Clive almost lost his life on the very first strike. He deflected the attack with his sword readily, pushing Project Dark Angel's wing away, but forgot about the other demon's extra abilities, and felt a bolt of electricity streak through his nervous system, fraying him on the inside. The attack got one or two seconds of open field to work their powers before Clive realised the damage and broke the contact by pushing forward with the blade, forcing his opponent away. It was far more difficult for Clive to keep himself unharmed this time, the strengths of his enemy seeming to have doubled or even tripled after their last duel. Letting go of his shreds of self control for the duration of the battle, Clive roared out in aggression and charged the winged demon, making Project Dark Angel anticipate an attack when he unexpectedly sidestepped and entered a weak point in the other demon's defense.
The range of Project Dark Angel's vision was impaired by both his black wings, making it difficult for him to see what was immediately present on either sides of his body. Clive managed to get in that space, and, disregarding his safety and ignoring the knowledge of how much it would hurt, he grabbed Project Dark Angel's left wing and bent it back in a modified arm-lock, using the other demon's sudden vulnerability to slam him, face-first, into the wall. The swordsman held in a breath and tried to ignore the jagged feathers biting into his arm and chest, drawing blood as the winged demon tried to cut himself free. Clive now had his opponent up against the wall like a police officer would have their prisoner, if he could just muster up the strength, he could try and dislocate the wing joint which would probably put Project Dark Angel down for the count. Tightening his hold, he applied as much pressure as he possibly could, trails of blood from the small wounds on his arm dripping down his coat sleeve.
Hearing a loud gory crack, Clive automatically let go. Project Dark Angel didn't react to the pain, it made Clive think that what he had said was true; he didn't feel pain at all, neither mental nor physical. The feathered limb went dead and hung lifeless at the other demon's side, while likewise, Project Dark Angel went totally silent. Nursing his cut-up arm, Clive moved away, gripping Kuronegaiken uncertainly. Slowly, the feathers changed from their metal state back into their normal state, and the other demon fell to his knees, leaning against the wall. The injured wing was twitching spasmodically, and Clive stepped forward hesitantly, unsure of his intentions.
Then he realised that it was a trap, though it was far too late. Something stabbed him in the ribs with the precision of a syringe and injected a copious amount of lethal poison into his body. Grunting, Clive yanked the barbed tail out of his side and leant over from the small amount of pain, smiling a little. "…Nice try," He said with a slight rasp in his voice, "By my immune system is not like that of humans. Once I purge a venom from my body, it can never harm me again. Just like the chicken pox." He said. Project Dark Angel seemed to flinch a little from Clive's words, but then the swordsman heard a quiet noise that was almost like a suppressed growl. Suddenly, the winged demon sprung up and launched himself at Clive like a rabid monster, slashing at him with his deadly claws while electricity crackled and struck him from the air.
Nearby, Kaitlyn was sitting by herself on the floor, slightly half-sprawled, because everything happening around her so fast was making her tired and dizzy. She usually didn't like to go to bed and preferred to stay up wither her parents, but this time she would have welcomed a chance to sleep for a long while. Her mind was only half aware of this desire, however, because it was more strongly concentrated at the metal object that hung from a tarnished chain, spread across both her hands. Waveringly, Kaitlyn gathered the entirety of the necklace in her hand and touched the cross charm with her index finger lightly, then pressed down a little bit, trying to smudge the rusty blight away. Inside, there was warmth, but it was wrapped up by the blight in a cold cocoon, making it ugly and lifeless. Kaitlyn wanted to see it shiny and warm again. I'm seeing this thing for the first time, but it doesn't seem like the first time… The little girl sniffed and rubbed at her eyes, picking up something terribly sad from the item. Why… does it make me cry? How come I've seen this before…?
