[ Hahaha okay this is less than ideal but they already made the pact that everything about this is fine so that means it's absolutely fine, right? he is completely not fine but trying his absolute best not to show anything like that as he. grips the handle of his axe (how the fuck do i fight with something this big whatever we'll deal with it it's fine) ]
...Ah. It seems like it was fate that we both ended up here, then.
Guess so. That looks a little heavy for you, though. You gonna be okay?
[And I have a sword. But also an arquebus?? Which is useless rn so he's dropping it.
He's also putting on a smile cause frankly he hates everything rn especially himself but that doesn't mean he's not going to do his best. This is all for the sake of winning, after all.]
Are you trying to waste my time with witty banter?
[ yes the axe is way too heavy for him to reasonably fight with it with any kind of ease but that is way beside the point right now because he is way passed the point of ... caring. he hasn't contributed at all to his team during this with anything but matches that have ended in draws, and if he's going to be on azrael he needs to act like he's on azrael. ]
[But yeah, they both know they were going to fight if they met again, so there's no point in fooling around.
This isn't the kind of sword Crow's familiar with but he knows enough about swords in general to pass. So he's getting into a defensive stance, waiting to see if Albert will come at him and how.]
[ is he? he wonders. mostly, maybe he's just eager to please. he hates this more than -- most things, really. he doesn't want to be the person that he's being right now, but he has to, doesn't he? for the sake of his team, for the sake of his image.
he's seen requiem use her axe, and mimics the way that she holds it -- it isn't perfect, but it's enough as he puts his weight into it as he moves forward with a swing. ]
Bad thing about sword: it's too light to parry a fuckin axe with.
He does it, though: brings the sword up to block. It works, but he's pushed back half a step and the shock rings through his arms. That's far from enough to stop him from pushing back though, trying to force Albert to use all his strength to keep Crow from shoving him over -- so he doesn't have any left to avoid being kicked in the knee.]
[ --That strategy works, he's kicked and he falters. But -- he realizes that he's collapsing, and so he pushes back with all of his strength and weight and weight of his axe to try and take Crow with him. ]
[He could have countered that if he had his saber, probably. But this sword doesn't have the reach or versatility of that weapon and doesn't allow him to make the same kinds of twists and dodges, so he falls backwards with Albert on top of him.
He's keeping the sword braced against the axe, but it's really not meant for that kind of strain. There's a metallic screech, and then a snap -- and the sword's broken.
Crow twists to the side with barely enough room to avoid an axe to the face.]
[ That, he wasn't expecting to happen. Things are going--- better? than expected. Rushing in with a brutish, heavy weapon and using strength and weight over speed and finesse is ... really, the opposite of everything he knows in how to fight, so it's a wonder that he's gotten this far, especially against someone levels above him.
--And, he knows that just being on top of him isn't going to do him any good, so long as Crow can get back up and still fight, so he picks up the axe and-- in a moment of thought that he really, really, really personally does not want to do his next action with the bladed end of it, brings the blunt end down on Crow's arm to break it. ]
[Thought: Crow really ought to master more weapons so this doesn't happen in the future. But it's happening now -- he's brought his arm up to protect his head so it's easy enough to slam into it. He goes stiff and pale with the impact, gritting his teeth to hold in the shout that wants to burst out.]
...Nice one.
[But he's not ready to give up yet. So he's aiming to knee Albert in the groin, while twisting to try to get out from under him.]
[ Nice try, but -- He's a guy, so he has an immediate reaction to move instead of face that easy shot. He sits up just enough to avoid that, but leans further in forward - Taking the axe and spinning it and trying to pin Crow's throat down with it's shaft. ]
[He can't exactly dodge in his position so Albert can do that. But Crow's also not the type to give in easily, so he's taking his good hand and aiming to punch Albert right in the sternum.]
[ That connects, and he coughs and gasps as the wind is knocked from him and he struggles to pull air back into his lungs. Not being able to breathe in a tense moment like this makes each second feel like an hour and he can feel every rapid beat of his heart in every inch of his body. Even one slip up here means life or death and death means a point for AlcheME! and not for ☆ZRAEL and he needs to win for them, needs to act like this for them, so in his moment of panic like a cornered animal he lets go of the shaft of the axe to grab a rock from next to them and --- bash it into Crow's head. ]
[It'll take more than one blow, just because he's fast enough to try to protect his head with his arms. But he can't move, so all he can do is hunker down defensively at this point, no matter how useless it is.
