All right, I'm going to be honest about this. This probably isn't my best work. It is what it is, though, and I am happy with how it came out. Oh well, enjoy this little alternate universe oneshot.
Normally there would be a conversation going on. Normally Falsetto would retell the story of her best kill of the day as Claves began to nod off. Normally something, anything at all, would distract Jazz from the eeriness of the night. This night, Jazz had discovered, was quite different from normal nights. There were no words exchanged between the three of them and, other than the sounds of their breathing, there was the only the sound of the crackling fire. It was the only thing that assured the black haired man that everything that had happened was not simply a dream. The painful reality was that Andantino had essentially been wiped out, and Jazz had been the one to watch it happen. Etude, Bass, Tristesse… one by one they had fallen until all that remained were Jazz, Falsetto, and Claves.
Jazz sighed bitterly. He was beginning to wonder if he really should have gone alone. If he had, then maybe Claves and Falsetto would have a chance to keep living instead of sitting out in the forest with him waiting for their impending doom.
The idea, Jazz reflected, was suicidal enough. Why he suddenly thought that going to Forte by himself to assassinate Count Waltz was a good idea, he wasn't sure. Even he knew that Waltz was a skilled fighter. Should something go wrong, that would be the end of it. He had intended on leaving the headquarters early that morning, but somehow Falsetto and Claves had found out. Just when Jazz was getting ready to leave, the two girls confronted him.
"You didn't honestly think you would get rid of us that easily did you, Jazz?" Falsetto had asked with her usual smirk.
"Falsetto, I can't get you and Claves involved this time." Jazz had replied.
"But we want to come with you, Jazz. Even if it is a suicide mission, even if it does go badly, we'll stand by your side. I… I don't want to imagine you dying alone." Claves had said shakily.
That had been enough to convince Jazz that there would be no getting rid of Falsetto and Claves. They had set out together after making final preparations and, once they had reached their rest point and had gone over the plan, it became obvious that it would be their last mission as the Andantino trio. Whether or not they survived didn't matter. If they took out Waltz then Andantino would have no further purpose and they would no longer be the Andantino trio. If they died then that would be that. Andantino would be finished.
The sound of Claves sighing brought Jazz back to reality. Seeing the worried expression on her face made Jazz frown. It was obvious that Claves was thinking about what might happen when they left for Forte the following morning. Although she was doing her best to hide it, Jazz could see she was shaking. He unconsciously scooted closer to Claves, and smiled a little when he saw that she had begun to scoot closer to him as well. "Don't worry so much, Claves. It's not as if you're going into this on your own. We'll have each other." he said quietly. Claves nodded a little, but her expression didn't change. Jazz wished that there was some way he could comfort Claves, but there was no amount of comfort he could offer her that would make everything okay. Not tonight.
Jazz then turned away from Claves and looked at Falsetto. As usual, Falsetto was as far from him and Claves as possible without being too far from the group. Jazz raised an eyebrow, wondering what could possibly be going on in the ash haired girl's mind at the moment. From what he could tell Falsetto was gathering her thoughts. Jazz was relieved that she didn't seem worried. Falsetto's bright green eyes showed no hint of fear, unlike the magenta eyes of Claves. Jazz smiled; Falsetto always had been the most fearless of the three.
Jazz's eyes wandered to Falsetto's hands. He frowned upon noticing that Falsetto was fidgeting with the placement of her gauntlets. Despite the calm aura about her, she couldn't hide the fact that she was slightly nervous. Her fidgeting gave it away. Jazz got ready to get up and go to Falsetto, but he stopped when Falsetto's green eyes met his brown ones. No words were exchanged, but Falsetto seemed to understand that Jazz wanted her to relax. Falsetto nodded, let go of the gauntlet she had been adjusting, and allowed her hands to go to her sides. Once he was satisfied that Falsetto had resumed staring at the sky, Jazz allowed himself to get lost in thought.
Jazz hated to admit it, but the silence was calming. With nothing but the sounds of the crackling fire and their breathing, Jazz couldn't help but feel soothed. As his eyes grew heavy, Jazz wondered if he would ever be able to experience such a peaceful night again. There was no doubt in Jazz's mind that the following morning would be anything but peaceful. It wasn't long before the black haired swordsman drifted off to sleep, hoping to find peace in his dreams.
