POV JULIUS
"Subaru are you alright?!"
I say as I immediately send my spirits to heal him. The fall that he took looked pretty bad, he even shattered bottles underneath his skull... I run over to him and check the damage that he took. He's out cold and bleeding from the back of his head. I reach down and open his eyes, lightly slap him, even speak loudly next to his ear. No response. This is very bad, I may need to get Felix to heal him. I reach down to pick him up…
" Ahh! Get your hands off me, you stupid son of a bitch!" The self-proclaimed knight yells at me when I try to lift him up. Rude, but I'll look past this as he may have injured his head. Subaru shoves me off of him as he rises to his feet. He starts holding his head and using language that is unbecoming of someone claiming to a knight.
"Are you all right?"
I ask him as he looks at the ground and picks up a razor that looks way better than one that I'd expect in a place like this. He starts to shave his head and I can't do anything but stare in confusion at his inane actions. Taking him to Felix may be a good idea after all.
"Subaru...?" I say as the last of his hair falls to the floor, completely bald. "Maybe we should get your head checked out before our duel?"
It's unbecoming of a knight to duel someone who isn't on equal footing health-wise. Subaru throws the razor to the side, its clinking echo sounding out around the corridor. He looks up at me with a smirk and flips the middle finger of both his hands directly in my face.
I feel anger course through my entire body. This boy was insulting the pride of the knights of Lugunica, and I've tolerated it enough. It seems that he won't back down until the consequences of his actions are obviously marked upon his body. After that, I'll finally take him to Felix and get his head checked, he clearly needs it.
THIRD-PERSON
Julius continues to guide Subaru to the arena. His anger smoldering in his heart, deciding that he wasn't going to feel any pity for the fool.
The knights of Lugunica fill up the arena, they weren't just about to not watch Subaru be beaten for his immense disrespect. He spouted massive fallacies in front of all of them, not just making a mockery of them, but everything they stand for; they glare at the now-bald Subaru with disdain or even outright hatred. Subaru just drinks a beer he grabbed when he was in the corridor while giving them the finger with his other hand. He grimaces, it's shit beer.
Holy shit, this beer is ass... Maybe I should raid the stock in this place after I beat this arrogant prick's ass into the ground…
Reinhard looks over at Subaru with concern on his face, then back to Julius.
"Hey, is Subaru bleeding on the back of his head? Why haven't you cancelled the match?"
"He's insisting on continuing, I suppose I must commend him for that, even if it's foolishness."
"Come on, Julius, you shouldn't do this. It's not like you."
"He insulted us knights in front of the candidates to be our future ruler, and he made light of the chivalry we practice."
"I admit that he said some things that went too far. But for such a matter, he need only be warned and corrected."
"No, this is not only my problem. I hereby administer the death penalty to this insubordinate man who has sullied the knighthood's honor!"
Julius looks Subaru in his eyes and points his sword at him. Reinhard's eyes widen, realizing that neither man will back down, and so, with a sad expression on his face, he leaves the two to do battle.
"Normally, it wouldn't be unusual for you to be slain for insolence. However, much to my dismay, you are Emilia-sama's attendant. Therefore, we will fight using wooden swords."
Subaru looks down at the sword he held in his hand; he looks up at Julius and smirks. He tosses the sword to the side, letting it fall into the sand.
"I don't need a stick to beat your sorry little ass."
Julius stares at him for a moment, letting his brain process Subaru's action. The anger in his heart swelled into an almost unbearable degree, he poured his disdain for Subaru into his gaze, finally showing the face that the other knights held.
Subaru guzzles the beer in one go, then throws its remains at Julius. Julius swings with perfect finesse, the bottle being swept aside as easily as a leaf being swept away in the wind.
"Seems that you have no manners, even in battle."
"Ah, fuck off ya bitch."
Julius quickly makes the next move, he does a straight stab into Subaru's gut. Or at least, where Subaru was.
