Ba-dump ba-dump ba-dump
Azule's arms are staggering to keep him up as struggles to his feet, his breathing was out of sync as the pressure in his right ear packed together. His head felt light and left him dizzy, his vision was going all over the place. The combination of head trauma and now his heart problems, at this rate, something seriously dangerous could happen to the captain of Squidcom. But Azule had no time to worry about recovery for the opponent across from him was ready to take advantage as he rose to his feet and analyzed the reeling Azule. Cobalt's heels dig into the ground as he readied his blade.
Am I... going to die?
Azule feels his chest once more, indeed the beating of his heart felt unlike any of his other attacks he suffered in the past. But why now of all times did this have to happen? Was his heart really failing him again? Or was this all just a side effect to the anxiety of facing against Cobalt? Azule's mind raced to find a solution while in the vulnerable state, unaware of a Cobalt who was sharpening his fangs.
"Azule! Watch out!" Yelled a concerned Violet who nearly jumped into the fight; every single member of Squidcom had a stunned expression on their face in response since Violet wasn't the type of person to show too much emotion nowadays.
Azule's instincts kicked in as the hairs all over his body stood up and immediately he felt Cobalt's presence, but it was too late. Wedged deep within the center of his chest was the cursed carbon blade. Stunned by the sight of a sword stuck deep inside his body as though he was the resting place for a legendary sword of light, Azule could only see the blood leaking and slowly looked up at his best friend, whose red eyes had water in them. Cobalt's hands staggered as he glared at Azule.
"Why…? Why are you doing this Azule? Look at you. You're going to die. Don't you care if you die!?" he yelled in a shaken tone, knowing he could end Azule's life with one final push.
Squidcom held their breath, all of them were frozen with fear because one of them ever thought that Azule-of all the people to fight Cobalt-would actually be on the verge of death, especially so early on in the fight. Their resolve to get involved solidified as they watched their captain in pain and saw their fellow comrade in tears struggling to complete the kill. Fuchsia, Violet, Kosami, Sally, Reice, and Jory all got out of their frozen positions and surrounded Cobalt, all of them had their weapons and battle stances ready-If Cobalt dared to kill Azule, they wouldn't hold back. Their vicious glares told the whole story.
Cobalt looked around at his surrounding teammates, "So this was how it was going to end up?"
"I... will not die." Azule muttered under his breath, clenching his fists. Gritting his teeth, he raised his blood-stained head and locked his vision on Cobalt. "I've...been through worse!" he yelled, grabbing the blade that was deep in his chest. "Squidcom, fall back!" he commanded as he gripped the hilt with determination; Squidcom and Cobalt-alike were disturbed by what Azule was about to do. If he did pull the sword from his chest, his bleeding would only get worse, and yet, there was this trust that if any idiot was going to do it, it was Azule. This was the same guy who survived a bullet to the head already.
Azule's forearms flexed to the point of veins protruding, his glare had pure light as he focused on the blade, slowly pulling out the sword and leaking tons of blood, wincing in pain as a reaction, closing one eye. Cobalt was stunned. Even when death was just at his footsteps, his captain still wouldn't bow down to the reaper. It was at that moment that Cobalt realized he couldn't do it. He couldn't hate Azule. He couldn't kill him. His friends, no-the world, would be losing one of their brightest stars before he even took to the sky. Long streaks of blood fly everywhere as Cobalt pulls the blade from Azule's chest, unable to watch his determined captain hurt himself any longer; Azule dropped to one knee, holding his chest as blood oozed out through his fingers-coughing hysterically.
"Get treatment, captain. I cannot battle you with the injuries you have sustained. You have a bad heart. If we continue, you'll surely die!" Cobalt shouted with fear for Azule's safety.
"Shut your damn mouth!" Azule yelled, holding his chest; Cobalt hushed. "I knew what I was getting myself into when I decided to fight you. Don't you dare go easy on me just because of my injuries or handicaps. I don't want your pity!" Azule punched his hands together, the veins in his arms twitching with rage, his anger was to the max as he flexed constantly to try to clog the blood. Allowing such deep wounds would have a hefty damage on him in the following weeks to come, but he couldn't lose this fight-not when everyone came so far. Seeing the determination in Azule's eyes, Cobalt ceded.
"As you wish…" Cobalt said solemnly, watching Azule rise to his feet.