Even as he takes that impact and his arm shatters more, he's still struggling to throw Albert off. But he's not arguing, or telling him to stop, because this is a fight to the death and he's got no grudges. He's just forcing himself to be silent besides his labored breathing.
He's making an attempt to jab Albert in the eyes but he'll have to get past the rock to do it, so...]
[ He thought that he was prepared for this, but- He wasn't. He wasn't at all, in the slightest, prepared to look down and see someone struggling beneath him as he fights to take their life. His breath would hitch in his throat if it hadn't already been knocked from him, and this short moment of faltering is enough that Crow gets a jab in to one of his eyes. It hurts, and he gives a sharp yelp -- As he brings the rock down again, harder this time, his hands shaking as he tries as hard as possible to keep this tapestry of false resolve from unraveling. ]
[He can't totally stifle it this time -- his arm is downright bent wrong now, and he cries out when it caves. There's no further protecting himself there. He can't stand to even keep it lifted.
This is not the first time he's died but it still sucks to see it coming. And yet it feels like karma. He did something unforgivable and now he's getting what he deserves. It's almost poetic really. If only it was Phoenix or Tatsuya there...
In the face of death Crow just starts laughing, a little hysterically.]
Ahaha-- Looks like my loss! Jeez... what a fuck-up.
[ It's bloody, now -- His clothes are black and so it's hard to see on him but he can feel the sticky warmth of it and it's disgusting. Normally, he doesn't mind if his clothes get dirty but this is a filth that he thought he was ready for but so, so wasn't. And now -- now, it's too far gone to take anything back, isn't it? First of all -- this was agreed upon. Both of them had said that they understood where the other was coming from, and that they would fight without restraint when they met on this battlefield again.
---But, now that he's reached that, now that things are on the edge and about to tip over into an abyss ...--- No, now that they're already in the inertia of tipping over into that abyss, Albert's realized how much he actually hates this. But --
-------Would Crow even win, if he stopped now? Could Crow even win, if he stopped now? He's shattered his arm and half caved his head in, there isn't a way to turn this back into his favour- Not that Albert actually want it to be in his favour, not that Albert wants--
...
Albert doesn't know what Albert wants.
So -- He tries to stop thinking, bringing the rock up again to smash it back down with all of his remaining strength, one last time. ]
[He keeps laughing, blood trickling into his face, up til the rock comes down. Then there's nothing -- just his smile frozen there, as his good arm drops, limp, from where he'd pressed it against Albert's shoulder.
There's blood everywhere and his eyes are glassy and empty below the mess of his skull, but nevertheless he looks... satisfied.]
[ ---Even if Crow looks satisfied, Albert isn't. He's far, far from satisfied. He'd come into this telling himself he would be what he needed to be for his unit who loves and accepts him even though he's so, so different from them, but --
Here he is, over top the still body of the first life that he's taken.
...The life belonging to someone very important to someone very important to him. That was supposed to be their pact, wasn't it-? That they wouldn't involve Phoenix into any part of this because it was sure to upset him. (Of course, Albert doesn't know how upset Phoenix really is, right now.)
But -- He can't help but feel disgusting. He can't help but feel wrong. This isn't right, this isn't the person he wants to be, he should have played defensively, and now he's a killer and a killer of a friend at that and that's not something he can ever take back and there are a million thoughts and a billion unanswerable questions floating through his head as he looks down at Crow's lifeless, bloodied body with shaking hands before he --
[ Who the fuck is this. Kuzuebiko appears, suddenly, or someone that looks like him does anyway - he snaps his fingers and your weapon becomes. . . an alto saxophone.
hm. ]
Remember now, the beauty of life!
[ well, it IS a beautiful instrument. almost makes you not want to fight anymore!
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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But hey he's dashing in and then sliding to a stop in front of Albert.]
--Whoah!
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...Ah. It seems like it was fate that we both ended up here, then.
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[And I have a sword. But also an arquebus?? Which is useless rn so he's dropping it.
He's also putting on a smile cause frankly he hates everything rn especially himself but that doesn't mean he's not going to do his best. This is all for the sake of winning, after all.]
