BROTHERHOOD: PART 4

As soon as Sebastian said those five little words, the duel began – and Ciel instantly went on the offensive, striking and thrusting forward with his Sabre, attacking swiftly, with deep lunges.

Lukas shifted, avoiding the attacks easily. Then he swung his Tonto up and down, striking down hard upon Ciel's Sabre to cut it in two.

But his utmost shock, the Sabre, surprisingly, remained intact. It didn't break as planned, and not even a knick was carved out of its thin, reedy blade.

Taken aback, Lukas took distance. The Sabre should have broken immediately hit. His plan was to cut Ciel's Sabre in twine to stop the match before it got started. Without a weapon, Ciel would have had to concede - thus the rules of a fair swords match!

It should've broken!

Ciel swung through the air as if wielding an actual sword, slicing the air inches from Lukas's face.

"Fowl!" Lukas protested. "That's against the rules!"

Ciel smirked. "I never hit you, Lukas. Thus it is not against the rules."

Lukas gritted his teeth. Something strange was going on.

He brought up his Tonto to block a strike, pushing Ciel's blade down, then twirled to the left, and took distance.

Ciel again struck hard, and again, Lukas repeated his prior actions. He was on the defensive. Until he knew how Ciel was managing to evade him, he would continue to do so. Ciel's weapon was fragile, and it had nowhere near the strength like that of an actual sword's metallic blade. So how was it undamaged?

They crossed swords, metal clanged. And then he knew something was amiss. The vibration of their swords meeting ran down his arms, his body discomforted. Ciel's Sabre was no ordinary fencing sword, it must have been enhanced: a new form of metal? …or…yes, of course…he had it now.

Jumping back, he gave a quick glance to Sebastian. Sebastian had said earlier: any one of the gallery watching, interfering with the combatants, helping them; that that person would immediately be disqualified. The thought struck him. However, it didn't go to the point of Sebastian helping Ciel before the match.

How clever, brother. You are a very skilled fencer, but you are not this masterful. Very well, Ciel, then two can play at this game. I also planned for such an eventuality.

With a quick glance to the Smythe brothers, Sebastian's sons, Braydon and Brandon nodded softly - their secret plan about to hatch. He had had theorized that Ciel would cheat somehow and went to the brothers, spoke to them on the eventuality. He never thought Ciel would actually go so far as to cheat to win, however.

Already his victory is tainted, Lukas thought. And yet, it was clever in its own rite. Because to accuse Ciel of cheating would disgrace him and Lukas would never do that. Therefore, Ciel would all but win.

Well played, brother. You have thought things out to your advantage. But so have I.

"You are not as good as I had hoped, dear Lukas," Ciel boasted. "I had hoped for better sport from a former assassin and swordsman. Have you lost your touch?"

Lukas's blood boiled with anger. He wanted to shout out "cheater!" but could not, for fear of having to explain himself, and also disgracing Sebastian in the midst.

"That remains to be seen, brother, I am only warming up," Lukas said, as he stood facing his brother, in a standoff. "I warned you, but you failed to heed to it. Now I shall unleash what you fret the most!"

"Fret the most" were the chosen words to tell the brothers to give him their energy. And suddenly Lukas felt an unwavering strength inside him, of clarity of mind and body, enhancing his own skills. He did admit to himself, he was indeed rusty, his assassin skills abandoned for a life of peace. But now the gloves were off; he would be cheating, but Ciel did it first! Sebastian had obviously endowed Ciel's Sabre with an unbreakable strength.

He lunged, and Ciel pulled back shocked at Lukas's sudden attack. Did Ciel believe he would out-faze him?

I desire a life of peace after my time as assassin with Bryon Kelvin, but my mind, in all its working facets, is still as sharp as a tack!

They crossed swords once more and Lukas pushed forward; Ciel looked very shocked, his eyes widened dumbfounded at Lukas's sudden burst of strength.

In the distraction, Lukas twirled and wacked Ciel on the rear with the side of his Tonto. Then he laughed as Ciel dropped to his hands and knees.

Ciel felt his rear with a hand, turned with the angriest look Lukas had ever seen on his his face. "How dare you! Fowl! You should be disqualified for that! Ruling!" he demanded.

"It is fair, my lord," Sebastian spoke. The butler took a look at Ciel's rear. "And I see no blood, and no tearing of cloth, either. The match shall continue."

Lukas smiled smug as Ciel got to his feet. Ciel frowned. "I would not have taken you to use such dirty tactics, Lukas."

"I would say the same about you, brother. You have been notty, have you not?"

"I should say not, and what an impertinent thing to say!"

"You enhanced your Sabre before the match. It is not against the match rules, per se, but it does prove just how egotistical you really are, to cheat to show me up."

Ciel's face crinkled slightly, but it was all Lukas needed as confirmation. No words. Next, knowing Ciel, to prove Lukas had spoken wrong, he would attack. It was an arrogant man's tactic, to win so his disgrace was not exposed.

And he was right. Ciel immediately attacked, lunging forward with several swift jabs and stabs with his Sabre. But now that Lukas had had time to ascertain Ciel's fighting ability, he responded accordingly. When someone was angry enough, they made mistakes.

Lukas easily avoided Ciel's attacks, their blades clanged in heated combat. The only worry was that would Ciel start to go in for the kill? Would his own ego override his sense of family? Would Ciel actually kill him to clear his unspoken dishonor in cheating?

Ciel struck hard and fast and it was quickly becoming apparent that perhaps Lukas had gone too far in being out-spoken. He had had wanted to embarrass Ciel, but not make him mad enough that it would cause all common sense to blackout in his brother. He had to do something.

"You are very skilled, brother," he said, hoping the complement would ease the tension.