When morning finally came, Jazz found himself being shaken by Falsetto. "It's time we got going, Jazz." Falsetto said. Jazz nodded and quickly got up to join Falsetto and Claves. Falsetto still had the same calm expression on her face that he had seen the night before, while Claves looked less worried. The thought that Falsetto and Claves had discussed their thoughts on what would happen calmed Jazz.
"All right, are you both ready?" Jazz asked. Falsetto nodded firmly, but Claves hesitated for a moment before finally nodding as well. Jazz frowned a little at this. He had hoped Claves was over any worries she might have had the night before, but there was nothing he could do now. He shook his head, deciding it would be better for Claves to work out her worries as they made their way to Forte.
"We're as ready as we'll ever be, Jazz." Claves said quietly. Her quiet tone didn't do much to reassure Jazz, but there wasn't much he could do about it. They would have to keep going as scheduled.
"Remember, the goal of this operation is to take out Waltz. If Fugue and Rondo try to interfere, which they might, then you can either fight them or focus on Waltz. Either way, I highly doubt we'll be able to get out of this without some serious injuries." Jazz said. While he was unsure if they would even survive, Jazz believed that, on the very small chance they did survive, it would be highly likely that they wouldn't walk away uninjured.
"Don't worry, Jazz. We're behind you no matter what." Falsetto said.
"That's good, because I'll be counting on you two for backup." Jazz said. Falsetto nodded, punching the air to demonstrate to Jazz that she was ready for anything. "Claves, seeing as you're our only healer you'll need to be careful." Jazz added as he glanced at Claves. Claves nodded a little and finally gave Jazz a much needed smile. Jazz gave a weak smile of his own, and finally he looked in the direction of Forte. "It's not much farther now. There's no point in holding back the inevitable, so we might as well get going." Jazz said. He turned to Claves and Falsetto, looked over them one last time and, after receiving an acknowledging nod from both of them, finally started walking toward Forte.
The walk to Forte was just as silent as Jazz had expected, and soon the trio reached the city. Since it was early morning, Jazz wasn't surprised that there weren't many people outside. Good. This would make the invasion of Forte Castle much easier, and it was exactly what Jazz had planned on. "Looks like this might be easier than we thought, Jazz." Falsetto said.
"Well, it is still early. No one would suspect we've come to do what we're going to do. Now it's all a matter of getting into the castle without being noticed by the guards." Jazz said.
"Wouldn't it have been easier to take our secret passage?" Claves asked. Jazz shook his head. While the secret passage did grant them easy access to the castle there was the chance it would was being guarded, especially since they had last used it to release Salsa. If Fugue hadn't noticed them getting her out through the passage that time, then the secret passage would still be an option. Since then, Waltz had ordered that it be guarded constantly should Andantino try to use it for such an operation as this.
"I wish we could use it, but you know that's not an option, Claves." Jazz said.
"You shouldn't worry about the guards, Jazz. Just leave them to me." Falsetto said with a wink. Jazz gave Falsetto a questioning look, but as the three approached the castle it became obvious what Falsetto intended on doing. Jazz nodded and motioned for Claves to hide with him in some bushes. Once Falsetto was sure they were well hidden, she approached the two guards in front of the castle. Claves gasped when she saw the guards take notice of Falsetto and she quickly got ready to leap out of the bushes to help, but Jazz held her back. Falsetto leaped up and knocked the two guards out with a swift Willow Strike. After making sure the guards were knocked out she motioned for Jazz and Claves to come out, and Claves let out a sigh of relief.
"Don't scare me like that, Falsetto! I thought you were going to be caught for sure!" Claves said. Falsetto just shrugged and flashed them one of her usual smirks. Jazz nodded approvingly, and he motioned for the two girls to follow him inside.
Getting inside proved easier than anticipated, as there were very few guards present. While Jazz was relieved by this fact he realized that Waltz could call forth any number of guards to get rid of them at any moment. They would have to be as stealthy as possible. Jazz carefully glanced around the surrounding area of the main entrance, and after making sure no one was there he began walking ahead with Claves and Falsetto just a few steps behind him.