Cobalt knew it the moment he saw the change in his captain's personality; the adrenaline was kicking in. Azule had never felt this type of immediate physical pain, his body was producing more epinephrine than he could possibly manage. His mind couldn't register the pain, and it was because of this that his irritable nature was showing. Veins pulse from Azule's forehead as he clenches his teeth together, fighting through the sensation. Cobalt readied his blood-stained blade yet again, and with every fiber in his legs-he sprinted at the wounded Azule. Azule looked up, his pupils dilating as a streak of cobalt blue illuminates before him like a lightning bolt. The hairs on the back of his neck that stood up like a tower, the internal shivers that even his mind could manifest a physical feeling of, this was fear unlike anything he ever experienced as he watch death come at him yet again. Cobalt smirked as he did an upward then horizontal slash to the right; Azule dodged without hesitation, his eyes locked fiercely on Cobalt and reading the movements of his body. Blankness filled Azule's mind as his body took control, the images he saw in his head were nothing more than just live footage without meaning as he left everything to his instincts. After dodging a trio of Cobalt's attacks, Azule quickly winded up and delivered an uppercut to Cobalt's gut after he left an obvious opening, and without any remorse for the reeling Cobalt who coughed up blood on reaction to the thunderous impact, Azule landed a combo to make him spill the same amount. Following the uppercut, Azule headbutted Cobalt and then launched a winding kick to Cobalt's head, turning his body in midair as if performing a volley shot. Cobalt doesn't budge however as the kick from Azule connects with his skull, it was loud enough to be heard from where Squidcom were, but they knew that someone just cracked something. The pressure from the kick nearly took his head off, but Cobalt's aura had blocked the attack for him-astonishing Azule at how accurately Cobalt predicted that. With Azule distracted for a moment, Cobalt grabs Azule's leg with his left hand and squeezes with intense pressure. His eyes burn with static as he glared at his captain.
Using the wooden sword in his free hand, Cobalt stabs Azule in the ankle, "Don't get cocky!" he yelled as he watched Azule writhe and squirm in pain, then seeing Azule yank the blade out. Already this fight had only been going on for about 15 minutes with Azule having a sustained a trio wounds along with head trauma, and yet he wouldn't give in. Azule peers at the tired Cobalt, who was covered in scratches and bruises. If it wasn't for Azule's fighting style of fighting without any weapons, he'd probably be in much worse shape. Azule returns to his feet, Cobalt stood erect-his wooden blade pointed at Azule.
"..."
Cobalt brandishes his weapon, calling out Azule. Azule nods with a growing smirk and a sparkling glint in his blue eyes, bloodlust settling in as he ignored his injuries.
"They...look like they're past the point of sanity..." Jory commented with grimace; he knew what madness looked like after living in the slums for all of his life, seeing these two fight it out resembled the ugly fights he'd see late into the night on the streets.
Cobalt holds his sword outwards, summoning a maroon aura around the blade. Azule was on his feet, but not without any struggle of coping with a concussion played into the mix. Cobalt does a heavy swing and sends a sickle of energy at Azule, unfortunately for Azule, he wouldn't be able to dodge it in time. Watching the dangerous red sickle approaching him like a torpedo, Azule gave out a painful wail, punching the attack and shattering it on impact, charring his hand as a punishment. Cobalt doesn't react, expecting as much from Azule. Azule uses that chance to his advantage and gets close to Cobalt, Cobalt braces for impact, knowing he wasn't going to dodge a sudden attack from Azule given how quick the inkling was on his feet. But it didn't come immediately, for Azule's heart started to act up again, allowing Cobalt a chance to land another blunt hit straight to Azule's cranium and send him straight to the ground as consequence. Azule's chin hits the ground hard, and once again he's on the verge of losing consciousness. Cobalt punts his body a dozen meters and watches Azule roll lifelessly before landing on his side with his back to Cobalt. Looking over to his worried friends, Azule could see the fear in their eyes. From the pained Sally, Violet, and Fuchsia who're still scarred by the night Azule got shot in the head, to the grimacing Reice and Jory, who want to help him with all they have. He knew that his current position must look pathetic if he has them worrying so much for his sake. Sensing Cobalt's presence slowly approaching, Azule forces himself to his feet and clenches his fist, bearing the pain. Cobalt's carbon blade returns to action as he goes into dual wielding style with his wooden blade in his right and his carbon blade in the left hand. Azule rushes at Cobalt with everything he's got, Cobalt meets him, and they engage in close quarter combat. Azule punches away each of the strikes and swings from the wooden sword while cautiously guiding away the strikes of the carbon sword that'd easily slice his hand off. Azule's shoulders turn with each dodge, Cobalt notices the pattern forming; if this fight continued any longer, he'd be in danger of losing. Azule didn't get into too many fights, but he was a loose cannon of a fighter when he did.
"You seem to have found your second wind." Cobalt said as he threw his wooden blade high into the air and switched to the carbon sword, lunging at Azule for a stab to the chest; Azule catches the blade between his palms however.
"Maybe, or maybe not...either way, the crucial point is coming Cobalt!"-Azule stared into Cobalt's eyes, disturbing Cobalt with the madness in his twitch- "I don't think I'll be able to hold back any longer…!" He said while holding his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart like a runner's legs in a hundred-meter dash, so fast he could feel his heart bursting at any moment.
Azule's face had insanity written all over as veins protruded all over his face, giving a cheeky grin with a fool's laugh. He couldn't handle this pain any longer. The pain he'd been absorbing throughout the fight, the stress he'd built, and the heart condition worsening with each second. Azule knew his body failing faster than he'd gambled, but at this rate he was going to die sooner than rather than later.