"Indeed," Ciel agreed, "I am truly a very skilled fighter, as are you, Lukas, brother. But I will not falter, and I will not heed, and I will not lose!"

Lukas knew Ciel meant that. But he knew this match had to stop, or one of them would get hurt. "I'm cheating," he quickly said, and truthfully. "I concede the duel!"

Ciel lightened his attack slightly, and then pulled back. Lukas's balance was off and he fell back onto his rear in the dirt.

"You wish to concede? How are you cheating?" Ciel demanded.

Lukas remained tight-lipped. "I am cheating, that is all I will say. The match is yours."

Ciel shook his head. "You are correct, I am also cheating, my Sabre enhanced before the match. So, that burst of energy you received, I imagine it is from Braydon and Brandon, enhancing your own skills?" Ciel gazed at the brothers, but they looked away avoiding eye contact, obviously embarrassed after exposure. Ciel turned back. He reached out with a hand and helped Lukas to his feet. "How, then, shall we crown a victor?"

"How about a game of Old Maid ?" Renfrew said, smiling.

Ciel and Lukas looked at him querk.

"You are my blood, Lukas," Ciel began to say with heartfelt sentiment. "Our reunited brotherhood is what stands. It has suffered through the years through both our trials and tribulations separated these past seven years. But we are one again."

Lukas blinked surprised, it was such a prolific remark. "Ciel, I would never have imagined hearing such endearing words coming from you."

And then it happened, the final blow, and the end game.

"Owww!"

Lukas dropped his Tonto and grabbed his left thigh where Ciel had suddenly stabbed him, pocked him, drawing the ever slightest of blood to wash over his tan trousers. "What the…" He stopped short of cursing. His eyes widened.

Ciel grinned. "I win!" he declared. "First blood is mine."

"But the match was over!"

"Had you conceded? Had we declared a draw? We both admitted to cheating, therefore the playing field was once again fair. Hence, the match continued. Never of us quit."

Lukas hissed at the pain in his leg and he dropped to his rear again. "You cheater! That was low, even for you, brother!"

"No, dear Lukas…" Ciel stood over him like some sort of god. "Advantage; and a true fighter uses everything to his arsenal to achieve his goal to victory, much like the great warriors Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Napoleon Bonaparte."

Lukas groaned. "Funny you would compare yourself to the 'little general', brother." The traverse mockery to Ciel's height wasn't lost on Ciel. Even though Ciel and Lukas were fraternal twins, Ciel was shorter than Lukas by half an inch.

Ciel sneered at the remark, but then sighed resigned. "Then I must drink more milk."

Lukas's mouth gaped open slightly. "Was that a joke?"

Ciel gave him a brief, slight look. "It is a fact, is it not, that milk helps build muscle and bones giving the body calcium? In others, however, it gives them undesireable effects."

Renfrew frowned. "It's not my fault dairy products give me gas!"

Lukas withheld a smirk.

"That duel is over," Sebastian officially announced. "To Master Ciel, the win!" He then extended a hand, helped Lukas to his feet. "Are you alright, Master Lukas?"

Lukas hobbled, even the slightest weight on his leg surged it with pain. "I'll be fine," he said. "But my pride is hurt."

"We should dress the wound as soon as possible," Sebastian said.

Lukas agreed. "Ciel, did you mean those words – what you said? Or were they merely meaningless words of dribble to distract me?"

"'Meaningless words of dribble', Lukas? What do you take me for? I am not the heartless bastard some take me for. Tragedy may have afflicted our family, but it has not blackened my heart totally. I do still believe family is important. For if I did not, my covenant with Sebastian would be an insult."

Lukas understood, and nodded. What he had said to Renfrew before was indeed true, for if it wasn't for Ciel's eventual sacrifice, none of them would be here right now. "Thank you…" he said, stopping tears from coming to his eyes.

"For what?"

"For your…devotion, to family," Lukas said with a heartfelt smile.

No words were forthcoming from Ciel, but he knew if it wasn't for his covenant with Sebastian, none of this – none of his family or friends would be here, and he would be dead, gone to his death believing he was the last of the Phantomhive's.

Ciel gave a sideways glance to Sebastian. He cleared his throat. "Well, let me just say, I am not dead yet. There is still so much more we must do to avenge our parents' deaths."

It was at that moment that Lukas looked around – at his family. Family that he had had never known while he was an assassin with Bryon Kelvin. And he was humbly grateful.

"Let us attend to your wound, Master Lukas, before it becomes infected," Sebastian said.

Lukas nodded. "I suppose you won the bet, Sebastian."

Sebastian stood momentarily taken aback. "Bet, Master Lukas? Whatever do you mean?"

Ciel suddenly laughed. "The cat is out of the bag, Sebastian. Lukas is not stupid. Of course there was a wager and it was between Sebastian and his sons."

Braydon and Brandon failed to tell him this while they planned for the eventuality to help Lukas, if need be, during the duel.

"Really? How much did you wager?" Lukas asked, eying the twins.

"A pound, sir," Sebastian said. "And since Master Ciel won, I believe remuneration is forthcoming." Sebastian looked towards Braydon and Brandon.

The brothers suddenly fidgeted.

Braydon cleared his throat in a nervous manner.

Braydon looked at his watch on an Arthur chain, and said, "Interesting, look at the time…time for us to go, isn't that right, Brandon?"

"Yes, Braydon, I believe it is," he said, just as equally nervous, "and I think we are long overdue. Great fun, all, we must do this again sometime!"

And then, they 'winked out', and disappeared like ghosts into thin air.

Sebastian looked stunned for a moment. "How unexpected," he said. "It was only a pound, nothing at all really. I feel hurt, and I feel cheated."

And Lukas laughed.

END