The little girl heard a loud slicing sound coupled with the sound of metal clashing against metal and she looked up towards the noise, watching the two demons exchange blows in a way that made the battle seem almost like some kind of deadly dance. Long gashes in the walls and floor came from the trail that Kuronegaiken left behind, cutting through rock and stone like hot butter. Clive didn't seem to notice the damage he was doing to the world around him and continued his onslaught, each slice that was directed at Project Dark Angel being deflected by the protective dark armor covering the back of the winged demon's hand and forearm. Clive was slowly pushing his enemy away with each strike, unknowingly letting a sadistic smile of pleasure grace his lips. He was honestly enjoying the bloodlust that was etching it's way into each fluid movement of his sword-arm.
Catherine stumbled into the area, coming out from her hiding place behind a large pile of rocks. With her, Gungnir was grasped between her hands, the weapon was dented and bent, generally looking the worse for wear. Leaning against one of the larger rocks for a few seconds, the ex-drifter looked over the rest of the area and spotted Kaitlyn sitting alone and by herself, mesmerized by something in her hands. Letting out a small gasp, the woman ran over to her daughter and fell to her knees, pulling the small child into her arms. Kaitlyn looked disoriented, but hugged her back. With her little arms around her mother, the girl didn't see the silver cross silently shed a few flakes of the blight, a tiny shimmer of silver underneath the rust appearing in the darkness.
Project Dark Angel struck Clive bluntly in the chest and the metal demon went down heavily with a breathy moan, landing on his side. He could feel that that attack would probably leave him a nasty bruise, and he tasted his own blood in the back of his throat. Then, Project Dark Angel stepped away and played his trump card with a self-gratified flourish and smirk. Standing tall, he clenched his teeth and recoiled from some kind of sudden inner pain, trembling a little. The demon let out a horrendous roar as his dislocated wing unexpectedly snapped back into it's proper position and repaired itself, regenerating at a phenomenal speed. Upon doing so, Project Dark Angel crouched down a little and coiled his legs, snapping his wings open like an angry bird in display. Then, he sprung up and took flight, disappearing into the shadows above them.
Clive tried to stand up again, but doubled over and clutched at his stomach, rolling over and lying on his back, taking in ragged breaths. After a second or two of recuperation, he used Kuronegaiken to lever himself to his feet and he wiped his brow, looking uncertainly up into the air above him. Even with his very acute vision, he could not see where his opponent had flown to. Now he was like a sitting duck, defenseless. There was nothing he could do about it. His mediums felt his pain and tried to replenish his lost energy with some of their own, which made Clive feel a tiny bit better, but the swordsman was running out of steam to continue, even the ambrosia that had been present in the antidote given to him was no longer effective.
A horrible sensation hit Catherine's mind as she saw her husband try and discern Project Dark Angel's current location. It was a brief jolt of déjà vu that sent her back to the dream she had had only the night before, a prophetic dream of Clive's downfall. This was the same scenario that she had seen before. The wolf had fallen, injured, while the raven had flown away. If this part of her dream was true, then Clive was destined to die. No! Catherine cried out fervently in her mind, letting go of Kaitlyn gently and getting to her feet, picking up the ARM that she had placed by her side. I will not let that dream come true! I was a spectator in that nightmare, but not this time! I am the Aegis, it is my duty to protect!
Without any noise at all except for a slight rushing of wind, Project Dark Angel fell out of the darkness like a night owl descending on it's prey, his wings once more like rigid lethal blades. He was going to land in such a way that Clive would be sliced cleanly in two, demon body or not. Clive looked up and his body seemed to become paralyzed by what he saw, caught like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming truck. Carefully, he untangled his frozen nerves and raised his sword just a little, unsure if it would block the attack or not, but…
When Project Dark Angel landed and lashed out with an inhuman amount of precision, he did not hear the sound of meat being sliced like he had expected, but instead the loud grating clang of refined dragon fossils slamming up against thin metal blades. He had extended his arm at the same time as his wing, and now, he lowered it a little, narrowing his dull lifeless eyes. Clive, the strength leaving his body for a while, had fallen over from exhaustion and was lying on his side, putting most of his energy into breathing. The only defense he had left was Catherine, standing over Clive's body, her arms struggling to keep Gungnir up and continue to block the winged demon's attack. She was not very strong, but force of will alone allowed her to keep the demon's attack from being executed. "I am the… Aegis!" She proclaimed through heavy breaths, straining. "I swore to protect!"