As the walk down the seemingly endless hallways continued, Jazz began to grow nervous. The lack of guards made him uneasy, as he had expected to meet some resistance as they made their way through the castle. The thought that perhaps Waltz had anticipated some kind of attempt on his life came to mind, but that thought was quickly forgotten. If Waltz had any idea that someone would attempt to take his life, then he should have increased security. Then the thought that perhaps there was a spy among the ranks of Andantino came to mind, but Jazz put this thought aside as well. The only surviving members were both loyal to him.
He was suddenly shaken from his thoughts by a tap on the shoulder. He turned around quickly and found Falsetto was pointing at a door. Upon close inspection, Jazz found that it was the door to Waltz's chamber. If he had been paying attention Jazz would have realized he almost walked past it. With a grateful nod to Falsetto, Jazz slowly opened the door. Once the door was open a satisfactory amount, Jazz, Falsetto, and Claves went inside. However, they were shocked to find that the room was quite empty. "Where the hell is he?" Jazz asked.
"Looking for someone?" a voice behind the trio asked. Jazz quickly turned around to face the newcomer, but he soon regretted doing so. Count Waltz, Rondo, and Fugue were standing right where the trio had been moments ago and, judging from his taunting expression, it was Fugue who had spoken.
Jazz opened his mouth to question the three, but the blond Count held up his hand to silence the swordsman. "I suppose you're wondering how I knew you three would be coming." he chuckled. He pointed to Fugue, who shot a cold grin at Jazz. "While Fugue was looking for the location of the glowing Agogos yesterday he overheard your little plan. You really shouldn't say that kind of thing out loud." Waltz said coldly. Jazz allowed a low growl to pass his lips as he tightly gripped the hilt of his sword. Now they would have to pay for the mistake he had made, not that this was the first time.
"You might as well just give up now. You three have no hope of winning." Rondo sneered.
"I'd rather die than surrender to you." Falsetto snapped, getting herself into a fighting stance as she did. Jazz saw her clench her fists tightly and saw Claves pull her rapier out moments after Falsetto adjusted her position. Jazz followed suit, pulling out his long sword and pointing it in Waltz's direction.
"You three intend on fighting anyway? How foolish." Waltz said.
Jazz didn't dare move after hearing Waltz say something like that. Backing out now would only mock the deaths of the many Andantino members that had come before. No, Jazz had to stand firm. The grip on the sword's hilt became tighter, and Jazz's frown turned into a menacing scowl. "I'd sooner die trying to take you out than be considered a coward." he growled.
"So be it. You can die like the fools you are!" Waltz shouted. The Count pulled out his baton-like weapon, and Fugue and Rondo pulled out their weapons shortly after him. The two knights ran to meet Falsetto and Claves without a moment's hesitation, and in turn the two girls met them with equal resolve.
Jazz barely had time to register what was going on between the flurry of Waltz's attacks and the battle waging beside them. He could barely defend himself against Waltz at the rate he was attacking. Finally, Jazz moved aside just as Waltz was about to hit him with a more brutal blow. He cringed as Waltz's baton made contact with his arm; he'd been too slow. Jazz swung his sword at the Count, barely managing to slash his chest as he made a move to dodge the blow. Jazz continued to swing his blade at Waltz, praying that at least one blow would be successful. A satisfied look crossed his face when he felt his blade hit Waltz multiple times, and from the corner of his eye he saw Falsetto continually kick Fugue. The fight seemed to be more successful than he originally imagined. The faint hope of success glinted in his brown eyes as he swung his sword at Waltz again. That hope was shattered mere moments later by an all too familiar cry.
Jazz quickly turned around to see what had happened, but he soon regretted doing so. Rondo's sword had pierced Claves' side and the pink haired girl had fallen to her knees. "Bombardment!" Rondo shouted as she began slashing Claves repeatedly. Jazz tried to rush over to Claves' aid, but he was knocked down by an attack from Waltz.
"You really should pay more attention to your opponent." Waltz sneered as Jazz faced him again. Jazz shakily stood up again and shot a glare at Waltz that probably would have killed him if looks were granted that power. He decided that Waltz wasn't worth his time at that particular moment and knocked the Count down with a particularly violent Heat Blade. Waltz fell over, apparently stunned by the attack, and Jazz resumed running to Claves' aid.
