The chaotic whirlwind of violence was the daily bread of the Cartagenian gladiators, and far cry from anything the Royal Guard had experienced in over a hundred years.

In other words: this is an absolute stomp.

Riding their individual powers, the two ponies closed the gap almost before the onlookers realized either of them had begun to move. Lightning Strike’s practiced eye saw a gap in Celestia’s shield of solar plasma, as well as a mistake in the angle she was moving towards Lightning at. The pegasus shifted her own angle of attack slightly, just enough to take advantage of the opening so that she could drive her blade in and either cripple the alicorn or kill her outright.

She could win this. She would win this.

Then the flat of Celestia’s halberd appeared in her vision, and Lightning Strike had just enough time before impact to realize that Celestia’s charge had been a diversion to get her to dive in on a predictable path, and that she had fallen to a ruse laid by a fighter at least as experienced as she was.

'Fuck.'

11843031
Honestly? Yea. You have the Guard planning for the Gladiators to charge all across the line like the textbook says to but instead they all target one specific area. Something their textbook doesn’t tell how to prepare and adapt for.

11843143
Fair enough

“Our lead company is all but gone,” Luna reported, as Celestia herself maintained a massive shield of golden magic that warded off the odd arrow… or hunk of dung flung at them. “Nearly all of its ponies are either dead, wounded, or captured by the foe. The second and third companies have lost roughly half their number. The rest of our forces are intact, but shaken.”

Cartagenian Forces: 300 gladiators in a single mob
Royal Guard: 10 cohorts of 100 ponies each.

let's see here... 1 cohort nearly gone... estimation about 90-95 ponies.
2 cohorts about half depleted. that's about 50 each for a total of 100...
Current Loss About 200 ponies

Gladiators had 300 ponies at the start. Lost 1/6th of their number.
Thats about 50 ponies.
Current Loss About 50 Pegasi.

Gladiators are taking about 4 Guards for every 1 of them. At this rate, the Guards would die before the Gladiators do.

11843031
Pretty much. As an old fighter once told me, "Experience and treachery beats youth and skill every time."

I miss you G.K. Your legend lives on.

11843390
Either way, looking forward to what happens next.

Celly looks badass here, but she’s special . She managed Sun and Moon for Lunas 1000 year abeyance but Luna has NOT demonstrated her ability to do the same. The fate of the whole damn world is at stake in this petty territorial dispute, if things go wrong here there might not be any territory to fight over, anywhere, ever. Is this really a bet the bookies that run Cartage are comfortable making?

Seriously,” Dark Fang replied, adding with a sing-song voice as he realized she wasn’t about to attack him, “Do you wanna kill a princess?”

“Yes, I’d like to kill a princess,” Lightning sang right back, muzzle splitting in a grin as she turned back down the passage toward the promise of blood and war.

Did anyone else read this like frozen’s “do you want to build a snowman?