"Yes, I recall." Said the demon, battling to overcome Catherine's intrusion. She was putting up a very good fight, for a human. "I was there at the time when you swore that oath. However, did you not also swear to protect me as well?"
"I swore to protect my friends and family." Catherine argued. "You used to come underneath that heading, but not anymore. I will not allow you to hurt my husband, you shall have to go through me first! Can you do that, Ravendor, after all that has happened?" Her arms felt like they were turning into jelly, but after a few moments of contemplation, Project Dark Angel stopped pushing against Catherine's arm and lowered the limb as well, allowing the woman the chance to rest. Letting out a small breath, she dropped her arms and rested the butt of the Gungnir against the ground, her hands around the end of the barrel. Defiantly, she refused to move.
The demon laughed. "It is true that Ravendor would have been unable to harm you in any such way, but you seem to forget, Catherine, that I am not that frightened little fool anymore. I couldn't care less whether you lived or died. Now, woman, get out of my way." She shook her head and stood firmly, her mouth set in a thin little line. Her soft grey eyes were now like reinforced steel. It seemed to be that not even a mountain could move her now, let alone one solitary demon. Slowly, she shook her head, saying no. Project Dark Angel sighed and then shrugged, absently scratching at one of the tattoos on the side of his face.
"Very well, then." He said after a while, coming to a decision. "I warned you. Take this!" Catherine had all the breath knocked out of her lungs as she was struck in the side with the flat part of the demon's wing, pushing her away. She was thrown violently into the wall and the impact sent a shock wave of pain through her body, the Gungnir ARM thrust from her hand and skidding to a halt a little ways away from her, out of her reach. Catherine slid down to her knees and slumped onto her side, out of the action. The Aegis could protect Clive no longer.
Kaitlyn was watching this with morbid fascination, her hands clasped around the piece of lackluster silver jewelry. Unknowingly, even to herself, she had slipped the chain over her head and the cross was now resting on her front, warmed by her hands. Had she known it, she would have been enthralled by the scene, but the charm was shedding flakes of rust like crazy, laying bare the true beauty of the item. Kaitlyn felt like a different person while she was wearing it, though she was too wrapped up in the fight in front of her to notice anything more, even when the Gungnir skidded by her and came to rest no more than a few feet away. All she wanted was for this to stop.
Project Dark Angel walked over to Clive's prone body and kicked him sharply in the ribs, sneering. "Is this the limit of your abilities, Demon of Light?" He demanded angrily, "Is this all the human race wishes to offer me as it's last defense? How disgusting. Get back up and fight me, Winslett, so that I may cut you down." The winged demon got a terrible thought into his head and then he smiled. "If you do not get up, Clive, then I will take out my frustration on Catherine or Kaitlyn, how does that sound to you?"
"…If you…do so much as… touch them… I will… kill you…" Flinching as his muscles proclaimed loudly to the motion, Clive carefully got to his feet and forced back an impulse to become violently ill, using all of his willpower to get back into a correct sword stance. He was smeared with blood and dirt, beaten bloody, but he was still able to stand up and ask for more. Rushing forward again, the battle began anew. However, it did not last long. Only a few missed blows and dodges after his recovery, Clive made his last and most fatal mistake.
Clive winced as he accidentally showed his back to his enemy and Project Dark Angel stepped forward, trying to grab the swordsman in a headlock and then treading on the end of the metal demon's tail. The sharp stab of pain shot through Clive's spine and he felt all of his nerves comply to an in-built command and fall dead, forcing him to lose feeling and control of his body. He took in a quick inhalation of breath as a reflex action and his body crumpled, his strength draining away. Project Dark Angel took his chance as Clive fell, finding this a supreme opportunity to penetrate the swordsman's defense. The winged demon caught Clive before he hit the ground, straightening the limp demon up and holding his loaded Peacemaker ARM to the side of Clive's head. Now it was Clive who had been taken hostage, and was in the most danger of all. Dropping Kuronegaiken from his slack fingers, he was powerless.