Once he managed to get over to Claves and Rondo, he saw that Claves had managed to get back on her feet. She clearly was having a hard time standing and was heavily bleeding from the deep cuts across her body. Despite this, Claves still clutched her rapier and was giving Rondo quite the nasty glare. "Give it up, Claves. You can't beat me." Rondo said.
"I can try." Claves rasped. Jazz took a step forward to stop Claves from doing something foolish, but she didn't seem to notice him. It was as if everything around her had vanished and only Rondo stood between her and the world. Jazz wanted to stop her, he wanted to get her away from the horrible situation he had brought about, but there was no turning back now. Claves seemed to have finally accepted fate, but it wasn't how Jazz had intended her to.
The pink haired girl charged at Rondo with her rapier pointed firmly at the female knight's chest, the fiery blaze of anger burning in her eyes seeming to scream for her as she ran. Then, suddenly, everything stopped. The rapier fell from Claves' hand and she let out a blood curdling scream. Rondo had barely gotten out of the way of Claves' attack, and she had managed to stab Claves through the stomach without much trouble. Just as Claves fell Jazz slashed Rondo with just enough force to send the magenta haired knight reeling over onto the floor. Waltz, Fugue, and Falsetto were long forgotten; all that mattered now was making sure Claves as okay. He quickly kneeled down and propped Claves up in his arms. Her eyes seemed distant, but she was still able to look at him. The sight of her in such a state made Jazz's heart drop. "Claves… Claves! Can you hear me? Answer me! Don't you dare die on me now! Claves!" Jazz shouted desperately.
Claves gave Jazz a weak smile and slowly shook her head. "I… I'm s-sorry, Jazz. I… I'm afraid it's time f-for me to… to join the others. They're… they're calling me back." she explained. Her voice seemed to be growing more strained, as if it were painful for her to speak. Jazz was trembling, doing his very best to hold back the tears that he felt pricking in his eyes as the one he loved lay bleeding her life away in his arms.
"Don't talk like that! Everything will be okay, I promise. I'll… I'll get an Angel's Trumpet…" Jazz started to say, but he stopped when he felt Claves shakily put her ungloved hand against his cheek. The pleading look she gave him made him want to die.
"Promise me you… you won't keep me waiting too long, Jazz." Claves breathed. All Jazz could do in response was nod, as the tears threatening to spill from his eyes seemed to have stolen his words. Claves seemed happy with this response, and she finally allowed her eyes to close. Her hand fell limply from Jazz's cheek, and he let out a choked sob. Jazz had been ready to accept anything that happened. He had expected to stand strong against anything that came about on this mission. However, he hadn't anticipated Claves being the first to fall. The tears rolled freely down his cheeks, and he held her lifeless form a while longer.
"Jazz, help! I can't keep them back much longer!" Falsetto yelped. The sound of Falsetto's foot clanging against Fugue's sword brought Jazz back to reality. He gently set Claves down and got back on his feet, finding his anger had been rekindled. Jazz shot a glance at Rondo, who appeared to be nursing the nasty wound he had given her, and quickly ran to Falsetto as she tried to knock Fugue and Waltz back with a Willow Strike. With Rondo temporarily out of the picture their chance at victory seemed more likely than before. "It's about time you came to help me. I was beginning to think you'd abandon me after what just happened to Claves." Falsetto said with a frown.
"I wouldn't dream of abandoning you. We have more of a reason to kill them now." Jazz said. That seemed to be a good enough answer for Falsetto, as she didn't say anything more to Jazz. Judging from Falsetto's battered and bruised appearance she had kept Fugue and Waltz busy the whole time Jazz had been trying to help Claves. Jazz gave Falsetto a grateful smile when he realized this. Falsetto then leaped back mere moments before Fugue could slash her across the chest just as Waltz barely missed striking Jazz. "It looks like we're going to have to get a bit more serious." Jazz stated.