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[ yes the axe is way too heavy for him to reasonably fight with it with any kind of ease but that is way beside the point right now because he is way passed the point of ... caring. he hasn't contributed at all to his team during this with anything but matches that have ended in draws, and if he's going to be on azrael he needs to act like he's on azrael. ]
We both understand what we're here for.
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[But yeah, they both know they were going to fight if they met again, so there's no point in fooling around.
This isn't the kind of sword Crow's familiar with but he knows enough about swords in general to pass. So he's getting into a defensive stance, waiting to see if Albert will come at him and how.]
Alright, alright. Let's dance.
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he's seen requiem use her axe, and mimics the way that she holds it -- it isn't perfect, but it's enough as he puts his weight into it as he moves forward with a swing. ]
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Bad thing about sword: it's too light to parry a fuckin axe with.
He does it, though: brings the sword up to block. It works, but he's pushed back half a step and the shock rings through his arms. That's far from enough to stop him from pushing back though, trying to force Albert to use all his strength to keep Crow from shoving him over -- so he doesn't have any left to avoid being kicked in the knee.]
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He's keeping the sword braced against the axe, but it's really not meant for that kind of strain. There's a metallic screech, and then a snap -- and the sword's broken.
Crow twists to the side with barely enough room to avoid an axe to the face.]
--Shit!
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--And, he knows that just being on top of him isn't going to do him any good, so long as Crow can get back up and still fight, so he picks up the axe and-- in a moment of thought that he really, really, really personally does not want to do his next action with the bladed end of it, brings the blunt end down on Crow's arm to break it. ]
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...Nice one.
[But he's not ready to give up yet. So he's aiming to knee Albert in the groin, while twisting to try to get out from under him.]
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Even as he takes that impact and his arm shatters more, he's still struggling to throw Albert off. But he's not arguing, or telling him to stop, because this is a fight to the death and he's got no grudges. He's just forcing himself to be silent besides his labored breathing.
He's making an attempt to jab Albert in the eyes but he'll have to get past the rock to do it, so...]
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This is not the first time he's died but it still sucks to see it coming. And yet it feels like karma. He did something unforgivable and now he's getting what he deserves. It's almost poetic really. If only it was Phoenix or Tatsuya there...
In the face of death Crow just starts laughing, a little hysterically.]
Ahaha-- Looks like my loss! Jeez... what a fuck-up.
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---But, now that he's reached that, now that things are on the edge and about to tip over into an abyss ...--- No, now that they're already in the inertia of tipping over into that abyss, Albert's realized how much he actually hates this. But --
-------Would Crow even win, if he stopped now? Could Crow even win, if he stopped now? He's shattered his arm and half caved his head in, there isn't a way to turn this back into his favour- Not that Albert actually want it to be in his favour, not that Albert wants--
...
Albert doesn't know what Albert wants.
So -- He tries to stop thinking, bringing the rock up again to smash it back down with all of his remaining strength, one last time. ]
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There's blood everywhere and his eyes are glassy and empty below the mess of his skull, but nevertheless he looks... satisfied.]
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Here he is, over top the still body of the first life that he's taken.
...The life belonging to someone very important to someone very important to him. That was supposed to be their pact, wasn't it-? That they wouldn't involve Phoenix into any part of this because it was sure to upset him. (Of course, Albert doesn't know how upset Phoenix really is, right now.)
But -- He can't help but feel disgusting. He can't help but feel wrong. This isn't right, this isn't the person he wants to be, he should have played defensively, and now he's a killer and a killer of a friend at that and that's not something he can ever take back and there are a million thoughts and a billion unanswerable questions floating through his head as he looks down at Crow's lifeless, bloodied body with shaking hands before he --
Rolls off of him and retches. ]
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[ Who the fuck is this. Kuzuebiko appears, suddenly, or someone that looks like him does anyway - he snaps his fingers and your weapon becomes. . . an alto saxophone.
hm. ]
Remember now, the beauty of life!
[ well, it IS a beautiful instrument. almost makes you not want to fight anymore!
stunned for 1 turn. ]
[ the genie disappears in a billow of smoke. ]
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a saxophone laying on Crow's dead body while Albert has a panic attack. ]