[center][h2][color=#008b8b]Fionn MacKerracher[/color][/h2][/center]
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His blade was slapped away just in time to keep the Falconer from losing its entire unbroken arm. Each stepped away from the other, one to gain space, one to avoid any possible rapid reprisal; if he didn't have his gauntlets on, Fionn would've taken the moment to wipe some of the blood off of his cheek. Instead, he watched impassively as the creature gave him its semblance of a bow. If this were a legitimate duel, if he were facing something he didn't think had good odds of coming back with the next Hunt anyways—he may have returned the gesture. With the fight in the forest being what it was, the fae hunter's spectral companion having done what it could to save him, and, at the edges of his vision, [i]more[/i] of them coming up...

The Falconer got the barest flick of a nod. It wouldn't back down, at least, but Fionn had been spoiling for a proper bout of single combat since before watching one enemy get cursed and choke right in front of him. Something he still had yet to receive.

He didn't bother to count the spectral birds hanging around him as they appeared. He had ways of dealing with them and their master—some more flashy, showing off, demonstrating skills beyond just swordplay. He was probably fast enough on his own to evade and cut them out of the air with little trouble. However, he felt like finishing this out as simply and quickly as possible. No longer playing a game with the Falconer and trying to have fun with it—just putting down this aspect of the Midnight Hunt at last.

[color=#008b8b][i]"Gniye bristis."[/i][/color]

He'd spent quite a bit of his mana earlier that day, but the time they'd had to rest meant that he could afford the little it took him to push his speed far beyond any normal limit for a few moments. He felt the energies suffuse his body, the world seeming to slow around him as the pace of his thoughts rapidly overtook everything else. He pushed forward instantly, rushing the Falconer. Maybe the fey creature could still follow him, but it would no doubt be quite surprised.

To anybody else that may have turned to see, it was like he disappeared in a blink, suddenly next to his target with one hand already on its light breastplate. In the moment they had to resolve that image, he'd already sent the Falconer flying. The hunter crashed through his spectral flock as they converged on the point where Fionn had [i]been,[/i] knocking them from the air and continuing to slam into a tree.

The overly-tall hunter turned, tried to pull themselves up on the tree—and just as suddenly, the raven-dark sword appeared, vibrating slightly as it pinned the Falconer to the tree through the neck.

Fionn cut his spell off, coming back to normal speed as he walked up to his defeated opponent, placing one hand on the hilt of his borrowed weapon. [color=#008b8b]"More sword work, fewer birds next time, yeah?"[/color] he said, conversationally. [color=#008b8b]"Told you I'd take that head of yours, though."[/color] He ripped the sword back out of the tree, wrenching the Falconer's head off with it. Taking a short moment to catch his breath, he looked across the battlefield. The rest seemed to be dealing with everything alright, Gerard having already put his opponent in a position to either surrender or perish. Fleuri, Renar, Fanilly, Gertrude, Rolan—handling things well enough. The other knights were serving admirably against the rest of the Hunt. As he saw the source of the screeching that had filled the grove for a moment, though, and beheld the laughing vampire within, thoroughly coated in her own burning blood...

[color=#008b8b]"Oh, bloody hell."[/color]

Rather quite the opposite, but that didn't change the phrasing. Sword in hand, he picked between the spots of flame to come up next to Tyaethe, kneeling down to look her in the eyes as he spun her to face him. [color=#008b8b][i]"What[/i] do you think you're doing now?"[/color] he demanded with a stern tone. [color=#008b8b]"Quit burning yourself right this instant!"[/color]