"All right, whatever you say, Jazz." Falsetto panted. The fight was clearly starting to take its toll on Falsetto, as her breaths were becoming more ragged and, as Jazz soon noticed, there were a few nasty looking wounds across the martial artist's body that looked like they were causing her a bit of discomfort. Jazz was really starting to wish that he had helped Falsetto instead of letting his emotions take over when Claves was hurt, but he knew there was nothing he could do about it now. He offered Falsetto a Floral Essence, but she pushed it away and quietly began chanting one of her incantations. She quickly took her fighting stance and Jazz followed suit, getting ready for what he hoped would deal decisive blows to Waltz and Fugue. "Snow Claw!" Falsetto cried. Ice suddenly appeared under her as she started repeatedly punching and kicking Fugue. With each attack ice followed and struck the silver haired swordsman. Finally, a massive crystal of ice appeared and Falsetto kicked it, knocking sharp particles of ice into both Fugue and Waltz.
Jazz took the moment of calm that followed to prepare his own attack. He stepped forward and began slashing Waltz repeatedly, and with each slash more fire began to surround his blade. "Heat Blade!" he cried. When the attack finished, he gave Waltz a smug grin. The Count appeared to have been singed by the fiery attack, and Fugue appeared dazed by Falsetto's Snow Claw. Jazz was about to congratulate Falsetto on the excellent attack when he noticed a flash of magenta behind the ash haired martial artist. His eyes widened and, inwardly, he began to panic. Rondo was still capable of fighting.
"Bombardment!" Rondo shouted as she began slashing Falsetto with the same fierce blows that had struck Claves only a short while ago. Falsetto cried out in pain as a particularly nasty slash sent her crashing into the floor, and Rondo gave Fugue an expression that seemed to say 'You really are pathetic if you let her get the better of you'. Rondo's moment of glory was short lived, however, as Jazz finally stepped forward to face her. Rondo stared at him for a moment, as if she was wondering what he could possibly do to her.
Jazz didn't bother to wait for Rondo to make a move. He began to slash the magenta haired knight with such ferocity that even Waltz and Fugue stopped for a moment to observe what was happening. Blood splashed the floor with each attack, but Jazz didn't appear to want to stop. Falsetto shakily stood up and stared at Jazz with an awed expression as the spectacle continued, but he didn't seem to notice. Finally, Jazz decided to end it. "Geo Blade!" he cried as blue electricity surrounded his sword. Now each slash was granted the power to electrify anyone it happened to hit, and that was exactly what was happening to Rondo. The blows seemed to be growing more intense, but even if Rondo wanted to she couldn't seem to break free of the attack. All she could do was take the hits. Finally, she let out a terrifying shriek and collapsed onto the floor in a bloody heap. Her breaths came out as quick, struggled attempts at getting air into her lungs. Finally, with one last shuddering breath, Rondo stopped moving. "There. You can rest easy now, Claves." Jazz said in what almost seemed to be a whisper.
It appeared as though something inside Fugue snapped at that moment. He broke away from where he was standing and fiercely began trying to slash Jazz. Fortunately, the black haired swordsman and was able to lift his sword up in time to block Fugue's sudden onslaught. All the while, Jazz saw Waltz looking on with a sickening grin of satisfaction. He didn't seem to care that one of his own knights had just died. Instead, he seemed to be entertained by Fugue's angry outburst as if it was nothing but a show for his enjoyment. "Falsetto, help!" Jazz shouted.
"Willow Strike!" Falsetto cried as she kicked Fugue away from Jazz. The silver haired swordsman hit the floor with a hard thud, but quickly got back on his feet and glared at Falsetto and Jazz. The impact of hitting the floor seemed to have cracked his monocle, but it was unclear if he noticed or not. His cold glare seemed to be piercing Jazz's soul with all the hatred in the world. "Nice one, Jazz. Killing his girlfriend doesn't seem like such a smart move now, does it?" Falsetto asked. Jazz only groaned in response. He got ready to block another onslaught from Fugue, but suddenly an all too familiar voice filled the air.