Stone-cold sidesteps the seemingly perfect thrust, a shit-eating grin on his face. Much like Julius is about to eat shit in a moment.
Julius tries to cover for his slip-up by dodging backward, but Stone-cold catches him slipping. He trips the knight by putting his leg behind Julius' and pushing him over it onto the ground.
"Well? Are you still whining about your shitty knighthood?"
Subaru looked at the Finest Knight, who was on the ground with a shocked expression.
"Here, let me help you up... Oops!"
Subaru picked up the knight and then proceeded to push him over onto the ground again.
However, Julius follows the momentum and back rolls into his stance, he stares at Subaru with weariness in his gaze. The boy seemed foolish and naive, but he was competent enough to dodge Julius' perfect attack. The next move was Julius' once more.
He ran forward once again, seeming like he was going to stab straight. Subaru smirked at the knight's idiocy, it's the same move as last time!
However, the moment before the thrust, the Finest Knight changed his thrust into a swing, trying to catch Stone-cold's dodge.
Stone-Cold doesn't even move from his starting position and headbutts Julius in the nose.
Blood flows out of Julius' nostrils with a constant stream as he's blown backward a few feet. The pain is completely unbearable, his nose is definitely broken. Tch, I have to use my spirits...
"Oh, what's this thing?"
Julius' eyes shoot wide-open as Stone-Cold is suddenly up in his face, more accurately, in his spirit's face. Stone-Cold blows on the quasi-spirit much like a child blowing out a birthday cake. The spirit flies away into the stands where the knights are spectating, speechless at the Finest Knight being made a fool out of.
"Mmm, this is boring. You're boring. Before I end you, do you have any beer in this place?"
Subaru looks genuine when asking his question as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. Julius grits his teeth and uses his spirits to their maximum power. Granting a buff on himself, and a debuff on Subaru.
Stone-Cold was now much slower, and Julius, much faster.
However, A blur covered Julius' vision, and he felt a great impact in his gut.
"Gah...!" He loses his breath by being struck by Stone-Cold's fist.
Before he could realize what's happening, Subaru wraps his arm around Julius' head, leaving his jaw on his shoulder.
Subaru starts falling, and Julius falls with him.
It feels like an eternity.
Moment after moment goes by.
Another second, or was it a heartbeat?
Time held no meaning in this state.
Julius begins reminiscing about his past while time is slowed. He remembers when he went off to Vollachia and fought Cecilus.
He had shattered the fifth-best of the Blue Lightning's swords, and even slew a nine-god general in one-on-one combat.
He met the emperor of Vollachia as well, even if that was one of the weirdest days of his life.
His lady, Anastasia, was deeply caring for her knight.
He really enjoyed that about her.
Wait, doesn't one remember their life...moments before death…?
Julius' eyes widen in shock, then in fear.
His life is going to be ended by some bald kid that-not moments ago- slipped on some alcohol and hit his head on the ground.
In a way, he feels two deaths at the same time. The death of his self-respect as a knight, and the death of his body.
Inching closer, Subaru's ass is nearly at its destination, which is, of course, the ground; though it may as well be on Julius' face because he's practically getting shit on.
Subaru finally makes contact with the ground.
With it, Julius feels an infinite amount of energy rush through his chin. His body simply cannot handle it, and neither can his already broken spirit.
The most powerful move in the world has dealt the knight a death on a spiritual, mental, instinctual, emotional, and physiological level. However, not physically.
Stone-Cold would never allow the prideful knight the satisfaction of death by this ultimate move. Subaru held complete control over it, able to destroy anything a person is or represents.
That move being the thing that created the universe, the world, god, the Od Laguna, truth, human life, the witch factors, and death itself.
The Stone-Cold Stunner.
That would be too great a mercy to die by this ultimate move. Stone Cold is many things, but merciful is definitely not one of them.
Thank you to Freddie 46 for co-writing this masterpiece.
This is perfect and we are accepting no criticism.