Triumphantly, Project Dark Angel bit his claws deeply into the flesh of Clive's shoulder to hold him up, making the swordsman cringe slightly in suffering. He could feel the cold metal of the ARM pressing against his temple and gritted his teeth, trying to pull himself away. Cursing his body, he simply could not move. "So finally it comes to this." Announced the dark-haired demon with delight, digging his claws in just a little bit more to make Clive groan in pain. "It is too bad Ravendor is not here to witness this, he would have enjoyed it." He said. "No matter. Now it is time for you to die. Perhaps the gods will be lenient on your soul, fellow demon."
Catherine achingly climbed to her feet, unsteadily standing up straight. That rock wall was hard. She was nowhere near as resilient as she used to be, and that attack had really hurt her badly. She had no idea how Clive had managed to stand it. Limping, she made her way over to Project Dark Angel, tears in her eyes. Overwhelmed, she stood there, at a loss for what to do. It had all gone wrong, whatever she had managed to prophesize, no matter what, she couldn't change the outcome of the duel. "Clive…" She whispered woefully, transfixed by the unfolding scene, "Honey… I…"
Project Dark Angel paused for a moment as he felt something soft brush up against his ankle, and he looked down, stepping an inch or so back. "A tail?" He asked aloud, then smiled, making his own conclusion. "I always knew that you were some kind of mongrel, Winslett. Huh. Bad dog!" Smirking wickedly, he brought the heel of his boot down as hard as he possibly could onto the tip of Clive's tail. The metal demon cried out hoarsely and recoiled, before sagging pitifully back against the other demon's body, shaking a little. His enemy had found his most vulnerable spot. Clive cursed his lycanthrope now, like he never had before. The winged demon applied pressure around Clive's neck and he had to struggle to breathe, turning around to allow Catherine a perfect view of her husband's execution. "I think it is about time I finally put this mongrel to sleep for good, don't you agree, Catherine? Say farewell." He released the safety catch on his ARM, now all there was left was for him to pull the trigger.
Weakly, Clive's hand came up to feebly grapple at his opponent's wrist, the one that was holding him up, but he no longer had the ability to pry himself free. Even with all his power, his memory and birthright, he still could not defeat the demons of his past. He was still shackled down with the rusted chains of the past, just like Ravendor had been. Well, at least, and Clive could find solace in this one unmistakable fact, at least he had gotten a chance to see Catherine's face, one last time. He had tried his best, he could die without regret. Catherine's heart seized up when Clive sadly looked over to her from his confines, his dark mahogany eyes seemed to say one last word. Goodbye.
The sound of a loud gunshot echoed in the cavernous ruin, and then there was silence.
Clive fell forward like a sack of meat, released from Project Dark Angel's evil clutches. Catherine screamed in horror and rushed forward to try and catch her husband before he hit the ground, tears streaming down her cheeks. She had trouble holding him, but she managed to catch him, grabbing the green-haired man in her arms while sobbing hysterically. Clive had his eyes squeezed shut in expectance of his death sentence, his body slightly tense in gruesome anticipation. However, he did not die. He was still alive, and whole. The ARM had not been fired at him, it had been fired at somebody else, very close nearby. Opening his eyes, the swordsman struggled to control and awaken his dead nerves, turning over slightly in the direction of the gunshot noise. It had not sounded like the small crack of a pistol ARM, but the loud echo of a rifle without a silencer, ambient and resonant.
The winged demon fell to one knee, gasping for breath. Shakily, he reached his hand up and carefully touched the left side of his front, at the area where his heart tried to beat. Dark blood was pouring out of an exit wound in his chest, cleanly executed without any bullet shrapnel whatsoever. It had been a perfect bull's eye hit. Somebody had shot him in the back. Jolted by the unexpected action, something amazing happened. Life had returned to the demon's dull and blank eyes, and he was Ravendor Begucci once more. Both demons and the ex-drifter glanced behind him to the source of the attack, in utter confusion.
Kaitlyn was standing there, battling to hold up the heavy Gungnir ARM in her small little hands, the end of the barrel smoking from recent fire.