"Aure Dominium!" Waltz shouted. It seemed he was getting tired of being ignored for the moment, and he quickly drew a star in the air with his baton. Jazz quickly looked down and saw that both he and Falsetto were being surrounded by a thick cloud of purple smoke. Jazz tried to get away from the attack, but it was too late for him to move. Jazz and Falsetto cried out in pain as an explosion was created from below the purple smoke. The impact of the explosion sent the two crashing into the wall not far from where they were standing. Just as Jazz and Falsetto stood up they were greeted by another attack from Waltz. "Volcano Concussio!" he cried. The Count rapidly began striking Jazz and Falsetto with his baton, and just as quickly as he began he ended the attack by stabbing Falsetto with his weapon. She cried out in agony as she and Jazz hit the floor again, and Waltz laughed coldly.
Just as Falsetto and Jazz stood up again they were met by yet another violent onslaught from Fugue. Jazz barely had enough time to block his attacks with how quickly Fugue was swinging his sword. "Falsetto, I think we need to set off another Harmony Chain." Jazz panted.
"Okay. Keep him busy while I get ready." Falsetto said.
"Like I have a choice? I'm his target!" Jazz snapped. Falsetto ignored him and quickly went around Fugue, saying her incantation again as she positioned herself behind him. Fortunately, Fugue seemed too focused on Jazz to notice Falsetto, and Waltz seemed like he was getting ready to attack Jazz again. "Come on, Falsetto, hurry up…" Jazz said quietly. Finally, Falsetto snapped out of her trance and leaped into the air.
"Shadow Beam!" she cried as she put her hands together and blasted Fugue with a beam of dark light. Fugue cringed in pain and finally stopped slashing at Jazz's sword. At that moment Jazz stepped away from Fugue and started slashing the knight with another Heat Blade. Just as Falsetto was about to ready another attack to continue the chain, however, Fugue quickly turned around and got ready to strike her. "Phoenix…" Falsetto began, but her usual grace seemed particularly lacking this time. Her footing seemed off, as usually Falsetto was able to pull off her moves with a particular grace Jazz had never seen from anyone else. It seemed her timing was horribly off. Her attack missed Fugue completely and she stumbled as she landed. Just as she was about to try and attack Fugue again the silver haired swordsman turned and raised his sword.
Fugue's sword met Falsetto's delicate body, and he slashed with strength Jazz had never imagined coming from him. Blood splattered the silver haired swordsman, and Falsetto let out a scream such that Jazz had never expected to hear from someone as strong as Falsetto. Just when Jazz thought that Falsetto's pain had ended, Waltz decided to step in.
"Apocalypse Fall!" the Count yelled as he gracefully leaped into the air and slammed Falsetto and Jazz with a powerful blast of dark energy. Jazz felt the wind being knocked out of him as he crashed into the ground with a thud. Once he found his breath he tried to stand up, only to grimace as a nasty wound on his chest seemed to cause his whole body to revolt at the sudden surge of pain. He couldn't see for that brief moment, but he didn't need to. He heard Waltz's maniacal laughing clearly enough. After a few moments, Jazz found the pain in his chest had subsided and he managed to stand up again. His first concern wasn't Waltz, though; it was his childhood friend.
She lay practically motionless on the floor in a puddle of her own blood, desperately clutching one of her many wounds in an attempt to stop the bleeding. Jazz was by her side in a flash, desperately hoping that Falsetto would somehow manage to get back on her feet like always. It was very rare for Falsetto to be injured, and normally Claves would be there in an instant to heal her wounds. Jazz had to remind himself that nothing was normal anymore when he saw the same distant look in Falsetto's eyes that he had seen in Claves' eyes not long ago. "Falsetto, please hold on. We can get through this together just like always… just please hold on." Jazz begged.
Falsetto only gave Jazz a weak chuckle and shook her head. As obvious as it was to Jazz that Falsetto was dying, he didn't want to admit it. He didn't want to lose her so soon after losing Claves. "Jazz… you were able to fight alone b-before… you c-can do it… again." Falsetto whispered. The familiar sting of tears returned to Jazz's eyes as he gingerly took Falsetto's hand. "K-kick his ass… for me… J-Jazz…" Falsetto whispered.
"I will." Jazz said. Falsetto smiled weakly and, after a moment, finally closed her eyes. Her breaths, which seemed so forced moments before, became weaker. The rises and falls of her chest grew less and less noticeable until finally, after what felt like an eternity to Jazz, her breathing ceased completely. Jazz tightened the grip on Falsetto's hand, desperately trying to hold back the new stream of tears that wanted to flow as he finally let go of his best friend's hand. No… neither Claves nor Falsetto would want him to cry. He had to avenge them, to grant Falsetto's dying wish. With this resolve in mind, the tears seemed to vanish.
