"CYRUS!"
Lucca winced at the cry and sank to her knees as Frog leapt, Masamune reflecting off the snow and the muted sun in the sky. Far beyond, the smoke from the destruction of all Magus had loved joined with the low clouds.
The cry of metal hitting metal was like the ice breaking in the trees. Lucca winced – surely one of their weapons had broken. But the two stood there, straining in the snow, Magus's scythe locked with Frog's sword, and Magus's foot slipped in the wet ground and edged further to the cliff edge. Then he slipped entirely and fell to the ground, and Frog drove his sword down for the kill.
A flash, then the heavy sound of a blow to the flesh, and Frog flipped up into the air, Magus's foot planted in his stomach. He hit the ground, rolled, and came to his feet again, Masamune still in his hands. Magus was up again as well, laughing, and he carelessly brushed some snow of his sleeve.
"Cowardly tricks!" Frog cried.
Magus just chuckled and Lucca's hands curled into fists. Oh, he was weak. It was obvious. He wasn't even hovering, as she'd seen him do, and surely that fight with Lavos had drained most of his strength. And yet, and yet… of course he knew his death was near. He had to know it. And yet it was like this was all a game. Idiot. Fool.
Frog charged again and Lucca could pinpoint the spot he'd leap. Magus raised a hand, said some words in some strange language, and eldritch power leapt to his fingers, drawing the light around him into its void. He looked so gaunt, just pale skin and bone harshly illuminated from the spell.
He threw the magic outwards and it struck Frog full-on in the chest, exploding into dark lightning and blowing the snow out in all directions. Frog skidded, staggered, and leapt, tendrils of darkness sliding off of him. Magus raised his scythe and once again came the clash of metal on metal, and again as Frog struck again, a constant hail of blows that left Magus too busy to do anything but parry. Then scarlet red streaked the snow and Lucca lost her breath, trying to see whose blood it was. She could not tell. The fighters moved and Lucca lost clear sight of Frog, hidden behind Magus's back. Something happened, Magus's arm jerked aside as his scythe was knocked away from guard, and his scream ripped through the air. It stopped, Lucca heard him gasp and he fell to his knees, Frog's sword dripping red. His scythe hit the snow and slipped away from his grasp.
Frog stepped backwards a pace, breathing hard, still in guard.
"Get up," he hissed, "Or yield."
Lucca stood and walked towards the two. The snow was starting to stain around the mystic as his blood slipped across his body and into the white.
"I cannot do either," Magus whispered, and his head slumped so that Lucca could not see his face from under his hair.
The Masamune dropped until the tip touched the snow. Frog said nothing, just watched as Magus attempted to stand, slipped, and fell to his side with an agonized cry. He curled around the wound and Lucca knelt beside him.
She wanted to ask Marle to save him. Perhaps she would. But no, the girl was behind them, staring out away from the fight and crying. Chrono could ask her to, and she would. But he wasn't here, was he?
With a finger she lifted Magus's hair off of his face and laid it out behind him. His breathing was coming shallow now and he opened his eyes. Not looking at any of them, just the snow beyond. It seemed to be a struggle to bring himself to the present when he spoke.
"In time," he said, "the curse on Frog will lift. He'll be human again."
Magus coughed and blood flecked his lips. He drew in one more deep breath, grew still, and whispered Schala's name. Then he died.
The wind picked up, throwing snow around them. To her own surprise, Lucca found herself unable to cry.
"I hope you find peace now," she whispered, and gently closed Magus's eyes and folded his hands across his chest. There was a rustle above her and Lucca stepped back to allow Frog to spread Magus's cloak over his body. He put a hand on Lucca's shoulder and she turned to see Marle walking away, back down the path they had come. Frog let go of her and followed. He limped slightly and every now and then a drop of blood would fall onto the snow. He stopped and turned to look at them at the base of the incline.
"Coming?" he asked, "We still hath a world to save."
No time for regret. Lucca nodded and followed Frog away and down the path. Behind them, the wind continued to cover that which they'd left behind, until all traces of the struggle that had occurred were lost under the snow.