"Seeing you turn into this stranger…quite unbecoming as the captain of Squidcom." Cobalt said with a provoked look as he dashed to Azule; he couldn't watch this anymore, he needed to put his captain out of misery. Thrusting the blade viciously and managing to land a deep cut right under Azule's left eye, Azule laughingly moved out the way-tasting his blood yet again as an arc of blood sprays from his fresh cut. The wooden sword returned thanks to gravity, and Cobalt catches it, throwing it with full force into Azule's ribs.
"AHAHA!" Azule screamed in a laugh as the sword sinks into his skin, forcing him to drop to one knee again in response to the piercing.
"How you have fallen…" Cobalt said as he watched Azule pull the sword from his body.
Azule's smile of madness soon turned to pure rage, "Quit messing around and give your worst!" Azule yelled as he snapped the wooden blade in two with just one hand; Cobalt and Squidcom alike were appalled by this new side of Azule.
At the same time, the chaos in Osuma arena didn't falter as Lori Kotari led the massive ambush. From left to right, all that opposed the orders of the Kotari alliance to stand down and surrender were either killed or engaging in unfair numbers for battle. Kenji and Isabella were forced to team together with neither side refusing to simply surrender after coming this far, likewise the remaining members of the Zukuri alliance were doing everything in their power to work together and oppose the Kotari alliance. Kenji slices a dozen grunts in half while Isabella blows up a trio with her explosives, both were proving to be hefty problems for just regular grunts to handle.
"Looks like sending in the regulars in mass numbers wouldn't do any good. I'll be your opponent." Yasuo spoke as he readied his weapons, likewise were Moriko and Diante; Satoshi, Aloe, and Beverly were close by but were handling the other Zukuri allies that they couldn't lend a hand against the Oujima and Tokugawa.
"So, there was another faction with the same intentions as us…" Isabella said in hopes to avoid any more meaningless conflict, figuring that the ambushers had the same intentions as her alliance; Kenji was still ready for a battle since this was an attack on his turf.
"Same intentions?" both parties said simultaneously as they looked at her.
"Indeed, although are ways about doing things are different...Nonetheless, you guys aren't the enemy." Isabella said with a nod.
"Hold up…" Diante spoke as she came forward. "You lot killed a fair number of my comrades, yeah? I'm not forgiving you until I pummel a good beating into your skulls!" Diante yelled, pissed off about earlier.
"I couldn't care less what you think, but it stands within reason that all of you ruined our family event. All of you are the enemy." Kenji said as he waved his sword at everyone, prepared for the handicap fight.
Diante scoffed, "Guess it'll be over qui-"
"Allow me to fight him. We had a scheduled match, after all. Round up my fellow members of the Zukuri alliance and give them your orders, let them know I allowed it. Also, you should be able to tell us apart by seeing who is still engaging in combat outside of the Tokugawa-that's us." Isabella interjected, proposing that an alliance be formed. Since Iono Zukuri was killed, and their plans to end the Tokugawa selection were foiled be an even more effective method, Isabella figured it'd be wise to team up with these people since they shared a common goal, the reason for their original alliance in the first place.
"Huh!?" Diante scoffed.
"Very well, we'll work with you." Moriko accepted. "It'll be more effective if we grow our numbers, and besides our goal is to take down Teitsu Tokugawa. If that is accomplished, then this is nothing of our concern." Moriko said as she turned to a bewildered Diante who was struggling to process the sudden turn of events. Afterwards, they move off to aid in others dealing with battles.
Kenji glares at Isabella as the Kotari alliance makes their exit, "So you're after my father's head?"
"Are you so foolish that you weren't aware of it? Nobody likes your father. He's been a cancer to this culture with his expansion of negativity and corruption. There needs to be a cleansing of his soul, but even the blackness that stains him won't come off so easily. Killing him is the best option."
"You speak madness!" Kenji shouted, engaging the battle; usually he was composed, but with the huge surprise of an ambush that disrupted everything and on top, the news of his father being targeted, Kenji was feeling anxious over the urgency of the situation.
Kenji does a horizontal swing, immediately having to block a high right kick from Isabella with his left forearm after missing the strike, crouching a bit as the impact was a bit stronger than he'd imagined. Isabella brings down her second leg for a sharp axe kick, knocking the sword out of his hand, squarely kicking him in the chest in midair, landing with balance as Kenji stumbled backwards. Isabella rushes at Kenji and grabs the blade he dropped, doing a trio of slashes that he's forced to reflexively dodge unless he wants his head separated from his body. Kenji throws a left jab after dodging her lunge, but she redirects his fist and knees him straight in the mandible-knocking him out.
"Honestly, you Tokugawa are too much for me…" she exhaled, catching his tumbling body and resting him on the floor peacefully.
Chaos erupts all over Osuma arena as the world witnesses the unpreceded fall of an empire. Even if Teitsu Tokugawa somehow managed to scrape away from this mess, no way could he maintain his reputation. There was no difference between him and a wounded man that was being humiliated in public after suffering an assault. The shocking return from the dead of Ikayumu's samurai goddess, Cobalt's murders, and an ambush that threatened the reign of the Tokugawa, quickly, the image of Ikayumu was changing with these historical events unfolding at the seams.