He slowly stood up and faced Waltz and Fugue. Both the Count and his knight were giving Jazz looks that seemed to scream for him to give up, but Jazz shook his head. He tightly clenched his fist and glared at the two of them. "You still want to fight? Give it up! You'll just end up like those two!" Fugue said.
"That may be true, but at least our deaths won't be meaningless." Jazz growled. Fugue raised an eyebrow questioningly at Jazz's words, and in response Jazz picked up his faithful sword. "If you kill me, I'll just have to take you down with me." Jazz said.
"If it's a fight to the death you want, that's what you'll get." Waltz said. Feeling there was no further need for words, Jazz ran toward Waltz and Fugue. Fugue's sword clashed with Jazz's and Waltz frantically ran to strike Jazz from the back. Unfortunately for Waltz, Jazz was ready to strike. He quickly turned, still holding his sword in a battle ready position, and slashed both Fugue and Waltz as he moved. Waltz and Fugue staggered for a moment, giving Jazz enough time to strike again. Just as Jazz prepared to strike the two again, Fugue struck with a quick slash of his own. Jazz grunted in pain, freeing one of his hands from his sword long enough to clutch his chest where Fugue had struck. Waltz took the chance to quickly draw another star in the air in preparation for another Aure Dominium. This time, though, Jazz was able to see what Waltz was doing and quickly got out of the way before the attack could hit.
"Is that really the best you've got?" Jazz taunted.
"Okay, fine! No more fancy moves then. We'll just have to do this the hard way." Waltz said through gritted teeth. The idea didn't seem to bother Jazz too much, and it wasn't long before he, Fugue, and Waltz were all trying to strike each other. Their weapons clashed repeatedly, and only occasionally did they manage to strike one another with more than a glancing blow. Jazz grinned as he finally managed to hit Fugue with what appeared to be a nasty blow to the chest. The silver haired swordsman grimaced in pain before staggering away from Waltz and Jazz, leaving the two of them to fight alone.
Jazz and Waltz continued to try and strike each other, each blow only ending in their weapons clashing as the two grew more and more frustrated. Jazz's wounds were starting to affect his concentration, as the more times he tried to strike Waltz the more Jazz felt his wounds screaming in protest. While Jazz seemed to be growing more exhausted, Waltz seemed perfectly fine. Jazz gritted his teeth in frustration and once again tried to strike Waltz, only for his sword to clash with Waltz's baton again. "Just give it up. You can't hope to beat me now." Waltz taunted.
"I'm not giving up just yet, Waltz." Jazz growled. At that moment Jazz managed to knock Waltz's baton out of his hand with a swing of his sword. It flew across the room and landed quite far from the fight. Jazz grinned; Waltz had no hope of retrieving his weapon before he could kill him. Jazz lifted his sword in preparation for the death blow when suddenly he felt a sharp surge of pain in his chest. Jazz groaned in agony as his wounds continued to torment him until finally he felt forced to clutch one of his wounds to try and end the pain. Suddenly, there was a sharp stabbing pain in his back. Jazz let out a cry of agony and slowly looked back at what was causing the pain. Fugue happened to be standing right behind him, and his sword was piercing Jazz's body. Despite the amount of pain Jazz felt surging through him he managed to swing his sword one last time, striking both Waltz and Jazz with a graceful, if not awkward, turn of his body.
Jazz finally allowed his sword to fall to the ground just as he fell on his knees. He felt as if the world had started spinning and everything before him seemed to grow hazy. Carefully Jazz reached back and, after a moment of struggling, managed to remove Fugue's sword from his body. It fell to the floor with a clang, and Jazz collapsed in an exhausted and bloody heap. As the world continued to grow hazier in Jazz's eyes, the black haired swordsman could have sworn that, just for a moment, he saw Falsetto and Claves standing before him. Jazz weakly smiled up at them and finally allowed himself to close his eyes. His breathing grew fainter, and finally Jazz seemed to find the peace he so desired.
Then, as if it were nothing more than a dream, everything faded away.