I have to. Give me my chance. It will not go wasted."

Joe fell back, crying out in sheer shock, then moving to a scream of pain, then rapidly climaxing in a screech of rage.
Joe, in Avatar form, as now focused and tuned-in as he was, could heal an injury that extensive in just over thirty seconds. At the three second mark, he was already flying at Helmsborough at speeds difficult to track, leading with the Titan's Fists and a hearty dose of Flaming Death. He aimed to bludgeon the opposing Avatar into nothing.
Clearly, the Fire and the Djinni were affecting him, if just slightly.

Joe flew forward, turned, went into a shoulder roll, and blasted off straight back at Helmsborough, blowing chunks of grass, dirt, and rock for about thirty feet behind him. He punched his way through the attack spell as he approached again, almost as fast as the first time.

"Very well, away you go," Abaddon declared, a portal opening beneath Siber's feet. He emerged from the pond of unlight in which the others fought.

--

Helmsborough parried Joe's attack again, spinning away and sending Joe past. He twitched and looked at Siber. "Stopping, are we?"

Helmsborough nodded. "I'll kill the ones on your side if they don't stop attacking me, though. And please don't even about trying to get me to stop the Necromantic Shadow."

Joe was in the process of attacking again when Siber reemerged. Joe veered off, throwing himself to the side and landing painfully before springing up. His leg was completely healed.
"This better be good," he murmured to himself in his shifting voice. Then he heard Siber's words.
came Roland's faint voice.
Joe nodded, then shot off a telepathic comm to the Djinn. It explained the current situation, as well as Joe's justifications for why they should engage in the ceasefire for now.